UK's Shoulder to Shoulder Global Recognized as Exemplary Program

by Ann Blackford

What began as a small medical mission trip to Ecuador  in 2002 for a group of pediatric medical residents led by Dr. Thomas Young, professor of pediatrics at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, has evolved over the years into a large multidisciplinary, interprofessional partnership between UK and the local community working together to discover new and improved ways to teach, learn, and serve vulnerable and resource-poor communities in Ecuador.

UK's Shoulder to Shoulder Global (STSG), formed in 2005, is a UK-based initiative devoted to improving the health and quality of life in Ecuadorian communities suffering the effects of poverty, including high rates of preventable health problems, violence, low educational  attainment, and lack of safe drinking water, among other issues.

"After three years of medical trips, it became clear that in order to make a real difference to families in Ecuador, I needed to find a way to have a permanent presence there," Young said.  "After meeting with community leaders in Santo Domingo, we began planning a medical clinic with the goal of addressing health and poverty."

With the assistance of a local non-profit social services organization, STSG launched Centro Médico Hombro a Hombro (CMHH) (translated Shoulder to Shoulder Medical Center), a small clinic in the poor community of Carlos Ruiz Burneo, located in the outskirts of Santo Domingo where more than 20,000 people live in poverty. The clinic is run year-round by local health professionals, including physician Cristian Carrión, who has been the medical director since the opening of the CMHH five years ago. The clinic is mostly supported by donations and by the health brigades from UK. 

Read more here on UK's College of Arts & Sciences website.

Architecture students return from summer studio in the Netherlands

©bureaubakker

 

 

 

 

Six architecture students from the UK/CoD had the opportunity to live and study in Delft, Netherlands for an eight-week design studio.

UK Senior Receives DAAD Scholarship to Study in Germany

By Whitney Hale






University of Kentucky senior Victoria Smith has been awarded a DAAD Scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service. The scholarship will allow the business management senior to finish her undergraduate studies and do independent study in Germany this fall.

DAAD offers a wide range of funding opportunities for individuals and institutions in higher education. The program's primary goal is to facilitate transatlantic mobility to Germany for US and Canadian scholars. Funding is awarded on a competitive basis; the organization considers academic merit of the individual, feasibility and quality of candidate's proposal, and the impact of the applicant and application as a whole.

Read more in UKNow. 

Gatton Opens Doors for International Education

By Sarah Geegan 

As university graduates face an increasingly global and internationally connected marketplace, the Gatton College of Business and Economics strives to equip students with necessary experiences for success. Brendan O'Farrell, international director in Gatton, is opening doors to make those experiences possible.

As international director, O'Farrell oversees the Gatton Global Scholars Program, a competitive program that combines immersive learning, leadership development opportunities and global perspectives for students with an interest in international business and leadership. O'Farrell also coordinates general education abroad efforts for the college.

"International experience is extremely beneficial for students seeking a career in business today," O'Farrell said. "But it's also valuable in many other areas — academically, professionally, personally. At Gatton we are committed to helping our students achieve these meaningful experiences."

Read more in UKNow. 

UK Students Bring Renewable Energy Technology to Africa

By Denise Brazzell

Jeffery Seay, assistant professor of chemical and materials engineering at the UK Paducah campus, led seven UK Paducah chemical and mechanical engineering students in a design project to develop low-cost, environmentally friendly technologies to produce biodiesel for rural villagers in Cameroon, Africa. Seay and the students worked with the African Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology (ACREST) to design the process using resources and materials readily available in Cameroon. A 10-day trip to Bangang, Cameroon to work with the local villagers in implementing and refining the design was the culmination of the year-long project.

UK Students Provide Branding Help to South African Charities

By Erin Berger

This summer, seven University of Kentucky students traveled to Cape Town, South Africa, for a three-week course on integrated strategic communication. 

These students professionally designed and pitched branding campaigns for two separate child welfare organizations in the Cape Town community, both of which are currently being implemented.The course offered students the opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge in a global professional context while exploring the challenges of diversity.

Students Samantha Brown, Alex Gorrell, Ellen Jacobs, Bryan O'Loughlin, Sarah Peterson, Ashley Scoby and Ali Wallace toured various places of interest, such as Robben Island, and experienced overnight homestays in the township of Gugulethu. They spoke with numerous people about their experiences, how South African culture has shifted after the end of apartheid, and their struggles in communicating within such a diverse population.

“This experience reminded me that there are bigger things out there — bigger things than myself. Bigger problems than America’s problems, and bigger-hearted people than I will ever be,” said Ashley Scoby, a rising sophomore journalism major. “Expanding my worldview and being part of something larger and more impactful than I ever could have been a part of in the U.S. is what I will mostly take away from my time in South Africa.”

Read more in UKNow. 

Shoulder to Shoulder Global Celebrates Fifth Anniversary

By Sarah Geegan, Craig Borie

Shoulder to Shoulder Global's May 2012 brigade to Ecuador marked the fifth anniversary of the Centro Médico Hombro a Hombro program in Santo Domingo, Ecuador. Students, faculty and staff from the UK College of Health Sciences, UK College of Arts and Sciences, Transylvania University as well as members of the community attended to 704 patients at the Centro Médico and partnering communities.