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. 

UK Grad Student to Study Chinese Abroad

By Whitney Hale

A University of Kentucky graduate student in the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce has been awarded a Critical Language Scholarship to study Chinese. Nick Grisanti, a second year graduate student in international commerce, will spend two months in an intensive Chinese study program in Shanghai, China.

Read more about this in UKNow.  

Seven UK Students Receive Gilman Scholarship

Seven UK students have been awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study abroad in the 2012-2013 academic year.

These seven students include:

-Hannah Allen, an international studies senior
-Maria Jennings, an international studies senior
-Carolyn McKenzie, an international studies junior
-Grant Weherely, an economics senior
-Shayne Strickland, an international studies junior
-Shelby Williams, an international studies junior
-Jonathan Tiojas, a Japanese language & literature sophomore


Read more about these students in UKNow.

Students interested in the Gilman Scholarship for Spring 2013 attend one of Education Abroad's monthly scholarship info sessions.  Deadline for Spring 2013 is October 2, 2012.

In order to be competitive, students are advised to have their draft application reviewed by the Office of External Scholarships or the UK Writing Center.

EA Advisor recognized at NAFSA

University of Kentucky Education Abroad adviser Thomas Teague was recognized at the 64th NAFSA Annual Conference and Expo in Houston, Texas, for the excellence of his poster, “ISP 599: A New Approach to Providing Ongoing Orientation at a Large Public Institution.” 

Read more about it in UKNow.

Social Work Students in Ghana

A UK faculty led program is introducing social work students to the social development approach through placements in social welfare and community-based programs run by both governmental and non-governmental (NGOs) agencies. 

The program's focus areas include outreach for street children, juvenile/probation services, residential facilities for delinquent boys and girls, rehabilitation for physically disabled persons, hospital-related social work, community development programs, women and children's services, orphanages and HIV/AIDS services. 

"It is a tremendous experience for our students," says Marie-Antoinette Sossou, the professor of social work who is accompanying the students on their journey. "They learn so much more in six weeks of field work than they could ever learn in the classroom alone. In Ghana they will get to practice their skills as social workers while helping to improve the lives of children who have very few resources."

Read more about this program in UKNow.

UK College of Design in Brazil

UK Interior Design  students are engaging with Brazilian people, culture and community to create interventions that respond to real life design issues. The group is investigating informal and formal housing settlements in the context of the urban to rural condition and will discover how sustainability is understood by other cultures in different conditions. 

Read more about their experience here.   
 

UK Alumna Chosen to Carry Olympic Torch in London

Former University of Kentucky student Taylor Amerman will be on of the carriers of the Olympic torch as it makes a 70-day journey across Britain.  Taylor will carry the torch on June 29.

Currently, Taylor attends the International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility at the University of Nottingham.  She is one of only three from her school selected.

Read more about it here in UKNow.

UK Costa Rica Field Course

On the UK Sponsored Costa Rica program, students had the opportunity to explore the diverse country of Costa Rica through travel to various sites. The program consisted of 2 weeks of coursework in Costa Rica followed by 2 weeks of coursework on the UK Lexington campus. 

Read more about their experience on their blog. 

UK in China

UK President Eli Capilouto is leading a trip to China that includes six high-level administrators as part of an effort to develop new student pipelines and programs. Read more about President Capilouto's visit in this Lexington Herald-Leader article.  

"Who is my neighbor?" at the Lyric Theatre

On Friday, April 20, Lexingtonian John Lynner Peterson will be opening his photo exhibit, "Who is my neighbor?" at the Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center on Third Street. 

Peterson hopes his collection will urge viewers to "reflect on our global village." 

UK Student, Emily Pena, is blogging abroad this spring!

Kinesiology & Spanish Junior, Emily Pena, is blogging from Seville, Spain this Spring. Check out her blog as she explores Spanish culture and life abroad.

Emily is studying abroad with UK Partner, International Studies Abroad.  ISA is Education Abroad at UK's partner provider for programs in Spain & Latin America.

Andrew Heiskell Award

The University of Kentucky won the 2012 Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education for the Discover Germany-Discover USA program.  Issued by the Institute of International Education (IIE), the Andrew Heiskell Award honors initiatives in international higher education among IIE's association of more than 1,100 member institutions. The awards showcase the most innovative models for international partnership programs, study abroad and internationalizing the campus, with emphasis on programs that remove institutional barriers and broaden the base of international teaching and learning on campus.  Read more on UKNow.

Education Abroad Fair Will Showcase Opportunities in International Education

The Spring 2012 Education Abroad Fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, in the Student Center Grand Ballroom.

The fair will showcase multiple different avenues for UK students hoping to gain international experience, including opportunities in study abroad, research abroad, international internships, as well as service learning and teaching abroad. From 10-11a.m., the doors will open early to welcome UK faculty members who are interested in learning about teaching abroad opportunities.  Read more on UKNow.