by Katy Bennett, Michael Danahy

(Nov. 18, 2013) — The University of Kentucky has been named a 2014 Military Friendly School by Victory Media, the publisher of G.I. Jobs magazine. This is the fifth consecutive year that UK has earned this recognition.

“It’s great to be recognized in this way for our efforts once again,” said Anthony Dotson, coordinator of the UK Veterans Resource Center. “The University of Kentucky continues to be a proud supporter of our veterans, military students and their family members, and we are honored to be able to create a friendly and inclusive environment for our military veterans.”

The 2014 Military Friendly Schools list recognizes the Top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the United States that are striving the farthest to

by Andrea Richard, Whitney Hale

(Nov. 18, 2013) — The University of Kentucky Special Collections Library will show the second film in its movie series “Reel to Real” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19, in Worsham Theater. The film series explores celebrated movies through a historically accurate perspective based on primary source materials found in Special Collections. The screening is free and open to the public.

"In Country," featuring Bruce Willis, is about a Vietnam War veteran living in rural Kentucky, and his

by Keith Hautala

(Nov. 6, 2013) — Being a successful student at the University of Kentucky requires a high level of commitment and self-discipline.

That goes double for students in the Reserve Officer Training Corps, or ROTC.

ROTC cadets have committed to serve their country after graduation by pursuing a commission as an officer in the Army or the Air Force. In addition to their regular classes, ROTC cadets take officer training courses. This includes hands-on leadership training in a laboratory environment, academic courses and a rigorous physical training program (PT).

"With a lot of other students on campus, they schedule their classes later in the day so they don’t have to get up early," said U.S. Army Cadet Megan Presley, a sophomore majoring in psychology. "But with ROTC, you have PT in the morning. I have to be up at 5:30

by Gail Bennett

 WUKY, the University of Kentucky's NPR station, is partnering with UK Army ROTC to present the Jack Kain Ford Bluegrass Mud Run.  This fun and exciting event will take place on the campus of the University of Kentucky Sept. 21, 2013.  This will be a 5K run starting at Commonwealth Stadium and proceeding through obstacles designed by UK Army ROTC.  These obstacles will be challenging yet fun and definitely get participants MUDDY! 

This Mud Run serves to promote a physically fit lifestyle, but it is appropriate for all levels of ability from pro-athlete or pro-couch potato! Participants are encouraged to have fun and even dress in their favorite or most bizarre costume.

Registration is open at 

video courtesy of UK Public Relations and Marketing

article by Jenny Wells

Planning and hosting a national conference is no easy task, but for the UK community, collaboration makes it all possible. The University of Kentucky will host the 2014 National Conference on Undergraduate Research, or NCUR, next semester, which will bring nearly 4,000 additional students from across the country to the UK campus. And as students, faculty and staff can attest -- it is something worth bragging about.

NCUR will take place April 3-5, 2014, all throughout UK's campus. The conference will give undergraduates a unique opportunity to present their research and creative endeavors, while meeting other like-minded students from all across the country. They not only promote their individual

by Victoria Dekle

For some people, waking up early for physical training might be the hardest part of joining the University of Kentucky ROTC. But not for sophomore cadet, Dahlia d’Arge.

“Waking up is easy,” she said. “With farming you have to wake up early.”

Over the past two years, Dahlia has made the physical transition from cleaning stalls on her family horse farm in Paris, Kentucky to running before class with her fellow cadets and perfecting her pull-up at the Johnson Fitness Center.

She is a very busy student, juggling ROTC responsibilities, a full load of classes, the physical fitness demands of military training, and helping her mother on the family farm on weekends. All of this work, however, is worth the late nights and blistered

By Whitney Hale

In celebration of the University of Kentucky's upcoming sesquicentennial in 2015, the 15th of 150 weekly installments on the university explores World War I's impact on the institution.

War has always had a great impact on campus culture and the day-to-day lives of students. World War I was no different at UK. The university quickly responded to the demands of war by offering more convenient terms for academic credits for those students whose education was interrupted by military service. In 1918, the university contracted with the government for the training of military personnel in technical skills.

Between May and November of 1918, three detachments went through the training courses. Barker Hall’s Buell Armory became a workshop for truck

By Gail Bennett, Sarah Geegan

WUKY 91.3 FM, the University of Kentucky's NPR station, is partnering with UK Army ROTC to present the Inaugural Kentucky National Guard Bluegrass Mud Run Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012. This 5K run will begin at UK's Commonwealth Stadium and proceed through obstacles designed by members of UK Army ROTC. The obstacle course will be challenging yet fun and will be made to get runners muddy. 

"This fun and exciting mud run is for the pro-athlete or the pro-couch potato!" said Gail Bennett, marketing director at WUKY." Everyone is encouraged to participate, and we strongly encourage you to have fun and even dress in your favorite or most bizarre costume!"

The

By Sarah Geegan

There's just no telling where an education from the University of Kentucky can take you.

For U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jeffrey Smith, the journey that began at UK has taken him around the world and deep below the ocean's surface, as captain of the USS Kentucky, a nuclear submarine.

"Having been born in Kentucky and growing up there, I can’t imagine any pride greater than serving as commander of the ship that bears my home state's name," says Smith, whose parents and sister still live in Kentucky.

Born in Covington and raised in Independence, Smith graduated from Simon Kenton High School and attended Xavier University for a year before transferring to UK. After graduating in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in physics, Smith was commissioned in the Navy and went to officer candidate school in Pensacola, Fla., where he began nuclear

By Erin Holaday Ziegler

The annual POW/MIA Run is a chance for Air Force and Army ROTC cadets from the University of Kentucky, along with Air Force ROTC cadets from the University of Louisville, to honor the sacrifices of the nation’s prisoners of war and those still missing in action.

ROTC cadets and faculty will run 29 miles — from the UK campus in Lexington to the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Frankfort — on Saturday, Nov. 12.

Cadets and faculty will start their run at 6:30 a.m. in front of Barker Hall, located on Administration Drive on the central campus of UK. The runners expect to arrive at the memorial around noon.

Cadets will carry both the United States and POW/MIA flags along the entire route. The run will take place along Old Frankfort Pike.

By Keith Hautala

The observance is open to the entire campus community, to celebrate the many accomplishments and contributions of UK's veterans.

"On Veterans Day, we want to honor the veterans who are living, working and learning with us here on campus every day," Dotson said. "We pay tribute to the fallen each year on

By Erin Holaday Ziegler

The University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences will host a trailblazing American diplomat next week to continue the college's Year of China initiative.

Former U.S. Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch will speak on “Leadership and Education in a Globalizing World: China’s Challenge” at 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, in Room 118 of the White Hall Classroom Building on UK's campus.

Bloch’s talk, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the "Passport to China: Global Issues & Local Understanding" course taught by UK sociology Professor Keiko Tanaka.

Ambassador Bloch, the first Asian-American ambassador in American history, has had a broad career in U.S. government service. She is currently president of the U.S.-China Education Trust, a nonprofit

Inside the Fall 2011 issue of the Wildcat Wrap:

The Army recognizes the need for young leaders to develop more cultural awareness and foreign language proficiency skills. Now more than ever, cultural awareness training is a vital component to the ROTC curriculum. Overseas immersions help educate future leaders in ways the classroom cannot. Cadets now have the opportunity to compete for immersion in more than 20 countries. These opportunities expose them to everyday life in different cultures and intensifies language study, which helps produce commissioned officers who possess the right blend of language and cultural skills required to support global operations in the 21st Century. Participants experience up to three different venues during immersion, including host nation military-to-military exchange, humanitarian service, and education on the social, cultural and historical aspects of the country. In 2016, 1,300 ROTC Cadets

The University of Kentucky is joining millions of people around the country in recognizing the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy. A number of events going on at UK or involving the university will remember and show respect to the victims of that dark day in United States history.

 Activities are being conducted by the UK ROTC, the Center for Community Outreach (CCO) and the College of Design.

Beginning at 9 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 9, the UK Pershing Rifles Cadets will conduct their annual memorial vigil for the lives lost on 9/11 at the flag pole on the Administration Lawn,

reading the name of each victim lost in the attacks, as well as posting a small American

University of Kentucky's main campus was shaken awake late Friday morning as two Black Hawk helicopters touched down on the Main Building lawn to help out a UK program.

UK’s Army ROTC was headed for a weekend of training on Friday, and ROTC officials were able to give 20 cadets a lift from the Army National Guard in style.

According to Captain Joey Orr, the top 20 cadets were from the program's Order of Merit List, which is determined by grades, performance in physical training and program participation.

Most cadets don't see the aviation side of the Army while in the ROTC program at UK, according to Orr. "Our goal is to show cadets their options. It should excite them not only about their future as Army officers, but what the potential has for that future as leaders,” he said. “It’s our job to

A University of Kentucky Arts and Sciences class will culminate its study of effective leadership next week with a talk from a war hero on the battlefield and back at home.

Former Army Ranger and Infantry Officer Nate Self will present "Leadership in Crisis" at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 26, in the Student Center Small Ballroom.

As an Army ranger captain in 2002, Self led a group of courageous soldiers to the top of Takur Ghar Mountain to rescue a missing-in-action Navy SEAL, fighting the highest-altitude battle ever fought by U.S. troops. Seven of the first 10 men to die in the War on Terror fell in this battle.

The effort was dubbed “Rescue on Roberts Ridge,” and had it not been for Self’s quick-thinking and leadership, many more would have been killed. Upon returning home, Self was widely recognized as a

Inside the Spring 2011 issue of the Wildcat Wrap:

Last week, the UK Army ROTC program hosted its 2nd Annual Mentorship Breakfast. The inaugural event celebrated the launch of a new mentorship program within the battalion. The purpose of the program is threefold: ensure academic success for all cadets, develop the future leaders of the United States Army, and improve retention within the corps of cadets. With over 150 in attendance, the breakfast provides a unique opportunity to reach out to UK faculty, community leaders, ROTC alumni, and UK students in order to share leadership experiences, encourage professional discussion, and foster a commitment to life-long learning. This year we were fortunate to have Mr. Bob McDonald, President and CEO of Procter and Gamble, as our keynote speaker. Mr. McDonald delivered a challenging presentation entitled “Values-Based

Cadet Spotlight by Jason Kazee



Keep moving forward. Words such as these can get you through daily challenges, lifelong struggles, or even just around the next corner. Though these words are not found in the United States Army Code of Conduct, soldiers and civilians alike can rely on them. Cadet Battalion Commander Brennan Parker depends on them to carry him through whatever may lie ahead.



Parker recently took part in a 12-cadet relay that carried the game ball from Joker Phillips’ hands in Commonwealth Stadium and delivered it to a team from the University of Louisville’s ROTC program. The team ran 46-miles to a town located mid-way between Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky. The cadets from the University of Louisville took over from mile 46 and delivered the football to Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Capped off by Brennan