At the University of Kentucky, environmental stewardship and sustainability are 24/7/365 commitments. As the world commemorates the 56th annual Earth Day today, UK is highlighting some of the year-round programs, learning opportunities and community events that make sustainability part of everyday life on campus.
In a quiet conference room on the second floor of the Healthy Kentucky Research Building at the University of Kentucky, Pushpa Pokharel, a Henry Clay High School senior and Project SEARCH intern, works diligently to clean every surface. She employs an impressive degree of detail, going beyond mere tidying to ensure surfaces are spotless and hygienic.
The University of Kentucky’s 8th annual Thrift Shop Pop Up marked one of its most successful years yet, with a record-setting 1,893 pounds of items donated and more than 330 students stopping by to “shop” for free clothing, shoes and accessories.
BBN Tackles Plastic, an initiative aimed at reducing campus plastic waste through the collection of plastic bags, is expanding into select campus residence halls. The project, created by Shayna Bassi, a UK Recycling intern and communication science and disorders senior in the College of Health Sciences, has been integral at removing plastic bags from campus landfill waste.
Interior Design Services, a small two-person team in Facilities Management, helps shape nearly every space at the University of Kentucky. From bustling student lounges to dynamic classrooms and functional office spaces, all campus furniture is curated by Shareese Malone, university interior designer, KYCID, and Sarah Baker, interior designer project managersenior, NCIDQ, AUID.
“The Keeping Space,” a 15-minute documentary that shines a light on the often-unseen work by University of Kentucky custodian Shelia Lackey, will be featured 6 p.m. Thursday, April 2, at Lexington’s Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center. Documentary co-directors Jena Seiler, Ph.D., Lewis Honors College lecturer, and Nicole Martin, former honors college director of academic affairs, will be at the screening and participating in the discussion.
Since the University of Kentucky was founded in 1865, our campus landscape has been an important part of who we are and how our community engages with the campus. This year, UK received its 15th consecutive Tree Campus Higher Education recognition in honor of high levels of attention in the care of our campus canopy.
When guests walk through the front doors of the Peterson Service Building, they encounter double glass doors showcasing a frosted vinyl campus map and, moments later, many step inside to ask the Facilities Information Services (FIS) department for directions. But their job encompasses so much more. This team of four full-time staff members and several student interns are busy behind the scenes creating interactive campus maps and supporting several Facilities Management (FM) operations across campus.
University of Kentucky Recycling, UK Dining and The Food Connection are partnering to host a competition for undergraduate, graduate and professional students. The winner will be commissioned to create a portable art installation showcasing the lifecycle of UK’s local food sourcing efforts and on-campus composting system.
Anna Quarles, a product design senior in the College of Design, prioritized sustainability in her final Soft Spaces class project last semester. With the help of Erin Geibel, recycling coordinator in Facilities Management, she transformed old t-shirts, blue wrap and grocery bags into a unique piece of children's furniture.