May EDC Newsletter - Health Education Building Update / UK's Largest Workforce Development Event of Year

UK EDC News | May 2024

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Talent Update

UK celebrates largest workforce development event of the year, commencement

This month marked a significant milestone in Kentucky's workforce development efforts.

As of May 31, UK has awarded 5,412 Spring 2024 degrees, comprised of 3,465 undergraduate, 1,290 graduate and 657 professional degrees.

This commencement ceremony caps off a historic year for the University of Kentucky, with notable achievements including a six-year graduation rate of 70% and a first-to-second-year retention level of 87%. Moreover, the university saw a record-high enrollment of nearly 34,000 students for the academic year.

These statistics underscore UK's dedication to bolstering the Commonwealth's skilled workforce.

Innovation Update

UK leading $20 million, 5-year NSF collaborative project to build climate resilience in KY

Over the past four years, Kentucky has faced unpredictable and devastating weather, from the 2021 tornadoes in Western Kentucky to the 2022 floods in Eastern Kentucky. These disasters have severely impacted communities and economic growth.

A new five-year Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII Track-1) award from the National Science Foundation’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR), “Climate Resilience through Multidisciplinary Big Data Learning, Prediction & Building Response Systems (CLIMBS),” is investing $20 million into advancing Kentucky’s climate resiliency, using a collaborative, statewide approach to bring the best and brightest minds together to tackle this important Kentucky problem.

Equitable Economic Development Update

Office of Economic Inclusion updates website to empower minority-owned businesses

The Office of Economic Inclusion has revamped its website to better support minority-owned businesses and integrate underrepresented Kentucky-based enterprises into the University of Kentucky’s supply chain. This strategic move aims to foster economic growth and prosperity across the Commonwealth.

The updated website serves as a comprehensive resource hub for minority-owned businesses, offering crucial information on bid and proposal opportunities. It includes guidance on how to engage in business with the University of Kentucky, available certifications, accessing capital, and starting a business in Kentucky.

Place Update

Eastern State Hospital celebrates 200 years of serving Lexington and beyond

Representatives from the state, city and community joined UK in celebrating the 200th anniversary of Eastern State Hospital on May 17th.

On May 1, 1824, the original Eastern State Hospital opened its doors on the site of Fayette Hospital, located on Lexington’s Newtown Pike. At the time, it was considered to be just the second state psychiatric hospital in the nation.

The state opened a modern, 300,000-square-foot facility on the Coldstream Research Campus in 2013. The facility houses 195 acute care beds and provides critical, recovery-focused psychiatric care for adults from a 50-county region of the state.

Partnership Update

Gatton College of B&E recognizes winners of PNC Wildcat Pitch Competition

On April 20, PNC Bank and the Gatton College of Business and Economics’ Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship presented the PNC Wildcat Pitch Competition, during which UK graduate and undergraduate students competed for cash prizes totaling $20,000.

This event gave students the opportunity to build their entrepreneurial skills and share ideas for ground-breaking products and services. Warren Nash, director of the Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship, shared, “It was very exciting to see the quality of the students’ pitches. All the participants truly embodied the entrepreneurial spirit."

See list of Winners Here

Meet the Team

Part of a monthly series to introduce the Economic Development Collaborative Leaders

Kim Kluemper is the Director of the Office of Business Engagement, UK's Front Door to Business Partnerships. In this position, she serves as a central hub for businesses and organizations interested in exploring potential collaboration with University of Kentucky by helping them to connect the appropriate contacts in the areas of student recruiting and engagement, intellectual property and licensing, research collaborations, access to specific colleges or researchers, philanthropic support, event sponsorships, and workforce training. Kim began her career with the University of Kentucky in 2000. Throughout her tenure with the university she has held several positions in Philanthropy and Alumni Relations. She began her career with the U.S. Government Accounting Office providing efficiency and effectiveness audits of U.S. Airforce weapon systems. A native of Western New York, Kim attended the university on a full athletic scholarship earning a B.A and M.A. from the University of Kentucky.

Kim currently serves as the chair for the Partnership Subcommittee within UK’s Economic Development Collaborative. Her role is to help the university fulfill its land-grant mission by helping match university resources to the needs of organizations and businesses interested in exploring mutually beneficial partnerships.

Central Kentucky Job Club:

Stream previous Job Club sessions that are relevant to your job search at the recording link below

Topics Include:

Professional Development Books

HR-Approved Interview Techniques

Writing Resumes that Get Noticed

Leveraging AI in the Job Search

Tips for Negotiating Your Salary

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EDC Communication

The news featured here does not exclusively represent the work of the EDC, but rather highlights the contributions of various collaborators. We are honored to showcase the remarkable achievements taking place across the University of Kentucky.

The EDC Mission:

To proactively grow economic prosperity in the Commonwealth by focusing on the areas of Talent, Innovation, Place, Partnership, and Equitable Economic Development