Skip to main
University-wide Navigation
$70M In grant Awards

To fund faculty and graduate student research endeavors, the college receives over $70 million annually in grant awards.

3.3GPA APPLICATION FEE WAIVED

Take the next step and apply. If your GPA is over 3.3, we waive the application fee! *Domestic students only

Diverse Areas of Research

Our research areas include artificial intelligence, energy, carbon capture, security, sustainable manufacturing, resilient infrastructure, transportation, advanced materials, rare earth materials, computational systems and health applications.

HERCULANEUM SCROLL
8 Researcher in lab coats

Supportive Community

Immerse yourself in active research labs, present at conferences, publish scientific papers in respected journals and work with colleagues who are committed to advancing the commonwelth of Kentucky and beyond .

Collaborative Opportunities

The field of engineering is a team story. Many research opportunities are interdisciplinary in their approach to solution discovery. Work with the Director of Graduate Studies in your area of interest to find a graduate assistantship or fellowship.

Student presenting research outside.
Lexington City Skyline with people being entertained

Lexington, Kentucky

"Top 5 Best Small Cities in the U.S."

Come home to Lexington, Kentucky. Lexington is known for its vibrant culture, eclectic festivals and creative restaurants. Learn more about the bourbon and horse capital of the world at VisitLex.

 

Explore Research Opportunities

Research Faculty

If you want to work with renowned faculty, immerse yourself in an active research lab, present at conferences and publish scientific papers in respected journals, you should consider a graduate degree program at the University of Kentucky. 

Over 30 of our faculty members have received CAREER Awards from the National Science Foundation, and the college receives over $70 million annually in grant awards.

Research Centers, Institutes, and Consortia

The College hosts ten research units and is affiliated with numerous other University of Kentucky research centers and institutes.

Graduate Degrees and Programs

The University of Kentucky Pigman College of Engineering is the largest and highest-ranked engineering college in the state. With our small class sizes and wide-ranging opportunities for student involvement and leadership, we want to help you build your future in engineering.

Apply to the Graduate School

Student in Lab coat

Apply today

Research News

14th Ablation Workshop

In November, University of Kentucky Pigman College of Engineering faculty provided a platform for experts to exchange ideas and innovations in hypersonic atmospheric reentry, materials science and space exploration technologies at the 14th Ablation Workshop at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.

2024 Halcomb Fellowship in Medicine and Engineering announcement

Faezah Akbari, a doctoral candidate in the F. Joseph Halcomb III, M.D. Department of Biomedical Engineering, has been named the 14th Halcomb Fellow. Akbari seeks to develop a novel technology to improve brain imaging in neonatal infants.

8 faculty and 8 graduate students named Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Scholars

Established in 2024, the Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Endowment supports faculty, research, graduate students, facilities and research infrastructure in the Pigman College of Engineering. In its inaugural year, the endowment has made $160,000 in funds available for distribution, with a priority on faculty and research scholar support.

UK Pigman College of Engineering recommends the formation of the Institute for Decarbonization and Energy Advancement (IDEA)

UK Pigman College of Engineering recommends the formation of the Institute for Decarbonization and Energy Advancement (IDEA).

CLIMBS: Change of climate: Professors lead team to find out what’s heating up in Kentucky

A Q&A with Michael M. McGlue, professor in the Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, and Sebastian Bryson, chair of civil engineering in the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, about the $20 million collaborative project to build climate resilience in Kentucky.