Coal has long been the fuel at the heart of energy production in the Commonwealth. Kentuckians often grow up with stories of their grandfather’s days in the mines. But researchers at the University of Kentucky are finding ways to repurpose coal for energy storage — in the form of lithium-ion batteries.
On Friday, the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees approved 17 University Research Professors for the 2026-27 academic year. Established by the Board of Trustees in 1976, the professorships program recognizes excellence across the full spectrum of research at UK.
JoAnn P. Browning, Ruth A. Coleman, Phil Foster, Greg C. Heitzman, JoAnna Lio and Ramesh Singh were inducted into the Pigman College of Engineering Hall of Distinction on April 23, 2026. Initiated in 1992, the Hall of Distinction recognizes and honors UK Engineering alumni for exemplary professional accomplishments, outstanding character and an ongoing commitment to community service. Every member of the Hall of Distinction is honored with a plaque in the lobby of the Ralph G. Anderson Mechanical Engineering Building.
In honor of the University of Kentucky’s founding in 1865, the UK Alumni Association has named Stanley and Karen Pigman as the recipients of the 2026 UK Founders Day Award. The award recognizes individuals who personify goodwill, service and dedication to the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The Pigmans were recognized April 24 during a Founders Day ceremony at the Gatton Student Center on UK’s campus.
The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has announced the induction of Guoqiang Yu, Ph.D., Jack and Linda Gill Eminent Professor in Science and Engineering in the F. Joseph Halcomb III, M.D. Department of Biomedical Engineering, to its College of Fellows. Election to the AIMBE College of Fellows is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to medical and biological engineers, comprised of the top two percent of engineers in these fields.
On April 23, the University of Kentucky will rally its alumni, friends and fans to support One Day for UK, a 24- hour day of giving where donors can support the college, unit or cause of their choice. This year, the Pigman College of Engineering is fundraising for the Engineering Scholarship Gift Fund, to expand access, ease financial barriers, foster academic and professional achievement, empower the next generation of innovators and leaders and strengthen the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Last week, the 2026 American Society of Civil Engineers Indiana-Kentucky Student Symposium was co-hosted in Lexington by the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville chapters. Twelve ASCE student chapters from Indiana and Kentucky, including Western Kentucky University, Notre Dame and Purdue University, traveled to Lexington to compete.
Rudolph G. Buchheit, Ph.D., is resigning his position as Rebecca Burchett Liebert Dean of the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering at the University of Kentucky to serve as executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of Cincinnati (UC), effective June 1. Buchheit will serve as UC’s chief academic officer — overseeing colleges and academic operations, while helping to advance strategic priorities in teaching, research and student success.
This semester, the SPARK Lab celebrates its 10th anniversary. The group was established by Dan M. Ionel, PhD, IEEE Fellow, shortly after starting at UK as ECE Professor and the inaugural L. Stanley Pigman Chair in Power, and welcomed its first postdoctoral researcher and PhD student in early 2016.
This semester yet another generational transition of electrical engineering (EE) PhD students takes place in the SPARK Lab, which is affiliated with the Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky (PEIK) at the University of Kentucky (UK) Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering.
