Our goal is to build upon recognized research strengths, including energy production and distribution; transportation and logistics; manufacturing and materials, and accelerate collaborative research in areas such as autonomous systems; sustainable systems and structures; engineering for human health; computing and information; and cyber-physical systems and security.
The University of Kentucky is one of only eight universities in the country with a major medical center featuring six health sciences colleges, and the full spectrum of academic colleges on one continuous campus. The close proximity of such a large range of programs is an incubator for inter- and transdisciplinary initiatives. Discoveries from these collaborations allow our researchers to address the needs of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, our nation and our world.
John Balk, William T. Bryan Professor of Materials Engineering and associate dean for research and graduate studies, has established an outstanding record of research productivity, quality and impact that places him amongst our most distinguished faculty in the Pigman College of Engineering. Balk’s research focus is the elucidation of structure-property relationships in the behavior of metals, alloys and covalent materials, with current projects related to size effects and mechanical behavior, high-entropy alloys, and functional properties of thermionic dispenser cathodes. Balk has served as chair for the Gordon Research Conference on Thin Film and Small-Scale Mechanical Behavior, and in 2015 was elected one of five national co-chairs for the fall meeting of the Materials Research Society, the largest professional organization for materials scientists and engineers.
Zach Agioutantis, department chair and professor for the department of Mining Engineering, was named University Research Professors for the 2025-26 academic year.
Made possible by a $14 million infrastructure grant from the National Science Foundation, EduceLab is the university’s bold vision for next-generation heritage science. The lab was unveiled during a “soft opening” last week — launching a new era of discovery, education and innovation at the intersection of the humanities, engineering and data science.
The University of Kentucky, through UK Innovate, is teaming up with Lockheed Martin to leverage cutting-edge expertise to drive innovation in advancing engineering, materials, energy and manufacturing technology.
Researchers at the University of Kentucky have introduced a novel microscopy technique that could revolutionize cancer research by providing an accessible, cost-effective way to study how cancer cells adapt to treatments. The National Institutes of Health-funded study, published in Biophotonics Discovery and featured on that publication’s cover, underscores its importance and potential impact on the field of oncology
Ni Su, assistant professor in the F. Joseph Halcomb III, M.D. Department of Biomedical Engineering, has been awarded the James F. Lafferty Faculty Fellowship in Biomedical Engineering, effective July 1.
UK Pigman College of Engineering researchers in the Department of Mining Engineering Ali Moradi (PI), Zach Agioutantis (Co-I), Pedram Roghanchi (Co-I) and Steven Schafrik (Co-I) have received a $1,250,000 grant over five years from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health for their project, "Strategic Health and Safety Optimization in Transition from Open Pit to Underground Mines."
UK Pigman College of Engineering researchers in the Department of Mining Engineering Pedram Roghanchi (PI), Zach Agioutantis (Co-I), Ali Moradi (Co-I) and Steven Schafrik (Co-I), Muhammad Abu Bakar Siddique (Co-I) in the Department of Computer Science and Sarah Wilson (Co-I) in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering have received a nearly $442,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for their project, "IGE Track 1: Integrating Artificial Intelligence Technologies into Mining Education."
UK Pigman College of Engineering researchers in the Department of Mining Engineering Zach Agioutantis (PI), Steven Schafrik (Co-I) and Joseph Sottile (Co-I) and Matt Beck (Co-I) in the Department of Chemical and Material Engineering have received a nearly $250,000 grant from the Alpha Foundation for the Improvement of Mine Safety and Health Incorporated for their project, "Automated Sensing Module for Enhancing Miner Safety."
UK Pigman College of Engineering researchers in the Department of Mining Engineering Steven Schafrik (PI), Zach Agioutantis (Co-I) and Joseph Sottile (Co-I) have received a nearly $439,000 grant from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health for their project, "Development and Demonstration of an Automated Shuttle Car."
Since 2019, the iPad Initiative, in partnership with Apple, has continued to level the technological playing field for UK students — enhancing in-class and online learning by building skillsets that contribute to future success.
