You’ve probably heard the term “invasive species” before: plants and animals that have been brought to an environment they aren’t native to, that then wreak havoc on that environment’s ecosystem. You might remember hearing about the (justified)...
Owen Wallingford
Jordan Strickler
Category - Research
Adreonna Rainey‘Birds are the great unifier’: UK study on avian migration and survival takes flight
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 13, 2025) — At the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE), researchers and students are studying how wildlife populations...
Dyeing to make a difference: Sustainable textiles in Kentucky
What began as a small dye garden at the University of Kentucky Arboretum has grown into a hands-on summer internship and cross-listed course that immerses students in the sustainable production and use of natural dyes...
Understanding the resilience of Kentucky ash trees at reforested sites
For over 20 years, Reforest the Bluegrass has been Lexington’s premier community tree planting festival, resulting in the planting of more than 215,000 tree seedlings. It has started to increase canopy coverage in...
The changing canopy of UK’s campus
UK has long been a growing epicenter of healthcare and academics, and large facilities have been built, renovated, or demolished to accommodate this. But with all this expansion, what is the impact of growth on our...
Graciela Martinez
Tracking the rise of Dahurian buckthorn in Kentucky
Heading into my senior year as a Natural Resources and Environmental Science major at UK, I became interested in studying the Dahurian buckthorn (Rhamnus davurica), a woody invasive that is emerging in central Kentucky...
Signage study at UK’s Arboretum explores new ways to foster environmental literacy
Walk through any arboretum, and you will find signs that guide your experience, naming plants, offering insights into the ecosystem’s role, or even helping you find your way around. However, many signs fall short of...
Protecting Kentucky’s horses with sustainable fly control
As the “horse-capital of the world,” Kentucky is home to a thriving population of horses – and a rampant population of flies. As a horse owner myself, there is nothing I care more about than the welfare and...
Applications for UK Sustainability Challenge Grant Program now being accepted
The Sustainability Challenge Grant Program is designed to engage transdisciplinary teams from the university community to foster scholarly, creative and research projects that promote sustainability and advance fields...
From connections to conservation, student interested in wildlife career finds everything she needs at UK
As a University of Kentucky student, Callie Black has “the best of both worlds.” From Knox County, Kentucky, Black was drawn to UK because Lexington was “a sweet spot” for someone interested in both wildlife...
Carlie Laughlin
6 students selected as 2025 Sustainability Summer Research Fellows
LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 27, 2025) — Six University of Kentucky undergraduates have been selected for the Sustainability Summer Research Fellowship, a program that supports student-led projects that advance...
UK researchers launch app to boost iPad lifespan, transform campus tech
The University of Kentucky strives to be a place where technology and innovation intertwine with education. Since 2019, the iPad Initiative, in partnership with Apple, has continued to level the...
Ella Sides
Make the pursuit of sustainability an integral part of the student experienceReduce campus emissionsResearch
UK doctoral student collaborates with adviser to write key primer on hydrocarbon biofuels
“Hydrocarbon Biofuels” will not top the New York Times’ best-seller list for nonfiction books, but for Great C. Umenweke, it’s quite an opportunity, and one that could help humans turn waste into renewable energy. ...
Forrest Dills, CAER Undergrad, Forging His Path in Materials Science
Dills’ work, like much at UK CAER, is built off sustainability and using recyclable materials to positively impact energy emissions. “We create synthetic graphite electrodes for our batteries out of materials like waste...
UK researchers develop greener, more sustainable ways to recover metals from electronic waste
As electronic waste (e-waste) piles up globally, researchers at the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering are...
