As we race toward the end of the semester, the Gaines Center is a scurry of activity—final projects, presentations, theses, designs, performances, IRB approvals, oral histories, social media campaigns, interview transcripts, translations, and collaborations. Even so, the curricular and co-curricular experiences for our year on Health and the Humanities have offered a necessary counterbalance to the frenetic pace of work and the pressure of looming deadlines.
Amidst the swirl, the seminar has challenged students to slow down and cultivate attention as a wellness practice and a learning strategy. In the module on “Contemplative Practices,” Fellows applied themselves to mindfulness meditation and body-centered contemplative approaches and studied their mental and physical health benefits, including the reduction of stress and disease. The module on 'Entanglements of Culture and Health' had Fellows conduct mini ethnographies in which they considered multisensory and multispecies aspects of health and illness in the context of their daily lives. In the module on “Pain: Humanities Approaches to Health & Disparity,” Fellows further trained their attention. In one class, they visited the UK Art Museum, where they occupied a rare moment of stillness in looking at the “All in the Family” and “Queer Views” exhibits through the lens of “pain.” The importance of cultivating the capacity for attention, in this case by contemplating visual art, is perhaps best explained by twentieth-century philosopher and painter William Segal’s capsule claim: “With attention, a world uncovers itself.”
The Health and Humanities framework has been revelatory for many of us accustomed to thinking about these subject areas apart instead of together. An insight informing this year’s programming for the wider campus and surrounding community is how the study and creation of art can support holistic health. We kicked off our event series with “Dance for Life,” a hybrid lecture and performance celebrating the legacy of Isadora Duncan (18771927), an early pioneer of dance therapy. “Poetry in the Trees,” a collaboration with the Urban Forest Initiative, celebrated Tree Week at UK with an arboreal-inspired poetry reading and a poetry erasure activity using recycled print materials. The Bale Boone Symposium featured Emily St. John Mandel, the best-selling author of Station Eleven (2014), an “eerily prescient” novel that grapples with the aftereffects of a global pandemic. Although there were serious differences between the ravages of Covid 19 and the book’s “Georgia Flu,” the conversation with Mandel generated discerning reflection on the societal impacts of the pandemic we all experienced.
If Segal is right and attention creates the conditions for specific forms of discovery whether the apprehension of overlooked connections and relationships or the appreciation of beauty in ordinary objects then a liberal arts education has a crucial role to play. This type of instruction fosters skills and attributes familiar to us such as critical thinking, creativity, and intellectual curiosity, as well as those perhaps less familiar, such as measured concentration, the ability to grasp concepts with nuance and complexity, and the navigation of ambiguity At Gaines, we encourage this manner of exploration and discovery because decelerated contemplation not only occasions insight and innovation but also enhances personal, social, and civic well-being. (Career prospects too) In the words of Michael S Roth et al , “For our students to thrive both professionally and personally after graduation, they need to pay close attention, think deliberately, and communicate with care.” Attentive qualities such as these, experts argue, are core human capacities that will drive the world through the twenty-first century. The possibility that artificial intelligence may further transform our knowledge economy into a relationship economy means that distinctly human traits will become more vital to success than ever before. Economic futures aside, cultivating attention, thinking deliberately, and communicating with care are ingredients for broad human flourishing.
It would be impossible to do this work without all of you. We’re immensely grateful for the support of faculty, staff, students, alums, board members, community partners, and the Provost’s Office that, together, make possible our mission of a Humanities-centered, liberal arts education If you’d like to be more involved or have thoughts or suggestions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
Wishing you all an opportunity soon to slow down and enjoy a much-deserved break
The University of Kentucky Gaines Center for the Humanities kicked off its year of Health and the Humanities on Wednesday, Sept 25, with “Dance for Life,” a lecture from dance historian Elena Lushkova and performance from Amber Sky celebrating the legacy of Isadora Duncan (18771927), an early pioneer of dance therapy.
COLLABORATION WITH THE POST CLINIC
The Gaines Juniors have been hard at work on an oral history/narrative medicine project documenting the impact of the Post Clinic located in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky. The Post Clinic, provides free health & dental care to thousands of residents of Southeastern Kentucky It is a product of the tireless work of UK Medical School graduate, Dr. L. Edward Roberts.
POETRY IN THE TREES
Campus and community members were able to settle in for a quiet evening on the Gaines Center lawn to listen to volunteer readings en plein air. They even had an opportunity to create their own "blackout poetry" as a part of UK's Urban Forestry Initiative's Tree Week!
A FEW HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR PROGRAMMING SO FAR THIS YEAR!
SavetheDate GAINES 40TH ALUMNI REUNION
“Orientation was a breath of fresh air; being able to step away, spend time with my cohort, andgettoknowtheseniorcohortwasamazing”
"My favorite moment was when all the Fellows played Mafia together; both cohorts were engagedandconnectingwithoneanother"
"I truly had an amazing experience on the Asbury and Shaker Village trip I learned so much about people while having a lot of fun andsomehealthycompetition"
FELLOWS’ FELLOWS’ ACCOMPLISHMENTS ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Daniela Rodriguez Soto: Rowland Travel Scholarship; Zolondek Travel Scholarship; Executive Board Member for Gatton College of Business; UK International Ambassador Ella Brown-Terry: Fulbright Globalink Research Internship; Co-author on publication with Scandinavian-Canadian Studies/Études Scandinaves au Canada
Avery Schanbacher: Summer 2024 collections intern for Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill; Mary Moore Nash Moloney Scholarship
Mariana Escobedo de la Peña: Zolondek Travel Scholarship; Internship with Presidential Secretariat for Women of Guatemala in the Directorate of Public Policy Management for Gender Equity; Bess T. Christian Scholarship for outstanding academic record; Rowland Travel Scholarship
James Overly: Presenter at the AAIC Advancements-Modernizing Diagnosis Conference in Tokyo, Japan; Office of Undergraduate Research Scholarship
Timihia Murphy: Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture Scholarship; Presenter at the National ASLA Conference; Rowland Travel Scholarship; Clay Lancaster awardee
Maria Carey: University of Kentucky Dance Ensemble
Alyssah Robinson: Lyman T Johnson Torchbearer Award, College of A&S
Lucas Carlos de Lima: First place in Kentucky Climate Consortium art contest; Rowland Travel Scholarship; Architecture Endowed Scholarship
Anna Benton: Rowland Travel Scholarship
Alycie Caya: Selected to attend National AASHA Conference
Kauner Shacklette: International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants Scholarship; Sustainability in Higher Education Scholarship
Maria Natalia Arenas Flórez: UK Sponsored Washington DC Program Scholarship
Natalie Williams: UK Alumni Scholarship
Amica Snow: UK “Grand Tour” Education Abroad Awardee; Lyman T Johnson Torchbearer Award, College of Education; presenter at Mid-Western Education Research Association Conference
Beaux Hardin: 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Scholarship; Kentucky Firestarter Award from the Kentucky Foundation for Women
Marc Vazsonyi: co-founder of Kentucky Numismatic Firm
Faith Sammons: UK Opera’s Grand Night for Singing performer; performed as Celia in As You Like It, Department of UK Theatre
meetour JUNIOR FELLOWS
BotsheloAngoma
Agricultural Biotech & Psychology
MariaCarey
Neuroscience &
Modern & Classical Languages, Literature & Culture
Psychology
Biology & Creative Writing
CalebDotson
Psychology, Neuroscience & Social Work
Modern & Classical Languages, Literature, & Culture & English
We welcomed twelve new Gaines Fellows in Fall 2024, representing seven colleges and ten majors. Our fellows were chosen through a rigorous application process and include first generation and international students. We couldn't be more delighted to have all of them as part of our program and are excited to see them develop as scholars over the next two years.
DanielleFerriell
BeauxHardin
GAINES CLASS OF 2026
“The Symposium on Dis/Ability & Debility in Appalachia”
“Meet the Author: Crafting Environmental Writing”
Featuring author Doug Tallamy
“Narrative, Health, & Social Justice: Telling Stories for a Better Medicine”
Featuring speaker Sayantani DasGupta
“Don’t We Die Too?: Learning from Black Gay Men’s AIDS Activism”
Featuring author Dan Royles
“Dance for Life: Isadora Duncan: the Pioneer of Dance Therapy”
Featuring speaker Elena Lushkova and dancer Amber Sky
“What the Health Humanities Teaches Us About Listening to Black Narratives”
Featuring speaker Keisha Ray
GAINES 2024-2025 MINI-GRANTS
NOW IN ITS FIFTH YEAR, THE GAINES CENTER’S MINI-GRANT PROGRAM CONTINUES TO THRIVE, SUPPORTING EXCITING HUMANITIES INITIATIVES ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY’S CAMPUS
“Why History Matters for the Opioid Crisis”
Featuring speaker David Herzberg
“The International Day Against Harmful Anger”
“Disability Bioethics”
Featuring speaker Rosemarie Garland-Thomson
“AppalAsia Musical Arts Education Workshop”
“How the Hebrew Bible was Written”
Featuring author Gary Rendsburg
“A City on Mars: Can we settle space, should we, and have we really thought this through?”
Featuring author Kelly Weinersmith
“Campus Reparations and Counter-Histories”
“Reckoning, Remembering, Restoring: A Symposium on the History of Racial Violence in Kentucky ”
“A Modern Witch Hunt? Predictors of Attitudes Towards #MeToo in Italy (and the US)”
Featuring speaker Silvia Moscatelli
SUMMER 2024
saw several of our Fellows
traveling the length and breadth of globe From Canada to Germany, Japan to Spain Guatemala to Brazil, Costa Rica, and Italy, our Fellows represented the Gaines Center as they conducted research, presented at conferences, and immersed themselves into unparalleled experiences.
Your generosity enables us to support our Fellows in these co- and extra-curricular pursuits Last year, friends and alumni of the Gaines Center raised over $20,000 during One Day for UK. We continue to be grateful for your support. If you would like to give to the Gaines Center, you can do so by viewing the QR code below.
LUCAS CARLOS DE LIMA
sau paulo, brazil
“In between June and July, I was given the opportunity to travel to Brazil and conduct field research in preparation for my thesis! For context, I am currently developing a thesis project regarding the urban landscape in relation to an illegal public art form that is endemic to Sao Paulo city During my stay in Sao Paulo, I was able to gather the data needed for my project, as well as meet and talk to artists, city advocates, and university professors about my thesis I also built a photographic catalogue for my project that contains more than 500 images, and allowed me to visit and experience a plethora of different landscapes and scenarios within the megalopolis
The entire trip, stay, and experience was only made possible by all the financial, academic, and personal support I have received from the Gaines Center, and for which I will forever be grateful While my experience at UK has been positive, I must say that the Gaines Fellowship was responsible for truly supporting me and developing my intellectual curiosity and confidence to a degree in which I feel comfortable creating such an ambitious thesis project My favorite part of the experience was the fact I was able to explore so much of the city while cataloguing public art and architecture, which in turn also made me meet so many interesting people and visit places I had never imagined myself into Ultimately, while the international trip was an incredible and vital experience for my research, the emotional impact it had on me has ignited a spark and I am extremely motivated and excited to conduct my thesis project.”
berlin, germany
anna benton
“As I finish up my dual degree in dance and arts administration, I would not have considered international travel a possibility for me prior to financial assistance from both the College of Fine Arts and the Gaines Center; thanks to both, my trip was fully funded I travelled to Berlin, Germany, to participate in the b12 International Dance Festival with the UK Department of Theater and Dance as a part of the inaugural Summer Dance Immersion Having the opportunity to experience culture and society outside of the United States-- for the first time in my life-- was the highlight of my entire year!”
ELLA BROWN-TERRY
manitoba, canada
“This summer, I spent 12 weeks at the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada for my Fulbright CanadaMitacs Globalink Research Internship I worked with Dr Andrew McGillivray, chair of the Writing, Rhetoric and Communications Department at the U of W, to complete a project on allusions to medieval Icelandic sagas in modern Icelandic-Canadian local histories Our co-authored paper, "History and Saga: Reference and Allusion in Gimli Saga and Icelandic River Saga", is under review for publication at Scandinavian-Canadian Studies/Études Scandinaves au Canada
After we completed our first project, Dr. McGillivray encouraged me to write a full-length paper related to my Gaines thesis topic, which I am now using as a writing sample for graduate school applications! This experience taught me so much about living and working independently, and it gave me a glimpse into what life as a graduate student in the humanities would be like One of my favorite (non-academic) memories is watching the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's summer show with my international-student friends in Assiniboine Park.”
mariana escobedo de la peña
guatemala & spain
“I am extremely grateful to Gaines and the amazing experiences I was able to live this summer thanks to their support First, I went to Guatemala (my home country) to do the data collection for my thesis project I am researching Indigenous women ’ s perceptions around sexual education, and I needed to go to a town in the highlands and interview between 12-15 Indigenous women Thanks to funding from Gaines, I was able to go to a K’iche’ town, stay with a local family, and give the participants compensation for their time Additionally, I needed a translator to be able to communicate with them since some women did not speak Spanish (my native language), and Gaines made this possible Thanks to this experience now I am sure of what I want to do with my professional life in the future, working with Indigenous communities and women against the systems of oppression that affect them. Additionally, it allowed me to research a topic that has interested me for years and that I am extremely passionate about It helped me increase my knowledge and improve my research experience and abilities since it was my first time leading a research project this big and important
Second, I was able to go to Spain through the Zolondek Travel Scholarship. This trip was a life-changing experience, and it impacted me so much that I believe I came back as an improved version of myself Traveling demonstrated to me that I can face and resolve any problems that may come up in life Because if I can survive and resolve anything in an unknown country and on another continent, there is nothing I cannot do It also opened my mind to different ways of life and cultures Different lenses the world can be seen through, and to enjoy life in a more passionate and “present” way. Words are not enough to describe how grateful I am for these life-changing experiences I was able to have this summer, which not only helped me grow as a person but also improved my life and future as a student I give infinite thanks to Gaines for their unconditional support ”
Brenna Staser
ITALy, Croatia, Slovenia
The Gaines Center was thrilled to be able to offer the Bingham Travel Seminar this year The faculty leader was Dr Abigail Firey (History) who taught “Empire of the Goths” in Italy, Croatia, and Slovenia Dr Firey’s seminar explored the “rise” and “fall” of empires, and the impact of imperial power The focus was on the imperial context of the Gothic kingdom, which left spectacular remains of its existence on the eastern coast of Italy. Particular time was spent in Ravenna, Italy, where surviving Gothic monuments illuminate the complexities of imperial aspirations and failures over centuries
While the Bingham Seminar is open to all students, current Gaines Fellow Brenna Staser (English) was selected to participate. Brenna had this to say about her experience: “I am beyond thankful for the Gaines Center for the Humanities for allowing me to travel in the Bingham Seminar to Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia this summer The immersive spring course, combined with the enriching experiences based in culture, provided me with a deeper understanding of history, art, and the diverse heritage of these remarkable countries. From exploring ancient ruins to engaging with locals and their culture, this journey inspired me in ways I never imagined I am truly grateful to Gaines for this opportunity and their financial support--it was truly a once in a lifetime experience “
A L U M N I S P O T L I G H T
CLASS OF 2024
Alexandria Davis
by Diksha Satish, Class of 2025
It was an absolute pleasure to interview Alex Davis, a former Gaines fellow who is now in her second year of veterinary school at Cornell University I had the opportunity to speak with Alex about her Gaines thesis on the history of African American jockeys in the racing industry and how that has influenced her trajectory after graduation I especially appreciated getting to hear about her passion for equine medicine as I near the end of my Gaines Fellowship and look towards what is ahead This conversation focuses on Alex’s academic journey, her research endeavors, and how the Gaines Fellowship influenced her undergraduate career
Diksha Satish
Diksha: Could you tell me a little bit about yourself and what you've been up to lately?
Alex: I'm Alex Davis I’m a second-year vet student at Cornell I have an interest in equine medicine, specifically equine surgery, leaning towards the orthopedic side I joined a lab this summer I'm doing a study on Connexin 43 a transmembrane protein that has healing properties in bone and cartilage, which is especially important as bone and cartilage have poor regeneration and healing properties in themselves I do the CT scans analysis; I look at all the CT scans, run all the data, and and look at the changes between one month and three months It's been super, super fun I'm also a student tech at the Large Animal Hospital We get called in for surgeries So after-hour surgeries, colic surgeries, a lot of goat surgeries for goat cystotomies I got called in for a dystocia in the spring semester at 10pm we didn't leave the hospital, the OR, until 3 am, and I still had to go to class the next day That was a rough day!
I'm also getting ready to leave for a conference in December It's the National AAP Conference It's going to be held in Orlando I'm being recognized for a case study that I won over the summer looking at a dystocia that I had participated in; it was a foal that had contracted foal syndrome, so the foal’s neck was bent in a way that caused the dystocia It's one of the top three ways of having a dystocia, especially in equine medicine or large animal medicine in general It's a congenital malformation There’s a lot of things that can go wrong with equines, and a lot of things do go wrong It was a really, really cool study because I like bones I love orthopedics I'm very much interested in spines There’s not really a lot that we can for in horses with spinal conditions at the moment A lot of it is point care, like putting on a Band-Aid rather than dealing with the actual cause of it A lot of treatment involves steroids, but it’s tricky to use cortical steroids for a prolonged period of time
Diksha: Switching gears a little bit, could you tell us about your journey of coming to UK and how your childhood or your interests before UK influenced you to choose this path?
Alex: So as a child, I always loved horses I actually grew up riding horses I started riding around the age of two and a half, three I ended up stopping at the age of 13 because it got way too expensive And once I hit eighth grade, started going to high school, I started running track I ended up at UK because they had an equine science program, and I got the opportunity to walk onto the track team I actually used to be a student athlete at UK For about a year and a half I was a short sprinter I ran the 60 meter for indoor the 100 meter for outdoor, the 200, and the occasional four by four. I did that up until the end of 2020, right before we started hitting the indoor season for 2021 mainly because we were all dealing with COVID I loved my teammates, and the coaches were absolutely phenomenal I still talk to people from the track team to this day Kentucky was where I was supposed to be Lexington is considered the horse capital of the world and Lexington just holds a very, very special place in my heart.
Diksha: You seem to have taken like a really interdisciplinary approach on your journey in general How did the Gaines Fellowship fit into that and why did you apply?
Alex: I'm one of those people I like to be taken out of my comfort zone I've always done science, did science this, did science that I wanted to try something different My cohort was known as the COVID cohort We had everything on Zoom The first time we ever met in person, I believe, was for Shaker Village Wow That was spring: May of 2021
Diksha: That must've been hard It must've been a different experience than we had, just because we got to see each other in person like all the time
Alex: It was very interesting It made for a lot of really good memories It was so funny because me, Teja, Eva, and I think it Shelby and Natalie did the Netflix Zoom party thing We would watch these awful movies I think we were watching like the “After” series. And we would sit there and just make fun of all the bad acting And that’s how we bonded When we went to New York City after we'd completed our thesis, being able to shake our feathers was great, but we were all stressed out because it was right before our finals So, we're all studying and trying to have fun It was a really, really good group I had a fantastic time We went through a lot We were just going to adapt, we knew everything was going to be fine.
Diksha: It's like bonding through adversity Just, oh, we have to get through this Speaking of your thesis: what was it on and did it influence your next steps into vet school?
Alex: It did I wrote my thesis on the history of
jockeys looking at how they were treated in the States and in Europe that was my big goal But as I was writing it, it just ended up being the story and timeline of the development of Black jockeys in the US
The racing industry, especially in Lexington, wouldn't be what it is if it wasn't for Black jockeys The first jockeys, trainers, and vets were actually slaves They knew the horses, they worked on the horses The owners didn't do anything, they were just collecting money
So the first major jockey the late 1800s, like 1880s, 1890s was Isaac Murphy He was like the LeBron James of his time He was one of those jockeys that was just so well known He was able to be in spaces where African Americans weren't allowed Even though these tycoons knew that he was Black, he was just so good and successful, especially when it came to bringing them revenue He was actually invited to some of their spaces One of the pictures I used in my thesis was Isaac Murphy: a Black man, surrounded by all these white men But when you look at the picture, you don't see any malice; it seems very cohesive They're comfortable But that time passes, and the US saw the immigrants from Ireland, especially during the famine and they're looking for jobs And then you started seeing the rise of Jim Crow Because this is now PostReconstruction, Jim Crow is rising And then there’s the new re-emergence of the Ku Klux Klan, and you start to see segregation of the tracks And now Black jockeys can't aren't being allowed to race at these tracks because white immigrants are able to do it
13, I believe, out of the first 15 Kentucky were won by Black men And the Triple Crown The first Triple Crown was won by a Black jockey before the Triple Crown was even called the Triple Crown
As a Black person, when I was growing up, most times I was the only Black person at horse shows You’re given a sense that you don't belong there But when I actually started looking into the history, I was like, you know what? I do belong here And actually, not only do I belong here, it's my ancestors that made this industry what it is today So you can't make me feel like I don't belong here when you wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my ancestors
That's what really inspired my thesis A lot of people don't know about this history because of attempts to hide it America has a habit of really trying to get rid of history
Bringing that out and bringing light to a lot of the stories that would have been known or talked about was really inspiring for me It's what makes me want to become an equine surgeon
I don't even know if theres actually a Black female equine surgeon yet My generation, I believe, will be the first one to actually start seeing a wave of African-Americans being prominent in equine care; Black individuals are taking over spaces that are white dominant It went from being male dominant to now female dominant And now it's pretty much white
Diksha: Wow That is so moving I truly did not know a lot of that history And it’s so cool that it ended up influencing your future too. To switch again, could you share with us some fond memories of your Gaines cohort or your fellowship in general?
Alex: Oh, goodness I have some pretty good memories Two really stick out to me the most One was when we first met in person at Shaker Village, the spring of 2021 I always love going to Shaker Village because when we first met and we had that experience there, I was sold. Like it made what had been a crummy year just so worth it To be able to meet everyone instead of just texting, and Zoom It was pretty nice to actually be able to meet them And then my second really fond memory was the trip to New York City We had a blast We almost got lost on the train system All of us eating like halal food in the middle of the city just crouched down, going to town on some food Being able to go to the museums and just honestly take a break outside of Lexington and studying There's just so much there Going to the Met the first time was very overwhelming, but it was so much fun
Diksha: Do you have any advice for current and future Gaines fellows?
Alex: Really embrace the moment There's going to be ups and downs Picking a committee is hard Picking a thesis topic is going to be hard. Start sooner rather than later, because when you run into hiccups you have more
time and you're not scrambling to get things together I always recommend start doing research in the summer between your junior and your senior year If you do the vast majority of your research in the summer you can start sooner with your writing They [the Gaines team] always say, just start typing You’re going to get sick and tired of hearing it But, how do I do this? Just start typing Literally, just start typing
When they offer you opportunities, just do it Go to Keeneland through Gaines if you have the chance. Just do it. Being in college is just one of those times where you can have the opportunity to do all those things Once you hit grad school, your time is very minimal You have to put effort into making time for yourself When you're in undergrad, you just have so much more flexibility in your schedule
Diksha: Gaines in general does so much to give us cool opportunities I'm a STEM major, so there's a lot of stuff I've gotten to do just because I got to be in a humanities program
Diksha: Thank you so much This was so interesting It was so cool learning about your thesis and equine surgery and all of that You're very passionate about what you do
Alex: Thank you That's what I think about in grad school You got to remember why you're here
