We have new job postings this month - find them on our jobs page. Please send any job announcements to executivedirector@kyscience.org and include contact information and closing date.

Publish in the KAS Journal

The Journal of the Kentucky Academy of Science publishes work in the Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Life Sciences.
Digital issues are published as Issues-in-Progress which expedites publication for authors.

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Donate to KAS

KAS has been standing up for Science in Kentucky since 1914! We encourage aspiring scientists, promote science literacy, give science a voice in policymaking, and recognize those who make the future brighter through scientific discovery.

If you shop at Kroger, you can link your rewards card to the Kentucky Academy of Science, and we get a small quarterly donation based on members' dollars spent.Go to Community Rewards at http://www.kroger.com.

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Looking for Research Funding or Scholarships

Check out KAS' Listing of Research funding leads and scholarship opportunities:
https://www.kyscience.org/funding_resources.php

Share your news with KAS members

If you have something to share in the monthly KAS newsletter, Send it to us!

News from Partners

EPSCoR & IDeA News Established Program for Stimulating Competitive Research (EPSCoR) and Institutional Development Award (IDeA), including federal funding opportunities and more! EPSCoR is a program serving states such as Kentucky, to build capacity for federally funded scientific research.

Ky- INBRE Recent News KY IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence supports biomedical researchers and educators within the Commonwealth. The purpose of the network is to develop infrastructure and capacity for biomedical research and training in the state. Their newsletter has training events, funding leads, and job opportunities. You can also subscribe at the above link.

Kentucky Junior Academy delegates

The Kentucky Junior Academy of Science has selected 11 students to represent Kentucky at the 2025 American Junior Academy of Science

Donate here to help send these students to Boston in February 2025

Q&A with some of the Delegates:

Aanyaa Arora
What does it mean to you to represent KJAS at the AJAS meeting?
It is an honor to represent KJAS and showcase Kentucky’s progress in research. I

am proud to represent my state and community and to share the work I am doing with others.

What are you most looking forward to at the meeting in Boston?
I am very excited to meet other young scientists and see how they are making a difference through their research. Their ideas and passion will inspire me to keep growing and contributing to science.
-Aanyaa Arora, Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science, "Investigating the Regulation of Cell Cycle and Shape by the Polarity Proteins and the Mitotic Exit Network in Yeast"

Arjun Sharma
What does it mean to you to represent KJAS at the AJAS meeting?
It is a tremendous honor to be one of the students who represent the Kentucky Junior Academy of Science (KJAS) at the upcoming American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS) conference in Boston. Throughout my life, I’ve been interested in chronic inflammatory health due to my family’s historic health issues related to it. Over the past 3 and a half years, I have had the privilege to research and utilize the Neem plant to create a novel, natural, and effective solution to this growing problem. Being selected to present this work on a national stage such as the AJAS meeting reflects my commitment and countless hours of dedication to this research which excites me! It truly means the world for me to be able to discuss my research with other acclaimed scientists and outstanding students; but, it means even more to me that I have the opportunity to represent the state I have lived in my entire life at a prestigious conference such as AJAS. I look forward to capitalizing on this recognition by discussing and finding new ways to develop my research, spreading awareness about chronic inflammation, and learning more about science as a whole!
-Arjun Sharma, DuPont Manual High School, "Unveiling anti-inflammatory effects of Neem leaf bioactives: a novel breakthrough for sustainable disease treatment"

Varshith Kotagiri

What are you most looking forward to at the meeting in Boston?
What I am looking forward to the most is getting to meet other scientists across the nation and getting the chance to present my research on a national stage!
-Varshith Kotagiri, Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science, "Developing a novel fluorescent sensor for detecting analytes in an aqueous medium"

Jaxson Brewer:
What does it mean to you to represent KJAS at the AJAS meeting?
I'm so incredibly excited to represent KJAS in Boston because of the opportunity for learning it is. I mean I have the chance to learn from brilliant people from around the country and bring that back to Kentucky to make an impact. Every time I go to a conference I always come back with something I had never even though of before and that's a wonderful feeling.
-Jaxson Brewer, Craft Academy, "Visualizing Artifact and Structural Distributions across Mayapan's Urban Core"

It costs us $15000 to send these young scientists, and a couple chaperones, to Boston in February. Donate here to help send these students to the American Junior Academy of Science.

REU & other Undergraduate Summer Research Opportunities

Looking for PAID Undergraduates Summer Research Opportunities ?

Start your search at the KAS website

In Kentucky, you'll find opportunities in biomedical research, ecology, physics, astronomy, or engineering. Broaden your search to find just about any topic. There are even research opportunities for first and second-year students!
Deadlines are approaching in early 2025, so start your research now to find your dream research experience!

Real Science PD opportunities for teachers this summer

Kentucky Teachers-

We don't want you to get left out of all the science fun this summer. We have assembled a few STEM PD opportunities for you, to get experience side by side with scientists this summer.

Check KAS' List of Real Science PD for teachers for summer 2025

Send us your Science PD opportunities so we can add them to our list- let us know dates, costs, deadlines, contact info and links for more information. Thank you!

Science Advocacy Workshop series January - February

Madison Flory

A new legislative season means a new opportunity for advocacy! Registration is now open for our 2025 Advocacy Workshop series! We have been working hard to revamp this program to give our members hands-on training and experience advocating for causes they are passionate about. Our updated program will give participants knowledge about the legislative system in Kentucky, current science-related issues moving through the legislature, an introduction to careers in science policy and advocacy, and the opportunity to practice advocacy firsthand through a visit with legislators at the state capitol.

Participants who complete all sessions will receive a “Kentucky Science Advocate” certificate and be well-equipped to participate in science advocacy!

Dates: 1/24/2025, 1/31/2025, 2/7/2025, 2/14/2025, 2/21/2025, and 2/28/2025

Times: 2-3 pm (ET). Additional assistance and optional Q&A time will take place every week from 3-3:30 pm (ET). Exception to this time will be the 2/28/2025 trip to the Capitol. More information about this event will be available closer to that date.

Locations: Zoom, with the exception of the 2/28/2025 trip to the Capitol. If your circumstances prevent you from traveling to Frankfort, a Zoom option may be available. Please contact Madison Flory (policy@kyscience.org) if you would like to participate, but circumstances may be an issue. Once registration is complete, we will connect participants traveling from similar locations to facilitate carpooling, if desired.

Tentative Course Schedule:
Week 1 - Introduction to Kentucky’s Legislative Process
Week 2 - Planning Your Advocacy Campaign
Week 3 - Advocacy Work Session & Hear From Our Partners
Week 4 - Peer Feedback & Science Policy Careers
Week 5 - Practice Your Pitches, Discuss Logistics & Expectations for Capitol Visit
Week 6 - Capitol Visit & Debrief

Please note that participants are required to be KAS members. If you are not already a member, you can join here. Many academic institutions in Kentucky confer free membership - to check if your institution is an Affiliate, please consult this list:

If you have any questions, please contact Madison Flory (policy@kyscience.org) for more information.

Open to all KAS members - Register here

Science Policy Committee Meeting Reminder:

The science policy committee will be meeting Wednesday, January 15th at 12:30pm on Zoom. We’ll be discussing the initial few days of the legislative session, our processes for tracking and taking action on bills, and our upcoming advocacy workshops. KAS members are currently working on policy briefs about PFAS, Artificial Intelligence, and Nuclear Energy. We've also drafted briefs on fluoride and K-12 public education Can you help? If you’d like to learn how to get involved with science policy this legislative season, please join us! Email Madison Flory (policy@kyscience.org) for the zoom link or more information, and Follow our Policy work at the KAS website.

January Legislative Update

We are just a few days into the thirty day 2025 legislative season. Currently, the General Assembly is on break until February 4th. In that time, over 200 bills were introduced in the House and nearly 100 were introduced in the Senate. They deal with a wide range of topics, including taxation, education, and of course, science! House Bill 16 aims to remove the requirement for water systems to add fluoride to public drinking water, something many scientific groups in Kentucky advocate against. House Bill 102, introduced by Louisville area representative Nima Kulkarni, seeks to create a PFAS working group and set reporting requirements for PFAS in Kentucky. The Kentucky House of Representatives also recognized Kentucky scientists for being one of eight states to have three preliminary proposals accepted into the National Science Foundations’ Regional Innovation Engines program. On the Senate side, Senate Bill 62 aims to prohibit geoengineering activities in the Commonwealth.

As we move further into the legislative session, we expect to see many more bills introduced. To keep an eye on bills that the KAS science policy committee identifies as priorities, you can check out our 2025 legislative tracking page here (2025 State Legislative Issues - Kentucky Academy of Science). If you’d like to be part of making these decisions, join us at our next science policy committee meeting on January 15! Another great way to learn more about science policy and advocacy in Kentucky would be to take part in our science advocacy workshops. This year, we’ll be taking a trip to the Capitol to talk directly with the legislators working on these bills.

Senate swearing-in (January 7)

KAS Education & Engagement team

Our Education & Engagement team helps make connections with K-12 Teachers, Kentucky field stations, and other partners around the state. We'll be assembling a summer camp directory again this year. Want to help?
E&E meets on the 4th Monday at 10am ET. Email our Executive Director to get added to the list.

KY- INBRE Annual Research Conference

Biomedical postdocs: Connect via KY-INBRE

Calling All Postdoctoral Candidates!

Are you a postdoc looking to connect and collaborate within the KY INBRE community? Reach out to Belinda Petri, email, to start building valuable connections and engaging with fellow researchers. “Let's foster a vibrant and supportive postdoc network together!”

Volume 85 (2024) Journal articles

The 2024 Volume is complete!
Journal of the Kentucky Academy of Science articles

Anthropogenic Debris Concentrations in the Beargrass Creek Watershed, Louisville, Kentucky: Litter Amounts, Composition, and Potential Conservation Solutions. Allison Kling, Elijah Miller, Ella Swigler, Sam Howlett, David Wicks. 85 (1), 41-54, (6 January 2025)

Small Mammals of a Rare Highland Rim Ecosystem in Kentucky. James J. Krupa, Ellen R. Tierney, Aidan E. O'Brien, Abigail R. Kruger, Taylor G. Dorsey, Alayna K. Bennet, Benjamin E. Scott, Samantha M. McKinley. 85 (1), 33-40, (5 January 2025)

Reevaluating the Opportunity for Wind Energy in Kentucky: Advancing Technology, Changing Economics, and Generation Complementarity. Larry Holloway, Aron Patrick, Dan M. Ionel. 85 (1), 9-32, (6 December 2024)

Carnivorous Mammals of Hazeldell Meadow State Nature Preserve, Pulaski County, Kentucky. Abigail R. Kruger, Benjamin E. Scott, Taylor G. Dorsey, Ellen R. Tierney, Alayna K. Bennett, and James J. Krupa. 85(1), 1-8

Kentucky researchers land new NSF EPSCoR funding

The Flooding in Appalachian Streams and Headwaters Initiative: Mitigating impacts of climate change and flash flooding in Appalachia, University of Louisville, West Virginia University Eastern Kentucky University, Marshall University and University of Kentucky — This project will engage rural communities in interdisciplinary hydro-related research and technological development to gain basic knowledge of flash flooding, mitigate the impact of flash floods and improve community resilience to climate change. This project includes partnerships across Kentucky and West Virginia.

Driving AgTech Research and Education in Kentucky (DARE-KY) through Inclusive Network Building, Impactful Research, and Workforce Development for Soilless Food Systems
Led by Kentucky State University, this project will establish an unprecedented, cross-sector research incubator to improve nutrient management, food safety, and sustainability of soilless agriculture in Kentucky, which will lead more diverse and inclusive STEM research and several approaches to understand how nutrient flow through aquaponic systems influences microbial communities and its potential impact on biofilm formation and food safety. The project will enhance workforce development in Kentucky by creating new curricula, integrating research into student learning and developing new work-and-learn opportunities.
Collaborating institutions: Bluegrass Community and Technical College, University of Pikeville, Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation and FoodChain Inc.

The Climate Resilience through Multidisciplinary Big Data Learning, Prediction & Building Response Systems (CLIMBS) project will advance the fields of climate science, geohazards engineering and disaster management to improve sustainability and resilience to climate change. Research and educational programs will benefit underserved communities in eastern Kentucky. Led by the University of Kentucky, scientists from eight universities will use Big Data, artificial intelligence and machine learning to model the impact of different climate scenarios. CLIMBS will help build climate resilience and sustainability in Kentucky's key industries of manufacturing, data analytics, energy transition and engineering and help train a science and engineering workforce that will enable the growth of smaller industries, such as food and beverage and agriculture.

PAEMST nominations for teachers in grades 7-12 now open

Source: Kentucky Teacher, Kentucky Department of Education (KDE)

Nominations for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are now being accepted!

PAEMST is the top honor in the nation for math and science teachers, including computer science, engineering and technology teachers. National awardees receive $10,000 and a trip to Washington, D.C.

Applications are accepted from specific grade levels each year, alternating between primary-level and secondary-level. In 2024-2025, the PAEMST program will accept nominations for 7th through 12th grade science, technology, engineering and mathematics teachers.

Recognize a great teacher by nominating them through the PAEMST Nominations webpage. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 6, 2025.

National Academies call for Mathematics experts for new Mathematical Sciences Education Board (MSEB)

The National Academies is excited to announce the formation of the Mathematical Sciences Education Board (MSEB). This board will bring together experts in mathematical research and education to provide guidance at the national level on a broad range of issues related to mathematical education.

We are currently seeking experts to participate in this activity, particularly with experience in:

Theoretical or applied mathematics
Engineering
Statistics
Computational life sciences
Industry
Mathematical sciences education at elementary and middle/high-school levels
Mathematical sciences education at 2-year, 4-year, and Ph.D. granting postsecondary institutions
Mathematical policy or mathematics education policy
Mathematics teacher preparation

Please submit nominations on The National Academies website by Friday, January 31, 2025.

Science Classes & more in Lifelong Learning @ UK, Morehead

Courses are free or cheap for adults 50 or over- Look for in-person, hybrid or virtual options:
OLLI Course Catalog Spring 2025

2025 is Year of the Snake - meet some of ours in Kentucky!

Lunar New Year (January 29) marks the year of the Snake, so we're taking the Smooth Earth Snake

opportunity to get to know the Snakes of Kentucky!

Shout out to Kentucky herpetologists! We hope 2025 brings you lots of fun (and safe!) snake encounters!

KAS Newsletter - January 2025