Participants may request a Certificate of Completion from the Kentucky Academy of Science, for any workshop or field trip. Certificates may be used for professional development documentation.

Field trip- Friday November 1

KSU Aquaculture Research Center
You'll see fish, shrimp, crayfish and talk with researchers in KSU's Aquaculture program. This facility is very close to the main campus but parking is limited- we'll provide vans. The tour is 90 minutes. We will offer a morning or afternoon option.

Field Trip - Saturday Nov 2

Scientists' Tour of the KY State Capitol
See the rooms where it happens!  We've reserved a tour of the KY State Capitol, and you'll learn how to have an impact on public policy as a scientist. KAS Science Policy Specialist Madison Flory will share tips and tools that you can use to help give the science community a strong voice at the State Capitol and everywhere else policy decisions are made. Madison will also review top issues under consideration in Frankfort and offer a brief preview of the Kentucky General Assembly's 2025 legislative session. Participants will carpool the short distance to the Capitol, and we'll follow up with details.

Workshops- Friday lunchtime

 Kentucky EPSCoR Funding Programs and Funding Opportunities

Diverse Identities in STEM History

Is Graduate School Right for Me?

 Kentucky EPSCoR Funding Programs and Funding Opportunities

 Cate Webb, Chair of Kentucky Statewide EPSCoR committee.
Jacob Owen, NASA-KY

Cate Webb's slides - KY EPSCoR
Jacob Owen's slides - NASA-KY

This workshop is targeted for faculty and student researchers in Kentucky interested in EPSCoR opportunities.  EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) is a program that allocates extra research funding from various federal research agencies to chronically underfunded states like Kentucky.  The overarching mission of EPSCoR mission to enhance research competitiveness by strengthening science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) capacity and capability through investments in people, research, and infrastructure.
EPSCoR programs in Kentucky, where researchers can seek this kind of allocated federal funding, include the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the U.S. Departments of Energy (DoE), Agriculture (USDA) and Defense (DoD). The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a parallel program in Kentucky funding researchers, the Kentucky Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (KBRIN).
In 2024, Kentucky received a NSF EPSCoR Track 1 ($24M), the NSF E-RISE ($7M), and the NIH KBRIN ($20M). Seed funding opportunities from the Track 1 and KBRIN awards will be highlighted.
How Kentucky responded to and continues to meet the unique challenges posed by the re-envisioning of NSF EPSCoR will also be discussed.  An update for Vision 2030, Kentucky's Science & Technology Plan, completed in 2023, a core requirement for NSF EPSCoR, will be provided.  
http://kynsfepscor.uky.edu/ky-epscor/

Diverse Identities in STEM History

Facilitator: Matt Downen, Centre College
Better diversity leads to better science and more inclusive and equitable learning environments. This proposed workshop is directly related to one of KAS's values, "inclusion of women and diverse underrepresented minority groups in science." This active, discussion-based workshop explores a timeline of historical events and figures in STEM to better understand visibility, privilege, and intersectionality and provide a model for how STEM teachers can incorporate diverse identities into their classrooms. Participants are put into groups and given a set of 40 cards. Each card has a description of a historical figure or event (representing diverse identities and experiences) without any dates listed. Participants are instructed to organize the cards chronologically, using their own knowledge of history and points of reference in their own lives. Once all the groups have their cards arranged or 30 minutes have passed, the correct timeline is provided followed by a debriefing and discussion period. A time of reflection about what assumptions, what emotions, and what actions you might take next follow. An actionable takeaway is a starting point to make diverse identities, themes, and content visible in curriculum. The resources used in this workshop have been adapted and modified from a lesson plan by GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network), an American organization founded by teachers. The length of the workshop is one hour.

Is Graduate School Right for Me?

Facilitators: Hollie Swanson and Nathan Vanderford, University of Kentucky

Undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing careers in biomedical sciences have many questions about preparing for these careers and how graduate school may fit into their plans.  Should I consider pursing a Master's or Doctoral level degree? What career options would a Doctoral degree prepare me for?  What is a typical graduate student experience in a PhD Biomedical Sciences program like?  Would I like it?  How can I prepare a highly competitive application for graduate school?  This session is designed to address these questions and help undergraduate students plan for their next career steps.  The first speaker will introduce the many different types of careers in academics, industry and government that are currently available and projected to be in high demand in the future.  The  second two speakers will discuss their graduate school experience from the perspective of an early career and a more advanced graduate student.  Our final speaker will outline the graduate school application process and steps that prospective graduate student applicants can take to ensure their success.  The session will conclude with a question-and-answer segment to allow audience members to engage with the speakers, exchange ideas about their experiences and questions, and address how they may handle some of their concerns

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