Homecoming week for the Wildcat Family

Dear Colleagues,

During Homecoming week at UK, I am reminded just how powerful and connected our campus community is. 

Every day, our students make memories that they will carry for a lifetime — lessons learned in classrooms and laboratories; successes experienced in clubs and sporting events; friendships forged in shared and meaningful moments. 

It can be difficult to realize exactly when a college campus begins to feel like home. It could be finishing your first semester as a student who has passed all of their finals. It might be when roommates decide to join a club together so that they each have a familiar face in the crowd. But it is almost always realized once you leave this community and reflect on and carry forward all you learned during your time on campus.

I recognize how much Homecoming means to you as our faculty — just as much as it means to our students. 

Many of you are parents of students making those memories. And many of you are yourselves alumni of UK. You remember well those shared experiences of growing on this campus.

For those who are not alumni, I hope that UK has begun to feel like another home to you. It may have been when your colleagues became your friends you could rely upon, or when you felt supported by your team and department for the first time.

The memories that our students make, and the impact that this place has on their lives, are all made possible by what you do. You help create their sense of belonging on this campus. And I hope that our community has been a part of making lasting memories for you, too.

This weekend, I encourage you to take part in Homecoming events and join the rest of the Wildcat Family in celebrating what makes our community connected, strong and vibrant.

I am proud to call the UK community my home, and I have each of you to thank for creating a campus environment where all our students, faculty and staff can do the same.

Robert DiPaola 
Provost