Telling UK's story through faculty impact

Dear Colleagues,

Last month, I spoke at the Gluck Research Foundation Board meeting, highlighting how our university continues to educate more students, generate new ideas through research, better serve our communities and extend compassionate care to all throughout our Commonwealth.

Central to that mission are the faculty who lead our classrooms and laboratories, the people embedded in the communities we serve and the ones who our patients trust with their health.

During that meeting, I shared how we are growing our impact as a university: 

• Our six-year graduation rates are at record highs, reaching 73.4%, according to preliminary numbers. Five-year graduation rates are at nearly 63%, approximately 30 percentage points higher than they were a decade and a half ago.
• Fiscal Year 2025 research expenditures totaled $542.3 million, which in turn helped create $1.02 billion in economic impact and 5,146 jobs for Kentucky.
• And UK HealthCare saw 73,500 discharges across the enterprise in Fiscal Year 2026.

These numbers and statistics are impressive but are each part of a larger story — one that is told every day by the work you do.

I was also impressed by the presentations on research that is helping the equine industry, and I was equally impressed by the engagement and support of the Foundation Board members.

You are all supporting and preparing students for the challenges and opportunities they will face after they close this chapter and start new ones outside of UK. The skills learned in your classrooms and the confidence they hone under your mentorship will enable them to not only succeed in future careers, but to thrive as leaders in their communities. 

The work you do for and in Kentucky helps individuals, families and local businesses thrive. You find answers to the questions that Kentuckians ask, helping discover new ways for our people and places to grow.

And you work tirelessly to ensure Kentuckians receive the healthcare they need, closer to home, creating healthier and more vibrant communities around the Commonwealth.

I am always humbled when I have the privilege to share the work that UK faculty do — and I am deeply grateful for the opportunities to join each of you in this shared mission to teach, guide and heal Kentucky.

Thank you for continuing to be Kentucky’s greatest supporters.

Robert DiPaola 
Provost