Welcome to a new academic year
Dear Colleagues,
I hope that the summer has brought you some moments of rejuvenation and rest — campus has undergone a dramatic shift in energy now that students have returned and the fall semester has begun in earnest.
I want to welcome each of you, whether you are returning to campus or new to UK, to a semester filled with opportunities to stimulate students’ curiosity, generate breakthroughs in your research or extend healing to our patients most in need of care.
That is the mission of a university that was created to serve its state — to advance our Commonwealth in all we do, through teaching, research, service and care. And that is the work that you perform each day.
Last academic year, we reached milestones that helped mark the progress we are making in our mission:
- We awarded more than 8,000 degrees and 1,700 certificates.
- In Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25), UK research and development generated $1.02 billion in economic activity across Kentucky.
- In FY25, UK HealthCare also exceeded 72,500 discharges, an increase from just over 20,000 annually 20 years ago.
These milestones are made possible because of what you do for our students and our communities: passing along knowledge outlined in your lesson plans; discovering new questions and paths of inquiry on the way to innovative breakthroughs in your research; and extending kindness alongside care to patients most in need.
I recently had the opportunity to speak with this year’s cohort of WELD, a faculty and staff leadership development program, and I encouraged them to embrace leading as learners and rely on colleagues and team members for their specific skills. We discussed transdisciplinary approaches to bring together and respect the great expertise each of you have in your disciplines.
That is why we have such a marked impact on Kentucky and those we serve. By working together and combining our respective knowledge and capability, we are able to do more than we could ever accomplish alone.
This academic year, I hope you find new and exciting opportunities in partnering with other faculty, students and staff to begin building new paths to innovation, discovery, service and healing for Kentucky.
Welcome back and thank you for being part of our UK community.
Robert DiPaola
Provost