The newsletter for the WKU community
November 29, 2022
Fall 2022 Ogden Foundation Scholar found success close to home at WKU
Maria Wells grew up in a family of Western Kentucky University graduates -- great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins.

“My family all went to Western so it was kind of the last place I wanted to go,” Wells said. “I wanted to be different and do something fun and crazy and go far away.”

The 2019 graduate of Logan County High School, however, decided to stay close to her home in Lewisburg and attend WKU.

“I thought to do something awesome I had to do something different. But that isn’t true,” said Wells, who is the December 2022 recipient of the Ogden Foundation Scholar Award, WKU’s top undergraduate academic honor.

Wells, who is a Mahurin Honors College student, will graduate on Dec. 9 with a bachelor’s degree in Economics and minors in Business Administration and American Sign Language Studies. In May 2023, the daughter of Grayson and Bonnie Wells will complete her master’s degree in Applied Economics as part of the Joint Undergraduate-Master’s Program (JUMP) in the Gordon Ford College of Business.
CLIMBING HIGHER
Dr. Holli Drummond has accepted a four-year reappointment as the Department Chair for the Department of Sociology & Criminology in the Potter College of Arts and Letters. Learn More
#GivingTuesday
Today is Giving Tuesday! We hope you show your WKU Spirit and make a gift to support your favorite areas on campus. Whether you make a gift for an academic program, a specific scholarship fund, a favorite athletic program, the WKU Alumni Association or another area that means a lot to you – your support matters.
Spotlight: Brice Harney
“My freshman year, I saw a magic show in Van Meter Auditorium. I remember it was March 2012, and it was an amazing show. They had a second show the next night, and I went to that as well. I got connected to the guy who ran that show and said, ‘This is what I want to do for the rest of my life, how do I do it?’" -- Brice Harney, 2015 Mahurin Honors College graduate
WKU professor receives grant for suicide prevention project
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) has announced 34 new research grants totaling $8.18 million issued to researchers around the world focused on suicide prevention. Dr. Amy Brausch, a psychological sciences professor at WKU, was one of the grant recipients.
Nominations being accepted for Homer Ledford Award
The Kentucky Folklife Program, based in the Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology at WKU, is accepting nominations for the 2023 Homer Ledford Award through February 1. This award honors outstanding Kentucky luthiers in memory of master luthier, musician, and educator Homer Ledford.
Minding My Math Business receives WKU Sisterhood grant
Minding My Math Business received a Small but Mighty $10,000 grant from the WKU Sisterhood on November 18 at its annual business luncheon. 
Gender & Women's Studies hosts panel discussion
On November 16, the Gender & Women’s Studies program hosted a screening of Promising Young Woman and a panel discussion on sexual assault awareness, prevention, and advocacy. The event was made possible by generous contributions from the Gail B. Martin Lecture and Faculty Development Series.
Department of Music Holiday Concerts
The WKU Symphony will present Holidays on the Hill at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Van Meter Hall. Special guests are the WKU Symphonic Band and the Southern Kentucky Choral Society. Tickets are $15 at the door or online.
Winterfest, A Choral Celebration!, featuring Treble Chorus, University Singers, WKU Chorale, The TrebleMakers and The RedShirts, will begin at 8 p.m. Saturday at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 4754 Smallhouse Road.
The WKU Tuba/Euphonium Studio will present the second annual Bowling Green TubaChristmas at 4 p.m. Sunday at the J.C. Penney Courtyard in Greenwood Mall. Rehearsal will begin at 1 p.m. in Music Hall on WKU's campus.
Kentucky Museum to host Christmas in Kentucky
The Kentucky Museum will hold its 16th annual Christmas in Kentucky event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Following the Bowling Green Jaycee Christmas Parade, the Museum’s Christmas in Kentucky has become an annual tradition for many residents. More: Support Kentucky Museum on Giving Tuesday
WKU students will showcase works in Last Chance to Dance
The students of the WKU Department of Theatre & Dance's Choreography courses will present their works in Last Chance to Dance at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Russell H. Miller Theatre in the Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center. Tickets are $5. The students will be joined by other projects and emerging choreographers in the program, presenting a variety of different dance genres and inspirations. This informal concert gives WKU students an opportunity to see their work come to life onstage.
WKU Week in Photos
Check out the latest WKU Week in Photos by Clinton Lewis, WKU Division of Communications & Marketing.
Athletics
November
29
Tuesday
Planetarium Show

Celebrations for a Long Winter's Night will be presented at 7 tonight at Hardin Planetarium. Learn More
November
30
Wednesday
Exhibit Reception

A reception for HER The Juried Show will begin at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Intercultural Student Engagement Center in Downing Student Union, room 2041. Learn More
December
1
Thursday
WKU Kwanzaa

WKU's annual Kwanzaa Celebration will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday at Honors College-International Center multipurpose room. Learn More
Western Kentucky University 
1906 College Heights Blvd. 
Bowling Green, KY 42101