March EDC Newsletter - Beam Suntory and UK advance strategic partnership / CDA launches 3rd Cohort

UK EDC News | March 2024

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Talent Update

College of Medicine celebrates Match Day across the Commonwealth

On March 15 aspiring physicians around the country learned where they would continue their medical training.

The UK College of Medicine celebrated Match Day across its four campuses—Bowling Green, Lexington, Northern Kentucky, and Morehead—with 192 students entering some type of match this year.

Of those learners matching this year, 73 will be staying in Kentucky for residency with 59 matching into programs at the University of Kentucky/UK HealthCare.

Nearly 83 million people in the U.S. live in areas without access to primary care. Kentucky is among those affected by the national physician shortage with seven counties having no practicing primary care doctors at all.

Innovation Update

UK undergraduate researchers present at the State Capitol

The 22nd annual Posters-at-the-Capitol held on March 7 featured 13 University of Kentucky undergraduate research projects with important implications for issues in Kentucky, including public safety, energy conservation, homeownership and lung cancer prevention.

The event showcases the experience of undergraduate students engaged in research through high-quality poster displays at the state legislature. This year’s event had more than 100 student representatives from across the state displaying the results of their research.

Posters-at-the-Capitol enables those responsible for higher education funding in Kentucky to see the important role undergraduate research plays in the education of our students.

Equitable Economic Development Update

Construction Diversity Accelerator Launches Third Annual Cohort

The University of Kentucky, Turner Construction Company and the Kentucky APEX Accelerator recently accepted 21 companies to the 2024 Construction Diversity Accelerator (CDA).

This is the third annual cohort to participate in the accelerator, a 10-week intensive program designed to equip underrepresented businesses in construction and related trades with the knowledge and skills they need to be competitive in their industry. The 2024 accelerator officially launched on March 5 with a welcome reception for cohort members and community partners.

“The CDA enters year three with growing support,” said UK Economic Inclusion Manager Marilyn Clark. "This year, we added three new community partners: the Louisville Metro Human Rights Commission, the UK Federal Credit Union and Equity Solutions Group. These new partners bring new resources, different perspectives and more opportunities to the cohort. I am excited about the talents and skills evident in this cohort and look forward to the continued partnership with Turner Construction and the Kentucky APEX Accelerator.”

Place Update

CivicLex to Host Candidate Meet and Greet

Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to join UK Community Innovation Partner CivicLex and the League of Women Voters to meet with candidates running for a council seat districts 1, 4, and 7.

The event taking place at UK Cornerstone on April 17th from 6-8pm will provide attendees with the opportunity to interact with candidates either individually or in small groups at their leisure.

The League of Women Voters will be available for voter registration and information on voting in Kentucky. Food will be provided and this event is free and open to the public,

Learn more about the candidates on LexVote.

Partnership Update

Beam Suntory, UK advance strategic partnership

The University of Kentucky James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits and Beam Suntory, a global leader in premium spirits, have renewed their strategic partnership to help strengthen Kentucky’s signature industry for generations to come. The continued partnership between Beam Suntory and UK will ensure the Institute continues to offer unparalleled expertise for teaching and research.

Beam Suntory will donate $7.5 million to be paid over a 10-year period. An additional $1.875 million in funding for the Institute will be provided through the Commonwealth of Kentucky Research Challenge Trust Fund (RCTF) Endowment Match Program, subject to approval by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.

Meet the Team

Part of a monthly series to introduce the Economic Development Collaborative Leaders

Melody Flowers has engaged in strategic and financial planning, project management, and policy work for over twenty years in fields as varied as transportation, the environment, community and economic development, emergency preparedness, homeland security, healthcare, and higher education.

She currently serves as the Assistant Vice President for Economic Development & Real Estate at the University of Kentucky (UK), leading efforts across campus including community and business engagement, creative space and place making, and development of campus innovation spaces and economic impact programs. Melody co-Chairs UK’s Economic Development Collaborative.

Prior, Melody led integrated academic and financial planning at Harvard University and brings many years of experience from the non-profit and government sectors. She serves on the boards of CivicLex, Experience Learning, Fayette Alliance, the Downtown Lexington Partnership, the UK Art Museum, and the Gaines Center for the Humanities, regularly lectures on the economics of higher education, and mentors nationally competitive scholarship candidates.

She earned a Master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and her B.A. from UK, where she was a Singletary Scholar, National Merit Scholar, Gaines Fellow, and Harry S. Truman Scholar.

Central Kentucky Job Club:

Leveraging AI in the Job Search

April 9, 2024 - 9:00 AM

Presented by Candra Bryant, Chief Operating Officer, Hanna Resource Group

This presentation covers essential do's and don'ts, guiding job seekers in articulating impactful responses during interviews to secure employment. She will review effective communication through virtual platforms, the importance of body language, and pitfalls to avoid in answering standard interview questions.

EDC Communication

The news featured here does not exclusively represent the work of the EDC, but rather highlights the contributions of various collaborators. We are honored to showcase the remarkable achievements taking place across the University of Kentucky.

The EDC Mission:

To proactively grow economic prosperity in the Commonwealth by focusing on the areas of Talent, Innovation, Place, Partnership, and Equitable Economic Development