Campus News

UPIKE students become part of global history

After a lengthy screening and training process, UPIKE students from the Elliott School of Nursing, Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM) and Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO) volunteered time from their rigorous schedules to help stop the spread of COVID-19 by administering vaccinations at Pikeville Medical Center’s drive-thru location.

According to KYCOM Student Government President Cindy Lin, students were eager for a shot at putting their skills to good use for the greater good.

“As future healthcare workers, many of us had been waiting for the opportunity to help more directly with the pandemic. It has impacted so many people we know in devastating ways; we wanted to jump right in,” said Lin. “As medical students, we are thankful to be able to continue our medical education throughout the pandemic. I think we are all very excited to have been able to contribute in a positive way.”

KYCO Student Government President Jessica Johnson feels blessed by the chance to give back to the region and help others stay healthy.

“All of us at KYCO consider the opportunity to help administer COVID-19 vaccines as a gift. This community has become our home and where we found our second families. The only thing we could hope for is that our loved ones stay strong, healthy and protected,” said Johnson. “Administering this vaccine enables us to ensure that comforting reality.”

First-year nursing student and Pikeville native Eli Rowe is proud to be making a difference at such a significant point in time.

“I am thankful for the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with my classmates, impacting the community in such a historic way,” said Rowe. “I know looking back, I will be able to say we were part of global history.”

Can you Bear the 99?

Approximately 80 people, ages nine to 75, came to campus on March 6, to spend a beautiful Saturday participating in UPIKE’s Bear the 99 5K. The race began in Benefactors Plaza and ended with the climb up the iconic 99 steps toward the finish line. Under the leadership of Alumni Association President Kay Hammond ʼ68 and with community and sponsor support, the 2019 and 2021 events raised more than $40,000, with all proceeds going toward the Alumni Endowed Scholarship Fund.

This was the first 5K in Pikeville since COVID-19 halted events in 2020, with all City of Pikeville and Healthy at UPIKE COVID-19 guidelines being closely followed. Pike County Health Department Public Health Director Tammy Riley ʼ92 won first place in her age division and was pleased with the university’s efforts in keeping the public safe, while also having fun.

“It was my honor to participate in the 2021 University of Pikeville Alumni Association’s Bear the 99 5K event,” said Riley. “From a runner’s perspective, it was exhilarating to be able to participate in a live race with fellow runners. From a public health perspective, I was even more pleased with the attention to detail that the Alumni Association paid to public health protocols for the safety of all. It was a wonderful experience, and I look forward to many more years of participating in this event, which supports scholarships for the University of Pikeville.”

UPIKE’s Weber Art Gallery exhibits appreciation of Black History Month

In February, the University of Pikeville’s Weber Art Gallery, in collaboration with the Black Student Union (BSU), Allara Library, and music, art, theatre, religion and writing classes across campus, celebrated Black History Month by providing the community with an opportunity to acknowledge, embrace and learn Black history by launching an exhibit titled “Black Lives Matter.”

The exhibit included video monologues, artwork, contemporary photographs, manuscripts, original six-word poems and images pulled from the university’s archives.

UPIKE also offered the community an opportunity to engage in meaningful discussion about the exhibit by hosting a virtual Q&A presented by the Director of Bands and Faculty Advisor of the BSU Trevor Bailey, and Campus Chaplain and Instructor of Religion Robert Musick.

Bailey was incredibly excited for the students and the community of Pikeville to recognize and appreciate the unique exhibit.

“This event demonstrates that the only way for our society to mend the open wounds of discrimination, bigotry, hatred and systematic racism is for people to not only acknowledge, but work together each day to lift up people of color,” said Bailey. “I always tell my students that they need to be the change they want to see. Change happens when one person has an idea and has the determination to see that idea be fulfilled. This collaborative project celebrates the legacy of Black history here on the campus of UPIKE, and that’s not only a good thing … that’s a GREAT thing!”

KYCO’s Class of 2023 receives symbolic white coat

The Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO) held its White Coat Ceremony for the Class of 2023 on Saturday, April 10, via livestream. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event was closed to the public. After two years of a rigorous classroom and procedure lab curriculum, they will apply their knowledge in the clinical setting.

Second-year students at KYCO were “coated” in the presence of their peers and KYCO faculty by Cliff Caudill, O.D., FAAO, KYCO assistant dean of clinical affairs and associate professor of optometry, and Donald Egan, O.D., FAAO, DPNAP, associate dean for academic affairs and professor of optometry.

“The white coat symbolizes your commitment to serving humanity for the rest of your lives and you should use the opportunity given to you to make a difference in the world,” said keynote speaker R. Max Raynor, O.D., president of Southern Council of Optometrists International. “I’m sure you realize your learning doesn’t end once you move into the clinic, it doesn’t end once you graduate, nor does it end once you pass the state boards and begin practice. You are committing to a lifetime of learning.”

Bears bring home the gold

UPIKE Cheerleading was crowned 2021 UCA National Champions on April 28. They claimed the program’s firstever title in the All-Girl Open Event, defeating three other schools after a near perfectly executed routine. This is the third season the Bears have competed in the UCA College Nationals hosted at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World. They have improved in each consecutive appearance, placing fifth in 2019 and third in 2020. “This team is something very special,” said UPIKE Head Cheerleading Coach Jeannie Stone. “I am extremely proud of the way they overcame all of the obstacles of a very challenging and unusual year. We are so excited to bring a national championship back to Pikeville!”

UPIKE Menʼs Bowling captured the Mid-South Conference Men’s Bowling Championship for the second consecutive title and the fourth in program history.

UPIKE Womenʼs Bowling dominated their third straight Mid-South Conference Women’s Bowling Championship and finished third in the NAIA Bowling Championships.

CAS student-faculty pairs earn paid research

Jessica Vickers

Gavin Hunt

Hayden Word

Three faculty mentor-student mentee pairs were recognized as inaugural members of the College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Scholars Program (CUSP) and the growing creative research community. The program, which was designed to support the emerging scholarly and creative works produced by College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) students and full-time faculty or staff, allowed the scholars to earn $12 per hour, up to ten hours per week, while working to complete their research projects.

The pairs concluded their research during the spring semester and presented their work at the UPIKE Research Symposium on April 9. The research included, A critical analysis of social issues and monster symbolism in literature, by Jessica Vickers and faculty mentor Dr. Amanda Slone; Micro Appalachia, by Hayden Word and faculty mentor Byron Meade; and Trump, Twitter, and politics: A comparison of power words, by Gavin Hunt and faculty mentor Dr. J.R. Briscoe, with secondary mentoring by Dr. Rachel Messer.

The CUSP review committee consists of Assistant Dean of CAS and Associate Professor of Spanish Ella Smith-Justice, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chemistry Ian Pimienta, Ph.D., and Assistant Professor of Psychology Rachel Messer, Ph.D., who serves as committee chair.

“Dean [Jennifer] Dugan made this program possible, and Bridgett Click was responsible for receiving, anonymizing, and forwarding the applications to the committee,” explained Messer. “With several well-qualified applicant pairs, it was difficult for the committee to choose only three.”

President Webb named to prestigious boards

University of Pikeville President Burton J. Webb, Ph.D., was elected as a new board member of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), representing Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

NAICU board members set the association’s agenda on federal higher education policy, actively encourage support for the association’s priorities and initiatives, and oversee its financial administration. Webb will begin serving on July 1.

In addition, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) selected Webb to serve on the Board of Trustees to guide the organization’s work and implement the accreditation process. SACSCOC is the recognized regional accrediting body in 11 states that include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

2011: A historic year for the university

The University of Pikeville has a long history of defying expectations. The year 2021 marks the 10-year anniversary of some of the universityʼs most significant milestones.

In 2011, a period of changes began for UPIKE, starting with its evolution from Pikeville College to the University of Pikeville. The switch was part of a significant effort to expand the university’s tradition of providing students with a multidisciplinary education while maintaining a balance of intimate undergraduate programs and intensive, focused graduate programs.

Serving as president during that time, former Kentucky Governor and current Chancellor Paul E. Patton shared that throughout its history, the institution has evolved to provide for the needs of the region, which have increased over the years.

“To see young people come to this campus shy and reserved and leave as confident, outgoing adults ready to go out and conquer the world is a source of great personal satisfaction,” said Patton. “It’s like watching a flower bloom.” The transition also resulted in Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine being renamed the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM). The new and improved KYCOM has programming in both the undergraduate and graduate colleges and is nationally recognized for graduating physicians who go on to establish practices in underserved communities across Eastern Kentucky.

The university encourages economic growth and development that will advance the Appalachian region. Therefore, in August 2011, UPIKE responded to change by launching its first master’s degree program with a Master of Business Administration program through UPIKE’s Coleman College of Business.

Dean of the Coleman College of Business Howard Roberts, Ed.D., says quite a bit has changed in ten years including the program becoming fully online. Regardless of their location, the graduate students are connected by a shared passion for personal growth and commitment to learning.

“Ten years later, we are celebrating the acceleration of students’ careers and growth of business opportunities that are a result of UPIKE’s MBA program and nearly 200 individuals who have earned the UPIKE MBA,” said Roberts.

UPIKE’s commitment ensures that its students leave a lasting impression on the Appalachian communities by upholding its mission, vision and values and continuing to encourage, inspire or even dare students to believe in a whole new realm of possibilities.