UK Sustainability

♻️ 2026 Sustainability Summer Research Fellow Spotlight

MEET SOPHIA BOWDEN

Sophia is a Junior in Biology. As one of six UK undergraduates selected for the 2026 Sustainability Summer Research Fellowship, Sophia will be spending the summer conducting research under Robbie Burger in the College of Arts & Sciences' Department of Biology.

Project Title: "Scaling Mammalian Organ Sizes and their Connection to Functional Roles in Ecology"

♻️ 2026 Sustainability Summer Research Fellow Spotlight

MEET KATY BRANDT

Katy is a senior in Dietetics. As one of six UK undergraduates selected for the 2026 Sustainability Summer Research Fellowship, Katy will be spending the summer conducting research under Courtney Luecking in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment's Department of Dietetics & Human Nutrition.

Project Title: "Supporting Perinatal Women with Lived Experiences of Substance Use Through Community Nutrition Education"

♻️ 2026 Sustainability Summer Research Fellow Spotlight

MEET MD HIMEL AHAMED JOY

MD Himel Ahamed is a freshman in Ag & Medical Biotechnology. As one of six UK undergraduates selected for the 2026 Sustainability Summer Research Fellowship, MD Himel Ahamed will be spending the summer conducting research under Manoj Sapkota in the Martin Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment's Department of Horticulture.

Project Title: "Water-Smart Tomatoes: Seedling-to-Fruit Responses to Drought Across Wild and Cultivated Tomato Diversity"

♻️ 2026 Sustainability Summer Research Fellow Spotlight

MEET ELLA SHIELDS

Ella is a senior in horticulture. As one of six UK undergraduates selected for the 2026 Sustainability Summer Research Fellowship, Ella will be spending the summer conducting research under Manoj Sapkota in the Martin Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment's Department of Horticulture.

Project Title: "Screening Strawberry Germplasm for Resistance to Neopestalotiopsis to Support Sustainable Strawberry Production in Kentucky"

♻️ 2026 Sustainability Summer Research Fellow Spotlight

MEET MWAJUMA ALEXANDRE

Mwajuma is a sophomore in Mechanical Engineering. As one of six UK undergraduates selected for the 2026 Sustainability Summer Research Fellowship, Mwajuma will be spending the summer conducting research under Diana Byrne in the Pigman College of Engineering's Department of Civil Engineering.

Project Title: "Examining the Sustainability of a Mobile Water Treatment System for Emergency Response in Kentucky via Comparative Life Cycle Assessment"

University of Kentucky Pigman College of Engineering UK Sustainability

♻️ 2026 Sustainability Summer Research Fellow Spotlight

MEET AYUSMA KARKI

Ayusma is a sophomore in Architecture. As one of six UK undergraduates selected for the 2026 Sustainability Summer Research Fellowship, Ayusma will be spending the summer conducting research under Leen Katrib in the College of Design's Department of Architecture.

Project Title: "A Material Investigation into Kudzu as a Building Material for Post-Disaster Shelters"

University of Kentucky College of Design UK Sustainability

Exciting news for sustainability-focused undergraduate research!

In the News!

6 students selected as 2026 Sustainability Summer Research Fellows

Read now: our.uky.edu/news

UK Sustainability
University of Kentucky Pigman College of Engineering UK College of Arts and Sciences UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment University of Kentucky College of Design

Congratulations to our three inaugural Student Excellence in Sustainability award recipients! These awards were presented last week at our spring sustainability celebration.

(1) Motunaryo Oladele, Ph.D. candidate in environmental and analytical chemistry
(2) Brayden Nichols, graduating senior in architecture
(3) Holly Cason, senior in environmental & sustainability studies and natural resources & environmental science

Thank you to all who joined us for our Sustainability Symposium last night! This event celebrated the accomplishments of our sustainability interns and recognized the first group of Student Excellence in Sustainability award recipients.

Special thanks to our speaker, Justin Mog, for his engaging talk on using community radio to tell stories of hope.

Looking forward to doing it all again next year!

Passionate about climate communication? Organizing events? We’re hiring an intern to support the Kentucky Climate Consortium in their efforts to make reliable and relevant information about the climate accessible to all Kentuckians. 🌏♻️

Ideal candidates will have experience or interest in learning how to communicate about scientific topics, write website content, and manage event logistics!

Interns are paid $15.55/hour for 8-10 hours of work per week.

Click the link to apply: https://sustainability.uky.edu/student-programs/sustainability-internship-program