UK Gaines Center for the Humanities

The Gaines/Honors crew was thrilled to support the recognition of Dr. James Albisetti by the Kate Savage organization at this year's annual banquet!

Dr. Albisetti was honored as the 2026 outstanding arts benefactor, nominated by the UK Fine Arts college where he has supported countless exhibits for students and the larger UK Art Museum community.

His remarks reminded us that small investments across a wide array of arts and humanities organizations can make a lasting impact on our community. We in Gaines are grateful to be one of many who have benefited from his generosity!

It is mini-grant season in Gaines! Do you have an idea for a humanities speaker or event? Check out the application and let us know if you have questions. Staff and faculty are eligible. Deadline is Oct 5.

The Gaines Center is so proud to share that 2020 Fellowship alum, and 2x University of Kentucky College of Design major, Montréale Jones has been selected as the winner of the prestigious 2026 Clifford Wong Prize in Housing Design at Harvard University! 🏆🎊 Jones' design "Rows and Bows: An Intergenerational Housing Framework Organized Through Shared Environmental Rhythms" was selected by a dean-appointed faculty committee.

Jones writes, "As a Gaines Fellow and Design student, I was interested in innovating community living. This concept was foundational to my Gaines Senior Thesis, a project that reevaluated community-building within student housing models. As a second-year student at Harvard Graduate School of Design, I worked on a semester-long project that focused on multigenerational housing that fostered community through shared environmental rhythms. Im so honored that this project was recognized with the longstanding Clifford Wong Prize!"

Jones' undergraduate thesis was supported by amazing faculty in the UK College of Design including Jeffrey Johnson (chair), Rebekah Radtke, and Brent Sturlaugson, as well as the current Dean of students, Trisha Clements-Montgomery.

Stay tuned because this FRIDAY the application for Bingham Seminar proposals will open for faculty applications. The Bingham Seminar is one of the most unique opportunities at the University. With support from Gaines, faculty are invited to design a semester-long course in any discipline, centered on the Humanities, with an immersive travel component (domestic or abroad). With a cap on 10 students, this opportunity allows for an in-depth exploration of both subject and place.

Start your brainstorming now! 🏁

Today we are continuing with our Gaines staff highlights so allow me to introduce myself: I'm Dr. Chelsea Brislin, the Gaines Associate Director since 2018! Most people know me as the person behind the camera at our many Gaines events, but beyond snapping 📷, I also handle our social media/marketing. I help with programming (events/speakers), grant writing, teaching, fundraising, curriculum design, and anything else that may need doing in a given year. Beyond my role in Gaines, I teach in Appalachian Studies here at UK and have previously worked in Lewis Honors and the UK Gatton College of Business.

I have absolutely loved my time here in the Center-- especially working with our amazing Fellows. On that note, one of our Juniors, Vay Sharkley, kindly offered to share a bit about my role with the students:

"Since becoming the associate director, Dr. Brislin has dedicated herself to supporting the Gaines Fellows with enthusiasm and heart every single day. With effortless swag and ease, she manages to be our biggest cheerleader, creative genius, and unofficial social media manager all at once, and the Gaines community is brighter because of it."

Thank you all so much for letting me share in the incredible work of the Humanities with you every day!

Today we’re catching up with another one of our summer student interns: rising senior Fellow Carter Franklin (left). Carter is currently our UK Student Body Vice President and, thanks to support from the Gaines Center, is getting incredible first-hand exposure to leadership in D.C. this summer!

From Carter: “This summer I am interning with 314 Action in Washington D.C. Recently, our team partnered with Courier to host a webinar titled 'Facts vs. Fiction.' We watched and listened to various panel members speak, including Senator Mark Kelly, Senator John Hickenlooper, senatorial candidate for South Carolina, Dr. Annie Andrews, along with various other important voices. This was extremely informative, as panelists discussed everything from vaccines to the evolving role of science in policy. This exposure has undoubtedly been my favorite part so far”

 Nice work, Carter! We are so proud of you!

Today we checking in with one of our rising senior fellows, Prisha Patel, an architecture major with the University of Kentucky College of Design ! This summer, with support from Gaines, Prisha is participating in a design internship experience, which will have direct relevance to the final conception of her Gaines thesis project.

From Prisha:

"I have the amazing opportunity to intern at Gensler, a globally ranked architecture firm, in Chicago through the NOMA Future Faces Fellowship, a competitive fellowship that places students with top architecture firms across the country. 

The project I am currently working on is extremely large, but it has made it to the ‘design development’ phase, which is the stage where initial conceptual ideas approved by the client are now being translated into real plans. I am currently coordinating with the MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) team, which is something I have never really done before. The level of detail in these architectural plans is unimaginable. It has been insightful to see how multidisciplinary teams contribute and collaborate to solve the complex challenges we face throughout the design process.Although I am still learning, this internship has already supplied valuable insight into the profession. As I continue throughout the summer, I look forward to becoming more involved in projects across multiple sectors to develop my skills and broaden my knowledge.”

We love to see this kind of valuable experience and are so grateful to be able to support Prisha!

The Gaines crew had a chance to catch up with the one and only Mrs. Connie Duncan before the holiday weekend! Ms. Connie (as the students called her) worked in the Gaines Center for many years (three different directors and countless cohorts of students!)

She is enjoying a well-deserved retirement, spending time with her children and grandchildren, but is never too busy for a lunch catch up! 😁

Looking to brush up on your reading in preparation for our year on The Human Algorithm? Check out this suggested reading list, curated by the Gaines team, and stay tuned for our film list (coming soon! 👀)