Department News

2026 Pigman College of Engineering Faculty Awards

May 4, 2026

On April 30, the Pigman College of Engineering gathered at the Manchester Fountain Hall to honor its 2026 Faculty Awards recipients for their outstanding contributions to the college and beyond. Awards were given in the areas of research, service and education. This year, in addition to individual research awards, the college added a new award category to honor the work of a research team. The winners in each area are listed below.

Learning to lead: Students gain real-world experience during space industry capstone trip

Apr 30, 2026

Over spring break, Pigman College of Engineering students enrolled in The Engineering Leadership Program took their classroom learning to new heights during a four-day trip to Cape Canaveral, Florida. The trip immersed students in the heart of the nation’s space industry, offering direct access to leaders in aerospace engineering and national security. Through panels, site visits and discussions with industry experts, students explored how leadership principles translate into critical, real-world environments.

Berry and Sanderson 2026-27 University Research Professors

Apr 27, 2026

On Friday, the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees approved 17 University Research Professors for the 2026-27 academic year. Established by the Board of Trustees in 1976, the professorships program recognizes excellence across the full spectrum of research at UK.

As NASA’s Artemis II heads to the moon, UK helps power safe return

Lindsey Piercy

Apr 1, 2026

As Artemis II prepares to lift off — marking the first crewed mission to the moon in more than 50 years — researchers at the University of Kentucky are celebrating a milestone years in the making and their role in helping bring astronauts home safely. An Orion capsule seated atop a 322-foot rocket will blast off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida as early as 6:24 p.m. ET Wednesday, April 1. Its mission: carry four astronauts around the moon and back — sending humans the farthest they’ve ever been from Earth.

21 Pigman College of Engineering researchers among top 2% of world’s most-cited

Mar 3, 2026

The University of Kentucky is well-represented on a list of the most-cited researchers in the world. In a database compiled by Stanford University in a partnership with Elsevier, 125 current UK scientists and scholars appear among the top 2% of the most-cited researchers across 22 disciplines. Of those 125 scientists and scholars, 21 are UK Pigman College of Engineering faculty.

UK research team awarded $1.9 million NIH grant to combat biofilm

Christian Honce

Mar 2, 2026

Martha Grady, Ph.D., a Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Scholar and an associate department chair in the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, is leading a multidisciplinary team to investigate how 3D-printed titanium can be engineered to resist harmful bacteria.

KREPE-3 Flight: Send Off February 20, 10:00AM - 1:00PM

Feb 10, 2026

The KREPE-3 mission capsule sendoff offers a unique opportunity to view all 12 flight capsules before their delivery to the International Space Station.

UK alum brings engineering skills to national racing stage

Jenny Wells-Hosley and Dan Knapp

Jan 15, 2026

Rahman, a Frankfort, Kentucky native who earned his degree in mechanical engineering, will compete in the Legend Cars division Jan. 16-18 and Jan. 23-25, racing a car and wearing a fire suit featuring the UK Alumni Association logo.

Fall 2025 Dean's List includes 1,141 engineering and computer science students

Jan 9, 2026

The Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering is proud to announce 1,141 engineering and computer science students included on the University of Kentucky Fall 2025 Dean's List. Students are eligible for the Dean’s List by meeting these requirements during the fall or spring semester:

Perry County students join UK water monitoring research team

Amanda Nelson

Jan 9, 2026

University of Kentucky researchers — along with collaborators from across the United States — gathered at Buckhorn School in Perry County last month to work with high school students on a water-testing device developed at UK. The ESCAPE research is part of the NSF’s Predictive Intelligence for Pandemic Preparation program. Berry is principal investigator of the nearly $18 million NSF award, shared by the four institutions.