The University of Kentucky Supplier Diversity team will be holding a Construction Outreach event  from 9:30 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Nov. 15, inside the Gatton Student Center (Ballrooms B and C). The event is designed to introduce contractors, subcontractors and professional service providers to the process of doing business with the university.

Those who attend will learn about the:

• UK Supplier Diversity Program;
• upcoming construction projects;
• UK construction project managers and staff; and
• UK construction procurement team.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to network with construction managers, general construction managers, subcontractors and professional services professionals.

TriState Minority Supplier Development Council and Kentucky Procurement Technical Assistance Center partnered with UK Supplier Diversity to make this event possible.

Parking will be available at The Cornerstone Garage (Parking Structure #5). ADA spaces are available.

More details about the event can be found on eventbrite.com. To register for the event, click here.

UKNow article

 The UNited In True Racial Equity Research Priority Area (UNITE RPA) welcomed its inaugural cohort of 18 graduate students from 6 colleges to the UNITE Predoctoral Research Enhancement Program. 

UNITE is led by Danelle Stevens-Watkins, Ph.D., and associate vice president for research, diversity and inclusion. She created this program in 2022, with support from the Office of the Vice President for Research, Office of Institutional Diversity and The Graduate School, to engage and support scholars who enhance diversity, equity and inclusion in Ph.D. programs at UK. The program is aligned with university priorities to create cultures of inclusive excellence while integrating students into the world of research and academia. 

“The UNITE Predoctoral Research Enhancement Program is designed to meet the needs of exceptionally talented graduate students, determined to achieve success in the lab and the classroom,” said Lisa Cassis, Ph.D., vice president for research. “Through this effort, we are providing a new way to establish greater equity and demonstrate our commitment to fostering an inclusive culture of research success.”

The enhancement program will provide a stipend for students in addition to funding from their home college and department. Each fellow will also receive annual funding to support research-related expenses such as travel or equipment needs.

“Diverse students face unique social and cultural barriers to success when completing a Ph.D. program,” said Stevens-Watkins, a professor of education, school and counseling psychology. “From my own lived experience of this difficult process nearly two decades ago, I was compelled to create a program to increase support for diverse Ph.D. students at UK. We received an overwhelming number of applications from stellar candidates which speaks to the needs of our students. The commitment that our colleges administrators and faculty mentors demonstrate is extremely valuable and vital for student success. It is my sincere hope we can continue our support and intentionally foster success to increase diversity in the pipeline of research scholars entering the professorate.” 

2022 Cohort

• Daniel Benitez (Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences)
• Kristen Buford (Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences)
• Brittany Cannon (Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, College of Education)
• Pasama Cole-Kweli (Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences)
• Eric Ingram (Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences)
• Yolanda Jackson (Communication, College of Communication and Information)
• Monyae Kerney (Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, College of Education)
• Olukemi Kolawole (Educational Policy Studies & Evaluation, College of Education)
• Rujeko Machinga-Asaolu (College of Social Work)
• Jessica Maras (Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences)
• James Murray (Educational Policy Studies & Evaluation, College of Education)
• Oluwatosin Obisesan (Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences)
• Aiemere Oikeh (Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health)
• Odunayo Omotilewa (Educational Policy Studies & Evaluation, College of Education)
• Christopher Penn (Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences)
• Sarret Seng (College of Nursing)
• Jillian Silva-Jones (Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences)
• Adam Tristán (Communication, College of Communication and Information)

About UNITE

Created in 2020, the overall goal of the UNITE Research Priority Area is to elevate impactful research on racial equity and increase racial diversity at the University of Kentucky by leveraging existing strengths and forging new relationships. 

As the population of people of color in the Commonwealth continues to grow, the UNITE RPA finds it critical to develop, engage and promote racial equity through research to impact change. UNITE also seeks to foster mutually beneficial relationships between the university, faculty researchers, and Black and Latinx, indigenous and other communities of color. The UNITE RPA is committed to designing and supporting research-focused programs that engage historically underrepresented communities, students and faculty. Learn more at the UNITE RPA site.

UKNow article

Starting in the fall of 2020, the University of Kentucky began a new chapter in its journey to become a more diverse and equitable campus. 

Against the backdrop of increased racial turmoil and a global pandemic, UK President Eli Capilouto announced a comprehensive, collaborative 17-project Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Plan. Designed to empower agents of change, embolden existing DEI efforts and introduce additional initiatives to engage more of the community in this work, this plan has ignited a holistic overhaul to the university's approach to advancing diversity at UK.

Since 2020, project leads and the members of each of the 17 project teams within the DEI Implementation Plan have worked diligently to set the groundwork for what is to become a roadmap to inclusive excellence. 

Motivated by a continual commitment to reflection and renewal, Project 13: Create a DEI Art Fund for Capital Projects, c0-led by Melody Flowers, executive director for strategic analysis and policy, and Mark Shanda, dean of the College of Fine Arts and professor of theatre and dance, has made significant progress. 

The goal of this project is to acquire, install and celebrate diverse and inclusive public art on the university’s campus to enhance a sense of place and belonging. Diverse and inclusive represents a commitment to meet or exceed the diversity of our community in all aspects of the committee’s work – from the selection of artists and works to representation within the committee itself.

Beginning in the spring 2023 semester, Project 13 will begin a campuswide inventory of existing public art, Shanda explained. Master of Fine Arts in Curatorial Studies graduate student Sydney Mullins will be leading the inventory effort, under the mentorship of Professor Anna Brzyski, director of the Curatorial Studies program and senior lecturer Becky Alley, gallery director in the School of Art and Visual Studies. 

Additionally, a service-learning course is being developed and will be offered beginning in the spring of 2023. The goal of the course is to teach process and empower survey teams to search the campus for any objects of public art on display in both exterior and interior spaces. Leveraging the talents of the university's Information Technology Services, an extant software used to capture environmental quality concerns on campus will be adapted to enable the art inventory. The software will help efficiently collect photos, data and precise geographic locations of the university's current public art.

Available records of public art located in spaces like the UK Libraries and the Gatton Student Center will also be integrated into this comprehensive inventory. Once this baseline is established, the committee will analyze current holdings and identify diversity strengths, challenges and opportunities for investment. This will focus the projected investment of Project 13 funding and the anticipated impact on campus. 

“The commitment to diverse and inclusive public art, financially as well as through the time and talents of so many people across the campus, underscores both the importance of the work and the sense of urgency brought to it,” Flowers said. “The university has made tremendous progress in recent years; however, as a university, we have much more work to do in becoming an institution that is inclusive in all we do.”

Together, we are finding ways to answer the challenge that we have been called to grapple with — bringing the prospect of hope and healing, reckoning and reconciliation, to this generation and to those who will follow. 

For more information on the university's diversity and inclusion efforts, visit the DEI website. To learn more about Project 13 and its effort, click here. The DEI website is home to information about DEI-related resources available to faculty, staff and students; events and organizations; news and campus messages; and updates on DEI efforts around campus.

UKNow article

Throughout the upcoming months, UK will highlight each of the projects under its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), including the work they are currently doing across campus and what they hope to achieve in the future. To follow along, search ‘Where We Stand’ on UKNow.  

LEXINGTON, Ky. (August 1, 2022) — Starting in the fall of 2020, the University of Kentucky began a new chapter in its journey to become a more diverse and equitable campus. 

Against the backdrop of increased racial turmoil and a global pandemic, UK President Eli Capilouto announced a comprehensive, collaborative 17-project Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Plan. Designed to empower agents of change, embolden existing DEI efforts and introduce additional initiatives to engage more of the community in this work, this plan has ignited a holistic overhaul to the university's approach to advancing diversity at UK.

Since 2020, project leads and the members of each of the 17 project teams within the DEI Implementation Plan have worked diligently to set the groundwork for what is to become a roadmap to inclusive excellence. 

Motivated by a continual commitment to reflection and renewal, Project 14: Expand Supplier Diversity Purchasing Program, has made significant progress. 

The goal of this project is to increase UK’s expenditures with diverse suppliers. This team also considers similar opportunities around Kentucky and throughout the country.

Prior to the commencement of Project 14, UK operated a traditional Supplier Diversity Program. Responsibility was assigned to a staff member who also was responsible for numerous other duties. This allowed for reactive services to be provided that were responsive to requests for assistance but did not allow for proactive activities.

“It was readily apparent that sustainable success toward our goal would require a multifaceted approach,” Barry Swanson, chief procurement officer at UK and Project 14 team lead, said. “From this realization sprang the UK Supplier Diversity Impact Model. This model drives everything we do in our supplier diversity program. UK Supplier Diversity Manager, Marilyn Clark, works tirelessly on each aspect of the Impact Model.

“The impact to campus will be more diverse suppliers, offering products and services that meet our needs,” Swanson continued. “Growing the number and quality of diverse suppliers will also provide increased availability and competition that allows cost savings to be achieved as well. Even more importantly, the fruits of the program will have a positive impact on the community at large as the diverse suppliers serve other customers in the community and their businesses grow and prosper. Positive community impact is our ultimate goal.”

Since its implementation, Project 14 has: 

• Developed a diversity program structure. 
• Hired a UK supplier diversity manager and support staff.
• Conducted monthly committee and community partner meetings. 
• Identified, trained and connected with new diversity suppliers.
• Created processes to measure progress and bidding of diverse suppliers.

Next month, the university will be participating in Lexington’s Minority Business Expo, the premier business conference in Kentucky for minority and women-owned businesses, as a Gold Sponsor. 

The sponsorship is split evenly between Purchasing/Supplier Diversity and the UK Office of Community Engagement. Here, Swanson and Clark, along with other members of the UK Community, will participate in the Business Opportunity Exchange where UK will be matched with suppliers seeking work with UK, participate in a panel discussion focused on small businesses, and overall connect with business owners for the purpose of networking, learning, and finding opportunities for growth. 

“UK has been an Expo sponsor for 15 years, so there’s a lot of excitement,” Clark said. 

As a university, we understand that dismantling institutionalized oppression in higher education is not a project to complete, it is forever ongoing. And while the work of these individuals and our collective community is just beginning, this multigenerational endeavor is one that the university is all-in to tackle. 

Together, we are finding ways to answer the challenge that we have been called to grapple with — bringing the prospect of hope and healing, reckoning and reconciliation, to this generation and to those who will follow. 

For more information on the university's diversity and inclusion efforts, visit the DEI website. To learn more about Project 14 and its effort, click here. The DEI website is home to information about DEI-related resources available to faculty, staff and students; events and organizations; news and campus messages; and updates on DEI efforts around campus.

UKNow article

Throughout the upcoming months, UK will highlight each of the projects under its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), including the work they are currently doing across campus and what they hope to achieve in the future. To follow along, search ‘Where we Stand’ on UKNow.  

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 30, 2022) — Starting in the fall of 2020, the University of Kentucky began a new chapter in its journey to become a more diverse and equitable campus. 

Against the backdrop of increased racial turmoil and a global pandemic, UK President Eli Capilouto announced a comprehensive, collaborative 17-project Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Plan. Designed to empower agents of change, embolden existing DEI efforts and introduce additional initiatives to engage more of the community in this work, this plan has ignited a holistic overhaul to the university's approach to advancing diversity at UK.

Since 2020, project leads and the members of each of the 17 project teams within the DEI Implementation Plan have worked diligently to set the groundwork for what is to become a roadmap to inclusive excellence. 

Motivated by a continual commitment to reflection and renewal, Project 5: Expand and Restructure Roles of College and Unit DEI Officers, has made significant progress. 

The goal of this project is to identify core sets of knowledge and resources that each diversity officer must possess and then explore how diversity officers can empower each other and the community through the sustainable change we all seek. 

“Consistent with the university’s mission to enhance the diversity and inclusivity of our university community, Project 5 members recognize and value that various colleges, units and departments have unique perspectives,” Janice Kuperstein, professor and associate dean in the College of Health Sciences and Project 5 co-lead, said. 

At the university, diversity officers: 

• coordinate trainings for faculty and staff;
• provide programming for students to build cultural competencies and reduce bias;
• promote recruitment strategies to increase diversity among students and employees;
• align policies and practices with commitments to equity and justice;
• secure grants for DEI projects; and
• respond to concerns from all constituencies in their respective cohorts.

“Diversity officers do crucial work for their colleges,” Tara Tuttle, assistant dean for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in the Lewis Honors College, assistant professor in the Department of Gender and Women's Studies and Project 5 co-lead, said. “These officers need consistent support, ample resources and inclusion among leadership to accomplish these efforts.”

The Project 5 team has submitted recommendations to the executive sponsors of the faculty and staff workstream based on results from interviews and surveys of the university’s many DEI officers and alternates, which identified key responsibilities, shared goals, needed resources and common barriers to advancing DEI efforts.

Project 5 members include Tara Tuttle, Janice Kuperstein, Mia Farrell, Vanessa Jackson, Jen Martin and Clem Stambaugh. Prior to her departure from the university, Cristina Alcalde, former associate dean of Inclusion and Internationalization in the College of Arts and Sciences, served as co-lead.

On April 22, 2022, the Office for Institutional Diversity hosted a DEI Officer Advance Day. Every college and unit DEI officer gathered to discuss their role, responsibilities, structure and opportunities for growth. The daylong "Advance" was facilitated by Kevin McDonald, University of Virginia's vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion. Advance sessions included: Going Together, Stronger Together; Best-In-Class Standardization; Effectively Build, Engage, Organize, and Transform; Co-Creating a Shared Toolkit, Roadmap, Blueprint. For more information about the DEI Officers, visit this link.   

As a university, we understand that dismantling institutionalized oppression in higher education is not a project to complete, it is forever ongoing. And while the work of these individuals and our collective community is just beginning, this multigenerational endeavor is one that the university is all-in to tackle. 

Together, we are finding ways to answer the challenge that we have been called to grapple with — bringing the prospect of hope and healing, reckoning and reconciliation, to this generation and to those who will follow. For more information on the university's diversity and inclusion efforts, visit the DEI website. The DEI website is home to information about DEI-related resources available to faculty, staff and students; events and organizations; news and campus messages; and updates on DEI efforts around campus.

UKNow article

The University of Kentucky’s Supplier Diversity Manager Marilyn Clark has been awarded the Impact of the Year Award by the TriState Minority Supplier Development Council (TSMSDC).

The Impact of the Year Award is given for distinction in extraordinary contributions and exclusive influence, recognizing the outstanding performance and achievements of the members and affiliates of the TriState Minority Supplier Development Council during the past year.

Each year, the Impact Award is presented in five categories: Corporation of the Year (for distinction in minority business opportunities); Corporate Representative of the Year (for distinction in personal leadership and support of minority businesses); Minority Suppliers of the Year in four categories (for distinction as a viable business and supporter of TSMSDC) and Impact of the Year (for distinction in extraordinary contributions and exclusive influence).

Upon receiving the award, Clark stated, “No one achieves anything noteworthy alone. My thanks to Barry Swanson, UK’s chief procurement officer, and the purchasing staff at UK. Their efforts make this award possible. I am passionate about the work we do to build the capacity of diverse businesses and connect them with opportunities here at UK. This is how we positively impact the local communities we serve. I feel fortunate to do such rewarding work.”

Additionally Clark wants to thank Cheri Henderson, president and CEO of TSMSDC, and her team who she said, “helped me grow professionally and personally through participating in programs like the Centers of Excellence (COE) — a two-year minority business development program that was recognized nationally; the Raising the Bar webinar series; the Marketplace Conference and match making events, the golf tournaments and so many other events designed to uplift minority businesses.”

“Marilyn works tirelessly in collaboration with internal UK staff, our external partners and with the diverse business enterprise community to provide education and connect diverse individuals and companies with opportunities to do business. Her work is important and it is impactful — not just for UK but for the community at large. This award is well deserved recognition of her efforts,” said Barry Swanson, UK’s chief procurement officer.

“Marilyn Clark was chosen this year to receive the coveted award as she goes about the business of helping to make a difference when the opportunity presents itself,” said Cheri Henderson, president and CEO of TSMSDC. “She stands out among other supplier diversity professionals as a strong advocate of diversity, equity and inclusion, while promoting the value of the benefits of council affiliation by encouraging MBE development, expansion and success.”   

About TSMSDC

The TriState Minority Supplier Development Council is one of 23 regional affiliate councils of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, with a regional office located in Louisville, Kentucky. The council ensures the development of mutually beneficial relationships between ethnic minority businesses and major corporations, by promoting and expanding business and procurement opportunities as they strive to be the product and service of choice.

UKNow article

 The University of Kentucky’s UNited In True racial Equity (UNITE) Research Priority Area will host its inaugural research showcase on Wednesday, May 4. The 2022 UNITE Research Showcase is centered around elevating and promoting the importance of racial equity research at UK, across the Commonwealth and beyond.

The event will take place 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, at the Gatton Student Center. While the event is free, registration is required for all attendees. The showcase is open to UK faculty, staff, students, affiliates and academic partners.

Throughout the showcase, UK researchers will feature their racial equity work during breakout sessions designed to illustrate the relevance and impact of their ongoing scholarship. Highlights include:

Achieving Equitable Education: Holistic Approaches to Academic Success

UK College of Education Professor and Associate Dean for Inclusion and Internationalization Kenneth Tyler, Ph.D., will moderate a student success panel including College of Education Assistant Professors Zitsi Mirakhur, Ph.D., and Isaac Woods, Ph.D., and College of Public Health Assistant Professor Sarah Cprek, Ph.D.

Mirakhur’s presentation, “Building Evidence to Advance Meaningful Integration in New York City,” will provide an overview of the conditions that prompted Community School District (CSD) 15 to implement its particular desegregation and integration plan, assess the extent of desegregation and integration in district middle schools, and outline key supports and barriers to this process.

Woods’ presentation, “Contributions of Professional Associations to Advancing Social Justice and Anti-racism,” will review how words like social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion are contextualized by professional associations of various school-based professionals in their professional ethics. 

Cprek will present, “Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs) and Undergraduate Student Success,” an exploration of the relationship between ACEs and undergraduate degree completion among a random sample of students at a state-funded university in the U.S., as well as implications for the effectiveness of resiliency programming in supporting student success.

Sustainable Social Justice Advocacy

College of Social Work Assistant Professor Keith J. Watts, Ph.D., College of Education Assistant Professor Thais Council, Ph.D., and College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Professor Keiko Tanaka, Ph.D., will present on the social justice panel moderated by College of Arts and Sciences Professor Anastasia Curwood, Ph.D.

Watts’ presentation, “LGBTQ+ Mental Health & Well-Being: The Intersections of Identity and Outcomes,” will explore the relationships between identity-based community belongingness, coping, minority stress, mental health, and well-being for Black LGBTQ individuals in addition to implications for social work practice and education and future research.

Council’s presentation, “Community Work is Soul Work: Navigating Community-Engaged Participatory Research through a Social Justice Lens,” highlights community-engaged participatory research as a humanistic, collaborative, rigorous research approach to promote social and reparatory justice for equity in historically disenfranchised, long dispossessed communities.

Tanaka’s presentation, “Model Minority, Inconvenient Minority, Loneliest Minority, or Perpetual Foreigners? ‘Asian Americans’ as a category during the COVID pandemic,” will include a discussion of ongoing Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Kentuckian scholarship launched by a community member and a group of UK faculty.

Structural Racism and Its Impact on Wealth Acquisition

William L. Matthews, Jr. Professor of Law Melynda Price, J.D., Ph.D., will moderate a panel examining wealth inequities including Gatton College of Business and Economics Assistant Professors Lala Ma, Ph.D., and Benjamin Rosa, Ph.D., and the Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs Associate Professor in the College of Law Christopher G. Bradley, J.D., Ph.D.

Ma’s presentation, “Environmental Justice: Causes and Consequences of Inequitable Pollution Exposure,” discusses the research documenting correlations between pollution and demographics and the potential causes of these correlations from an economics perspective, including policies or regulations that may unintentionally exacerbate existing inequities.

Rosa will present “Subcontracting Requirements and the Cost of Government Procurement,” which will illustrate how subcontracting policies affect procurement auctions using data from New Mexico's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program. 

Bradley will present “Remote Justice in the Bankruptcy Courts,” an analysis of survey and interview data gained from experienced parties in the consumer bankruptcy system to assess the costs and benefits of remote hearings both before and after the sudden shift brought on by COVID-19.

Advancing Health Equity with Evidence-Based Research

College of Communication and Information Assistant Professor Diane Francis, Ph.D., College of Arts and Sciences Assistant Professor Lauren Whitehurst, Ph.D., and current Lymon T. Johnson Postdoctoral Research Fellow Shemeka Thorpe, Ph.D., will present on a health inequities panel moderated by College of Medicine Professor and UK Associate Vice President for Research, Health Disparities, Nancy Schoenberg, Ph.D.

Francis will present “Communication Strategies to Encourage Healthy Behaviors and Advance Health Equity for Black Populations,” which focuses on culturally appropriate messages and communication strategies for the prevention of communicable and chronic diseases in minority and low-income populations.

Whitehurst will present “Sleep Is Not A Luxury: Leveraging Sleep As A Tool For Health Justice,” which will review the role sleep plays to maintain health and vitality across the lifespan and discuss the costs to health when we do not get adequate sleep.

Thorpe will present “Exploring Patient-Provider Communication Among Black Women Experiencing Sexual Pain,” which seeks to explain the patient-provider communication process and the pathway to treatment among premenopausal Black women in the southern U.S. through qualitative analysis and a conceptual framework of patient-provider communication about sexual pain.

For more information, including the full event agenda, visit: https://www.research.uky.edu/unite-research-priority-area/2022-unite-research-showcase

UKNow article

 The University of Kentucky, in partnership with Turner Construction, is currently hosting its inaugural Construction Diversity Accelerator(CDA) program designed to help minority-owned, women-owned and other underrepresented construction-related businesses gain access to the tools, resources and opportunities to be competitive in the construction industry.

"We are so thrilled to welcome our inaugural cohort of companies into the Construction Diversity Accelerator program and we look forward to engaging with them as they aspire to grow their businesses,” said Kristen Smitherman-Voltaire, community and citizenship manager at Turner Construction Company. “We recognize that these companies are making a significant commitment to invest in themselves through their participation in this program and we are proud to collaborate with the University of Kentucky and KYPTAC to honor that commitment.”

The CDA program, which began in March, is 10 weeks long and covers important topics like safety, site logistics, insurance and bonding, contracts, subcontracting, construction drawings and specifications, estimating, scheduling, bid and proposal preparation, construction accounting, certification and more.

To ensure those participating had a successful CDA program, only 15 companies were accepted for the 2022 season.

They include:

• Valiant Construction LLC
• HB Masonry LLC
• TAS Development LLC
• Franklin Contracting Inc.
• Handy Manny LLC
• Lexington Contracting LLC
• Facility and Maintenance and Services Group
• ARGC Construction Group
• Overflow Service LLC
• Bluegrass Construction Operations LLC
• CIU LLC
• Third Rock Consultants LLC
• Ranger Steel
• Elaine Allen
• Kaliber Electric LLC

“I couldn’t be more pleased with the businesses in this cohort. They are diverse demographically but also in size, years in service, number of employees and trade categories. Also, 66% of the cohort is minority and we also have a great representation of women-owned and veteran-owned construction businesses,” said Marilyn Clark, UK’s supplier diversity manager. “The training they receive from Turner, UK, community partners and KYPTAC coaches will really help accelerate their mastery of the skills needed to be more competitive in the construction industry. Our goal is to make sure they are contract ready when they complete the program.”

The program culminates in a mock bid project that calls on teams to present their proposals in front of a panel of expert judges. Graduation from the program will take place Wednesday, May 11. in the Gatton Student Center.

“The CDA is an important part of UK’s DEI efforts,” said UK’s Chief Procurement Officer Barry Swanson. “Our goal is to have a positive impact in the community, and I can think of nothing more impactful that helping businesses gain the knowledge they need to become a supplier to UK and be ready to successfully compete for non-UK business in the community.” 

The Turner-UK Construction Diversity Accelerator is in collaboration with the Kentucky Procurement Technical Assistance Center (KYPTAC).  Each participant is assigned a business coach that will work with them even beyond the 10-week program.

“KYPTAC is excited to further extend our relationship with the University of Kentucky and Turner Construction through the CDA program,” said Nancy Brown, executive director of 

KYPTAC. “The cohort was engaged and interested during our first session, and we expect a significant impact in combining all parties' joint commitment to supplier diversity, disadvantaged businesses and the success of our community overall."

Community partners engage with the CDA participants each week. They include Commerce Lexington, Blue Grass Airport, Lynn Imaging, Fayette County Public Schools, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, the SBA and Park Community Credit Union and Messer Construction.

In keeping with the spirit of inclusion, the CDA program is working with diverse catering companies, under contract with Aramark dining services, to provide boxed dinners each week and contracted with Quisha Ray Photography, a minority business enterprise (MBE) to take photos for the reception and graduation. 

For more information about opportunities with UK visit https://purchasing.uky.edu/bid-and-proposal-opportunities.

UKNow article

The University of Kentucky’s United In True racial Equity (UNITE) Research Priority Area will host its first annual research showcase May 4 at the Gatton Student Center. The 2022 UNITE Research Showcase is centered around elevating and promoting the importance of racial equity research at UK, across the Commonwealth and beyond.

The event will include breakout sessions presented by local researchers and a poster session to highlight impactful research focused on racial inequities and disparities being led by UK faculty and students. The day will also feature keynotes from national thought leaders Marc Lamont Hill, Ph.D., and Dayna Bowen Matthew, J.D., Ph.D.

Hill is an award-winning journalist who currently hosts BET News and serves as a political contributor for CNN. Hill is the Steve Charles Professor of Media, Cities, and Solutions at Temple University. His research focuses on intersections between culture, politics and education in the U.S. and the Middle East.

Hill’s keynote is presented by the UK College of Social Work as the 2022 Irma Sarett Rosenstein Lecture. The annual lecture is intended to celebrate the remarkable legacy of Lexington social worker Irma Sarett Rosenstein who led the challenge to fight social injustice in Central Kentucky until her passing in 2015.

Matthew, who serves as the dean and the H. Greene Professor of Law at George Washington University Law School, is a leader in public health and civil rights law who focuses on racial disparities in health care. He also is the author of “Just Medicine: A Cure for Racial Inequality in American Health Care.”

The showcase is open to UK faculty, staff, students, affiliates and academic partners. While the event is free, registration is required for all attendees.

UK faculty, trainees and students are invited to submit their poster session presentations under topics including arts and humanities, economics and law, education, health equity and social justice. Submissions are due on April 7. The student and trainee poster session will be a competition, with prizes awarded to the top three posters in the 

postdoctoral/graduate and undergraduate categories.

More information and a full agenda is also available on the event website.

UKNow article

The University of Kentucky, in partnership with Turner Construction, will be hosting its inaugural Construction Diversity Accelerator (CDA) program, in person for the 2022 season. Classes will be held in the Gatton Student Center beginning March 8.

The CDA program is designed to help minority-owned, women-owned and other underrepresented construction-related businesses gain access to the tools, resources and opportunities to be competitive in the construction industry.

"The University of Kentucky is constantly adding new buildings or renovating existing structures on campus; therefore, we always have a need for various construction trades. Increasing our pool of diverse suppliers creates more competition and innovation and spurs our local economy. We want to be intentional in creating opportunities for inclusion on construction projects at UK, but we also want to mentor diverse suppliers to find opportunities with other community partners like the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and Fayette County Public Schools. We are excited to partner with Turner and with the Kentucky Procurement Technical Assistance Center (KYPTAC) to bring a holistic approach to the accelerator program," said Marilyn Clark, the supplier diversity manager for UK.

The CDA program is 10 weeks and will cover important topics like safety, site logistics, insurance and bonding, contracts, subcontracting, construction drawings and specifications, estimating, scheduling, bid and proposal preparation, construction accounting, certification and more. The program culminates in a mock bid project that calls on teams to present their proposals in front of a panel of expert judges. This weekly program will help businesses gain hands-on, experiential learning.

“Turner is thrilled to partner with the University of Kentucky to bring this program to the Central Kentucky area. Our company has been committed to engaging with and supporting the development of underrepresented businesses in our communities for decades and this program serves as an extension of that commitment. We understand that to achieve greater equity and inclusion within our industry, we must proactively create opportunities for underrepresented firms to grow their businesses. We applaud Marilyn and her team for helping to activate our shared vision of creating a more intentionally inclusive economic ecosystem,” said Kristen Smitherman-Voltaire, community and citizenship manager at Turner.

The application deadline for the 2022 program is 5 p.m. EST Friday, Feb. 1, 2022. The application can be found here https://forms.office.com/r/DjqrHDyNBJ. To ensure those participating have a successful CDA program, only 15 companies will be accepted for the 2022 season.

The Kentucky Procurement Technical Assistance Center will be the resource partner for the businesses enrolled in the CDA. Counselors will assist suppliers with certifications, capability statements and individual coaching. Businesses who are not admitted into the program can also sign up to become a client with KYPTAC to develop their business further and apply again next year.

“Our partnership with UK and Turner Construction aims to foster an inclusive and collaborative environment where our teams, clients, and community members can participate and work together to increase equity and diversity in contracting.” said Nancy Brown, executive director of Kentucky Procurement Technical Assistance Center (KYPTAC). 

KYPTAC, an initiative of the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (KSTC), promotes economic development and private sector business growth by providing free assistance to companies interested in providing products or services to federal, state and local governments and large primes, which annually offer billions of dollars in contracts to private sector companies.

About Turner Construction

Turner Construction is one of the largest construction companies in the country with regional offices in Lexington, Louisville and Cincinnati. The Construction Diversity Accelerator is based on the company’s acclaimed Turner School of Construction Management program, which is the oldest community outreach program in Turner’s history. It was initiated in 1969, one year after their Affirmative Action Department was created, and soon became an opportunity to develop strategic business relationships with minority and women owned firms. Since then, Turner has provided a training course for minority and women business owners in the disciplines practiced in the construction industry. 

The program is held in multiple markets free of charge to participants, utilizing Turner staff.

Turner contacts are Kristen Smitherman-Voltaire, community and citizenship manager — Southwest Ohio and Kentucky, and David Opalka, project executive — Kentucky market leader.

Turner Construction is a proud recipient of the 2020 Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council Corporation of the Year Award, the 2021 CLIMB Award for Creating Economic Inclusion with Intention and, for the sixth year in a row, is the only construction company that achieved a perfect score of 100% on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index, designating us as a “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality”.

Find opportunities with UK here: https://purchasing.uky.edu/bid-and-proposal-opportunities.

Learn more about Turner here.

Learn more about KYPTAC consulting and training events at www.kyptac.com/training-events.

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