'UK at the Half' Explores Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Podcast | Nov 8, 2017

An interview with University of Kentucky agricultural and medical biotechnology junior Emily Major in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment was featured during “UK at the Half,” which aired during the UK vs. University of Mississippi football game radio broadcast on Nov. 4.

Major discussed getting involved in undergraduate research opportunities at UK.

To hear the Nov. 4 “UK at the Half,” click on the play button above. To view a transcript of the show, click on “downloads” above and to the right.

“UK at the Half” airs during halftime of each UK football and basketball game broadcast and is hosted by Carl Nathe of UK Public Relations and Marketing.

UKATH, Saturday, Nov. 4 With Emily Major: UK Undergraduate Student

Carl Nathe: Thanks, Chris!

Emily Major: I think something that's really unique about the University of Kentucky is that they put a lot of trust in the students to get involved in research, to make mistakes, get their feet dirty, and figure out what it is that they're interested in and how they can contribute to the field of science.

Carl Nathe: University of Kentucky Junior Emily Major, of Garrard County, who got involved in research during her freshman year.

Emily Major: I found that science and math courses challenged me more than any other, and I really enjoyed writing. And that's how we communicate in science is through journal publications, so I found that to be an intersection of things that I really enjoy to do.

Carl Nathe: Emily is majoring in Agricultural and Medical Biotechnology, a program in UK's College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

Emily Major: What kind of separates the Ag Biotech program from a Biology or Chemistry major, is that in your junior and senior year of college, they have something called Specialty Support Courses. Which are classes that you get to take to tailor the course to your interest. There are people that I sat beside that are Entomology majors. So they want to study insects. And I want to study medicine. Their junior and senior year, they focus more on the agricultural side and take entomology classes, where as I would take cell biology or microbiology.

Carl Nathe: Emily works in the Neuroscience research lab of Dr. Luke Bradley in the UK College of Medicine, and has also done research in the Department of Horticulture. She recently earned a National Science Foundation Kentucky EPSCoR grant, which will enable her to present her research in protein biochemistry at an international conference in San Diego in 2018. Emily previously won a Bucks for Brains summer research grant.

Emily Major: I've gotten to know many of my professors, and there are a ton of opportunities on our campus to pursue almost anything that you're interested in. I'll always consider UK home, because of the personal connections that I've had here.

Carl Nathe: Emily Major is grateful to UK's Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence, and the Office of Undergraduate Research for their support. She said her grandmother is among the people who have motivated her to pursue her dreams.

Emily Major: My mother has six kids. She came to UK when she was 50 years old, and got her degree in Science Education. I found people like that who have inspired me along the way. You can set your sights high.

Carl Nathe: Emily Major, an outstanding example of a student who is making the most of the many undergraduate research opportunities available at the University of Kentucky. Visit uky.edu. There you can check out our UKNow news page, as well as how to engage with us via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Seeing blue, I’m Carl Nathe with UK at the Half.