Company Profile

Company Overview

VISION
The University of Kentucky will be one of the nation’s 20 best public research universities, an institution recognized world-wide for excellence in teaching, research, and service and a catalyst for intellectual, social, cultural, and economic development.

HISTORY
Nestled in the heart of Kentucky’s scenic Bluegrass region, UK was founded in 1865 as a land-grant university. From its beginnings with only 190 students and 10 professors, UK’s campus now covers more than 716 acres in Lexington and is home to more than 27,000 students and more than 13,500 employees. The university also operates remote research laboratories in areas such as Princeton, Ky., and Quicksand, Ky.

The University of Kentucky has long embraced its mission to provide excellent education to outstanding resident and non-resident students, recognizing that a knowledgeable populace is the best foundation for a prosperous Commonwealth. This mission has been further enhanced since 1997, when the Kentucky General Assembly mandated that UK become a Top 20 public research university by 2020. President Lee T. Todd Jr. has focused the University on achieving this goal through the development of a Top 20 Business Plan in 2005 that gained national prominence for its vision and detail.

“As the state’s flagship institution, UK is mindful of its responsibility to help all Kentuckians,” Todd says. “Our land-grant mission calls on us to make a positive impact across the state. We need to be an education leader, while remaining accessible to all Kentuckians. We need to be a cultural leader, sharing new ideas and opportunities across the state. And we need to be leading Kentucky’s charge into the new economy. We are the catalyst for a new Commonwealth.”

STUDENTS
Students from 115 countries, every state in the nation and every Kentucky county provide a diverse learning and cultural environment that enriches the educational experience at UK. While the student population has enjoyed steady growth in the past several years, the average ACT score of entering freshmen has continually exceeded the national average and is competitive with UK’s benchmark institutions — the top public universities in America. The high quality of UK’s students is confirmed by their successful competition for the most prestigious awards, including the Fulbright, Truman, Goldwater and Marshall scholarships. UK has three times been selected as one of only 13 universities nationwide to participate in the Beckman Foundation Scholarship Program, allowing the University to award grants of $19,300 to students to support their own research projects. Boasting 13 Truman Scholars, UK has won recognition from the Harry S. Truman Foundation as an honor institution for exemplary participation in the program.

For more information about the University of Kentucky, please visit http://www.uky.edu/HR/employ/documents/allaboutUK-113009.pdf or http://www.uky.edu/