WKU News

Welcome to Today@WKU, the daily newsletter from WKU Public Affairs, for May 14, 2018.

The Gatton Academy recognized 88 students from 48 counties in its 11th graduating class. (Photo by Sam Oldenburg)

WKU News

• Class of 2018 celebrates at WKU's 183rd Commencement: The red towels waved and graduates, their friends and family members cheered as the Class of 2018 celebrated Friday night at WKU’s 183rd Commencement. More: WKU's academic colleges recognize graduates, top students
• 88 Students Graduate in The Gatton Academy's 11^th Class: On Saturday, 88 students representing 48 counties from across the Commonwealth of Kentucky were recognized during The Gatton Academy’s 11^th graduation ceremony in Van Meter Hall.
• WKU Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter to spend week in Pennsylvania: Members of the WKU Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter will be spending the first week of their summer break in York, Pennsylvania. The WKU group will be working on projects with the York Habitat for Humanity affiliate May 13-18 as part of Habitat’s Collegiate Challenge efforts to eliminate substandard housing.
• Kentucky Folklife Program to receive $20,000 Art Works grant from NEA: National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $80 million in grants as part of the NEA’s second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2018, including an Art Works grant of $20,000 to the Kentucky Folklife Program at WKU to support the establishment of a Kentucky Folklife Network and online magazine.
• WKU Regents appoint Atici, Hughey as University Distinguished Professors: The WKU Board of Regents on Friday (May 11) appointed Ferhan Atici and Aaron Hughey as University Distinguished Professors for 2018-19.
• WKU Transfer Student Selected for Scholarship: Jenna Marie Morris was recently selected as the first recipient of an annual $500 scholarship created by Col. Larry French and his wife Betty Sue. Col. and Mrs. French are WKU alumni who presented the award to Morris at the 1st Annual Central Kentucky Community Foundation Scholarship Dinner on May 3 in Elizabethtown.
• WKU Public Radio Weekday Newscast Schedule: Tune into WKU Public Radio for national and international news from NPR, and local newscasts every half hour during Morning Edition (4-9 a.m. Central), and All Things Considered (3-6 p.m. Central), as well as local news features and interviews produced by the WKU news staff. WKU's Public Radio can be heard on WKYU-FM (88.9) in Bowling Green/Glasgow; WDCL-FM (89.7) in Somerset/Campbellsville; WKPB-FM (88.9) in Henderson/Owensboro; WKUE-FM (90.9) in Elizabethtown/Bardstown; and online at http://www.wkyufm.org/

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WKU Sports

• Track & Field: WKU Claims Six Event Titles in Final Day of C-USA Championships: WKU Track and Field finished the 2018 Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a total of seven event titles, picking up six of them in the final day of competition. The Hilltoppers finished tied with Rice for fourth while the Lady Toppers finished in ninth. On Sunday alone, seven WKU student-athletes cracked the top five program marks in their respective events, including two new school records. More: Mobley Earns Long Jump Champion; Morris Breaks Meet Record at C-USA Championships
• Baseball: WKU Honors 10 Prior to Senior Day Defeat: WKU Baseball honored its 10 seniors prior to the home finale vs. FIU, but the Hilltoppers dropped the game by a score of 8-4 on Sunday afternoon. Next: WKU at Tennessee Tech at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
• Men’s golf: Sargent Set to Compete This Week in NCAA Regional: Billy Tom Sargent is set this week to become one of a handful of WKU golfers to ever compete in a NCAA Regional. And although he's carrying the Hilltopper banner in a bigger way, it's simply another opportunity for the redshirt junior to prove himself.
• Softball: Freshman Catcher Kendall Smith Named to C-USA All-Tournament Team: In her rookie campaign, WKU Softball catcher Kendall Smith earned Conference USA All-Tournament Team recognition the league office announced at the conclusion of the championship event Saturday. Smith was the only backstop recognized on the 12-person team, marking back-to-back seasons a Hilltopper catcher has earned the honor.
• Men’s basketball: Anderson, Diagne to Travel to Belize with Sports Reach Program: WKU Hilltopper Basketball players Josh Anderson and Moustapha Diagne will participate this month in a cultural exchange basketball trip to Belize through the Sports Reach sports ministry program. Anderson and Diagne join an impressive list of WKU standouts who have traveled abroad with Sports Reach, including Justin Johnson, Nigel Snipes, T.J. Price, George Fant, A.J. Slaughter and Steffphon Pettigrew.

More: For updates on WKU Athletics, follow @WKUSports on Twitter or WKU Athletics on Facebook.

WKU in the News

• WKU commencement ceremony honors class of 2018 graduates: 2006 was the last time WKU celebrated commencement outdoors at Houchens-Smith Stadium, but that tradition returned for the graduating class of 2018. The ceremonies began as all graduates marched from the Kentucky Museum, down Avenue of Champions and into the football stadium. More: WKU grads take the Topper Walk; WKU honors more than 3,200 graduates during 183rd commencement
• Lost River Sessions debuts art, music event downtown: The Square was anything but square Saturday night as musicians, music lovers, artists, food vendors and curiosity seekers created a buzz on a midsummer-like May evening in Fountain Square Park. In what one vendor called “a wonderful way to bring the community together,” WKU’s public broadcasting stations brought their Lost River Sessions program downtown for the inaugural Arts & Music Festival.

More: Check out WKU in the News page.

WKU Alumni

• Upcoming WKU Alumni events: Homecoming 2018 has been set for Oct. 27; game time and additional details TBA. For a listing of events, visit the Alumni website and click on the Events Calendar. Or contact the WKU Alumni Association at 888-958-2586. For a list of Alumni news, visit the Alumni News page. More: WKU SpiritFunder; Topper Travelers Program 2018

More: Visit the WKU Alumni website.

WKU Admissions

• #ClimbWithUs: The WKU Office of Admissions helps future Hilltoppers as they start their journey on The Hill. You can reach us by calling 270-745-2551, emailing admission@wku.edu or connecting with us on social media. Visit https://www.wku.edu/admissions/counselors/ or call 270-745-2551 to get in touch with your WKU Admissions Counselor. Students can reserve their TOP date and take their placement exams at www.wku.edu/top
• Useful links for prospective/admitted students: Campus tours; Let’s Talk, Topper; Admissions Timeline; Topper Orientation Program; Scholarships; Housing; MASTER Plan

More: Visit the WKU Admissions website; Information for Prospective Students

What’s Happening At-WKU

Ongoing/continuing events

• Exhibits at Kentucky Museum: Instruments of American Excellence; A Culture Carried: Bosnians in Bowling Green (through June 30); Kaleidoscope: Kentucky Museum Quilts (through Dec. 18); 2018 Side by Side (through June 30); plus other gallery and on-campus exhibits. (Museum hours/visitor information) Contact Kentucky Museum, (270) 745-2592.
• Exhibits at Downing Museum: The Story of Joe Downing: Select Works From the Collection. Downing Museum, 4801 Morgantown Road. Contact Jack LeSieur, (270) 842-7415.
• WKU Summer Office Hours. May 14-Aug. 10. 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Friday.

Monday, May 14

• May Session Classes Begin. Contact Summer Sessions, (270) 745-5011.
• 7:30 a.m.: WKU Summer Office Hours Begin. Through Aug. 10. 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Friday.
• 6 p.m. ET: WKU Elizabethtown-Fort Knox Commencement Ceremony. Hardin County Schools Performing Arts Center, 384 W.A. Jenkins Road, Elizabethtown. Contact WKU Elizabethtown, (270) 706-8870.
• 6:30 p.m.: WKU Owensboro Graduation Ceremony. RiverPark Center, 101 Daviess St., Owensboro. Contact WKU Owensboro, (270) 684-9797.

Tuesday, May 15

• 7 p.m.: Hardin Planetarium Show: Happy Birthday, Earth. Hardin Planetarium. Contact Planetarium, (270) 745-4044.

For upcoming events: Visit the What's Happening at WKU page, Events@WKU page or WKU’s online events calendar

About Today@WKU

• Today@WKU is a service of WKU Public Affairs. For more from WKU News, become a WKU Facebook fan, follow us on Twitter, visit the WKU News page, or check out What's Happening @WKU, “View from the Hill” segments, more News from Around Campus, WKU on You Tube or WKU webcams. Email us at wkunews@wku.edu