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WKU in the News

Here is a selection of recent news stories about WKU:

November 8-13, 2024

Daily News

  • WKU College of Business unveils new facility: A Tuesday press tour of Western Kentucky University’s under-construction Gordon Ford College of Business unveiled areas designated for some of the key features of the building – a spacious 113,000-square-foot facility that had its final beam set in April.
  • 'City of a Million Dreams' latest film in Southern Circuit Tour: The film "City of a Million Dreams" will be shown at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at The Capitol as part of the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmaker Series. Western Kentucky University's Potter College of Arts and Letters Cultural Enhancement Series has helped sponsor the tour for years.
  • Veterans honored at WKU: Western Kentucky University held its annual wreath-laying ceremony for Veterans Day and hosted the induction of two alumni, Col. Taylor Chasteen and the late Capt. Ralph Shrewsbury Jr., into the ROTC Hall of Fame.
  • WKU Mock Trial Team competes at Grand Ole Tournament: The Western Kentucky University Mock Trial team competed at The Grand Ole Tournament Nov. 2 and 3, hosted by Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

Spectrum News 1

WNKY-TV

  • Gordon Ford College of Business nearing completion: The new Gordon Ford College of Business is about halfway done and on Tuesday, Western Kentucky University held a media walkthrough to show off the progress.
  • WKU ROTC Hall of Fame ceremony honors 2 alumni: Two WKU veterans were honored Monday with inductions into the WKU ROTC Hall of Fame.
  • WKU honors veterans with wreath-laying ceremony: Across the nation, veterans are being honored and recognized. At Western Kentucky University, the community gathered Monday for a Veterans Day wreath-laying ceremony at Guthrie Bell Tower.
  • What’s next after the election?: While the election might be over, the political landscape is still hot after Donald Trump’s win on election night. “A president is likely as popular as he, or she is going to be at the very beginning of their presidency. And when you’re popular, you have more political authority to get things done that you can put more pressure on the elected branches, you can do Congress, that you just achieve more when you’re popular. And so this is when you’re popular. So that first hundred days is like the time to do lots of things that you want to get done,” WKU professor Dr. Jeffery Budziak said.
  • Sunrise Spotlight: WKU Homecoming 2024: On today’s edition of Sunrise Spotlight, News 40’s own Ashlee Wilson sits down with Zach Marcum, the Assistant Director for Alumni Engagement & Philanthropy at WKU. Together, they discussed all the fun that you can have at this year’s WKU Homecoming weekend!
  • WKU Innovation Campus holds 4th Small Business Expo: Opening and running a small business can be difficult and unnerving at times, but one event at the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus aimed to calm some of those nerves.

WBKO-TV

WKDZ-FM, Cadiz

  • Holinde Provides NOAA Winter Weather Outlook Update: A weak La Niña is expected to impact winter weather conditions this year. Kentucky Mesonet’s Outreach Manager and Meteorologist Shane Holinde recently broke down the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2024-25 winter outlook with Your News Edge.

Consumer Affairs

  • Get Expert Advice on Home Warranties: What financial steps can a homeowner take to prepare for unexpected repair expenses? There are three steps that can help homeowners to prepare for unexpected repair expenses. – Dr. Golnaz Motie, WKU assistant professor of Economics

Campus Rec Magazine

  • Q&A with Justin Cato of Western Kentucky University: The Final Exam is your chance to get to know leaders in the industry. For the November/December 2024 issue, Campus Rec Magazine spoke with Justin Cato, the director of Campus Recreation and Wellness at Western Kentucky University.

October 25-November 7, 2024

Daily News

  • Chicken Salad Chick coming to Bowling Green: Hannah Witherspoon, a franchisee for the Atlanta-based chain, revealed this week that she plans to open a Chicken Salad Chick store at 2020 Scottsville Road by early 2025. Witherspoon, a Madisonville native and Western Kentucky University graduate, switched gears and opened Chicken Salad Chick stores in Owensboro and Evansville, Indiana.
  • WKU Mock Trial Team places 4th at competition: The Western Kentucky University Mock Trial team began their 2024-25 season this past weekend at the Ole Miss Chucky Mullins competition in Oxford, Mississippi, which was an SEC tournament.

WBKO-TV

WNKY-TV

  • Warren County Public Library celebrates local author’s 30-year journey to publication: A local author is celebrating the publication of her debut novel, “The Evolution of the Gospelettes,” later this month. According to a release on Friday, Bowling Green author and Western Kentucky University alum Tammy Oberhausen will be hosted at the Capitol theatre in downtown Bowling Green.
  • WNKY Weather Reports: Fall Severe Weather: “For any severe weather pattern, we typically look for where the areas of the sort of the vertical arrangement of warm air below cold air aloft. And during this transition season we have that remnant warm air mass from the summer that lingers in addition to the transition to the colder air masses that are coming across and overhead and that re stages the environment for severe weather pattern. And no different than what we see occurring in the springtime. We see that resurgence during the transition season here in the fall.”  Said Dr. Josh Durkee, professor and University Meteorologist at WKU.

Crothersville (IN) Times

  • Scottsburg’s Madyson Richey Awarded National American FFA Degree: Madyson Richey, a member of the Scottsburg FFA chapter, was awarded the American FFA Degree at the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo on October 26. She is currently a sophomore at Western Kentucky University studying Agriculture with minors in Pre Vet, Animal Science and Equine Science. She plans to become a large animal veterinarian.

Corbin News Journal

  • WKU’s 2024 Mountain Workshops focuses on life in Whitley County: Jim Sharp. Justeen Wilson. Laurel West. Mike Culver. Amanda Croley. Herman Canada. Chandler Powell. Roddy Harrison. Kayla Henderson. Alice Fae Weiland. Andrew Modica. Jonathon Wyatt. Dal Macon. Alicia Vanover. Bill Conn. These are just some of the names of individuals living in Whitley County who were featured in this year’s Mountain Workshops, presented by Western Kentucky University.

October 10-24, 2024

Kentucky Living

  • Ghosts of WKU: Legends of the unexplained have, for decades, haunted several buildings on the campus of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. Tamela Williams Smith, a retired staff member and former staff regent at Western, first heard accounts of paranormal happenings as a freshman at WKU in the mid-1980s, but later experienced her own close encounter.

WNKY-TV

  • ‘Sleep Out for the Homeless’ held at Western Kentucky University: At Western Kentucky University, students slept outside overnight to raise awareness to homelessness. Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. came up with this initiative as part of their social action endeavors, an annual event the Sigmas at WKU enjoy putting on every year.
  • WNKY News 40 Weather Report: New Madrid Seismic Zone: Did you know that Kentucky borders one of the most active seismic zones in the continent?  It’s known as the New Madrid Seismic Zone. This area has been active since the major earthquake events of 1811 and 1812. “The New Madrid fault line has been active since the last major earthquake we have in that area.” Said Dr.  Nahid Gani, geology professor in the Earth and Environmental Sciences department at WKU.
  • WKU graduate transforms her breast cancer journey into empowering advocacy: As Breast Cancer Awareness Month continues, we are reminded of the resilience and strength of those affected by this disease. One such individual is Jessica Baladad, a five-year cancer survivor who transformed her personal experience into a powerful advocacy tool for others. Jessica’s breast cancer journey began at just 18 years old while she was a freshman at Western Kentucky University.
  • WKU professor discusses why money dominates political campaigns: From commercials to text messages to even letters mailed to your home, politicians are always looking to add more money to their campaigns. News 40 spoke to a WKU professor, who attributed technology and the ways candidates campaign to why dollars have increased over the years during election season.
  • America 250 presentation at Kentucky Museum, Black Material Culture: At the Kentucky Museum on the campus of Western Kentucky University, Dr. Tiffany Momon visited to give a small presentation on her research.
  • Allen County native named 2024 Farm Woman of the Year: Kentucky Farm Bureau has selected Kori Beth Thomas of Allen County as its 2024 Farm Woman of the Year. Thomas earned her agribusiness degree from Western Kentucky University.
  • WKU hosts second Presidential Speaker Series with Dr. Lisa Genova: At Van Meter Hall on WKU’s campus, the community came out to learn a little more about our memory. Dr. Lisa Genova is the second person to be featured in the Presidential Speaker series.
  • Kappa Delta 2024 Shenanigans raises money for local organization: Western Kentucky University students put on their dancing shoes on Monday for good cause. The Kappa Delta Sorority put on the 2024 Shenanigans tonight at Southern Kentucky Preforming Arts Center (SKY PAC.) The event features performances to raise money for Bowling Green’s Family Enrichment Center.

WBKO-TV

  • Small Business Summit and Expo is set at WKU Nov. 7: The 4th annual Small Business Summit and Expo is set for Nov. 7 on WKU’s Innovation Campus.
  • Stink Bugs: Fall’s invasive pungent pest: As we move into the fall and winter months you tend to think about warm scents like pumpkin spice and apple cider, but another, less pleasant, scent might also be making its way into your home this time of year. Stink bugs have a habit of finding any space in your home, so they can comfortably ride out the winter months, especially the invasive species known as the brown marmorated stink bug. “They’re not carrying disease and they’re not toxic,” said WKU biology professor, Keith Philips. “The only thing that stink bugs do is they stink. If you harass them or crush them you’re going to smell the odor.”
  • Riverlands Jewish Archive works to catalog Jewish history of region: The Jewish Virtual Library reports in 2023 Jewish people made up less 0.4% percent of Kentucky’s population. Timothy Quevillon, a Jewish Heritage Fund Visiting Professor at Western Kentucky University saw how isolating this can be firsthand and found a solution in the Riverlands Jewish Archive.
  • Acclaimed author and neuroscientist speaks at Western Kentucky University: Tuesday saw the second installation of Western Kentucky University’s Presidential Speaker Series, which brings inspiring voices to speak to the community on a variety of topics, ranging from the arts to public policy. The speaker was international and New York Times bestselling author and nationally acclaimed neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Genova.

WPKY-FM, Princeton

Lane Report

  • Josie Keusch has joined English, Lucas, Priest & Owsley, LLP (ELPO Law) as an associate attorney: Josie Keusch has joined English, Lucas, Priest & Owsley, LLP (ELPO Law) as an associate attorney after being formally sworn in by Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Kelly Thompson on Friday, October 11, 2024. Josie will focus her growing practice on the areas of personal injury, product liability, and employment law. Keusch, a Cadiz, Kentucky native graduated magna cum laude from Western Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology in 2021.

MSN

  • Haddonfield, Illinois: How ‘Halloween’s’ iconic small town of horror came to be: One of Illinois’ most famous cities is one you’ve been to many times but you can’t actually visit in person. Few fictional towns have the same significance in cinema and pop culture history as Haddonfield, the picturesque suburban town featuring across many films in the “Halloween” franchise. To understand Haddonfield, we first need to understand its origin and creator. Director John Carpenter, born in Upstate New York in 1948, moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky, when he was five years old after his father accepted a teaching job at Western Kentucky University.

September 26-October 9, 2024

Wall Street Journal

  • The 27-Year-Old Economic Adviser for Gen Z: Kyla Scanlon doesn’t like being called an influencer. Scanlon, 27 years old, is breaking all the rules for a career in finance and doing things her own way. With a full-ride scholarship to Western Kentucky University, Scanlon triple-majored in financial management, economics and business-data analytics. On the side, she wrote a blog called “Scanlon on Stocks.”

Daily News

  • Library adds satellite branch for English learners, families: The Warren County Public Library’s newest satellite branch brings a selection of programs and resources to the International Center of Kentucky’s new building – open to the public, with a focus on English learning for children and families. Brittany Blackerby, a Western Kentucky University alumna with degrees in Spanish and history, staffs the library, a multipurpose room with multiple shelves that mostly provide a range of juvenile-level books for new English readers.
  • WKU swinging into November Homecoming: Western Kentucky University will travel back to the 1920s Nov. 14-16 as the university celebrates this year’s “Roaring Red” Homecoming.
  • Service One donates teddy bears to Phoenix Rising: Service One Credit Union announced the donation of 400 teddy bears to Phoenix Rising, a Kentucky-based organization that supports survivors of human trafficking and exploitation.
  • 16th Singing for Scholarships scheduled for Nov. 2: The 16th Singing for Scholarships honoring the late teacher and coach Bobby Driver will take place at 7 p.m. Nov. 2 at Historic Plaza Theatre in Glasgow. This year’s theme is “Music through the Decades” and will include entertainment from the Western Kentucky University Jazz Band and No Deposit Band.
  • Panelists discuss experience locally for new Americans: For residents born outside the U.S., the unique challenges presented in daily life make receiving a little compassion go a long way. “Imagine you’re coming to a new office, you got a new job, and there’s people already there, they knew each other for a while, they’re some sort of family and they’re friends of each other – and, moreover, you have some sort of speech disorder,” said Dmytro Kondratovych, a native of Ukraine and a financial specialist for the city of Bowling Green. “Those people are nice to you, smiling to you, saying, ‘Hello, how are you?’ to you. But those are basically your only interactions with them ... Try to be really sincerely nice and kind to them. Don’t be scared to come and talk, to embrace them,” he said to a group of listeners Wednesday at the Kentucky Museum on Western Kentucky University’s campus.

WNKY-TV

WBKO-TV

Lexington Herald-Leader

  • Helene left me stranded in North Carolina. In the midst of tragedy, I found community.: I was supposed to spend last weekend with my best friends from college, celebrating a decade since we’d met. Hurricane Helene had different ideas, and we never made it to the beach. Instead, three of us ended up in Western North Carolina, in one of the hardest-hit areas by the storm. (Monica Kast covers higher education for the Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com. She is a graduate of Western Kentucky University.)

Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer

  • Kingsley to be inducted into Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame: Linda Kingsley had never thought about being recognized for her career as a teacher in Owensboro Public Schools, which began in 1962. That’s why she was initially convinced that Chris Gaddis, executive director/alumni relations for OPS’ The Foundation for Excellence, was joking with her Friday when he announced she had been chosen for induction into the Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame, which is housed on Western Kentucky University’s campus in Bowling Green.

K105-FM, Leitchfield

September 10-25, 2024

Daily News

  • WKU professor leads effort to preserve area's Jewish history: When Timothy Quevillon visited Paducah’s Temple Israel, he didn’t expect history to be placed in his hands. There it was: A woman handed him a large binder from her mother, who had kept temple records – one of eight filled with meticulous historical detail dating back to the 19th century. And so, Quevillon, the Jewish Heritage Fund visiting professor at Western Kentucky University, began gathering historical materials for a digital archive on Jewish history throughout the region. He's asking members of the public to contribute.

WNKY-TV

WBKO-TV

Lexington Herald-Leader

Lane Report

  • WKU announces naming of Harold and Juanita Koon Football Complex: During a special called meeting September 18, the Western Kentucky University Board of Regents approved the naming of the Harold and Juanita Koon Football Complex in honor of significant philanthropic support from the family and the Koon Family Foundation.
  • Gordon Ford College of Business appoints new MBA director: Dr. Kate Nicewicz Scott, assistant professor of marketing at Gordon Ford College of Business at Western Kentucky University, is the new MBA Director for the college. Dr. Nicewicz Scott brings a wealth of experience in graduate program leadership to her new role.

WKDZ-FM, Cadiz

  • Kentucky Farmers Celebrated During 2nd Farmer Appreciation Day: The Kentucky Department of Agriculture named three Honorary Commissioners, recognized two Friends of Raising Hope, and honored three farm families for their dedication to farm safety during the 2nd annual Farmer Appreciation Day September 18th. Farmer Appreciation Day was held at Western Kentucky University’s LD Brown Ag Expo Center.

VOA News

Leesburg (FL) Daily Commercial

  • 'Ken Bragg Way': He's helped others move forward. Now a Lake Tech road is named after him: Career guidance has been at the core of Ken Bragg's sense of purpose. He's helped others move forward, and now a road that leads others to an education is named after him. The Leesburg benefactor was honored Wednesday, Sept. 18, with a Lake County street-name dedication at Lake Technical College, also known as Lake Tech. A founder and past president of Leadership Lake County, Bragg, naturally, is a lifelong learner. He has a bachelor's and a master's degrees from Western Kentucky University.

Longview (TX) News Journal

  • The Inner Circle acknowledges Dan Pelino as a Pinnacle Professional Member: Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Dan Pelino is acknowledged as a Pinnacle Professional Member for his contributions to Leading the Charge for Equal Access to Healthcare and Education. A distinguished alumnus of Western Kentucky University, Dan holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Communications, and Public Relations, as well as a Master's degree in Organizational Communications and Behavioral Sciences.

August 28-September 9, 2024

Spectrum News 1

Daily News

  • WKU's economic contributions highlighted: Among numerous economic impacts, Western Kentucky University this week found that it had brought in $528.4 million in income during fiscal year 2022-23 – roughly 4.3% of the gross regional product regionwide.
  • WKU's Garrett Plaza dedicated: Western Kentucky University on Thursday named its newly completed plaza after the university’s second president, Paul Garrett, and his wife, Virginia Garrett.
  • Leadership Summit coming to Innovation Campus: With a theme of "next-level leadership," the Kentucky Center for Leadership will hold its inaugural Leadership Summit on Sept. 26-27 at the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus on Nashville Road.
  • A window into region's past rediscovered: A box of 40-year-old black and white photos uncovered some 2,000 miles from here have provided a unique look into the area's past. The photos were taken, and recently rediscovered, by a Western Kentucky University graduate named Keith Collie. Collie, a Paducah native, joined the Navy in 1969. When he got out, he enrolled at WKU on the GI Bill. His major was mass communication with a concentration in photography.
  • Kentucky to the World bringing show to Bowling Green: Western Kentucky University’s Innovation Campus will host Kentucky to the World this September, with attendees having the opportunity to witness a presentation, “This is The Way: Stagecraft, Stunts & Fighting on Screen” from renowned stuntman and Kentucky native Tom O’Connell.
  • Benefit to fund aspiring teacher scholarships: The Green River Regional Educational Cooperative on Sept. 19 will host its second annual fundraiser event for a scholarship serving students who aspire to become educators. The Aspiring Educator Scholarship Program is for seniors who attend a public high school in the GRREC region and plan to major in education at Western Kentucky University.
  • WKU to host 14th memorial run for late alumnus: On Sept. 14, Western Kentucky University will honor Eric Yates, an alumnus who was killed in action in Afghanistan, in WKU’s 14th Eric D. Yates Memorial Run.

WNKY-TV

WBKO-TV

  • WKU holds ribbon cutting ceremony for Garrett Plaza: Today, Western Kentucky University held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Garrett Plaza. The plaza replaces the former Garrett Conference Center, which was demolished in 2021 to create a unique outdoor space that adds accessibility to the campus.
  • WKU announces theme for Homecoming celebration: Today, the WKU Alumni Association in partnership with the Department of Student Activities and WKU Athletics announced the theme for this year’s Homecoming celebration.

WKU Public Radio

  • WKU extends second buyout offer to employees in three-and-a-half years: Western Kentucky University is offering early retirement to its senior employees. According to an email Tuesday from Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Bud Fischer and Vice President of Strategy, Operations, and Finance Susan Howarth, the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program is designed to help employees pursue other professional opportunities while providing financial flexibility to the university.

Lexington Herald-Leader

Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer

  • Passion for poetry: Thompson releases second collection of works: Owensboro resident Christa Thompson found herself to be an “introverted kid” but discovered solace in writing as a hobby. Thompson, who moved to Owensboro about seven years ago, went off to Western Kentucky University. Though she had a passion for writing, Thompson took a different route and studied psychology — which she found had gone somewhat hand-in-hand.

Lane Report

  • Education: Kentucky’s Colleges Get Big Bucks for Campus Construction: Kentucky lawmakers have authorized a tremendous capital construction-funds appropriation of $1.6 billion for higher education for 2024-25, the largest single increase of its kind on record.  A $160 million appropriation to Western Kentucky University to replace its academic complex, the current home of the College of Health and Human Services, represents the largest capital project appropriation in WKU history.   

AG Daily

  • Tractor Supply announces 2nd class of FFA Future Leaders Scholarships: Tractor Supply Company has announced the second class of FFA Future Leaders Scholarship recipients, totaling 143 students from 35 states. The second class of FFA Future Leaders also includes 54 students who received $10,000 scholarships to pursue agriculture-related four-year majors, including animal science, agricultural business, plant science and beyond. Recipients include Lance Willen from Burkesville, Kentucky, who is attending Western Kentucky University with plans to one day be a high school agriculture teacher and FFA advisor.

MoneyGeek

  • Expert Insight on Federal Income Tax: What’s the best way to reduce tax income bills? Income tax, as the name suggests, depends on income, which the average American does not have much control over unless they are constantly moving jobs. However, the income tax codes (federal and state) do provide deductions and/or credits that can lower a person’s taxable income. – Dr. Sebastian Leguizamon, Director of WKU’s Center for Applied Economics

August 21-27, 2024

Daily News

  • WKU students to participate again in NY Fashion Week: For Kyle Hawkins, a local fashion merchandising student, assisting the designers of last year’s New York Fashion Show provided a deeper perspective on the connectedness of the national fashion community. “They were … friends who just came together to be able to express themselves,” said Hawkins, a junior in Western Kentucky University’s fashion merchandising program, about the designers of the show – which is the premier event in the U.S. fashion industry.

Spectrum News 1

WNKY-TV

WBKO-TV

  • WKU M.A.S.T.E.R Plan helps freshmen transition to campus life: Western Kentucky University just wrapped up their first week of classes. For freshmen, that is a huge milestone. It may also be tricky. That is why WKU created the M.A.S.T.E.R Plan, a program that helps freshmen and transfer students get acclimated to the environment early and meet new people.
  • Students and financial aid departments face complications with FAFSA changes: The Department of Education’s attempt to make the FASFA easier to complete for college students has resulted in many changes to how educational institutions handle the information and distribute financial aid. One of the major hurdles that WKU’s Department of Financial Assistance has seen from the changes comes from submitting FAFSA corrections to the Department of Education.
  • Annual Welcome Back WKU event greets students for new school year: As students at Western Kentucky University (WKU) settle into their classes and routines, they were greeted this morning by the local businesses and industries with the annual Welcome Back WKU event. Organized by the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Graves Gilbert Clinic, the celebration allows students to make connections in the community.
  • Annual 100 Miles of Hope Blood Drive returns: Western Kentucky University is competing against Middle Tennessee State University on and off the field.

Elizabethtown News-Enterprise

WKYT-TV, Lexington

  • FCPS & WKU receive $1.3 million grant: Western Kentucky University and Fayette County Public Schools are receiving a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor towards their Grow Your Own initiatives.

Kentucky Teacher

Wallet Hub

  • Rental Car Insurance: When does it make sense to buy insurance from a rental car company? There are three groups of people will benefit from purchasing insurance from a rental car company. – Golnaz Motie, WKU Assistant Professor of Economics

August 9-20, 2024

Daily News

  • Caboni outlines WKU priorities: Currently, Western Kentucky University’s top three priorities are ensuring that its major facilities projects stay on schedule, pursuing a higher-level classification as a research institution and planning updates to the Mahurin Honors College, WKU President Timothy Caboni said.
  • Jonesville descendants reunite at WKU: Prior to the 1960s, Virgil Bailey, along with other Black residents of Bowling Green, owned a vast swathe of the land in a neighborhood known as Jonesville. Community members knew it as tight-knit and self-sufficient, with businesses such as barber shops, beauty salons and drug stores. Then – in a campaign of urban renewal that would sweep the nation – Jonesville was destroyed so Western Kentucky University could expand.
  • WKU convocation highlights $102 million fundraiser, retention: Increasing student retention. Funding new endowed scholarships. Building and renovating numerous facilities across campus. At his Monday morning convocation speech, Western Kentucky University President Timothy Caboni presented a host of updates on numerous initiatives and accomplishments such as those to WKU faculty and staff, at Van Meter Auditorium.
  • WKU authorized to borrow more for rising construction costs: Citing post-pandemic surges in construction costs, Western Kentucky University obtained authorization to borrow up to $43.4 million for cost overruns of the new College of Business, press box and Hilltopper Fieldhouse.
  • WKU professor reflects on Vance’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy’: For cultural historian Anthony Harkins, becoming a nationally sought perspective on the Appalachian ties of Republican vice presidential pick JD Vance stemmed from a decades-long fascination with one word: “hillbilly.”

WNKY-TV

  • WKU holds Topper Fest to celebrate the upcoming year: Classes are starting back up on the Hill and to celebrate, the annual Topper Fest took place Friday night.
  • Topper Tuesday: WKU President Timothy Caboni: For this week’s Topper Tuesday, News 40 Sports Reporter Samantha Money sit down with Western Kentucky University President Timothy Caboni to discuss the upcoming school year, the exciting athletic seasons ahead, and building projects that will beautify the campus of WKU.
  • $102M for WKU Opportunity Fund helps students in the classroom and beyond: Western Kentucky University has just announced a remarkable achievement, unveiling millions of dollars in new funding to benefit its students.
  • WKU professor discusses V.P. pick: The match up is now set for the Presidential Election after Democrat candidate Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her choice for her Vice President. News 40 spoke to WKU professor Jeff Budziak to discuss who Walz is and what he brings to the Harris campaign.

WKU Public Radio

WBKO-TV

Spectrum News 1

  • Western Kentucky's president rallies Hilltopper spirit ahead of new year: Next Monday, Aug. 19., thousands of students will begin a new semester at Western Kentucky University. Before the semester begins, WKU’s president is celebrating the accomplishments of the past semesters and looking ahead to the new year.

  • Founder of popular Louisville shoe store passes the baton to new owners: Swag Hartel has been helping customers find the right pair of shoes for nearly 40 years. He moved from England to Bowling Green, Kentucky, to run cross-country and track for Western Kentucky University and went on to compete professionally. Around 1977, he moved to Louisville, taking his running talent and knowledge with him.

Lane Report

  • WKU’s Opportunity Fund surpasses $100 million goal: During the annual Faculty and Staff Convocation today (August 12), WKU President Timothy C. Caboni announced the WKU Opportunity Fund had surpassed its $100 million goal, raising $102,779,663 to benefit WKU students.
  • WKU Regents expand budget for Cherry Hall, Ford College of Business projects: Western Kentucky University Regents voted a $45 million increase in planned work to improve Cherry Hall and approve increases to several campus improvement projects at their meeting Friday, Aug. 9. Among them, the scope of work to preserve, renovate and modernize Cherry Hall was boosted from $30 million to $75 million after a feasibility study determined that the original $30 million authorization was not sufficient.

NPR

  • 'Hillbilly Elegy' is back in the spotlight. These Appalachians write a different tale: Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, the 2016 memoir from Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance, once again began flying off the shelves after former President Donald Trump named Vance as his running mate. Many have turned to the memoir to find out the story of Vance’s upbringing, a core part of why he’s on the Republican ticket to begin with. But the book also brings along a host of assumptions that many authors still find not to be true. Meredith McCarroll and Anthony Harkins co-edited Appalachian Reckoning: A Region Responds to Hillbilly Elegy, a blend of scholarly, poetic and narrative rebuttals to Vance’s tale published in 2019. Harkins, a professor of history at Western Kentucky University, said that Hillbilly Elegy loses its footing by generalizing one person’s narrative into a definitive account of the entire region.

Wallet Hub

  • Best Personal Loans for Students: As a higher education professional, I understand the relationship between funding and the costs of higher education, as well as the factors that influence these costs. As a parent with two children in college, I also understand the emotional weight and concern that comes with financing these educational pursuits. – Dr. Monica Galloway Burke, WKU Department of Counseling & Student Affairs

August 1-8, 2024

Daily News

  • WKU to host 31st MASTER Plan: Western Kentucky University expects some 2,100 students to participate in this year’s MASTER Plan, WKU’s six-day program for incoming students, according to Ginny Hensley, one of the program’s two co-coordinators.
  • Called to Duty: Bowling Green's forgotten contribution to World War II aviation: Western Kentucky State Teachers College was chosen by the Army to participate in the CTP. Unfortunately, the CAA did not think that the Bowling Green-Warren County Airport was ready to meet the needs of the recruits. They said a hangar, classroom space and administrative offices were needed. Western President Paul Garrett was not about to let this stop the program he had lobbied so hard to secure.

WNKY-TV

  • Mammoth Cave to host Star Party for Perseids Meteor Shower: Mammoth Cave National Park is inviting the public to join its Star Party during the Perseids Meteor Shower. The event is set for Monday, Aug. 12 from 7 to 10 p.m. CDT. Park rangers and volunteers from Western Kentucky University’s Hilltopper Astronomy Club will be there to answer questions and help identify celestial objects.
  • New principal named for Barren County Middle School: Joey Bunch has been named principal of Barren County Middle School. Bunch earned his master of science in elementary education from Western Kentucky University in 2004.
  • Kentucky Commissioner of Education speaks at luncheon in Bowling Green: Dr. Robbie Fletcher, Kentucky Commissioner of Education, made a stop in Bowling Green to share some of his story and how he plans to make an impact. The Kentucky Center for Leadership hosted an executive luncheon at the WKU Innovation Campus on Thursday.

WBKO-TV

Elizabethtown News-Enterprise

  • WKU student from Elizabethtown travels abroad to connect to Chinese roots: Langley Williams of Elizabethtown has spent the last year in Taiwan under Western Kentucky University’s Chinese Flagship Language Program. During her year, Williams has explored, learned more about herself and determined her future path. The program consists of a full year of study and experience in Taiwan. This capstone year follows four years of Chinese study at WKU.

Pioneer News, Shepherdsville

  • Compton new director of BCPS secondary education: Dr. Amy Compton will join the staff of Bullitt County Public Schools as its new Director of Secondary Education. Dr. Compton earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership from Western Kentucky University.

July 10-31, 2024

WKU Public Radio

Daily News

  • ‘Stuff the Bus’ marks 20th year: Saturday marked the 20th time Tony Rose and other community members sought literal busloads of school supplies for children and families in southcentral Kentucky and Warren County. Members of the women’s basketball team at Western Kentucky University showed up early with donations after a trip to Walmart. Collin Stoecker, assistant athletic director at Western Kentucky University, said the baseball and men’s basketball teams would also participate.
  • City, WKU moving ahead on transit merger study: The Bowling Green & Warren County Metropolitan Planning Organization is soliciting proposals for a “merger study” of GoBG Transit and Western Kentucky University Topper Transit.
  • WKU governing body gets two new regents: A Jamestown attorney and a Western Kentucky University administrator have been selected to join WKU’s governing body, the university Board of Regents.
  • 'Your bike and your brothers'; WKU students make annual ride for Alzheimer's: When Tanner Blood dipped his bike tire in the Pacific Ocean on May 21, he knew he had a grueling 3,600-mile bike ride ahead of him. However, he said, "no matter how hard the ride is, nothing is as hard as what some of these people are fighting with" – Alzheimer's. One of those people is his grandmother, Terry Beckham, who is living with dementia and is the reason Blood is on this journey.

WNKY-TV

WBKO-TV

Elizabethtown News-Enterprise

  • College students biking for a cause: In honoring a tradition that started with a Hardin County student, 12 Western Kentucky University students are taking to the road Wednesday to raise money for Alzheimer’s research. The students will make a stop in Elizabethtown during their cross-country trek as they honor the man for whom the trip was founded.

  • No more pretend classrooms for Borders: From a pretend classroom set up in a playroom at her childhood home, to a real one at West Hardin Middle School in Stephensburg, Caroline Borders is about to embark on her life’s dream: Being a teacher. The Western Kentucky University graduate was somewhat emotional the first time she set eyes on what would be her classroom. The way it is set up has a purpose for her students as she desires for it to give off a feeling of being welcomed, of belonging.

Kentucky Farm Bureau News

  • The Importance of Weather Data: The old saying, "If you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes and it will change,” can probably be associated with any place at any time. But for farm families who rely on the weather information, getting the data on and off the farm is essential when adjusting their daily activities. As director of the state’s comprehensive weather data collection system, the Kentucky Mesonet, Dr. Jerry Brotzge, wears many meteorological hats including that of a professor in meteorology at WKU, the state climatologist, and director of the Kentucky Climate Center.

WCLU-FM, Glasgow

  • Michael Davis Takes the Helm as Barren County’s Elementary Instruction Chief: Michael Davis has been appointed as the new Director of Elementary Instruction for Barren County Schools, effective July 22. He pursued higher education at Western Kentucky University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Exceptional Education in 2006 and a Master’s Degree in School Administration in 2012.

Louisville Courier Journal

Forbes

  • Total Solar Eclipse 2024: Where Were You?: Fifty million people may have witnessed the "Great North American Eclipse" on April 8, 2024, but where they did so was not as predicted. The cloud map on April 8 was hugely unexpected. "You could not—if you were Satan himself—design this any better," said Gordon Emslie, Professor at Western Kentucky University's Physics and Astronomy department and lead for the SunSketcher to measure the shape of the solar limb using photos taken via an app.

June 11-July 9, 2024

Daily News

  • Bowling Green native Lt. Gen. Basham reflects on service: Steven Basham always wanted to fly. Now, the three-star lieutenant general and deputy commander of U.S. European Command and Bowling Green native will have time to do just that as he is set to retire this year and return to his hometown at the beginning of August. The 1983 graduate of Bowling Green High School attended Western Kentucky University, where he got a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering technology in 1987.
  • 'Mr. Western' leaves behind tears, great impact on the Hill: The day had to arrive sometime, a day that darkens the Western Kentucky University hallways, athletic fields and the region. "Mr. Western" Lee Robertson passed away Wednesday at age 102, a member of "The Greatest Generation."
  • 'He was a legend;' Lee Robertson, 'Mr. Western,' dies at 102: Lee Robertson, the World War II veteran who became known around southcentral Kentucky and Western Kentucky University as “Mr. Western,” died early Wednesday morning at the age of 102.
  • Wilson to lead regional tech council: As Siri or ChatGPT would surely tell you, the future of pervasive tech is here, and you’d better get on board. That’s exactly what a new partnership between the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce and Western Kentucky University’s Innovation Campus is designed to do. Created earlier this year, the Regional Technology Council based at the Innovation Campus is gaining steam under the leadership of volunteer Director Rob Wilson.
  • 'This opened my eyes': Local teens learn science lessons from MIT students: Working a 3-D printer, extracting DNA from a strawberry, and creating a concrete shark. Those are just some of the learning experiences Hatley McPherson will be able to share about her summer when she starts her eighth grade year at South Warren Middle School this fall. McPherson was among 45 local middle school-age students who took part in an unusual learning festival Friday at the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus.
  • Coker now leading KY Center for Leadership: Greg Coker has come full circle. Now he’s looking to broaden that circle across the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Coker, a Franklin native and a protege of Kentucky Center for Leadership co-founder Randall Capps, was selected in May as the new president and CEO of that nonprofit that Capps and Cecile Garmon founded in 2020 as a vehicle for leadership development throughout Kentucky. Coker studied speech communication and psychology as an undergraduate at WKU and later earned a master’s degree in organizational communications.
  • Holley expanding presence at Innovation Campus: In a move aimed at boosting both Bowling Green-based Holley Performance Products and the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus, Holley is moving more of its corporate functions from its Russellville Road headquarters to the campus on Nashville Road.

WNKY-TV

  • Bike4ALZ makes stop in Bowling Green on cross country tour: A group of Western Kentucky University students made their way back to Bowling Green after biking across the country for a good cause.
  • Community remembers impact of Mr. Western: An iconic figure in the Bowling Green community and campus of Western Kentucky University, Lee Robertson, better known as Mr. Western, is being remembered Wednesday after passing away at the age of 102 this morning.
  • WKU VAMPY celebrates 40 summers: The WKU Center for Gifted Studies is celebrating forty summers of the VAMPY program.
  • Center For Gifted Studies educating teachers with AP Summer Institute: On the campus of Western Kentucky University, the Center for Gifted Studies is preparing high school teachers to teach AP courses at their high schools across the country.
  • WNKY News 40 Weather Report: Tornado risks shift east: A trend that’s been studied over the last few decades shows that there has been an increasing number of severe storm events across the southeast. What does this mean for our area? News 40 Meteorologist Darius Mack spoke with Dr. Greg Goodrich, associate professor at Western Kentucky University about the latest trends.
  • Letitia Hughes named principal of Barren County High School: Letitia Hughes has been announced as the new principal of Barren County High School. She is a graduate of Western Kentucky University, where the district says she earned a bachelor’s degree in middle grades education with a minor in agriculture, a master’s in middle grades education and a rank I in educational leadership.
  • MIT cross-country bike riders stop in Bowling Green, share knowledge of STEM: One group of MIT students and graduates are biking across the country sharing their knowledge and love for STEM with children along the way. The students stopped by the Western Kentucky University Innovation Center and partnered with AccelerateKY to give the kids the opportunity to learn.
  • Bowling Green community mourns the loss of philanthropist Denny Wedge: Bowling Green is mourning the loss of a major figure in the philanthropic community. Paul Wedge, better known as Denny, passed away Thursday at the age of 85. Denny was an avid donor in the Bowling Green community, including to Western Kentucky University, where the athletic advising center is named after him and his wife Carol.
  • Center for Gifted Studies Celebrates 42nd SCATS Camp: The Center for Gifted Studies on the campus of WKU just wrapped up its 42nd year of the Summer Camp for Academically Talented Students. The camp, which included 130 students from Kentucky and 7 different states, hosted 19 different classes and activities.
  • Barren County Schools announce new Director of Special Programs: The Barren County Board of Education announced Christa Middleton as its new Director of Special Programs on Monday. Middleton attended Western Kentucky University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (2003), Master of Arts in Education for Learning and Behavior Disorders (2006), Rank 1 Certification for Director of Special Education (2019), and Level I Principal Certification (2020).

WBKO-TV

  • BIKE4ALZ stops in Bowling Green during coast-to-coast ride for Alzheimer’s Disease: Founded in 2010 by WKU student Tyler Jury to honor his grandfather, BIKE4ALZ is a summer-long, cross-country bike ride undertaken by a team of WKU students each year. During the ride, the cyclists host fundraising events, volunteer at senior living facilities, and spread awareness of Alzheimer’s Disease. This is the 12th team to take this 3,600-mile journey. Today is a homecoming for the group as they stop in Bowling Green before continuing to the next town.
  • Lee Robertson, known as ‘Mr. Western,’ dead at 102: After over half a century of service to Western Kentucky University Lee Robertson, also known as “Mr. Western,” has passed away at 102 years old. Robertson passed away early Wednesday morning in his home, according to multiple sources.
  • New Barren County High School principal announced: On Monday morning, Barren County High School announced their newest principal, Letitia Hughes. She is also a WKU graduate, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Middle Grades Education with a minor in Agriculture, a Master’s in Middle Grades Education and a Rank I in Educational Leadership.
  • Summer Weather Safety Week: WKU returns from Central Plains: Western Kentucky University, one of the bigger universities across the Commonwealth, offers a nationally known meteorology program. Every year, a group of students within the program venture across America into the Central Plains to follow storms.
  • Hughes & Coleman Hometown Hero: Leisa Hutchison: Leisa Hutchison is a speech language pathologist serving as Director of the Family Resource Program at WKU’s Suzanne Vitale Clinical Education Complex. She earned the nickname “Snow White” by her colleagues due to her kindness, helpfulness, and sense of joy.

Spectrum News 1

  • Cross country cycling team rides for a cause: A group of bike riders have been traveling across the country to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s disease. After biking across the country, averaging 14 mph, day in and day out, 12 cyclists from Western Kentucky University traveled through their old stomping grounds.

WKU Public Radio

WDRB-TV, Louisville

  • Louisville entrepreneur bringing educational opportunities to her home village in Uganda: A Louisville business owner is bringing educational opportunities to her home village in Uganda. Sarah Kimeu grew up in Bwoga, a small village in the western part of Uganda. As a girl, Sarah would run to and from school. That developed skill helped her earn an athletic and academic scholarship at Western Kentucky University and come to the United States.
  • Big Red visits wedding reception after 2 WDRB employees get married: A very special guest celebrated at a wedding reception after two WDRB employees tied the knot. Big Red, the Western Kentucky University mascot, hit the dance floor at a wedding reception in Louisville on Saturday evening. The wedding reception was for WDRB Mornings producer Jeanna Kleine-Kracht and photojournalist Ian Burkhead Cunningham.

WEVV-TV, Evansville, IN

  • New Principal announced for Daviess County High School: Daviess County Public Schools announces Jeff Wethington has been named the next principal of Daviess County High School. He earned his Master of Arts in Educational Administration from Western Kentucky University in 2009.

WEHT-TV, Evansville, IN

Ad Age

  • 21 summer ad interns you should know about: It’s officially summer, and ad agencies have brought on promising new talent in summer interns. Quinton Campbell, a native of China and student at Western Kentucky University and National Taiwan University, is interning at independent agency Doe-Anderson, which is based in Louisville, Kentucky and Columbus, Ohio.

May 30-June 10, 2024

WKU Public Radio

  • WKU program prepares high schoolers as first-generation college students: A Western Kentucky University program is making it easier for high school students to get to college as a first-generation student. WKU's F1st-Gen On the Hill is a program that offers resources and scholarship opportunities to first generation students. A first generation student attending college who comes from a family where the parents or guardians have not completed a 4-year college degree.

Kentucky NSF EPSCoR

Daily News

  • Registration now open for Med Center Health 10K Classic: The Med Center Health 10K Classic is still a few months away, but registration is now open for those interested in lacing up their running shoes and hitting the pavement. In its 45th year, the race will be held Sept. 14, beginning on Western Kentucky University’s campus, winding through downtown Bowling Green, and ending on Western’s campus.
  • Pride appointed to Omicron Delta Kappa Board of Trustees: Charles “Charley” L. Pride, director of student activities at Western Kentucky University, was recently appointed to the board of trustees for the Omicron Delta Kappa Society and Educational Foundation Inc.
  • Workshop seeks participants to shape county's future: The BG2050 initiative, spearheaded by county officials and organized by Suspenders of Disbelief and Innovation Engine, will host a 2050 Civic Imagination Living Lab to design a communication campaign for the project. The workshop will be held at WKU’s Center for Research and Development, 2413 Nashville Road, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 14-15 beginning with introductions.
  • Top Kentucky senators talk leadership at WKU lunch: A pair of Kentucky state senators gave some insight into their leadership Thursday at a southcentral Kentucky event. The executive luncheon, hosted by the Kentucky Center for Leadership, took place at the Western Kentucky University Alumni Center.

WNKY-TV

WBKO-TV

May 8-29, 2024

Daily News

  • WKU honors 10 'Distinguished Educators': Western Kentucky University’s College of Education and Behavioral Sciences last week announced its fifth cohort of Distinguished Educator Awards.
  • Aviation Heritage Park to display space shuttle scale model: The Bowling Green Aviation Heritage Park will launch an out of this world exhibit this Memorial Day, as a 1:15 scale model of the Space Shuttle Atlantis is set to be introduced. The eight and a half foot replica, “will be displayed as a tribute to all of those who served on the space shuttle” and tell the story of WKU graduate and Russellville native Terry Wilcutt, according to the parks website.
  • Inaugural 'Hackathon' invites techies for development marathon: Despite its name, last weekend's "Hackathon" contestants weren't finding ways to break into your email. The inaugural event from Imagine_BGKY at Western Kentucky University's Innovation Campus invited tech wizzes from across the region for an all-day marathon of development aimed at harnessing Bowling Green's full potential.
  • Slocum to compete in Miss Kentucky competition: Hallie Karson Slocum of Bowling Green will compete in the 2024 Miss Kentucky Competition June 12-15 at SKyPAC. She is a senior at Western Kentucky University studying corporate and organizational communications and musical theatre.
  • Bailey to compete in Miss Kentucky competition: Bowling Green local Amanda Kate Bailey (née Harder) will compete in the 2024 Miss Kentucky Competition as the local titleholder Miss White Oak Waters June 12-15 at SKyPAC. Bailey is the 24-year-old daughter of Bob and Tracy Harder. She attended Western Kentucky University’s Mahurin Honors College where she majored in biochemistry with minors in neuroscience and business administration.
  • Warren Central announces new principal: Warren Central High School Assistant Principal Colton Isaacs did not get much sleep Thursday night. He knew that come Friday afternoon, the school would announce he would soon take over as principal. Isaacs graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and a minor in Biology. He completed the Principal Certification Program in 2021 at WKU.

WKU Public Radio

WBKO-TV

  • U.S. Navy conducts executive outreach visit: Members of the United States Navy paid a visit to Bowling Green on an executive outreach visit. Adm. Mattingly also spoke with the Mayor of Bowling Green, Todd Alcott, engineering leaders from Western Kentucky University, and leaders at the General Motors Plant to learn more about the city and further promote partnership between the Navy and Bowling Green.

  • Aviation Heritage Park unveils new space shuttle: There was barely any standing room left at the Aviation Heritage Park on Memorial Day, as locals gathered to celebrate the opening of the Space Shuttle Atlantis Exhibit. Russellville native and WKU graduate Col. Terry Wilcutt helped present the shuttle. He served as Commander on the STS-106 Atlantis and STS-89 Endeavor. He was also a pilot on the STS-68 Endeavour and STS-79 Atlantis.

WNKY-TV

Lane Report

  • Kentucky teacher one of only 9 selected for National STEM Scholar Program: Kourtney Taylor, a teacher at Lincoln County Middle School, is one of nine middle school teachers from eight states selected to participate in the prestigious National STEM Scholar Program, a unique professional development program providing advanced STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) training, national network building and project support for middle school science teachers nationwide.

Owensboro Times

City Beat, Cincinnati, OH

  • Cincinnati Observatory Names Dr. Wes Ryle as New Head Astronomer: The Cincinnati Observatory has a new head astronomer on staff. Dr. Wes Ryle, a veteran astronomer with 16 years of public outreach and education experience, comes to the observatory from Thomas More University, where he served as director of the university’s observatory and as a professor of physics. Dr. Ryle is a Northern Kentucky native, having graduated from Conner High School in Hebron. He went on to study physics and mathematics at Western Kentucky University.

WalletHub

  • Best Business Credit Cards for Bad Credit: What funding options besides a credit card are available to small business owners who have bad credit? Small businesses have two general financing options: equity and/or debt. Equity financing occurs when the business owner receives money from an investor and, in return, the investor is given partial ownership of the business. Angel investors can be an example of equity financing. Debt financing is different as the business owner borrows the money they need from a lender and must repay the initial sum plus interest at the end of the agreed period. The benefit of debt financing is that the business owner does not have to offer the lender partial ownership of their business. -- Golnaz Motie, Assistant Professor of Economics, WKU’s Gordon Ford College of Business

  • 2024 WalletHub Economic Index: With the ongoing uncertainties in this economy, what steps can individuals take to protect their personal finances? Two of the most important things individuals and families can do to protect themselves financially are to focus on building an emergency fund and establishing a realistic, goal-based spending plan. – Zachary Jones, WKU Center for Financial Success

MoneyGeek

  • Expert Advice on Tax Deductions: How often should you review your life insurance coverage to determine if changes may need to be made due to changing financial circumstances that could impact its status as a deductible? One important thing to remember is that the IRS considers life insurance a personal expense, similar to other expenses. Therefore, life insurance premiums are not tax-deductible. However, the IRS does not include life insurance payments in gross income, so any proceeds received from life insurance are generally not taxable. – Dr. Sebastian Leguizamon, WKU Center for Applied Economics

April 18-May 7, 2024

Daily News

  • WKU approves Plona contract, general counsel raise: It is final — Hank Plona is Western Kentucky University's 17th men's basketball coach. WKU's Board of Regents approved Plona's contract promising a $500,000 salary with performance bonuses during a quarterly meeting on Thursday.
  • WKU celebrates Class of 2024 graduates: Splashes of red and black stretched out over the Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium field as the Class of 2024 gathered for Western Kentucky University’s 195th Commencement.
  • WCPS hosts inaugural young entrepreneur competition: From artificially intelligent chatbots to designer jewelry and make-up to portable car heaters, students came to Western Kentucky University’s Innovation Campus ready to pitch ideas that could very well become reality.
  • LifeWorks accepts $4.4 million state investment for autism support: LifeWorks at WKU accepted Tuesday a $4.4 million transfusion of state funds to expand services offered to young adults with autism.
  • Community Foundation awards over $223K in grants: Over $223,000 in grants were awarded to area nonprofits on Tuesday during a ceremony held by the Community Foundation of Southcentral Kentucky at the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce. The top recipient at the ceremony was LifeWorks at Western Kentucky University, which was awarded $35,632.
  • WKU 'tops off' new business college with final steel beam: A big red beam covered with names will forever sit tucked away in the skeleton of Western Kentucky University’s new Gordon Ford College of Business building. The campus community came together Thursday for a “topping-off ceremony” to celebrate the installment of the final steel beam of the work-in-progress structure. Attendees were invited to sign their names before the beam was hoisted high and bolted in place.

WKU Public Radio

WNKY-TV

WBKO-TV

Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer

  • The next great adventure: WKU-O graduates 70: The Donald J. Blandford Lecture Hall inside the Humanities Building on Owensboro Community & Technical College’s main campus was decorated with black, red and white Tuesday evening in honor of celebrating Western Kentucky University-Owensboro’s 70-person graduating class.

WNIN-FM, Evansville, IN

Lane Report

  • LifeWorks at WKU receives funding to enhance, expand services: LifeWorks at WKU announced it has received $4.4 million in funding from the Kentucky General Assembly to support its two-year living-and-learning Transition Academy and to expand services by establishing the Bridge Program for autistic young adults.

Spectrum News 1

Kentucky Life, KET

  • The Bell Observatory, CMH23 Radio, Hopewell Museum, Butchertown: The Bell Observatory at Western Kentucky University inspires future astronomers; a partnership between Prestonsburg's Mountain Arts Center and online radio station, CMH23 Radio, aims to support the next generation of country music legends; Chip visits the Hopewell Museum in Paris, Ky.; the history of Butchertown, one of Louisville's oldest neighborhoods.

KET Kentucky Edition

American Meteorological Society

  • SunSketcher (Part 2): Ordinary People Become Solar Eclipse Scientists for a Day: During the 2024 North American solar eclipse, a pioneering project aimed to use citizen-science smartphone data to help determine the true shape and size of the sun. How did it turn out? This is part two of a two-part guest post by Gordon Emslie (Western Kentucky University) and Hugh Hudson (University of Glasgow).
  • SunSketcher (Part 1): Using Smartphones to Reveal the Shape of the Sun: During the 2024 North American solar eclipse, a pioneering project aimed to use citizen-science smartphone data to help more accurately determine the shape of the sun. How did it turn out? This is part one of a two-part guest post by Gordon Emslie (Western Kentucky University) and Hugh Hudson (University of Glasgow)

Environmental Monitor

  • Applied Research and Innovative Solutions: Creating CHNGES at Western Kentucky University: Long-standing environmental monitoring programs have the power to support a large number of research initiatives and policy changes—however, actually starting these networks can prove challenging. Not only is starting the program difficult, but keeping things operational for decades to come has also been challenging for environmental professionals hoping to make an impact with applied research. Jason Polk, Professor of Environmental Geoscience and Director of the Center for Human GeoEnvironmental Studies (CHNGES) at Western Kentucky University, is all too familiar with this process.

NIRSA

  • Steve Rey is the 2024 Sarah Fain Distinguished Service Award recipient: Steve Rey has been announced as the recipient of the prestigious 2024 Sarah Fain Distinguished Service Award, a recognition bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and commitment to the NIRSA Championship Series. A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, Steve’s illustrious career in recreational sports administration spans multiple institutions—including Western Kentucky University, from which he retired.

April 9-17, 2024

NASA Science

  • More Than 36,000 Volunteers Helped Do NASA Eclipse Science: Thank you for helping us out! Over 36,000 people helped do NASA Science during Monday’s total solar eclipse. Together, these volunteers submitted more than 60,000 vital pieces of eclipse data to NASA science projects. More than 30,000 volunteers with the SunSketcher project pointed their smartphones toward the Sun and recorded pictures of Bailey’s beads, flashes of Sunlight coming through valleys on the moon. These pictures will reveal the size and shape of the Sun to high precision.

Daily News

  • Peruvian journalist to receive international reporting award at WKU: Journalist Manuel Calloquispe’s work in his hometown of Puerto Maldonado, Peru, has made him the target of angry gold miners and profiteers of the Amazonian rainforest’s destruction. His risky reporting earned him the seventh Fleischaker/Greene Award for Courageous International Reporting this year.

WBKO-TV

WNKY-TV

  • Sunrise Spotlight – WKU’s Day of Giving: For today’s edition of Sunrise Spotlight Ashlee Wilson is joined in-studio by Margaret Glaser to talk more about WKU’s Day of Giving. WKU’s Day of Giving takes place on Tuesday, April 23rd.
  • Sunrise Spotlight: WKU Evening of Dance: For today’s Sunrise Spotlight, we got to learn all about WKU’s Evening of Dance with Olivia Frayder and Grace Becker.
  • Western Kentucky University SunSketcher App collects eclipse data: Western Kentucky University students and volunteers went all over from Texas to Indiana to collect data from the solar eclipse. They used the SunSketcher app that will measure the size of the sun.
  • After The Initiation into a Sorority, Fraternity, or secret society in Kentucky and Beyond: A new exhibit is open at Western Kentucky University, it includes professors and students collaborating to spread knowledge. “After the Initiation: Secret Societies, Fraternities and Sororities in Kentucky and Beyond” sheds light on some information that isn’t normally shared when it comes to organizations. This exhibit gives insight into the rituals and gives students who may not understand how these organizations function a new perspective.

Lane Report

March 26-April 8, 2024

Daily News

  • 'New normal:" increased tornado activity seen regionally: A new study indicates Bowling Green has seen an increase in high-intensity tornadoes in the last 20 years, numbers that are part of a regional trend. Jerald Brotzge is a professor of meteorology at Western Kentucky University, director of the Kentucky Mesonet and the Kentucky State Climatologist. He said improvements in technology and population growth have allowed for more tornadoes to be reported.
  • WKU exhibit highlights survivors of sexual assault: A bathing suit, a hoodie and sweatpants, basketball shorts and a T-shirt – it does not matter what a victim is wearing when they are sexually assaulted. Those outfits and more now hang in Western Kentucky University’s Downing Student Union for the “What Were You Wearing?” installation that opened Wednesday.
  • Kentucky Science Center eyeing expansion into Warren County: Mike Norman, CEO of the Kentucky Science Center in Louisville, said when it comes to expanding the museum into Bowling Green, “it’s no longer if we’re going to do it, it’s when are we going to do it.” To gauge community support, a group of Western Kentucky University students with the Hilltopper Consulting Group have created a public survey to learn where a suitable location would be for the facility.
  • Upcoming events celebrate Autism Acceptance Month: April is Autism Acceptance Month, highlighting both the challenges and triumphs of those across the spectrum and the people who support them. The 17th annual LifeSkills Run/Walk for Autism is April 13 at Bowling Green Ballpark. Laura Reynolds, an administrator for Western Kentucky University’s Clinical Education Complex, said this will be her 10th year being involved and “it gets bigger and better and more fun every year.”
  • WKU student selected for prestigious foreign affairs fellowship: Over 250 nominees from 147 universities nationwide applied to the Gaither Junior Fellowship with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, an international affairs think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. Only 16 nominees were selected – including Tani Washington, a history and international affairs student at Western Kentucky University.
  • Millions for Southcentral Kentucky in state budget: Hours before they went home for a 10-day break, Kentucky lawmakers on Thursday passed the biennial budget. Western Kentucky University earned funding for several projects.
  • 'Hackathon' seeks young creators for tech competition: Ladies and gentlemen, start your computers – Bowling Green’s “Hackathon” is about to begin. Programmers, designers, innovators and everyone in between are invited to the first Imagine_BGKY Hackathon, where teams of creators will compete in a tech development race to make Bowling Green better. The first Hackathon, to be held May 11 at Western Kentucky University’s Innovation Campus, challenges participants to harness Bowling Green’s growing economic and cultural potential through technological solutions.

WBKO-TV

WNKY-TV

  • Celebrating Autism Awareness Month: Around the world, April is known as Autism Awareness Month where we celebrate differences and recognize individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. At the Suzanne Vitale Clinical Education Complex at WKU, the Kelly Autism Program offers the community and college students support if needed with a variety of things related to Autism. News 40 spoke to the director of the program and a student about Autism Awareness Month and the implications of the coming days.
  • WKU student selected as university’s first Gaither Junior Fellow: Tani Washington, a 2024 Western Kentucky University graduate in history and international affairs, has been awarded a Gaither Junior Fellowship at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
  • The Kentucky Museum is installing a multi-media exhibit of south-central Kentucky’s musical heritage: A new exhibit at the Kentucky Museum is expected to be done in about a year, and the museum is asking for community support in their campaign. This exhibit, “Sonic Landscape,” has been a work in progress for the last five years, in hopes of showcasing the musical heritage in our region.
  • WKU announces inaugural Innovation Campus Scholar: On Friday, March 29, Western Kentucky University announced that Jana Michalik, a doctoral candidate at the University of Kentucky, has been named as the inaugural WKU Innovation Campus Scholar.
  • Historic Shake Rag items donated to WKU Special Collections Library: The City of Bowling Green has recently turned over around 800 items to Western Kentucky University’s Special Collections Library to preserve the history of the historic Shake Rag district.
  • Kentucky Museum announces crowdfunding campaign for musical heritage exhibit: This is your chance to receive a backstage pass. Wednesday, The Kentucky Museum unveiled plans for a crowdfunding campaign for Sonic Landscape, a multimedia exhibit that showcases the music heritage of the south-central Kentucky region. The project will cover the 1900s to present day.
  • Netflix show created by WKU graduate tops the rankings: What started off as just a research project for a journalism class, would eventually turn into a six year journey for the truth. Western Kentucky University graduate Christian Hansen started researching coincidentally the same suspicious activity that was being looked into by late reporter Danny Casolaro who died mysteriously back in 1991.

MSNBC

  • You always wanted to be a scientist. The eclipse is your chance.: Despite our sun’s constant presence, remarkably, its precise shape is not known. A free phone app called SunSketcher will let volunteer observers along the eclipse’s path of totality — the thin region where the sun is completely blocked out — capture their views of the rare astronomical event. Researchers hope studying the images taken with these ubiquitous devices will reveal the last drops of sunlight, also known as Baily’s beads, that pass through the valleys on the moon’s surface just before and after totality. “You only need one piece of equipment, and that’s your phone,”  Gordon Emslie, a professor of physics and astronomy at Western Kentucky University and leader of the SunSketcher project, told me.

NASA Science

  • April’s Night Sky Notes: Participate in Eclipse Science: SunSketcher: If you’re traveling to totality, help the SunSketcher team measure the oblateness, or shape, of the Sun during the eclipse by timing the flashes of Baily’s Beads. You will need a smartphone with a working camera for this, along with something to hold the phone in place - don’t forget a spare battery!

WHAS-TV, Louisville

  • Louisville student selected to participate in MIT's prestigious summer program: One talented Louisville student was just chosen to participate in MIT's prestigious, intensive STEM summer program this year. Emma Hyman, a junior at duPont Manual High School and The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science, was selected out of 2,500 applicants to be one of the 100 students who will gather at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) this summer for the Research Science Institute (RSI).

Lane Report

  • After productive ’23, Ky farmers hope for the same in ’24: Being at the mercy of Mother Nature is a challenge all farmers face each year and 2024 may turn out to be no different. Jerry Brotzge, Kentucky State Climatologist and Director of the Kentucky Climate Center and Kentucky Mesonet, said our weather pattern is shifting.
  • Ky colleges show 4.4% enrollment growth; degrees, credentials up: The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) heard promising news about enrollment and credential production during its business meeting on March 28 in Frankfort. Enrollment, at all levels and sectors, grew from fall 2022 to fall 2023. Among action items, the Council approved new academic programs at the University of Louisville (UofL) and Western Kentucky University (WKU) that reflect growing workforce needs. WKU added baccalaureate programs in data science and neuroscience.
  • WKU creates innovation campus scholar role: Western Kentucky University announced that Jana Michalik, a doctoral candidate at the University of Kentucky, has been named as the inaugural WKU Innovation Campus Scholar.

AgWired

  • Agri-Pulse Welcomes Rebekah Alvey: Agri-Pulse is pleased to welcome Rebekah Alvey as an associate editor. Alvey, who has experience covering energy and environment issues and Capitol Hill, comes to Agri-Pulse from Politico’s E&E News, where she reported on a broad swath of issues including electric vehicles and endangered species regulation, and she helped cover the House speaker race in October 2023. Alvey earned degrees in journalism and Arabic from Western Kentucky University.

WalletHub

  • Best States to Work from Home: What is the work-from-home outlook for 2024 and beyond? Work-from-home will only continue to increase in 2024 and beyond. This is because organizations that allow remote work options will increase the available talent pool for positions and perhaps have a better capacity to attract top talent. – Dr. Katrina Burch, Associate Professor, WKU Department of Psychological Sciences; Director, Industrial-Organizational Psychology Graduate Program

March 12-25, 2024

WBKO-TV

  • WKU alumnus reflects on the creation of his hit Netflix docuseries ‘The Octopus Murders’: Western Kentucky University’s very own alumnus, Christian Hansen, has taken on the mystery of the Octopus Murders, a conspiracy involving the death of a journalist and all the politics and secrets that came with it. After 10 years of fascination, research and investigative journalism, Hansen and his friend Zachary Treitz were able to release their findings in their Netflix docuseries, “American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders.”
  • WKU alumna helps create sharp looking gardens at ‘Pop-Up Succulent Bar’: Before the pandemic hit, Western Kentucky University alumna Jill Thornell was an HR Manager, but knew she wanted something more. Though it was only when she needed to find a COVID-friendly alternative to a lemonade stand for her son, that she found her spark.

Spectrum News 1

  • Western Kentucky University creates an eclipse-catching app: Dr. Gordon Emslie loves astrophysics. So much so that he and a group of Western Kentucky University students are working on an app to capture the eclipse. The app is called SunSketcher and it will take 101 photos of the sun during the eclipse automatically. Using the app will be as simple as propping up a phone.

Daily News

  • 'Civic Imagination' incubator returns with six new storytellers: From tales of Appalachian life to tabletop games to blues music compendiums, the Accelerate KY “Civic Imagination Team” incubator is pioneering new ways of storytelling. Sam Ford, executive director of Accelerate KY and co-creator of the incubator, said the incubator connects participants to professionals across the region to make their projects a reality.

WKU Public Radio

Lane Report

  • 82 high school sophomores admitted to Early College at WKU in Glasgow: Eighty-two local high school sophomores have been selected for the next Early College at WKU in Glasgow class.
  • Education: The Numbers Tell a Story: Recently released data from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) indicate Kentucky had the highest fall-to-fall total enrollment gains in the nation this past school year. Like many other Kentucky colleges, the Gordon Ford College of Business at Western Kentucky University is adapting to change and promoting the commonwealth as a top-drawer higher education choice.

NASA

  • Sketch the Shape of the Sun for Science During the Solar Eclipse: Calling all eclipse admirers! The SunSketcher team is looking for one million volunteers to capture photos on their cell phones during the April 8 total solar eclipse. These images will help scientists learn about the size, shape, and inner structure of the Sun.

Popular Science

  • NASA needs your smartphone during April’s solar eclipse: Listening for crickets isn’t the only way you can help NASA conduct research during the total solar eclipse passing across much of North America on April 8—you can also lend your smartphone camera to the cause. The agency is calling on anyone within the upcoming eclipse’s path to totality to participate in its SunSketcher program. The program will amass volunteer researcher data to better understand the star’s shape. To participate, all you need is NASA’s free app, which uses a smartphone’s camera coupled with its GPS coordinates to record the eclipse. But why?

Wallet Hub

  • Balance Transfer Credit Cards for Bad Credit: I would look for cards offering a very low or 0% introductory annual percentage rate (APR) on balance transfers, allowing you to pay down the balance without accruing additional interest charges. Additionally, it is crucial to ensure that the credit card issuer you select reports to all three major credit bureaus. Reporting to these bureaus is important for helping you rebuild your credit. – Jonathan Pliszka, Visiting Assistant Professor, WKU Department of Finance

March 2-11, 2024

WKU Public Radio

Daily News

  • Upcoming lecture features WashPo photographers from WKU: Jabin Botsford and Demetrius Freeman became friends at Western Kentucky University a decade ago. Now, they see history unfold first-hand as photographers for The Washington Post. Botsford and Freeman will return to WKU on Wednesday for a gallery showcasing the top shots of their careers and a lecture on their experiences in the field, titled “Roommates: From Western to The White House.”
  • WKU students raise nearly $94,000 for Norton Children’s Hospital at 10th annual Dance Big Red: Hundreds of Western Kentucky University students gathered at WKU’s Raymond B. Preston Health & Activities Center on Friday night, March 8, 2024, for the 10th annual Dance Big Red marathon to benefit Norton Children’s Hospital. The students raised $93,851.99 at the six-hour dance fundraiser for pediatric cardiovascular services and adolescent cancer care at Norton Children’s Hospital.
  • Tech-savvy students flock to Robot Royale: Hundreds of local tech-savvy K-12 students flocked to Western Kentucky University for Warren County Public School’s fourth annual Robot Royale event Thursday.
  • April's total eclipse to skip southcentral Kentucky: Nearly seven years after a solar eclipse darted across the United States, another will move across the country on April 8. Gordon Emslie, a professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at Western Kentucky University, said unlike the total eclipse in 2017 this one will not fully pass over southcentral Kentucky. The only major cities in Kentucky in the eclipse’s path of totality – the strip of land where a total solar eclipse is visible – are Paducah and Henderson.
  • Regents eye state funding hike, new programs: Western Kentucky University’s Board of Regents met for their quarterly meeting on Friday with legislative updates on several state bills.

WBKO-TV

WNKY-TV

WEHT-TV, Evansville, IN

  • WKU students work together for NASA-funded “SunSketcher” project: Ahead of April 8’s eclipse over the tri-state, students at Western Kentucky University are developing the SunSketcher app. These students and a faculty member are asking for the public’s help to be a part of the larger experiment throughout the eclipse path of totality from Texas to Maine.

Paducah Sun

WPSD-TV, Paducah

NASA

  • SunSketcher: Our Sun is not quite a perfect sphere. Knowing our Sun’s true shape would give scientists new clues about its mysterious interior and test theories of gravity. But precisely measuring the shape of this enormous nearly-round object has been challenging - until now. Join the SunSketcher team and help make these measurements during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024!

Oak Ridger, Oak Ridge, TN

Lane Report

Kentucky Teacher

  • Record number of students participate in 2024 Educators Rising Kentucky conference: A record number of 771 high school students attended the 2024 Educators Rising Kentucky State Conference, held at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville on March 6. Colin Anderson, a junior at Franklin-Simpson High School (Simpson County) and member of the Western Kentucky University Young Male Leadership Academy, was part of a group that participated in the public service announcement (PSA) competition, where the students devised a PSA to recruit teachers. He said Educators Rising has helped him with his public speaking to pursue his goals after high school.

WalletHub

  • Best Student Checking Accounts: Navigating the transition from high school to college marks a significant milestone in a traditional college student's life, often heralding a period of newfound independence and responsibility. Among the multitude of changes and challenges students can encounter, managing one’s finances emerges as a crucial skill that every student must learn to master. As such, gaining knowledge about checking accounts becomes indispensable. – Dr. Monica Galloway Burke, Professor, WKU Department of Counseling & Student Affairs

February 21-March 1, 2024

Daily News

WNKY-TV

WBKO-TV

WKU Public Radio

  • Second annual concert benefiting Margaret Munday Scholarship returns to WKU: A concert featuring a diverse set of performances is back at Western Kentucky University for a second year. The show raises funds for the Margaret Munday Scholarship overseen by the Mu Iota Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota (SAI). In addition to helping music students from diverse communities pursue their dreams, the scholarship also honors the legacy of Margaret Munday.

Lane Report

Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer

Louisville Courier Journal

February 8-20, 2024

WNKY-TV

  • Sunrise Spotlight: SCATS and VAMPY at WKU: For today’s Sunrise Spotlight, we met with Dr. Julia Roberts who told us all about how you can get your high schooler involved in academically driven programs at Western Kentucky University.
  • Expert shares view regarding wrong categorization of state rock and mineral: In 1998, students from Louisville requested that the State Legislature change the designation of coal from the state rock to the state mineral. Later, in 2000, Kentucky Agate, or Chalcedony, was designated as the state rock. Both of these designations are categorically inaccurate – coal, which is organic in nature, cannot be a mineral. Even though it may contain millions of them, it is a rock. Agate is crystalline in nature and contains predominantly one substance, primarily quartz, itself being a mineral, which makes agate a mineral. Geologists like Michael May, a professor of Geology at WKU, have been upset with this decision for decades.
  • The infamous sinkhole at the National Corvette Museum reaches 10-year anniversary: In 2014, a natural disaster in Bowling Green fueled a global conversation about the National Corvette Museum and a little-known fact about our unique landscape in south central Kentucky. James Polk, director of the Center for Geo-environmental Studies at Western Kentucky University, says “We are in a karst area, which means we have lots of caves, lots of sinkholes, lots of underground streams, it’s a very dynamic landscape. So, that means things are constantly happening underground, beneath our feet that you might not see, and that includes the potential development for sinkholes, pretty much anywhere you are in this part of the world and south central Kentucky.”

WBKO-TV

Spectrum News 1

Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer

  • Oller named Coming Home King at WKU: Grant Oller’s involvement in numerous organizations at Western Kentucky University helped him be named WKU’s Coming Home King on Thursday during halftime of a men’s basketball game at E.A. Diddle Arena.

Owensboro Times

Lane Report

  • WKU once again celebrates historic fall-to-spring retention successes: In what has become a familiar trend in recent years, Western Kentucky University students again returned to campus for the spring semester at record rates, President Timothy C. Caboni announced on Tuesday, February 13. Among the university’s retention successes, 85.4% of fall undergraduate degree seeking students who were enrolled in the fall returned for the spring semester, the highest percentage since the university began tracking this data in 2010.
  • WKU Gordon Ford online programs recognized: Three programs in Western Kentucky University’s Gordon Ford College of Business (GFCB) are ranked among the 2024 Best Online Programs by U.S. News & World Report.
  • WKU Online recognized among top Online Bachelor’s Programs in state, nation: U.S. News & World Report has ranked Western Kentucky University among the top 100 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs in the nation – and No. 2 in Kentucky.

WSON-AM, Henderson

  • City of Henderson names new assistant city manager: Dylan Ward has been named the city of Henderson’s new assistant city manager. A graduate of Western Kentucky University, Ward obtained a B.S. in Civil Engineering and a Masters in Public Administration. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Kentucky.

Georgetown News-Graphic

  • New City Attorney works for community: Georgetown’s new city attorney is a Kentucky native, who has worked for both the Covington and Lexington governments. Emilee Buttrum’s focus in her new role has been continuous improvement.  Buttrum’s first job after graduating from Western Kentucky University was in economic development with the Chamber of Commerce in her hometown, Bowling Green.

Online Ed.D. Programs

  • Interview with Dr. Kimberlee Everson:  In addition to her research and teaching roles at WKU, Dr. Everson serves as Chair of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate’s (CPED) Dissertation in Practice Award Committee.

January 27-February 7, 2024

Daily News

  • Hannah appointed new director of UT Press: Katie Hannah has been appointed as director of the University of Tennessee Press. She received her Master of Arts in English from Western Kentucky University.
  • After 22 years, SOKY Book Fest coming to an end: The Warren County Public Library has announced its decision to end the Southern Kentucky Book Fest, with plans to refocus its efforts on a series of author events throughout the year. Over the past 22 years, the library had partnered with Barnes & Noble and Western Kentucky University to bring the event featuring national and regional authors and related events to Bowling Green. The event has typically drawn thousands each spring.
  • Cybersecurity data analytics vital in higher education: WKU’s Cybersecurity Data Analytics graduate program offers a master’s degree in Cybersecurity Data Analytics, as well as certificates in cybersecurity data analytics and in data analytics. These degrees and certificates are vital as we navigate an era where our personal and professional lives are increasingly connected to the digital realm.
  • Beshear tours WKU Innovation Campus: Gov. Andy Beshear visited Western Kentucky University’s Innovation Campus on Thursday after a stop at Tyson Food’s bacon facility opening earlier that day.

WBKO-TV

  • Remembering WKU’s first African-American faculty members: February is Black History Month. Locally, there are numerous men and women who’ve played a crucial role in the black history in the city. Dr. Mable Anderson, Dr. James Beck, and his wife Jacqueline were the trailblazers who paved the way for African-American Faculty at WKU.
  • WKU conducting a survey on driving the roundabout: If you’ve ever had an opinion about the roundabouts in Bowling Green, now could be your chance to speak your mind and be heard. Western Kentucky University is currently conducting a survey for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to hear the public’s opinions about roundabouts and any issues Kentuckians have faced when coming across one while driving.
  • Once in a lifetime cicada double brood emergence to occur this year: Cicadas are the annual sound of the summer, but this year the volume could be dialed up to 11. For the first time since 1803, the United States will see a double brood event where the 13-year and 17-year “periodical” cicadas will emerge from the ground during the same year. Western Kentucky University Distinguished Professor Dr. Keith Philips says it is a spectacular biological phenomenon in the country.

WNKY-TV

  • House Bill 10 filed in Kentucky to address maternal mortality rate: A bill relating to maternal health in Kentucky is currently awaiting to hit the House floor. Rep. Kim Moser, along with colleagues, has worked on a bill to help address Kentucky’s maternal mortality rate. News 40 spoke to Rachel Tinius, an associate professor of exercise science at Western Kentucky University and CEO of “Bumpt Up”, an app that helps to keep women physically active and in better health during their pregnancy and offers health information.

Elizabethtown News-Enterprise

Yahoo News

  • Yes, there are more potholes on Kentucky roads after winter. A scientist explains why: Come springtime, you’ll likely see more crews out patching potholes or notice bigger cracks along Kentucky’s roadways. To understand why this is and the role water plays in the process, we spoke with Chris Groves, Ph.D., the director of the Crawford Hydrology Laboratory at Western Kentucky University and a university distinguished professor.

America’s Best Racing

  • John Asher: Dedicated Kentucky Derby Ambassador and Friend to All: More than five years after his sudden passing, John Asher lives on in the sport he cherished, his love of family, friends, and the Kentucky Derby and its home his lasting legacy. After graduating with a journalism degree from Western Kentucky University, he went to work for radio stations in Bowling Green and then Louisville, his knowledge of the Derby making him a natural fit for covering the race each year.

Credit Donkey

January 18-26, 2024

Daily News

  • Chamber announces tech council at 89th annual celebration: The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce announced the creation of a new regional technology council at its 89th annual celebration on Tuesday. CEO Ron Bunch said the project will be a partnership with Western Kentucky University’s Innovation Campus to better connect and attract emerging technology companies in the area.
  • WKU, other universities join to support kids: Western Kentucky University’s student-led charity event Dance Big Red has joined with DanceBlue at the University of Kentucky and RaiseRED at the University of Louisville for the fourth annual Commonwealth Cup, a statewide fundraiser that supports pediatric cancer and heart care.
  • 'Topper Social' bar set to open in February: Jordan Greene originally wanted an office job. Now he is the owner of two bars in downtown Bowling Green, with a third coming in late February. Greene, a 2018 graduate of Western Kentucky University and the current owner of both Dublin's Irish Pub and The Copper Bar, is planning to open Topper Social in the building once occupied by Hideout on Center Street close to campus.
  • WKU to close Hilltopper Hall after building 'shifted': Students at Western Kentucky University who live in Hilltopper Hall have until Feb. 4 to move out of the dorm after personnel with WKU Facilities Management found some exterior masonry had “shifted out of place” earlier in the academic year.

WKU Public Radio

WNKY-TV

WBKO-TV

  • Governor Andy Beshear tours WKU’s Innovation Campus: Today, Governor Andy Beshear visited the WKU Innovation Campus in Bowling Green. Representatives from the university gave Beshear a tour of the 280,000-square-foot facility that acts as a hub for innovation, collaboration, and investment in the community.
  • Hilltopper Hall residents and parents react to relocation: On Jan. 18 Western Kentucky University sent an email out to Hilltopper Hall residents and parents, explaining that some “exterior masonry work” had shifted out of position and residents would have to relocate from the hall. Hilltopper Hall resident Jazmine Fletcher described the air in the hall as devastating following the news.

Spectrum News 1

Foreign Policy

  • What Is Taiwan’s New President Going to Do About China?: On Jan. 13, Taiwan hosted the first of many critical elections in 2024—elections that may reshape the global political order. In the first close three-candidate race since 2000, current Vice President Lai Ching-te of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) defeated Hou Yu-ih of the Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) candidate Ko Wen-je. (By Timothy S. Rich, a professor of political science and the director of the International Public Opinion Lab at Western Kentucky University.)

Taipei Times

  • US, China views key for Lai: expert: Achieving a consensus on how Taiwanese view the China threat and US security commitments to Taiwan would be challenging for president-elect William Lai, a US academic said in an article published on Wednesday. In an article in Foreign Policy, Timothy Rich, a professor of political science and director of the International Public Opinion Lab at Western Kentucky University, analyzed how Taiwanese public opinion would affect the incoming administration.

Yahoo Finance

  • OneAmerica® Appoints New Board Member George Nichols: George Nichols III, CAP®, president and CEO of The American College of Financial Services, has been appointed to the OneAmerica® Board of Directors. The OneAmerica Board of Directors has oversight to the long-term direction of the financial services organization. Nichols received his associate's degree from Alice Lloyd College, a faith-based liberal arts school in eastern Kentucky, before earning his bachelor's degree from Western Kentucky University.

MoneyGeek

  • Expert Insights on Federal Funds Rate: Is it important for the average consumer to understand how the federal funds rate works? Why or Why not? From the economist's point of view, it is always important that people understand concepts like the Federal Funds Rates. These "target" rates are the rates banks use to lend and borrow from each other to meet the daily reserve requirements. -- Dr. Sebastian Leguizamon, Director, Center for Applied Economics, and Associate Professor of Economics, WKU

January 9-17, 2024

Daily News

WNKY-TV

  • WKU police participate in active shooter training: The Western Kentucky University Police Department took part in a two-day active shooter training scenario in order for the members of the department to be able to better respond to a chaotic event.
  • Combat your holiday debt with a spending plan: The holidays can be mentally and financially draining and may leave you needing a plan to pay off holiday debt. Director of the Center for Financial Success at Western Kentucky University, Andrew Head, says “Staying out of debt requires staying on top of the expenses that you have and making sure that you’ve got a plan for them.”
  • New storytelling consultancy announces headquarters in Bowling Green: A new storytelling consultancy announced Monday its founding and establishment of its headquarters in Bowling Green. The company, Suspenders of Disbelief, will be housed in the Collaborative SmartSpace of the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus HQ, according to the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce.

CNBC

  • U.S. and China keep a close watch as Taiwan heads to the polls: “Regarding relations with China or the US, my concern would be that it provides an opportunity for mixed messages from Taiwan, one that China may try to exploit,” said Timothy S. Rich, a professor in political science at Western Kentucky University.

WTVF-TV, Nashville, TN

  • Highlights from Tuwanda Coleman's career at NewsChannel 5: Our very own Tuwanda Coleman announced last week that after 41 years, she will be retiring from NewsChannel 5 and Talk of the Town. She joined the NC5 family in 1981. Tuwanda grew up in Cadiz, Kentucky, and majored in Broadcasting with an emphasis in news reporting at Western Kentucky.

WalletHub

  • Non-Owner Car Insurance: What kind of drivers should consider Non-Owner Car Insurance? Non-owner car insurance is typically recommended for those who do not own a car but either borrow cars from someone else or rent cars often. -- J. Sebastian Leguizamon, Associate Professor of Economics, Gordon Ford College of Business, WKU

January 1-8, 2024

Daily News 

WNKY-TV 

  • Locally created app for pregnant, postpartum women has launched: A new app to change health outcomes for mothers and newborns has just launched. BumptUp Labs is a new app that helps pregnant and postpartum women become and stay active with tailored workouts, social support, and yoga classes, as well as weight, calorie and symptom tracking. Western Kentucky University associate professor of exercise science, mom of four, and BumptUp CEO, Rachel Tinius, says “I’ve been doing research with exercise during pregnancy through all four of my pregnancies, the app was in the works over the past two. And I’ve definitely utilized my own personal experiences to help form a lot of features of the app.” 

Elizabethtown News-Enterprise 

  • Local artist creates extraordinary from the ordinary: Countless children and teenagers in our community have been inspired by the artistry of one woman, Regina Williams. Hosting art classes in her quaint cottage studio in Glendale for the past 20 years, Williams seems to possess an endless supply of ideas and creativity. “I went to Western (Kentucky University) in 1971 and majored in art education to teach,” she said. “I graduated in May of 1975 and got a call from a good friend who was an artist at Fort Knox.” 

Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer 

  • Bare Linens online only — for now: Lindsey Ioia picked up her bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Western Kentucky University this summer and launched her own business — Bare Linens — on Oct. 1. 

City-County Observer, Evansville, IN 

December 13-31, 2023

Daily News

  • Renowned local author, folklorist Lynwood Montell dies at 92: Local award-winning author and folklorist William Lynwood Montell died last week, leaving behind a wife, two children, five grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and a long list of books penned over his 92-year life. Montell was renowned for documenting life across Kentucky. He played a crucial role in forming Western Kentucky University’s folk studies masters program, where he taught for over 30 years, and dedicated much of his time to studying the Upper Cumberland region. 
  • Experts discuss December tornado trend: Climatologists and meteorologists across the region are trying to make sense of an increase in December tornadoes across southcentral Kentucky in recent years. 
  • Still hilltoppin': WKU grads complete hiking 'triple crown': Those Western Kentucky University students who complain about having to hike uphill to get to class could get a dose of humility from a pair of WKU graduates: Garrett and Savannah Anderson. 
  • WKU senior recognized for non-profit e-learning company: Nessa Unseld, a 20-year-old Western Kentucky University senior, may be the youngest CEO at WKU’s Innovation Campus. 
  • WKU holds signing day for WCPS teachers seeking certification: Athletes aren’t the only students at Western Kentucky University to get a signing day. Educators from across the county joined WKU leaders Tuesday for a signing event celebrating the first cohort of Warren County Public School teachers seeking certification through the university’s Grow Your Own program.

WNKY-TV

WBKO-TV

  • WCPS and WKU hold joint signing for Grow Your Own program: With Kentucky facing a massive teacher shortage, Warren County Public Schools and Western Kentucky University team up to help out by holding a joint signing for Grow Your Own scholarships.
  • WKU student creates adult-readiness website for soon to graduate students: College students looking for resources on the adjustment to life after school will now have an answer. Janessa Unseld is a student at Western Kentucky University that found a lack of career readiness resources she thought were much needed for soon to graduate students. Like any college student, she began coding, two years ago. She recently published the soft launch of her new website, Coleus Academy. 

Spectrum News 1 

  • Hardin County School District combats teacher shortage, helps staff reach its goals: School districts across the Commonwealth are getting creative when it comes to dealing with teacher shortages. Several districts are using "grow your own" programs to fill vacancies at a fraction of the cost. In Hardin County, the school district is partnering with Western Kentucky University (WKU) to help its staff get teaching certified, or get their master’s degree. 

WFIE-TV, Evansville, IN

  • Ohio Co. schools host first choir concert in nearly a decade: Ohio County schools hosted their first choir concert since resurrecting their choir and drama departments on Thursday. Director Ryan Himes explained that finally being offered the job to bring choir and drama back was a dream come true. “The whole reason I went to WKU to be a music teacher was to be a choir director at Ohio County,” he said.

November 29-December 12, 2023

Daily News

  • WKU to seek additional state funding due to inflationary pressure: Western Kentucky University President Timothy Caboni said the university’s top legislative priority going into January will be seeking additional base and performance funding from the state.
  • Teacher Hall of Fame celebrates four local inductees: Educators from across the region converged on Western Kentucky University’s campus to celebrate the induction of four local teachers to the Governor Louie B. Nunn Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame.
  • Drakes Creek names new principal: Drakes Creek Middle School students and staff welcomed their new principal to the school on Wednesday with cupcakes and a resounding “Go Gators!” Bonnie Spears, who currently serves as principal of Chandler’s School in Logan County, will begin the formal transition to Drakes Creek in January. Spears graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Middle Grades Education. She received her Master of Arts in Education in 2010 and obtained her Rank 1 in Leadership and Administration in 2018 from WKU as well.
  • WKU Greek Orgs wrap gifts for 34 Parker-Bennett-Curry students: The sounds of Bing Crosby lilted across Downing Student Union as dozens of Western Kentucky University students busily wrapped footballs, plushies, sweaters and coloring books. WKU’s Greek Organizations, around 30 in total, came together Tuesday for the culmination of the Christmas Angel program — preparing gifts for 34 Parker-Bennett-Curry Elementary students.

WBKO-TV

WNKY-TV

  • New superintendent named for Logan County Schools: Dr. Dan Costellow, Ed. D. has been named the new superintendent of Logan County Schools. He obtained his superintendent certification and doctor of educational leadership from Western Kentucky University. He also obtained his master of arts in secondary education and a bachelor of science in agricultural education from WKU.
  • Meet Hunter Lee, future meteorologist and viral TikTok star: There’s a local talent in town spreading weather knowledge. A WKU student is taking his love for weather and sports to a whole new level across the United States and going viral for posting his journey on TikTok.
  • The Book Donation Extravaganza giving students at Parker Bennett Curry reading opportunities: An elementary school in Bowling Green celebrated the joy of reading today by giving those who are less fortunate the opportunity to dive into a book. At Parker Bennett Curry Elementary School thanks to the special book extravaganza. WKU Literacy Ambassadors are providing elementary students with limited access to books the chance to read at home by partnering with the Bowling Green Rotary Club and Half Price Books.
  • The importance of Heimlich maneuver training: From the senate chamber to right here at home, anyone can learn to do the Heimlich maneuver. After Sen. Rand Paul saved a fellow senator’s life in the chamber by using the move, learning how to properly help someone when they are choking can prove to be critical. Gerita Cook, a WKU CPR training coordinator says, “What happens when a person choke, that airway is restricted, so knowing the Heimlich allows that airway to get back open and free so that we can save and maintain that life. Everyone needs to know this, and I take great pride in every person I train here at Western, especially my nursing students, because I know I’m training the next generation of health care professionals to be saving lives.”
  • Annual Teacher Hall of Fame hosted at Western Kentucky University: Teaching is not an easy job by any means, and many students don’t appreciate what teachers do until later on in life. Every year since 2000, Western Kentucky University makes a difference for teachers by honoring educators and inducting them into the Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame.
  • Bonnie Spears named as new principal of Drakes Creek Middle School: The Warren County Public Schools District announced Bonnie Spears Wednesday as the new principal of Drakes Creek Middle School. Spears graduated in 2003 with a bachelor of science in middle grades education. She received her master of arts in education (summa cum laude) in 2010 and obtained her Rank 1 in leadership and administration in 2018 – all from Western Kentucky University.
  • WKU Greek Life gift wrapping event: Fraternities and sororities gathered inside Downing Student Union to wrap presents they bought for students at Parker Bennett Curry Elementary.

Spectrum News 1

WCLU-FM, Glasgow

  • Four inducted into Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame: Four exceptional educators, two of which taught in Glasgow and Barren County Schools, who made an impact in their classrooms and their communities were inducted into the Gov. Louie B. Nunn Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame on Friday, December 1, 2023 in a ceremony at Western Kentucky University.

New York Times

  • Events to Shake, or Gently Rattle, the World in 2024: UNITED STATES, MEXICO AND CANADA, April 8: Don your eclipse glasses and watch the moon and the sun align in a cosmic kiss as the Pacific Ocean, Mexico, part of the United States, Canada and the North Atlantic plunge into daytime darkness. It will be the last solar eclipse in the United States for more than 20 years. Celebrate it at the Total Eclipse of the Heart Festival in Arkansas or the Portal Eclipse Festival in Mexico. Wherever you are, download SunSketcher 2024, an app developed by NASA to allow observers in the path of totality to capture images at varying angles and contribute to NASA’s heliophysics research.

WDKY-TV, Lexington

  • Kentucky couple completes ‘Triple Crown of hiking’: You can’t write the love story of Garrett and Savannah Anderson without including their passion for the outdoors and hiking. “We went to school at Western Kentucky University near Mammoth Cave,” Savannah explained. “So, we did a lot of hiking there and that’s actually where he proposed to me. So, the outdoor kind of scene has always been part of our background.”

More: WKU in the News Archive

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 Last Modified 11/13/24