University of Kentucky alumni really do get all around the world. Gwendolyn Schaefer (International Studies/Geography 2013) traveled to Ukraine after her graduation as part of a 27 month long service period with the United State Peace Corps. Unfortunately, Gwen and other Peace Corps volunteers were forced to evacuate from the area in February 2014 due to mounting safety concerns.

Here, Gwen tells us about her time in Ukraine, the people and culture of the nation, and what it was like working there with the Peace Corps.

For the first time in over a decade, Congress is considering legislation that would drastically reform immigration in America. The issue, however, is highly contentious with any number of interests hoping to shift the bill one way or another. Even once all of the debates are said and done, it's still not clear whether or not such legislation will actually become the law of the land guiding America's relationship with immigration in the future. 

Internationally renowned scholar and activist Vandana Shiva visited the University of Kentucky to present her lecture on "The Future of Food" and to discuss the many challenges of global sustainability. Shiva has been the author of more than 20 books on sustainable agriculture, development, feminist theory, alternative globalization, and bioengineering.

Most of us associate mapping with cartography, but that's not always the case.

Amanda Fickey, a University of Kentucky doctoral candidate was recently granted a year long research fellowship by the Central Appalachian Institute in Research and Development. The Institute, located in Pikeville, Kentucky, focuses heavily on improving educational access and issues of economic development in the Central Appalachian region.

Gwendolyn Schaefer knew she wanted to study abroad in the Middle East, but the Arab Spring presented a potential threat to her personal security. Her first two choices were Egypt and Syria, but both were deep in the throes of political unrest. Eventually, she landed in Amman, Jordan through Education Abroad at UK with AMIDEAST.

At the end of March 2012, the American Studies Center at Shanghai University hosted a symposium on Urbanization in the American South.

Jon Finnie is an A&S student (German & Geography), and serves as the Public Relations Director and a DJ for WRFL 88.1 FM, the University of Kentucky’s student-run radio station. In this podcast, Finnie talks about his role as PR Director, his German radio show, and gives a few examples of ways people can get involved with WRFL.

This podcast was produced by Cheyenne Hohman.

Building bridges between campus and community, Matthew Wilson's GIS Workshop course will connect various Fayette and Lawrence county organizations with groups of students to develop partnerships, gather data for GIS analyses, and create unique maps. GIS, an acronym for 'geographic information sciences,' examines intersections of technology, cartography and culture. 

This podcast was produced by Samuel Burchett.