UK Happenings

Curiosity awaits: Lexington community invited to join the 2022 Curiosity Fair

The Curiosity Fair at UK is an annual, community event that highlights the role of curiosity in education. Pete Comparoni | UK Photo.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 27, 2022) — University of Kentucky Libraries, Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, Chellgren Center, Lewis Honors College, Office of the Vice President for Research and Office of Undergraduate Research are inviting campus and the Lexington community to engage with students, staff and faculty by attending the 2022 UK Curiosity Fair.

The 2022 UK Curiosity Fair is open to students, staff, faculty and members of the Lexington community. The event will take place 4-6 p.m. today (Thursday), Oct. 27, in the Gatton Student Center Grand Ballroom. For more information or to explore photos from the 2021 fair, click here.

The Curiosity Fair at UK is an annual, community event that celebrates the role of curiosity in education. Faculty, staff and students create “curiosity stations'' or short demos that represent ideas from their classes, fields or research. There is always a wide variety of disciplines, and the event is an informal and fun way for participants to engage with new people and ideas with hopes to remind the campus community that learning is fun.

“The idea for this event came from a group of faculty, staff and students who want to promote the enjoyment of learning and discovery. Doing research in a new area, learning about a new subject — that stuff is exciting! What we do here at UK is fun, and we hope this annual event sparks new ideas, new collaborations and the joy of learning!” said Librarian in Digital Services and Technology Department Beth Kraemer.

In addition to building connections, curiosity stations give presenters a chance to explain their topic of interest in a way that makes the information more accessible to a general audience. In doing so, both presenters and participants can return to their classroom or workplace with a fresh perspective and a renewed curiosity in the topic.

Past Curiosity Fair presentations ranged from molecular genetics, virtual reality to beekeeping and playing a new instrument. By ensuring that the fair offers stations from the humanities, arts, sciences and an array of cross-disciplinary topics, this event has been beneficial in helping UK students discover possible majors and minors.

“There are very few events on campus where a wide variety of departments, clubs, classes, groups and researchers can showcase their projects in a hands-on, exploratory way. The Curiosity Fair is different: it is a unique platform that allows station participants to provide first-person, immersive experiences to those bold enough to give it a try,” says Philosophy Associate Professor Meg Wallace. “It is a wonderfully creative way to share ideas and foster engagement. And it is simply thrilling to see so many different on campus projects ‘come to life’ all at once.”

As the premier research library in the Commonwealth, UK Libraries empowers lifelong learners to discover, create and connect by providing ever-expanding access to quality information and collaborating with academic and creative communities worldwide to advance knowledge, enhance scholarship and preserve the history and culture of the Commonwealth. More information about UK Libraries can be found on its website.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.