UK celebrates naming of Pigman Hall with dedication ceremony
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 14, 2023) — Woodland Glen III, the residence hall for students in the University of Kentucky College of Engineering’s Living Learning Program (ELLP), has been renamed Stanley and Karen Pigman Hall.
On June 13, a dedication ceremony was held to celebrate the naming and to recognize Stanley and Karen Pigman’s impact on the college.
“Stanley and Karen’s commitment to our students cannot be overstated,” Rudy Buchheit, the Dr. Rebecca Burchett Liebert Dean of UK Engineering, said. “They are champions of students and of Kentucky engineers. We are proud to name this residence hall in their honor.”
The ELLP offers a unique opportunity for engineering students to live together in a community focused on key goals — academic success, career preparation and life skills.
The residential experience integrates students into the engineering community through academic and professional development programs and by allowing them to interact with college deans, faculty, alumni, industry representatives, advisors and staff.
Pigman Hall also features state-of-the-art classrooms where students can participate in first-year engineering courses.
In addition to Dean Buchheit, special guests who spoke at the ceremony included UK President Eli Capilouto. “Our university is better because of Stan and Karen. Their devotion to our students inspires me and ensures our College of Engineering will remain a place of academic rigor and meaningful community for years to come,” he said. “Stanley and Karen Pigman Hall is a physical space, but the relationships formed, and experiences lived here will last a lifetime. Because of the Pigman’s generosity, hundreds — and eventually thousands — of engineers will help advance our Commonwealth, country and world.”
At 17, Stanley Pigman received a scholarship to study mining engineering at UK.
Upon graduating with a bachelor’s degree from UK Engineering in 1981, Pigman made a commitment to create opportunities and transform lives of students for generations to come.
Karen Pigman graduated from Western Carolina University in 1975 with a degree in interior design. She spends her time as a full-time philanthropist and mentoring UK students.
For more than 20 years, the Pigmans have financially supported and mentored 200+ engineering and computer science students through the L. Stanley Pigman Scholarship Program. Now, more than 120 undergraduate engineering students are supported on Pigman scholarships.
The Pigmans’ gifts are crucial to ensuring engineering students acquire the skills and traits needed to solve unique challenges and ultimately improve the lives of those in the Commonwealth and beyond.
“If you listen to Stan’s story, one thing he will often say is that he wouldn’t have been able to accomplish his degree without scholarship sponsors,” said Shelby Breeze, a senior mechanical engineering student from Lexington who spoke at the event. “I can say the same about the success I have had while in the engineering program because of the Pigman’s support while at UK. I have been able to become a member of several organizations, like the Society of Women Engineers where I have held three officer positions, most recently as treasurer.
“I also was able to be a part of the Living Learning Program for two years and am currently an ambassador for the Pigman College of Engineering. I am just one of the many success stories due to the Pigman’s support.”
Last year, the Pigmans also created a scholarship program in the Office for Student Success that expands their reach to first-generation students pursuing degrees outside of engineering. The L. Stanley Pigman First-Generation Scholarship provides scholarships to selected first-generation students graduating from high schools in 32 Eastern Kentucky counties.
More recently, the Pigmans made a historic gift — pledging more than $34.5 million to UK Engineering. For their long-standing support, in April, UK President Eli Capilouto recommended the college be named the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering.
Today, Stan and Karen's philanthropic impact to UK totals more than $55 million.
The Pigmans have five children, 13 grandchildren and currently reside in Wilmington, North Carolina.
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.