UK Grounds Team Makes Campus Beautiful in All Seasons
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 7, 2021) — No matter the time of year, the University of Kentucky campus is a beautiful and special place. But this beauty would not exist if not for the hard work of a special group of staff members on campus.
More than 70 UK Grounds Department staff members work year-round to create and maintain around 800 acres of outdoor space — providing a safe, welcoming environment for our campus community.
This past year, we’ve seen their commitment more than ever before. They work, nearly around the clock for days on end, when severe weather threatens the safety of our campus.
The UK Grounds team is also critically important in helping us meet our sustainability goals. They maintain a campus forest and more than 14,000 trees that provide clean air and regulate stormwater flows. They work hard to keep the campus litter-free and contribute to overall university efforts to minimize the waste we send to the landfill.
"I am so proud of these individuals for partnering with members of the community to re-imagine our outdoor spaces as living, learning labs ... creating new opportunities for education and outreach," said UK President Eli Capilouto. "I’m deeply grateful for every staff member who works tirelessly to help us be the University of, for and with Kentucky."
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.