STEM Education faculty to discuss film 'Gravity' following free screening Nov. 12
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 9, 2023) — The University of Kentucky College of Education is celebrating 100 years in its history as a college and the Department of STEM Education is marking the occasion by offering a free screening of the film “Gravity” (PG-13), 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12 at the Lyric Theatre.
Following the screening, STEM Education professors will lead a discussion about the accuracy of the scientific details of the film. Registration is open now. Free popcorn, drinks and snacks will be provided.
“Gravity is an award-winning film that, in addition to being an amazing movie, has some great connections to STEM,” said Jonathan Thomas, Ph.D., UK College of Education Department of STEM Education professor and chair.
The film screening is part of a yearlong series of events commemorating the impact and innovations made in the decades since the College of Education was established in 1923.
During the past 100 years, the College of Education has built upon its beginnings in teacher preparation to now offer more than 90 degrees and programs. As has been common in colleges of education across the U.S. during the past several decades, existing degree programs, faculty expertise, facilities, and equipment have been built upon through the years to meet the evolving needs of society in sport, health and education. For instance, programs that initially focused on training physical education teachers have grown to include areas outside teacher certification, such as sport leadership, kinesiology, exercise science, sport psychology and health promotion.
Although the college was formally established in 1923, its roots go as far back as 1880. During that period, individuals seeking to become among the most highly qualified teachers of their time came to what the Kentucky General Assembly established as a Normal School for the training of teachers. This college history was detailed during the university’s sesquicentennial celebration in 2015. To read a full timeline of the college’s history, visit http://education.uky.edu/100Years/history.
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.