Final Days for Undergrads to Apply for Gaines Center’s Breathitt Lectureship in the Humanities

photo of Tiana The delivering Breathitt Lecture
The Breathitt Lectureship gives an undergraduate the opportunity to present on a humanities topic of great interest to them. The winner also is a recipient of a cash prize.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 19, 2021) Only a few days remain for University of Kentucky undergraduates to apply for the Gaines Center for the Humanities' prestigious 2021 Edward T. Breathitt Undergraduate Lectureship in the Humanities. While applications are welcome from students in any college or major, the lecture must have a strong humanities focus. Any UK faculty member may also nominate a qualified student. Applications are due Monday, March 22. 

The Breathitt Lectureship was established to honor an eminent Kentuckian and outstanding alumnus, former Gov. Edward T. Breathitt, whose interest in higher education and humanities was exceptional. This lectureship is awarded to an undergraduate whose qualities of mind and spirit have been expressed eloquently on one or more of the basic concerns of the humanities.

Each candidate will be required to submit the following in their Breathitt Lectureship application:

  • a working title of the presentation;
  • the course the work is associated with (if the research was done as a part of a course);
  • the name of a faculty mentor who can help the lectureship winner prepare the presentation (if selected);
  • a one- to two- page prospectus outlining the research topic; and
  • two faculty references (these references do not need to provide a letter). 

The Breathitt Lecture will take place virtually via Zoom webinar 7 p.m. Thursday, April 1, 2021. The Edward T. Breathitt Undergraduate Lecturer will receive a special award and an honorarium of $500.

The application for the Breathitt Lectureship can be found online at www.uky.edu/gainescenter/breathitt-lecture. The deadline for application submission is 11:59 p.m. Monday, March 22.

Past Breathitt Lecture titles are available on the Gaines Center’s website. For more information, call the Gaines Center at 859-257-1537 or email Associate Director Chelsea Brislin at clbris4@uky.edu.

Founded in 1984 by a generous gift from John and Joan Gaines, the Gaines Center for the Humanities functions as a laboratory for imaginative and innovative education on UK's campus. The center is devoted to cultivating an appreciation of the humanities in its students and faculty. The Gaines Center embraces varied paths of knowledge and particularly strives to integrate creative work with traditional academic learning.

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.