Celebrate College of Education’s 100th anniversary at 'Darius Goes West' screening
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 1, 2024) — The public is invited to a documentary screening and panel discussion at the University of Kentucky College of Education this weekend, in celebration of the college’s 100th anniversary.
UK College of Education assistant professor Collin Shepley, Ph.D., appears in the documentary. As a teen, Shepley was part of a group of teenagers on a cross country road trip to get their friend’s wheelchair customized on the MTV show "Pimp My Ride." A film about their journey premiered at the Santa Barbara Film Festival where it won the Audience Choice Award. It was an official selection of the Tribeca Film Festival.
Register to learn more about this journey at 5 p.m. Sunday, March 3, at the UK College of Education in 158 Taylor Education Building located at 597 S. Upper St. The event is hosted by the Department of Early Childhood, Special Education and Counselor Education. Parking, including accessible spots, will be available behind the building. There are accessible entrances in both the front and back of Taylor Education Building.
The screening of "Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life" will begin at 5 p.m.
Stay for refreshments and a panel discussion from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. with:
- Film director Logan Smalley;
- Stephanie Kent, content creator and past producer at TED;
- Darrell Mattingly, web developer at the UK Human Development Institute and wheelchair user;
- Andrea Hampton-Hall, Ph.D., co-director of the Interdisciplinary Disability Studies Program and clinical assistant professor and
- moderator Collin Shepley, Ph.D., assistant professor.
“This is a hilarious and heart-warming documentary that is appropriate for all ages,” Shepley said. “I was a part of the making of this film when I was 18 years old and it occupies a special place in my heart. I truly believe that this film will enhance the lives of everyone who sees it.”
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.