This week, Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) is welcoming its largest freshman class in many years. More than 50% of incoming freshmen at EKU are the first in their families to pursue a college degree; more than 30% are from EKU’s service region; and more than 95% were offered some form of financial aid. In addition […]

“There was an aligning of the stars,” said Dr. James Kirby Easterling, director and assistant professor of global supply chain management, about the start of EKU’s Supply Chain Management program. “Doug [former EKU President Whitlock] had the vision, I had the capability and love of the university, and when we added timing, it just turned […]

“When I decided to attend college, I was so excited but part of me felt guilty. I was leaving my family behind and knowing that they already struggled financially, I was worried that me going to college would be just another expense they would have to help pay,” said Charity Asher, who came to Eastern […]

One year ago, communities across Eastern Kentucky were devastated with widespread flooding. Homes were lost, families were displaced and entire communities were damaged.  With an emphasis on service, last fall’s Spanish service-learning class at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) wanted to help. The class of 15 students set out on a mission to purchase new books […]

The campus of Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) is to be featured in a made-for-tv movie, giving the EKU and Richmond community a chance to experience filmmaking. When the independent film crew needed extras, a record 2,400 students, faculty, staff and community members signed up. Some students even had the opportunity to fill key positions and […]

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) has been named to the 2023 Transfer Honor Roll list by Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK). The Transfer Honor Roll recognizes 208 colleges and universities for the dynamic pathways created to support community college transfer students.   “EKU has a holistic approach to recruiting transfer students,” said Heather Davis, EKU’s director of transfer […]

At 2 a.m. on July 28, 2022, Kandis Jenkins awoke to the sound of bubbling water. When she got out of bed to investigate the noise, water was up to her ankles and she soon realized her family’s home in Letcher County, Kentucky, was flooding. Within the short amount of time of waking up her […]

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) has appointed Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Vincent A. Thomas as the new executive director of the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs (OMVA). Thomas will oversee efforts in recruitment, enrollment and retention of veteran and military students while ensuring program success and federal and state regulatory compliance. Additionally, Thomas will coordinate campus-wide […]

The Student Assistance Fund for Eastern (SAFE) launched in 2020 with a vision to help Colonels in need during crises. Whether a global pandemic, natural disaster or unexpected emergency, the EKU community stands ready to help students during tumultuous times in their lives. When the devastating flood hit Eastern Kentucky last summer, senior Emily Stacy […]

While graduate student Joshua Castle may have taken a non-traditional route to pursue his education, he’s now living out his passions studying wildlife biology and working for EKU’s Taylor Fork Ecological Area.  “When Josh stopped by my office to inquire about working at Taylor Fork, it was obvious that he was on a mission,” said […]

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) is opening applications to a certificate program that is the first of its kind in the United States. The Financial Technology and Cybercrime certification program is geared toward working professionals and upcoming students interested in the banking and financial industry, filling a critical need in the sector.  “Cyber security is one […]

The Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) Society of Foundation Professors inducted professors Dr. Lisa W. Kay and Dr. Matthew P. Winslow on May 2, 2023, during a dinner at the EKU Center of the Arts. Former EKU President, Dr. Michael Benson, was inducted as an honorary Foundation Professor. EKU’s Society of Foundation Professors is the highest […]

When Miguel Bautista, ’14, witnessed firefighters responding to a structure fire and watched  how they operated, it jolted his 18 year long career in public safety. Now, Bautista serves as the first Latinx division chief for the Scappoose Fire District in Oregon.  According to a 2020 report by the National Fire Protection Association, only 2% of […]

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) has selected Mary Beth Neiser as vice president for University Development and Alumni Engagement and executive director of the EKU Foundation. Neiser will join EKU on July 19, 2023. In this position, Neiser will lead the university’s philanthropic efforts, donor and alumni engagement strategies, and administrative operations within the department. “I […]

Eastern Kentucky University’s (EKU) Lilley Cornett Woods Appalachian Ecological Research Station in Letcher County, Kentucky was inducted into the Old-Growth Forest Network (OGFN) on June 13, 2023. Sarah Adloo, executive director of the Old-Growth Forest Network, conveyed the distinction to Curtis Cox, manager of Lilley Cornett Woods and Dr. Stephen Richter, director, Division of Natural […]

Megan Thoben, ’10, earned her degree in aviation management from Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in just three years. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Thoben says EKU’s aviation program is what drew her to the school. “I had looked at several other programs across multiple surrounding states and decided on EKU for one big reason: the obvious […]

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) named Dr. Anna Catterson as the executive director of EKU’s Office of Online Learning. Catterson will join EKU on July 1, 2023, and will oversee the daily operations of EKU Online including the management of over 4,000 students currently enrolled in online learning. Catterson earned both a bachelor’s in business and […]

Jessica Overbay, senior political science major and pre-law and communication studies minor, is one of the Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) students selected for this year’s Colonels at the Capitol Internship Program (CCIP). CCIP interns spend Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Kentucky State Capitol working with state legislators.  “The Colonels at the Capitol Internship Program has […]

Times-Tribune Reporter, Christen Gibson, ’22, attributes her success to the Colonel community and the resources made available to her as she balanced life as a full-time student, an Eastern Progress employee and a mother of two children.  Prior to coming to EKU, Gibson attended community college on and off for eight years. When she decided […]

Within minutes of each other, quadruplets Emma, Kobe, Griffin and Luke Staude were born on January 26, 2003. “We shared a lot,” Luke said of the quadruplet experience. Now the quadruplets are sharing together in the Eastern experience, although each with unique and differing interests.  Emma, the first born of the four, is a broadcasting and […]

The Colonels at the Capitol Internship Program (CCIP) allows Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) students the opportunity to gain hands-on knowledge of the state’s political process while developing professional skills through research, communication and networking. Participants work alongside Kentucky legislators, spending Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort throughout the spring semester. One […]

On Eastern Kentucky University’s (EKU) fourth annual Giving Day on April 19, 2023, donors from every state, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, helped surpass the goal of 2,292 donors. This goal represented the number of graduates in the Spring 2022 commencement ceremonies. On the 2023 Giving Day, there were a total of 2,563 donors, […]

Faculty and staff members represented Eastern Kentucky University at the 40th annual Kentucky Association of Blacks in Higher Education (KABHE) Conference, “Ruby Jubilee Celebration.” The purpose of KABHE is to promote the advancement of Black professionals in higher education by articulating needs and concerns, promoting unity and cooperation and enhancing the personal and professional growth […]

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) risk management and insurance major, Rylee Meachum, is one of this year’s selected participants for the Colonels at the Capitol Internship Program (CCIP). Throughout this semester, the Harlan, Kentucky native has spent Tuesdays and Thursdays interning under Representative Ashley Tackett Laferty at the Kentucky State Capitol. Laferty graduated from EKU in […]