Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in partnership with the Kentucky Rural Education Association (KREA) and Partners for Rural Impact, has named Starla Benge of Rockcastle County Schools as Kentucky’s first Rural Teacher of the Year. Benge is a two-time graduate of EKU, earning a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education in 2011 and a Master of […]

“Success isn’t measured by who you leave behind—it’s about how many people you bring with you.” It’s a sentiment Coy and Gladys (Collins) Pigman lived out every day and one their daughter, Heather, still hears echoing in her heart. That phrase, repeated often in their home, now endures through the Collins Pigman Endowed Scholarship at […]

David Silver, ’90, was honored with the Distinguished Service Award from Eastern Kentucky University (EKU). The Best of Eastern Alumni Awards, presented annually during Homecoming weekend, celebrate excellence among EKU alumni. The Distinguished Service Award recognizes those who have demonstrated a heart of service with EKU or within their communities. Recipients of this award are […]

On March 22, more than 40 students from the Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) Choirs stepped into the spotlight at Carnegie Hall, one of the most iconic concert venues in the world, for a performance they will never forget. This marked EKU’s first major choir tour since 2017. The students, representing all three EKU choral ensembles, […]

Michael Nygren, ’70, was honored with the Distinguished Service Award from Eastern Kentucky University (EKU). The Best of Eastern Alumni Awards, presented annually during Homecoming weekend, celebrate excellence among EKU alumni. The Distinguished Service Award recognizes those who have demonstrated a heart of service with EKU or within their communities. Recipients of this award are […]

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) will celebrate the impact of giving on its seventh annual Giving Day, Wednesday, April 22. With the theme “Your Gift, Their Future,” alumni, students, employees and friends are invited to join this one-day fundraising effort to support EKU students. “Giving Day is about the future of our students,” said EKU President […]

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) announced a $2 million endowed gift from Gray, a nationally recognized construction and engineering firm, to advance EKU’s Construction Management program and strengthen one of Kentucky’s most in-demand workforce pipelines.  The gift establishes an endowed professorship, funding a permanent faculty position in EKU’s Construction Management program. The endowed professorship will allow […]

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) College of Business earned recognition as the inaugural champion of the Direct Effect Fall Marketing Blitz competition, scoring 1,766 points—more than double the second-place team.  Students in EKU’s Essentials of Marketing and Principles of Marketing classes competed against universities across the country in a United States Postal Service initiative designed to […]

A portrait of Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) President Dr. David T. McFaddin was unveiled at the EKU Center for the Arts on Friday, March 27. The portrait shows McFaddin standing in front of a window with EKU’s campus and the iconic clock tower of the Keen Johnson Building in the background.  “The framing of the […]

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) is now the third-largest public university in Kentucky for student enrollment, according to the latest data from the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE). EKU reported total enrollment of 15,969 students for Fall 2025. With steady enrollment growth over the past few years, EKU became Kentucky’s largest regional public university for […]

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) has been named the No. 1 large public university in the nation in the 2026-27 Military Friendly® Schools rankings.  “EKU has a long history of excellence in veterans education, and we are beyond proud to be recognized as the best in the country for Military Friendly® Schools,” said EKU President David […]

To describe Dr. Deborah Alexander by a single title—diplomat, scholar, humanitarian—would never capture the full depth of her story. Her career has spanned continents and crises, peacekeeping missions and pivotal elections, always driven by a deep and unwavering belief: that we are all part of one human family.  Dr. Alexander’s passion for travel and cross-cultural […]

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) and EKU alumnus Dr. Andrew Napier, an emergency room physician, former Army combat medic, Purple Heart recipient, Pat Tillman Scholar and CEO of the medical equipment manufacturer, IntuBlade, announced an equipment donation for students in the Emergency Medical Care (EMC) program on April 7.  Napier donated a fleet of IntuBlade video […]

The Institute for Creative and Collaborative Arts (ICCA) School of Music is proud to announce that the Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) Trombone Society was invited to the 2026 American Trombone Workshop in Ft. Myer, Virginia.  Hosted by the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” March 25-28, the 2026 American Trombone Workshop held on historic Joint Base […]

The Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) football team and the United Athletic Conference (UAC) have announced significant updates to the 2026 season. The UAC will have eight playing members with the University of West Florida joining as a football-only member. As a result of this expansion, EKU has officially designated Saturday, Oct. 24, as the 2026 […]

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) is committed to serving communities across the Commonwealth, with a special focus on the state’s rural communities. As Kentucky faces healthcare shortages, EKU continues to address workforce needs through expanded educational opportunities, ensuring graduates are prepared for the jobs of today and tomorrow. According to the AAFP Family Medicine State Fact […]

John and Carrie Lewis know that connection has the power to transform lives. It’s what brought them together, guided their careers and ultimately inspired their recent gift to EKU in support of the nationally ranked aviation program.  Their story began in the trombone section of the University of Kentucky marching band. “We spent hours practicing, […]

Scott Northcutt, ’84, Defies the Odds, Rising From First-Gen Student to Corporate Leadership In high school, no one believed that Scott Northcutt, ’84, was college material—not his family or his guidance counselor—so he had to believe in himself. He was satisfied with making B’s and C’s until something clicked during his junior year. He realized […]

Kenton Buckner, ’99 ’08, was honored with the Distinguished Service Award from Eastern Kentucky University (EKU). The Best of Eastern Alumni Awards, presented annually during Homecoming weekend, celebrate excellence among EKU alumni. The Distinguished Service Award recognizes those who have demonstrated a heart of service with EKU or within their communities. Recipients of this award […]

Several rural Kentucky schools are defying barriers to reading outcomes, fueled by teachers educated at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU). The 74, a nonprofit news organization, recently released the Top 5 Schools in Each State Beating the Odds in 3rd Grade Reading. All five of the Kentucky elementary schools listed are located in EKU’s service region, […]

Paige Williams, ’87, was honored with the Professional Achievement Award from Eastern Kentucky University (EKU). The Best of Eastern Alumni Awards, presented annually during Homecoming weekend, celebrate excellence among EKU alumni. The Professional Achievement Award recognizes individuals who have made significant and lasting service to their field, earning the respect and admiration of their peers […]

Social workers help people navigate some of life’s hardest moments. For Lexington native Brandy Carr, that calling led her to Eastern Kentucky University’s (EKU) online social work program. Today, the mom of three balances family life and full-time work while preparing for a career in social work.  “At EKU, we meet our students where they […]

Mollie Harris, ’06 ’13 ’21, was awarded with the Young Alumni Award from Eastern Kentucky University (EKU). The Best of Eastern Alumni Awards, presented annually during Homecoming weekend, celebrate excellence among EKU alumni. The Young Alumni Award recognizes individuals who graduated from EKU in the last 10 years and have demonstrated exceptional talent in their […]

When you sit down with Dr. Geri Polvino, one theme emerges again and again: growth is forged through challenges, not despite them. It’s a conviction that carried her from the classroom to the volleyball courts of EKU to a successful second career in finance, and it’s what continues to fuel her extraordinary generosity to EKU […]