The University of Kentucky and the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment invite the educational community to the first Kentucky Network for Supporting High Impact Practices (KYnsHIP) Conference—designed to foster innovative best practices in teaching and learning. Thanks to the support and generosity of The Bill Gatton Foundation, this April 4 event is free for all participants. All students, faculty, staff and educators in Kentucky are invited. 

Along with engaging workshops, the conference offers networking and collaboration opportunities—connecting educators and students from across Kentucky. 

“We are building the next generation of classroom and teaching laboratories—reinforcing our commitment to hands-on learning and instructional innovation and increasing our focus on career and professional development mentorship,” said Carmen Agouridis, senior associate dean at Martin-Gatton CAFE. “Our college is dedicated to the principle of putting students first.” 

The event will feature keynote speaker Sarah Bunnell, a leader in education innovation and director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning at Elon University, who will speak on student success and faculty development. 

“We are honored to welcome Dr. Bunnell as the event’s keynote speaker,” said Lou Hirsch, Bill Gatton Foundation faculty scholar, assistant professor at Martin-Gatton CAFE and 2023 UK outstanding teaching award recipient. “Her distinguished career, dedication in advancing teaching practices and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration in higher education will bring great value to this event. We welcome educators and students in Kentucky to join us, sharing your ideas and learning from others.” 

Presentation proposals are being accepted until March 14, inviting participants to share their best practices in education and learning. To prioritize creativity and innovation, presenters are encouraged to avoid screen-based presentations and focus on interactive, hands-on activities that engage learners through multiple senses. Special consideration will be given to proposals that partner with students in some creative way. 

To foster more collaboration in higher education, the KYnsHIP conference aims to equip more educators with the best teaching practices and provide more students with the skills to be workforce-ready at graduation and beyond. 

The event will be at the UK Gatton Student Center on campus, beginning at 8:30 a.m. and concluding at 3 p.m. with a continental breakfast and lunch.  

Visit https://kynship.ca.uky.edu to register as space remains available. The final registration deadline is March 28.

### 

Writer: Christopher Carney, Christopher.Carney@uky.edu   

University of Kentucky alum and former trustee Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton bestowed a transformational $100 million gift to the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment through The Bill Gatton Foundation. It is the largest gift to the university in its history. 

Four Pillars of The Bill Gatton Foundation's Gift are Scholarships and Student Success Initiatives; Companion Animal Program; Capital Projects and New Initiatives Fund; and Faculty Research. 

The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is an Equal Opportunity Organization with respect to education and employment and authorization to provide research, education information and other services to individuals and institutions that provide equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status.