LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 7, 2026) — The Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment at the University of Kentucky selected 12 students for the first cohort of Tracy Farmer Scholars conducting research in environment and sustainability.
Among them are:
- Anish Penmecha, undergraduate, Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Lewis Honors College (mentor: Yosra Helmy).
- Cat Lamb, graduate student, Department of Sociology, College of Arts and Sciences (mentor: Keiko Tanaka).
- Jessica Nwafor, graduate student, Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences (mentor: Crystal Felima)
- Motunrayo Oladele, graduate student, Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences (m
- entor: Marcelo Guzman).
The cohort includes eight graduate students and four undergraduate students, who will each receive a $6,000 fellowship to support their research, either during the summer or the 2026-27 academic year.
Scholars will conduct their research under the supervision of a UK faculty or staff research mentor. The cohort will meet regularly to share ideas across disciplinary boundaries and learn about UK’s many research resources.
This new program from the TFISE, a cross-college research institute under the Office of the Vice President for Research, aims to expand student engagement in environmental and sustainability-focused research across colleges, programs and disciplines.
“The Tracy Farmer Scholars represent the next generation of environmental and sustainability research in the Commonwealth,” said Lauren E. Cagle, Ph.D., Tracy Farmer Institute director and associate professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies in UK's College of Arts and Sciences. “Our investment in scholars is an investment in an environmentally resilient and sustainable future.”
The institute received applications from 38 students across 20 departments in five colleges. Applications were reviewed by subject matter experts, and the 12 students selected received top marks from reviewers and represent a wide cross-section of disciplines at UK.
“This program supports my research on how residents in Florida’s Space Coast understand and prioritize risks where spaceflight, conservation and coastal hazards intersect,” said anthropology Ph.D. candidate Jessica Nwafor. “It will fund my initial fieldwork, allowing me to collect data directly from communities and inform local decisions on disaster preparedness, land use and environmental risk management.”
“We are thrilled to have such a breadth of expertise and interests in the inaugural cohort of Tracy Farmer Scholars,” Cagle said. “Environment and sustainability touch every aspect of our lives, and that is reflected in how many of our faculty and students at UK are conducting research in these areas.”
For more information on the Tracy Farmer Scholars, visit research.uky.edu/tfise/scholars.