Gaines Center selects newest cohort of Gaines Fellows

By Ryan Girves 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 25, 2025) — The University of Kentucky Gaines Center for the Humanities announced the selection of 12 undergraduates as the newest class of Gaines fellows.

The Gaines Fellowship is a two-year program that enriches the undergraduate experience by fostering an interdisciplinary approach to the humanities. Fellows are selected based on their academic performance, ability to conduct independent research, commitment to addressing public issues and passion for deepening the understanding of the human condition through the humanities.

The 12 newl Gaines fellows are:

  • Sidney Acree - English (College of Arts and Sciences and Lewis Honors College); Burkesville.
  • Priscilla Agbozo - exploratory business (Gatton College of Business and Economics and Lewis Honors College); Mesaiees, Qatar.
  • Hunter Coady - biology and English (College of Arts and Sciences and Lewis Honors College); Crestwood.
  • Carter Franklin - international studies and Spanish (College of Arts and Sciences and Lewis Honors College); Louisville.
  • Eduarda Frizzo Pereira - economics (Gatton College of Business and Economics) and political science (College of Arts and Sciences); Porto Alegre, Brazil.
  • AJ Hopkins - natural resources and environmental science (Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment), law and justice (College of Arts and Sciences) and Lewis Honors College; Independence.
  • Matthew Mitchem - political science and economics (College of Arts and Sciences), public policy (Martin School) and Lewis Honors College; Nicholasville.
  • Riley Owen - biology and neuroscience (College of Arts and Sciences and Lewis Honors College), Burlington.
  • Prisha Patel - architecture (College of Design and Lewis Honors College); Lexington.
  • Cecilia Rhein - integrated strategic communication (College of Communication and Information); Lexington.
  • Da’Vazjah Scharkley - psychology and social sciences research (College of Arts and Sciences); Adairville.
  • Sanai Wright - English and history (College of Arts and Sciences and Lewis Honors College); Chicago.

“I am completely ecstatic — the humanities are not just a discipline, but a passion I hold so close to my heart,” Carter Franklin said. “To me, they are the key to delivering impactful change and making a difference in the world.”

Gaines fellows engage in a rigorous academic experience that includes a specially designed, four-credit-hour-per-semester humanities seminar during their junior year. Additionally, each junior fellow must complete a jury project, which involves proposing and, optionally, implementing an improvement for a local community. In their senior year, fellows undertake an independent study project ranging from six to 15 credit hours, culminating in a thesis that must be submitted and defended before a committee of three university faculty members and the Gaines Center director.

Beyond coursework, Gaines Fellows benefit from an immersive educational experience that includes field trips, lectures and other enriching activities designed to broaden their perspectives and deepen their intellectual curiosity.

Founded in 1984 through the generosity of John and Joan Gaines, the Gaines Center for the Humanities serves as a beacon of innovative education at UK. As a laboratory for creativity and interdisciplinary scholarship, the center continues to advance the university’s mission of developing thoughtful, engaged leaders poised to shape the future of Kentucky and beyond.

For more information, call the Gaines Center at 859-257-1537 or email Associate Director Chelsea Brislin at clbris4@uky.edu.