It is my pleasure to welcome you to the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences. Whether you are coming to us as a student, faculty member, staff member, researcher, or scientist, here you will become part of an interprofessional community of service-oriented scholars aspiring to change lives through education, research, healing, and care.
At CHS, we’re in the business of opening doors. This college truly is the gateway to all aspects of the health sciences landscape. We create and curate a collaborative culture where faculty, staff, and students can push their limits, explore new possibilities and elevate their knowledge and skills to new levels.
We remain committed to establishing degree programs that intentionally prepare our graduates for careers in any medical setting or professional school. Our programs in communication sciences and disorders, medical laboratory sciences, and physician assistant studies all boast 100 percent exam pass rates.
In addition to our academic success, the spirit of discovery at CHS is alive and well. Our faculty, students and graduates are creating new knowledge—contributing to a groundbreaking research enterprise that enhances lives in Kentucky and beyond. Research in the College spans the continuum from basic to clinical science, and we remain within the top 20 in NIH funding for colleges of allied health. In the fiscal year 2025, the College reported 39 active grant accounts totaling more than $13 million.
We’re focused on exploring solutions to unsolved problems and answering the questions that matter. From the development of a device that will provide actionable information about a neonatal baby’s ability to feed; pilot research that could implement one of the first concussion protocols for jockeys; delving into the science behind the physical and mental fitness of our military elite; or investigating how an interprofessional approach between speech language pathologists and teachers helps students with severe disabilities have a voice, our student and faculty researchers are transforming their knowledge to implement results at the most human level.
It’s this desire to help all people achieve the highest level of health that drives us, and service is at the heart of our story. CHS alumni have started free health clinics in Kentucky and opened clinics to care for orphans in Africa. Our students invest in local and national communities through service-learning courses that teach them about the compassion a career in health care demands. And, our faculty are dedicated to seeing Kentuckians rise above health-related challenges and reclaim their life. Just ask Dr. Pat Kitzman who founded the Kentucky Appalachian Rural Rehabilitation Network—a collaborative team devoted to improving outcomes of Appalachian citizens affected by neurological conditions.
Soon, we will be doing all of this with more space, as we plan on moving some of our programs into the new Michael D. Rankin MD Health Education Building in 2026. That means an increase in students, research and solutions that will help the people of our Commonwealth.
The common thread connecting our work in education, research, and service is helping people attain optimal health. Each member of the CHS community contributes in a unique and vital way to improving the lives of others. We are proud of our work. You can do something to be proud of at CHS. We hope you will join us.
Scott M. Lephart, PhD
scott.lephart@uky.edu
Dean
College of Health Sciences
Endowed Chair of Orthopaedic Research
University of Kentucky
Office of the Dean
Charles T. Wethington, Jr., Building, Room 123
900 South Limestone
Lexington, KY 40536-0200
Phone: (859) 218-0480
Fax: (859) 323-1058