How does recording the activity of a dying brain change a neurosurgeon’s own perspective on life? Dr. Ajmal Zemmar explains how his research made him reflect on memory, mortality, and the importance of living more fully in the present.
Read More
Dr. Ajmal Zemmar shares his remarkable journey from fleeing the war in Afghanistan as a child to becoming Chief of Neurosurgery at the VA. His path through Germany, Switzerland, Canada, and the U.S. reveals the resilience and dedication behind a career focused on helping patients with Parkinson’s, tremors, epilepsy, and chronic pain through functional neurosurgery.
Read More
“Home” was created as part of Kentucky to the World’s October 2022 program The State of Song: My Old Kentucky Home Faces a Changing World at The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, where Drake sat on a panel with musicians Harry Pickens and Ben Sollee, led in conversation by Emily Bingham, the author of My Old Kentucky Home: The Astonishing Life and Reckoning of an Iconic American Song.
Read More
Entrepreneur Rusty Justice, Media Researcher Sam Ford, and Corporate Strategist Vijay Kamineni discuss the need for investment in digital infrastructure as a critical dimension of assuring labor opportunities for Appalachian Americans in the digital economy.
Read More
MIT Media Researcher Sam Ford, entrepreneur Rusty Justice, and corporate strategist Venkata “Vijay” Kamenini discuss the importance of lifelong learning and reskilling in today’s digital economy.
Read More
The transition from coal miner to tech worker might sound counterintuitive. And for many of Kentucky's legacy miners, it felt that way, too. Pikeville entrepreneur Rusty Justice, Innovation & Technology expert Venkata “Vijay” Kamineni, and MIT Media Researcher Sam Ford discuss how equipping the workforce with an internal narrative focused around a narrative tied to its inherent resilience as an attribute as opposed to the job title itself can set existing and future generations up for successful career trajectories.
Read More
Rusty Justice, co-founder of Bit Source, a software and website development company located in Pikeville, KY, describes the journey of many of Bit Source’s employees from coal miner to tech worker.
Read More
Cassie Chambers Armstrong, Appalachian author, attorney, and Louisville Metro Council Representative, details the importance of elevating diverse voices coming out of Appalachia.
Read More
Cassie Chambers Armstrong explains how being a hillbilly is about having a connection to place.
Read More
Hill Women author and Louisville Metro Councilwoman Cassie Chambers Armstrong describes the basis for her "anti-bootstraps narrative" concerning the experiences of corporate extraction and systemic marginalization within Appalachian communities.
Read More
As a journalist, Perry Bacon, Jr. has witnessed a dramatic change in the way media is consumed by Americans. From his beginnings in news magazines to cable and network news, he has had to stay ahead of the curve.
Read More
Chef Nikkia Rhodes discusses her plans to continue supporting her students and elevating the reputation and image of Kentucky in whatever capacity possible.
Read More
Playwright George C. Wolfe discusses the presence of segregation in the early part of his life and the transition to a more inclusive narrative in his career.
Read More
Playwright George C. Wolfe discusses the spirit of Kentuckians. He references Kentucky’s civil war history and describes Kentucky as “a place of extreme absolutes and fascinating ambiguity.”
Read More
Chef Samantha Fore speaks about the uniqueness of Kentucky stories and the power they hold, saying, "To tell our stories, we have to be unapologetic."
Read More
Chef Nikkia Rhodes shares about the Iroquois High School Culinary Academy and career path intended to prepare students for employment in the hospitality industry.
Read More
Maker’s Mark Diplomat Thomas Bolton shares about The LEE Initiative, an organization that promotes diversity, equity, and sustainability in the restaurant industry.
Read More
Chef Damaris Phillips explains the uniqueness of cooking with bourbon. She shares that all bourbons are different and each dish calls for something different. She also shares some of her favorites to cook with.
Read More
Chef Damaris Phillips shares her “must-dos” for those visiting Kentucky for the first time.
Read More
Chef Damaris Phillips explores the uniqueness of Kentucky’s culinary identity and discusses the history of Louisville and the influence of Appalachia.
Read More