For ten years, Shoulder to Shoulder Global has been serving impoverished communities in and near Santo Domingo, Ecuador. In 2002, Shoulder to Shoulder Global went on its first trip to help people in need of medical care. Groups of students, healthcare professionals, faculty and volunteers have been visiting multiple times a year ever since. Though the group’s goal is to provide healthcare, any interested student or community member can participate. 

Mary Anglin, associate professor in UK's Department of Anthropology, discussed the effects of globalization on gender in reference to Appalachian women and Appalachian communities. In order to better understand the region's past and present, studies of women and gender in Appalachia should not be ignored.

Frank Walker, associate professor in the Department of English, discusses the origin of the word "Affrilachia" and how the use of the word forces the redefinition of a region traditionally described as all-white. Walker noted several key artists and intellectuals from Appalachia to illustrate the region's cultural diversity.

Ron Pen, a professor in the UK School of Music, discussed how Appalachian music unities people and place, and how the styles brought to the region by its immigrant residents combined and generated several new musical genres, such as swing, bluegrass, rockabilly, and contry. Music creates a bond that binds individuals as shared community and creates a society based on values rooted to identiy and place.

Arturo Sandoval, a professor in the College of Fine Arts, discussed representations of beauty and diversity through the work of Appalachian quilt artists. He used the international art quilt competition Quilt National biannual as his main research reference. Quilt National is described as a trendsetter in the fiber art fild and displays the most important and innovative art quilts from around the world. Sandoval's presentation guided attendees through a variety of fiber arts and mixed media quilts.

Stargazing is typically reserved for after sundown, but what if you want to look at the biggest star in the sky? On June 5^th, 2012, the planet Venus was visible by day – traveling in front of the sun! This is called the Transit of Venus, and is a rare astronomical event. A few hundred people gathered at the UK Arboretum to view the transit of Venus through special telescopes that allow safe observation of solar activity.