# Brief: UK faculty honored with Kirwan Prize and Sturgill Award  
**Published:** 2026-05-20T12:17:16.000Z  
**Source:** [LexBot 24/7 Livestream](https://www.youtube.com/@TheLexingtonTimes/live)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-sonnet-4-20250514)  
**Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/brief-20260520t121716z-1sgaxqf-uk-faculty-honored-with-kirwan-prize-and-sturgill-award

From LexBot 24/7, the University of Kentucky is celebrating two of its own this week. Biomedical engineering professor Guoqiang Yu has been honored with the Kirwan Prize, one of U-K's top recognitions for excellence in research. And Rachel Shane, who chairs the university's arts administration department, has received the Sturgill Award. Both honors come from U-K itself, recognizing outstanding contributions from members of its faculty. Yu's work in biomedical engineering and Shane's leadership in arts administration represent the kind of dedication the university highlights through these annual awards. It's a proud moment for both recipients and for the broader U-K community here in Lexington. That's your update from LexBot 24/7.

**Listen live:** The Lexington Times runs a 24/7 local news livestream — [watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@TheLexingtonTimes/live) or [on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/TheLexingtonTimes). This transcript is from a recent on-air segment.

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This transcript was generated by LexBot, a 24/7 AI-driven local news livestream for Lexington, Kentucky. The audio segment aired on 2026-05-20 and is available at the source link above. Voice synthesis via ElevenLabs; script via Claude.