LEXINGTON, Ky. — Andrew Pilny, a communication professor at the University of Kentucky, has been named a 2026-27 University Research Professor, according to an announcement from the university.

Pilny, the Douglas A. and Carole A. Boyd Professor in the College of Communication and Information, was among 17 faculty members selected by the UK Board of Trustees. The recognition comes as the university marks 50 years of the University Research Professors program, established in 1976 to recognize excellence across the full spectrum of research at UK.

Since joining UK in 2015, Pilny has built a research program focused on social network analysis, organizational communication and artificial intelligence. His current work, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, examines how financial and ownership networks shape power and inequality across organizations.

The researcher has authored more than 60 scholarly works, including serving as lead author of "AI in the Workplace," which explores how artificial intelligence systems reshape communication and organizational structures. Pilny also holds a joint appointment in sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences and serves as a faculty affiliate in management at the Gatton College of Business and Economics.

Pilny said the honor provides meaningful recognition and allows him to advance research on how individuals use artificial intelligence for social companionship—work he described as addressing growing concerns about isolation and loneliness. "Funding, especially in the social sciences, is getting harder to come by these days," Pilny said in an interview. "These funds will be vital for participant payment" in his ongoing projects.

His NSF-funded work takes him into rural, farming-dependent counties to understand the challenges facing small farmers, including rising costs and uncertain markets. "We hope to identify the root causes that can steer legislation in the right direction," he said.

Each University Research Professor receives a one-year award of $10,000. The program recognizes excellence in work that addresses scientific, social, cultural and economic challenges in Kentucky and beyond.