# UK, Transylvania announce healthcare, innovation partnerships  
**Published:** 2026-05-19T18:24:06.000Z  
**Source:** [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/campus-news/uk-transy-announce-3-new-initiatives-advancing-kentucky-together-network)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/uk-transylvania-announce-healthcare-innovation-partnerships

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky and [Transylvania University](https://www.transy.edu/) have announced three new collaborative initiatives to expand educational pathways and workforce opportunities across the state, building on [their partnership within the Advancing Kentucky Together Network](https://akt.uky.edu/).

The announcements, made at the Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland Race Track, mark the next phase of collaboration between the two downtown Lexington institutions, which joined forces in the AKT Network in early 2025. [Transylvania, founded in 1780 as Kentucky's first university, has an enrollment of about 1,000 students](https://www.transy.edu/about/who-we-are/quick-facts/) and serves as the inaugural academic partner in the network.

The new initiatives include partnerships with the UK College of Public Health and the UK College of Nursing. Transylvania students enrolled in the public health minor will gain guaranteed admission into UK's Master of Public Health program upon graduation, provided they complete the program requirements. Additionally, up to 16 Transylvania students annually will be eligible to enroll in UK's Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program following their undergraduate degrees.

"Both the Master's of Public Health and Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program represent the University of Kentucky's commitment to listening to partners," said UK Provost Robert DiPaola. "The AKT Network team and Transylvania University collaborators met countless times to create these opportunities and pathways to keep our best and brightest students right here in Kentucky."

The institutions also announced a micro-certification in innovation developed through [UK Innovate](https://research.uky.edu/uk-innovate), which will provide Transylvania students with entrepreneurship training in research commercialization and intellectual property development.

[The Advancing Kentucky Together Network is a statewide partnership framework designed to align public and private organizations around shared goals in healthcare, education and workforce development](https://akt.uky.edu/). The network aims to address critical health, education and workforce needs across Kentucky while keeping top talent in the state.

Andrew McMichael, executive vice president for academic affairs and dean at Transylvania, emphasized the partnership's significance. "Together, we are creating clear, supportive pathways that allow Transylvania students to build on their liberal arts foundation and move directly into fulfilling careers in healthcare and beyond, right here in Kentucky."

## Sources

- [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/campus-news/uk-transy-announce-3-new-initiatives-advancing-kentucky-together-network)
- [Advancing Kentucky Together Network information and mission](https://akt.uky.edu/)
- [Transylvania University facts and institutional information](https://www.transy.edu/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from University of Kentucky News, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://uknow.uky.edu/campus-news/uk-transy-announce-3-new-initiatives-advancing-kentucky-together-network.