Land-grant University Partnership

As Kentucky’s land-grant universities, Kentucky State University and the University of Kentucky have a long-standing track record of collaboration and engagement through the Kentucky Cooperative Extension System. The universities work collaboratively at the county, multi-county, regional and state levels. Joint projects periodically connect with and leverage expertise from the two universities at-large.

Funded through an interagency agreement with the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Kentucky Cooperative Extension (UK and KSU) are working in partnership with the College of Pharmacy to address health disparities among rural and other underserved communities. This initiative is called the Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching & Engagement (EXCITE). This program utilizes subject matter experts to provide vaccine related education, in addition to utilizing student interns from the College of Pharmacy partnering with community pharmacies to hold pop-up vaccine clinics.

The collaborative work is coordinated through joint administrative and staff leadership, co-located county extension agents and staff, and a single state-level advisory council including extension leaders recruited by both universities. Examples of current collaborative projects are highlighted here.