UK Hosts Inaugural OneUK Talent Day, Connecting Students and Faculty With Industry Collaborators
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 16, 2026) — The University of Kentucky welcomed all eight OneUK companies to campus Sept. 8 for the inaugural OneUK Talent Day, an event designed to deepen connections between industry leaders, faculty and students.
Representatives from Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH), Belcan, Bullard, Catalent, Fidelity Investments, Lockheed Martin, Turner Construction Company and Valvoline Global Operations took part in the daylong event, which paired coordinated classroom visits with dedicated time for company representatives to connect with faculty and students across campus.
“The most impactful partnerships are built on relationships, shared goals and a commitment to creating opportunities for others,” said Kim Kluemper, director of UK Business Engagement. “Through OneUK, we're making it easier for companies to connect with the people and resources across the University of Kentucky while helping students explore careers, build networks and gain insight from industry leaders. OneUK Day is a celebration of those connections and the long-term value they create for both our partners and our university community.”
The day began with a networking breakfast between OneUK liaisons and company representatives. Each company then followed an individualized schedule of classroom visits, allowing representatives to speak directly with students in courses aligned with their industries and connect with those who may be interested in employment after graduation.
At midday, attendees gathered for a lunch featuring a panel discussion that highlighted past OneUK success stories and the impact of collaboration between UK and its industry collaborators. Companies then heard from groups of students during a session titled "Exploring Innovative Recruiting Pathways at UK," which showcased how experiential learning and extracurricular involvement help students build leadership abilities, professional competencies and workforce-ready skills.
The day concluded with a OneUK Collaborator Showcase from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the UK Cornerstone, where each company hosted a table featuring career information, recruitment materials and giveaways, giving students a chance to meet representatives ahead of UK's upcoming career fair.
Open to all students and faculty, the event offered a more relaxed, relationship-focused environment than a traditional career fair.
OneUK Talent Day reflects the program's signature approach to engagement, providing collaborators with a highly curated experience designed to foster meaningful, long-term relationships among faculty, students and industry. By creating intentional opportunities for connection, the inaugural event highlighted the shared value created when industry and higher education work together.