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LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 29, 2025) — Members of the ɫƵ community took part in a recent installment of the “Inside the Lab: Works in Progress” event series.
Hosted by the Sustainable Futures Design Lab and supported by the Research Leadership Academy and the Office of the Vice President for Research, this series offers a look at the workspaces of researchers, designers, artists and scholars engaged in groundbreaking projects.
The Sustainable Futures Design Lab is collective of scholars who meet regularly to discuss ongoing work, cultivate collaborative projects and share resources to advance community-engaged creative scholarship. This group is committed to socially responsible design research that is connected, critically engaged and a catalyst for positive societal impact in the state to address pressing global issues.
The first event in the lab’s event series, “Inside the Lab: Natural Dyeing and Transdisciplinary Collaboration,” explored the intersection of fiber arts and plant sciences. The event featured Crystal Gregory, a fiber artist from the School of Art and Visual Studies; Shari Dutton, a researcher in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences; and Anne Frances Miller, a biochemist from the College of Arts and Sciences. This session offered attendees the opportunity to see the dyeing process in action and learn about the chemistry and artistry of natural dyes. Participants also had the chance to take home their own color sample as part of the hands-on experience.
Future “Inside the Lab” events will feature additional disciplines and projects, providing continued insight into the diverse and dynamic research happening at UK. The Sustainable Futures Design Lab is planning the next “Inside the Lab” event for the fall and in the meantime, invites faculty from across campus to attend its end-of-year-gathering 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 1, in Room 109 of the Gray Design Building.
RSVP.
Light refreshments will be provided.
This gathering will serve as an opportunity to share brief updates on current research, partnerships and initiatives, reflect on key takeaways from this year’s work, identify opportunities for future collaboration and begin planning for the next academic year.