By Ryan Girves 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 25, 2026) — Beaux Hardin, a University of Kentucky senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, Lewis Honors College student and Gaines Fellow, has been selected to give the 31st annual Edward T. Breathitt Undergraduate Lectureship in the Humanities.

 Hardin’s lecture will explore poetry as a creative medium that invents new language, connecting people across cultures and creating an immaterial space that redefines identity.

Hardin will deliver the lecture, “Black Que(e)ries: Bridging Communities through Poetic Origins from Black Archives,” at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 9, in the Davis Marksbury Building.

“To me, being able to share my critical theoretical research alongside inspired creative work means other students can see that research can be whatever they want or need it to be,” Hardin said. “Research doesn’t exist in just one medium or one topic — it belongs to every field, in whatever form best communicates what you’ve discovered. I’m proud to share creative humanities research and interdisciplinary work that is so integral to understanding the human experience.”

The Breathitt Lectureship is presented by the Gaines Center for the Humanities. The student speaker is chosen through an application process that includes a lecture proposal submitted to an independent committee of readers.

“The Breathitt Lecture is a proud tradition in Gaines for recognizing exceptional undergraduate humanities scholarship,” said Michelle Sizemore, Ph.D., director of the Gaines Center for the Humanities. “We’re eager to hear Beaux’s exploration of poetry as a transcultural conversation used to exchange expression, identity and tradition.”

Established to honor Edward T. Breathitt, an eminent Kentuckian, former governor of Kentucky and UK alumnus, the lectureship recognizes undergraduate students whose work reflects the core concerns of the humanities, including form, value and memory. Presented by the Gaines Center for the Humanities, the award includes a $500 honorarium.

Admission to the event is free and open to the public, but registration is requested, and is available online.

Founded in 1984 by a generous gift from John and Joan Gaines, the Gaines Center for the Humanities functions as a laboratory for imaginative and innovative education on UK's campus. The center is devoted to cultivating an appreciation of the humanities in its students and faculty. The Gaines Center embraces varied paths of knowledge and particularly strives to integrate creative work with traditional academic learning.