Awards/honors

■ The Governor's Scholars Program has announced the second class of American Electric Power Foundation Governor's Scholars. From the 2012 class of Governor's Scholars, these 25 scholars were selected from the 20 counties that AEP serves in Eastern Kentucky: Kadin Ashley, Kelly Heishman and Zachary Jones, Ashland; Jozie Banas, Olive Hill; Sara Biery, Pikeville; Rex Bray, Manchester; Adam Caskey, Tollesboro; Ryann Conley and Jonathan Wells, Grayson; Charly Hyden, Minnie; Brynnan Jacobs, Pippa Passes; Elizabeth Jordan, Paintsville; Zachary Joseph, Whitesburg; Caitlin Kidd, Prestonsburg; Caellaigh Kimpston, Russell; Kaitlin Lemaster, Louisa; Caitlin Malone, Flatwoods; Hayley Mullins, Hazard; Katelyn Newsome, Inez; Lara Osborne, Jonancy; Tracey Standafer, Malone; Cassidy Teager, Morehead; Randall Turner, Lost Creek; Holly Ward, Salyersville; and Allison Webb, Lomasville.

■ Jessie Li, a senior at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School and a student in the school's MSTC program, was named a regional finalist in this year's Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology, the nation's most challenging research-based contest. She received a $1,000 scholarship. Li is in the school's MSTC program.

Of the nearly 1,900 students who submitted projects, only five individuals and five teams advanced to each of the six regional competitions. Li was the only finalist from Kentucky.

■ Five Kentucky graduates are part of an elite class of 21 emerging leaders in global agribusiness as inductees to the Alltech Graduate Program, giving Kentucky the largest representation of any state or country around the world.

The Alltech Graduate Program, which kicked off Nov. 26 at Alltech's European Headquarters in Ireland, will train agribusiness graduates through year-long projects at one of 128 Alltech offices around the world. Twenty-one graduates were selected for the program from a competitive pool of 1,550 applicants from around the globe. With five representatives, Kentucky produced the highest number of accepted graduates among both states and countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, India, Estonia, Canada and the United States.

The Kentucky Alltech graduates are:

• Danielle Palmer, University of Kentucky

• Rebecca Noble, University of Kentucky and the London School of Economics & Political Science

• Daniel Grubb, Georgetown College

• Bethany Brashears, University of Kentucky

• Ashley Hamilton Baker, University of Auburn and the University of Guadalajara, Mexico

Miscellaneous

Fayette County Public Schools is accepting applications for its new STEAM Academy, scheduled to open next August.

This program will focus on college and career readiness in the areas of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. The academy will be housed adjacent to the UK campus, and students can earn college credit while in high school.

All eighth-graders who live in Fayette County are eligible to apply, with admission determined through a random lottery draw; students will be notified in February. The academy will admit a class of 150 freshmen next fall and an additional group each year until the student body reaches 600 total.

The online application deadline is Jan. 15. For information, call (859) 381-4741.

Find out more at one of these informational meetings:

6:30 p.m. Thursday at Tates Creek Middle School, 1105 Centre Parkway

6:30 p.m. Thursday Jan. 10 at "It's About Kids" Support Services, 701 E. Main Street, Conference Room C

■ The FFA chapter at Locust Trace AgriScience Farm received $2,376.67 through farmers who donated $10 when renewing their farm license plates this past fiscal year, which ended June 30. For the first time, the proceeds were divided equally among FFA, 4-H and Kentucky Proud. Statewide, the FFA share was $121,708.64. That money was split between the Kentucky FFA Foundation and chapters where the funds originated.