By Ryan Winstead

Before recent modifications, technical services and the department of creative design and communication were separate entities within the College of Arts & Sciences.

With limited cohesion between the two groups, Mark Kornbluh, the Dean of the College of A&S, “challenged us to re-imagine our departments,” Christian Ecker, director of technical services, said.

And so The Hive was born.

Started last August, the organization strives to “make sure that we don’t have a lot of redundancy” between the different services, Jonathan Milby, server admin for The Hive, said.

“We need the ability to coordinate where appropriate,” he said. The Hive, located in Patterson Office Tower, serves as a multi-departmental hub that provides technical and creative services for UK and its staff.

“(The Hive) embodies all technical and creative services in the college,” Jennifer Allen, director of creative design and communications, said.

The program is led by staff and produced by students.

“We rely heavily on student talent,” Ecker said.

There are roughly 45 students and 12 full-time staff at The Hive, Ecker said.

Students at The Hive have the opportunity to create online blogs for the college, podcasts, videos and a legion of other activities.

Faculty and individuals in the college approach The Hive with varying projects. A team is formed for each project, consisting of a staff member and varying Hive students, Ecker said.

Allen and Ecker listed a multitude of projects The Hive has been involved in, including website development for the College of A&S and historians.

The Hive selects both graduate and undergraduate students who show they have the skills for the job.

“Students come from a variety of UK colleges,” Ecker said.

He emphasized the quality of the students working there.

“We have a stringent application and interviewing process,” he said.

Natalie Baxter, a third year graduate student in the College of Arts & Sciences, is a student worker at The Hive.

“I’ve learned more from working here than attending classes,” she said in regards to her technical skills.

With a graduate course load, Baxter has to juggle working at The Hive and being a UK student.

“The schedule here is very flexible.,” she said. “They work around my school schedule.”

Baxter highlighted a few of the benefits of working at The Hive.

“It’s nice to work on campus,” she said. “(The Hive) helps develop people skills and builds a portfolio that helps in the career world.”

Students looking to find out more about The Hive visit: http://www.as.uky.edu/video/hive