This paper presents the Kentucky baccalaureate origins of men, women, and under-represented group U.S. citizen doctoral recipients in the biological sciences, chemistry, and physics from 1978 through 2002. Counterintuitive results are reported for chemistry and physics. For these disciplines, institutions with an undergraduate focus and smaller science infrastructure have outperformed Kentucky's research universities.

Further, the results suggest that little or no attention has been paid in a systemic manner to any Kentucky under-represented minority group during this period. Conversely, there has been significant growth in the percentage and absolute numbers of U.S. women earning doctoral degrees in the biological sciences and in chemistry after receiving Kentucky baccalaureate degrees.