U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced today that the University of Pikeville (UPIKE) has received nearly $7.5 million in federal grants for its Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO). In addition to creating jobs and providing a boost in the region’s economy, KYCO will also conduct research in an effort to protect, preserve, and restore vision to people in Appalachia who, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hold some of the nation’s highest incidences of severe vision loss.