Fall 2023 Kentucky Alumni Magazine

Alumni

BILL

GATTON:

His gift will shape the future

ON THE COVER

14 16 18 20

SETTING THE CORNERSTONE

By Derrick Meads

The largest gift in the university’s history will allow the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment to accelerate the institution’s mission and create programs and opportunities for Kentucky.

A SOLID FOUNDATION

By Dan Knapp

From a farm in rural Western Kentucky, Bill Gatton gained the wisdom integral to his tremendous success.

SHE WAS FIRST

By Stacey Gish

As we continue to celebrate 135 years since the first woman graduated from UK, we look at women and groups of women who achieved firsts at UK.

NEW OFFICERS, AMAZING VOLUNTEERS, DEVOTED ALUMNI

The UK Alumni Association’s Summer Workshop is always a special event where we recognize those who exceed expectations, take office and do excellent work.

32 36 42

ALUMNI COMMONS OPENS

By Sally Scherer

A construction site for years, the Rose Street corridor between Columbia Avenue and Huguelet Drive has opened as Alumni Commons, a central campus gathering spot for students, alumni, faculty and staff.

LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU

Welcome home, alumni! We can’t wait to see you in October at what we hope will be one of the most exciting UK homecomings ever.

CLUBS SEND OFF STUDENTS

Heading off to college can be an anxious time for new students. But UK Alumni Clubs helped make it easier (and fun!) with student send offs.

PAVERS CEMENT FRIENDSHIP

By Sara Holland Bachman

This alumna’s influence changed a life. And now, her encouragement and his determination are forever together on pavers in Wildcat Alumni Plaza.

A transformative $100 million gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation demonstrates Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton’s unwavering belief in the power of higher education.

Illustration by Whitney Stamper

Photo by Matt Barton, Martin-Gatton

CREDITS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jill Holloway Smith ‘05 BE, ‘11 AFE: Associate Vice President for Alumni Engagement and Executive Director of the UK Alumni Association

EDITORS

Meredith Weber: Senior Associate Director for Communications and Membership

Sally Scherer: Managing Editor

DESIGNER

Whitney Stamper: Graphic Designer

ASSOCIATION STAFF

Lindsey Caudill

Christy Coffman ‘18 PH

Dana Cox ‘87 CI

Nancy Culp

Caroline Francis ‘88 BE, ‘93 ‘02 ED

Jack Gallt ‘84 CI

Amy Gamblin ‘00 AS, 03

GS

Stacey Gish

Emily Groves

Leslie Hayes

Kelly Hinkel ‘11 AS, ‘18 AFE

Marci Hicks ‘87 AFE

Lisa Hiscox ‘05 AS

Albert Kalim ’03 ‘16 EN, ‘20 BE

Ravyn Ladenburger ’17 AS

Erica Langdorf

Andrew Palmer ‘12 ‘12 ‘18 AS

CONTACT US

King Alumni House

400 Rose St. Lexington, KY 40506

859-257-8905

800-269-ALUM

Fax: 859-323-1063

Email: ukalumni@uky.edu Web: www.ukalumni.net

Kirtland Roach

Kathryn Schaffer ‘12 AFE

Samantha Seitz: ‘22 AFE

Chris Shotwell

Dawn Smallwood ’83 BE

Logan Smart ’23 BE

Shelby Stivers ‘18 CI

Dave Timoney ‘06 FA, ‘20

GS

Emma White

Don Witt ‘82 ‘84 CI

Christina Yue ‘11 CI

Jing Zhang ‘23 ED

BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND LEADERSHIP ADVISORY COUNCIL

Officers

Janie McKenzie-Wells ’83 AS, ’86 LAW: President

Robert “Rob” L. Crady III ’94 BE: Presidentelect

Thomas K. Mathews ‘93 AS: Treasurer

Jill Holloway Smith ’05 BE, ’11 AFE: Secretary

In-State Representatives

Jeffrey L. Ashley ’89 CI

Emmett P. “Buzz” Burnam ’74 ED

John S. Cain ’86 BE

Emily C. Henderson ’01 PHA

Mark Hogge ’97 EN

Kelly Sullivan Holland ’93 AS, ’98 ED

Michael H. Huang ’89 AS, ’93 MED

Shelia M. Key ’91 PHA

Scott Mason, ‘94 AS, ‘03 LAW

Michelle McDonald ‘84 AFE, ‘92 ED

Kent T. Mills ’83 BE

Tonya B. Parsons ’91 AS

Quintissa S. Peake ’04 CI

John D. Ryan ’92 ’95 BE

J. Tim Skinner ‘80 DES

Robin Simpson Smith ‘79 BE, ‘82 LAW

Jonell Tobin ’68 ’95 ED

Blake Broadbent Willoughby ‘11 ‘12 ‘12 BE

Allen O. Wilson ’03 AFE, ’06 LAW

Dominique Renee Wright ‘08 EN

Out-of-State Representatives

Erin Burkett ’01 EN

Shane T. Carlin ’95 AFE

Shiela D. Corley ‘94 AS, ‘95 AFE

Amanda Mills Cutright ’06 CI

Ruth Cecelia Day ’85 BE

Robert M. “Mike” Gray ’80 ’81 BE

Anthony G. Hester ‘86 EN

John T. “Jay” Hornback ’04 EN

Erin Carr Logan ’06 BE

Sylvester D. Miller II ’08 AFE

Chad D. Polk ‘94 DES

Ronald Sampson ‘83 EN

Quentin R. Tyler ’02 ’05 AFE, ’11 AS

Stephanie D. Wurth ‘05 CI

Alumni Trustees

Brenda Baker Gosney ’70 HS, ’75 ED

Paula L. Pope ’73 ’75 ED

Rachel Watts Webb ’05 CI

Living Past Presidents

George L. Atkins Jr. ’63 BE

Richard A. Bean ’69 BE

Michael A. Burleson ’74 PHA

Bruce K. Davis ‘71 LAW

Scott E. Davis ‘73 BE

Marianne Smith Edge ’77 AFE

Franklin H. Farris Jr. ’72 BE

William G. Francis ’68 AS, ’73 LAW

W. P. Friedrich ’71 EN

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Kentucky Alumni (ISSN 732-6297) is published quarterly by the University of Kentucky Alumni Association, Lexington, Kentucky, for its members.

© 2023 University of Kentucky Alumni Association, except where noted. Views and opinions expressed in Kentucky Alumni do not necessarily represent the opinions of its editors, the UK Alumni Association nor the University of Kentucky.

Wondering why you received Kentucky Alumni magazine?

All current Life and Active Members of the University of Kentucky Alumni Association automatically receive the Kentucky Alumni magazine quarterly. All who give $75 or more ($25 for recent graduates) to any UK fund, including UK Athletics/K Fund and DanceBlue, are recognized as Active Members regardless of alumni status.

Dan Gipson ’69 EN

Brenda B. Gosney ’70 HS, ’75 ED

Cammie DeShields Grant ’77 LCC, ’79 ED

John R. Guthrie ’63 CI

Antoine Huffman ’05 CI

Diane M. Massie ’79 CI

Robert E. Miller

Susan V. Mustian ’84 BE

Hannah Miner Myers ’93 ED

John C. Nichols II ’53 BE

Dr. George A. Ochs IV ’74 DE

Sandra Bugie Patterson ’68 AS

Taunya Phillips ’87 EN, ’04 BE

Robert F. Pickard ’57 ’61 EN

Paula L. Pope ’73 ’75 ED

David B. Ratterman ’68 EN

G. David Ravencraft ’59 BE

William Schuetze ’72 LAW

Mary Shelman ’81 EN

David L. Shelton ’66 BE

J. Fritz Skeen ’72 ’73 BE

J. Tim Skinner ’80 DES

James W. Stuckert ’60 EN, ’61 BE

Hank B. Thompson Jr. ’71 CI

Elaine A. Wilson ‘68 ‘23 SW

Richard M. Womack ’53 AFE

Leadership Advisory Council

In-State Representatives

Kevin L. Collins ’84 EN

Donna G. Dutton ‘87 BE

Christopher J. Crumrine ‘08 CI, ‘10 GS, ‘23 AS

Abra A. Endsley ’98, ’01 CI

Cassidy Hyde ‘16 AS

Lee A. Jackson ’73 AS

Sherry R. Moak ‘81 BE

Dr. Barbara Sanders ’72 HS, ’77 ED

Michaela Taylor ‘19 HS ‘23 LAW ‘23 PH

Out-of-State Representatives

Kyle Aaron Bosh ‘08 GS

James F. Hardymon Jr. ‘87 BE

Vincent M. Holloway ‘83 EN

Mark A. Ison ’99 FA

Dr. Frank Kendrick ’90 ’92 DE

Roshan Palli ’15 AS

Jane C. Pickering ’74 ED

Carolyn C. Riticher ‘81 BE

Nicole M. Segneri ’91 CI

Becky L. Spadaccini ’80 AFE

Winn F. Williams ‘71 AS

College Representatives

Will Nash ‘06 AS: College of Arts & Sciences

Lynnette Canedy ‘88 CI: College of Communication and Information

Dr. J. Clifford Lowdenback ’99 AS, ’03 DE: College of Dentistry

Regina Summers ‘94 DES: College of Design

Cathy Crum Bell ’76 ED: College Education

Joel W. Lovan ’77 FA: College of Fine Arts

Deana Paradis ‘03 ‘03 BE: Gatton College of Business and Economics

Kathy Panther ‘76 HS: College of Health Sciences

Michaela Mineer ‘18 AFE ‘18 CI ‘21 GS: Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Dr. Debra J. Sowell ’82 MED: College of Medicine

Tukea L. Talbert ‘89 ‘94 ‘06 NUR: College of Nursing

Joe Mashni ‘92 ‘92 PHA: College of Pharmacy

Amna Al-Jumaily ‘19 EN: Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering

Emily Clear ‘06 ED ‘09 ‘13 PH: College of Public Health

Shaye Page Johnson ‘02 AS ‘05 LAW: J. David Rosenberg College of Law

Willis K. Bright Jr. ’66 SW: College of Social Work

Constituency Group Representatives

James R. Aaron ’04 CI: PrideCats

Devon H. Ellison ’09 AS: Alumni Band

Keith L. Jackson ’87 CI: Lyman T. Johnson African American Alumni Constituency Group

Mike Morris: Alumni Band

Appointed

Dr. Michael A. Christian ’76 AS, ’80 DE: Honorary

Jo Hern Curris ’63 AS, ’75 LAW: Honorary

Katie Eiserman ’01 ED: Athletics

Thomas W. Harris ‘85 AS: University Relations

Stan R. Key ’72 ED: Honorary

Jake Lemon: Office of Philanthropy

D. Michael Richey ’74 ’79 AFE: Honorary

Marian Moore Sims ’72 ’76 ED: Honorary

Jason Marcus: Student Government Association

From the President

Aplace is only as powerful as its people. And at the University of Kentucky, our students, staff and faculty leverage their talent and give credence to that belief.

And it’s you, our alumni, who help fuel their work, embolden their dreams and demonstrate the transformative power of education and the limitless possibilities that await students beyond graduation.

Your support and involvement have far-reaching effects that ripple through generations. In June, the Board of Trustees approved a historic $100 million gift to the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment from the late Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton, a loyal UK alumnus and former trustee who deeply believed in our promise to advance this Commonwealth. Like him, we dream of a Kentucky that is healthier, wealthier and wiser, and gifts like these help us fulfill that mission in earnest.

The gift is the largest to the university in its nearly 160-year history and is also believed to be the largest to a college of agriculture in the United States. To honor Mr. Gatton’s parents, Edith Martin and Harry W. Gatton Sr., the college has been renamed as the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

Our alumni help shape our future — Kentucky’s future.

This issue also looks to the past, in celebration of the 135th anniversary of UK’s first female graduate, Belle C. Gunn, who graduated in 1888. The stories of trailblazing athletes, engineers, faculty members and other members of the Big Blue Family remind all of us of the ineffable legacy of UK women and the many “firsts” they achieved.

The stories in this issue also remind us of the importance of staying connected, both by place and by purpose.

They reinforce a belief we have always treasured — that our people are the soul and essence of our enduring legacy.

Telling your stories matters. Upholding promises matters. Bringing you home to campus matters.

Thank you for the role you play in making the University of, for and with Kentucky a powerful place.

Sincerely,

Eli Capilouto President

At the announcement of the $100 million donation from the Bill Gatton Foundation were left to right: Nancy Cox, dean of the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and vice president for land-grant engagement, Bill Gatton Foundation Trustee Danny Dunn, UK President Eli Capilouto and Mike Richey, former UK vice president for philanthropy and alumni engagement.

Photo by Arden Barnes, UK Photo

Pride in Blue

Ifeel so honored to have been selected as the UK Alumni Association president for the 2023-2024 year and to be one of only a few people from Eastern Kentucky to serve in this position.

When I look back at my humble beginnings in the mountains I still call home, I realize that the opportunities I have been presented and the achievements I have attained are directly related to my decision to attend the University of Kentucky.

I will never forget the excitement of being on campus for the first time in the fall for band camp. More than 200 of us gathered to combine our talents and to learn music and drills which would be performed on the field of then Commonwealth Stadium.

Those connections early in my college life made a difference then and still make a difference now. I became a part of the Big Blue Nation with all the passion and commitment that comes with it. I continue to play the clarinet as a member of the UK Alumni Band and it was an honor to have this group perform at the UK Alumni Association’s Summer Workshop on the day I took office as president.

My educational experience began in the College of Arts & Sciences and continued at what is now the J. David Rosenberg College of Law, where I traveled and competed on the UK National Moot Court Team. My education, training and experiences at UK empowered me to become the first woman elected as Circuit Court Judge for the 24th Judicial Circuit (Johnson, Lawrence and Martin counties) in Eastern Kentucky.

As an active member of the UK Alumni Association, I found a way to give back to the university that has given me so much. It started with my membership in the Big Sandy UK Alumni Club, my local alumni club, not long after

graduation. It’s where the seed was planted, and where I began using my time and talents to further the mission and goals of the University of Kentucky. I soon became a member of the UK Alumni Association Board of Directors, was active on various committees, and eventually became an officer.

As president of the UK Alumni Association, I look forward to this fall’s opening and dedication of our latest project — Alumni Commons. A portion of Rose Street has been turned into a pedestrian corridor featuring an outdoor amphitheater, fountains and meeting areas for students and alumni alike. It will truly be a living, learning environment for all.

The quote on our dedication wall describes it best: “Alumni Commons is dedicated to our alumni family, reflecting the deep and resounding appreciation that the University of Kentucky holds for its graduates.”

The dedication of Alumni Commons is scheduled for September 29. We are also planning numerous activities there during Homecoming Week, October 8-15. Come join us as we celebrate the opening of this beautiful location!

Never forget that you are a member of the Big Blue Nation and that means something! And for my Eastern Kentucky Big Blue Family #606 it’s more than just a number! Go Cats!

Sincerely,

Janie McKenzie-Wells UK Alumni Association President

Members of the University of Kentucky Alumni Band performed at the UK Alumni Association Summer Workshop in honor of new Alumni Association President Janie McKenzieWells. A member of the Alumni Band, McKenzie-Wells plays the clarinet.

Photo provided by Janie McKenzie-Wells

WE GET THERE WITH YOU.

At Central Bank, we live and succeed in the same communities you do. You’re neighbors, friends, people we’ve watched grow up. And we know you’re looking for a home loan that fits your life. That’s why our experienced loan officers will make each step of the mortgage loan process more about what works for you. That’s what makes “highly personal banking” more effective banking. We start with you.

HISTORIC BUDGET WILL EXPAND ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION

The University of Kentucky Board of Trustees approved a $6.8 billion fiscal year 2023-24 budget for the institution that represents record-setting investments in the pillars of its mission — students, health care, research and service.

The budget — the largest in the institution’s history — is evidence that “UK is delivering on its promise to advance Kentucky,” said President Eli Capilouto. “We were created nearly 160 years ago with an essential mission and singular focus — to advance Kentucky — its health, its economy and its quality of life. With this budget, we demonstrate how we are honoring that mission today and how we are preparing to continue to honor our promise to the commonwealth for the future.”

The budget is 21% larger than last year’s $5.6 billion original budget, a reflection of the acquisition and integration of King’s Daughters Medical Health System in Ashland into the university.

The budget’s growth continues to be driven by the ongoing expansion of the university’s academic health system, its commitment to strategic growth of the student body and a thriving research enterprise. In 2011 when Capilouto arrived at UK the institution’s budget was $2.7 billion.

“This budget is an example of promises made and promises kept — for all those we serve throughout the Commonwealth,” Capilouto said.

Additional details include:

• UK expects to welcome a record first-year class of approximately 6,400 students this fall and an overall enrollment of about 33,000. It’s the second year in a row first-year enrollment will exceed 6,000 students.

• The academic health system now represents approximately $4 billion of the institution’s budget, a 300 percent increase from a decade ago.

• The proposed budget projects $494 million in revenue from research grants and contracts, the third straight year the research enterprise would top $400 million.

• For the 10th time in 11 years, the proposed budget includes compensation increases for UK employees. ■

ALUMNUS NAMED DEAN OF COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

Dr. Charles “Chipper” Griffith III ’95 PH has been named dean of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. He has served as acting dean of the college since July 2021.

Griffith has played an instrumental role in the health and well-being of Kentuckians, and in the academic success of thousands of students.

“Dr. Griffith understands Kentucky needs the UK College of Medicine,” said Provost Robert S. DiPaola. “And he undoubtedly will serve the college and the Commonwealth every day with this in mind, as he has for the past 35 years.”

After graduating from the School of Medicine at Vanderbilt University in 1988, Griffith complete his residency at UK in internal medicine and pediatrics. In 1991, he became chief resident, before earning a master’s degree in public health. In 1994, he joined UK as a physician and the College of Medicine as an assistant professor, eventually earning tenure as a professor. During his tenure as acting dean, the number of medical students increased nearly 50%. ■

Photo by Shaun Ring

Photo by Mark Cornelison, UK Photo

GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN ACCOUNTING ANALYTICS LAUNCHED

Designed for accounting professionals and students seeking to enhance their knowledge in analytics, the Gatton College of Business and Economics has launched a new graduate certificate program.

The Graduate Certificate in Accounting Analytics is a ninecredit hour program. The certificate program aims to equip participants with a solid foundation in both the theory and practical application of analytics.

“We are excited to introduce the Graduate Certificate in

Accounting Analytics, which will empower students and professionals to leverage data to drive informed decisionmaking,” said Jeff Payne, KPMG professor in the Von Allmen School of Accountancy and program director.

“This program will enhance their expertise in data visualization, data management, and analytical modeling, opening new career opportunities in roles such as data analysts, financial analysts, business intelligence or visualization specialists.” ■

STUDENTS’ FINDINGS ADDED TO NATIONAL DIGITAL ARCHIVE FREEDOM ON THE MOVE

Earlier this year, a group of nine University of Kentucky students did work that no one had ever done before. They scrolled through digital copies of early Kentucky newspapers, looking for advertisements seeking the return of people who had fled slavery, to record and preserve them.

“Ran away last spring, a man named Bartlett,” began one of the ads found in the Kentucky Gazette in 1803.

“Uncommonly stout and broad across the shoulders, very dark complexion, his eyes sunk deep into his head, when spoken to generally puts on a smile but other times he has a thoughtful, ill look

and possessing a great share of cunning acquiescence.”

Once owned by Colonel William Montgomery in Lincoln County, the ad said, he was sold to Henry Hall of Shelby County in 1801. The slaveholder trying to get him back lived in Natchez, Mississippi, and thought Bartlett might be trying to make his way “to Kentucky to his former place of residence.”

The reward for returning the man was $100, close to $3,000 today.

Although the description of Bartlett is exceptionally detailed and the amount offered for his return is unusually large, advertising for the return of human

property in early Kentucky was very ordinary.

“Each ad is probably the only record that exists for a whole person’s life,” said Caden Pearson, a history major, who recorded the ad for Bartlett.

In a matter of weeks, the students found more than 700 ads that ranged from the vivid and specific like that for Bartlett to descriptions so generic it “almost makes you wonder if they even cared if they got the same person back,” Pearson said.

These ads will now join the national digital archive Freedom on the Move. Based at Cornell University, the archive’s goal is to create a database containing every runaway slave ad published in the United States from the Colonial period until slavery was abolished in 1865.

As the ads illustrate clearly, the runaways were individuals with distinctive personalities and with families. Now the ads collected in a searchable database might help genealogists reconstruct those families that slavery tore apart.

The archive “takes them so far beyond that 1870 wall,” explained Reinette Jones, reference librarian and researcher in UK Special Collections who is co-creator of the Notable Kentucky African-Americans Database.

“It’s heartbreaking but it’s also inspiring,” said Vanessa Holden, the history professor at UK who formed the link with the national archive. ■

Photo by Jaci Carfagno

ENGAGEMENT ACADEMY TO ADVANCE LAND-GRANT MISSION

The University of Kentucky’s Land-Grant Engagement Office announced its first annual Engagement Academy, marking a significant milestone in UK’s commitment to serving the Commonwealth.

Developed under the leadership of Nancy Cox, vice president of Land-grant Engagement and Dean of the MartinGatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the UK Engage Visioning Committee, the academy will bring together faculty and staff from across the university with a common interest in engagement and outreach in Kentucky communities.

“We are responsible for taking care of Kentucky’s citizens,” said Cox. “The Engagement Academy is an opportunity for UK’s faculty and staff to collaborate with their peers and with communities across Kentucky to identify and solve real-time problems.”

The academy will take place in midSeptember.

“I want to thank Dr. Capilouto for his vision in setting this up,” said Cox. “The Engagement Academy is an opportunity for us to work ‘of, for, and with Kentucky.’” ■

WHITE COATS FOR BLACK LIVES FELLOWSHIPS AWARDED

Four University of Kentucky College of Medicine students have been chosen for the third cohort of the White Coats for Black Lives fellowships.

Mindy Baker, Rachel Cooper, Payal Panchal and Jasmine Thomas were recently awarded the fellowships.

The Department of Behavioral Science created the fellowship and is supported by its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council.

The fellowships were developed to enhance medical students’ understanding of health disparities, political and social inequalities and health care inequities experienced by Black Americans due to historical explicit bias and contemporary implicit bias across the health care system.

The hope is that the experience will enhance medical school training, increase the understanding of how

behavioral science research can help to address health disparities and enable students to be better prepared to care for underserved Black patient populations.

Over the course of 18 months, each fellow will work with a behavioral science faculty mentor on a research or community-engaged project that addresses the health of Black Americans. ■

Photo by Mark Cornelison, UK

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Photo by Arden Barnes, UK

Photo

Research

MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH PRIORITY AREA TO SEED INNOVATION, FUEL INDUSTRY SOLUTIONS

UK Research is funding a new Materials Science Research Priority Area, the eighth designated Research Priority Area for the university. Materials science will join other RPAs in cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity, diversity and inclusion, energy, neuroscience and substance use disorders.

CHEF HELPS PIONEER THE FUTURE OF SPACE FOOD AND NUTRITION

As space agencies prepare for long-duration missions and the challenges ahead, they must carefully consider a crucial aspect: the nourishment and sustenance of future space crews.

In this vein emerges neurological gastronomy, also known as “neurogastronomy,” the study of flavor perception and how the brain uses all five senses to experience and remember food. The science behind it could vastly improve the future of space travel.

This is where University of Kentucky chef-in-residence Bob Perry comes into the picture. The campus chef works with Humanity in Deep Space revolutionizing food technology and creating a new narrative for food in space.

Perry said scientists face numerous technological challenges exploring and colonizing deep space. However, one aspect often overlooked is the human factor of food and nutrition.

“One of the primary concerns is the psychological impact on astronauts during long-duration space missions,” said Perry, UK Gatton-Martin College of Agriculture, Food and Environment food lab coordinator and a founder of The International Society of Neurogastronomy. “Through pioneering research and flight experiments, neurogastronomy explores various fascinating areas.”

Kris Kimel, founding member of Humanity and Deep Space, said the 300-million-mile journey to Mars takes approximately seven months in each direction. Explorers would spend an additional year researching the Red Planet before the return trip. This amounts to two and a half to three years away from Earth. The uncertainties surrounding the human experience in such prolonged deep space missions are immense and factors like nutrition and food supply become critical issues.

Perry seeks to engage alternative approaches to food technology enhancing health, well-being and sustainability in space and our home planet.

“Understanding the relationship between the brain, the gut and effects of long-term spaceflight is crucial,” said Kimel ’73 ’75 SW. “Growing food during the journey becomes a necessity.” ■

Materials scientists work to understand relationships between material processing, structure, properties and performance. They explore ways to make materials strong, flexible, heat resistant or otherwise optimized for a specific application and they determine how and why materials fail.

“We need new materials now, and the University of Kentucky can make an immediate impact,” said Lisa Cassis, UK vice president for research. “Materials drive the future of manufacturing, and UK research in materials science is pushing boundaries and poised for growth.”

Materials-related research touches a large percentage of UK colleges: the Pigman College of Engineering, College of Arts and Sciences, CAER, College of Dentistry, College of Medicine, and Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. ■

Photo by Sarah Caton Walters, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Yours for the taking

We want individuals with energy, enthusiasm, and—above all—a passion for learning. If you communicate well, multitask, and take care of business quickly and responsibly, we want you.

longship.us/careers

By Derrick Meads

A historic $100 million gift catapults the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment to a position of leadership in shaping the future of the Commonwealth

Continuing a “legacy like no other,” the late University of Kentucky alumnus and former trustee Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton bestowed a gift of $100 million to the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) through The Bill Gatton Foundation.

The gift was formally announced on May 25, on what would have been Gatton’s 91st birthday. It is not only the largest gift to the university in its nearly 160-year history, but it is also believed to be the largest to a college of agriculture in the United States.

To honor Gatton’s parents, Edith Martin and Harry W. Gatton Sr., the college has been renamed as the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

“This is a transformational gift that will have a profound impact on CAFE and the University of Kentucky,” said UK President Eli Capilouto. “It will be a cornerstone in our efforts — and our singular mission — to advance Kentucky in everything that we do. Like Mr. Gatton did, we dream of a Kentucky tomorrow that is healthier, wealthier and wiser than it is today. This gift reflects his profound

belief in this institution to be a partner for progress in our capacity and commitment to advance Kentucky.”

Gatton, who passed away in April 2022, was a lifelong philanthropist and supporter of UK. He was a 1954 graduate of the university’s College of Commerce, and he went on to become an incredibly successful businessman, entrepreneur and investor.

Gatton’s gift is the latest in a series of generous donations that have transformed the university, including record-breaking gifts to the Gatton College of Business and Economics, the Bill Gatton Student Center and scholarships for students, including those with unmet financial need through the UK LEADS initiative.

Gatton’s impact on the University of Kentucky exceeds $180 million. He is the university’s single largest donor.

Nancy Cox, vice president for land-grant engagement and CAFE dean, expressed gratitude for the generosity of The Bill Gatton Foundation.

“Our college has served Kentucky and beyond for over 150 years with ‘user-inspired science,’ aiming to push boundaries in education

and service,” Cox said. “We are grateful for the confidence placed in us by The Gatton Foundation, which will allow us to both accelerate our land-grant mission and create new programs to serve our citizens.”

Cox said the college has formed a task force of faculty and staff members who will consider how the gift will be used to support the foundation’s vision for scholarships, academic programming, infrastructure and research.

Gatton’s strong ties to agriculture trace back to his childhood on a farm in Bremen, Kentucky, in Muhlenberg County. Drawing inspiration from both his parents and his firsthand experiences on the farm, Gatton acquired invaluable knowledge about entrepreneurship, leadership and the value of hard work. During his freshman year at UK, he put these skills into action and served as the state president of the Kentucky Future Farmers of America, exemplifying his commitment to applying his agricultural expertise in practical ways. Gatton’s knack for business was evident even during his time as a UK student, as he began selling cars at L.R. Cooke Chevrolet on High Street in downtown Lexington, a venture that later contributed significantly to his success.

The generous gift, as recognized by foundation trustee Danny Dunn who was also a dear friend and associate of Gatton, is a testament to Gatton’s unwavering belief in the transformative power of higher education.

“Mr. Gatton believed that investing in the University of Kentucky was investing in Kentucky’s future,” Dunn said. “This gift marks a

significant milestone for the foundation, representing its first major donation since his passing. This gift symbolizes the foundation’s commitment to honoring Mr. Gatton’s passion for Kentucky and his desire to support its agricultural community as an essential way to advance this state.”

Former UK Vice President for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement Mike Richey ’73, ’79 AFE, who was a close friend and confidant of Gatton’s, said this gift from the foundation would have held immense importance to Gatton.

“For the last few years of his life, Mr. Gatton never wavered in his interest and desire to do something philanthropic for agriculture in Kentucky through the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment,” Richey said. “This wonderful gift shows he has done that very thing.” ■

From food and horticultural sciences to equine and pre-veterinary studies, hospitality management to fashion merchandising, apparel and textiles, the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment provides the support and infrastructure necessary to facilitate and expedite solutions to many of today’s important unanswered questions.

Photos by Arden Barnes, Matt Barton, Pete Comparoni, Mark Cornelison and Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

A SOLID FOUNDATION

By Dan Knapp

The renaming of the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment recognizes two of the most influential people in Bill Gatton’s life: his parents. While the story of Gatton’s business acumen and philanthropic mission has been well-documented, most people remain unaware of the profound influence his mother and father had in shaping his career.

In the early 19th century, the Gatton family — originally from neighboring Missouri — settled in a farming community midway between Bremen and Sacramento, Kentucky, along what is now State Route 81.

For the entirety of his life, Bill remembered the perseverance and drive his parents — Harry Sr. and Edith Martin-Gatton — instilled in him at an early age.

“He often spoke about his father as being his hero because of the work ethic he had,” long-time family friend Mike Richey elaborated. “They were both hard-working, honest people. Very civic minded. They were just good people who believed in treating people fairly. They were successful financially, but it didn’t go to their heads. If there was a need in the community, they wanted to help be a part of giving to it. Bill saw how his father gave to many causes in the community, and that gave him the mindset that he needed to give back.”

Edith embraced the customary domestic responsibilities of the day. In a journal entry found after his death, Bill ruminated on the characteristics of both of his parents. For his mother, the concise entries include “good person,” “worked hard,” “belonged to the

PTA and homemakers club,” “cooked excellent food” and “kept clean house.” She made time to sell dairy products — milk, buttermilk and homemade butter — to shops in nearby Central City, Kentucky.

Edith encouraged young Bill to live up to his effortless potential, suggesting that the gifted first grader read books well beyond his class level. As the child challenged himself academically, he discovered he was prodigious at both words and numbers.

With the examples set by his parents and unencumbered by the self-doubts that often impede aspirations, Bill developed a strong enterprising spirit, a solid head for business and an unquenchable fire to exceed expectations.

“My dad always expected me to win at anything I did,” he recalled in an interview about his business prowess. “It didn’t matter what it was, I was supposed to be a winner, and I’d do everything I could to please him by becoming a winner. So that’s how I got started very early on — I always wanted to win. It didn’t matter what it was.”

Edith died three days shy of her 49th birthday due to complications from an appendectomy.

“Mrs. Gatton said on her death bed, ‘Make sure that Bill’s given a quality education,’” said Richey. “He never forgot that — he never forgot. That’s one reason education was always at the top of his philanthropy. She spawned that.”

Bill, aged 10 and suddenly without one of the most significant influences in his young life, grew closer to his father and older brother Charles, who had returned to the family farm

upon graduation from UK to assist in the day-to-day operation.

Under the watchful eye of his family, Bill supplemented his academic studies with practical knowledge learned on the farm. A budding entrepreneur, he sold produce that he grew to area businesses and at a stand he set up along Route 81.

At age 27, Bill asked his father for a $25,000 loan to buy a car dealership. He set his sights on selling Volkswagens in the Bluegrass. He originally hoped to open a GM dealership similar to where he had learned the trade, but soon realized the cost to open a VW franchise was one-tenth that of the Detroit manufacturer.

“Bill’s father was of the mind that Bill should be back on the farm, and he thought, ‘Well, it’ll be worth him losing this kind of money so that he comes back home,’” laughed Richey of the circumstances of the loan.

Harry Gatton Sr. died in 1966, aged 79. Like his father, Bill never seriously considered slowing down.

“When he was 40 years of age, he could’ve comfortably retired, but then he got to 40 and said, ‘I’m going to work to 50,’” Richey explained. “He got to 50 and said, ‘I’m going to work until 60. When he reached 60, he said, ‘I’m never going to retire. I want to make more money so I can give it away.’ He liked making money but also enjoyed giving it away.” ■

A favorite poem of Bill Gatton, “The Bridge Builder” by Will Allen Dromgoole dates to the early 20th century.

An old man going a lone highway, Came at the evening, cold and gray, To a chasm, vast, and deep and wide, Through which was flowing a sullen tide.

The old man crossed in the twilight dim; The sullen stream had no fear for him; But he turned, when safe on the other side, And built a bridge to span the tide.

“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim, near, “You are wasting strength with building here; Your journey will end with the ending day; You never again will pass this way; You never crossed the chasm, deep and wideWhy build you this bridge at the evening tide?”

The builder lifted his old gray head: “Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said, “There followeth after me today,

A youth, whose feet must pass this way. This chasm, that has been naught to me, To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be. He, too, must cross in the twilight dim; Good friend, I am building this bridge for him.”

The Gatton family raised cattle, hogs and grain on their Muhlenberg County farm.

Photo provided by the Gatton family

The First

of Many

This year, the UK Alumni Association has been highlighting the lives and experiences of women who have made significant impact upon the university and in their respective fields since Belle C. Gunn became the first female graduate 135 years ago.

Simply gaining access to higher education did not end the struggle for women. In the 135 years that followed Gunn’s triumphant crossing of the commencement stage, women have moved forward and backward, as leadership and social mores have waxed and waned. Today’s UK woman should know she stands on the shoulders of all those who came before her. Those women who pushed their way forward, even when it didn’t seem practical or possible.

The following vignettes represent a small portion of the many “firsts” in the lives of women at the University of Kentucky.

By Stacey Gish

Doris Yvonne Wilkinson: A PIONEER IN SOCIOLOGY

Doris Wilkinson is a trailblazing sociologist who has made significant contributions to her field since being hired as the University of Kentucky’s first Black woman faculty member in 1967. Her work has helped shape our understanding of race, ethnicity and gender while serving as a tireless advocate for diversity and inclusion.

As a student at the University of Kentucky, she was among the first class of Black students to integrate the school in 1954 and the first Black woman to earn an undergraduate degree from UK. She earned her master’s degree and her doctorate from Case Western Reserve University.

Wilkinson’s research interests included critical race theory, the sociology of health and illness, class and gender, social change and social movements, and occupations and professions.

Wilkinson served as director of the Project on the African American Heritage in the Department of Sociology, was the founder and first director of Black Studies at the university, which she renamed the African American Studies and Research Program. She founded the first social club for Black women, the Forum for Black Faculty, the Carter G. Woodson Lecture Series for untenured faculty and the Black Women’s Conference.

In recognition of her efforts, UK established the Doris Wilkinson Distinguished Professorship in Sociology and the Humanities, the Doris Y. Wilkinson Conference Room in Breckinridge Hall, and the Doris Y. Wilkinson Award for Leadership. She was inducted into the UK Alumni Association Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 1989 and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the university in 2019.

Katharine Cleveland: BETTER THAN THE BOYS

Katharine Cleveland, a civil engineering major who graduated in 1924, was the first female student at UK to score the top grade in engineering her first two years on campus. Typically, the student who earned the highest grade in the class was guaranteed induction into the national engineering fraternity, Tau Beta Pi. Because she was a woman, Cleveland was denied this membership.

In her yearbook, classmates wrote: “When a girl takes a man’s course and does it better than the men, there isn’t much left to write about her. She is a girl that the University of Kentucky will always be proud of and we hope there will be more in future years like her.”

Cleveland served as secretary-treasurer of the F. Paul Anderson Engineering Society for sophomore engineering students and was senior class secretary.

During her senior year, the Tau Beta Pi national convention voted to honor Cleveland with a specially designed pin since she could not be inducted into the fraternity. She was presented with this pin during the group’s end-of-year dinner in 1924.

Women’s Basketball: GIRLS GOT GAME

In 1902 women students began organizing a basketball team, one year earlier than the men’s basketball team. They played their first intercollegiate game against crosstown Kentucky University (now Transylvania University) on February 21, 1903.

While few statistical records from this era exist, anecdotally, the women’s team was more successful than the men’s team. In fact, the Alumni Association Annual Report in 1903 encouraged the women’s team to continue to uphold the college’s athletic reputation, bringing a new level of interest in women’s athletics to the campus and community.

Although the women’s team was popular, enjoyed winning seasons and won championships, many on campus believed intercollegiate athletics “too strenuous” and too expensive due to travel costs. With the support of Dean of Women Sarah Blanding and physical education director Florence Offutt Stout, the university in 1924 decided to demote the women’s team to the intramural level, not to return to the varsity level until 1974.

Women then began to participate in an extensive intramural program consisting of sports such as field hockey, volleyball, tennis, soccer, track and lawn-ball.

Donna Greenwell Dutton: INSPIRING OTHERS

Sometimes, you blaze a trail for others without realizing it. Such is the case of Donna Greenwell Dutton, elected the first female president of the UK Student Government Association in 1986.

“I did not realize I was the first woman until after I had won,” she said. “It was then that a lot of media outlets contacted me and wanted to run a story about it. I am glad I opened the door for more women to run for president of SGA because certainly by 1986-1987, it was long overdue.”

One of Dutton’s first achievements in office was to raise funds for handicap accessible doors in UK’s Margaret I. King Library, which had not offered such an amenity in its 75-year existence.

She also served on the Presidential Search Committee that was tasked with finding a replacement for UK President Otis Singletary, who announced his retirement earlier in 1986.

“I vowed to find a president that was pro-student,” she said. “I regularly held meetings around campus where students could ask questions about the UK presidential search. The meetings were very publicized and as a result, each candidate for the position individually met with me and allowed me to discuss issues concerning the UK student body. In the end, students really liked the president we chose, Dr. David Roselle.”

Dutton said her work as SGA president is a source of pride for her nearly 40 years later.

“It means more to me now than it did then,” she said. “I have had former female SGA presidents state to me that I was the one who inspired them to run. I never realized something I felt was not that big of a deal at the time has inspired others. Today, I am very proud I was the first SGA female student body president.”

GOING THE EXTRA MILE

Distinguished Service Award Winners 2023

Every year, the UK Alumni Association presents Distinguished Service Awards and a Joseph T. Burch Young Alumni Award to honor alumni who have provided extraordinary service to the association and the university. These 2023 recipients were recognized at the association’s annual Summer Workshop in Lexington. We’re so proud of them. Thanks for all you do.

The former dean of UK Libraries and most recently, senior oral historian, Terry L. Birdwhistell ’75 AS, ’78 CI, ’95 ED spent 50 years at UK. During that time, he also served as associate dean for Special Collections and Digital Programs and as University Archivist. He was the founding director of the nationally recognized Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History. He also helped found and served as co-director of the UK Libraries’ Wendell H. Ford Public Policy Research Center, served on numerous university committees and was a Life Member of the UK Alumni Association. He served as co-general editor of “Kentucky Remembered: An Oral History Series.” He is the author of three books, multiple publications and was involved in the production of two documentaries broadcasted on KET. Birdwhistell was named to the UK College of Education Hall of Fame and as the UK School of Library and Information Outstanding Alumnus for 2012. Although he retired in August 2022, he continued to spend time engaged in his passion for history and learning the stories of those who impacted UK by continuing to conduct oral history interviews. Birdwhistell, who died in 2023, is survived by his wife, Janice; his daughter, Jessie; her husband, John (both UK graduates); and his granddaughter, Zoe.

A two-time UK graduate, Shiela Corley ’94 AS, ’96 AFE grew up in Western Kentucky. After completing graduate school, she began her career with the United States Department of Agriculture and has served in many roles throughout the department. An active member of the University of Kentucky’s Nation’s Capital UK Alumni Club, she served as vice president from 2004 to 2009. She is a member of the University of Kentucky Alumni Leadership Advisory Council. She is active in her community as a member of the Junior League of Washington D.C. (where she served as president) and on other non-profit boards, including the Kentucky Society of Washington. In 2017, she and her family established the Corley Family Endowment in memory of her sister, Shannon. The endowment provides support to a member of their hometown community to attend the University of Kentucky. To date, they have awarded five scholarships and are excited to have the first recipient graduate this past May.

Photos by Shelly Fryman

JANICE BIRDWHISTELL FOR HER HUSBAND THE LATE TERRY L. BIRDWHISTELL

SHIELA CORLEY DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD WINNER

A member of the 1978 NCAA National Championship winning Kentucky Wildcats, Jack “Goose” L. Givens ’78 AS was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player after scoring a career-high 41 points in the championship game against the Duke Blue Devils. In addition to winning the national championship as a senior, he was a freshman on the 1975 national runner-up team. Givens was named to the first team all-SEC three times and was a consensus second team All-American in 1978. He finished his four-year UK career with 2,038 points, ranking third on the all-time list behind Dan Issel and Kenny Walker. His No.21 jersey was retired and hangs from the rafters at Rupp Arena. Following his collegiate career, he was drafted 16th overall by the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA where he played for two years before playing overseas in Italy, Belgium and Japan. He was inducted as part of the inaugural UK Athletics Hall of Fame Class in 2005. He has been a long-time supporter of the UK Alumni Association hosting and guest appearing at many events such as the Louisville Bracket Buster, SEC and NCAA pep rallies, guest speaker at the Clark County UK Alumni Club Dinner, Northern Alabama UK Alumni Club luncheon, Fulton County UK Alumni Club scholarship dinner and many other events. You can currently hear him on UK Sports Network providing analysis on UK basketball games.

A 1993 graduate with a degree in accounting and economics from the Gatton College of Business and Economics, George B. Spragens began his career in banking at Central Bank and Trust in Lexington. He returned to his hometown of Lebanon, Kentucky, to work at Farmers National Bank, where his father and grandfather had worked before him. Spragens moved up to be the bank’s internal auditor before joining the board of directors in 1999. He became president and CEO in 2005, and currently serves as CEO and chairman of the board. Outside of banking, he is the treasurer for the Marion County Industrial Foundation and is the immediate past chairman of the Lincoln Trail Area Development District. He has also spent countless hours volunteering with youth sports in Marion County, doing everything from coaching to record-keeping and statistics reporting. He served on the UK Alumni Association Board of Directors from 2004-2010 and again from 2014-2018. His father, Thomas Eugene “Gene” Spragens Jr., was president of UK Alumni Association at the time of his graduation. His graduation gift from his parents was a lifetime membership to the UK Alumni Association.

Originally from Pineville, Kentucky, Morgan Cornelius visited the Lexington campus as a child when her father was working on his engineering degree. Since then, she has felt at home here. During her time as a student at UK, she was a member of Phi Sigma Pi National Honors Fraternity, a DanceBlue captain and she started the DanceBlue team of the Pre-Med Activities Council. She was a member of the first Alumni Ambassador group and served for three years. The ambassadors had dinners with President Eli Capilouto, enjoyed front row seats at Rupp Arena and participated in the launch of Kentucky Can: The 21st Century Campaign, the largest fundraising campaign in UK’s history. She graduated in 2020 with a degree in family sciences and a minor in animal science. While waiting to get into veterinary school, she worked for the UK Alumni Association. Now a student at Lincoln Memorial University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, she is planning to practice mixed animal medicine. She has settled into the Cumberland Valley East UK Alumni Club where she launched and now coordinates the social media platforms.

JACK “GOOSE” L. GIVENS DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD WINNER

GEORGE B. SPRAGENS DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD WINNER

MORGAN CORNELIUS

JOSEPH T. BURCH YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD WINNER

OUR NEW LEADERSHIP

The UK Alumni Association announced its 2023-2024 Board of Directors during its annual Summer Workshop held June 15-17, 2023. This year’s officers are Janie McKenzie-Wells, president; Robert “Rob” L. Crady III, president-elect; Thomas K. Mathews, treasurer and Jill H. Smith, secretary. The new slate will serve until June 30, 2024.

Robert “Rob” L. Crady III of Louisville, Kentucky, is president-elect of the UK Alumni Association. He received a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1994. During his time at UK, he served as a member of the Freshman Representative Council and various other positions with the Student Government Association. He was a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. To further his financial education, he studied for and received the Certified Trust and Financial Advisor designation from the American Bankers Association. He began his career with Fifth Third Bank’s Trust Department in Lexington, later moving to Louisville to work in the Trust Departments of Stock Yards Bank and National City Bank. During tenure at National City Bank, he headed up the Trust Department in Lexington. Crady is a director with RW Baird (formerly Hilliard Lyons) and a founding member of the Wealth & Family Office Group in Louisville. He has served on the board of directors of the Bingham Child Guidance Center. He was president and treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Cabbage Patch Settlement. Crady serves on the Planned Giving Committee of the Center for Women and Families. He is married to Holly Harris Crady, a 1997 graduate from the Gatton College of Business and Economics, and they have two children, Robbie and Abby.

Janie McKenzie-Wells of Staffordsville, Kentucky, graduated in 1983 from the UK College of Arts and Sciences with a bachelor’s degree in political science. She earned a Juris Doctor degree in 1986 from the J. David Rosenberg College of Law. She was the first woman elected and re-elected as Circuit Judge for Kentucky’s 24th Judicial District (Johnson, Lawrence and Martin counties), where she served for 16 years. She retired in January but continues to serve through the Retired Judges Program. Wells is a Felony Court and Family Court mediator. She was a member of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and served as a delegate to the National Conference of State Trial Judges. She has served on the UK Alumni Association Board of Directors for several years as a representative from District VIII and the J. David Rosenberg College of Law and has been chair and vice chair of numerous committees. She is a past president and serves on the board of the Big Sandy UK Alumni Club. McKenzie-Wells is an active member of the UK Alumni Band and Pep Band, was a past president and is a current member of the UK Alumni Band Board. She received the UK Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award in 2006, the UK Law Alumni Association Distinguished Jurist Alumni Award in 2016 and the UK J. David Rosenberg College of Law Community Service Award in 2023. She is a member of UK Women & Philanthropy. McKenzie-Wells has also been inducted into the Paintsville High School Alumni Association Hall of Distinguished Alumni. She and her husband, Frank, a retired Kentucky Education Technology Systems Regional Engineer, have a daughter, Dr. Katherine Wells, a graduate of the UK College of Medicine.

Thomas K. Mathews of Cypress, Texas, received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1993 from the College of Arts & Sciences, having attended as a Commonwealth Scholarship recipient. The Louisville native is the president of Industrial Solvents Corporation, is a member of the Houston Chemical Association and previously worked as compliance manager for Blue Grass Chemical Specialties. Mathews is a Life Member of the UK Alumni Association, served as secretary and president of the Greater Houston UK Alumni Club, and organized fundraisers for DanceBlue and the club’s local scholarship fund. At UK, he was a resident advisor and hall director at Holmes Hall, a member of Collegians for Academic Excellence and an RHA council representative. Mathews received a master’s degree in liberal studies from Bellarmine University in 1999 and relocated to Texas in 2001. He has worked as a community volunteer at Career Gear Houston and is a regular blood donor to the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center. He has also volunteered as a youth coach in the Cy-Fair Sports Association and assisted in collecting and sorting donations at the Houston Food Bank. He is married to Tonya Williams Mathews, and they have two children, Shelby and Pierce.

Jill H. Smith of Lexington, Kentucky, is secretary of the UK Alumni Association. She earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management from the Gatton College of Business and Economics in 2005 and a master’s degree in career, technical and leadership education from the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment in 2011. She began working at the UK Alumni Association in 2006 as a program coordinator and held four other positions at the association before becoming executive director in February 2020. She also serves as associate vice president for alumni engagement at UK. She has been an active volunteer with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education at both the state and district level. She is an advisor to the Delta Rho chapter of Delta Delta Delta, a participant in Lexington area Tri-Delta alumni activities and is a graduate of the 2022 class of Leadership Kentucky. She is a Life Member of the UK Alumni Association, a UK Fellow, a member of UK Women & Philanthropy and serves on several university committees. She and her husband, Ryan, who is a 2004 Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment graduated, have two children, Tanner and Emmy.

JANIE MCKENZIE-WELLS PRESIDENT ROBERT “ROB” L. CRADY III PRESIDENT-ELECT

THOMAS K. MATHEWS TREASURER

JILL H. SMITH SECRETARY

WHO’S NEW IN 2023?

IN-STATE BOARD REPRESENTATIVES

TERM: JULY 1, 2023-JUNE 30, 2026

Scott Mason

These alumni were recently elected to the UK Alumni Association Board of Directors and Leadership Advisory Council for the first time.

Scott lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1994 and a law degree in 2003. He was appointed by Gov. Andy Beshear in 2021 as a commissioner on the MLK State Commission. He is president of the Kappa Tau Alumni Association, a non-profit that endows scholarships for undergraduate members of Kappa Alpha Psi at UK. He is an associate minister and co-chair of the by-laws committee at State Street Baptist Church in Bowling Green. He is president/CDO of the Mason Group, LLC, a company that offers services to assist non-profits, small businesses and rising entrepreneurs in obtaining financing and creating long-term sustainability.

Robin Simpson Smith

Robin lives in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. She earned a bachelor’s degrees from the Gatton College of Business and Economics in 1979 and a law degree in 1982. She is a Life Member of the UK Alumni Association, a University Fellow and a Wildcat Society member. She serves as the president of the Big Sandy UK Alumni Club. Appointed by UK President Eli Capilouto, she is a member of the Rosenberg College of Law Visiting Committee which serves as a group of advisors to the dean. She is also a member of the Law Alumni Association. She is a member of the board of directors of the Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. She is self-employed in her general practice law firm.

OUT-OF-STATE BOARD REPRESENTATIVES

TERM: JULY 1, 2023-JUNE 30, 2026

Anthony G. Hester

Anthony lives in Avon, Indiana. He earned a mechanical engineering degree in 1986. While at UK he was vice president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the Mechanical Engineering Society, the National Society of Black Engineers, the Black Voices Choir, the Black Student Union and the Spotlight Jazz Council. He is the director of procurement and supply chain for Eli Lilly and Company in the Indianapolis Active Pharmaceutical Division.

Ronald Sampson

Ronald lives in Murrieta, California. He graduated from the Pigman College of Engineering with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1983. He graduated from the Haslam College of Business, University of Tennessee, with an aerospace and defense MBA in 2016. A commissioned officer from the United States Air Force ROTC program at UK, he was past Polemarch, President, and member of the Kappa Tau chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi at UK and serves on the board of directors of the Kappa Tau Alumni Association at UK. He is on the board of directors at the Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce, Riverside, California. He has worked 35 years with the Boeing Company and is the program/site manager, product support operations manager at March Air Reserve Base, California.

Stephanie D. Wurth

Stephanie lives in Alexandria, Virginia. She graduated in 2005 with a degree from the College of Communication and Information. She is a previous board member of the Nation’s Capital UK Alumni Club and served as the club’s Student Outreach Coordinator. While at UK, she was a resident advisor and an international student advisor. She worked as the director of admissions in the College of Pharmacy for seven years before moving to D.C. She supports the UK Office of Enrollment Management’s pilot recruitment training program to “deputize” alumni in select cities to attend local college fairs and related recruitment events on behalf of UK. She works for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and oversees the admissions and applications processes for colleges of nursing across the country.

IN-STATE LAC REPRESENTATIVES

TERM: JULY 1, 2023-JUNE 30, 2025

Donna G. Dutton

Donna lives in Shelbyville, Kentucky. She earned an accounting degree in 1987 from the Gatton College of Business and Economics. She has a law degree from the University of Louisville and is the District Judge for Kentucky’s 53rd Judicial Circuit which encompasses Anderson, Shelby and Spencer counties. She was the first female president of the UK Student Government Association and served on the UK Board of Trustees. She was a member of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority and on the UK Homecoming Court. She has served on the Shelby County UK Alumni Club and Leadership Shelby. She is an alumna member of Leadership Louisville, board member of Shelby County Red Cross, board member of Shelby County Community Theatre and president of the Junior League of Louisville.

Cassidy Hyde

Cassidy lives in Louisville, Kentucky. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2016. She is executive director of YPAL – Young Professionals Association of Louisville. She has completed the Ignite Louisville and Focus Louisville programs with the Leadership Louisville Center and the Emerging Leaders Program with YPAL. She is a member of the Greater Louisville UK Alumni Club, was past president and marketing chair of the Greater Louisville UK Young Alumni Club, is a Kentucky Derby Festival board member and volunteer committee chair and marketing chair of the Chi Omega Alumnae Association of Greater Louisville. She is the 2022 recipient of the UK Joseph T. Burch Young Alumni Award.

Michaela Taylor

Michaela lives in Covington, Kentucky. She earned a bachelor’s degree in 2019 in clinical leadership and management from the College of Health Sciences, a master of health administration from the College of Public Health in 2023 and a law degree in 2023. She served one term on the LAC and represented the Student Government Association on the board of directors from 2021-2022. She served as a UK Alumni Association Alumni Ambassador. She is a member of Alpha Gamma Delta.

TERM: JULY 1, 2022-JUNE 30, 2024

Christopher J. Crumrine

Chris lives in Lexington, Kentucky. He earned his bachelor’s degree in communication and political science from the College of Communication and Information in 2008, an MPA from Martin School of Public Policy and Administration in 2010 and a masters in political science from the College of Arts and Sciences in 2023, where he continuing his doctoral work in political science. Crumrine is the senior director of external affairs and engagement for the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Prior to this, he served in various roles in the UK Office of the President under President Eli Capilouto and former President Lee T. Todd, Jr. He has been a board member of the Fayette County UK Alumni Club and was the Fayette County UK Young Alumni Club president.

OUT-OF-STATE

LAC

REPRESENTATIVES

TERM: JULY 1, 2023-JUNE 30, 2025

Kyle Aaron Bosh

Kyle lives in Tucker, Georgia. He is a 2008 graduate of the UK Martin School of Public Policy with a master’s degree in public administration. He earned a degree from Otterbein University in organizational communication and speech. He has spent eight years as a volunteer providing security and assignment driver services for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. After moving to Atlanta, he spent time working for the Georgia Aquarium and Atlanta Braves. He worked as a fiscal analyst and program evaluator for the Missouri Legislature for seven years.

Carolyn Riticher

Carolyn lives in Waleska, Georgia. She graduated in 1981 with a degree in accounting from the Gatton College of Business and Economics. She is a certified public accountant and retired Shareholder of Windham Brannon, where she specialized in taxation. She is a past president of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants and served as chair of the Trial Board for the American Institute of CPA’s. In 2010 she received the Howard Herman Distinguished Service Award from the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants Educational Foundation.

TERM: JULY 1, 2022-JUNE 30, 2024

James F. Hardymon Jr.

Frank lives in Atlanta, Georgia but is originally from Maysville, Kentucky. He graduated in 1987 with a bachelor’s of business administration degree from the Gatton College of Business and Economics. He is vice president of business and finance at Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He has spent the last 28 years of his career working in higher education financial management. He is a member of the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Earlier in his career he served as Chief Financial Officer for the Georgia Tech Athletic Association.

LAC COLLEGE REPRESENTATIVES

TERM: JULY 1, 2023-JUNE 30, 2026

Amna Al-Jumaily

Amna lives in Canton, Ohio. She represents the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering. She is a 2019 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. She is a refining optimization engineer with Marathon Petroleum where she primarily works on supporting economic decisions for Marathon’s various refineries. She is past president of UK’s Society of Women Engineers.

Lynnette Canedy

Lynnette lives in Radcliff, Kentucky. She represents the College of Communication and Information. She graduated in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in communications/advertising. She works as a strategic communications specialist for Peraton/TSA. She has worked in both the government and private sectors as an IT project manager for the US Army and she has held various positions during her 20+ years in the Los Angeles market. She is a full-time caregiver for her military veteran father, Thomas Canedy Sr.

Emily Clear

Emily lives in Lexington, Kentucky. She represents the College of Public Health. She earned her bachelor’s in kinesiology in 2006, her masters in public health in 2009 and a graduate certificate in maternal and child health in 2013. She is a public health researcher with a focus on violence prevention and women’s health. She is a research program manager in the Office of Scientific Writing in the Department of Health Management and Policy at the College of Public Health with 15 years of grant management experience.

Shaye Page Johnson

Shaye lives in Lexington, Kentucky. She represents the J. David Rosenberg College of Law. She is a 2002 cum laude graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences with a bachelor’s in political science and a 2005 graduate of the Rosenberg College of Law. She is an attorney at the law firm of Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP in Lexington, Kentucky, where her primary focus is civil litigation. Upon graduating, she worked as a staff attorney for Judge Pamela Goodwine with the Fayette Circuit Court. She coordinates the Dinsmore Pre-Law Minority Program aimed at increasing the number of diverse individuals applying for and attending law school. She was a member of Pi Sigma Alpha National Political Science Honor Society. She serves as chair of the board of directors for the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law Alumni Association.

Joe Mashni

Joe lives in Florence, Kentucky. He represents the College of Pharmacy. He graduated in 1991 with a degree in pharmacy and earned his Pharm. D. in 1992. In 2001, he joined Med Care Pharmacy, a new start-up pharmacy and became part-owner in 2003. As a long-term care pharmacist with Med Care, he provided pharmacy services to contracted nursing homes throughout Kentucky and its contiguous states. Med Care Pharmacy was acquired by CVS Health, where he currently works as a pharmacist account executive. He has served in local and state pharmacy associations, church parish council, Florence Rotary Club, and is a Life Member of the UK Alumni Association and is a Wildcat Society member.

Michaela Mineer

Michaela Mineer lives in Lexington, Kentucky. She represents the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. She graduated with a degree in family sciences and with a communication degree in 2018. In 2021, she graduated from the Graduate School with her master’s in public administration. She worked as an area undergraduate admissions counselor at UK for three years. She is senior associate for Academic Excellence and Student Success for the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.

Kathy Panther

Kathy lives in Louisville, Kentucky. She represents the College of Health Sciences. She graduated in 1976 with a degree in special education communications. She has served on the College of Health Sciences Advisory Board. She received the Health Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award and was inducted into the Health Sciences Hall of Fame. She spent her 36-year career as a speech language pathologist and rehab director at Frazier Rehab in Louisville, Kentucky. She served on the Traumatic Brain Injury Trust Fund Board of Directors and on the board of the Parkinson’s Support Center of Kentuckiana. She serves on the Kentucky Advisory Board of the Brain Injury Association of America and the Frazier Rehab Institute Board of Trustees.

Deana Paradis

Deana lives in Louisville, Kentucky. She represents the Gatton College of Business and Economics. She is a 2003 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance. She is the chief financial officer for Louisville Collegiate School, a nonprofit independent school in Louisville. She spent the first 10 years in public accounting with PricewaterhouseCoopers, serving nonprofits for two of those years. She is an associate instructor in the Columbia University School of Professional Studies. She is a Life Member of the UK Alumni Association and is a member of UK Women & Philanthropy.

Regina Summers

Regina lives in Lexington, Kentucky. She represents the College of Design. She is a 1994 graduate with a degree in architecture. She is a lecturer of architecture at the UK College of Design and director of the Design Discovery Program. From 2013-2016, she was director of recruitment for the College of Design with her role expanding in July 2015 to include social media curation and identity. She is a recipient of the 2016 College of Design Staff Service Award. She received the 2013 Kentucky Arts Council Emerging Artist Award.

Tukea L. Talbert

Tukea lives in Lexington, Kentucky. She represents the College of Nursing. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1989, her master’s in nursing in 1994 and a doctorate in nursing practice in 2006. She is the chief diversity officer at UK HealthCare. She has held numerous leadership roles in diverse settings totaling more than 20 years of clinical operations leadership experience in academic medical center facilities. She is a Life Member of the UK Alumni Association. She is a member of the UK HealthCare Strategic Operations Team. She serves on several community boards including the Nathaniel Mission executive board and Women Leading Kentucky.

ALUMNI CLUBS HONORED FOR HARD WORK

The clubs of the UK Alumni Association serve a critical role in the mission of the association — to engage, connect, serve and celebrate alumni and friends of the university. The clubs, and the work their members do, were celebrated at the annual Summer Workshop in June.

Clubs were recognized in the following categories:

Alumni Engagement: providing opportunities for members to connect and interact with fellow alumni, both in-person and virtually.

New & Creative Programming: events that reimagine traditional get togethers and activities and work to include more alumni. Scholarships: money to ensure students from their local club area can succeed at UK. Service: through the Cats for a Cause program, alumni collect food and clothing, clean up local parks, sponsor toy drives and support student teams for UK’s annual DanceBlue marathon.

Student Recruitment: activities include summer send-off events, preview nights, postcard writing campaigns and book awards. Most Improved: recognizes clubs for extraordinary efforts to increase alumni participation in their areas and keep members connected to each other and to the university.

The Past Presidents’ Advisory Council determines awards. The following clubs were recognized:

IN-STATE AWARDS:

GREATER ASHLAND: Scholarships, Student Recruitment

BIG SANDY: Alumni Engagement, New & Creative Programming, Scholarships, Service, Student Recruitment, Most Improved

CHRISTIAN COUNTY: Alumni Engagement, Scholarships, Student Recruitment

CUMBERLAND VALLEY EAST: New & Creative Programming, Scholarships, Service, Student Recruitment

DAVIESS COUNTY: Student Recruitment

FAYETTE COUNTY: Alumni Engagement, New & Creative Programming, Service, Scholarships

FULTON COUNTY: Alumni Engagement, Scholarships, Student Recruitment

HOPKINS COUNTY: Scholarships

GREATER LOUISVILLE: Alumni Engagement, Scholarships, Service, Student Recruitment

McCRACKEN COUNTY: Scholarships, Service, Student Recruitment

NORTHERN KENTUCKY/GREATER CINCINNATI: New & Creative Programming, Scholarships, Service, Student Recruitment

OUT-OF-STATE AWARDS:

GREATER ATLANTA: New & Creative Programming, Scholarships, Student Recruitment

GREATER BIRMINGHAM: Alumni Engagement, Service, Student Recruitment

CENTRAL OHIO: Scholarships, Student Recruitment

CENTRAL VIRGINIA: Service

CHARLOTTE: Student Recruitment

CHATTANOOGA: Service, Student Recruitment

CHICAGOLAND: Alumni Engagement, Service, Student Recruitment, Most Improved

DALLAS-FORT WORTH: Scholarships

GREATER DAYTON: Scholarships, Service, Student Recruitment, Most Improved

GREATER HOUSTON: Scholarships, Service

KNOXVILLE: Service

GREATER NASHVILLE: Alumni Engagement, Scholarships, Service, Student Recruitment

NEW YORK CITY: Alumni Engagement, New & Creative Programming, Scholarships, Service

NORTHEAST OHIO: Scholarships, Student Recruitment

NORTHERN ALABAMA: Alumni Engagement, Scholarships

SARASOTA-SUNCOAST: Alumni Engagement, New & Creative Programming, Scholarships, Service, Most Improved

TAMPA BAY: Scholarships, Service, Student Recruitment, Most Improved

TRIANGLE AREA NORTH CAROLINA: Scholarships

UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA: Alumni Engagement, Service

Looking for a club to get involved in near you? Visit www.ukalumni.net/clubs.

Photo by Shelly Fryman

ALUMNI COMMONS HOSTS WILDCAT WELCOME FESTIVAL

More than 1,200 students kicked off the school year at the UK Alumni Association’s Wildcat Welcome Festival at Alumni Commons. Students were treated to drinks, food, games and music at the first-of-its-kind event which took place during K Week. A pedestrian pathway, Alumni Commons is located in the heart of campus on Rose Street between Columbia Avenue and Huguelet Drive.

Photo by Mark Cornelison, UK

Photo

PROVIDES CAMPUS WITH NEW SOCIAL CENTER

By Sally Scherer

Alumni Commons, a new social gathering space in the heart of campus, has opened on a portion of Rose Street after being closed for nearly 10 years because of construction projects.

What was once a two-way street has been repurposed for students, faculty, staff and alumni to gather, relax and enjoy. The area features terraced lawn seating, water features, patio and garden areas, swings, tables with umbrellas for shaded seating and spaces to accommodate large and small gatherings.

The corridor — from Columbia Avenue to Huguelet Drive — is multifunctional. Students can study there. Clubs can meet there. Friends can enjoy lunch there. Classes can be held there. Bands can perform there. The space has gates at both ends, bike lanes and it is well lit at night.

Jill Smith ’05 BE, ’11 AFE, associate vice president for alumni engagement and executive director of the UK Alumni Association, said because Rose Street is a central location on campus it’s the perfect place for Alumni Commons.

“Throughout my years at UK I’ve seen the campus change in some amazing ways. There are many new and newly renovated spaces for learning and living and for playing,” Smith said.

“With Alumni Commons, the Alumni Association has brought a brand-new space to campus,” she said. “We are proud to be a partner in this transformational project for UK.”

The UK Alumni Association pledged $3 million to the $9 million project in 2022. Part of the gift agreement with the university provided naming rights for the new area. After extensive vetting, the name Alumni Commons was chosen.

Alumni Commons provides the UK community with a large outdoor place for socialization, an important aspect of any campus. The UK Alumni Association has plans for a Homecoming block party there this fall.

“We’re sort of space challenged with outdoor spaces at UK,” said Mary Vosevich, vice president for facilities management and chief facilities officer at the University of Kentucky. “Having one to two blocks of space solely for enjoyment will be really nice for this campus.”

The move to close a section of Rose Street was first recommended in 1965 by a campus master plan. Part of the reasoning was to make the campus more cohesive.

The new space is important to the UK campus for many reasons. It takes what was once a busy thoroughfare through campus and turns it into a campus community space for everyone to use.

Hilary J. Boone Center

Mining and Minerals Resources Building

Research shows there is a clear connection between time spent outdoors and a reduction in anxiety, stress and depression. Also, a lack of socialization can impact physical and mental health in a negative way.

For some, the COVID-19 pandemic stunted opportunities for socialization. This new space is designed to encourage socialization and Smith and others with the UK Alumni Association hope new memories will be made there.

Jason Marcus, vice president for the Student Government Association and a Alumni Ambassador for the UK Alumni Association, looks forward to Alumni Commons and all it will provide post pandemic.

“Coming out of COVID-19 and adjusting our lives back to this ‘new normal’ was difficult,” he said. “It affected students’ mental health and their ability to communicate with one another with in-person interaction. Having the UK Alumni Association not only build and support this new space, but also strategically plan it to be used in ways that are so incredibly important is something to be proud of.

“The possibilities are endless when it comes to this space, and I cannot wait to see the innovation that excites future Wildcats here on this campus in their ability to utilize this incredible area we are so blessed to have here on our campus.”

Ned Crankshaw, interim dean of the UK College of Design and a landscape architect, took a tour of Alumni Commons in the days before its completion. He was pleased with what he saw in terms of scale, vegetation and social seating.

For campuses in urban places, like UK, a social space like Alumni Commons can give the campus a “heart and soul space,” something UK has been lacking, he said. While there are several small spaces on campus where students gather, there hasn’t been a central campus location for socialization.

“It was noticeable to me when I came to UK in 1990 that there wasn’t a center space on campus other than the foun-

tain at Patterson Office Tower and it was removed,” he said.

Alumni Commons will provide a universal space for students, faculty, staff and alumni because it’s not the territory of one academic major or one college, he said.

“On campuses, a place for stress reduction, a well-designed social space to encourage people to interact, is such a good thing,” he said, adding that the design is just part of the equation when it comes to determining if the space will be successful. How it is used and what will take place there is important, too.

Fortunately, the location of Alumni Commons is already a crossroads on campus. The area is flush with pedestrian traffic. A study showed that 19,000 people crossed Rose Street daily, said Vosevich. “I don’t know anywhere else in Lexington that has that many pedestrian crossings a day,” she said.

As the UK campus has grown, Rose Street almost divides the campus in two with the majority of academic buildings on one side and dormitories, the William T. Young Library and many sporting venues on the other.

Some existing buildings along the Rose Street space have been refurbished, helping to enhance its look. The Chemistry-Physics Building, originally built in 1962, has been renovated with new labs, offices and a new exterior, roof and entrances. The parking lot next to the Jacobs Science Building is getting a facelift that will include new stairs and elevator towers and a new terraced lawn seating area is in front of the Mining & Minerals Resource Building.

While other campuses have similar open spaces, “only a handful” have them to this scale, said Kevin Locke, associate vice president of capital planning, design and construction at UK.

“I don’t see how you can not enjoy sitting out there,” added Vosevich. “It has something for everyone.” ■

Parking Structure No. 2

T. H. Morgan Biological Sciences

Bowman Hall Bradley Hall

Huguelet Dr.

COME HOME FOR

HOMECOMING 2023

Welcome home, alumni!

Homecoming is one of my most favorite times of the year. At Homecoming, I get to see classmates, friends and a campus full of Wildcat fans who are here to see each other, celebrate their days on campus and make new memories. Now on the doorsteps of my 22nd Homecoming on campus, this time of year is still one of my favorites. I remember building a float with my sorority my freshman year and meeting my future husband, followed by years of being a studentworker in UK Athletics and smiling when I saw the “Homecoming Game” in the football game notes. And I will always cherish hearing the Wildcat Marching Band playing “Hail Kentucky, Alma Mater” after my name was announced as Homecoming Queen in 2004. I treasure these experiences and I’m humbled to now be part of the team at UK that works hard to ensure Homecoming is a memorable time for everyone. We hope you’re making plans to join us this year for Homecoming. We’ve been making plans for this year’s celebration since last year’s Homecoming! With more than 60 events during Homecoming Week, there is something for everyone. You’ll find a sneak peek at a few of these event details on the next page and you can find the complete list online. Plus, this year for the first time, events will be held at Alumni Commons, the new outdoor space in the heart of campus. While the traditions have evolved, the spirit of Homecoming remains. This time-honored tradition continues to reinforce the bond between students, alumni and our institution fostering a lasting connection. My days at UK are some of my best memories. I know they are for you, too. So, please, put on your blue and white and join us for this year’s Homecoming celebration. We can’t wait to see you and to make some new memories together.

Ev’ry Wildcat Star Will Shine, Jill Smith ’05 BE, ’11 AFE Executive Director, UK Alumni Association Associate Vice President for Alumni Engagement

HOMECOMING 2023 HOMECOMING 2023

OCTOBER 8 – 15

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

SUNDAY, OCT. 8 - SUNDAY, OCT. 15

HOMECOMING AT HOME

Can’t make it to Lexington for UK’s Homecoming this year? No problem! Celebrate Homecoming at Home by participating in virtual events all week long. Check out the website to see how you can participate from wherever you are.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 11

HOMECOMING BLOCK PARTY

4 – 8 P.M.

Let’s get Homecoming 2023 started off right with a block party at our new favorite location – Alumni Commons! We’ll have food, music and games. All Wildcats and the Lexington community are welcome to this family-friendly event.

THURSDAY, OCT. 12

CLASSES WITHOUT QUIZZES

2 – 3 P.M.

Join fellow UK alumni and friends for a classroom style lecture. But don’t worry, there won’t be a quiz about all you’ll learn!

ALUMNI & VISITLEX THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE

5 – 8 P.M.

Join the UK Alumni Association and VisitLex for one of downtown Lexington’s most popular summer get togethers, Central Bank’s Thursday Night Live! Mingle with fellow alumni and friends while listening to the Five Below Band and enjoying local food and beverages. Be sure to stop by our booth to get some UK Homecoming swag, while supplies last.

GOLDEN WILDCAT SOCIETY INDUCTION

DINNER & PINNING CEREMONY

6 – 9 P.M.

Enjoy a reception and sit-down dinner with members of the Class of 1973 who will receive their pins and be inducted into the Golden Wildcat Society.

*Note: Attire is business.

FRIDAY, OCT. 13

CAMPUS BUS TOUR

9 – 11 A.M.

Tour the brand-new Alumni Commons, the renovated pedestrian thoroughfare along Rose Street. The corridor features gathering places for friends, water features and outdoor classroom space. Visit with other campus partners and take a bus tour of campus to see how it’s changed since you were a student! The tour will include visits to the William T. Young Library, Gatton Student Center, Wildcat Alumni Plaza and many other campus locations.

LYMAN T. JOHNSON AWARDS LUNCHEON

11 A.M. – 1 P.M.

The University of Kentucky Alumni Association’s Lyman T. Johnson Alumni Constituency Group, with the support of the UK Office for Institutional Diversity and the Office of the Provost, continues its tradition of hosting an awards luncheon to honor Black students and alumni from each college.

A DAY AT THE RACES

NOON – 4:30 P.M.

Join us for an afternoon of Thoroughbred racing at one of Lexington’s most beautiful and historic venues, Keeneland Racecourse. It’s a perfect way to spend a fall afternoon.

GOLDEN WILDCAT NETWORKING RECEPTION

5 - 7:30 P.M.

Enjoy an early evening reception and reconnect with fellow classmates from 1973. Light appetizers will be served.

SATURDAY, OCT. 14

CAMPUS BUS TOUR

9 – 11 A.M.

Sit back and relax as we show you around the transformation of campus. The tour will include visits to the W.T. Young Library, Gatton Student Center, Wildcat Alumni Plaza and many newly renovated areas across campus.

HOMECOMING TAILGATE TENT PARTY

3 HOURS PRIOR TO KICKOFF

Before the Wildcats take on the Missouri Tigers, join us at the UK Alumni Association’s Tailgate Tent Party and Pep Rally. For $25, you can enjoy tailgate food along with exciting games, giveaways and scheduled performances!

KENTUCKY VS MISSOURI FOOTBALL GAME

TBD

It’s Tigers vs. Wildcats in this SEC matchup for the 2023 Homecoming game!

SUNDAY, OCT. 15

FAREWELL BREAKFAST WITH GOLDEN WILDCATS

8 A.M.

Say goodbye to fellow classmates during breakfast at the Campbell House. This event is free. Food and drinks are available for purchase.

For details about other homecoming activities

WWW.UKHOMECOMING.COM

WELCOME WILDCATS!

For many in the 2023-2024 freshmen class, their Big Blue adventure began at home this summer. UK Alumni Association Clubs from San Diego to Dayton, Ohio, hosted student send-off celebrations to get UK students ready for their inaugural year.

2023 STUDENT SEND- OFFS

Alumni and representatives from UK met with families, parents and new students to share their UK experience and give the incoming students a few pointers on how to make their years at UK great. Students asked questions and made new friends.

The UK Alumni Clubs celebrated in a variety of ways from pizza parties and ice cream socials to baseball games and picnics. The clubs worked hard to provide students with a fun experience to get them fired up to start school.

Thanks to all these clubs for sending off incoming UK students: Greater Ashland, Greater Atlanta, Big Sandy, Greater Birmingham, Central Ohio, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Chicagoland, Christian County, Cumberland Valley East, Danville/Boyle County, Daviess County, Greater Dayton, Greater Louisville, Greater Nashville, New York City, Northeast Ohio, Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati, Northwest Ohio, San Diego, Sarasota/Suncoast, Tampa Bay, Triangle Area and Upstate South Carolina.

Greater Atlanta UK Alumni Club

Greater Louisville UK Alumni Club

Greater Nashville UK Alumni Club

Central Ohio UK Alumni Club

Upstate SC UK Alumni Club

Daviess County UK Alumni Club

A Big Blue thanks to all our new Life Members! We are pleased to recognize your commitment to the Wildcat family and intention to stay connected to the University of Kentucky for life.

YOU CAN MAKE A

DIFFERENCE

Family watches out for family. When you become a Life Member of the UK Alumni Association, you help open doors of opportunity to transform the lives of students, serve alumni and improve the Commonwealth of Kentucky and beyond!

www.ukalumni.net/membership or call 800-269-ALUM (2586)

“UK HAS HAD SUCH A POSITIVE IMPACT ON MY LIFE. I AM PROUD TO GIVE BACK AND BE PART OF THE WILDCAT FAMILY.”

- Antoine Huffman ’05,

Alumni Association

Life Member

FAMILY TAKES CARE OF FAMILY

The Kentucky Alumni magazine is just one of the great benefits of your Life or Active membership! In appreciation of your loyalty to UK, we’re rolling out the Big Blue carpet of benefits for our Wildcat family.

SEE A FULL LIST OF MEMBER BENEFITS AT WWW.UKALUMNI.NET/BENEFITS OR BY SCANNING THE QR CODE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR MEMBERSHIP AND LOYALTY TO THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY.

Hall ofDistinguished 2025 ALUMNI Hall ofDistinguished

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN

WWW.UKALUMNI.NET/HODA

DEADLINE: DEC. 31, 2023

Sports

UK ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2023

Six acclaimed University of Kentucky athletes have been selected for the University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2023. They area:

• Robin Ewing Bodem (gymnastics) is the second Wildcat in gymnastics’ history to earn All-America honors in 1996 and was named second team All-America. She is the third Wildcat in program history to qualify for the NCAA National Championships and was a leader on the UK team that produced the school’s first top-four finish at the SEC Championships in 1996, a feat which has only been matched in 2018 and 2021.

• Chris Chenault (football) is the second-leading tackler in school history with 482 total tackles, including 15 tackles for loss. He also had three interceptions in his career, returning one for a touchdown. He earned All-SEC second team honors as a senior and earned a spot on the Football News Sophomore All-America Team.

• Danielle Galyer Day (swimming) is the first and only Kentucky swimmer to win a national championship, winning the 200 backstroke in 2016. Her time of 1:49.71 was the sixth-fastest in American swimming history. She is a fourtime first-team All-American, a four-time NCAA Championships qualifier and a two-time Elite 90 Award recipient (2016, 2017) for the highest grade-point average of any competitor at the national championship event. She still ranks second in program history in both the 100 and 200 backstroke.

• Dick Parsons (baseball/basketball) is an All-American shortstop in baseball and he lettered three years in men’s basketball, serving as team captain for both teams. Parsons earned All-America honors in baseball after batting .400 as a senior and was a first-team All-SEC and a NCAA All-District selection as a junior and senior.

• Rajon Rondo (basketball) led the Wildcats to the 2005 SEC regular-season championship after posting a school-record 87 steals as a freshman, being named to SEC All-Freshman Team that season. In his sophomore year, Rondo led the Wildcats in assists (167), total rebounds (209), points scored (380) and steals (69). He earned All-SEC second team honors while also being named to the Academic AllSEC Team. He was drafted 21st overall in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, playing 16 years in the NBA, winning championships with Boston and Los Angeles.

• Ryan Strieby (baseball) led UK to its first SEC championship in 2006, becoming the first SEC Player of the Year in program history, leading the team in doubles (22), homers (20), RBI (77), total bases (164), slugging (.704) and onbase percentage (.473). Strieby ranks among the UK single season record holders in each category. He was named a first team All-America first baseman by Baseball America, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, the College Baseball Hall of Fame and Louisville Slugger. He also was named All-SEC first team and All-South Region first team by the American Baseball Coaches Association. He was a fourth-round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers in 2006 and played 10 seasons of minor-league baseball. ■

Former Kentucky Football Head Coach Rich Brooks and his wife stand inside newly renovated Nutter Field House on the playing surface recently named in their honor: Rich and Karen Brooks Field. Donors Brett and Billie Jo Setzer made the honor possible. Brooks was coach from 2003-2009, leading the Wildcats to four consecutive bowl games. ■

Photo by Elliott Hess

DEVRIES, LEACH NAMED TO KENTUCKY SPORTS HALL OF FAME

Brigid DeVries, one of the founding administrators/coaches of UK women’s varsity sports, and Tom Leach, longtime play-by-play voice of the University of Kentucky football and men’s basketball teams, have been selected for the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023. DeVries and Leach will be recognized during a ceremony this fall in Louisville.

Brigid L. DeVries is a Lexington native and UK graduate served as an administrator and coach for track and field, volleyball, golf and swimming and diving during UK’s transition from club sports to intercollegiate athletics. She joined the Kentucky High School Athletic Association in 1979 as an assistant commissioner and in 2002 became the first female commissioner. During her 31 years at the Kentucky High School Athletic Association, she was a pioneer for increasing high school sports opportunities for girls and boys, proactively emphasizing Title IX compliance and initiating programs to ensure competitor safety and coaching education.

Tom Leach is in his 46th year of sports radio broadcasting in his home state of Kentucky, including 34 years on the UK broadcast teams with the past 26 seasons calling playby-play for UK football and 22 seasons calling UK men’s basketball. A native of Paris, Kentucky, Leach began his career at age 17 as the voice for Paris and Bourbon County high school sports. He has won two Eclipse Awards for his coverage of Thoroughbred racing, six times has been selected by his peers as Kentucky Sportscaster of the Year and for 24 years he was a news and sports reporter/director in Lexington, first for WVLK and then WLAP. ■

KENTUCKY FOOTBALL LOOKS FOR CONSISTENCY IN 2023 CAMPAIGN

During SEC Media Days held in July, consistency was the common discussion thread for the attending players and coaches.

Wildcats’ fans know well the battles of the offense from last season: new coaches with new schemes, a string of injuries among the veterans and new faces on the O-line contributed to a lackluster 7-5 overall record and a shutout loss to Iowa in the Music City Bowl.

This preseason, however, players and coaches alike have hit the drumbeat of consistency and have made that an important cornerstone for the entire team.

Senior offensive lineman Eli Cox said he vows not to allow inconsistency on the offensive line this season.

“Our goal is to be a consistently dominant football team,” he said. “We have to be a consistent football team that looks to win every game we play. I think our offense is going to hold up its end of the bargain this year and score a lot of points.”

“Last year we weren’t really consistent,” senior outside linebacker J.J. Weaver said. “If you have a bad day in practice, have a better bad day. Just count your reps every day. That’s what we did to try to get that.”

Head Coach Mark Stoops echoed these sentiments.

“Everybody wants to win on Saturday,” he said. “Guys are playing hard on Saturday, but what about the rest of the week to put ourselves in a position to win? That’s the consistency we need with our preparation, our work ethic. It starts with our mindset.”

Stoops mentioned that the talented recruiting class and the transfer portal have brought several new pieces for returning offensive coordinator Liam Coen to work with. This includes Kentucky’s new quarterback, N.C. State transfer Devin Leary.

Three players were named to the 2023 Preseason Media Days All-SEC teams. Sophomore defensive lineman Deone Walker was named secondteam defense, Cox was named to third-team offense and Weaver was named to third-team defense. ■

Photo by Elliott Hess

By Sara Holland Bachman

For a Christmas gift in 2000, Kim Raho’s mother gifted Kim ’98 ’00 HS and her brother Brian ’03 BE with a paver at UK’s Wildcat Alumni Plaza next to the Bowman statue. Kim is a speech-language pathologist who has been working in the Jefferson County Public School system in Louisville for 24 years.

Kim’s love of UK is, well, pretty intense. Her paver is engraved with “My Old KY Home” because she’s “still in love with UK” she says.

“All of my professors (especially my communication disorders professors)

‘A Special Bond’

Alumna’s gift of paver has lasting impact

that I had during my time at the University of Kentucky had a large desire for us to succeed — and they would do everything in their power to make sure that we did,” she said.

She lived in a dorm during all four of her undergraduate years and loved it. She had great teachers. She went to all the games, she said. She fondly remembers Two Keys Tavern being her second home and, although her father was a professor at the University of Louisville, she can’t imagine her life without her time at UK.

And, like many alumni, Kim contin-

ues to encourage all of her students to attend the University of Kentucky, even in the midst of Cardinal territory. She believes that, if possible, it is always good for students to leave their hometown to learn how to live on their own — at least for a few years. She believes UK is a good distance for students from Louisville to attend because it’s not too far away, but just far enough. The distance helps them do their own thing and grow as young adults, she said.

“Any time that I talk about UK, I smile,” she said.

Photo by Stacey Gish

A SPECIAL BOND IS FORMED

Deshawn Pearson ’21 FA was a student of Kim’s when he was enrolled at Louisville’s Western Middle School. He describes her as “one of the best teachers” he had in middle school. She describes him by saying, “I’m so proud of him.”

Deshawn was in Kim’s class because he was delayed in his language skills. He confided in her when he was teased at school and really needed a shoulder to lean on, she said.

“We had a special bond,” she said. “Even though he may have struggled with academic courses, Deshawn has a kind soul and a lot of determination. He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body which makes him easy to love.”

In middle school, Deshawn considered himself a Cardinal fan. But that didn’t last long. He could sense Kim’s love for her alma mater when she shared stories with her students about her time at UK. Pearson said that he had never thought about attending UK before stepping into Kim’s classroom. But he longed to have the same sort of experience at a university that she did.

At the end of Deshawn’s eighth-grade year when Kim was cleaning out her classroom, Deshawn asked her if he could have the UK poster that hung on the wall. She gave it to him. His desire to attend UK was cemented.

The memories made and relationships formed in Kim’s classroom have always been the most important thing to her, and she knew that gifting Deshawn the poster would mean more to him than if she had kept it for herself. Kim stated, “I love my kids. The personal relationships have always been number one to me — once you are a part of my classroom, I will always care about you.”

‘TIL THE BATTLE IS WON

Getting into UK wasn’t easy for Deshawn. He knew it wouldn’t be. He attended Jefferson Community & Technical College for two years and worked hard to keep his grades up. On July 25, 2017, his acceptance letter to UK arrived.

“When I opened the letter I was so excited,” he said, adding that he wanted to pursue a career as an artist because he loved to draw.

But before leaving Louisville for UK, his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and she passed in 2018.

His community of friends at UK and his involvement with Christian Student Fellowship helped Deshawn grow through the tragedy, he said.

“I’d been going to church all my life and I just continued to live by faith in God’s name. I kept praying. I knew God was going to work it out somehow.”

Teachers, like UK College of Art and Design Professor Becky Alley, helped, too. Deshawn spoke to her often about

his dreams of becoming a professional artist, specifically a cartoon artist for Disney. She said, “Deshawn was always such a hard worker. He was never not in class, always engaged, participating, and interested in what was going on. He was a very focused student, while remaining kind and steadfast.”

While walking across campus one day, Deshawn spotted Kim’s paver at Wildcat Alumni Plaza. He called her to tell her he had seen it and that there was an empty paver space next to hers and he wanted his paver to go right there.

Kim promised that when Deshawn graduated, she’d buy one for him.

“She asked me what I wanted it to say,” he said. “I said ‘Till the battle is won’ because to me I’ve been fighting my battles and been struggling and working hard.”

Deshawn is now working at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. He hopes to be an artist there some day. And Kim continues to work in the public school system in Louisville and encourage her students to attend UK.

And at Wildcat Alumni Plaza, their pavers are placed next to each other.

“Kim Raho and DeShawn Pearson have left a permanent mark on the UK campus with their pavers side by side in Alumni Plaza,” said Jill Smith, ’05 BE, ’11 AFE and associate vice president for Alumni Engagement and executive director of the UK Alumni Association. “What a lasting testament these pavers are, not just to Kim and DeShawn’s love of their alma mater, but to their friendship. We couldn’t be more proud.” ■

To learn more about the paver program at Wildcat Alumni Plaza, visit www.ukalumni.net/WildcatAlumniPlaza.

Class Notes

1970s

Jim Embry ’74 AS won a James Beard Leadership Award for creating “a safer, more healthful, equitable, and sustainable food world.” Embry was involved in the founding of Lexington’s Good Foods Co-Op and served as the director of the Boggs Center to Nurture Community Leadership in Detroit. He founded the Sustainable Communities Network, establishing community gardens in Kentucky and the Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance, a national co-op f heirloom seed farming.

Michael Joy ’78 ED, the recently retired head coach at Tusculum University, has been named the girls’ soccer coach at Morristown East High School, Morristown, Tennessee. Joy has coached collegiately beginning with coaching soccer as a club sport at UK in 1990. He coached at Midway University for five seasons.

1980s

Claudia J. Silbar ’80 AS has joined Judicate West, one of California’s leading providers of private dispute resolution services. Silbar served on the California Superior Court

bench for 21 years, mostly in family law. Before that, she served in the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

Warren D. Schickli ’82 LAW has been named to “Managing IP” magazine’s 2023 list of “IP Stars.” “Managing IP” recognizes highly regarded intellectual property attorneys in the United States. Schickli works at Stites & Harbison PLLC.

Nagraj “Raju” Balakrishnan ’83 EN has been named dean of the Merrick School of Business at the University of Baltimore. The veteran university educator and administration was dean of the University of MichiganDearborn College of Business.

Renee Larrick ’84 BE has been appointed by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice to a second six-year term on the state’s Public Service Commission. She was the business manager for a private law firm in Beckley, West Virginia, before she was appointed to the commission.

Sheila A. Martin ’84 GS has been appointed vice president of public affairs and chief of staff to the president at Portland State University. Martin was a member of the PSU faculty from 2004-2018 in the School of Urban Studies and Planning.

Patrick J. Morris ’86 GS is the Idaho State Dental Association’s new executive director. Morris brings more

than two decades of senior association leadership experience to the ISDA. He is a former Marine officer, worked in the U.S. Senate and was selected for the prestigious Presidential Management Fellowship Program.

Carol Gallagher ’89 PHA has been appointed independent director to the board of directors of Mirati Therapeutics, a commercial stage biotechnology company. Gallagher has more than 30 years of strategic, commercial business development and drug development leadership experience in the life sciences industry.

Thomas G. Ison ’89 DEN has been named vice president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. He is the owner of a private dental practice in Newburgh, Indiana. He previously held appointments as an assistant professor at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry and Chief of Dentistry at Norton Children’s Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky.

1990s

Donna R. Phillips ’90 FA was a member of the cast of this summer’s production of “The Stephen Foster Story” produced by the Stephen Foster Drama Association. This is her 18th season with the production which takes place in Bardstown, Kentucky.

Photos courtesy

Pamela Goodwine ’91 BE, ’94 LAW earned an LLM in judicial studies from Duke University School of Law. The master of judicial studies program is a twoyear program that includes original research and a thesis. Goodwine’s thesis, “Fighting Death: A Critique of Kentucky’s Death Penalty System” will be published in Kentucky’s Law Journal in the spring 2024.

Craig Hart ’91 BE has been sworn in as the United States Agency for International Development mission director for Tanzania. Hart served as the USAID program officer in Tanzania from 2011-2015. He rejoins the Tanzania team after having spent the last four years as the USAID deputy assistant administrator for East Asia and the Pacific.

Michael C. Casey ’92 AS has been nominated to serve as director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center under the Biden-Harris administration. He has served as the staff director for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence since 2016. He has spent more than 27 years on Capitol Hill in a variety of positions.

Judith DeLuca ’92 PHA has been appointed associate dean for academic and student affairs for the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Binghamton University State University of New York.

Heather Follmer ’93 BE has been named vice president of sales and business development for Doctivity Health in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. Follmer was an enterprise account executive at Marketware, a division of Medsphere.

Delaine Thiel ’93 AS has been named vice president of philanthropy for the CHI Saint Joseph Health Foundations. Thiel served as a member of the Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation Board and as vice president for development at Lexington Catholic where she led a $10.2 million capital campaign, annual giving and sponsorship programs.

Nancy Johnson ’95 ED will serve as the interim president at Big Sandy Community and Technical College in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. She retired from BSCTC in 2016 after 18 years there. She served as provost from 2000-16 and executive dean of academic affairs from 1998-2000.

Jennifer Zeller ’95 FA has been chosen to receive the 2023 Kittleman Scholarship for Aspiring Public Garden Leaders through the American Public Gardens Association. Zeller is the arts in nature curator at Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in Clermont, Kentucky.

Amitabh Chandra ’96 AS, ’99 ’00 BE has been elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Chandra is an academic

Information in Class Notes is compiled from previously published items in newspapers and other media outlets, as well as items submitted by individual alumni. Send us your class note by emailing ukalumni@uky.edu or submitting your information in the online community at www.ukalumni.net/class

COLLEGE INDEX

AFE Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food & Environment

AS Arts & Sciences

BE Gatton College of Business & Economics

CI Communication & Information

DE Dentistry

DES Design

ED Education

EN Pigman College of Engineering

FA Fine Arts

GS The Graduate School

HS Health Sciences

HON Honorary Degree

LAW Rosenberg College of Law

MED Medicine

NUR Nursing

PHA Pharmacy

PH Public Health

SW Social Work

Home economics students make a service flag for the university that features five stars. The photo appeared in the 1918 “Kentuckian.”

Class Notes

and healthcare economist who is the Malcolm Wiener Professor of Social Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Pete November II ’93 BE, ’96 LAW has been selected as a member of the Committee of 100 for Economic Development, Inc. which serves as Louisiana’s Business Roundtable. November was named CEO of Ochsner Health in 2022 after a decade in leadership roles with the health care system.

Michael Biddle ’97 BE has been appointed chief data scientist at Cenlar, a national mortgage loan subservicer. Biddle will work with Cenlar’s Mortgage Information Factory, an effort focused on leveraging the company’s data. He previously served as chief data scientist at AiCurio, which provides AI-based analytics to the mortgage industry.

JJ Rodgers ’97 BE has been appointed Big Ass Fan’s vice president for finance. Rodgers has professional experience in finance and strategic planning.

Brad DeSilva ’98 AS has been promoted to clinical professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center. He will serve as the vice chair of education for the department as well.

Michelle Shuffett ’98 MED has been appointed as the senior vice president of medical and scientific affairs at RS Bio Therapeutics. She has served in senior roles at several health/medical organizations and founded a consulting firm, Sea Sprite International Ltd.

Patrick M. Torre ’98 LAW has been named to “Managing IP” magazine’s 2023 list of “IP Stars.”

“Managing IP” recognizes highly regarded intellectual property attorneys in the United States. Torre works at Stites & Harbison PLLC.

Nick Uhren ’98 ‘00 EN has been appointed to serve as the Pasco County (Florida)

Commission’s director of engineering services. A registered professional engineer, Uhren has experience in the public and private sector. He has served as executive director of the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency.

Frank Vogel ’98 AS has been named head coach of the Phoenix Suns. Vogel was the head coach with the Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers, winning an NBA championship with the Lakers in 2020. He served as the student manager for the Kentucky Wildcats men’s team under Head Coach Rick Pitino in the 1994-95 season.

Wendy Woodall ’98 NUR is the director of nursing services and chief nursing officer at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. She entered the Army in 1998 and has held a variety of Army Nursing Corps officer positions. She serves as the MedicalSurgical Nursing Consultant to the Surgeon General of the U.S. Army and is an active member of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses.

Chris Jackson ’99 BE has been named senior vice president Small Business Administration division manager at Countybank in Greenville, South Carolina. Jackson has more than 20 years of banking and SBA

Agriculture students in 1947 give a classroom presentation on milking a cow.

lending experience, most recently serving as senior vice president and head of SBA lending for German American Bank.

Aaron Keatley ’99 GS has been selected by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to be the acting director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. He served as chief deputy director prior to taking on the role as acting director.

Donny H. Lau ’99 BE has been named chief financial officer at the fast-casual chicken chain Zaxby’s. Most recently Lau served as vice president, finance and chief strategy officer for Dollar General Corp. He has held various positions with Yum! Brands.

Whitney Mardis ’99 AFE was recently named vice president of Sales at Synchrony Health Services. She has held various sales leadership and clinical positions within the biopharma industry and was most recently vice president of patient services at PharmaCord.

2000s

Benji Hutchinson ’00 03 AS, 04 GS has been named to a subcommittee of the National AI Advisory Committee to advise the President of the United States on topics that include bias, security of data and the adoptability of AI for security or law enforcement. Hutchinson

is chair of the Security Industry Association’s Identity and Biometric Technology Advisory Board. He was recently named chief revenue officer of Rank One Computing.

Valerie Still ’00 AFE has been named to the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. Still played basketball at UK from 1979-1983 and is a three time All-American. She holds Kentucky’s career records in scoring and rebounding.

John Huang ’02 AFE has been named vice president and head of business banking, serving mostly family-owned businesses in Kentucky and Southern Indiana, for Fifth Third Bank. He brings more than 20 years of financial services experience to Fifth Third after spending most of his banking career at J.P. Morgan Chase.

Jeremy Jarvi ‘02 CI is a member of the Leadership Kentucky Class of 2023. Jarvi is executive director of the LouCity & Racing Foundation.

Kelsey Starks ’02 CI is the new host and producer of the Kentucky Education Television show “Inside Louisville.” The weekly half-hour show will feature conversations with Louisville’s newsmakers and personalities. Starks brings more than 20 years of experience as a reporter, anchor and producer to the show.

Diana M. Smith ’03 ED has been named principal at

James Lane Allen Elementary School in Lexington, Kentucky. She has 20 years of experience in education and was the principal at Cox’s Creek Elementary in Nelson County.

Carlye Burchett Thacker ’03 AS was appointed to the Clark Count Public Library Board of Trustees in Winchester, Kentucky. She runs the Seat of Wisdom Homeschool Co-op.

Tara Estes ’05 AS has joined the mayor’s office with the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government as a community re-entry advocate. She will implement the BFREE initiative which helps people transition out of the criminal justice system into employment. She has 19

years’ experience in addiction recovery.

Christian J. Keeney ’06 AS has joined the employment law firm of Jackson Lewis in Orange County, California. Keeney’s practice focuses on workplace law matters.

Max Weber ’07 BE has been included in Marquis Who’s Who. An accomplished project management expert with years of experience in business development and marketing, Weber is the chief marketing officer, partner and director of business development for Weber Group Inc.

Kent Barber ’08 LAW joined Embry Merritt Womack Nance, PLLC as a counsel. Barber brings 15 years of

Department of Horticulture student Rebecca “Betsy” Pennell learns to arrange flowers with professor Jack Buxton.

Career Corner Career Corner

by Queen-Ayanna Sullivan

THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERNSHIPS

Internships are important to the success of UK students because the experience follows them for the rest of their careers. Molly Tierney ’23 AS recently completed an internship at Creekmore Marketing & Design in Nicholasville, Kentucky. A Fort Mitchell, Kentucky native, Tierney is a Legacy. Her dad is Kevin Tierney ’93 BE.

How did you know UK is where you wanted to be when choosing a college? Most of my family and friends went to UK. I received the Singletary scholarship that let me attend UK with my two sisters. As a triplet, I wanted to stay close to home yet still have an adventure.

How did you learn about the internship? I knew about Creekmore from family and was recommended for my writing. I came to Creekmore as the content team was growing. My supervisor was in the middle of hiring new content specialists and moving offices and she still found the time to train me. She is a champion.

What were your duties and responsibilities? I began as a content intern, editing blogs for upload to client websites. Website content is critical to a company’s digital marketing strategy, but quality content is essential. Creekmore helps their clients rank higher on searches with social media, advertisements, online client interaction, content, etc. I had the opportunity to write these pages and still do remotely.

What skills did you develop through the experience? I’ve always been a strong writer but writing professionally is completely different. I’m writing not just for Creekmore, but for their client companies and in some facets, Google. My first pieces were a bit disorganized and admittedly flowery until a content specialist advised me to be more efficient.

What advice do you have for other companies that are hosting interns? Flexibility in scheduling and tasks. Editing a blog, writing a product page, double-checking the content spreadsheet, learning how to do keyword research and listing ideas for content plans allowed me to ask questions and stay productive.

What are some benefits of completing an internship? Internships are an excellent way to get experience in the work world. Even if an internship doesn’t obviously match up to your course of study, it gives you both the soft and hard skills all employers look for.

If your organization has internship opportunities available, contact Ray Clere, director of the UK Stuckert Career Center/ Student Success at ray.clere@uky.edu.

Clere shares this quote: “There are a lot of programs and activities that students can choose to participate in during their college years, but one category that stands apart, both in terms of impact on the student experience and a student’s future career trajectory, is internships, co-ops and related forms of experiential learning. These experiences provide opportunities for career discovery and exploration, access to a professional network, and a forum for developing professional skills and competencies.”

Queen-Ayanna Sullivan, M.S., CCC is a Career Counselor with UK Alumni Career Services. Visit www.ukalumni.net/career to learn more. Alumni Career Services: Celebrating 20 years of helping UK alumni advance their careers.

Class Notes

legal experience to EMWN. He holds a distinguished rating from MartindaleHubbell with a very high rating in legal ability and ethical standards and has been selected as a Super Lawyer from 2020-2023.

Frank Eychner ’09 FA has accepted a position as the director of choral activities at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas. Previously he was the University of Texas Permian Basin Kathlyn Cosper Dunagan Professor of the Humanities and music department chair.

Joshua Holliday ’09 ED has been named principal at Walhalla Elementary School in Seneca, South Carolina. He has 21 years of experience in public education as a teacher, coach, assistant principal and principal.

Scott Loscheider ’09 ED has been named principal at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington. He began his career in education as a member of the Fayette County Public Schools team as a physical education teacher at Dixie Elementary School. He has 14 years of experience most recently as assistant principal at George Rogers Clark High School in Clark County, Kentucky.

Ashley Evans-Smith ’09 SW has been appointed to the Rural Leadership Council of the National Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian ad Litem Association for Children. Evans-Smith is

the executive director of CASA of the Ohio Valley, a volunteer organization that trains community members who advocate for abused and neglected children.

2010s

Antonio M. Shelton ’10 ED has been hired as superintendent of Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District. He was the district’s executive director of secondary schools. He has 23 years of experience as an educator including 18 in administrative positions.

Casey Smith ’10 CI has been promoted to supervisor, marketing information at Link-Belt Cranes. He began his career with Link-Belt in 2012 as a public relations coordinator.

Andrew M. Yocum ’10 BE, ’13 LAW has joined Sturgill, Turner, Barker & Moloney, PLLC in Lexington in the firm’s torts and insurance practice group. In May 2023, he was elected to the Fayette County Bar Association Board of Directors.

Logan Antle ‘11 AFE has been appointed chief operating officer of Faith Healthcare Inc. He previously served as the director of business development for a federally qualified health center.

Ellen Hammer ’11 AS has been hired as the commercial relationship manager for the Nashville team of CapStar

Bank, a subsidiary of CapStar Financial Holdings. She has more than a decade of financial services experience in the Nashville market and joins CapStar after serving as business banking officer for Legends Bank.

Frances L. Jordan ’11 LAW was named by Austin Woman to its 40 Under 40 list for using her talent and resources to build up the Austin, Texas community. Jordan works for the community relations firm Rifelife as senior director of communications and strategy.

Sheena McGuffey ’11 NUR has joined the staff at Ephraim McDowell Family and Internal Medicine. She will provide primary care to adult patients.

Kerri Shelton Taylor ’11 AS, an associate professor at Columbus State University, was among the 18 higher education faculty from throughout Georgia selected as a Governor’s Teaching Fellow. She has been a faculty member in the College of Letters & Sciences’ Department of Chemistry since August 2016.

Nathan S. Harris ’12 LAW has been named a recipient of the 14th annual Emerging Leaders Awards by the media outlet M&A Advisor. Harris is a partner with Bradley’s Corporate & Securities Practice Group in Nashville. He is an active member of the Tennessee Bar Association.

Hannah Ellis ’13 is on tour promoting her song, “Wine

Country” on Curb Records. A singer/songwriter, Ellis was named to Rolling Stone Country’s “Artists to Watch” list. She is also one of the “CMT Listen Up” artists to watch for 2023. She has earned national attention with “Officer Down” in 2016 and “Country Can” in 2022.

Jon Lykins ’13 AFE has joined the real estate sales team at Boon Real Estate in Maysville. He is the founder and owner of AA Moving, a successful moving company which he started in 2017.

Liz Rodgers ’13 CI has been named Lexington’s chief information officer. She comes to the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government from a program management position at Connexus Credit Union in Wisconsin.

John Fox ’14 AS has been named the head diving coach at Auburn University. Fox has more than a decade of experience at the club and international level. He earned the Moose Moss Diving Coach of the Year Award in 2017 and has served as the vice chair of the USA Diving Coach Advisory Council since 2020.

Wesley Whistle ’14 GS has been appointed to serve in the Biden-Harris administration as special assistant in the Office of the Under Secretary. Whistle has worked in administrative roles at the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville and Kentucky

Emery Myers Emmert, professor of horticulture, tends to plants in a greenhouse in 1958.

Class Notes

Wesleyan College doing data analysis, accreditation and assessment.

Gentry C. Collins ’15 BE, ‘18 LAW has been elected to the Blue Grass Community Foundation Board of Directors. She will serve a three-year term for the nonprofit organization. Collins is an attorney based in Stites & Harbison PLLC’s Lexington office.

Alexis Thompson ’15 AFE has joined the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory in Canyon, Texas as the laboratory’s bovine veterinary diagnostician.

Brett Bibb ’16 CI has been named director of marketing at Commerce Lexington Inc. Bibb previous worked in marketing roles for Dean Dorton and Downtown Lexington Partnership. He served as chair of Commerce Lexington’s EMERGE steering committee and is a graduate of Leadership Lexington.

Jamie Greenwell ’16 DEN has joined the Smile Center dental practice in Huntingburg, Indiana. Greenwell has served as a dentist in the United States Army Dental Corps.

Autumn Hankinson ’16 CI has been hired as community manager for Brite Energy in Warren, Ohio. Before joining Brite, she spent six years in Austin, Texas, working with entrepreneurs.

Kendall M. Hough ’16 ’22

AS has been named to New

York City’s 40 under 40 years old who are working to transform and improve the food system. The list was released by the Hunter College New York City Food Policy Center. Hough is an economic development program specialist with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Sujindren Selvanayagam ’16 ED has been named assistant principal at Horseshoe Bend School in Dadeville, Alabama. He started his teaching career in Dadeville, teaching seventh- and eighth- grade math and high school geometry.

Emma Adam ’17 AFE has been named to an advisory committee of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority to oversee a three-year study on the use of furosemide, known as Lasix, on horses. Adam is a veterinarian with more than 24 years of racing experience.

Whitney Davis ’18 ’20 GS has been appointed chief financial officer of Faith Healthcare Inc. She has experience in governmental and nonprofit finance having served as a statistician and project lead for a national security complex and as an economist for the Legislative Research Commission of Kentucky.

Ben Monnett ’18 ED has been named principal at Elizabethtown High School, Elizabethtown, Kentucky. He recently served as an educational recovery leader

for the Kentucky Department of Education. He was principal at Nelson County High School, academic dean at Fleming County High School and as a special education teacher.

Erica Rogers ’18 AFE, ’18 BE, ’22 GS is the new director of agriculture development for the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government. She previously worked for Farm Credit Mid-America where she provided financial solutions and services to agriculture producers in Kentucky.

Ronald J. Trotta ’18 ’23 AFE was recognized by the American Society of Animal Science with the

Wetteman Graduate Scholar in Physiology Award. He is working to identify cellular and molecular mechanisms of serotonin-medicated vasoconstriction and vasodilation in cattle.

Allison Spears ’19 AS has joined McDonald Hopkins LLC as an associate in the litigation department, adding her expertise to the firm’s national data privacy and cybersecurity practice group.

2020s

Dameon Black ’20 CI was nominated for a 2023 Southeast Regional Emmy Award in Sports Promotion for his work at the University

Stanley Wall, associate dean of the College of Agriculture and Home Economics, and his secretary, Peggy McCarthy, sack up a bit of genuine Kentucky bluegrass soil for shipment to South Dakota State College at Brookings for use in Arbor Day ceremonies.

of Mississippi on the video “Transfer to the Sip.”

Maggie Davis ’20 CI has been named co-anchor of “BBN Tonight” on WLEX-TV in Lexington. Davis joined the TV station in September 2020. Previously she had worked as a sportswriter, Sunday editor and digital host at Kentucky Sports Radio. She interned at ESPN.

Tanya Jo Jury ’20 ED has been named the director of high school curriculum,

instruction and assessment for Hardin County Schools. She was the Bluegrass Middle School principal. Before that, she was an assistant principal and principal at Nelson County High School.

Thomas Clark Taylor ’21 BE has joined the product marketing group at LinkBelt Cranes as a marketing product specialist for rough terrain cranes. He brings rental and retail experience from a national trucking company.

HIT SONGWRITER NEIL MEDLEY ‘96 CI ANNOUNCES ALBUM

Kalil ElMedkhar ’22 BE has been signed by Loudoun United FC, an American professional soccer team in Leesburg, Virginia. A twotime all-conference selection during his four seasons at the University of Kentucky, he played for FC Dallas before Loudoun.

Olivia Owens ’22 AS was chosen as Albany’s 2023 Tulip Queen during the Tulip Festival in Albany, New York. She is listed on the NCAA All-SEC Academic Team and

After more than a decade of writing songs for others, hit songwriter Neil Medley ’96 CI has released a debut country album “South End Kid” on his own Son of A Carl label with help from River House Artists.

“For the past 12 years, I have made a living writing songs for other artists,” Medley said. “I’ve sat in writing rooms tailoring stories and melodies to fit someone else’s voice, while always keeping one eye on current trends and the other on the past.

“’South End Kid’ is a project void of all such compromises,” he continued. “It’s a wide-open highway of personal stories, told in my voice, exactly the way I wanted to tell them. ‘South End Kid’ is an album that I would want to go out and buy. And if I love it, there was a little doubt others would too.”

The Louisville, Kentucky-born singer has had more than 70 cuts as a songwriter. Medley has written popular songs including “Tailgate Blues” by Luke Bryan; “Wasn’t That Drunk” by the Josh Abbott Band featuring Carly Pearce; “Damn Good Friends”

is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She is also an eighth-grade math teacher who coaches modified girls’ basketball for middle schoolers.

Deja Anderson ’23 SW is the designated first responder for the Town of Davidson, North Carolina. Prior to becoming a mental health clinician, Anderson served as an investigator for the Department of Child Protective Services as well as a parole officer.

by Tyler Farr

and

Jason Aldean;

and “Glad to be Here” by Hailey Whitters featuring Brent Cobb. Medley also co-wrote Jake Owen’s two-week No. 1 “Made for You.”

Medley penned 11 of the 12 songs on his project, which features a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing In the Dark.” He describes South End Kid as “a country album that blends elements of Americana, country and rock in its production.” Aaron Eshuis (Ryan Hurd, Scotty McCreery) produced.

“My friend Aaron Eshuis had been urging me for years to make an album and in October of 2022, I made the call to let him know it was time,” Medley added. “We listened through hundreds of songs from my years of writing and picked the best of the best. Not just the best stories and melodies, but songs that best suited me as an artist.

“We also focused on songs that would fit perfectly in the sound we wanted for the entire album. We hired a few world-class players and spent a time in the studio giving life to these songs.” ■

In Memoriam

Elizabeth G. Lewis ‘47 ED Sherman, Ill.

Life Member

Shirley H. Hager ‘49 AFE, ‘59 ED Lexington, Ky. Life Member

Gene G. Kearns ‘49 BE Cynthiana, Ky.

Harrison R. Cooper Jr. ‘50 AS

Bountiful, Utah

Lillian C. Selvaggi ‘50 AS Austin, Texas

William M. Welch ‘50 EN Louisville, Ky.

John R. Gernert ‘51 ED Atlanta, Ga.

Janet A. Graff ‘51 CI Haverford, Penn.

Robert E. “Bob” Wagoner ’52 ED Louisville, Kentucky

Richard S. Frank ’52 BE Louisville, Kentucky

Life Member

Harold Lewis Greene ‘53 AFE

Mount Sterling, Ky. Life Member

Phyllis H. Martin ‘53 BE Durham, N.C.

Life Member

Charles W. Sawyer Sr. ‘53 AFE

Winston Salem, N.C.

Dorothy L. Williams ‘53 AS Lexington, Ky.

Dr. Harry B. Huntsman ‘54 AS

Greensburg, Ky.

John Quentin Wesley ‘54 LAW Morganfield, Ky.

Dr. Lewis B. Barnett ‘55 AS Blacksburg, Va.

Cecil C. McGee ‘55 AFE Shelbyville, Ky.

Ruth Snyder ‘55 ED Cincinnati, Ohio Life Member

James H. Sandlin ‘56 ‘62 ED Frankfort, Ky.

Jack L. Miller ‘57 AS, ‘62 LAW

Lexington, Ky.

Chenault Woodford ‘58 EN Mount Sterling, Ky.

John W. Calvert ‘59 ‘60 EN Simi Valley, Calif.

Dr. John L. Lubker ‘59 AS Chapel Hill, N.C.

William R. Smith ‘59 ED Columbus, Ind.

William W. Wiles ‘59 BE York, Penn. Life Member

E. L. Ballou D.M.D. ‘60 AS Williamsburg, Ky.

Patricia S. Barnes ‘60 ‘62 ED

Lexington, Ky. Life Member

James K. Amster ‘61 EN Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Phyllis A. Slone ‘61 AS, ‘70 ED Lexington, Ky.

Patricia H. Masters ‘62 AS Campbellsville, Ky.

Lawrence R. Lose ‘62 AFE Louisville, Ky.

Joseph R. Wright ‘62 AFE Harned, Ky. Life Member

Dr. Charles H. Haggard ‘63 ‘71 ED Georgetown, Ky.

Bert Edward Phillip Johnson ’62 ED Sarasota, Florida Life Member

Nancy Caroline Vaughn Siltman ’63 FA Gaithersburg, Md. Life Member

Robert J. Todd ‘63 BE Sophia, N.C.

Charles “Cotton” Nash ‘64 AS Lexington, Ky.

Robert W. Ogilvie ‘64 MED Mount Pleasant, S.C.

Cratis M. Shannon ‘64 BE Louisville, Ky.

Richard A. Williams ‘64 FA Portage, Mich.

Peyton L. Gooch ‘65 ‘75 ED Lexington, Ky.

John E. Walton ‘65 HS Elkton, Ky.

Thomas E. Cassada ‘66 EN Mount Sterling, Ky.

Nancy Holtzclaw Sipkema ‘66 AS Greensboro, N.C. Life Member

Dr. Robert R. Sharp ‘66 ‘69 AFE Richmond, Ky.

Robert E. Wheeler ‘66 LAW Ashland, Ky. Life Member, Fellow

Linda L. Bailey ‘67 FA Martin, Ky. Life Member

Joe D. Gragg ‘67 ‘75 AFE Somerset, Ky.

Mary J. Johnson ‘67 AS, ‘69 ED Goldsboro, N.C.

Richard G. Lewis ‘67 EN Fort Myers, Fla. Life Member

Kenneth R. Nighbert ‘67 AS Williamsburg, Ky.

Dr. Robert H.P. Baerent ‘68 AS Glen Allen, Va.

E. Harold Dunsmore Jr. ‘68 AS, ‘73 EN Lexington, Ky.

Karen M. Hudson ‘69 AS Albuquerque, N.M.

Douglas R. Keeling ‘69 BE Louisville, Ky. Life Member

William H. Russell ‘69 EN Lexington, Ky.

Mary E. Coulson ‘70 AS Plum City, Wis.

Dr. Marilyn J. Huheey ‘70 MED

Upper Arlington, Ohio

Bernard A. Tamme ‘70 BE Pewee Valley, Ky.

Dr. Jay N. Cranford Jr. ‘71 DE

Moultrie, Ga.

Dr. Michael L. Faurest ‘71 MED Louisville, Ky. Fellow

Carl R. Richardson ‘71 ‘73 AFE

Kyle, Texas

Joyce Korfhage Rhea ‘71 AS San Diego, Calif.

William L. Seaton ‘71 AFE Hardinsburg, Ky.

Life Member

William F. Buchwald ‘72 AS Frankfort, Ky.

Cynthia H. Burkhart ‘72 FA, ‘72 ED Albany, Calif.

Life Member

John D. Hays ‘72 LAW Pikeville, Ky.

Life Member, Fellow

Philip C. Losch ‘72 AS Bowling Green, Ky.

Life Member

William M. Redmond Jr. ‘72 ED Lexington, Ky.

Milton C. Toby ‘73 AFE, ‘95 LAW

Georgetown, Ky.

Lewis J. Polsgrove ‘74 ED Bloomington, Ind.

Dr. Anne H. Brautigam ‘75 ‘84 ED Brunswick, Maine Fellow

Julia des Cognets ‘75 AS, ‘83 BE Lexington, Ky. Life Member, Fellow

Eric D. Iversen ‘76 ED Lexington, Ky.

Ralph H. Von Derau ‘76 LAW

Richmond, Ky. Life Member

Josephine K. Burgess ‘77 AFE

Queensbury, N.Y.

Life Member

Laurel A. Dinkel ‘80 SW Norman, Okla.

John M. Drake ‘80, ‘81 EN Frankfort, Ky.

John E. Eyster ‘80 EN Lake Charles, La.

Bobby K. Friley ‘80 AS Ashland, Ky.

Life Member

Susan Dant Witt ‘80 CC Lexington, Ky.

Randall Dahl ‘81 ED Hilton Head, S.C.

Otis J. Doan Jr. ‘82 LAW Harlan, Ky.

Patricia B. Moore ‘82 CC Lexington, Ky.

Stephanie Willett ‘82 CC Lexington, Ky.

Dr. Carol S. Cox-Pursley ‘83 ED Roswell, Ga.

Stevie Watts ‘83 ‘84 CC Hindman, Ky.

Dr. John R. Barton ‘85 AS, ‘85 ‘89 MED Lexington, Ky.

Life Member

Troy D. Williams ‘87 ‘95 CC Maysville, Ky.

Joseph D. Newsom ‘88 CC Jeffersonville, Ind.

Margaret C. Riley ‘88 CC Lexington, Ky. Life Member

Claude Wayman ‘88 CI Lexington, Ky.

Cheryl R. Combs ‘89 CC Hazard, Ky.

Deborah B. Cruze ‘90 CC Louisville, Ky.

Tina May Murphy ‘90 BE Louisville, Ky.

Hattie J. McConnell ‘91 CC South Shore, Ky.

Alice J. Slone ‘91 CC Beauty, Ky.

Kristie L. Wade ‘93 CC Russell Springs, Ky.

Judy G. Branscum ‘97 ‘98 CC Eubank, Ky.

Michael E. McCarty ‘98 LAW Midland, Mich.

Douglas G. Boersma ‘99 ED West Lafayette, Ind.

Dr. Richard T. Davis ‘99 MED Fruitland, Idaho

Chad E. Pence ‘00 FA Ladson, S.C.

Brian Tobias Crum ‘02 CI Goodyear, Ariz.

Megan E. Thompson ‘02 AS Lexington, Ky.

Dale W. Quinn ‘07 AS Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Justin Paul Andriot ‘09 AS Lexington, Ky.

Edward Wallace Stafford ‘14 AS Lexington, Ky.

Kristina Leigh Harrison ‘15 NUR Lexington, Ky.

Natalie Renee Hahs ‘21 AS Almo, Ky.

Alumni Feature

DISTINGUISHED COLLEGE OF PHARMACY ALUMNI RECOGNIZED FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

By Rosa Mejia-Cruz

Two accomplished University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy (UKCOP) alums will become the latest inductees to the College’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni. The College recognized their professional achievements at the Hall of Distinguished Alumni & Preceptors awards ceremony Friday, April 21, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. EDT.

The 2022 inductees for the Lifetime Achievement Award are R. Kim Brazzell (BS ’75, Ph.D. ‘79) and Henry J. Mann (BS ’76, PharmD ’80, R89). Their peers selected the new inductees for their notable contributions to their respective fields.

“Drs. Brazzell and Mann have set the standard for excellence in the profession with their outstanding achievements in pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacy practice,” said R. Kip Guy, dean of the College. “They embody the values and spirit of the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy and have dedicated their lives to improving patient health and scientific progress. We are proud to recognize and honor their lifetime of contributions with induction into the Hall of Distinguished Alumni.”

Part two of this series highlights Lifetime Achievement

Alumni Award recipient Dr. Henry J. Mann, Pharm.D.

Dr. Henry J. Mann has been dean and professor at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy since 2013. Previously, Mann was dean at the University of Toronto, where he directed the implementation of the first English-language entry-to-practice PharmD program in Canada. While dean at the University of Toronto, he also served the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada as chair of the Council of Deans, as vice-president of the Association, and as a member of the Board of Directors in addition to being a member of the Council of Deans.

Mann received his B.S. in Pharmacy (1976) and PharmD (1980) degrees from the University of Kentucky, where he also completed an American Society of Health-System Pharmacists residency as R89 under the direction of Dr. Paul F. Parker. Mann rose through the faculty ranks at the University of Minnesota (1980-2009), where he also served as associate department head for Pharmacy Practice, associate dean for Professional and External Relations, and associate dean for Clinical Affairs. Mann was the founding director of the interdisciplinary Center for Excellence in Critical Care at the University of Minnesota and the national research network Partnership for Excellence in Critical Care.

Mann has presented and published widely on applying pharmacology and pharmacotherapy principles to critically ill patients. His contributions to research and practice have been recognized by election as a Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine, the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, and the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists. He received the Research Award of the ASHP Research and Education Foundation and the Technology Enhanced Learning Award from the University of Minnesota.

Dean Mann also received the University of Minnesota Pharmacy Alumni Society Faculty Recognition Award and the Weaver Medal for Outstanding Contributions to the College. The University of Kentucky selected him to receive the Paul F. Parker Award, which is given to recognize a resident of their program who has made outstanding contributions to pharmacy practice. He also was selected to provide the inaugural Thomas S. Foster Lecture (2013) at the University of Kentucky and received the national Rho Chi Lecture Award at the Rho Chi Annual Meeting in 2021.

Dr. Henry J. Mann, Pharm.D., one of two 2022 Lifetime Achievement inductees to the College of Pharmacy Hall of Distinguished Alumni.

Creative Juices

Milton C. Toby ’74 AFE, ’95 LAW has recently published “Unnatural Ability: The History of Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Thoroughbred Racing,” which addresses the historical and contemporary context of the Thoroughbred industry’s most pressing issue: horses that failed postrace drug tests. While early attempts at boosting racehorses’ performance were admittedly crude, widespread legal access to narcotics and stimulants has changed the landscape along with athletic governing bodies’ ability to regulate it. With the sport at a critical turning point in terms of doping restrictions and sports betting, Toby delivers a comprehensive account of the practice of using performance-enhancing drugs to influence the outcome of Thoroughbred races since the late 19th century. Paying special attention to Thoroughbred racing’s purse structure and its reliance on wagering to supplement a horse’s winnings, Toby discusses how horse doping poses a unique challenge for gambling sports and what the industry and its players must do to survive the pressure to get ahead.

Jeffrey J. Matthews ’00 AS has written “Generals and Admirals, Criminals and Crooks: Dischargeable Leadership in the U.S. Military.” This book confronts the dark side of criminal and unethical conduct among U.S. flag officers to offer valuable lessons in leadership that will stimulate further debate and critical self-assessment within the U.S. military. Matthews, an award-winning author, examines bad leadership in American military history over the past 100 years beginning with war crimes in the Philippine-American War and ending with the Fat Leonard corruption scandal. He examines a range of leadership failures, including moral cowardice, sex crimes, insubordination, toxic leadership and obstruction of justice. Matthews has written or edited four previous books, including Colin Powell: Imperfect Patriot (University of Notre Dame Press, 2019), winner of the Foreword INDIES War and Military Book of the Year Award and finalist for the Army Historical Foundation Book Award.

John David Smith ’73 ’77 AS has edited “New Perspectives on Civil War-Era Kentucky.” The book offers readers 10 essays that paint a rich and complex image of Kentucky during the Civil War. First appearing in the “Register of the Kentucky Historical Society,” these essays cover topics ranging from women in wartime to Black legislators in the postwar period. From diverse perspectives, both inside and outside the state, the contributors shine a light on the complicated identities of Kentucky and its citizens in a defining moment of American history.

Jayne Moore Waldrop ’83 AS, ’86 LAW has written “A Journey in Color: The Art of Ellis Wilson.” The book tells the story of a young man’s determined path to become a classically trained artist. Growing up in rural Kentucky in the early 20th century, Wilson had to convince his family and neighbors that art was a path worth choosing over becoming a farmer or teacher. And he had to find an art school that judged him for his talent and not for the color of his skin. The narrative includes Wilson’s own words, gleaned from his Guggenheim Fellowship applications and his personal papers archived at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art and is beautifully illustrated in watercolors that reflect his era and his artistic journey.

Jay Shidler ’86 AS is the author of “Blonde Bomber: A Ride with Shide.” Like many who grow up in small rural towns like Lawrenceville, Illinois, playing sports is a pastime that a young man can hardly live without. Shidler became a multi-sport star at Lawrenceville High School, but it was his exploits on the basketball court that put his name in lights. “The Blonde Bomber” became a record setting scorer, a state champion and household name in a storied era of high school basketball in Illinois. He would go on to become a part of college basketball royalty when he signed with the University of Kentucky Wildcats. But the real story of big-time basketball and athletic fame is not always quite what it seems. “Blonde Bomber” takes an exclusive and provocative inside look at what it’s like to be a basketball icon. It also gives a powerful account of the highest highs, the lowest lows and all the pressures, pitfalls and struggles that must be endured to stay in the game and be a champion both as an athlete and a man.

UK and the UK Alumni Association do not necessarily endorse books or other original material mentioned in Creative Juices. The University of Kentucky and the UK Alumni Association are not responsible for the content, views and opinions expressed on websites mentioned in Creative Juices or found via links off of those websites.

Quick Take

RESEARCH DISTILLERY, MATURATION FACILITY OPENS ON CAMPUS

A new facility that will benefit students, researchers and one of the oldest businesses in Kentucky opened. The University of Kentucky’s James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits “is the largest teaching distillery in the United States and in the world,” said Seth DeBolt, institute director and UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment professor at the opening ceremony. “It will allow us to train the next generation of distillers and researchers, and to conduct cutting-edge research on the science of spirits production.”

The Beam Institute offers engineering, chemistry, business, law, horticulture, forestry, food science and entomology courses to address spirits industry needs in sustainable agriculture, research and development and more. DeBolt said students will begin learning in the new facilities this fall.

Photo by Sarah Caton Walters, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

EIGHT YEARS AS KENTUCKY’S #1 HOSPITAL

That means eight years of leading-edge trials, breakthrough discoveries, nationally-ranked specialties, and dedication to helping Kentuckians live healthier lives—and we’re just getting started.

See how at ukhealthcare.com/best