Spring 2020 Kentucky Alumni Magazine

Un iversit y of Kent uck y A lu m n i Associat ion

Alumni

Spring 2020

Photo: Pete Comparoni, UK Public Relations & Marketing

Contents 12

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ON THE COVER

J. DAVID ROSENBERG: PAYING IT FORWARD

By Robin Roenker J. David Rosenberg ’73 LAW and his wife, Dianne, made a gift of $20 million to the UK College of Law, the largest-ever single gift to the college and the third largest to UK.

J. David Rosenberg wants to continue UK’s tradition of excellence.

Cover photo by Mark Cornelison

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NDEYE MATOU AMAR: A STORY OF RESILIENCE

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ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE

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OVER 13,000 LEXINGTON HERALDLEADER IMAGES AVAILABLE VIA UK

JILL HOLLOWAY SMITH LEADS THE UK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

By Hal Morris Get to know our newest associate vice president for alumni engagement and executive director of the UK Alumni Association.

MEET OUR 2020 GREAT TEACHER AWARD RECIPIENTS!

By Linda Perry The UK Alumni Association is recognizing six faculty members with a 2020 Great Teacher Award, based on their outstanding teaching and concern for students.

CAMERON ASHER USES HIS STORY TO GIVE BACK, INSPIRE OTHERS

By Molly Williamson After a brain injury, with the help of a scholarship and the Disability Resource Center, UK student Cameron Asher challenged himself to continue working toward his degree.

UK ENGINEERING USES HEMP TO REPAIR DETERIORATING KENTUCKY BRIDGES

By Lindsey Piercy A professor in the College of Engineering and his students developed an innovative product using hemp — dubbed CatStrong — for restoring bridges.

By Lindsey Piercy Ndeye Matou Amar ’19 AS left behind her life in Senegal, West Africa, to start a new life in the “Land of Opportunity,” and pursued a degree from UK.

By Ann Blackford UK Theatre alum Todd Lacy ’87 ’91 FA has a career path that takes him around the world, and now he supports the college that launched his dream career.

By Whitney Hale UK Libraries launched a digital library for the John C. Wyatt Lexington Herald-Leader photographs collection.

Plus...

5 From the President 6 Pride in Blue 8 News 11 Research 34 Club News 37 College View

38 Sports 42 Class Notes 52 In Memoriam 54 Creative Juices 56 Quick Take

www. u kal umni. net

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

KENTUCKY ALUMNI MAGAZINE Vol. 91 No. 1 Spring 2020 Kentucky Alumni (ISSN 732-6297) is published quarterly by the University of Kentucky Alumni Association, Lexington, Kentucky for its members. © 2020 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.

HOW TO REACH US Kentucky Alumni UK Alumni Association King Alumni House Lexington, KY 40506-0119 Telephone: 859-257-8905 800-269-ALUM Fax: 859-323-1063 Email: ukalumni@uky.edu

UPDATE YOUR RECORD UK Alumni Association King Alumni House Lexington, KY 40506-0119 Telephone: 859-257-8800 Fax: 859-323-1063 Email: ukalumni@uky.edu Web: www.ukalumni.net For duplicate mailings, please send both mailing labels to the address above.

Member: Council for Advancement and Support of Education

ASSOCIATION STAFF Executive Director: Jill Smith ’05, ’11 Editor/Sr. Associate Director: Meredith Weber Managing Editor: Linda Perry ’84 Marketing/Promotion Specialist: Hal Morris Brenda Bain ’15: Records Data Entry Nancy Culp: Administrative Services Assistant Lauren Eastep: Graphic Designer Caroline Francis ’88, ’93, ’02: Director, Alumni Career Services Jack Gallt ’84: Sr. Associate Director Leslie Hayes: Membership and Marketing Specialist Kelly Hinkel ’11 ’18: Marketing & Communications Coordinator Marci Hicks ’87: Director of Philanthropy Albert Kalim ’03 ’16: Webmaster Jesse McInturf ’10: Principal Accountant Eric Orr: Associate Director Mark Pearson: Computer Support Specialist II William Raney ’14: House Support Barbara Royalty-Tatum: Administrative Services Assistant Kathryn Schaffer ’12: Alumni Engagement Coordinator Amanda Schagane ’09 AS, ’10 ED: Associate Director Samantha Seitz: Program Coordinator Hannah Simms ’14, ’17: Alumni Engagement Coordinator Pam Webb: Administrative Services Assistant Frances White: Data Entry Operator Danielle Wilson ’16: Administrative Support Associate I

Officers Taunya Phillips ’87 EN, ’04 BE: President Hannah Miner Myers ’93 ED: President-elect Mary L. Shelman ’81 EN: Treasurer Jill Smith ’05 BE, ’11 AFE: Secretary District Michael W. Anderson ’92 BE Jeffrey L. Ashley ’89 CI Robert Price Atkinson ’97 CI Nicole Ramsey Blackwelder ’86 ’87 PHA Jacob V. Broderick ’05 BE John S. Cain ’86 BE Shane T. Carlin ’95 AFE Andrew M. Cecil ’99 AS Kevin L. Collins ’84 EN Shiela D. Corley ’94 AS, ’95 AFE William “Bill” M. Corum ’64 BE D. Michael Coyle ’62 BE, ’65 LAW Robert “Rob” L. Crady III ’94 BE Amanda Mills Cutright ’06 CI Bruce E. Danhauer ’77 AFE Erin Endersby ’01 EN Abra Akers Endsley ’98 ’01 CI Erik N. Evans ’82 BE Robert Michael Gray ’80 ’81 BE Austin H. Hays ’03 BE Emily C. Henderson ’01 PHA Vicki S. Hiestand ’93 BE Mark Hogge ’97 EN John T. “Jay” Hornback ’04 EN Dr. H. Fred Howard ’79 AS, ’82 DE Dr. Michael H. Huang ’89 AS, ’93 MED Daniel C. Jenkins ’97 CI Tanya Bauer Jones ’81 BE Dr. Frank Kendrick ’90 ’92 DE Shelia M. Key ’91 PHA Leo M. Labrillazo ’90 FA Susan L. Liszeski ’84 AFE Beatty L. London ’00 BE Thomas K. Mathews ’93 AS Janie McKenzie-Wells ’83 AS, ’86 LAW Herbert A. Miller Jr. ’72 AS, ’76 LAW Grant T. Mills ’09 AS Ashley “Tip” Mixson III ’80 BE Dr. W. Mark Myers ’87 DE Tonya B. Parsons ’91 AS Abigail O. Payne ’05 CI Porter G. Peeples Sr. ’68 ED Ronald “Ronnie” M. Perchik ’82 BE R. Brian Perkins ’97 EN Nicholas C. Phelps ’08 BE Charles “Chad” D. Polk ’94 DES Jim A. Richardson ’70 AS, ’72 ED Robert J. Riddle ’11 AFE Sean Riddle ’12 AFE John D. Ryan ’92 ’95 BE Philip Schardein ’02 BE Lynn Spadaccini ’80 AFE George B. Spragens ’93 BE R. Michael Stacy ’95 BE Lee H. Stewart ’92 CI Mary “Kekee” Szorcsik ’72 BE Jonell Tobin ’68 ’95 BE Kendra Lorene Wadsworth ’06 ED Lori E. Wells ’96 BE Amelia Brown Wilson ’03 ’06 AFE, ’11 ED Scott Wittich ’75 BE At Large Phillip D. Elder ’86 AFE Antoine Huffman ’05 CI Jennifer A. Parks ’77 AS Jane Cobb Pickering ’74 ED Quentin R. Tyler ’02 ’05 AFE, ’11 AS Nicholas D. Wilson ’03 AS, ’05 GS

College Michelle McDonald ’84 AFE, ’92 ED: Agriculture Winn F. Williams ’71 AS: Arts & Sciences James B. Bryant ’67 BE: Business & Economics Jeremy L. Jarvi ’02 CI: Communication & Information Dr. Clifford J. Lowdenback ’99 AS, ’03 DE: Dentistry Lu Ann Holmes ’79 DES: Design Cathy Crum Bell ’76 ED: Education James E. Cantrell ’76 EN: Engineering Joel W. Lovan ’77 FA: Fine Arts Barbara R. Sanders ’72 AS, ’76 ED: Health Sciences Janis E. Clark ’78 GS, ’85 LAW: Law Dr. Emery A. Wilson ’68 ’72 MED: Medicine Patricia K. Howard ’83 ’90 ’04 NUR: Nursing Lynn Harrelson ’73 PHA: Pharmacy Keith R. Knapp ’78 AS, ’05 PH: Public Health Willis K. Bright Jr. ’66 SW: Social Work Alumni Trustees Dr. Michael A. Christian ’76 AS, ’80 DE Cammie DeShields Grant ’77 LCC, ’79 ED Rachel Watts Webb ’05 CI Appointed Jo Hern Curris ’63 AS, ’75 LAW: Honorary Katie Eiserman ’01 ED: Athletics Thomas W. Harris ’85 AS: University Relations Kelly Sullivan Holland ’93 AS ’98 ED: Honorary Stan R. Key ’72 ED: Honorary D. Michael Richey ’74 ’79 AFE: Philanthropy Marian Moore Sims ’72 ’76 ED: Honorary Bobby C. Whitaker ’58 CI: Honorary Katherine D. Speece: Student Government Association Vacant: University Senate 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 Dr. Paul E. Fenwick ’52 AFE William G. Francis ’68 AS, ’73 LAW W. P. Friedrich ’71 EN Dan Gipson ’69 EN Brenda B. Gosney ’70 HS, ’75 ED Cammie DeShields Grant ’77 LCC, ’79 ED John R. Guthrie ’63 CI Ann B. Haney ’71 AS Diane M. Massie ’79 CI Robert E. Miller Susan V. Mustian ’84 BE John C. Nichols II ’53 BE Dr. George A. Ochs IV ’74 DE Sandra Bugie Patterson ’68 AS 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 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 Myra L. Tobin ’62 AFE J. Thomas Tucker ’56 BE Henry R. Wilhoit Jr. ’60 LAW Elaine A. Wilson ’68 SW Richard M. Womack ’53 AFE

www. u kal umni. net

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ONE THIRD OFF THE INITIATION FEE A $250 savings for a Family Resident Membership with 6 months’ dues paid in advance

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TWO THIRDS OFF THE INITIATION FEE A $500 savings for a Family Resident Membership with 12 months’ dues paid in advance

Life Members of the UK Alumni Association can join The Club at UK’s Spindletop Hall at any time with No Initiation Fee. Incredibly affordable Young Alumni/Student Memberships are available to Members of the UK Alumni Association, ages 21 to 29.

Are you UK Faculty or Staff?

You can PAYROLL DEDUCT your dues, rather than paying 6 MONTHS up front. Please inquire.

MEMBERS ENJOY: 3 Heated Pools plus a Baby Pool 8 Tennis Courts 7 Pickleball Courts 2 Chipping & Putting Greens Roxie’s Member Dining with Veranda The Spectacular Spindletop Hall Mansion Access to Lexington’s Legacy Trail Basketball & Volleyball Courts Summer Tiki Bar and Grill Special Club Events Expansive Grounds Summer Camps You g Belonre!

Picnic Areas He Dining Privileges at The Boone Center

Please call 859-255-2777 or email membership@spindletophall.org for an application and more information. Also, visit our website at www.spindletophall.org.

From the President

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n November, the University of Kentucky and greater community witnessed an act of giving. It was one that will further support a foundation of learning and scholarship — one that will make an impact on the lives of our students, our faculty and Kentucky communities for generations to come.

As president of the University of Kentucky, I’ve experienced moments that strengthened my faith in the ways we engage, lead and ask ourselves: how can we do more, be more?

J. David Rosenberg and his wife, Dianne, have taken that question to heart.

Together, in November, they announced an historic $20 million gift to what is now, proudly, the J. David Rosenberg College of Law. It’s the third largest single donation in university history.

It was, and still is, one of the most humbling reminders during my time at UK that we have the power to do more for the world our students enter upon leaving this special place.

During the ceremony dedicating the substantially renovated College of Law building, Kentucky Chief Justice John Minton reminded us of what Winston Churchill once said, “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.”

Indeed, if walls could speak, I know they would tell the stories of students like Mr. Rosenberg, who go on to transform lives, give back in profoundly meaningful ways and thus leave the world better than how they found it.

Since 1908, when the J. David Rosenberg College of Law became one of the nation’s first state law schools, we have provided a space where students are challenged

and inspired — one where ideas are confronted, refined, changed and realized.

And, perhaps most important, we have provided a space that empowers its people to answer the call to serve, to advocate and to uplift.

In the words of Mr. Rosenberg himself, “We invest in education to honor those upon whose shoulders we stand, who made our success possible, but also as an investment of faith in the future, the idea that what today’s students will compose and create as lawyers, legislators, judges and community leaders — ideas, laws and public policy — will deepen not only our understanding of the law, but how our society can be more just.”

As we move forward, let us always remember to live by his words, remembering that anything is possible “when we are able to ignite the passions and feed the bright minds of our students.”

Here, because of you — our alumni, friends and donors — we are discovering what’s wildly possible for our campus, community and the world.

Sincerely,

Eli Capilouto President President Eli Capilouto, right, greets J. David Rosenberg in November during the announcement of a $20 million gift to the UK College of Law from Rosenberg and his wife, Dianne.

Photo: Mark Cornelison, UK Public Relations & Marketing

www. u kal umni. net

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Pride in Blue G

Flat Wildcat with Taunya Phillips

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reetings, Wildcats! It’s a pleasure to bring you the spring edition of Kentucky Alumni magazine.

Spring often prompts a sense of renewal and optimism in many of us.

And it was close to a year ago in the spring that the University of Kentucky held its first giving day, One Day for UK. This 24-hour fundraising effort raised more than $1 million from more than 3,000 generous donors around the world.

Now, optimistically, we are ready to make it bigger and better in year two. This year’s One Day for UK is scheduled for Tuesday, April 21. Please mark that on your calendars, now.

While we want you to find your passion and give to any of the funds at UK, the UK Alumni Association is raising money for the Lyman T. Johnson Constituent Scholarship Fund.

This scholarship was established by the UK Alumni Association Lyman T. Johnson African-American Alumni Constituent Group to provide minority students financial assistance in their pursuit of higher education. The recipients, who can be current or incoming students, are selected based on academic performance, standardized test scores and financial need.

Selections are made in the Office of Academic Scholarships at UK. Since 2008, this alumni group has awarded one or two scholarships each year based upon the funds available. Financial need remains the largest obstacle for our students. We have recently endowed the Lyman T. Johnson Constituent Scholarship Fund to ensure funds are available to minority students for generations to come.

Our ultimate goal is to raise $500,000 to fund approximately 20 scholarships annually. Together, we can enable more students to succeed.

One Day for UK is a great way for BBN to come together and make a tremendous impact on our university, and particularly, our students. All sizes of gifts are welcomed, so everyone CAN show their Wildcat pride.

The UK Alumni Association needs your help in the coming months to make One Day For UK as successful as possible. Be

KE NTUCKY ALU MN I MAG A ZIN E Spring 2020

on the lookout in your email and on our website for information regarding becoming a One Day for UK Ambassador.

No matter your passion, we want you to consider giving. All gifts support Kentucky Can: The 21st Century Campaign, UK’s comprehensive campaign to increase scholarship support, fund innovative research, advance health care, strengthen the alumni network, enhance UK’s athletic programs and grow the university’s endowment. UK is already halfway to its $2.1 billion campaign goal.

Together, UK alumni can show what is Wildly Possible with a University of Kentucky education.

On another note, I want to congratulate my friend, Jill Smith, on being named the new associate vice president for alumni engagement and executive director of the UK Alumni Association. For those who do not know Jill, we are featuring her in this issue of the magazine. She will do a great job of leading our organization for years to come.

Also, in our previous issue, we unveiled Flat Wildcat, and it has been a huge success on social media. We asked our loyal alumni to take Flat Wildcat with them on their travels, and they have obliged with some surprising results. Flat Wildcat has turned up in Asia, South America and Europe, as well as all over the United States.

Of course, he was also shown loving his UK basketball games and Rupp Arena ice cream!

So please, continue displaying your Wildcat pride by sharing your photos with us using the hashtag #FlatWildcat. We all get a kick out of seeing where you are traveling with him.

Go Cats!

Taunya Phillips ’87 EN, ’04 BE UK Alumni Association President

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With the Central Bank UK Alumni Visa® Card, you’ll get to show your colors as a proud supporter of the University of Kentucky Alumni Association as well as enjoy features like 1% cash back, an initial bonus of 5,000 points on your first eligible purchase and more. And the more you use your card, the more the Alumni Association benefits.

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News

A rendering shows planned green space and trees following demolition of the Kirwan-Blanding Complex.

The UK Board of Trustees approved a funding proposal to demolish the Kirwan-Blanding Residence Hall Complex and Dining Commons as part of a plan to construct new student living space, add new green space and preserve a majestic tree allée that underscores UK’s commitment to the natural environment.

“The proposed transformation of the Kirwan-Blanding site is a win for everyone. It’s a win for our students, as we continue to put their success first by constructing living and learning space that supports their academic, emotional and physical health — and gives them a sense of belonging,” said UK Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Eric N. Monday.

The Board of Trustees approved $15 million for the demolition ($10 million internal loan from UK to Auxiliary Services, $5 million internal loan for the civil site infrastructure improvements that create the green space).

UK has also begun negotiations with its housing partner to construct a new residence hall that would contain more than 500 beds and house a combination of first-year and returning students. ■

UK LAUNCHES 1ST ONLINE DOCTORATE OF SOCIAL WORK IN THE STATE There’s a critical shortage of social workers across the country — including right here in the Commonwealth. Of particular demand are social work practitioners with advanced training and education. With the well-being of Kentuckians in mind, the College of Social 8

Rendering: UK Public Relations & Marketing

UK BOARD APPROVES FUNDING PLAN FOR DEMOLISHING KIRWAN-BLANDING COMPLEX

The Kroger Co. has joined forces with the University of Kentucky to invest as an official partner of the Big Blue Pantry — a campus facility that provides food insecure students with nonperishable goods.

The mission of the Big Blue Pantry is to provide support and awareness for food insecure students across campus, as well as to educate the broader student population about hunger.

Any UK student, with a valid UK ID, is eligible to receive goods from the pantry.

Studies have indicated food insecurity is a challenge on campuses across the country and at UK. The Big Blue Pantry and Kroger are working to change that on UK’s campus.

Kroger has invested greatly into the program, updating the physical space by installing new shelving, décor, donating both refrigerator and freezer units, as well as office furniture and storage.

The Big Blue Pantry opened its doors in 2014, annually continuing to grow in number of visitors and meals provided. The pantry is located in the basement of the White Hall Classroom Building and is funded by third parties and monetary donations. ■

Work is launching an online Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) program.

The first of its kind in the state, the program will successfully prepare students for advanced social work practice, clinical research, administrative leadership and executive roles.

The DSW is fully online and can be completed in two years (full time). There are also part-time options available.

“This program was conceptualized with practitioners in mind,” Natalie

KE NTUCKY ALU MN I MAG A ZIN E Spring 2020

Pope, director of the college’s doctoral programs, said. “Our college has made significant investments in educational technology — which ensures that we can offer an academically rigorous educational experience in a flexible and efficient format.”

The first DSW cohort will start fall 2020. The program began accepting applications Feb. 15. ■

Photo: Pete Comparoni, UK Public Relations & Marketing

KROGER INVESTS IN UK BIG BLUE PANTRY, STUDENT WELLNESS

Photo: Pete Comparoni, UK Public Relations & Marketing

NEW CENTER FOR ECONOMIC ANALYSIS FOR RURAL HEALTH The newly formed Center for Economic Analysis for Rural Health (CEARH) has found a home in the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Alison Davis, agricultural economics professor and director of the college’s Community Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky (CEDIK), will lead the national center.

The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy at the Health Resources and Services Administration is funding the new program with a three-year, renewable grant. Oklahoma State University, known for their telehealth work, is partnering with UK in the center.

“CEDIK is a perfect fit for this new center because we are an integrated research and outreach center designed to explore the relationship between health access and local economic development,” Davis said. “The purpose of CEARH is to increase public and stakeholder awareness of the economic impacts of rural health care sectors on rural, state and national economies, as well as the relationship between community economic development and the health outcomes of rural residents. The hope is we will have a system of quality care in our rural places. We will provide tools to help providers talk about the economic importance of the local hospital or other medical services to their local community.” ■

PORTER “P.G.” PEEPLES RECEIVES HONORARY DOCTORATE More than 1,000 students attended December Commencement, with approximately 1,800 total degrees approved by the UK Board of Trustees.

In addition, Porter “P.G.” Peeples, president and chief executive officer of the Urban League of Lexington, received an honorary doctorate. Peeples is a 1968 graduate of the UK College of Education — one of the few African-American students to enroll and graduate at that time.

The following year, at the age of 22, Peeples was named the director of the new Urban League of Lexington, making him the youngest chapter director in the United States.

He dedicated his life to serving Lexington and its African-American community through an over 50-year career of civil rights and social justice advocacy with the Urban League. ■

UK GRADUATE STUDENT CONGRESS RECEIVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION

Photo: Joel Klipfel

Klipfel, current GSC president. “It is intensely gratifying to see everyone’s efforts recognized at the national level.

I am looking forward to seeing how this recognition will open more doors for us to better empower the voices of graduate-professional students and postdocs at UK.”

The UK Graduate Student Congress (GSC) was recently named the National Member of the Year and the Midwest Regional Member of the Year by the National Association of Graduate-Professional Student Associations (NAGPS) at the 2019 National NAGPS Conference hosted at UK. These awards are conferred to member graduate and professional student associations that have shown themselves to embody the values and capacity to empower campus gradu-

ate/professional student communities.

The UK GSC has been recognized by NAGPS because of its ability to amplify graduate and professional student voices on campus and with policymakers on the state and national level.

In addition to these organizational awards, GSC members and leadership were also recognized with individual awards.

“All of us in the GSC have worked, and continue to work, extremely hard to make UK a better place,” said Joel

All of us in the GSC have worked, and continue to work, extremely hard to make UK a better place.

— Joel Klipfel Current GSC President

www. u kal umni. net

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John Calipari Radio Show Monday Nights from 6-7 p.m. on the UK Sports Network.

Tune in all season long to the UK Sports Network for official coverage of Kentucky Wildcats Basketball.

Visit UKathletics.com/ UKSportsNetwork for radio and TV affiliates in your area.

UKATHLETICS.COM

UK SPORTS NETWORK KENTUCKY BASKETBALL

@UKSportsNetwork @KentuckyMBB

uk_sportsnetwork kentuckymbb

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for complete UK Sports Network coverage of the Cats.

Research Photo: Mark Cornelison, UK Public Relations & Marketing

MENTHOL BAN COULD INCREASE HEALTH EQUITY

ANTIBIOTICS COULD BE PROMISING TREATMENT FOR FORM OF DEMENTIA Researchers at the UK College of Medicine have found that a class of antibiotics called aminoglycosides could be a promising treatment for frontotemporal dementia.

Results of their proof of concept study, which was a collaborative effort between the UK Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry and the University of California San Francisco Department of Pathology, were published in Human Molecular Genetics.

Frontotemporal dementia is the most common type of early onset dementia. It typically begins between ages 40 and 65 and affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, which leads to behavior changes, difficulty speaking and writing, and memory deterioration.

A subgroup of patients with frontotemporal dementia have a specific genetic mutation that prevents brain cells from making a protein called progranulin. Its absence is linked to the disease.

A group led by Haining Zhu in the UK Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry discovered that after aminoglycoside antibiotics were added to neuronal cells with this mutation, the cells started making the full-length progranulin protein by skipping the mutation.

The researchers found two specific aminoglycoside antibiotics — Gentamicin and G418 — were both effective in fixing the mutation and making the functional progranulin protein. After adding Gentamicin or G418 molecules to the affected cells, the progranulin protein level was recovered up to about 50 to 60 percent.

These results could be promising to drug development. Currently, there are no effective therapies for any type of dementia.

The next step is to study the antibiotics’ effects on mice with the mutation that causes frontotemporal dementia, Zhu says. Another focus is to possibly develop new compounds from Gentamicin and G418 that could be safer and more effective. Although Gentamicin is an FDA-approved medication, its clinical usage is limited as it is associated with a number of adverse side effects. ■

Current policies that include restrictions on the sale of menthol flavored tobacco and nicotine products are less likely to reach those that would benefit from them the most, according to new research from the UK College of Medicine published in Health Promotion Practice.

The research led by Shyanika Rose, assistant professor in the Department of Behavioral Science, examined local policies across the nation that restricted flavored tobacco products to see how they reached at-risk populations including youth, people of color, LGBTQ and low-income groups. The study revealed that while bans on flavored tobacco products are reaching populations most at-risk for using them, policies that include restrictions on menthol flavors were less likely to reach them, particularly African Americans.

Rose said menthol cigarettes have a history of being disproportionately marketed toward African Americans, nearly 90 percent of African Americans who smoke use them. Menthol flavoring eases the harshness of cigarettes and has been associated with difficulty quitting and progression to regular use.

“Flavored tobacco restrictions that do not include menthol cigarettes unfairly affect people who are harmed by them the most and it negatively impacts public health,” Rose said. ■

UNCONVENTIONAL OIL AND GAS POTENTIAL The Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) at UK is investigating the unconventional oil and gas potential of the Rogersville Shale formation in Eastern Kentucky and other related formations.

The multistage project, mostly funded by the U.S. Department of Energy with cost-share contributions from KGS and its partners, will have a total budget of $7,400,970 if all the stages are successfully completed. The Department of Energy share would be $5,876,897.

The project will evaluate deeply buried but little explored shales within the Cambrian-age Conasauga Group that occur at depths of 8,000 to 10,000 feet within a geologic feature in Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia known as the Rome Trough.

The project will also monitor groundwater and seismicity. ■ W W W.RESEARCH.UK Y.EDU www. u kal umni. net

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PAYING IT FORWARD

By Robin Roenker

I

n November, the University of Kentucky College of Law announced a $20 million gift from J. David Rosenberg ’73 LAW and his wife, Dianne. It represented the largest-ever single gift to the College of Law and the third largest in the University of Kentucky’s history.

The endowment will be used to provide merit scholarships for outstanding law students, recruit and retain world-class law faculty and support specific college initiatives, such as enhancing law student career services and on-campus law symposia events.

In recognition of the couple’s generosity, the college has been renamed the

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University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law. For Rosenberg, a Lexington native and senior partner at Cincinnati law firm Keating Muething & Klekamp (KMK), having the college share his name is, of course, an honor.

But it’s the lasting legacy his gift will make possible that’s the true reward.

“Most of the beneficiaries of this endowment — the students and faculty that will benefit from it — I will never have the pleasure of knowing,” said Rosenberg, 70, who has enjoyed a long and successful career in law and finance.

“For as long as I’m able, I hope to get to

KE NTUCKY ALU MN I MAG A ZIN E Spring 2020

meet them. But I’m realistic that this will go on many decades after me,” he said.

“Knowing that I will have helped people that I will never know, and that they will become some of the finest lawyers, judges and community leaders in Kentucky and beyond – that’s my hope for this gift.”

Valuable learning Rosenberg grew up modestly in Lexington, working behind the counter of Rosenberg’s, his parents’ small, family-run business on South Limestone that sold jewelry, leather goods and luggage.

(Joe Rosenberg Jewelers and several

Photos: Mark Cornelison and Pete Comparoni, UK Public Relations & Marketing

J. David Rosenberg gives back to the UK College of Law in a big way

Law students walk across campus with J. David Rosenberg, who has made scholarship support a key priority of his endowment so that students can follow their dreams and achieve at the University of Kentucky. other downtown businesses were owned by his fathers’ relatives.)

From a young age, Rosenberg helped daily in his parents’ store, eventually taking on full responsibility for the bookkeeping by the time he was in seventh grade.

“We were a tiny mom-and-pop business,” said Rosenberg, who graduated from Lexington’s Henry Clay High School in 1967.

“But working there taught me a lot about life and business, which was great preparation for the career that I’ve had.”

That career today at KMK focuses mainly on corporate finance. It was fellow alum Richard Siegel ’71 LAW, who recruited Rosenberg to join KMK following his UK graduation. In his more than 45 years at the firm, Rosenberg has established himself as one of the region’s leading authorities in the practice of law as it relates to corporate finance, venture capital, banking and reorganization. He is known for independent, sound judgment.

Rosenberg’s father immigrated to Lexington from Eastern Europe as a six-year-old boy with his family in 1904. His mother, who was quite a bit younger, met his father after moving to Lexington in her 20s. She had come to the city to manage a millinery department during World War II. Rosenberg’s parents’ lives had each been shaped by hardship. His father’s family fled to America to escape anti-Semitism and poverty, while his mother’s family had been devastated by the Depression.

Despite owning their own business in operation from 1905 to 1987, the family’s financial means were limited. Looking back, Rosenberg feels certain he wouldn’t have attended the UK College of Law had it not been located in Lexington and so affordable at the time of his enrollment.

“My tuition my first semester at law school was $165, and I was able to graduate in two and a half years. By my last semester, I think tuition had gone up to $200. I lived at home at my parents’ house, which means that I was able to attend law school for a little under $1,000,” said Rosenberg, who earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Finance in 1971.

“In the investment world, I generally am

a ‘value investor.’” Rosenberg said. “The best value I ever got was my UK Law School education.”

His desire to assist today’s students, who often take on thousands of dollars of student debt in pursuit of a law degree, was one motivating factor in the decision to make scholarship support a key priority of his endowment.

“I feel badly when I hear about law school students today being indebted, between college and law school, in the six figures. I would not have had the confidence to take on that level of debt,” Rosenberg told UK Public Relations staff members Carl Nathe and Amy Jones-Timoney in a “Behind the Blue” podcast interview following the college renaming ceremony.

Even with today’s higher tuition costs, the College of Law is routinely named among the best-value law schools in the nation, including a 2019 Top 5 spot for value, as ranked by the National Jurist Pre-Law magazine. That fact is something Rosenberg relishes.

“I take a lot of pride in that,” he said. “UK College of Law is an excellent law school.

The value ranking looks at the cost of the school, the number of graduates who pass a bar exam and the percentage of graduates who have a law-related job within one year of taking the bar exam. UK has ranked in the Top 10 for the last decade or so.”

Reflecting on his gift in November and how it can continue and expand on UK’s tra-

dition of excellence, Rosenberg was asked

by Nathe what he hoped the endowment might accomplish in 20 or 40 years.

“What would success look like? I would hope that students considering going to law school that were intellectually excellent and were passionate about justice and a fair society and government — but who might not have gone to law school or might not have gone to this College of Law — would have been graduated from this school and would go on to have an impact,” Rosenberg said. “That impact could come in the representation of clients or in their impact on their communities, from the local PTA and school board to state and federal courts, state government or working in Washington or anywhere in the world.

“If the University of Kentucky College of Law sees more of those graduates, and if my endowment had an impact on them getting the kind of education and values that I believe this law school imparts, then I will be gratified,” he said. “My dream is to build upon this college’s legacy of excellence, expand it for students, faculty, the state and the nation it serves.”

Guardians of justice Rosenberg sees law as a calling.

Growing up, as he did, in a Jewish family where relatives’ lives had been shaped by anti-Semitism and violence in countries without legal order or democratic rule of

The official signing day for the Rosenberg gift took place in October. Front Row (left to right) are Dianne Rosenberg and J. David Rosenberg, donors to the University of Kentucky; and Dr. Eli Capilouto, UK president. Second Row are Tom Barker, senior executive director of gift & estate planning; Mary J. Davis, interim dean of the J. David Rosenberg College of Law; David W. Blackwell, UK provost and chief academic officer; and Michael Richey, vice president for philanthropy and alumni engagement. www. u kal umni. net

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law, the very notion of democracy is precious to him.

“Lawyers play a critically important role in society and to the flourishing of democracy,” Rosenberg said. “Lawyers make a difference in our society. When societies go awry — and as a Jew I’ve always been concerned with this — it’s because lawyers failed in some way. Justice is important, and lawyers in many ways are the professional guardians of that.”

As a student at the College of Law between 1971 and 1973, Rosenberg was immersed in a community of fellow students and law professors who, like him, believed fervently that “lawyers are critical to an orderly and just society,” he said.

Looking back, he credits his UK professors for making a profound impact on his understanding and practice of law.

“My professors at UK were outstanding intellectual scholars,” Rosenberg said, naming several — including Wilburt “Burt” Ham, Paul Oberst, Bob Lawson, Bill Fortune, Steve Vasek, Rutheford “Biff” Campbell and Garrett Flickinger — who made lasting impressions.

“Burt Ham was legendary for his corporations class and he also taught contracts law,” Rosenberg said. “We would joke, because there was a photocopied outline of his class that would get passed down from class to class, which we called a ‘Hamogram.’ I’m convinced that two generations of lawyers practiced business law in Kentucky with a Hamogram in the top drawer of their desk.”

While Rosenberg’s years as a law student were deeply influential, they weren’t his first exposure to the University of Kentucky academic community.

As a high school student, Rosenberg was actively involved on his high school debate team and an eager annual participant in a summertime debate institute then hosted on the UK campus. Often, faculty in the College of Law served as judges at the event, so Rosenberg arrived as a first-year law student already well acquainted with some of the college’s professors.

“The summer high school debate program was my first exposure to UK. I attended that two-week institute during three summers,” he said, recalling vividly that many of the sessions were held without air-conditioning in Lafferty Hall, the former home of the UK College of Law before its current building on Limestone was completed in 1965.

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Mary J. Davis, interim dean and the Ashland-Spears Distinguished Research Professor of Law, met with J. David Rosenberg during one of his campus visits. Rosenberg said that he wants his $20 million gift to the college to help fund, as he put it, “what goes on within the building.”

“I credit the UK debate institute with teaching me logic, research, organization and critical thinking,” he said. “Those summer experiences were hugely valuable to me.”

Giving back The importance of philanthropy was instilled in Rosenberg early on, he said, both as part of his Jewish faith and through the example his parents set for him.

“In my tradition, I believe we are called upon to complete the unfinished work of creation,” he said. “We are instructed in the sacred text of the Talmud from 2,000 years ago that ‘It is not up to you to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.’ From a young age, I understood that there was a responsibility to give back and to help those who were less fortunate. There was always the concern for others.”

While Rosenberg acknowledges the value and beauty of the new state-of-the-art UK law school building — its $56 million expansion and renovation was officially unveiled last November — he knew he wanted his gift to fund, as he put it, “what goes on within the building.”

“My passion wasn’t bricks and mortar.

My passion is teaching, students, scholarship, and mentoring,” he said. “And so, I

KE NTUCKY ALU MN I MAG A ZIN E Spring 2020

began to think this gift could be an opportunity to make a bold statement about the value of legal education, and of justice and the fact that this was a way to give back to the University of Kentucky in Lexington where I grew up and my family lived for a century. All those goals coalesced.

“There is a saying that ‘education is an unfinished symphony.’ We make music to stir hearts and minds, to force us to remember and compel us to commit to ideas larger than ourselves. We invest in education to honor those upon whose shoulders we stand, who made our success possible, but also as an investment of faith in the future, the idea that what today’s students will compose and create as lawyers, legislators, judges and community leaders — ideas, laws and public policy — will deepen not only our understanding of the law, but how our society can be more just.”

In addition to the gift to UK, Rosenberg and his wife, Dianne, have supported numerous other civic and philanthropic projects, particularly in Cincinnati, where Rosenberg has practiced at KMK since 1974, and which is Dianne’s hometown.

The couple have been married for 33 years and share an extended family, including a daughter and two grandchildren, who live in Boston. The Rosenbergs are active members in the Cincinnati Jewish community and have been passionate supporters of Cincinnati’s performing arts community, pre-school literacy initiatives, public schools and parks.

In recent years, the couple donated $1 million to Cincinnati Parks to help fund family-size “porch” swings at the city’s Smale Riverfront Park. They have quickly become a popular gathering destination.

“During the summer on Monday mornings, I’ll come into work and frequently have an email from somebody I’ve never met, sharing a photo of their grandchildren enjoying the ‘Rosenberg swings,’” he said.

They are also fervent advocates of the Ohio Innocence Project (OIP) — which works to exonerate inmates who have been wrongly convicted — and last year underwrote Cincinnati Opera’s production of a new opera based on the book “Blind Injustice” by OIP director and University of Cincinnati law professor Mark Godsey.

“My wife and I were proud to have underwritten that production,” Rosenberg said. “We’re proud to support the Innocence Project. It’s part of our commitment to justice.”

Designed for enhanced teaching and learning A ribbon-cutting ceremony last November marked the reopening of the law building following a two-year, $56 million renovation and expansion. The original building was constructed in 1965. Features of the renovated building include: • New main entrance with a twostory portico • Footprint increased 26 percent to 122,513 square feet • Modernized 185-seat G. Chad Perry III ’51 Grand Courtroom for oral argument training, live court proceedings, lectures and conferences • New small moot courtroom for litigation training

In announcing the Rosenbergs’ $20 million endowment for the College of Law, UK President Eli Capilouto noted how he and Rosenberg had met months ago to discuss early planning for the gift, but ended up bonding and becoming friends thanks to their shared backgrounds. Both men grew up Jewish in the South to families who had immigrated to America around the same time, forging in each a deep reverence for equality, justice and the possibilities that access to education can provide.

“David and I are descendants of those without an education driven to make certain

• Eleven new classrooms • High-tech enhancements to all study spaces and classrooms • Stites and Harbison PLLC Main Commons on the second floor • The Honorable William S. Cooper ’70 Classrooms (three medium classrooms that can be converted into one large multipurpose room) • Two terraces (one on the second floor and another on the third)

their children and their children’s children would know its promise,” Capilouto said.

“Motivated by their resolute belief in what is possible, David and Dianne are investing in the enormous potential of our students,” Capilouto added. “The magnitude of their gift is surpassed only by the thoroughness of their humility and grace.

To know them is to understand intuitively the meaning of ‘cheerful giver.’”

“David Rosenberg’s story is a relentless, passionate commitment to excellence — intellectually, professionally and personally — through commitment to those cases and

• Central location for all administrators and student support staff on the first floor in the Jo McCown Ferguson Dean’s Administration Suite, named in conjunction with a gift from UK Trustee Emeritus C.M. “Bill” Gatton

communities that have mattered to him and Dianne throughout their lives,” College of Law Interim Dean Mary Davis said at the college’s renaming ceremony.

“This gift is about law students and the future that they will shape,” Rosenberg said.

“I’ve been fortunate, as has my wife. I did not grow up highly affluent. But I’ve lived the American dream because of the bold decisions, hard work and sacrifices of my parents and ancestors. I understand how blessed and fortunate I am.” ■

www. u kal umni. net

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UK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NAMES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

By Hal Morris

J

ill Holloway Smith has been named associate vice president for alumni engagement and executive director of the UK Alumni Association.

“I am honored and excited for the opportunity to serve as the associate vice president for alumni engagement and executive director of the UK Alumni Association. As a native Kentuckian and two-time graduate of this institution, I am incredibly proud of the many positive ways the University of Kentucky impacts the Commonwealth and beyond,” Smith says.

“Throughout my career at the university, I have had a front seat to see the myriad of ways in which our administrators, faculty, staff, students and alumni work together to make UK a special place. I look forward to con-

tinuing to work with our outstanding alumni and talented staff as we work to move the university forward.”

Smith, a Paducah native, earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management in 2005 from the UK Gatton College of Business and Economics and a master’s degree in career and technical education from the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment in 2011.

As a student, she was a UK 101 peer instructor and was an intern in the Sports Information Office in UK Athletics. Smith was also Homecoming Queen in 2004.

She served as the finance advisor for the Delta Rho chapter of Delta Delta Delta, is an active alumna participant in activities and the capital campaign, and a member of Tri-Delta International.

She was also Delta Rho chapter president in 2004.

Smith has worked at UK since her graduation in 2005. At the UK Alumni Association, she has served as chief operating officer, associate director of communications, associate director of clubs/programs, program coordinator and most recently served as the interim director since September 2019. Prior to joining the UK Alumni Association, she held roles within UK Admissions and UK Athletics.

I look forward to continuing to work with our outstanding alumni and talented staff as we work to move the university forward.

— Jill Holloway Smith

Photo: Mark Pearson

She has been instrumental in starting new programs and services at the association, including athletics’ reunions and the Young Alumni Council, among others.

“Jill is an experienced and talented leader,” says Mike Richey, vice president for philanthropy and alumni engagement. “She will bring great energy and vision to the position, and I am confident in her leadership. The UK Alumni Association will continue its legacy of great service to our beloved institution.”

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KE NTUCKY ALU MN I MAG A ZIN E Spring 2020

Smith is a past president of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Kentucky, past board member of CASE District III and a past alumni relations track chairwoman of the CASE III conference. She is also the recipient of the 2019 Terry B. Mobley Philanthropy Award.

“I am beyond thrilled that Jill will be the next associate vice president for alumni engagement and executive director of the UK Alumni Association,” says UK Alumni Association President Taunya Phillips. “For those of us who have known and worked with Jill, there could not have been a better choice. Her dedication to UK and the alumni association, talent and skills have earned her this much deserved success.

Her dedication to UK and the alumni association, talent and skills have earned her this much deserved success.

“She is viewed on campus, and by her industry peers, as a leader, and I believe that she is the right person to help lead the association as we navigate significant changes in our organization. Jill’s loyalty to the University of Kentucky and the alumni association is deep.”

Smith is also a Life Member of the UK Alumni Association, member of the Spindletop Hall Board of Directors, the UK Fellows Society, UK Women & Philanthropy, and a member of the Stonewall Elementary PTA. She serves on several committees at the University of Kentucky and was part of the inaugural class of the UK Women’s Executive Leadership Development Program.

She lives in Lexington with her husband, fellow UK graduate Ryan E. Smith ’04 AFE, and their two children. ■

Photo: Mark Cornelison, UK Public Relations & Marketing

— Taunya Phillips, UK Alumni Association President

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MEET OUR

2020 Great

Teacher

AWARD RECIPIENTS!

BY LINDA PERRY

S

ince 1961, the UK Alumni Association has recognized six professors each year with a Great Teacher Award based on outstanding teaching and concern for students inside and outside of the classroom. It is the oldest, continuously given award for teachers on campus. Nominations are accepted from current students only. Recipients are selected by a committee appointed by the UK Alumni Association Board of Directors and representatives of the student organization Omicron Delta Kappa.

Dr. Emily Cunningham College of Medicine/ Obstetrics and Gynecology Nominator: Alex Wade ’19 MED, UK Family Medicine resident

“Her knowledge base is so vast because her passion for patient care and teaching students drives her to continuously learn via research, lecture series, national conference presentations and having the humility to ask how she can improve. She actively seeks out student questions as a way to engage and stimulate learning,” says Alex Wade ’19 MED, now a UK Family Medicine resident speaking of his Great Teacher nominee, Dr. Emily Wilson Cunningham ’93 MED. Cunningham is an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the generalist division in the UK College of Medicine and also serves as the director of the third year clerkship in obstetrics at UK. She previously practiced at the UK Good Samaritan Medical Office Building and has had a special interest in helping women have safe deliveries and healthy babies.

“For 15 years I was in private practice in town where I found that teaching UK residents made a job I love even more special. My father, Dr. Emery Wilson (’68 MED), the dean of the medical school, stepped down and thus opened the possibility for me to return to academics full time in 2015,” says Cunningham. “I love teaching medical students how to care for my fellow Kentuckians. I am very grateful that my patients share their birth experiences with me and with my students.”

Wade says that Cunningham is an innovator. “She developed an Escape Womb simulation that models Break Out Games to use puzzles and real-appearing simulations to teach medical students and residents how to evaluate OB patients with complications,” he says. “She helped to develop and code a microprocessor to simulate a bleeding patient that interacts

Robert Louis Hirsch is a lecturer in the Department of Plant Pathology in the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. He is also director of undergraduate studies for two programs in the college, where he teaches a variety of courses across a wide array of interdisciplinary subjects with hands-on labs and in-depth discussions, in addition to offering a diverse portfolio of science-based outreach content for middle and high schools.

Originally from Phoenix, he spent his childhood hunting, fishing and hiking with his family, with his first experience with teaching was leading a knot tying class as a Boy Scout. He followed a nontraditional path that took him from earning a bachelor’s degree in English and religious studies at Tulane University to working in the maritime industry in California. Later, he earned a master’s degree in plant pathology and a Ph.D. in plant science at the University of Arkansas.

“Dr. Hirsch is an animated, energetic lecturer who always keeps students laughing and learning,” says Katelyn Cox, his nominator. “I remember he often used memes and other pop culture references in his lectures to help students learn and to be more relatable to students. He also lectures in an improvisational, personable manner that allows him to easily adapt to the needs of the classroom. Furthermore, he makes learning material more integrative and fascinating through courses like ABT 120 Genetics and Society, which have a lecture, lab and discussion all combined into one class. I enjoyed his class immensely, and my scientific writing improved tremendously because of the time he took to thoroughly grade every assignment and lab report himself. Dr. Hirsch was the first person

with participants and shows blood volume loss. Dr. Cunningham also created multiple puzzles and patient scenarios to put students in the role of a physician, which helped to establish foundational knowledge in a fun and engaging way.”

Cunningham, originally from Lexington, earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University before receiving her medical degree from UK. She completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Southwestern, staying in Dallas for four years before returning to Lexington.

She has continued involvement in the Association for Professors of Obstetrics and Gynecology and presents her innovative educational programs at its national conference. Cunningham is the advisor for the OB/GYN Interest Group and the founder/advisor for the Medical Student Patient Navigator program.

In addition to being the course director for third year medical students, she also meets regularly with fourth year medical students to prepare them for interviews and residency. She has also been medical director of the Assurance Pregnancy Center, a facility for at-risk pregnancies and a board member All God’s Children Pregnancy Center.

“No professor in my academic career put as much effort into teaching and creating new models for learning as Dr. Cunningham. Her passion for treating patients and for the advancement of knowledge is infectious,” says Wade.

I thought of, and I believe the most deserving person, for the Great Teacher Award.”

Hirsch is involved with many student and campus activities and committees, including the UK Agriculture and Biotechnology Club. He also is involved in the community, for example, remotely mentoring a six-week high school laboratory project investigating bacterial soft rot of potatoes at Mercy McAuley High School in Cincinnati through PlantingScience.org.

Cox says that Hirsch is a professor whose commitment to students is obvious. “His personable nature makes him immensely approachable, and he often stays after class to continue discussing material with the students who are lucky enough to have him as a professor. Dr. Hirsch also hosts his ABT 120 students and ABT Club students at his house for tacos and basketball, which, though I have not been able to attend due to scheduling, I have heard is a really fun time.

Furthermore, he has an incredible email response time. I know that when I have questions, I will hear back from him on the same day,” says Cox. The ABT Program has grown under the guidance of Hirsch, says Cox. “He has recruited more faculty to teach for the rapidly-growing program. He has also taken a liberal approach to the courses students can take for the major, allowing students to tailor the program to their interests within the general field of biotechnology and broaden their education to the benefit of their future career and their life,” she says.

Robert Louis Hirsch College of Agriculture, Food and Environment/Plant Pathology Nominator: Katelyn Cox, senior, agricultural and medical biotechnology (ABT) www. u kal umni. net

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David McNear College Agriculture, Food and Environment/Plant and Soil Sciences Nominator: Rebecca McGrail, Ph.D. candidate in integrated plant and soil science

David McNear is an associate professor of rhizosphere science and academic coordinator in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. He has served as the director of undergraduate studies for the Natural Resources and Environmental Science program and is now the director of undergraduate studies for the newly developed agricultural ecosystem sciences (AES) undergraduate degree.

“David McNear is at the forefront of his subject area — rhizosphere chemistry,” says Rebecca McGrail, his nominator. “Many researchers in the field evaluate the influence of plant roots alone. He takes the research one step further by including how the plant root may impact the microbial community and how the community responds to affect the chemistry of the system.

His wholistic approach has been rewarded as a result.

He received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2010. This award is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers.”

McNear teaches the fall sections of Fundamentals of Soil Science, a course that includes students from a variety of academic backgrounds, including landscape architecture, agricultural education, agricultural and biosystems engineering, natural resources and environmental sciences, and plant and soil science.

He also teaches the introductory course for the AES major he played a large part in developing for his department.

“Dr. McNear is dedicated to the success of his students as illustrated by the structure of his courses.

His enthusiasm in the classroom is contagious,” says McGrail. “He shares examples from his time working

Darshak Patel is incredibly well-versed about world economics and makes a valiant effort to be approachable not only to his current students, but past students, as well as people who have never taken one of his classes, says Andy Flood, a nominator.

Patel is a senior lecturer of economics and the director of undergraduate studies at the UK Gatton College of Business and Economics. His goal is to increase the level of engagement among students by developing lectures and assignments that focus on generating a high level of energy, interest and motivation in students toward the subject of economics.

Darshak grew up in Kenya, was raised in an Indian family, and went to a British high school, so he brings a fresh, worldly experience to the classroom. He is known for active learning strategies and using popular media, such as “Shark Tank,” to engage students.

“Dr. Patel incorporates music videos, active learning techniques, group work, movie clips, arts and social media into his lectures to ensure he is connecting economics to not just business majors, but to the general student population,” says Jocelyn Caola, another nominator.

“He brings real-world experiences, industry-leading speakers and other outside aids into the classroom in a way that makes learning more interesting and hands-on for all students,” says Flood. “His research and teaching practices have been recognized in the economics community and his goal is to increase student understanding, engagement, and increase the diversity of students majoring in economics.”

Flood says that Darshak has several innovative ways he holds the interest of students in the class-

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in industry, as well as examples from his colleagues to make content less abstract. He incorporates examples from various fields so that each major can identify how the content will be useful in their field. His ability to help students resonate with material is unparalleled with instructors with similar classes.”

McNear is a first generation college student who started out at community college and later received a bachelor’s degree in environmental resource management and a master’s degree in environmental pollution control with a focus in soil chemistry at Pennsylvania State University. He earned a Ph.D. in environmental soil chemistry at the University of Delaware, coming to UK 2007.

He received the 2009 UK College of Agriculture Early Career Teaching Award and twice was the recipient of the UK College of Education’s Teacher Who Made a Difference recognition. He has served as advisor and co-advisor to more than 12 Ph.D. and master’s students and has served on numerous graduate student committees. McNear was a 2010-2014 National Academy of Sciences Kavli Science Fellow.

He also serves on the editorial board of Rhizosphere Journal.

“He works with graduate students to ensure they reach their full potential,” says McGrail. “He will work alongside graduate students when completing statistical analyses and in drafting articles, theses and dissertations. He has worked with graduate students within his home to ensure their work is the best it can be. … Dr. McNear works diligently with each graduate student and post-doctoral scholar to assist each person in developing their skills to become a contributing member to the field.”

room. “Without a doubt, my personal favorite is that Darshak incorporates a concept called ‘Rockonomix’ into the classroom where he challenges students to create their own music videos entailing economics concepts they learned throughout the year,” says Flood. “Not only is this a fun activity, but it allows students to dwell on what they learned and integrate that into songs using creative lyrics.”

Darshak has been involved in many student-related campus activities. For example, he is the leader of the Economics Society, a group of students that meet weekly to talk about current events in the economy.

“He has used this club to also push for diversity and gender parity within economics throughout UK by encouraging women members to attend the annual Women in Economics Symposium … He also advises Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, where he works to groom young men to be respectful, inquisitive, attentive and caring in order to excel in the classroom and on the UK campus, but also in life after college,” says Flood.

Darshak earned bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics from the University of Texas-Arlington and a master’s and doctoral degree in economics from UK. He received the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching at the College of Business and Global Affairs in 2015 at University of Tennessee-Martin and is a recipient of both Gatton College’s Award for Teaching Excellence and the Faculty of the Year award in 2019.

“I can honestly say that I have not had a professor who genuinely cares more about his or her students and wants to see them succeed in all aspects of life, while helping them as much as he can throughout that journey,” says Flood.

KE NTUCKY ALU MN I MAG A ZIN E Spring 2020

Darshak Patel UK Gatton College of Business and Economics/Economics Nominators: Andy Flood, senior in finance and accounting Jocelyn Caola, senior in finance and economics

Martha Riddell UK College of Public Health/ Health Management and Policy Nominator: Majd Jabbour, graduate student in health administration/physician assistant studies

Martha C. Riddell has broad knowledge in health management and public health. She is an associate professor and director of the Master of Health Administration Program in the Department of Health Management and Policy at the UK College of Public Health.

A native Kansan, Riddell joined the department following two decades of experience in health care administration, including leadership positions with physician group practices, a health plan and a nonprofit health organization. She co-led the successful application for the Kentucky Regional Extension Center, which provides technical assistance to support electronic health record implementation. Her research and instructional interests include quality and performance improvement in health care, health informatics, leadership development and management education.

Majd Jabbour, her nominator, says she engrained in her students the qualities and skills required of a future health leader. “Her knowledge is always up-todate on current issues related to many disciplines and not limited to what she teaches,” says Jabbour. “Dr. Riddell is acquainted with a large number of health administrators across the nation, and she makes sure we benefit from their knowledge and experience by bringing them in as lecturers and guest speakers. She makes sure to address all our concerns, whether they pertain to finding an internship or fellowship with a health care organization or doing extracurricular duties that enhance our personal development. She

Anna V. Voskresensky has tremendous expertise in all things relating to Russian culture, literature and language. She teaches Russian language at the UK College of Arts and Sciences by assigning students to discuss, research, write about, and present on various topics relating to Russian culture, both contemporary and historical.

“I was born in Russia into a family of an engineer.

My father is a wonderful man. He taught me how to play chess, look at the world with open eyes, and put myself in others’ shoes. My mother instilled in me the love for life,” says Voskresensky. “My interest in languages and other cultures began at the age of 8, when my family and I moved to Algeria. In Algeria, I heard the French language for the first time, and learned several songs that I still remember.”

She graduated from the Kuban State University in Russia and earned a master’s degree in Russian Language and Literature. She also enjoyed art, theater, music, journalism, photography and performed in amateur theater.

In 1986 she moved to Germany with her husband and son. “Those three years were invaluable cultural and life experiences. There I received my first teaching award, and 30 years later I was invited to participate in the Russian Language Week in Berlin to present about my teaching techniques and style,” she says.

Having taught Russian language at UK since 2005, she has organized a summer program in Russia and has taken students to study Russian at the university where she once studied.

Garrison Wright, her nominator, says that Anna Voskresensky is a very innovative and creative teacher.

is truly caring, respectful and dutiful toward her students as she goes above and beyond to ensure their success.”

Riddell is very calm while speaking and attentive when a student presents his/her idea, Jabbour says.

“She makes everyone feel welcome to voice their thoughts in a very inclusive environment. Her passing on knowledge to students is highly effective and efficient and doesn’t rely on memorization but understanding the material, which allows for the retention of information for a long time. That is evident in her exams and expectations of us through the desired course outcomes.”

Riddell, who earned an undergraduate degree from Kansas State University and master’s of public health and doctor of public health degrees from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, has served as president of the College of Public Health Faculty Council and currently represents the college in the University Senate. She is past president of the Lexington Rotary Club, the second woman elected to that position, and received the Rotary President’s Cup in 2018. Currently, she co-chairs the Rotary Leadership Institute for the local district. Riddell has served in leadership roles with United Way, Chapter C of PEO, Christ United Methodist Church and the national board of directors for the Kansas State University Alumni Association.

She also volunteers at the Hope Center.

“She is truly a guardian of her students’ future. UK is very lucky to have her,” says Jabbour.

“One of her most important projects is MCL 591, a class in which students read and discuss excerpts from Russian literature on UK’s student radio station, WRFL. To my knowledge, this is the only academic class that uses WRFL, as well as the only Russian­ language broadcast in Central Kentucky,” he says.

Wright nominated Voskresensky in part because, he says, she is the most caring professor with whom he had ever taken classes. “She is extremely concerned with forming personal relationships with each of her pupils in order to help them achieve their fullest potential. She is extremely approachable, answers emails immediately and even gives her cell phone number to her students,” he says.

Among her duties at UK, Voskresensky is a faculty advisor to the UK Russian Club and is highly involved with the organization’s planning and execution of programs. She also collaborates with professors from the School of Music to host annual poetry/piano recital events, and a Singing Russian concert at the end of each semester. She was named the recipient of the 2015 UK College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teaching Award, in 2016 and 2018 she was honored as a College of Education Teacher Who Made a Difference and in 2019 she was a recipient of the UK Provost Award for Outstanding Teaching.

William Jefferson, another nominator, says, “She takes interest in our lives outside of the university like no other professor I’ve ever had. She genuinely wants us to succeed, not only in her classes, but in our life as a whole.”

Anna V. Voskresensky UK College of Arts and Sciences/Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures and Cultures Nominators: Garrison Wright, junior in Russian studies William Jefferson, junior in ICT Technology Management

Overcoming a brain injury as a student, Cameron Asher wants to help others realize their potential

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ameron Asher thinks he is smarter now than he was ever meant to be. Over the last four years, he has pushed and challenged himself, never cutting himself a break. He had something to prove to himself and to his doctors.

In his senior year of high school, the Manchester native was in a severe car crash where he suffered a traumatic brain injury and shattered his skull. He was airlifted to the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital and spent time in a coma. Once he woke up, he wore a helmet to help his skull heal and eventually had his skull fused back together. He completed rehabilitation at Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital and worked with an athome tutor to finish his high school curriculum.

“I had a great teacher who recognized that I was ambitious and pushed me and helped me grow,” the senior business manage-

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ment major said. “I was trying to balance surgery and regaining my memory, but she would not let me quit.”

Still, his physicians recommended that he not immediately go to college. It was too risky to his healing.

“I had been emailing Don Witt (then-associate provost for enrollment management), and once I was out of the hospital, he invited me to dinner at the Hillary Boone Center,” Asher said. “I was still wearing my helmet and was unsure if I was going to begin school in August. I had been offered a full scholarship, and Don told me at dinner that UK would hold my scholarship. In that moment, I was overcome with the feeling that I would be fine, and that I should not let fear stop me from achieving my dreams. His compassion helped me realize that I would be OK.”

Photo: Pete Comparoni, UK Public Relations & Marketing

By Molly Williamson

Photo: Submitted

Cameron Asher, right, met with Don Witt in the King Alumni House during the holiday season. Asher says that Witt, now assistant vice president for philanthropy, told him UK would hold his scholarship while he worked to overcome his challenges. Asher says this compassion at UK helped him realize that he would be OK.

Photo: Submitted

Asher planned to major in pre-medicine with the hopes of becoming a neurosurgeon. But ultimately, he realized he was more passionate about being in an administrative setting to help others achieve their goals. Initially, he did not want to rely on the Disability Resource Center, because he wanted to challenge himself. He did not want special treatment.

“That ended up being a mistake,” Asher said. “I made everything harder on myself instead of recognizing that I needed help. I had difficulty retaining the material I read.

I had difficulty concentrating, so I would read the same material over and over. Once I accepted help from the DRC, I was able to have a low distraction environment to take my tests, additional time on my exams, the use of a whiteboard to write down my thoughts and a break during exams so that I can give my brain a rest.”

Asher had to work harder than his peers.

He devoted his life to studying and attending class. He did not leave much time for outside activities or organizations. But, his scholarship and the generosity of his donors afforded him that luxury. Without the scholarship, he may not have been able to attend UK or to focus so intently on his studies. Scholarships and funding student success is a key goal of the university’s comprehensive campaign, Kentucky Can: The 21st Century Campaign. Donors are bringing UK closer to its $2.1 billion goal and transforming students’ lives.

“My scholarships allowed me to study constantly and helped me get through that first year when it would have been so easy to quit,” Asher said. “I had so many people around me who were encouraging me and supporting me. I never felt like I was just a number at UK. I knew that people cared about me and wanted me to succeed.”

Though it was difficult, Asher said constantly pushing himself helped him expand his intellectual capacity. It gave him a hunger to learn more. After graduation, he plans to pursue a dual master’s in business administration and public health.

“I have no doubt that my existence is nothing short of a miracle, and I wanted to use the rest of my life to make a difference,” Asher said. “I met the first responders who saved me, the doctors and nurses who cared for me and the neurosurgeon who knew I wanted to pursue neurosurgery in college and gave me a book encouraging me. I began attending church and using social media to tell my story and to inspire and motivate others who are facing obstacles in their lives.”

Now, he wants to go into health care philanthropy and community leadership so that he can make connections and rally

After a traumatic brain injury and shattered skull, Cameron Asher was airlifted to the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital and spent time in a coma. With help from the UK Disability Resource Center, he devoted his life to studying and attending classes at UK, even though it was difficult for him while he continued to recover. investors to help him start a hospital in his hometown, serving Eastern Kentucky residents. This year, he joined the Student Philanthropy Board and serves as an Alumni Ambassador, which is helping him develop leadership and networking skills that will help him in his future profession.

“I want to use my story to uplift others and create something bigger and more long-lasting,” Asher said. “Eastern Kentucky needs a hospital, and I want to be a part of making that change. That is why I am combining business management and community leadership at UK. I want to not only raise money; I want to raise people’s spirits. I want to be like Don Witt, take people under my wing, encourage them and help them realize their potential.

“I want to seize every opportunity to grow personally and to help the Eastern Kentucky economy grow,” Asher said. “I feel it was a privilege to come to UK and to do it debt-free, and I want to use everything I have learned here to give back to the people who have given so much to me.” ■

www. u kal umni. net

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CatStrong UK Engineering uses hemp to repair deteriorating Kentucky bridges

By Lindsey Piercy

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ridges are a crucial component of Kentucky’s infrastructure, providing access between regions and cities and linking workers to jobs. But as traffic continues to increase, bridges across the state are aging at an accelerated pace.

According to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, 7 percent of Kentucky’s bridges are classified as “structurally deficient.” What exactly does that mean? Well, more than 1,100 of them are in poor condition.

“Every bridge in the nation is inspected for deficiencies, at a minimum, once every two years. Bridges with known issues are inspected more frequently to ensure public safety,” Issam Harik says. “Each bridge has to be assessed individually in order to understand whether repair is needed.”

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When a repair is needed, that’s where Harik comes in. As a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Kentucky, he offers much more than advice.

Since 1994, Harik has been at the helm of a group of students researching the deployment of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites in bridges and buildings.

Through funding from the Department of Defense, Federal Highway Administration, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, The National Academies and the Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation, he and a team of talented students developed innovative products — dubbed CatStrong — for restoring bridges.

Why the name CatStrong? Harik says, “I am proud of our Wildcat legacy, and the products are very, very, strong.”

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Currently, CatStrong rod panels and fabrics come in different strengths. The strongest version can resist 195,000 pounds per foot of width, yet can be easily applied by one worker.

“The CatStrong family of products were developed to meet the repair needs of bridges when no other products were available on the market that satisfy the retrofit requirements,” Harik says. “All CatStrong products are tested experimentally and/or via computer models in order to assess their strengths and limitations.”

Using remarkably resilient carbon fiber fabrics, panels and wraps, CatStrong has successfully restored more than 35 bridges by strengthening beams, columns, piles and walls.

The lightweight product has yielded impressive results due to its ease of application.

Currently, CatStrong rod panels and fabrics come in different strengths. The strongest one can resist 195,000 pounds per foot of width, yet can be easily applied by one worker. Using remarkably resilient carbon fiber fabrics, panels and wraps, CatStrong has successfully restored more than 35 bridges by strengthening beams, columns, piles and walls.

Photos: Eric Sanders

“Whether in a bucket or platform truck or on special scaffolding over rivers, valleys, roadways, etc., this helps significantly with reducing the number of man hours and traffic control, which is usually the biggest expense on a job,” says Abheetha Peiris.

Peiris, a researcher at the Kentucky Transportation Center and one of Harik’s former doctoral students, supervises the repair projects.

Despite unprecedented success, CatStrong has been on a quest to find an even more reliable resource. When introducing a new addition to their family of products, Harik leaned on a growing industry in the Commonwealth — the hemp industry.

As part of an experimental study, the team recently repaired one of the piles on the KY 32 bridge over Blaine Creek in Lawrence County using hemp, marking the first time the natural fiber has been used as a construction material for bridge repair.

Hemp, which is biodegradable and has a small carbon footprint, offers many advantages. “The limitations are low strength, incompatibility with existing resins, manufacturing processes and it is seasonable,” says Harik. “Some of the limitations can be overcome with ongoing and future research.”

If the timeline for a project is five days, Harik says the majority of the time will be spent preparing. “Once the structural member section is built back to its original shape, we mix a two-part resin or paste and spread it on the surface. Then we press CatStrong into it, add another layer of paste over it and that’s it. Once applied, it will gain 80 percent of its strength within 24 hours.”

Harik, who wants to give credit where credit is due, admits he doesn’t physically create the CatStrong wraps.

Instead, that’s the work of dedicated students, who he lovingly refers to as “minions.” On any given day, you will find them working busily in the Structures Lab on campus.

From design to development, students are involved in every aspect of CatStrong. Their passion for the product — and its ability to make Kentucky bridges safer — is undeniable. “It is very gratifying and exciting to analyze

Since 1994, Issam Harik has been at the helm of a group of students researching the deployment of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites in bridges and buildings.

a product, fabricate it, test it and see it deployed in the field to solve a real problem. In short, it is amazing,” Ethan Russell, a UK engineering student, says.

For future deployments, CatStrong will experiment with plant, instead of epoxy, based resins to produce entirely plant-based biodegradable, flexible, lightweight and re-useable wraps.

The primary objective in the KY 32 bridge — and any repair project — is

to optimize the use of taxpayers’ funds while enhancing the state’s infrastructure.

“The lessons learned from each project are used in future projects to upgrade and extend the life of bridges and buildings,” Harik says. “None of the success achieved in these repair projects would have been possible without collaboration between UK, sponsoring agencies and industry.” ■ www. u kal umni. net

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NDEYE MATOU AMAR

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uring Commencement, that piece of paper — the long-awaited diploma — that graduates receive from President Eli Capilouto signifies the end of a journey, a journey of self-discovery.

Ndeye Matou Amar’s journey to Commencement had been filled with overwhelming challenges and inspirational successes. In December, she stood in front of the Class of 2019 — as the selected student speaker — and told her story of resilience.

When Amar reflects on how far she’s come in the last decade, she’s overcome with emotion. Ten years ago, she left behind her life in Senegal, West Africa, to start a new life in the “Land of Opportunity.”

Amar quickly realized opportunities aren’t simply attained through luck but through grace and grit.

Upon arriving in the United States, Amar found herself about to become a first-time mother in a new country where she didn’t know the language and didn’t have her family to rely on. “Adjusting to the new culture for someone who comes from a very collectivistic country — where women are expected to be obedient and follow the rules from the moment they are born to their very last breath — was very hard,” she says.

Refusing to let barriers define her, Amar immediately enrolled in English as a second language classes. “I had my baby on Friday, got out of the hospital on Sunday and on Monday I went to school to take my exam,” she says.

“Nothing is impossible in this country — you just have to believe in it, and you will get it.”

Though Amar had faith in her ability to achieve success, she recalls many moments when it would have been easier to simply give up. But she wanted more — for herself and her family.

“So, I became more.”

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O F

R E S I L I E N C E

By Lindsey Piercy

Equipped with determination, Amar enrolled in courses at Bluegrass Community and Technical College. She would earn more than 50 credit hours before taking a step back to focus on raising her two young boys.

In 2016, Amar realized she didn’t have to choose between being a dedicated mother and furthering her education. “I told myself, I needed to go back to school,” she says. “I feel like I have so much potential.”

From the moment Amar stepped on UK’s campus, she knew she had found the university that would ignite her passions. “I had a sense of hope and determination. I felt that this place — this community — would challenge, support and prepare me to excel on the biggest stages of my life, and I wasn’t wrong.”

I had a sense of hope and determination. I felt that this place — this community — would challenge, support and prepare me to excel on the biggest stages of my life, and I wasn’t wrong.

— Ndeye Matou Amar

Throughout her time at UK, Amar discovered her purpose. Hoping to transform the lives of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, she began pursuing a psychology degree in the College of Arts and Sciences.

“By working in the lab with Professor Elizabeth Lorch, I have learned so many ways to change lives,” she says. “I’ve

KE NTUCKY ALU MN I MAG A ZIN E Spring 2020

helped children develop better reading and comprehension skills.”

Amar”s compassionate ways extend beyond her coursework. Last summer, she participated in an Education Abroad program in South Africa. Amar earned credit hours while also interning with the University of Western Cape Town Mayibuye Archives — a public entity responsible for managing, maintaining, presenting, developing and marketing Robben Island as a national estate and a World Heritage site.

After her experience abroad, Amar applied and was selected to be an Education Abroad Peer Ambassador (EAPA).

In that role, she helped inform fellow students about the various opportunities Education Abroad has to offer.

“If you go abroad and you have that experience, as a good person or a good student you would want your peers to experience the same thing,” Amar says.

“That’s what motivated me to become an EAPA.” There’s no question — Amar has continued to push herself and excel. But where will her journey take her next?

Amar hasn’t decided what comes after crossing the Rupp Arena stage. But the possibilities are endless. She already has several job interviews lined up and has also been accepted into the WilDCats at the Capitol program.

No matter what her future holds, Amar is proud to call herself a UK graduate. She says, “That girl who came here 10 years ago is now a trilingual, mother of two beautiful boys and is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.”

As Nelson Mandela once famously said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Education has certainly changed Amar’s world. Now, she plans to use it to bring about positive change for others.

“This is a dream come true for me. I’m grateful to be a UK student,” she says. ■

www. u kal umni. net

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Photo: Mark Cornelison, UK Public Relations & Marketing

$2 MILLION STRONGER! With joyful hearts and tired feet, dancers at the 2020 DanceBlue Marathon pushed through 24-hours of no sitting and no sleeping in honor of the tireless pursuit of finding the cure to pediatric cancer. DanceBlue’s fundraising for the March event — the 15th year of dancing “For The Kids” — totaled $2,000,190.20, the largest amount raised in the history of DanceBlue to support the children and families battling pediatric cancer in the DanceBlue Kentucky Children’s Hospital Hematology/Oncology Clinic.

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www. u kal umni. net

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Photo: Mark Cornelison, UK Public Relations & Marketing

UK Theatre alum Todd Lacy discovers a career path that takes him around the world

By Ann Blackford

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hen Todd Lacy was a student at the University of Kentucky in the 1980s, he was an English major planning to go to law school. That is, until his English class attended a Shakespeare play presented by the Theatre Department in the UK College of Fine Arts. The underlying theme of “As You Like It” was love at first sight, and as he watched the story unfold on stage, Lacy fell in love with all things theatre and his journey at UK began to change course.

His passion for theatre has taken him around the globe working on some of the most major theatrical productions of all time, and now he is supporting the college that launched his dream career. He gives annually to the Department of Theatre and Dance to be used for student productions.

“UK is a special place. I feel an obligation, a duty and an honor to give to the institution that laid the foundation of what I’ve become today,” Lacy says. “I love the idea that I am helping them make theatre. I spent so much time in college collaborating with students to make great work, and it can sometimes be a struggle with limited resources.”

Lacy also chairs the College of Fine Arts campaign, encouraging people to support the goals of Kentucky Can: The 21st Century Campaign, UK’s $2.1 billion comprehensive campaign focused on increasing opportunities for student success, funding innovative research, improving health care, strengthening our 30

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alumni network and supporting our athletic programs. He serves as a co-chairman with his mentor and friend Geraldine “Geri” Maschio, a retired UK theatre professor, says Lisa Blackadar, Fine Arts philanthropy director.

“When Todd shares his stories of early career challenges to recent successes with our students, he emphasizes the impact that his UK education had in preparing him to fully take on each opportunity,” says Mark Shanda, dean of the College of Fine Arts. “He is an outstanding example of what it means to be a Wildcat.”

While working on his master’s degree at UK, Lacy completely immersed himself in all facets of the theatre business. He spent long hours working with the Theatre Department, filling in wherever he was needed in many different capacities. He directed shows at Briggs Theatre, as well as stage managed multiple productions and worked as a tech director on summer projects at the Guignol Theatre, all of which gave him a broad understanding of the needs and challenges of theatre.

“I left UK with a discipline,” Lacy says. “I felt like I was being guided to stage management and directing. My goal was to land a stage management job that would ultimately lead me on a path to directing.”

Like many, Lacy’s path didn’t take him straight to his dream job. He had to climb the proverbial ladder, first opting to go to Washington to look for opportunities. He scoured trade publications, sometimes working for no pay or managing productions on a paltry budget.

some of the world’s greatest musical and theatrical productions in Australia, Asia and around the globe. When Lacy accepted a position as Cassel’s head of production, he and his wife, Jennifer, and son, Jake, moved to Sydney, Australia.

The Michael Cassel Group is producing the worldwide touring production of Disney’s “The Lion King.” The Todd Lacy, right, is with Geraldine “Geri” show has played in Manila, Maschio, a retired UK College of Fine Arts Singapore, South Korea, theatre professor.

Taipei, Bangkok and Hong Kong. They are also producing “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” currently in Melbourne and are in production for “Hamilton,” which will open March 2021 in Sydney.

When Lacy reflects on his Shakespeare class at UK years ago, he says he never knew his love of theatre, film and music could ever be a career.

“I absolutely had an epiphany after seeing that play, like a light bulb went off and everything fell into place. My career choice is absolutely passion-driven,” he says.

In the play “As You Like It,” Shakespeare draws a metaphor that “All the world’s a stage … and one man in his lifetime plays many parts.” One might conclude that Lacy’s life indeed has played out on a stage, and the many roles he’s played while on his journey have taken him from passion-driven theatre student to a name synonymous with some of the greatest theatrical productions of all time all over the world.

To learn how you can support students and help the College of Fine Arts to continue to be a vibrant part of the community, contact Lisa Blackadar at 859-2573145 or lisa.blackadar@uky.edu.

For more information about Kentucky Can, visit kentuckycan.uky.edu. ■

Photo: Submitted

When he felt he was ready for bigger challenges, he moved to New York for employment opportunities and to make connections. He and two other UK theatre graduate friends produced their first show “off, off, off Broadway, way off Broadway” on a $5,000 budget.

“We put on this show downtown, and that’s where I caught the producing bug because I realized, here we were putting together a team of people, hiring a director, hiring the creative team, hiring the actors, working on the marketing, the PR, the business side of the show and the box office revenue, and I fell in love with that,” Lacy says. “And that is when I decided to move away from stage management and directing to pursue a path in general management/ producing.”

He landed a gig working for Broadway producer Cameron Mackintosh, first as an office manager and then in the general management office that oversaw all of Mackintosh’s shows.

After that position, he became an assistant to Barbara Darwall, who was a general manager on the musical “Chicago.”

“She became a real mentor to me,” Lacy says.

“I learned a lot from her.”

Darwall eventually left to work for Disney Theatrical as an associate producer for the “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” which was being produced in Germany. Disney had just launched “The Lion King” there, as well, and Lacy followed Darwall to Disney to work as production manager on Darwall’s team.

“I got to work with James Lapine, Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz … names that I couldn’t even believe I was around and working on productions that they were doing. It was incredibly exciting,” he says.

While at Disney Theatrical, Lacy worked his way up to associate producer for “The Lion King.” He oversaw the launch of the U.S. tours and international productions in Australia, Netherlands, Shanghai and South Africa.

After leaving Disney, Lacy went on to become senior vice president for New York Productions for Madison Square Garden Co., serving as an executive producer on the Radio City “Christmas Spectacular.”

More opportunities opened up for Lacy when a former colleague at Disney, Michael Cassel, contacted him about an opportunity. Cassel is producer and CEO of the Michael Cassel Group, a live entertainment company that produces

Photo: Mark Cornelison, UK Public Relations & Marketing

Photo: Sally Horowitz

College of Fine Arts students perform “Shrek” in 2019, an example of why Todd Lacy remains a dedicated mentor and patron of the Department of Theatre & Dance.

Jaime Delgado, a double major in the Collge of Fine Arts, Theatre/Arts Administration, gets assistance from Zachary Stribling, technical director.

www. u kal umni. net

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UK LIBRARIES MAKES 13,000 + LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER IMAGES AVAILABLE ONLINE

By Whitney Hale Last fall, the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center launched a custom digital library for the John C. Wyatt Lexington Herald-Leader (LHL) photographs collection. The site provides access to more than 13,000 digitized images with advanced search features, location mapping, an integrated collection guide viewer and more.

The LHL collection consists of an estimated 2 million unique photographic negatives spanning the years 1939-2001. The collection is an unparalleled source of photographic evidence of the many historical, cultural, and industrial changes that have shaped Lexington and its surrounding region.

In 1949, Joseph Patterson and Cleo Johnson were among the first 30 African-American students to register at the University of Kentucky after the landmark court case brought by Lyman T. Johnson subsequently opened UK. The scope of the collection highlights the day-to-day activities of Kentuckians. It follows the changing urban landscape of Lexington, the agricultural, tobacco and horse racing industries, key national events such as World War II and Vietnam, as well as notable regional and national figures.

The Lexington Herald-Leader’s origins can be traced back over 130 years to Lexington Daily Press. Its descendant, the Morning Herald, was first published Jan. 1, 1895, and became known as the Lexington Herald in 1905.

Another large circulating newspaper during this time was the Kentucky Leader, which eventually became known as the Lexington Leader in 1901.

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In 1937, the owner of the Leader, John G. Stoll, bought the Herald, and both daily papers were published concurrently (the Herald in the morning and the Leader in the afternoon) for the next 46 years. The newspapers had a combined Sunday edition.

In 1973, the newspapers were purchased by the Knight-Ridder Corp. and in 1983 were merged into a single, morning paper that is still published as the Lexington Herald-Leader.

In June 2006, the McClatchy Company purchased Knight-Ridder for approximately $4 billion in cash and stock, as well as assumed $2 billion in Knight-Ridder debt.

The Lexington Herald-Leader was one of 20 Knight-Ridder papers retained by McClatchy.

For almost 44 years, the photography collection was cared for by John C. Wyatt (1928-2005), who became a Lexington Leader photographer in 1946 and was the chief photographer for many years. Wyatt retired from the Lexington Herald-Leader in 1990. He not only participated in the creation of this visual resource, but he was also responsible for the organization and intellectual control of the collection.

In 2004, the collection was donated to UK Libraries who obtained a National Historical Publications and Records Commission grant to transform this large newspaper negative collection from an unprocessed and only marginally accessible state, to a well-documented archival collection with a searchable database. The grant allowed the project Just like fictional Mayberry, North Carolina, the city of Lexington must have been a “rough” town riddled with crime. These boys were taken into custody by police for bathing in Castlewood Pool after closing hours in June 1950.

Photographed in 1940, the Robert Patterson log cabin was one of the first houses in Lexington, dating to around 1783. According to an article in the Lexington Leader, the cabin was later purchased in 1901 by John H. Patterson and moved to Dayton, Ohio, where it remained until it was returned to Lexington to reside on a portion of Patterson’s original 400 acres in Lexington, part of the Transylvania University campus.

team to preserve the most at-risk negatives to prevent them from deteriorating beyond use. Archivists continue to work on and digitize this massive collection today.

The LHL collection is the most extensive, single collection of still photographic images documenting Lexington’s 20th century history in existence. Digitized content from this collection is available online at lhlphotoarchive.org.

The Special Collections Research Center at UK Libraries sustains the Commonwealth’s memory and serves as the essential bridge between past, present and future. By preserving materials documenting the social, cultural, economic and political history of Kentucky, the center provides rich opportunities for students to expand their worldview and enhance their critical thinking skills. Special Collections Research Center materials are used by scholars worldwide to advance original research and pioneer creative approaches to scholarship. UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is the Archives, the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, the King Library Press, the Wendell H. Ford Public Policy Research Center, the Bert T. Combs Appalachian Collection, the John G. Heyburn Initiative and ExploreUK. ■

Helen King, director of the UK Alumni Association from 1946-1969, sits between UK Head Men’s Basketball Coach Adolph Rupp and his wife, Esther Schmidt Rupp, in a box at the Kentucky Derby in 1948. Citation won the Triple Crown that year.

The corner of Limestone and Main streets in Lexington on Blue Grass Day in 1949 proved to be bustling with people and vehicles.

Frances Street of Cadiz representing UK Panhellenic Council presents a $500 check for the McVey Scholarship Fund to Sarah Bennett Holmes, dean of women, in 1945.

Republican, Democratic and Veterans clubs were active at UK during a conduction drive to secure applications for absentee ballots from all eligible students. www. u kal umni. net

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Club News

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1. The holiday spirit brought together members of the board of directors of the Greater Nashville UK Alumni Club for an annual Christmas dinner at Amerigo’s Restaurant.

2. Members of the original Louisville Young Alumni group from the mid-1980s held an impromptu reunion during the Greater Louisville Alumni Club Game Watch Party for men’s basketball as the Wildcats took on the University of South Carolina. Two former club presidents of the original Young Alumni group were in attendance: Hank Thompson (front left) and Ann Hurst (front center).

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3. Greater Ashland UK Alumni Club members held a Game Watch Party for the Belk Bowl and were rewarded with a 37-30 win over Virginia Tech!

4. Members of the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati UK Alumni Club headed out to Full Throttle Adrenaline Park in Florence for some axe throwing in January. (Chris Deel even managed a bull’s eye!) Left to right are Kylie Von Handorf, Adam Atkinson and Eddi Feldmann.

5. Members of the St. Louis UK Alumni Club held an outing to a local basketball game between High Point University (coached by former UK Head Coach Tubby Smith, second from left in back row) and Saint Louis University (coached by former UK player Travis Ford, far right).

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6. Several members of the Jacksonville UK Alumni Club watched the men’s basketball Wildcats play Vanderbilt while they got together at Monkey’s Uncle Tavern in Jacksonville Beach with former football Wildcat Marcus McClinton ’08 AFE. 7. Members of the Northwest Ohio UK Alumni Club got together for a Game Watch Party as UK men’s basketball faced the University of South Carolina. Members who met at the Findlay, Ohio, Buffalo Wild Wings are, left to right, Brenda Ladd, Dick Long (president of the Northwest Ohio UK Alumni Club), Libby Long, Jackson Gregory, Terry Williams, Carmen Williams, Seth Gregory, Brad Gregory, Carissa Gregory, Karin Wilson, Jim Wilson and Mark Hogge (president of the Greater Ashland UK Alumni Club). www. u kal umni. net

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A Big Blue Thanks

Thank you to all of our new Life Members*!

Life Members are among our most loyal alumni and friends. We salute your commitment to strengthening UK’s alumni community and honor your dedication to the university’s past and future.

James R. Aaron Catherine Alexander Pamela Allen Betty L. Avril Anna M. Bacon-Tinsley Joyce H. Berry W. Michael Bewley Valerie N. Bishel Claire Bishop Jenna L. Brashear Carly Brehm Ryan Brehm Kimberly S. Brown Walter T. Brown Holly S. Bruser Helen Carey Tyler Carner James L. Carter Jr. Jennifer Carter Joanne D. Cecil Stephen G. Cecil Norma J. Coleman Cynthia B. Couch Sarah W. Cox Stephen M. Cox Lois J. Craigmyle Gary D. Crump Kathy R. Crump Donna Dunaway Gary D. Dunaway Connie K. Duncan Paula Lynn Durst Timothy P. Elkins Duane V. Ellis Nicole Feeney Clem Fennell Phyllis J. Fields Amy K. Guenther Scott M. Guenther William L. Harned

Christopher K. Herron Stacie Herron Keith L. Jackson Kathleen M. Johnston Martha E. Jones Keith A. Keeling James C. Kendig Leslie R. Ladau Dell Larned Swee Kheng Lim Julianna Lindsey John E. List Fritz E. Lower Monica T. Lower Susan W. Masterman Wayne M. Masterman Jesse McInturf Tara McInturf Scott McKenzie Amanda M. McMullin Alicia A. McQuain Gerald Milam Michael T. Miller Emily K. Milller Bruce F. Mirrielees Kris W. Mirrielees Claudine R. Moore David H. Moore Molly G. Moore Bobbie Morales David Morales Geoffrey R. Morgan Mel E. Morris Sue B. Morris Colleen S. Mulholland David M. Myers Susan A. Myers Jason R. Nehmer Saw Mei Ng Kathy D. Orndoff

Samuel J. Palmer III Kip Perkins Stephanie W. Perkins Patricia A. Piermatti Brit C. Potter Jr. Mark D. Prince James E. Raaker Jennifer Ramsey Martin L. Ridgley Robyn L. Ridgley Mark C. Ritter Angel M. Rodriguez-Perez Robert A. Roquemore Wanda S. Roquemore Mike Sandbrink Bob L. Scott Iva D. Scott Joseph J. Shimko Vicki Y. Shimko Hannah Simms Leslie A. Smith Peter A. Sparks Marian A. Swope D. Chryse Veit Vaughn Veit Olga Walmisley-Santiago Mary W. Ware Michael Ware Cody Weber Meredith Weber Sam N. Wheatley Anthony L. Wickline Ronald L. Willhite Franketta R. Zalaznik

*New paid-in-full Life Members Oct. 1 – Dec. 31, 2019

Be an even bigger part of the Wildcat wave of impact.

Upgrade to a Life Membership today! www.ukalumni.net/join or call 859-257-8905 36

KE NTUCKY ALU MN I MAG A ZIN E Spring 2020

College View

Photos: Submitted

The UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment inducted four new members into its Hall of Distinguished Alumni recently. This year’s recipients include Zhiqiang An ’91 AFE of Houston, director of the Texas Therapeutics Institute at the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine and the Robert A. Welch Distinguished University Chair in Chemistry at the University of Texas Health Science Center; Patrick Henderson ’68 AFE, ’72 ED of Irvington, former assistant superintendent of Breckinridge County Schools from 1996-2002; Sarah Tabb Henry ’56 AFE, ’59 ’69 ’77 ED of Lexington, former high school home economics teacher, supervisor for the Kentucky Department of Education,

and assistant dean of the former UK College of Human Environmental Sciences; and the late Dorotha Smith Oatts ’46 ED, ’50 AFE of Lexington, who was an educator and coordinated the development of a consumer and family life skills program for post-secondary institutions in the 1970s and later provided leadership during the establishment of The Arboretum, a partnership between UK and Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government.

The UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Hall of Distinguished Alumni’s newest members, above, are (from left) Patrick Henderson; a representative for the late Dorotha Smith Oatts; Sarah Tabb Henry; and Zhiqiang An.

The American Society of HealthSystem Pharmacists Midyear Meeting was held in Las Vegas this year at Mandalay Bay Resort and the UK College of Pharmacy held a reception during the event for its alumni and friends of the college. www. u kal umni. net

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Sports Photo: Hannah Phillips, UK Athletics

KENTUCKY FOOTBALL SIGNS 23 IN CLASS OF 2020

FRANK HAM SOCIETY INDUCTS 29 UK inducted 29 student-athletes into the Frank G. Ham Society of Character at a dinner prior to the Kentucky’s men’s basketball game against Vanderbilt.

They were recognized on the court at Rupp Arena at halftime.

The society annually honors Wildcats who have shown an extraordinary commitment to academic excellence, athletic participation, personal development, career preparation and serving as a role model.

The student-athletes honored were: César Bourgois, men’s tennis; Glen Brown, swimming & diving; Josephine Chang, women’s golf; Carson Coleman, baseball; T.J. Collett, baseball; Jacob Cook, men’s golf; Tanner Dowdy, track & field; Nicole Fautsch, track & field; Ian Foos, rifle; Luke Fortner, football; Ali Galyer, swimming & diving; Autumn Humes, softball; Lesedi Jacobs, women’s tennis; Leon Jones, men’s soccer; Morgan Lakes, swimming & diving; Katherine Marianos, gymnastics; Alex Martens, softball; KeKe McKinney, women’s basketball; Lizzy Merriman, swimming & diving; Megan Monfredi, gymnastics; Kendyl Paris, volleyball; Kameron Roach, women’s basketball; Bailey Rouse, men’s soccer; Asia Seidt, swimming & diving; Sarah Shipley, women’s golf; Avery Skinner, volleyball; Larissa Spellman, softball; Bailey Vick, softball; and Landon Young, football. ■

Kentucky, coming off an 8-5 season and a Belk Bowl win over Virginia Tech, signed 23 players to the Class of 2020. Here is a look at this year’s class: • Reuben “R.J.” Adams: Woodbridge, Virginia • Beau Allen: Lexington, Kentucky • Sam Anaele: Deefield Beach, Florida • Kalil Branham: Columbus, Ohio • Deondre Buford: Detroit, Michigan • Izayah Cummings: Louisville, Kentucky • Jeremy Flax: Detroit, Michigan • Joey Gatewood: Jacksonville, Florida • Josaih Hayes: Horn Lake, Mississippi • Rickey Hyatt: Westerville, Ohio • D’Eryk Jackson: Dublin, Georgia • Josh Jones: Phenix City, Alabama • JuTahn McClain: Fairfield, Ohio • Octavious Oxendine: Radcliff, Kentucky • Andru Phillips: Mauldin, South Carolina • Justin Rogers: Oak Park, Michigan • Tre’Vonn Rybka: Dickson, Tennessee • Earnest Sanders IV: Flint, Michigan • Vito Tisdale: Bowling Green, Kentucky • Carrington Valentine: Cincinnati, Ohio • Joel Williams: Baton Rouge, Louisiana • John Young: Louisville, Kentucky February signee • Michael Drennen II: Dublin, Ohio

OPTIMISM ABOUNDS FOR KENTUCKY SOFTBALL AND BASEBALL Replacing a National Player of the Year and/or a first-round draft pick is no easy task. Yet that’s what faces Kentucky softball Head Coach Rachel Lawson and UK baseball Head Coach Nick Mingione as they prepare their teams for the 2020 campaign.

Despite the losses, both coaches are optimistic about what lies ahead.

The Kentucky softball team lost the left side of its infield, including National Player of the Year Abbey Cheek and four-year starter Katie Reed, as well as catcher Jenny Schaper. Yet Lawson is excited about her team as the 2020 season approaches.

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“I never thought about how do we replace players, I think about who is going to be the successor,” Lawson said. “It’s going to be hard to succeed when you have three All-SEC performers leaving.”

Lawson will count on her experienced pitching staff this season, with three hurlers returning who all saw significant action last season. Junior Grace Baalman was 10-10 last year with a 3.49 ERA, while leading the team with 102 strikeouts. Senior Autumn Humes was 15-11 with a 4.14 ERA, while leading the team with two saves. Sophomore Meghan Schorman was 5-2 with a 4.47 ERA in 21 appearances last season.

KE NTUCKY ALU MN I MAG A ZIN E Spring 2020

Losing Cheek, Reed and Schaper will be tough, but the Cats return plenty of offensive firepower. Second baseman Alex Martens quietly led the team with a school record 66 runs batted in last season. Martens had 13 home runs in 2019, tied for second on the team with first baseman Mallory Peyton, who also returns for the Cats.

Kayla Howalik, who started in center field last season, will move to catcher in 2020. Kowalik hit .357 as a freshman last season and was second on the team with 14 stolen bases.

The Kentucky baseball team faced a number of challenges in 2019 as the

University of Kentucky junior all-purpose player Lynn Bowden Jr. was named the winner of the 39th annual Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year Award. He was named the winner after a vote of 169 current and former media members around the Commonwealth.

Bowden etched his name into program lore this season after injuries at quarterback forced him to return to the position for the first time since high school. The junior set a school record for career and single-season rushing yards by a quarterback, broke the Southeastern Conference’s single-game rushing mark by a quarterback, turned in the second-highest single-game rushing total in UK history, had the highest single-season yards per rush attempt average and delivered at least 100 rushing yards in seven of his eight starts at quarterback. The Wildcats won six of his eight starts at quarterback while advancing to a fourth-straight bowl game and rewriting the school’s record books for rushing production.

The Youngstown, Ohio, native averaged a nation-high 7.94 yards per rushing attempt, breaking Stanley “Boom” Williams’ record of 7.1 per attempt in 2015. He finished with 4,660 all-purpose yards in his career, fifth in UK history and had 1,530 career rushing yards as a Wildcat, moving into 21st place on the UK career rushing list. He also ranks 13th on UK’s career receptions list with 114 and is 18th on the career receiving yards list with 1,303 yards. His 1,468 rushing yards mark the second-highest single-season total in school history behind Moe Williams’ 1,600 in 1995.

Bowden also won the Paul Hornung Award as the nation’s most versatile player and was named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, AFCA FBS Coaches, Sports Illustrated, ESPN.com, Sporting News, The Athletic, USA

Cats tried to replace 21 Major League Baseball draft choices, combined, in 2017 and 2018. The one constant last season was left-handed ace pitcher Zack Thompson, who was 6-1 with a 2.40 ERA while striking out 130 batters in 90 innings. Those numbers led to Thompson being taken in the first round of the MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.

While heading into the season without Thompson will be tough, Mingione thinks his team is ready and is much more experienced than it was at this time last season.

“Much different feeling this year com-

Photo: Hal Morris

BOWDEN NAMED KENTUCKY SPORTS FIGURE OF THE YEAR

Today, Phil Steele and Athlon Sports. He was also a first-team All-SEC selection by the AP, AFCA FBS Coaches, Phil Steele and Athlon Sports.

After an unforgettable performance in his final collegiate game against Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl, Bowden earned All-Bowl Team honors from the AP, ESPN.com, Sports Illustrated and USA Today. He ran 34 times for 233 yards and two touchdowns in the 37-30 win. He also completed 6 of 12 passes for 73 yards, including the game-winning 13-yard TD with 15 seconds left, earning the game’s Most Valuable Player honors. He handled the ball on 16 of the 18 plays in UK’s game-winning drive, including converting a pair of fourth downs to keep the march alive. His 233 rushing yards set an NCAA record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a bowl game.

Bowden is the second-straight UK football player to earn the Sports Figure of the Year, as Josh Allen was named the winner in 2018. ■

pared to last year,” Mingione said. “I felt like we were starting over last year, so many new faces. We knew it would be hard, it was an extremely difficult season.”

Unlike last season, this year’s Cats can put a lineup on the field that has significant SEC experience.

“Last season, we had two guys with 85 at bats or more,” Mingione said.

“This year, we have eight guys with 90 at bats or more. So, offensively, we’ll have a ton more experience.”

Catcher Coltyn Kessler is the leading returning hitter for the Cats. Kessler hit .297 last season with five home

runs and 29 runs batted in. Preseason All-SEC pick T.J. Collett was second on the team with 10 homers last season despite missing eight games. Jaren Shelby (.273, 6 HR, 35 RBI) and Austin Schultz (.265, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 10 SB) also returns for the Cats.

On the mound, UK hopes to get key contributions from Mason Hazelwood, Dillon Marsh, Jimmy Ramsey and Carson Coleman, among others.

While the losses for each team may be tough to overcome, both Lawson and Mingione are optimistic as their respective seasons approach. ■

www. u kal umni. net

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K ENTUCKY ALUMN I M A G A Z I NE Winter 2019

w w w. u k alu mn i.n e t

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KE NTUCKY ALU MN I MAG A ZIN E Spring 2020

Photo: Pete Comparoni, UK Public Relations & Marketing

CHANGING THE NARRATIVE AROUND

HEALTH

Joanne Brown ’98 ’12 NUR is supporting students through their transitions.

By Grace Colville and Linda Perry

N

urse practitioner Joanne Brown ’98 ’12 NUR has made it her goal to support and advocate for her LGBTQ* patients.

Today, more and more teens are identifying as transgender or gender nonconforming but many of these students worry about how they will be treated on college campuses and in their health centers.

Brown, a nurse practitioner at University Health Service (UHS), is making it her mission to support students through their transitions.

“UK is a leader in transgender health, but we can always do better. I can always do better,” said Brown.

So she started to do better. She reached out to other providers for guidance and advice. She began cultivating a more inclusive environment by speaking to patients differently and replacing outdated signage in her exam room. But it didn’t seem to be enough.

She had a new patient, a graduate student from Washington, D.C., come see her.

“They’d been to four providers before they came to see me,” said Brown. “Four other providers in Lexington, and couldn’t get anybody to prescribe PrEP. Which is absurd, because PrEP is so effective in preventing HIV infection. So I figured things out. I looked at the guidelines, and I wrote that prescription.”

From then on, Brown was determined to put LGBTQ* health at the forefront of her career. In 2016, a task force of UK HealthCare providers and individuals from campus organizations came together and created the UK HealthCare Transform Health Clinic.

Transform Health was created with the goal of providing and improving care for the LGBTQ* population. It also trains

health sciences students and residents in LGBTQ* health best practices and offers mental health counseling support. The group consists of providers from several different UK HealthCare institutions, including UHS, Family and Community Medicine and the Counseling Center.

Brown said starting there helped her realize there are many other populations that need attention in health care, too.

This led to the establishment of the UHS Inclusive Care Committee. This group meets to improve care for all populations of students — first-generation, students of color, veterans, international students and several other marginalized groups.

“The intersectionality of a patient’s identity has such a large impact on their overall health,” said Brown. “I’m hopeful that this understanding helps us take better care of all our patients, not just LGBTQ* students.”

Brown, who grew up in Cutchogue, New York, began her journey of helping others after she earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the State University of New York – Plattsburgh in 1981. She and her husband, Bill, a West Point graduate, moved the family around the country as her husband’s job with JM Smucker necessitated.

She began her master’s degree in nursing in Tennessee, then moved to Virginia before making a permanent home in Lexington and starting work at St. Joseph Hospital in the operating room. Wanting to complete her master’s degree, she researched other programs before applying to the University of Kentucky because she wanted certification as a woman’s health nurse practitioner and a family nurse practitioner. UK allowed her to do that.

“The status of the UK College of Nursing is one of the most well regarded in the

nation,” she said. “And it was at the forefront of the nurse practitioner education, offering the first DNP in the nation.”

In addition to obtaining her master’s degree in nursing from UK in 1998 and raising her family (She has three adult children, one girl and two boys: Caitlin Brown Reams ’12 HS; Jordan Brown ’09 AS; and Derrick Brown.) in Lexington, Brown obtained a job as a nurse practitioner in a private OB/GYN practice.

In 2006 she began work at UK Student Health. Along the way, she enrolled in the College of Nursing’s newest degree program, the Doctor of Nursing Practice. “It really appealed to me because it is a clinical doctorate,” she says. “It could help me be a clinical mentor for students learning how to be a nurse practitioner.”

Brown praises the education she received through the College of Nursing, noting that professors such as Carolyn Williams, her mentor and advisor, Ellen Hahn and Marcia Stanhope are nationally recognized faculty. She said she would encourage anyone considering nursing as a career to consider UK for their degree.

“Just look at the college’s national records.

It has a very high national pass rate — above 95 percent — for licensing exams, as well as residency programs for nurses just starting in practice, and opportunities for mentorship and growth,” she said.

Brown considers herself lucky to work in student health, especially at UK. Dr. Ann Hays, a provider and clinical director at UHS, played an influential role in Brown’s push for better LGBTQ* care.

“Dr. Hays’ support demonstrated that UHS and UK HealthCare aligned with my goals of providing more inclusive health care,” said Brown. “It’s clear it’s a priority here at this institution.”

Jace Peters-White, a UK student and patient of Brown’s, is an exemplary model for what the right kind of care can do. They have been seeing Joanne since their first semester here in 2017.

“I’ve never had any doubts or worries being here at UK,” said Peters-White. “The campus is such a welcoming and affirming place to be my true self.”

As Brown continues to advocate for her patients, she also celebrates with them.

“The most rewarding thing is when I see my patients out in public, particularly after they’ve been on hormones for a while – they’re happy, they’re smiling, they’re whole,” said Brown. “The exciting thing is they’re graduating with their undergraduate degrees. They’re completing graduate programs. They’re becoming.” ■ www. u kal umni. net

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Class Notes 1960s James C. Claypool ’65 ’68 AS lives in Park Hills and was named a Centre College Distinguished Alumni.

He is a professor emeritus of history at Northern Kentucky University. Claypool was the first employee when NKU became a fouryear institution, and also served as the school’s dean of admissions and students and started NKU’s athletics program for men and women.

Donald A. Vizi ’65 BE is director of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce in Orange, Virginia.

He had been executive director of the Woodford County Chamber of Commerce in Versailles. Vizi also served 26 years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a lieutenant colonel.

1970s M. Stephen Pitt ’71 LAW lives in Louisville and was appointed general coun-

sel and special advisor to the attorney general by Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron. He was previously general counsel for former Gov. Matt Bevin.

James G. Adams Jr. ’76 AS lives in Hopkinsville and retired as a District Court judge for the 3rd Judicial District, Division I and vice chief regional district judge for the Purchase Region after 25 years. He also spent 12 years as chief assistant Christian County attorney.

Susan Ferguson Clark ’78 HS is an associate professor of plant and environmental science in the Virginia Tech University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in Blacksburg. She was conferred the title of associate professor emerita by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

Kathy Sewell Dyer ’78 AS lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and is founder and CEO of PivotWise, a strategic advisory firm focused

James M. Woods ’78 AS was awarded the Kentucky Dental Association Fellowship Award. He is the owner of Bluegrass Orthodontics in Paducah with his daughter McKenzie E. Woods ’13 ’17 DE. Brent A. Tymensky ’79 EN is director of solutions development for the HyTek Material Handling’s integrated systems division in the company’s Nashville, Tennessee, office. He was previously solutions excellence team vice president and engineering vice president for Fortna Inc.

1980s Peyman Jahed ’80 ’82 EN lives in Lexington and is a senior structural engineer for Luckett & Farley in Louisville. He is also an adjunct professor in the UK College of Design School of Architecture.

Photo: ExploreUK

Charles W. Rice ’80 ’83 AFE is a distinguished professor of agronomy in the Kansas State University College of Agriculture in Manhattan. He was appointed to his second term as chairman of the Board on Agriculture and National Resources.

Several unidentified students relaxed at Maxwell Spring in 1900.

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on digital transformation.

She was appointed to the board of directors of Liquidity Services.

KE NTUCKY ALU MN I MAG A ZIN E Spring 2020

Chuck Smith ’81 ED retired as head football coach at

Boyle County High School in Danville. Smith had a 234-70 record with six state championships in 24 seasons as a head coach.

Smith also served as an assistant football coach at Kentucky for eight years.

Rebecca Combs Lyon ’82 LAW is clerk for the Kentucky Court of Appeals in Frankfort. She was previously the chief staff attorney for the court.

Michael S. Tinnon ’82 AS is the interim rector for Christ Episcopal Church in Coronado, California. He is a retired chaplain with the U.S. Air Force having served nearly 30 years.

Thomas J. Davis ’83 EN lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and is vice president and area manager, planning and design for S&ME, an engineering firm headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. He received the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers Outstanding Professional Engineer of the Year Award.

Daniel R. Faber ’83 AS is a professor of sociology and director of the Northeastern University Environmental Justice Research Collaborative in Boston.

Tom J. Leach ’83 CI is the CEO of Tom Leach Productions LLC in Lexington and the radio voice of UK basketball and football on the UK Sports Network. He was named the National

Photo: Submitted

FEUDING WITH FAMILY? Cameron V. Tucker ’14 ED and his wife, Coriá Bowen Tucker ’13 CI, were lucky enough to appear on the television show “Family Feud” in January with other family members.

Cameron Tucker is a physical education and health teacher at Holmes High School in Covington and Coria Tucker is a marketing communication specialist for American Heritage Girls in Cincinnati.

Cameron Tucker, was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the Epsilon Chi chapter at UK, and also the UK Black Voices Gospel Choir. Coriá Tucker was a member of the National Society for Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS).

The Tucker family actually auditioned two separate times for the show in 2014 and 2018, both in Louisville. Over 600 families auditioned during both events, says Cameron Tucker, and potential contestants were put through a mock round against another family with some show producers watching.

“If they like you, they pull you after your round and interview you in another room,” he says.

The first time the Tucker family was told the producers were interested, but there was no guarantee they would be picked for the show.

Several months later, the family received a notice that they made it into the applicant pool and to send the show potential dates they could be available to film in Atlanta.

“We sent the dates back but never heard anything,” Cameron Tucker says. “I actually stopped watching the show after that.”

But with a twist of fate, his mother mentioned that the show is holding auditions again in 2018. The family was fired up to give it a second try.

The family auditioned again, and the same scenario took

Cameron V. Tucker ’14 ED (left) and his wife, Coriá Bowen Tucker ’13 CI (second from left), were lucky enough to appear on “Family Feud” in January. Also pictured are Cynthia French (cousin of Cameron’s mother), host Steve Harvey, Brenda Tucker (Cameron’s mother) and Ralph Tucker (Cameron’s father).

place, only this time the filming would take place in Los Angeles.

“We got another email after we sent our dates that said we made it on the show and they would fly us out and put us in a nice hotel,” says Cameron Tucker. “We were flown out on Mother’s Day 2019 and taped on that Monday, came back on that Wednesday. Unfortunately, because we didn’t win our game, we didn’t win any tangible money — aside from our flight and lodging. But the experience was worth it, as it was everyone’s first time in LA.” The show was shot at Universal Studios in Hollywood, where many NBC shows and productions are recorded, says Cameron Tucker.

“It was pretty cool being on the lot of all the different shows,” he says. “The most interesting thing to me about the experience was just being on national TV and watching it at the same time probably hundreds of thousands of other people were watching it in the United States.

“Another cool thing was the feeling of being a celebrity for a few days. Our drivers to and from the airports were professional drivers that drive for celebrities like Jamie Foxx, Smokey Robinson, Candace Parker, Magic Johnson, Rob Lowe, Dwayne Wade and Bruno Mars — and we were sitting in that same SUV. Our other driver, when he wasn’t in LA for four months out of the year, he was rapper T-Pain’s butler in Atlanta. How cool is that? They were such neat guys to talk to.”

Coriá Tucker was equally excited about the adventure.

“I would absolutely do it again,” she says. “It was truly one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences. The ‘Family Feud’ team treated us like family and made us feel like celebrities for a few days. Of course, if I could go back, I’d change the outcome, but overall it was an amazing experience.” ■ www. u kal umni. net

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Class Notes

Robert A. Rademacher ’84 BE is the president of Kolter Homes, an affiliate of The Kolter Group in Atlanta. He was previously the Taylor Morrison Atlanta Division president.

Clarence R. Wyatt ’84 ’90 AS is president of Monmouth University in Monmouth, Illinois. He was named a Centre College Distinguished Alumni. He was previously Centre’s chief planning officer and special assistant to the president.

Troy M. Cox ’86 BE lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was appointed to the board of directors for LetsGetChecked, a directto-home health testing company. He was previously CEO of Foundation Medicine.

Allyson True Cook ’86 BE, ’89 LAW is an attorney at Stites & Harbison PLLC in the firm’s Covington office.

She received the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Debbie Simpson Spirit of Achievement Award.

Haldane B. Lamberton ’86 AS lives in Louisville and was appointed adjunct general by Kentucky Gov. Andy Bashear. Lamberton oversees the Kentucky Army and Air National 46

Guard, as well as the statewide Department of Military Affairs, Kentucky Emergency Management, the Appalachian and Bluegrass Challenge Academies and Bluegrass Station.

Sonya Calhoun Bergman ’87 GS is vice president of human resources for Appalachian Regional Healthcare Inc. in Lexington. She had been the AHR System director of human resources.

Beth Boone ’87 BE is a partner and shareholder at Hall Booth Smith PC in Brunswick, Georgia. She was accepted into the American Board of Trial Advocates. Boone earned her law degree from the Nashville School of Law. Elisa M. Peters ’87 BE is the Circleville Municipal Court judge in Circleville, Ohio. She was previously the Pickaway County Common Pleas Court magistrate, where she also served as the magistrate in the Pickaway County Juvenile Court and Circleville Municipal Court. Peters earned her law degree from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.

attorney with the Kentucky Public Service Commission.

Andrea P. Sardone ’89 AS, ’93 GS is marketing director for PBMares LLP in the accounting firm’s Newport News, Virginia, office. She was previously executive director of brand marketing for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

1990s William C. Phillips ’90 CI is president and CEO of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce in Greenville, South Carolina. He was previously senior vice president of Greater Louisville Inc. Mark C. Story ’90 AS is a columnist for the Lexington Herald-Leader newspaper.

He was named the National Sports Media Association Kentucky Sportswriter of the Year.

Mary Brookshire Young ’90 AS is appellate chief for the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio in Columbus. She was previously an assistant U.S. attorney. Young earned her law degree from the University of Chicago Law School.

Uday S. Deshpande ’92 ’99 EN lives in Davidson, North Carolina, and is chief technology officer for D&V Electronics, a subsidiary of Motorcar Parts of American Inc., headquartered in Toronto. He had been vice president, global vehicle electronics systems, for CNH Industrial N.V. John L. Verburg ’95 AS is pastor at Springs Mennonite Church in Springs, Pennsylvania.

Denise Williams-Zirilli ’97 CI is senior homebuyer for Fridrich & Clark Realty in the company’s Brentwood, Tennessee, office. She

W. Lee Scheben ’87 BE is president of Heritage Bank in Burlington. He had been the bank’s senior vice president.

David E. Spenard ’87 BE is an attorney with Strobo Barkley PLLC in Louisville.

He was previously a staff

KE NTUCKY ALU MN I MAG A ZIN E Spring 2020

Photo: ExploreUK

Sports Media Association Kentucky Sportscaster of the Year for the seventh time.

In 1957, students were shooting arrows at a target in front of the Student Union.

previously owned the salon Sweet and Sassy.

Thomas J. Kiffmeyer ’98 AS is an associate professor of history in the Department of History, Philosophy, Politics, Global Studies and Legal Studies in the Morehead State University Caudill College of Humanities in Morehead.

2000s Robert C. May ’00 EN, ’00 BE is a general partner at PJC, an early-stage venture firm in Boston. He was the cofounder and CEO at Talla, an artificial intelligence and automation platform.

Michelle Arnold Deans ’01 ’02 BE is a partner at MCM CPAs & Advisors in the firm’s Lexington office. Her primary focus is with clients in the automotive dealer and manufacturing industries.

Benjamin P. Smith ’01 AS is an attorney and shareholder at Shulman Rogers in the firm’s Potomac, Maryland, office. He earned his law degree from the Appalachian School of Law. Marianne E. Lorensen ’00 AFE is a specialized teaching faculty member in the Leadership Learning Research Center in Florida State University College of Education in Tallahassee.

Claire Pomeroy ’00 BE is president of the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation,

located in New York, which supports medical research through recognition of research excellence, education and advocacy..

Seth M. Russler ’00 BE is a level-two relationship manager for Mountain West Bank at the company’s commercial lending center in Couer d’Alene, Idaho.

Wendell C. Ford ’01 BE lives in Owensboro and is a partner at EM Ford, a regional insurance and financial planning firm. He was named vice chairman of the Prichard Committee for Academic Success.

Masten Childers ’02 AS is an attorney for Whiteford Taylor & Preston LLP in the firm’s Lexington office. He was named a Kentucky Super Lawyers 2019 Rising Star in Kentucky for civil litigation. Childers earned his law degree from the Northern Kentucky University Salmon P. Chase College of Law. Andrew P. Ballard ’03 LAW was elected judge of the Lawrence County Court of Common Pleas in Ironton, Ohio. He was previously an attorney at Campbell Woods PLLC. Amanda E. Goldsmith ’03 AS is director of development for the Gateway Arch Foundation in St. Louis, Missouri. She had been director of advancement at Christian Brothers College High School.

C. R. N. Andrew Sims ’03 LAW is the Commonwealth’s attorney for the 13th Judicial District in Nicholasville. He received the Commonwealth Attorney’s Association Sword of Justice. He was previously the district’s assistant Commonwealth’s attorney.

Lexington. He was previously a public defender for the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy and a law clerk for Chief Justice Erik Mose of the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal for Rwanda.

Michelle J. Lefebvre ’03 AS is assistant curator of the Florida Museum of Natural History South Florida Archaeology and Ethnography Program in Gainesville.

Joshua G. Miller ’06 LAW is an attorney at Sturgill Turner Barker & Moloney PLLC in the firm’s Torts & Insurance practice group in

Megan Lyons ’07 CI, ’11 LAW is an attorney for Whiteford Taylor & Preston LLP in the firm’s Lexington office. She was named a named a Kentucky Super Lawyers 2019 Rising Star in Kentucky for civil litigation.

Stephanie Wurdock Lindsey ’08 AS, ’11 LAW is a partner at Sturgill Turner Barker & Moloney PLLC in Lexington.

SAVE DATE

OCTOBER 8-11, 2020

the

2020 HOMECOMING

& GOLDEN WILDCAT SOCIETY REUNION WATCH FOR DETAILS AT

WWW.UKHOMECOMING.COM

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Career Corner with Amanda

Schagane

WORKPLACE BURNOUT A 2018 Gallup study of full-time employees reported that nearly a quarter of respondents felt work burnout always or very often. An additional 44 percent felt burned out at work sometimes. Burned out workers are 23 percent more likely to visit the emergency room than those who did not feel burned out. Over the last 10 or more years, multiple studies have linked the two.

According to U.S. News & World Report, here are a few signs of workplace burnout: • Loss of focus • Pessimism and cynicism • Irritability • Loss of motivation • Dread • Change in sleep habits • Physical ailments such as headaches • Drop in energy • Trouble getting out of bed for work or getting started • Feeling dissatisfied about achievements Have you experienced any of these? Consider elements within your control to defeat workplace burnout: • Kick up your networking game. Invite a colleague or former colleague to lunch or coffee each week. Ask them who they know that you should network with to stay fresh on industry trends.

• Attend a conference or training to stay current on industry trends and network.

• Request a different type of project or collaboration in your current role. Don’t get stuck in a work rut. Mixing it up may help you re-engage.

• Set a weekly reminder to check job boards related to your field of expertise. Apply if something sparks your interest. Accepting an interview does not mean you are disloyal; it can keep you fresh and motivated.

• Consider consulting a personal counselor and/or medical professional. In extreme cases of workplace burnout, depression can be a true concern.

Schedule an appointment with your UK Alumni Career Services counseling team. They have the top credentials in career development and are prepared to consult on the most recent resume trends, interviewing strategy and more.

UK Alumni Association Active Members and Life Members are eligible for two complimentary appointments per year with a certified career counselor. Call 1-859-257-8905 or 1-800-269 ALUM (2586) to schedule an appointment. Visit www.ukalumni.net/career to learn more about resume critiques, networking events, Central Kentucky Job Club and other Alumni Career Services. To post a job opening, employers may visit www.ukalumni.net/employers and email job leads to ukalumnicareer@uky.edu.

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Class Notes Heidi N. Romero ’08 PHA is the pharmacist in charge at Griffith & Feil Drug in Kenova, West Virginia. She was chosen as the West Virginia recipient of the 2019 Upsher-Smith Excellence in Innovation Award.

Brian K. Brown ’09 BE is chief financial officer for Computer Systems Inc. in Paducah. He had been the company’s senior vice president of finance.

Brandon T. Card ’09 AFE lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, and is a professional fisherman in the Bassmaster Elites series.

2010s Lesley Stout Bilby ’10 LAW lives in Louisville and is chief of staff for Kentucky State Treasurer Allison Ball.

She was previously deputy secretary of the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet.

Brittany Croos Carlson ’10 LAW is a partner at Stites & Harbison PLLC in the firm’s Lexington office and is a member of the Torts & Insurance Practice Service Group.

Rebecca M.W. Sherman ’10 AS, ’13 LAW is a partner at Stites & Harbison PLLC in the firm’s Lexington office and is a member of the Construction Service Group.

Langdon Ryan Worley ’10 LAW is a partner at Sturgill Turner Barker & Moloney PLLC in Lexington.

Catherine E. Bouvier ’11 LAW is an attorney at Sturgill Turner Barker & Moloney PLLC in Lexington. She was previously an assistant Commonwealth’s attorney in the office of the Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney.

Sonya N. Munk ’11 PH is an associate professor of health sciences in the

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 Agriculture, Food Fine Arts — FA & Environment — AFE The Graduate School — GS Arts & Sciences — AS Health Sciences — HS Business & Economics — BE Law — LAW Communication & Medicine — MED Information — CI Nursing — NUR Dentistry — DE Pharmacy — PHA Design — DES Public Health — PH Education — ED Social Work — SW Engineering — EN

Meet the Needs of a New, Modern World.

The world is changing, moving faster, and demanding more than ever.

At the University of Kentucky, we’re inspiring your path forward through cutting-edge and outstanding college program offerings.

This is what we make possible.

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For example, through UK Online you can earn a Graduate Certificate or Master of Science in Digital Mapping – a growing field that is in high demand.

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Our commitment doesn’t stop there.

With more than 40 degrees available 100% online, at UK Online you’ll discover that everything is achievable and nothing is out of reach.

An Equal Opportunity University

www. u kal umni. net uky.edu/ukonline

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Class Notes Indiana University Purdue University of Indianapolis School of Health and Human Sciences.

Esa A. Paaso ’11 ’14 EN is director of planning, smart grid and innovation at Commonwealth Edison, which is headquartered in Chicago.

Tyler S. Stewart ’12 LAW is an attorney at Hare Wynn Newell & Newton LLP in the firm’s Lexington office. He was previously an assistant attorney general in the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection Department.

Aurelia Skipwith ’15 LAW is director of the U.S. Fish

& Wildlife Service in Washington, a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior. She had been deputy assistant secretary for the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Cameron M. Owens ’16 CI is a news producer for WIVB/ WNLO-TV in Buffalo, New York. He received a Crews Group and S&J Foundation 2019 Changemakers 30 Under 30 Award for the City of Buffalo.

Lindsey N. Smith ’16 AS, ’16 CI is the district scheduler for U.S. Congressman Jim Cooper, who represents Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District and is based

MAY 9, 2020 7-1 0 PM 405 ROSE STREET Co -p r e s en t e d by t h e P r e s ide n t ’s Offi ce

For mor e in for ma tion : f i nea r ts.u ky.ed u /in spired even ing

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in Nashville. She had been campaign manager for the reelection campaign of Nashville Metro Councilmember Bob Mendes.

Bethany B. Davenport ’19 LAW is an attorney at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP in the firm’s Nashville, Tennessee, office.

Lorran Hart Ferguson ’17 LAW is deputy chief of staff for Kentucky State Treasurer Allison Ball. She had been the secretary’s communications director and deputy general counsel.

Stephanie S. Renzelman ’19 LAW is an assistant district attorney for the 36th Prosecutorial District, which serves Catawba County in Newton, North Carolina.

Melissa A. Tribue ’17 AS is a third-year law student at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in Tennessee. She received a scholarship from the Association for Women Attorneys Foundation, Memphis.

Tim Tanner ’19 GS is director of the South Dakota State University Extension 4-H Youth Development Program in Brookings.

ADVERTISEMENT UKCOP ALUMNI STORIES

A Lifetime of Bold Innovation

by Jacob Lewis

G

rowing up in the shadow of Kroger Field it seemed Suzanne Green was destined to become a Wildcat.

As it turns out, attending the University of Kentucky was the only predictable part of her journey. As a member of the Class of 1974, Green and her peers entered a rapidly changing workforce. Even so, no one could have predicted the way in which she would impact the world.

Green spent her high school years selling sundries at her local pharmacy but found she was more interested in what was happening behind the counter. She was drawn to the way the pharmacists interacted with their patients in a way that seamlessly blended social relationships with professionalism. She saw the true impact a pharmacist could have on someone’s life. It wasn’t long before Green applied and was accepted to the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy.

After graduating with her BS in Pharmacy and obtaining her PharmD at University of Southern California, Green entered the pharmaceutical industry, working for companies

first nationally broadcast program to address the AIDs epidemic in the United States.

Pharmacy gave Green the ability to build her unique future. “With pharmacy, you have this flexibility to focus on any area in healthcare and dedicate your life to improving patient outcomes in so many different ways,” she said. “That’s what’s unique about pharmacy education—it’s versatile.”

It is this versatility that took Green’s career all over the United States. Although she worked next to nationally recognized physicians, commissioners, and thought leaders in the medical field; her training gave her the confidence and knowledge to thrive in any situation, “No matter where I went, all I had to say was that I was a UK College of Pharmacy graduate and no one ever challenged my competency,” said Green. Her out-of-the-box thinking and top-level training enabled Green in 1974 to pass the California State Board on her first try with only her Pharmacy B.S., when the usual prerequisite was completing a PharmD. The UK College of Pharmacy taught Green skills transferable to both her career and

“No matter where I went, all I had to say was that I was a UK College of Pharmacy graduate and no one ever challenged my competency” like Schering-Plough and Hoffmann-La Roche. Never one to follow suit, Green changed her path and helped launch the Lifetime Medical Television (now known as Lifetime), the first network programming dedicated to educating physicians on the advances in medicine, health and wellness.

The Lifetime programs were designed to be educational for both physicians and the general public. Green facilitated the development of the shows and led the communications to alert physicians to watch the nationally aired topics.

Launching in 1984, one of her shows was the

everyday life. One memorable lesson came in a rather unorthodox way: her professor asked students to cut a prescription paper; however, they could not use scissors. While this task is seemingly simple, it taught Green a skill she’d never forget. “The strength of using lateral problem solving was solidified that day. It’s a skill I use every single day. I look for solutions that are not obvious and I see the value in creative problem-solving,” said Green. “That simple task taught me to think differently— to not always go with the easy answer or keep to the status quo.”

Suzanne Green, UKCOP Class of 1974

From spending 25 years educating the next generation of healthcare professionals to running the largest independent medical education company in the world, Green has created a body of work that speaks for itself.

One of Green’s proudest achievements is her involvement in the removal of Hepatitis-C positive blood from the United States Blood Bank System. She worked on the National Hepatitis Detection and Treatment Program to help conduct international programs on how to detect the newly identified Hepatitis-C virus. Her contributions to these life-saving efforts are some of the most exciting and fulfilling parts of her storied career.

Regardless of her notable successes, Green remains humble and grounded, crediting the professors and mentors that have helped her along the way. Some of her fondest memories come from her time at the College. Her UK class reunions are more like family reunions because of the relationships she’s built.

“Whenever we get together, I get to see my pharmacy family—they’re like my brothers and sisters,” said Green, “We drop right back into our friendships like pharmacy school was yesterday.”

A self-proclaimed “girl from nowhere,” Green’s success defied the odds and encourages students to persevere. “You don’t have to have the connections or the background,” said Green.

“You simply have to have the confidence to know that you have something great to offer.

Learn from others and move forward.”

That little girl living in the shadows of Kroger Field is now an educator, an innovator, and a prime example of what’s possible when you’re a Wildcat.

In Memoriam Mildred McCarty Cox ’41 Lexington, Ky. Fellow

William P. Saunders Jr. ’50 Aberdeen, N.C. Life Member

Callie Morris Brown ’44 Williamsport, Pa.

Alethea Gillespie Sturdevant ’50 Wales, Wis.

Mary Matheny Gray ’47 Masonic Home, Ky. Warren W. Rosenthal ’47 Lexington, Ky. Fellow, Life Member Jean G. Crawford ’48 Mayfield, Ky. Fellow, Life Member Leslie M. Clark ’49 Greenwood, Ind. Robert W. Estill ’49 Raleigh, N.C. Life Member Frances Farmer Lee ’49 Saint Matthews, Ky. Fellow, Life Member Robert H. Marcum ’49 Lexington, Ky. Betty Winzeler O’Brien ’49 Blue Ash, Ohio Henry S. White Jr. ’49 Cadiz, Ky. Life Member William L. Fouse ’50 San Rafael, Calif.

Fellow

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Garey L. White ’51 Lexington, Ky. Fellow, Life Member Talitha Reid Freeman ’52 Lexington, Ky. Life Member Wayne A. Cornelius ’53 Loveland, Ohio Life Member Read Holland ’53 Tuscaloosa, Ala. John E. Vaughan ’53 Chattanooga, Tenn.

John W. Gorrell ’54 Lexington, Ky. Life Member Roger B. Leland ’54 Northborough, Mass.

Fellow Donald E. Slagel ’54 Lexington, Ky. Fellow George D. Koper ’55 Smyrna, Ga. Fellow

Mary Faulkner Good ’50 Koloa, Hawaii

Lenora Rogers Perrine ’56 Lexington, Ky. Fellow

Gwendolyn Waddell Kepler ’50 Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Charles W. Wheeler ’56 BE Warrenton, Va. Life Member

KE NTUCKY ALU MN I MAG A ZIN E Spring 2020

Matthew Gibbs Jr. ’57 Lexington, Ky. James R. Atherton ’58 Huntsville, Ala. Malcolm B. McGregor ’58 Versailles, Ky. Life Member Dorcas Elkins Mullins ’58 Southfield, Mich.

Life Member Barbara Johnson Sapp ’59 Lexington, Ky. Life Member

Margaret Ryan Dudgeon ’64 Decatur, Ga. Life Member Phyllis Wright Kirkland ’64 Adrian, Ga. Life Member Roy E. Potter ’64 Fairfax, Va. Annie L. Thompson ’64 Hebron, Ky. Edwin P. Abell ’65 Campbellsville, Ky.

Carl J. Schmidt ’59 Baker, Fla. Life Member

Sara Spicer Cranor ’65 Beaumont, Texas Life Member

Nelson E. Shafer ’59 Brookfield, Wis.

Mark E. Gormley ’65 Versailles, Ky.

Henry C. Vickers ’59 Evansville, Ind. Fellow

Ronald L. Steedly ’65 Jupiter, Fla.

Theresa Nantz Walton ’60 Frankfort, Ky. Fellow, Life Member George H. Yenowine ’60 Powder Springs, Ga. Nancy Brandenburg Lewis ’61 Towson, Md. Life Member Willard J. Alls ’62 Murray, Ky. Donna Argue Griffin ’62 Lexington, Ky. Fellow, Life Member Alvin B. Broderson ’63 Lexington, Ky.

Robert L. Doty ’66 Campbellsville, Ky. Fellow Henry Hunter Durham ’66 Louisville, Ky. Fellow Robert C. Niles ’66 Kissimmee, Fla. Life Member Kathleen McCurdy Sterner ’66 West Hartford, Conn.

William E. Gorman Jr. ’67 Georgetown, Ky. Ronald J. Vesper ’68 Petersburg, Ky.

Gene A. Clabes ’69 Paris, Ky. Fellow, Life Member

Jeffrey A. Woods ’75 Lexington, Ky. Fellow, Life Member

Glenn P. Glasgow ’69 Louisville, Ky. Fellow

Joe T. Smith ’76 Lexington, Ky.

Elizabeth Hill Lee ’69 Ashland, Ky. Forrest E. Hahn Jr. ’70 Lexington, Ky.

Stanley H. Blostein ’77 Powell, Ohio James F. Carrico ’77 Booneville, Ky.

Pamela Stakelin Fernand ’71 Lexington, Ky.

Glen Alen Malott ’77 Lansdowne, Pa. Life Member

William H. Haboush ’72 Richmond, Va.

M. Lynne Osterholt ’78 Louisville, Ky.

Carroll R. Jenkins ’73 Fort Mill, S.C.

Virginia R. Wall ’79 Paris, Ky.

William P. Cubine ’75 Louisville, Ky.

David M. Biagi ’82 Simpsonville, Ky.

Audrey Gaunce Phelps ’75 Bowling Green, Ky. Life Member

Margarette Burgess Gundry ’82 Lexington, Ky. Life Member

LE AVE A PER SONAL LEGACY and support the University of Kentucky with a Wildcat Alumni Plaza Paver. www.wildcatalumniplaza.com 859-257-8905 (ALUM)

Louise A. Headley ’83 Richmond, Ky. Edward J. Smith ’83 Fort Myers, Fla. John A. Barfield ’84 Walton, Ky. Scott P. Hall ’84 Indianapolis, Ind. J. Bruce Bashore ’86 Lexington, Ky. George A. Beaman ’87 Nicholasville, Ky. Constance Thompson Reece ’88 Lexington, Ky. Judith S. Bussey ’89 Lexington, Ky. Jennifer-Jeanne Nickerson ’92 Huntsville Ala.

Stanley A. Cox Lexington, Ky. Life Member John B. DuPuy III Goshen, Ky. Fellow Eric A. Grulke Lexington, Ky. Houston J. Hogg Jr. Owensboro, Ky. Robert M. Kirn Lexington, Ky. Steven Konopka Lexington, Ky. Barbara Lancaster-Lyman Lexington, Ky. Life Member Ayako L. Phillips Louisville, Ky. Fellow, Life Member

Jerry L. Finley ’97 Point Pleasant, W.Va.

Beulah Tucker Powell Lexington, Ky. Life Member

Robert A. Tindall Jr. ’98 Pleasureville, Ky.

Sarah Hardie Toler Lexington, Ky.

William J. DeLong ’04 Miami Lakes, Fla.

Miriam Lamy Woolfolk Lexington, Ky. Fellow, Life Member

FORMER STUDENTS AND FRIENDS Marion Custer Blair Lexington, Ky. Fellow

Elizabeth H. Young Liberty, Mo. Donna Zimmerman Wiehe Lexington, Ky. Fellow

Lila Barrett Boden Saint Matthews, Ky. Mary Morgan Calvert Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. www. u kal umni. net

www.wildcatalumniplaza.com 859-257-8905 (ALUM)

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Creative Juices Thomas E. Stephens ’88 CI has written “Civil War Game-Changers: Kentucky and Kentuckians in America’s Bloodiest Conflict,” which chronicles the pivotal role played by Kentucky and Kentuckians to ensure Union victory in the war. President Abraham Lincoln said to lose Kentucky was to lose the whole game in the Civil War. Included are the stories of Cassius M. Clay, the anti-slavery Madison Countian — son of Kentucky’s largest slaveholder — who was forced to defend his free speech with a pistol and Bowie knife; John Buford, of Scott County, who denied Robert E. Lee the strategic ridges around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, helping to ensure victory in the costliest battle in American history; and African Americans who won freedom on the battlefield for themselves and their families.

There are the stories of Mary Todd Lincoln, with family members on both sides of the conflict, whose experiences put her in an insane asylum and the New York army surgeon who trail-blazed her way across the war, winning the Medal of Honor in the process. “Civil War Game-Changers” brings these stories, and many more, back to life, while showing how Abraham Lincoln’s vision of “A New Birth of Freedom” could become a reality in the United States.

Jim Host ’61 CI has co-authored “Changing the Game: My Career in Sports Marketing,” the first complete account of the entrepreneur’s professional life, detailing his achievements in sports radio, management and broadcasting; his time in minor league baseball, real estate, and the insurance business; and his foray into Kentucky politics, including his appointments under governors Louie B. Nunn and Ernie Fletcher. This memoir provides a behind-thescenes look at the growth of big-time athletics and offers solutions for current challenges facing college sports.

Many Kentuckians and fans of intercollegiate athletics are already familiar with Jim Host. As founder and CEO of Host Communications, he was the pioneer in college sports marketing. His prevailing innovation in collegiate sports was the concept of bundled licensing, which encouraged corporate partners to become official sponsors of athletic programs across media formats. Host and his team developed the NCAA Radio Network and introduced what became known as the NCAA’s Corporate Partner Program, which employed companies such as Gillette and Coca-Cola to promote university athletic programs and the NCAA. Host was also involved with the construction of Rupp Arena, the Kentucky Horse Park and the KFC Yum! Center.

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Bethany Brooke Anderson, UK alumna, has written “Burning Kentucky,” a manuscript she turned into a screenplay and filmed in Kentucky about a young woman searching for the missing pieces of a mysterious event that killed her family.

Gay Burden ’83 ED is the coauthor of “Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Continuous Improvement with Stakeholder Input,” which outlines a practical, four-question model for school and business leaders to engage stakeholder feedback, determine the organization’s DNA and establish a vision for improvement.

Lies Lanckman ’12 AS is co-author of “Star Attractions: Twentieth-Century Movie Magazines and Global Fandom,” which explores Hollywood’s “classic era” from the 1920s to 1950s through roughly 20 major fan magazines offered each month at American newsstands and abroad.

Peggy Noe Stevens ’87 CI is co-author of “Which Fork Do I Use With My Bourbon?” which offers a step-by-step guide to hosting a successful bourbon-tasting party, complete with recipes, photos and tips for beginners and aficionados.

Patricia S. White ’73 AS has written an experimental novella, “Particularly Dangerous Situation,” that captures the trauma of the catastrophe that followed the April 2011 tornados in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and the resulting physical and emotional disorders.

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.

He’s fun, he’s flat, he’s everywhere!

Flat Wildcat, the flat version of your beloved Wildcat mascot, is storming Big Blue Nation! We love seeing where your adventures take him. Keep sharing your Flat Wildcat pictures on social media using #FLATWILDCAT!

Valerie Still and Flat Wildcat show their pride for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Flat Wildcat traveled with Lori Evans to sunny Jamaica!

A Game Watch Party with the Chicagoland UK Alumni Club was too much for Flat Wildcat who caught a ride with Jonathan Burba.

Donna @bostongirl52 shared this image of one cat puzzled by another “cat” — our Flat Wildcat.

The Dr. Michael Huang family had room in their suitcase for one more on their “magical” vacation.

Flat Wildcat measured up to the Tower of Pisa with Jill Smith in Italy.

All Life and Active Members received a Flat Wildcat in our last magazine.

Still need one? Request a Flat Wildcat at www.ukalumni.net/flatwildcat. www. u kal u mni. net

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Quick Take

OUR BELK BOWL CHAMPS! come-from-behind victory over Virginia Tech on Dec. 31, 2019, in the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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Photo: UK Athletics

The Kentucky football team capped off an 8-5 season with a 31-27

On April 21, 2020, the Wildcat family will come together. We will celebrate our commitment to bettering ourselves and our communities. We will contribute to the education of tomorrow’s workforce. We will unite for one memorable day.

We will show the world what the

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IT STARTS WITH A CHOICE To learn more about a condition. To get screened early. To seek out the best care. With a team of dedicated clinicians, researchers and caretakers on your side, that choice can make all the difference.

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