Dear Colleagues,

Each year, I am proud to announce the winners of the University of Kentucky’s Outstanding Teaching Awards — each one of whom is actively making a difference in the lives of our students through their passion and teaching. 

The Outstanding Teaching Awards, awarded by the Office for Faculty Advancement (OFA),acknowledge the distinguished individuals at UK whose dedication to student achievement is evident through their role in the classroom. The awards encourage the development of faculty and instructors as experts in teaching, and recipients are nominated through submissions from faculty, staff and/or students. 

Each winner’s contribution to student learning and student success cannot be overstated — their impacts are felt on all levels. Inside the classroom, students benefit from their teaching experience, allowing them to engage with a diverse range of learners. Outside of the classroom, their colleagues — whether other faculty, instructors or teaching assistants — benefit from their support and mentorship. And at our institution, we all benefit from their engagement and commitment to one of our core missions — to improve the lives of our communities through excellence in education.

Please join me in congratulating this year’s winners:

Category 1 (Regular and Special Title Series Faculty):

Jack Groppo, Department of Mining Engineering, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering

Kristine Urschel, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Martha Yip, Department of Mathematics, College of Arts & Sciences

Category 2 (Lecturers and Clinical Title Series Faculty):

Bradley Elliott, Department of Mathematics, College of Arts & Sciences

Anastasia Hauser, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering

Thaddeus Salmon, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine 

Category 3 (Teaching Assistants):

Lukas Bullock, Department of Gender and Women's Studies, College of Arts & Sciences

Daria Goncharova, Department of English, College of Arts & Sciences

John "Jack" Swab, Department of Geography, College of Arts & Sciences

Throughout the summer, each of the winners will be highlighted on UKNow. Their diligence and hard work are a testament to the importance of teaching at UK, where we are preparing our students to be the future leaders of Kentucky and beyond. I know you join me and the rest of our community in celebrating these winners and their accomplishments.

Thank you for all you do to support our students and the entire UK community.

Robert S. DiPaola, M.D.

Provost

Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that I have reappointed Dr. Alice Turkington as the University of Kentucky Academic Ombud for the 2024-25 academic year, effective July 1, 2024. The Academic Ombud is the university officer charged with facilitating the resolution of student academic issues that may arise, in a manner that is fair and equitable for all parties.

With more than 20 years of service at UK, Dr. Turkington has demonstrated outstanding leadership in this community. Dr. Turkington, an associate professor of geography, has served as director of undergraduate studies in the department of geography and is currently the director of the certificate in undergraduate research in social science.

I appreciate Dr. Turkington’s willingness to serve as Academic Ombud. Thanks to her numerous academic accomplishments and steadfast dedication to students, I know she will continue to be excellent in this role.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Turkington on her reappointment.

Sincerely,

Robert DiPaola, M.D.
Provost

Dear Colleagues,

As we move closer to the end of the spring semester, I am reminded of what an exciting season it is for everyone across our campus. Our university continues its momentum to advance Kentucky in many ways across our campus and around the Commonwealth.  

First, I would like to recognize those propelling our institution forward in teaching, service, research and care — our faculty. 

Nearly 200 promotion letters have been sent to members of our faculty in all 16 degree-granting colleges, along with Libraries and the Lewis Honors College. I appreciate the long hours and hard work that have led each of these deserving faculty members to earn their promotions. 

Congratulations to each of you. Thank you for your dedication to the mission of our university.

Second, I want to acknowledge the work of another important group of our campus — working to help the University of Kentucky lead the way in the ever-changing field of artificial intelligence (AI). 

In January, we updated you on the faculty guidelines regarding generative AI in instructional settings from UK ADVANCE (Advancing Data utilization for Value in Academics ­for National and Campus-wide Excellence). The ADVANCE Team has worked diligently to provide these updates to you and the rest of campus so that we can understand how to optimize the use of generative AI in our work while remaining aware of potential cautions.

During the spring semester, the ADVANCE Team created guidelines for use of generative AI in clinical settingsafter seeking input from multiple stakeholders. These guidelines may be updated as the field of generative AI continues to evolve and change.

This week, UK ADVANCE also provided updated guidelines for research, scholarly and creative activity that you can find here. These guidelines represent the ADVANCE Team’s best understanding of the environment at the present time — the field of generative AI evolves quickly, and the guidelines must be similarly flexible. 

Additionally, we published Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the ADVANCE website to assist in addressing questions that may arise as you navigate the fluid generative AI landscape and point you to more detailed information in the relevant guidelines.

The resources available on the ADVANCE website will help all campus community members, including faculty, staff and students, learn more about generative AI and its uses and applications in educational, research or clinical settings.

As we continue developing our understanding of generative AI and how it impacts our work at UK, the ADVANCE Team will update the guidelines and recommendations accordingly. 

Thank you to both our newly promoted faculty members and the ADVANCE team for their collective efforts to advance our institution and Kentucky. 

Robert S. DiPaola, M.D.

Provost

Campus Community,

I am pleased to announce that Michelle Sizemore has been named the new director of the John R. Gaines Center for the Humanities, pending approval by the Board of Trustees.

With her extensive experience in and passion for the humanities, Dr. Sizemore will provide exemplary leadership for the Gaines Center and help to further its mission of cultivating an appreciation of the humanities in students, staff, faculty and the wider community. 

Dr. Sizemore is an associate professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences and director of the Lunsford Scholars Program, which provides opportunities for students in the college to pursue educational opportunities outside of the classroom, including education abroad, internships and undergraduate research. She also served as the director of undergraduate studies in the Department of English from 2019-2023. 

Dr. Sizemore received her doctorate in English from the University of Wisconsin and her Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History from UK. 

I look forward to Dr. Sizemore bringing her passion and experience to help guide the direction of the Gaines Center. As a hub for transdisciplinary approaches to education, research and service on our campus, the Gaines Center serves an important role in supporting arts and cultural education for our campus and our Commonwealth.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Sizemore on her new role. 

I also want to thank Dr. Richard Schein for his service as acting director of the Gaines Center. And thank you for all you do for UK as we work to advance Kentucky. 

Robert S. DiPaola, M.D.

Provost

Campus Community, 

I am pleased to inform you that Brandi N. Frisby, acting dean of and professor in the College of Communication (CI), has agreed to serve as the new associate provost for academic affairs, effective May 13. This announcement is the result of feedback from faculty, staff and students and the search advisory committee.

Dr. Frisby has been a senior administrator in CI since 2020, serving as senior associate dean, associate dean for student success and acting dean. During Dr. Frisby’s tenure in CI, the college saw growth in total student enrollment, increased student retention and innovative program development and delivery. Dr. Frisby was instrumental in CI’s efforts to stimulate transdisciplinary partnerships across campus to serve a variety of students, to promote career readiness for UK graduates and to engage both faculty and students in meaningful research. 

I appreciate Dr. Frisby’s willingness to bring her experience in academic leadership to the Office of the Provost. Her experience building partnerships will be an asset as we work across campus to harness transdisciplinary curricular opportunities. With her help, we will continue positioning UK as a leader in teaching, research and service across the state, nation and world.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Frisby. I know she is eager to work with you all in this new role.

Robert S. DiPaola, M.D. 
Provost

Dear Colleagues,

One of the many ways in which our university community excels is building connections with different groups — locally, regionally and globally. Our partnerships are key to ensuring we can provide leading edge instruction and care to those we serve. Collaboration with our partners enables transdisciplinary and shared learning experiences.

The Fulbright Program, administered through the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, partners with more than 160 nations around the world to offer international educational and cultural exchange programs. The Fulbright Scholar Program and the Fulbright Specialist Program (an offshoot of the traditional Fulbright Scholar Program) both provide awards and opportunities for faculty, administrators and staff to research and lecture abroad. 

These opportunities are designed to advance participants’ careers through cross-cultural experiences and foster long-lasting connections that enable institutions to create ties with and enrich each other.

For the 2024-2025 academic year, UK is once again proud to have esteemed colleagues counted among the Fulbright participants. Sue Roberts, Ph.D., is our associate provost for internationalization and has been selected as a Fulbright scholar for the Fulbright-Nehru International Education Administrators Program to India. Joshua Douglas, Ashland, Inc.-Spears Distinguished Research Professor of Law in the J. David Rosenberg College of Law, has received a Fulbright Specialist Program award in Rome, Italy. Read more about their accomplishments on UKNow. And as we learn more about those who have earned Fulbright awards, we will continue recognizing them.

The achievements of our esteemed faculty are a testament to the impactful work that you do each and every day. Without you, our mission to serve and enrich our Commonwealth would not be possible.

Thank you for continuing to inspire innovation and excellence at UK. 

Robert S. DiPaola, M.D. 
Provost

Dear Colleagues,

Recently, I was honored to speak with participants in a question-and-answer session hosted by the Transdisciplinary Educational approaches to advance Kentucky (TEK) team. This event connected our team and participants in the Faculty Fellows program with the community partners and experts we collaborate with to provide our students with the knowledge and skills required in Kentucky’s modern workforce.

The collaboration required in an initiative such as TEK is reflective of the teamwork we aim to see in our efforts across this campus — to effectively drive progress and continue our momentum in advancing our Commonwealth, we must work together.

The Faculty Fellows program leverages the combined knowledge of faculty and our TEK experts to prepare students with the transdisciplinary skills they will need beyond UK. The program helps to prepare faculty in both developing new courses focused on transdisciplinary skills or refreshing existing courses with transdisciplinary skills. The Faculty Fellows work as cohorts to help foster collaboration and innovation, and they are supported by the TEK team throughout the program.  

Together, our experiences, knowledge and resources provide our students with the education and understanding to succeed in their chosen fields. Combining our efforts allows us to transform the lives of our students and those we serve across our state. 

Much like the TEK community partners are able to equip our students with firsthand knowledge about Kentucky’s challenges, you are able to furnish our students with the tools and confidence they will use to address our communities’ future challenges. 

From you, our students learn how to communicate effectively and collaboratively. They learn how to work together as a cooperative unit, combining their individual skills to create solutions. They gain an appreciation for considering different perspectives when working jointly to solve complex problems.

TEK is a symbol of the importance of collaboration and how it drives our work — it demonstrates how our collaborative efforts and combined work inspires ingenuity and innovation. Through these partnerships and joint efforts, we advance our mission at UK to prepare the future leaders of Kentucky.  

Thank you for your continued efforts to serve our students. 

Robert S. DiPaola, M.D. 
Provost

Dear Colleagues,

A significant part of our mission to inspire ingenuity and innovation at the university relies upon the Office for Faculty Advancement to promote growth for faculty members who do so much for UK and its people. Part of those efforts for faculty development are implementing programs like the Southeastern Conference Academic Leadership Development Program (SEC-ALDP).

This prestigious program was established in 2007 to identify and foster the growth of academic leaders to lead universities into and beyond the future. To prepare the future of university leadership, each group of selected fellows engages in robust programming about a diverse range of topics, with the following goals:

• Stimulating academic leaders to think critically about the future of the academy.
• Increasing knowledge and understanding of academic leadership in the 21st century.
• Embracing the strength inherent in creating diverse and inclusive academic communities.
• Developing the managerial and organizational skills required to lead complex, diverse and inclusive organizations.
• Improving the general leadership skills and abilities of academic leaders.

Through a highly competitive application process, at least three but no more than four fellows are selected to participate in the program, where they learn to navigate the challenges and complexities of academic leadership. The fellows develop skills necessary to lead complex organizations and create the inclusive learning communities that SEC universities strive to achieve.

At UK, the four current fellows for the SEC-ALDP are:

• Carmen Agouridis, Ph.D., senior associate dean for instruction and extension professor in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
• Luke Bradley, Ph.D., acting chair and professor of Neuroscience in the College of Medicine
• Aaron Cramer, Ph.D., chair and TVA Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering
• Brandi Frisby, Ph.D., acting dean and professor in the College of Communication and Information

Throughout the academic year, each of these four outstanding leaders have participated in workshops both on UK’s campus and others. They have demonstrated impactful leadership and deepened their commitment to advancing our mission of teaching, research, service and care to support our Commonwealth’s continued growth. 

For those interested in applying for the SEC-ALDP, applications for next year’s cohort are open through May 10. More information is available here. 

Thank you for your continued efforts to support our community.

Robert S. DiPaola, M.D. 
Provost

Dear Colleagues,

Throughout the spring semester, we continue highlighting the excellent and pivotal work conducted by you and your peers across campus. This week, we focus on the Graduate School and their mission to support graduate education across all levels at the university.

Under the new leadership of Dr. Padraic Kenney, the Graduate School continues to innovate with new ways of supporting the development of graduate students as professionals and scholars. The Office of Graduate Student Professional Enhancement (GSPE) guides graduate students along their path of both academic and professional pursuits with a variety of online and in-person programs and services, such as various workshops and presentations, orientation for teaching assistants (TAs) and thesis and dissertation writing camps.

The Graduate School also continues supporting faculty in various ways, including the annual awarding of the Albert D. & Elizabeth H. Kirwan Memorial Prize and the William B. Sturgill Award. The Albert D. & Elizabeth H. Kirwan Memorial Prize is awarded to a full-time faculty member who is deemed to have made outstanding contributions to original research or creative scholarship, and the William B. Sturgill Award is presented to an outstanding graduate faculty member. Read more about the 2023 awardees here. 

We are now into the final stretch after spring break. As you continue your work, please reach out if we can be helpful. No matter if you teach graduate-level courses or employ TAs in your department, we are all impacted by the work of the Graduate School. You can learn more about the support they offer here.

Thank you for continuing to demonstrate excellence in everything you do for UK.  

Robert S. DiPaola, M.D. 
Provost

Campus Community,

I am pleased to inform you that Dr. Heather Bush has accepted our offer to serve as dean of the UK College of Public Health. She has served as the acting dean for the past two years, and I am grateful for her continued leadership in the college’s era of growth. 

Dr. Bush earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Mount Vernon Nazarene University, and she earned both her M.S. and Ph.D. in statistics from UK’s College of Arts and Sciences. After working in industry, she returned to UK in 2006, teaching courses at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels focused on statistical consulting and applications of biostatistics.

She has served the university and our greater community in numerous ways. As an endowed faculty in the Center for Research on Violence Against Women and an affiliate of the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC), she uses bystander-based training to promote violence prevention and harm reduction in college populations. She is also co-investigator in the HEALing Communities study, a four-year, $87 million study, the largest grant ever awarded to the University of Kentucky, with the goal of drastically reducing opioid overdose deaths in Kentucky. 

During her time as acting dean of the College of Public Health, Dr. Bush has overseen sustained growth of their student population and extramural research funding, furthering our university’s efforts to create positive change for the health needs of communities across Kentucky, and she has played a key role in the design of the Michael D. Rankin MD Health Education Building, the college’s new home. She is also a past recipient of the Provost’s Award for Outstanding Teaching and is a University Research Professor. 

Her dedication to our students and our community is a testament to the leadership she brings, which will help to nurture our students as they become trailblazers of our Commonwealth’s public health needs as we continue to grow.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Bush on her appointment as dean of the UK College of Public Health.

Robert S. DiPaola, M.D. 
Provost