A&S Faculty named WELD Participants for 2022

By Stephanie Woolery Tuesday

LEXINGTON, Ky., (March 8, 2022) — The University of Kentucky Women’s Executive Leadership Development (WELD) program has announced its 2022 cohort of faculty and staff participants. The eight-month WELD program is designed to develop the next generation of UK leaders through retreats, monthly meetings, conversations with upper-level administrators, and a group project.  To date, there have been 151 participants with a record number of 31 participants in this year’s cohort.

To kick off the 2022 WELD program, UK Vice President for Institutional Diversity Katrice Albert, Ph.D., will speak at 2:30 p.m., Friday, April 8, in the Grand Courtroom of the J. David Rosenberg College of Law. This event is open to the current WELD cohort and all WELD alumni.

The 2022 participants are:

  • Ruth Adams, Professor, College of Fine Arts.                      
  • Azetta Beatty, HR Manager, Work-Life.
  • Kalea Benner, Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, College of Social Work.
  • Jennifer Bradshaw, Assistant Dean, College of Arts & Sciences.
  • Allison Burkette, Professor, College of Arts & Sciences.
  • Ashley Clark, Associate Professor, College of Dentistry.
  • Morgan Dezarn, Director of Pediatric Heart Program, College of Medicine.
  • Sarah Ellison, Assistant Dean of Advising, Center for Student Success.
  • Erika Engstrom, Professor, College Communication and Information.
  • Kimberly Henken,  Extension Engagement Director, Cooperative Extension.
  • Ashley Hinton, Student Wellness Director Associate, Campus Recreation and Wellness.
  • Johanna Hoch, Associate Professor, College of Health Sciences.
  • Pearl James, Associate Dean, Lewis Honors College.
  • Angela Keene, Director of Human Resources, College of Pharmacy.
  • Diane Loeffler, Senior Lecturer, College of Social Work.
  • April Lyons, Assistant Dean of Finance & Administration, College of Education.
  • Heather McAtee, Assistant Athletic Director for Academics and Eligibility, Athletics.
  • Courtney McCarty, Assistant Director for Facilities and Operations, Center for Applied Energy Research.
  • Miko McFarland, Executive Director of Education Abroad and Exchanges, UK International Center.
  • Rosa Mejia-Cruz, Director of Communications, College of Pharmacy.
  • Alicia Modenbach, Lecturer, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering.
  • Jimmi Nicholson, Director of Admissions, College of Law.
  • Kristen Perry, Professor, College of Education.
  • Jill Rappoport, Associate Professor, College of Arts & Sciences.
  • Thalethia Routt, Associate General Counsel, Office of Legal Counsel.
  • Elizabeth Salt, Associate Professor, College of Nursing.
  • Shannon Sauer-Zavala, Assistant Professor, College of Arts and Sciences.
  • Schyler Simpson, Director of Student Affairs, College of Communication and Information.
  • Alice Turkington, Academic Ombud and Associate Professor, College of Arts and Sciences.
  • Helen Turner, Associate Professor, College of Design.
  • Martina Vasil, Associate Professor, College of Fine Arts.

The WELD program is offered by the Provost’s Office for Faculty Advancement and is directed by Chana Akins, Professor of Psychology, Assistant Provost for Faculty Advancement Initiatives, in collaboration with Patrice Carroll, Director of Training & Development, HR.

The University of Kentucky is increasingly the first choice for students, faculty and staff to pursue their passions and their professional goals. In the last two years, Forbes has named UK among the best employers for diversity, and INSIGHT into Diversity recognized us as a Diversity Champion four years running. UK is ranked among the top 30 campuses in the nation for LGBTQ* inclusion and safety. UK has been judged a “Great College to Work for" three years in a row, and UK is among only 22 universities in the country on Forbes' list of "America's Best Employers."  We are ranked among the top 10 percent of public institutions for research expenditures — a tangible symbol of our breadth and depth as a university focused on discovery that changes lives and communities. And our patients know and appreciate the fact that UK HealthCare has been named the state’s top hospital for five straight years. Accolades and honors are great. But they are more important for what they represent: the idea that creating a community of belonging and commitment to excellence is how we honor our mission to be not simply the University of Kentucky, but the University for Kentucky.