The University of Kentucky recognized exceptional faculty and teaching assistants at the Outstanding Teaching Awards at the 2017 University of Kentucky Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, April 25, in Woodward Hall of the Gatton College of Business and Economics building. Recipients of the inaugural Inclusive Excellence Awards, in partnership with the Office for Institutional Diversity were also recognized.

Four sets of awards were presented by UK Provost Tim Tracy: the William B. Sturgill Award, the Albert D. and Elizabeth H. Kirwan Memorial Prize, the Outstanding Teaching Faculty and Teaching Assistant Awards and the Inclusive Excellence Award.

“Now — more than ever — the success of our students is fundamental to the success of our society,” Tracy said. “Not just their economic success, but their cultural, artistic and social success as well. That’s why outstanding faculty members play such an integral role in what we do. They are helping students build competencies for navigating an increasingly complex world, and they are ensuring our students leave here prepared for more than a job, but for life.”

The Sturgill Award is named in honor of William B. Sturgill, who contributed to higher education in Kentucky through his gifts and service. This year, the Sturgill Award was presented to Ellen D. B. Riggle, a faculty member in the Departments of Political Science, as well as Gender and Women’s Studies, in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Kirwan Memorial Prize recognizes its namesakes' collaborative research efforts, as well as Albert Kirwan's endeavors at creating an environment at UK that promoted high quality research and scholarship. This year, the Kirwan Award was presented to Chang-Guo Zhan, from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, in the College of Pharmacy.

The Outstanding Teaching Faculty and Teaching Assistant Awards annually recognize faculty and graduate teaching assistants who demonstrate special dedication and outstanding performance in the classroom or laboratory. Recipients were selected via nomination and reviewed by a selection committee based in the Office for Faculty Advancement.

The 2017 UK Outstanding Teaching Faculty Award recipients are:

• Christia Spears Brown, Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences.
• Melanie Beals Goan, Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences.
• Jeffrey R. Seay, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering.
• Ruth Brown, Department of Hispanic Studies, College of Arts and Sciences.
• Stephanie J. Fugate, College of Nursing.
• Shannon Plank, Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences.

The 2017 UK Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award winners are:

• Sy Bridenbaugh, Department of Policy Studies and Evaluation, College of Education.
• Laura Nagy, Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences.
• Jasper Waugh-Quasebarth, Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences.

The Inclusive Excellence Awards recognize the accomplishments of individuals and academic or professional units that demonstrate a sustained commitment to diversity and inclusion through campus and community involvement and exemplary leadership.

The 2017 Inclusive Excellence Award recipients are:

• Cagney Coomer, College of Arts and Sciences.
• Della Mosley, College of Education.
• Quentin Tyler, College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment.
• Kenneth Tyler, College of Education.
• Transform Health Unit, College of Nursing.

“On behalf of the UK family, I extend my deepest gratitude to the award recipients for their outstanding efforts and commitment to academic excellence,” Tracy said.

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue