Women's Executive Leadership Development Program (WELD)

Applications are CLOSED for the 2024 WELD Cohort.

Register here

The WELD Kick-Off event will be held on April 22. The Kick-Off retreat will likely be held in May.  Questions about the program should be directed to Jennifer Bird-Pollan.

• Women's Forum
• Women in Medicine and Science
• Kentucky ACE Women's Network

• "Women's Empowerment" presented at the University of Kentucky Women's Forum, May 2019 
• "How to Launch Your Career in 10 Easy Steps" presented to University of Kentucky's Postdoctoral Symposium, May 2016
• “Adaptive Leadership: Anticipating, Initiating and Responding to Change” presented at the National Society of Toxicology Annual, March 2015
• Branches from the Same Tree
• Change Management Planning in Large Scale Systems
• Fostering Mentor Mentee Relationships in Research Intensive Faculty
• Fostering Sustainable Communities Through Leadership Change
• Generations in the Workplace
• Implementation of Standardized Search Strategies to Increase Faculty

Jill Abney; Assistant Director, Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT) 

Marci Adams; Communications, and Project Management, ITS Strategic Planning

Alexis Allen; Dept. of Marketing and Supply Chain, College of Business and Economics

Fazleena Badurdeen; Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering

Lauren Cagle; Dept. of Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies, College of Arts & Sciences

Adriane Grumbein; Dept. of Integrated Strategic Communication, College of Communication & Information

Beth Hanneman; Career and Academic, Support Student Success

Miranda Hines; UK Online

Shawntaye Hopkins; Communications Director, College of Law

Shelley Irving;  Dept. of Physician Assistant Studies, College of Health Sciences

Cindy Jong; Dept. of STEM Education, College of Education

Rosalynn King; Data Management & Data Quality Manager/UKHC, Office of the Executive Vice President of Health Affairs Information and Technology

Jayoung Koo; , Dept. of Landscape Architecture, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment 

Amy Laub; University Libraries 

Natasha Lucas; Extension Field Programs, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Christie Maier; Transformative Learning, Student Success

Magdalena Mastalerz; Pharmacy Director, Pharmacy Services

Priscilla McCutcheon; Dept. of Geography, College of Arts & Sciences

Britney Ragland; Utilities and Energy Management

Erin Richard; Dept. of Biology, College of Arts & Sciences

Karen Rignall; Dept. of Communication & Leadership Development, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment 

Hannah Simms; Dean of Students Office, Student Success

Kathleen Wheeler; School of Art & Visual Studies, College of Fine Arts

Laurel Wood; Director, Center for Disaster Recovery and Resilience, UK Police Department

Carmen Agouridis, Associate Professor, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Cristina Alcalde, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, College of Arts & Sciences

Emily Beaulieu, Associate Professor and Interim Director for Graduate Studies, College of Arts & Sciences

Jennifer Bird-Pollan, Associate Professor, College of Law

Michelle Bliffen, HR Team Lead, Analytics and Technologies

Rania Omar Burke, Department Administrator, UK Health Care

Susan Campbell, College Finance Director, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Patsy Carruthers, Information Management Director, Analytics and Technologies

Rachel Copeland, Assistant Dean of Finance, College of Fine Arts

Tanya Dvorak, Senor Extension Specialist, Cooperative Extension Services

Patricia Dyk, Associate Professor, Director, Center for Leadership Development, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Wanda Gonsalves, Professor and Vice Chair, College of Medicine

Christine Harper, Assistant Dean of Admissions and Student Affairs, College of Dentistry

Laurie Henry, Associate Dean of Clinical Preparation and Partnerships, College of Education

Jane Jensen, Associate Professor, Assistant Provost for Transformative Learning, College of Education/Undergraduate Education

Rebecca McCulley, Associate Professor, Interim Director of the Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Kimberly Northrip, Associate Professor, Director of CE Central, College of Medicine

Randa Remer-Eskridge, Assistant Dean of Admissions and Student Affairs, College of Health Science

Rosalind Ritchie-Dabney, Associate Professor, Medical Director Center for Advanced Surgery,  College of Medicine

Sharon Rostosky, Professor and Director of Training, Counseling Psychology, College of Education

Jillianne Smith, Senior Associate Director, UK Alumni Association

 Margaret Szabunio, Professor and Division Chief,  College of Medicine

Keiko Tanaka, Professor, Department of Sociology, College or Arts and Sciences

Shari Veil, Professor, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs, College of Communication and Information

Marianne Young, Assistant Dean, College of Business and Economics

2016 Photography Album

2016 Cohort Headshots

Chana Akins, Professor, Department of Psychology, College of Arts & Sciences     

Kimberly Anderson, Professor and Associate Dean, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering         

Elizabeth Arnold, Associate Professor, School of Music, College of Fine Arts           

Chelsea Brislin, Director, Honors Pathway, Gatton College of Business and Economics 

Gail Carbol, Manager, Human Resources and Benefits

Maria Gabriela Castro, Associate Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine 

Regina Fragneto, Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine                

Richard Grondin, Associate Professor, Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine 

Alison Gustafson, Associate Professor, Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, College of Agriculture, Food and the Environment                                  

Jennifer Hatcher, Associate Professor, Director of Diversity & Inclusivity, College of Nursing

Elizabeth Head, Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, College of Medicine

Grace Hahn Hester, Director, Office of Student Organizations & Activities

Melinda Ickes, Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology & Health Promotion, College of Education

Sarah Kercsmar, Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Science, College of Health Sciences

Rhonda Killingsworth, Corporate Director of Health Information, UK HealthCare

Liang Luo, Associate Professor, Department of Modern and Classical Languages, College of Arts & Sciences 

Emily Lyden, Director of Operations, UK Swim and Dive Team, Women’s Sports

Meg Marquis, Assistant Dean, Gatton College of Business and Economics

Jenny Minier, Professor, Department of Economics, Gatton College of Business and Economics

Shana Moore, Director of Research and Program Operations, College of Social Work

Julie Oestreich, Director of Research, College of Pharmacy

Jennifer Osterhage, Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Biology, College of Arts & Sciences 

Arundathal Reddy, Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine

M. Sara Rosenthal, Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine

Marion Rust, Professor, Department of English, College of Arts & Sciences 

Mary Kathryn Starkey, Team Lead, Analytics and Technologies

UKNow 2017 Kick-off Article

2017 Photography Album

2017 Cohort Headshots

Tomi Akinyemiju, Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology

Kimberly Applegate, Professor of Pediatrics, Department of Radiology

Katie Ballert, Associate Professor, Department of Urology

Tiffany Barnes, Associate Professor/Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Political Science

Kristen Brown, Ambulatory Operations Director, Associate, UKHC Ambulatory

Karen Butler, Professor, Assistant Dean of Academic Operations, College of Nursing

Jennifer Cramer, Associate Professor/Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Linguistics

Amy DiLorenzo, Senior Lecturer/Assistant Dean for Educational Innovation and Scholarship, Department of Anesthesiology/Graduate Medical Education

Jennifer Edwards, Assistant Director of Communications & Strategic Planning, Information Technology Services

Sally Foster, Director, Center for Personal Development, Lewis Honors College

Beth Goins , Co-Director of Communications, College of Education

Tamra Langley, Director of Advanced Practice Provider Critical Care Fellowship, Critical Care Medicine

Jessica Lee, Vascular Neurologist, Associate Professor, College of Medicine

Anne Lichtenberg, Director of Annual Giving, Office of Philanthropy

Sarah Lyon , Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology

Barbara Nikolajczyk, Associate Director for Translational Research in Diabetes               , Barnstable Brown Diabetes and Obesity Center

Margaret Rintamaa, Associate Professor, College of Education

Karen Roper, Associate Research Director, Family & Community Medicine

Lumy Sawaki Adams, Associate Professor, Regular Title Series, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Elizabeth "Berry" Seelbach, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, College of Medicine

Sara Shahid Salles, Vice Chair, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Megan Sizemore, Chief of Staff, College of Communication and Information

Therese Smith, Director, Community of Concern

Alison Woodworth, Associate Professor, Clinical Title Series/Medical Director, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Sadia Zoubir-Shaw, Executive Director of KFLC: The Language, Literatures, and Cultures Conference, Department of Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (MCLLC)

UKNow 2018 Kick-Off Article

UKNow 2018 Guest Lecture Experience

2018 Cohort Headshots

Adedokun (Lola) Omolola, Senior Extension Evaluation Specialist, Nutrition Education Program, College of Agriculture, Food and the Environment                       

Jitana Benton-Lee, Patient Care Manager, Trauma Surgical Services, UK HealthCare

Trisha Clement-Montgomery, Director, Residence Life

Esther Dupont-Versteegden, Professor and Director of Rehabilitation Sciences Doctoral Program, Department of Rehabilitation Science, College of Health Sciences               

Allison Elliott-Shannon, Director of Communication, College of Public Health

Cara Franke, Associate Director of Undergraduate Admission, Enrollment Management

April Hatcher, Associate Professor, Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine

Melissa Henke, Associate Clinical Professor & Director of Legal Research & Writing Program, College of Law   

Lori Hetzel, Associate Director, School of Music, College of Fine Arts             

Nicole Keenan, Director of Student Success and Career Development, College of Pharmacy

Barbara Knutson, Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Chemicals & Materials Engineering, College of Engineering

TK Logan, Professor, Department of Behavioral Science, College of Medicine

Kim Lush, Director, Endowment and Gift Accounting, Accounting & Financial Reporting Service

Sarah Madison, Director, Manager of Employer Relations, Gatton College of Business and Economics

Kristen Mark, Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion, College of Education

Shari Meyerson, Professor, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine

Lindsay Ragsdale, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine

Paula Sandford, Assistant Dean for Finance, College of Fine Arts

Asha Shenoi, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Assistant Dean of Clinical Learning Environment, College of Medicine

Laura Sutton, Director of Philanthropy, College of Arts & Sciences

Akiko Takenaka, Associate Professor, Department of History, College of Arts & Sciences

Elizabeth Tovar, Associate Professor, College of Nursing and Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine

Donna Wilcock, Professor, Department of Physiology, College of Medicine

Julia Wilson, Director of Communications, College of Design

Olivia Yinger, Associate Professor, School of Music, College of Fine Arts

UKNow 2019 Kick-Off Article

2019 Photography Album

2019 Cohort Headshots

Camille Burnett, Associate Professor, College of Nursing                       

Lindsey Colburn, Recruiting Officer, US Air Force ROTC

DeShana Collett, Associate Professor, College of Health Sciences, Physician Assistant Studies

Jennifer Doerge, Director of Advising and Student Success, College of Engineering

Lindsey Fay, Associate Professor, College of Design, School of Interiors

Ellen Gish, Director for Gift & Estate Planning, Office of Philanthropy

Amanda Gumbert, Extension Water Quality Specialist, Cooperative Extension Service

Amy Hessler, Associate Professor, College of Medicine, Neurology

Ann Jarvis, Director of Communications, College of Dentistry

Yuha Jung, Associate Professor, College of Fine Arts, Arts Administration

Jill Kolesar, Professor, College of Pharmacy

Diane Loeffler, Senior Lecturer, College of Social Work

Cortney Lollar, Assistant Professor, Rosenberg College of Law

Amy Longeway, Accounting Director, UK Healthcare

Martina Martin, Associate Director, Student Transitions and Family Programs

Courtney McCarthy, Assistant Director for Facilities and Operations, Center for Applied Energy Research

Brittany Morgan, Associate Director of Implementation, IT Enterprise Applications

Rashmi Nair, Assistant Professor, College of Medicine, Radiology

Sarah Nikirk, Executive Director, Auxiliary Services

Karin Pekarchik, Senior Extension Associate, Colleges of Engineering and Agriculture, Food and Environment, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Kelly Pennell, Associate Professor, College of Engineering, Civil Engineering

Shonta Phelps, Director of Leadership Initiatives and Living Learning Programs, Gatton College of Business & Economics

Taunya Phillips, Senior Associate Director, Office of Technology Commercialization

Rebekah Radtke, Assistant Professor, College of Design, Interiors

Deirdre Scaggs, Associate Dean, Libraries

Shannan Stamper, Deputy General Counsel, Office of Legal Counsel

Tara Tuttle, Assistant Dean for Diversity & Inclusion, Lewis Honors College

Kristine Urschel, Associate Professor, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Animal and Food Science

Erica Whitaker, Lecturer, College of Arts & Sciences, Mathematics

Lesley Wong, Professor, College of Medicine, Surgery

UKNow Kick-Off Article

Ruth Adams, Professor, School of Art and Visual Studies

Azetta W. Beatty, HR Manager/Work-Life, 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, College of Arts & Sciences

Morgan Dezarn, Director of Pediatric Heart Program, Kentucky Children's Hospital

Sarah Ellison, Dean Assistant, Center for Student Success

Erika Engstrom, Professor, School of Journalism and Media

Kimberly Henken, Director, Extension Engagement, Cooperative Extension

Ashley Hinton, Student Wellness Director Associate, Campus Recreation and Wellness

Johanna Hoch, Associate Professor, Athletic Training and Clinical Nutrition

Angela Keene, HR Director, College of Pharmacy

April Lyons, Dean Assistant/Finance & Administration, College of Education

Heather McAtee, Athletic Director Assistant/Academics & Eligibility, Athletics - Support Services

Courtney McCarthy, Assistant Director for Facilities and Operations, Center for Applied Energy Research

Miko McFarland, Education Abroad and Exchanges Exec Dir, UK International Center

Rosa Mejia-Cruz, Director of Communications, College of Pharmacy

Alicia Modenbach, Lecturer, Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering

Jimmi Nicholson, Admissions Director/Law, College of Law

Kristen H. Perry, Professor, Education Curriculum & Instruction

Jill Rappoport, Associate Professor, English

Thalethia Routt, Associate General Counsel, Office of Legal Counsel

Elizabeth Garrison Salt, Associate Professor, Nursing Instruction

Shannon Sauer-Zavala, Assistant Professor, Psychology

Schyler Brooke Simpson, Student Affairs Director, College of Communication and Information

Alice Turkington, Academic Ombud/Associate Professor, Geography

Helen Turner, Associate Professor, School of Interiors: Planning/Strategy/Design

Martina Vasil, Associate Professor, Music Education and Therapy

UKNow Kick-Off Article

Molly Blasing, Dept. of Modern and Classical languages, College of Arts & Sciences

Ramona Carper, Physical Therapy, College of Health Sciences

Jagriti Chadha, Internal Medicine, College of Medicine

Monica Diaz, Hispanic Studies, College of Arts & Sciences

Maureen Dreckman, Campus Planning

Rae Goodwin, SAVS, College of Fine Arts

Meg Grady, Mechanical/Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering

Tanya Graf, Director of Communication, College of Medicine

Catherine Hayden, Director of Communication, College of Communication & Information

Emily Lee, Associate Dept. Administrator Internal, College of Medicine

Fadiya Lowe, Associate Director of Student Wellness, Student Success

Andrea McCubbin, Associate Dean for Research Administration, College of Medicine

Stacy Miller, Director of Extension HR, College of Agriculture, Food & Environment

Johné Parker, Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering

Amanda Potterton, Educational Leadership Studies, College of Education

Molly Reynolds, Transformative Learning, Student Success

Jenny Rice, WRD, College of Arts & Sciences

Sarah Simpson, Financial Services Administration

Liz Swanson, Architecture, College of Design

Kim Taylor, Registrar

Virginia Valentin, Physician Assistant Studies, College of Health Sciences

Meredith Weber, Office of Philanthropy

UKNow Kick-Off Article