Women's Executive Leadership Development Program (WELD)
About WELD
The WELD Program seeks to develop a new generation of leaders in higher education who can successfully contribute to the future of the university. Our eight-month-long curriculum consists of 2 two-day retreats and monthly meetings covering topics that include leadership attributes, budgeting, strategic planning, legal issues and regulations, and crisis management. In addition, participants will work on mentored, team-based projects focused on areas of improvement at the University of Kentucky. Approximately 24 faculty and staff participate in programming annually (typically 2/3 faculty and 1/3 management-level staff).
Applications - 2023
Applications are closed, and the WELD Kick-Off retreat will be held in May 2023. Questions about the program should be directed to Jennifer Bird-Pollan.
Women's Leadership Programs
Previous Leadership Presentations
- "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
Previous WELD Alumni
2016 Participants
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 Articles and Other Links
2017 Participants
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
2017 Articles and Other Links
2018 Participants
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)
2018 Articles and Other Links
2019 Participants
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
2019 Articles and Other Links
2020/2021 Participants
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
2020/2021 Articles and Other Links
2022 Participants
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
2022 Articles and Other Links
2023 Participants
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
2023 Articles and Other Links
2016 Cohort
2017 Cohort
2019 Cohort
2020/21 Cohort
2022 Cohort
Director of WELD
Professor Bird-Pollan joined the faculty in 2010 and is now the Judge William T. Lafferty Professor of Law. Professor Bird-Pollan was selected as the Director of the WELD Program in 2023, and now works alongside UK HR and the Office for Faculty Advancement to enrich the lives of faculty and staff across the university.
Professor Bird-Pollan received her JD from Harvard Law School, her PhD in Philosophy from Vanderbilt University, and her BA in Philosophy and French from Penn State University. Before law school she taught undergraduate philosophy courses at Vanderbilt and at Harvard College.
Professor Bird-Pollan won the College of Law Duncan Teaching Award in 2017, and served as the 2014-2015 Fulbright Visiting Professor at the Vienna University of Business and Economics in Vienna, Austria. She has been a visiting professor at Indiana University Maurer School of Law and the University of Cologne. A member of the Kentucky chapter of the New Leaders Council and a Kentucky Colonel, Professor Bird-Pollan assists with the College of Law VITA program, and serves as the faculty advisor to the Tax Law Society and the Women’s Law Caucus. In 2018, Professor Bird-Pollan was elected Chair of the University Senate Council at UK.