Students, Faculty and Staff Honored by UK Disability Resource Center
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 25, 2018) ― Annual awards were announced recently by the University of Kentucky Disability Resource Center (DRC).
First presented in 1984, the Disability Resource Center's (DRC) Adelstein Awards are given annually to a student with a disability who best serves as an inspiration to the UK community through excellence in any or all of the following: academics, leadership, extracurricular activities, and social and personal qualities. It is named for Carol Adelstein, the wife of a UK professor and a successful person with a disability.
The 2018 Carol S. Adelstein Outstanding Student Award went to Amanda Moore Horne, a UK graduate student focusing on rehabilitation counseling. Horne was nominated because of her strong academics and extensive advocacy and work in the community for persons with disabilities.
The Michael T. and Matthew A. Brent Scholarship Award was presented to UK senior Bradley Wilson in the College of Engineering. Wilson was nominated due to his academic achievements and his volunteer work with the Markey Cancer Center and DanceBlue. The Brent Scholarship was established by the Brent family in memory of their son Michael, a former UK student who suffered a spinal cord injury in 1997 and passed away at the age of 18, and in honor of their son Matthew, who assisted Michael during his time at UK. The wish of his family is that this scholarship assist students with mobility issues whose academic prowess and personal qualities are an inspiration to others.
UK faculty awardees were chosen because of their exemplary efforts to identify barriers and issues and to insure students are given the opportunity to succeed in their academic studies. Breaking Barriers Awards were presented to Levi Bolin, research analyst in the UK Department of Psychology; Erik Myrup, associate professor of history; and Steve R. Parker, associate professor of kinesiology/sport leadership and associate dean of undergraduate advising and student success.
The Extra Mile Award was presented to Ruth Blackburn of UK Enrollment Management due to her assistance in working with the DRC office and faculty in classroom scheduling to ensure students with mobility issues have a room that is accessible. The Extra Mile Award is traditionally presented to a university employee who goes above and beyond in creating a classroom environment that encourages inclusion of the accommodation needs of students with disabilities.
The DRC provides services to the university community so students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to fully participate in all aspects of university life. The DRC serves students with a wide array of disabilities and its website provides valuable information for students, parents, faculty and staff related to various responsibilities, services and programs of the office.