UK College of Social Work Inducting Two New Members Into Hall of Fame

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 29, 2015) — Recognizing the distinguished accomplishments of University of Kentucky College of Social Work alumni who have made exceptional contributions to the field, the college will induct two honorees into its Hall of Fame at a ceremony this evening, April 29.

The UK College of Social Work has been inducting members into its Hall of Fame annually since 1999. These individuals are deemed outstanding in the profession by their colleagues and are chosen by a committee of their peers.

This year, Dorothy Conolia Offutt and Eileen A. Recktenwald will be inducted.

Dorothy Conolia Offutt

Dorothy Conolia Offutt was born in Owensboro, Kentucky, and raised in Central City. She received her bachelor’s degree in health and physical education and a master’s degree in education from Western Kentucky University, and her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Kentucky. She is currently employed as social work supervisor at the Lexington Veteran's Administration Medical Center where she serves as the social work education coordinator and works with multiple universities to secure master-level social work interns.

The medical center went from zero stipend interns to 13 for the academic year 2015-2016, which is 20 percent of all VA interns in the nation. To evince her love for the profession and the community, Offutt provides countless hours of service both professionally and civically. An article was published in Synergy, the national VA social work newsletter, and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. newsletter, which referenced her numerous accomplishments including receiving the Lyman T. Johnson Torch of Excellence award from UK. She has also served as director of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, which provides Fayette and Jessamine counties with over 300,000 hours of service annually. Offutt and her husband of 44 years, Don Carlos Offutt, have two children; a daughter, Dawn, a son Don II and one grandson, Donovan.

Eileen A. Recktenwald

Eileen A. Recktenwald has been the executive director of the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs (KASAP), the statewide coalition of the 13 regional rape crisis centers, located in Kentucky’s capital, Frankfort, since 2001. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland and the University of Kentucky, where she earned her Master of Social Work degree.

Recktenwald was the first KASAP director and provided direct advocacy services at a domestic violence shelter located in the Appalachian region of Kentucky for five years. She also directed and provided advocacy services to child sexual assault victims at a rape crisis center for 11 years. For the last 10 years, Recktenwald has been focused on the primary prevention of sexual violence and changing the social norms that encourage interpersonal violence.

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Harder, 859-323-2396, whitney.harder@uky.edu