Nominations open for 2026 Founders Day Award
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 19, 2025) — The University of Kentucky Alumni Association is accepting nominations for the 2026 Founders Day Award, which recognizes an individual who personifies goodwill and demonstrates — through work, service, mission and spirit — a dedication to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its residents.
The Founders Day Award commemorates the founding of the University of Kentucky on Feb. 22, 1865. The recipient will receive an award medallion, and a one-time monetary donation will be made in the recipient’s name to an existing university philanthropic fund of their choice.
Nominations will be accepted until Monday, Dec. 8, and can be submitted at www.ukalumni.net/FoundersDayAward. As required by the award guidelines, the selection committee is appointed by the executive director of the UK Alumni Association — a role currently held by Jill Smith, who also serves as associate vice president for stakeholder engagement. The committee will review all nominations and choose the 2026 recipient.
“Founders Day remains a valued tradition at UK, allowing us to reflect on our storied past while celebrating the progress we have made by acknowledging individuals who have significantly influenced the Commonwealth,” Smith said. “We are honored to recognize graduates whose achievements continue to make a lasting impact.”
Established in 2021, the Founders Day Award was first presented to longtime UK leader Mike Richey. Since then, three additional honorees have been recognized: Tom Hammond, Mira S. Ball and James F. Hardymon.
Questions may be directed to the UK Alumni Association at ukalumni@uky.edu.
The UK Alumni Association is committed to fostering lifelong engagement among alumni, friends, the association and the university. For more information about the UK Alumni Association, visit www.ukalumni.net or call 800-269-2586.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.