UK Online recognizes faculty, staff for excellence in online teaching
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 23, 2026) — Three faculty members and four staff members were honored Sept. 16 during the University of Kentucky Online Awards ceremony, which featured the inaugural presentation of the UK Online Teaching Award.
Sean Burns, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Information Science in the College of Communication and Information, received the inaugural Online Teaching Award.
Carla Cantagallo, librarian with UK Libraries, and Keith Wilson, Ph.D., professor of counselor education in the College of Education Department of Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education, were recognized as UK Online Advocates. Four UK Online staff members — Sarah Asher, Alex Cutadean, Carly Devenburgh and Jessica Wells — received UKO Excellence Awards.
The UK Online Teaching Award recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates an exemplary commitment to developing and teaching credit-bearing online courses and whose work advances online teaching and learning.
The award committee recognized Burns for his use of broad range pedagogical and curricular design principles, as well as his commitment to scholarship and professional development.
“Burns’ passion for online teaching is evident in both his scholarship and his practice,” said Brandi Frisby, Ph.D., associate provost for academic affairs. “He embodies the dedication and learner-focused approach that define excellence in online teaching.”
Burns has taught online since his days as a teaching assistant in the University of Missouri’s information science and learning technologies doctoral program. He also experienced online learning firsthand as a student in a hybrid master’s program — experiences he has carried into his work teaching fully online courses and programs at UK.
“Online teaching is not the same as face-to-face teaching,” Burns said. “Online courses make pedagogical challenges also information science challenges, and as an information scientist, I really enjoy the interaction between the two.”
Learn more about Burns’ experiences in UK Online’s profile.
Recognizing UK Online advocates
Now in its second year, the UKO Advocate recognition expands the UKO Excellence Awards by giving UK Online staff an opportunity to nominate faculty or staff members who work closely with them to support online teaching and learning across the university.
Wilson has served on the Online Program Directors Forum and regularly consults with UK Online staff and partners in his role as program chair of the counselor education program.
Cantagallo began her career at UK as an extension librarian, working with faculty and staff on a team that helped lay the groundwork for what would become Distance Learning and, later, UK Online. Today, she serves on the UK Online Steering Committee.
Learn more about Wilson and Cantagallo on UK Online’s Awards webpage.
Celebrating UK Online staff
The four UKO Excellence Award recipients are staff members nominated by their peers for their contributions to UK Online.
Established in 2024, the UKO Excellence Awards provide an opportunity for the unit to celebrate its accomplishments and recognize staff members who contribute to its success.
Cutadean, who manages the Faculty Media Depot, and Asher, an instructional designer, were recognized for outstanding customer service.
Wells, also an instructional designer, was honored for her statewide leadership, and Devenburgh, senior compliance coordinator, was recognized for her mentorship of fellow staff members.
“The UKO Advocate and staff awards provide an opportunity to celebrate the people with the commitment and the expertise to make online learning successful at UK,” said Patsy Carruthers, UK Online director. “We are grateful for their contributions and pleased to recognize them.”
To learn more about UK Online and its online teaching and learning services, visit UK Online’s faculty resources.
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 healthcare. 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 $1.02 billion research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.