30 New WELD Participants Announced for 2020

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 13, 2020) — The University of Kentucky Women’s Executive Leadership Development (WELD) program has announced its 2020 cohort of faculty and staff participants. The eight-month WELD program is designed to develop the next generation of UK leaders through retreats, monthly meetings, conversations with upper level administrators and a group project. 

To kick off the 2020 WELD program, Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton will speak at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 16, in the Grand Courtroom of the J. David Rosenberg College of Law.  Her speech is open to the public.

The 2020 participants are:

Camille Burnett, associate professor, College of Nursing                       

Lindsey Colburn, recruiting officer, U.S. 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 and 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, College of 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 and 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 and inclusion, Lewis Honors College

Kristine Urschel, associate professor, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Animal and Food Sciences

Erica Whitaker, lecturer, College of Arts and Sciences, Mathematics

Lesley Wong, professor, College of Medicine, Surgery

The WELD program is offered by the Provost’s Office for Faculty Advancement and is directed by Hollie Swanson, professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences in the College of Medicine.