Professional News

Advisors Honored During This Year’s Ken Freedman Day of Recognition

Reward winners.
From left to right: Kayla Johnson, Shawn Stewart, Jordan Hoehler, Niamh Minion.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 16, 2022) ­– The University of Kentucky Advising Network hosted the Ken Freedman Day of Recognition with a luncheon honoring advisors for their work during the previous academic semester. 

Ken Freedman served as a professional advisor at UK for 15 years prior to his death in 2001. Freedman was one of the founders of the UK Advising Network in 1986 and instrumental in advising leadership on campus in the 1990s. 

In the spirit of keeping Ken Freedman’s legacy alive, the UK Advising Network’s Ken Freedman Day of Recognition highlights members’ dedication to the profession and the students they serve. 

During the luncheon, the UK Advising Network awarded advisors with the Outstanding New Advisor Award, Outstanding Advising Administrator Award, Ken Freedman Outstanding Advising Award (Primary Advisor) and Ken Freedman Outstanding Advising Award (Faculty Advisor).

While the Advising Network honors advisors each year during its Day of Recognition, this year was especially special Jennifer Stevens said, chair of the UK Advising Network and director of Academic Advising in the College of Public Health, as this year marks the 35th anniversary of the Network.

“A common misconception of academic advising is that it is just course registration. However, academic advisors provide support to students allowing them to explore their academic interests, develop plans for their educational goals and identify appropriate resources for their success,” Stevens said. “The Ken Freedman Day of Recognition is an opportunity to acknowledge this excellent work being done by UK’s academic advisors.”

The following individuals were recognized during this year's luncheon:

  • Shawn Stewart, Gatton College of Business and Economics – Outstanding New Advisor
  • Niamh Minion, Education Abroad – Outstanding Advising Administrator
  • Jordan Hoehler, College of Communication and Information – Ken Freedman Outstanding Advising Award (Primary Advisor)
  • Kayla Johnson, Ph.D., College of Education – Ken Freedman Outstanding Advising Award (Faculty Advisor) 

“Although we were only able to award four individuals, we had 105 individuals nominated and over 400 nominations submitted,” Stevens said. “This is a testament to the positive work happening at UK. It’s important to recognize people who work so hard for their students.”

To see the full list of previous Ken Freedman awardees, click here. To see a full recap of the day of recognition, click here.

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.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.