Wildcat Wednesday: Joyce Hamilton Berry, First Black Woman to Earn a Ph.D. From UK
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 2, 2022) — To commemorate Black History Month, University of Kentucky Public Relations and Strategic Communications is highlighting alumni from the UK Alumni Association’s Pioneer Project throughout the month of February. Be sure to check UKNow each "Wildcat Wednesday" this month to learn more about a UK alum who left an important legacy at our university.
On this “Wildcat Wednesday,” UK honors Joyce Hamilton Berry — the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. from UK.
Originally from Lexington, Berry finished high school in three years, and started college at age 16 at Hampton University. She went on to earn her master’s degree in special education from the UK College of Education in 1967, and her doctoral degree in guidance and counseling in 1970.
As a clinical psychologist, Berry has a private practice in Washington, D.C. Her commentary has been included in Ebony and Essence magazines, and she has appeared on television to give advice and counsel.
Berry previously served as a member of the Congress of Racial Equality and the Urban League and has a history of speaking out against discrimination. In a 2010 interview with the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History in UK Libraries, she discussed growing up in Lexington, her experiences at UK and her connections to the civil rights movement in Lexington, as well as her career as a psychologist.
Last year, Berry connected with current students in the College of Education, giving a first-hand account of what it took for her to blaze a trail at UK more than 50 years ago.
In 2015, she was inducted into the UK Alumni Association’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni.
You can learn more about Berry and other alumni from the Pioneer Project here.
To learn more about how the university is celebrating Black History Month visit http://uknow.uky.edu/campus-news/black-history-month-celebrating-those-who-paved-way.
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.