Lyman T. Johnson Award Winners Announced; Virtual Presentation Planned for Monday
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 29, 2021) — The University of Kentucky Alumni Association Lyman T. Johnson African American Alumni Group, in partnership with the UK Office for Institutional Diversity, will host the 30th annual Lyman T. Johnson Torch Bearer and Torch of Excellence awards via Facebook Live at noon Monday, Feb. 1. The program honors and celebrates African American students and alumni from each college who epitomize the ideals of Lyman T. Johnson.
UK’s academic colleges select alumni whose faith, hard work and determination have positively affected the lives of people on the UK campus, the city, state or nation. These individuals receive the Lyman T. Johnson Torch of Excellence Award. These colleges also choose students within their respective college whose academic achievement and ability to impact the lives of others would warrant them to receive the Lyman T. Johnson Torch Bearer Award.
To watch this year’s awards presentation, tune into the UK Alumni Association’s Facebook page at noon Monday Feb. 1.
This year’s award winners are:
College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
Torch Bearer: Jahqethea Johnson
Torch of Excellence: Tiffany Monroe
College of Arts and Sciences
Torch Bearer: Jacob Barnes, Trinity Houston, Pasama Cole-Kweli, Jillean McCommons, Jordan Ashlee McCray, Kayla Woodson
Torch of Excellence: Eunique Gaither, Aretina Hamilton, Ursula Mullins
Gatton College of Business and Economics
Torch Bearer: Ariel Brent
Torch of Excellence: Erica Miles
College of Communication and Information
Torch Bearer: Akhira Umar
Torch of Excellence: DeBraun Thomas
College of Dentistry
Torch Bearer: Udechukwu Iheduru
Torch of Excellence: Dr. Linda Larkin-Scott
College of Education
Torch Bearer: Heather Cowherd
Torch of Excellence: Felicia C. Smith
College of Engineering
Torch Bearer: K’Lynn King
Torch of Excellence: Tracy Drain
College of Fine Arts
Torch Bearer: Moniece La’Shay Mosely
Torch of Excellence: Key’Mon Murrah
College of Health Sciences
Torch Bearer: Isaiah Jones
Torch of Excellence: Brandon Reeves
J. David Rosenberg College of Law
Torch Bearer: Maya S. Marshall
Torch of Excellence: Steven S. Reed
College of Nursing
Torch Bearer: Danielle Duncan
Torch of Excellence: Delanor Manson
College of Pharmacy
Torch Bearer: Anisa Moore
Torch of Excellence: William Ifeachor
College of Public Health
Torch Bearer: Kayla Dougherty
Torch of Excellence: Sydney S. Taylor
College of Social Work
Torch Bearer: Shawndaya Thrasher
Torch of Excellence: Shaniek Tose
The Graduate School
Torch Bearer: Kevely Dumay
Torch of Excellence: Jeana Dunlap
Lewis Honors College
Torch Bearer: Khari Gardner
Torch of Excellence: Tracy Drain
To learn more about the UK Alumni Association Lyman T. Johnson African American Alumni Group, visit www.ukalumni.net/LTJ. For information, contact Katie Schaffer at Kathryn.Schaffer@uky.edu or 859-257-7172.
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.
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.