Campus News

Stuckert Career Center Accepting Nominations for UK Intern and Employer of the Year Awards

Student worker.
UK File Photo Mark Cornelison | UK Photo.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 2, 2022) – The University of Kentucky Stuckert Career Center, housed in the Office for Student Success, is currently accepting nominations for UK Intern of the Year and UK Employer of the Year awards. The awards seeks to recognize and honor the achievements of student interns as well as acknowledge the deep investment employers make in our students every year. To honor both students and employers, UK plans to host a Spring Awards Ceremony on Thursday, April 21, 2022, 5 to 6 p.m., at The Cornerstone. 

The UK Intern of the Year Award recognizes the achievements of students who have excelled in their internships over the past year and acknowledges the impact they have made on their organization. Businesses, nonprofits and government agencies as well as UK offices, departments and faculty can nominate a graduate or undergraduate student for UK Intern of the Year. 

The Awards Selection Committee will review applications based on how the student exceeded expectations in their internship, grew in soft skills needed to succeed in the world of work, made a positive impact on their organization and grew professionally throughout their experience. Nominees must have been active in their internship between January 2021 and March 2022. 

Last year, the UK Intern of the Year Award was presented to junior Lauren Hudson, who interned with Nathan Vanderford, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology. 

The UK Employer of the Year Award is presented to an organization or business for their significant contributions to UK through recruitment and hiring of students and alumni, as well as engagement with UK’s career center to support academic programs and professional development on campus. UK students, faculty and staff are eligible to nominate business and nonprofit/government employers for consideration.

Applications will be judged based on level of engagement and involvement with UK and UK students, including student informational interviews, job shadowing experiences, campus career fairs, employer panels, classroom presentations, student organization and service-learning activities, mentorship and professional development opportunities, the hiring of UK students, as well as the assignment of challenging internship roles to students. Employers must have hosted at least one student intern between Jan. 2021-March 2022. 

Last year’s UK Employer of the Year was BrainBox, a Lexington-based experiential and digital marketing firm that demonstrated a deep commitment to UK students through internships, mentoring, resume review events, mock interviews, and panel discussions. 

The deadline for nominations is March 11, 2022 at 11:59 pm. Applications must include a completed nomination form and a letter (1-2 pages) uploaded to letterhead. Following submission of your nomination of UK Intern of the Year, students will be asked to provide a statement and resume to complete the application.

Submit UK Student Intern of the Year nominations through this form.

Submit UK Employer of the Year nominations through this form.

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.