Campus News

UK Alumni Association hosts 34th annual Lyman T. Johnson Awards Luncheon

Photo by Breven Walker.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 14, 2025) — The University of Kentucky Alumni Association’s Lyman T. Johnson Alumni Constituency Group will host the 34th annual Lyman T. Johnson Awards Luncheon 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, in the Gatton Student Center Grand Ballroom. 

Held during UK Homecoming, the event honors alumni and students from each academic college who embody the spirit and accomplishments of Lyman T. Johnson, recognizing those who have positively impacted the lives of others and their communities. 

Each academic college selects alumni to receive Lyman T. Johnson Torch of Excellence Awards for outstanding achievement and students to receive Torch Bearer Awards for academic excellence and service to others.

The keynote speaker is Robert Milligan, a retired lieutenant colonel from the Kentucky State Police (KSP). A trailblazer in law enforcement and a 1987 graduate of UK’s College of Education, Milligan was the first Black officer to rise to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the KSP. His distinguished career includes decades of public service, leadership in state government and continued advocacy for excellence in law enforcement. 

The 2025 awardees by college are as follows:     

Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment 

  • Torch of Excellence — Ja’Mahl McDaniel 

  • Torch Bearer — Zaynah Shahid (also a student in Lewis Honors College)

College of Arts and Sciences 

  • Torch of Excellence — Gregory Scott Parks, Ph.D.

  • Torch Bearer — Eric Ingram 

  • Torch Bearer — Chris Keeve 

Gatton College of Business and Economics 

  • Torch of Excellence — Olivia N. Davis 

  • Torch Bearer — Tayshawn Juantez Gooch   

College of Communication and Information 

  • Torch of Excellence — Tia Edwards 

  • Torch Bearer — LaNasia Mason (also a student in Lewis Honors College)

College of Dentistry 

  • Torch of Excellence — David A. Mott, D.M.D.

  • Torch Bearer — Sydney Johnson 

College of Design 

  • Torch of Excellence — Montreale Jones  

  • Torch Bearer — Eniola Olaleye 

College of Education 

  • Torch Bearer — Brandon Howlett 

Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering 

  • Torch of Excellence — Nathaniel Hudson 

  • Torch Bearer — Joshna Kurra 

College of Fine Arts 

  • Torch of Excellence — Reginald Smith Jr. 

  • Torch Bearer — Anna Zheng  

College of Health Sciences 

  • Torch of Excellence — Ke’La Porter 

  • Torch Bearer — Felipe Gonzalez-Seguel 

Lewis Honors College  

  • Torch Bearer — Kennedi Fishback 

J. David Rosenberg College of Law 

  • Torch of Excellence — LaToi D. Mayo 

  • Torch Bearer — Makayla Harris 

College of Medicine 

  • Torch of Excellence — Thadis Cox, M.D.

  • Torch Bearer — Cortney Jacquez Laye 

  • Torch Bearer — Kidus Shiferawe 

College of Nursing 

  • Torch of Excellence — Danielle Duncan 

  • Torch Bearer — Caitlyn Bowman 

College of Pharmacy 

  • Torch of Excellence — Antonio Booker, Pharm.D.

  • Torch Bearer — Monique Tulcey 

College of Public Health 

  • Torch of Excellence — Dyron Stephens, Dr.P.H.

  • Torch Bearer — Ghazal Jawed 

Martin School of Public Policy and Administration 

  • Torch of Excellence — Adam Blevins 

  • Torch Bearer — Regina Lewis 

College of Social Work 

  • Torch of Excellence — Laneshia Conner, Ph.D.

  • Torch Bearer — Aniyah Maxey (also a student in Lewis Honors College)

For more information about the event and the Lyman T. Johnson Alumni Constituency Group, visit www.ukalumni.net/LTJ.  

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.