UK Women’s Forum announces 30th anniversary Sarah Bennett Holmes Award winners

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 8, 2024) — The University of Kentucky Women’s Forum is pleased to announce the 2024 Sarah Bennett Holmes Award winners. A celebratory luncheon was held March 27 to honor the nominees and award winners who reflect the accomplishments and legacy of Sarah Bennett Holmes. An address by UK President Eli Capilouto was followed by a keynote address from UK Dean of Students Trisha Clement-Montgomery on embracing “A New Era of You.”

These awards recognize individuals and teams who promote the growth and well-being of women at the university and across Kentucky. Faculty, staff, and graduate student recipients receive a monetary award and a plaque. The team and its members receive a framed certificate and plaque for their achievement. All winners are named on plaques in the Main Building. The Sarah Bennett Holmes Awards is among the most esteemed recognitions bestowed at the University of Kentucky and brings recognition for efforts that might otherwise go unnoticed.

The 2024 Sarah Bennett Holmes Award winners are:

• Isabel Escobar | Chemical & Materials Engineering | Pigman College of Engineering (faculty)
• Dr. Jennifer Torres Yee | College of Medicine | Internal Medicine (staff)
• Samaneh Rabienia Haratbar | Pigman College of Engineering-Biomedical Engineering (graduate student),
• Women in Bourbon Oral History Project Team (team)
  • Janice W. Fernheimer
  • JWells
  • Doug Boyd
  • Jennifer Bartlett
  • Kopana Terry
  • Jesse Nau

To celebrate the 30^th Anniversary of the Sarah Bennett Holmes Awards, 30 under 30 were also recognized. This inaugural recognition was created to honor the contributions of undergraduate and alumni women who have championed women during their undergraduate or professional endeavors. These women are the first to hold this designation at the University of Kentucky. 

Alumni

• Jessica Chu (2015) - College of Communication & Information
• Rachel Dixon (2017) - College of Arts & Sciences
• Nia Pennington (2020) - College of Communication & Information
• Jocelyn Grimsley (2023) - College of Education
• Ruth Gonzalez Jimenez (2017) - College of Arts & Sciences
• Jazmine Rivera (2021) -College of Arts & Sciences
• Rhyne Howard (2022) - College of Fine Arts
• Kiarah Raglin (2023) - College of Social Work
• Chloe Kellom (2023) - College of Nursing
• Christine “CJ” Capalar (2021) - College of Arts & Sciences
• Vanessa Pryor (2022) - Gatton College of Business & Economics
•  Joi Craig (2020) - Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food, & Environment
• Aliyah McDaniel (2022) - College of Communication & information + College of Arts & Science
• Ala Hassan (2023) - College of Education

Undergraduate

• Kotomi Yokokura | College of Social Work and Lewis Honors College
• Princess Magor Agbozo | College of Public Health and Lewis Honors College
• Gretchen Ruschman | Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food, & Environment and Lewis Honors College
• Raena Worley- College of Education
• Ayshe Yeter | College of Arts & Sciences
• Thelma Owiredu | College of Public Health + Gatton College of Business
• Sandy Nino | College of Social Work and Lewis Honors College
• Makiah Hollis | College of Arts & Sciences
• Nijae Aklin | Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food, & Environment
• Lakaylia Catlett | College of Education
• Cierra Couch | College of Social Work
• Brianna Johnson | College of Fine Arts
• Hannah Tackett | College of Arts & Sciences and Lewis Honors College
• Brianna Holiday | College of Social Work
• Callie Turner | College of Nursing
• Journey Hightower | College of Arts & Sciences

The UK Women’s Forum would like to congratulate all nominees for the 2024 Sarah Bennett Holmes Awards.

Faculty

• Kelly Bradley | Educational Policy Studies & Analysis |College of Education
• DeShana Collett | Rehabilitation & Health Sciences | College of Health Sciences
• Aubrey Jones | College of Social Work

Graduate Student

• Majd Al-Hamaly | College of Medicine- Pharmacology
• Faraneh Fathi | Pigman College of Engineering-Biomedical Engineering
• Katie Land | College of Medicine-Pharmacology
• Kameron White McDaniel | College of Education-Educational Psychology
• Pegah Safavi | Pigman College of Engineering-Biomedical Engineering

Staff

• Soma Chakraborty Patra l College of Medicine
• Anita Durbin | Gill Heart & Vascular Institute
• Ashley Murphy-Gei | Center for Academic Resources and Enrichment Services (CARES)
• Sipera Simons | College of Design Student Services
• Amy Timoney | Office of Public Relations & Marketing
• Sophia Thomas | Fabrication Lab | College of Design

Category: Team

Graduate Medical Education Team

• Brittany Kelly
• JoLynn Noe
• Elizabeth Biggs
• Jenna Childers
• Sarah Steen
• Kenleigh Fennema
• Winnie Commare
• Melynda Burke
• Rachel Lamirande

Sarah Bennett Holmes, a distinguished former dean of women at UK, tirelessly championed the rights of women throughout her career. Widowed at an early age, Holmes raised four children while completing her own education. She then began a successful career at the university where she inspired young women to persevere in the face of hardship and pursue their career goals. Among her accomplishments, Holmes developed work programs for women during the Depression. In her honor, the UK Women's Forum created the Sarah Bennett Holmes Award and since 1994 has been honoring women at UK who demonstrate the same principles as Holmes through their work and service.

Since the beginning, the UK Women's Forum has existed to create an equitable community at the University. As the role of women in the workplace continues to evolve, our commitment remains the same: creating space to discuss relevant issues and using collective problem-solving and educational opportunities to empower and champion women.

For more information about the UK Women’s Forum, visit https://www.uky.edu/womensforum/ or contact UKWF@uky.edu.