Clement-Montgomery Appointed Dean of Students

Trisha Clement-Montgomery
Trisha Clement-Montgomery, who has served as acting dean of students at UK since September, has been named permanently as dean of students.

Lexington, Ky. (March 30, 2021) — A longtime administrative leader in advocating for student success in a number of senior roles on the University of Kentucky campus has been named UK’s dean of students.

Trisha Clement-Montgomery, who has served as acting dean of students (DOS) at UK since September, has been named permanently to the position, said Kirsten Turner, UK’s vice president for Student Success. In this role, Clement-Montgomery will serve as a senior leader in Student Success and oversee multiple units including Residence Life, Fraternity and Sorority Life, the Office of Student Conduct, the Center for Support and Intervention and Student Organizations and Activities. 

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Clement-Montgomery into this key Student Success leadership role and know that her commitment to the University of Kentucky and years of experience in student affairs have prepared her to hit the ground running in support of student engagement and safety,” Turner said.  

Prior to this appointment, Clement-Montgomery served in multiple leadership roles within UK Residence Life, including director for several years, and has more than 15 years of experience in higher education administration. 

A proud alumna, Clement-Montgomery holds a doctoral degree in higher education leadership and a master’s degree in educational psychology from UK. 

“I am excited to work collaboratively with DOS offices and campus partners to create and refine approaches to supporting students from all backgrounds and classifications in their academic pursuits,” Clement-Montgomery said about her appointment.

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.