College football legend now advises, mentors students at UK’s College of Nursing
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 19, 2023) — Corey Moore was known for being one of the most intimidating defensive linemen in college football and went on to be one of the most decorated players in Virginia Tech’s program history.
Moore was a defensive lineman at Virginia Tech from 1997 to 1999. During his time, he was named a two-time First Team All-American, two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year and received both the Lombardi Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy in the same season.
He went on to play professional football in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins.
This year he continued adding to his list of accomplishments as he was inducted into the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame.
“I’m just taking it all in,” said Moore. “For me, this honor is more about the guys I played with and my coaches who allowed me to be part of the program. I'm honored, this award is for the program.”
Moore’s passion for leading a team followed him off the field. He now pursues a career in academia, which led him to the University of Kentucky College of Nursing as the new assistant dean of academic advising and student success.
At UK, Moore leads advising for undergraduates and graduate students in the College of Nursing. He’s passionate about holistic student support and advising students to enhance their academic and personal growth.
“We're very in tune with our students' needs,” said Moore. “My philosophy is to provide the best service to students and build a relationship where students feel comfortable to reach out to me. If they're experiencing personal, family or financial challenges, my goal is to connect those students to resources here on campus to help in their success.”
When Moore joined the College of Nursing in 2022, the state had just issued a mandate to grow the nursing workforce in Kentucky. Traditionally, the College of Nursing has grown in increments, but the mandate made it urgent to continue growing the program as quickly as possible.
“I looked at how fast the college needed to grow and what resources we would need,” said Moore. “In our last admissions cycle, we did a good job of hitting those numbers.”
One of the greater challenges when expanding a program is successfully retaining those students. But Moore and his team have been able to keep retention rates high while continuing to grow the student population.
“That speaks a lot about my advising staff,” said Moore. “We’re working together with faculty to ensure students are successful in getting the academic assistance that they need in and outside of the classroom.”
Watching the program’s enrollment numbers increase while keeping retention rates high is one of the most rewarding parts of Moore’s position.
“The biggest satisfaction I get is seeing students graduate,” said Moore. “I get to watch them fulfill their dream and accomplish their goal when they finish our program.”
On the field or in the College of Nursing, Moore knows if you put your blood, sweat and tears into something and work as a team, goals will be accomplished.
UK HealthCare is the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. But it is so much more. It is more than 10,000 dedicated health care professionals committed to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. It also is the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and sickest newborns, the region’s only Level 1 trauma center and Kentucky’s top hospital ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
As an academic research institution, we are continuously pursuing the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. Our discoveries have the potential to change what’s medically possible within our lifetimes. Our educators and thought leaders are transforming the health care landscape as our six health professions colleges teach the next generation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, spreading the highest standards of care. UK HealthCare is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come.