Annual UK Outstanding Staff Award nominations open
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept 1, 2026) — The University of Kentucky Office of the President and the UK Staff Senate will host the 16th Annual Outstanding Staff Awards (OSA) ceremony, recognizing the extraordinary impact of UK staff.
As a continuation of last year’s commitment to recognizing exceptional staff contributions, the focus of the Outstanding Staff Awards is to honor staff members who have made an immeasurable difference in the UK experience. Nominations can be made by UK students, staff and faculty.
The nomination deadline is Oct. 2.
Award categories include:
- Outstanding Staff Member (student nominations)
- Outstanding Staff Member (staff nominations)
- Outstanding Staff Member (faculty nominations)
- Outstanding Staff Member (overall winner from all submitted nominations)
Who can be nominated?
All staff are eligible — regardless of whether they have received another award this year. Staff members must be nominated using the form below to be considered.
The 2026 Outstanding Staff Award recipients will be announced at a ceremony in early December. Invitations to attend will be sent to nominees at that time.
For questions about the OSA program, contact Bobbi Jo Allen, Staff Senate program coordinator, at b.allen@uky.edu.
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 healthcare. 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 $1.02 billion research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.