Professional News

2022 Outstanding Teaching Award Recipients Named

This annual award program recognizes faculty and graduate teaching assistants who demonstrate special dedication and outstanding performance in the classroom or laboratory. Photo by Stephanie Woolery.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 22, 2022) — Eleven university faculty and teaching assistants were recognized by the University of Kentucky with the 2022 Outstanding Teaching Awards on Thursday, April 21, in the J. David Rosenberg College of Law Grand Courtroom. 

This annual award program recognizes faculty and graduate teaching assistants who demonstrate special dedication and outstanding performance in the classroom or laboratory. Recipients were selected via nomination and reviewed by a selection committee based in the UK Provost’s Office for Faculty Advancement and the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching.

Each winner received an award certificate, a commemorative engraved gift and a cash award in recognition of their teaching excellence.

The 2022 winners are:

Category 1: Regular and Special Title Series Faculty

Regina Hamilton-Townsend — College of Arts and Sciences

Cindy Jong — College of Education 

Nari Senanayake — College of Arts and Sciences 

Melissa Stein — College of Arts and Sciences 

Category 2: Lecturers and Clinical Title Series Faculty

Whitney Blackburn-Lynch — College of Engineering

Sarah Cprek — College of Public Health 

Joni Meade — College of Education

Erica Whitaker — College of Arts and Sciences

Category 3:  Graduate TAs and Instructors

Justin Barhite — College of Arts and Sciences

Kelly Grenier — College of Arts and Sciences 

Emily Naser-Hall — College of Arts and Sciences 

Congratulations to all these individuals for their recognition for excellence in teaching.

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.