The 2026 Outstanding Teaching Awards: Yeonjung Kang

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 1, 2026) — Yeonjung Kang, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, is among 10 educators honored with UK’s 2026 Outstanding Teaching Awards.

These awards identify and recognize UK faculty and graduate teaching assistants who demonstrate special dedication to student achievement. 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.

Kang teaches in the Department of Retailing and Tourism Management. Prior to her academic career, Kang’s professional hospitality industry experience included working at a major company like Aramark.

Kang’s primary research interest includes branding and service experience management within the hospitality industry. Her research work has been published in major hospitality journals, including the International Journal of Hospitality Management and Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research.

As part of this summer series, UKNow connected with Kang to learn more about her experience and approach to teaching.

UKNow:  How would you describe your area of expertise and why is the work important right now?

Kang: Hospitality is one of the rare disciplines where the value of “CARE” is crucial. It is an industry built on creating unforgettable experiences, where being thoughtful, intentional and attentive can truly make someone’s day. That is why I loved working in hospitality. However, while care toward customers was emphasized, I noticed that this same care was not always extended to employees. That realization shaped my scholarship on service employee well-being and my teaching philosophy: to prepare future hospitality leaders with not only practical skills, but also a mindset rooted in care.

UKNow: What core principles guide your approach to teaching, and how do those show up in your classroom or learning environments?

Kang: My teaching is guided by my CARE framework: Critical Thinking, Active Learning, Real-World Relevance, and an Equity-Oriented Approach. I believe students learn best when they are challenged to analyze, apply and create rather than simply memorize concepts. In my classroom, CARE shows up through case studies, scenario-based learning, AI-enhanced activities and industry-partnered projects that help students connect theory to practice. In a moment when hospitality education must prepare students for both human-centered service and evolving technologies, CARE helps me prepare students to become thoughtful leaders who know not only what they are doing, but why it matters.

UKNow:  Can you share a moment — inside or outside the classroom — that affirmed the value of your work as an educator?

One recent student comment has stayed with me: “There is a reason that she won a teaching award. She’s an amazing and caring professor.” It was meaningful because it captured what I hope students experience in my classroom — rigorous learning, but also encouragement, support and belief in their success. Another affirming moment came through my collaboration with the Elwood Hotel, where students completed an AI-enhanced hospitality marketing project. Elwood owner David Bader described working with my students as a “fantastic experience” and said Elwood benefited from their “creative talent” and from working with young people who have “intrinsic hospitality in their blood.” Feedback like this reminds me that students are not only learning in the classroom; they are developing both the skills and the mindset to contribute meaningfully to the hospitality industry.

UKNow: What do you hope your students take with them after they leave your course(s)?

I hope students leave my courses with the skill sets essential to become successful leaders in hospitality. But beyond those skills, I hope they carry a mindset rooted in care. In hospitality, care is not extra; it is critical. I am grateful that I get to teach students the value of care, because in our field, it truly matters.

UKNow: What does receiving the Outstanding Teaching Award mean to you?

Receiving the Outstanding Teaching Award as a third-year assistant professor is deeply meaningful, and it gives me a strong sense of responsibility.  This recognition would not have been possible without the mentorship of Melissa Baker, Ph.D., my Ph.D. advisor at UMass Amherst, who has shaped my approach to teaching, as well as the support of my department, college, CELT, the university and, most importantly, my students. My students are truly the reason I am who I am today; many of them already come with a rooted mindset of care, and my role is to resonate with that value, nurture it, and help them see how powerful it can be in hospitality. It is an honor to serve these amazing communities, and this award encourages me to continue putting my utmost effort into serving students through my teaching, research, and outreach.

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This year’s Outstanding Teaching Awards were given to six faculty and four graduate teaching assistants. Each winner received an award certificate, a commemorative engraved gift and a cash award in recognition of their teaching excellence at a campus ceremony on April 30. Read more about the awardees here.