Professional News

National Conference Honors UK Transfer Admissions Director

Dr. Janet Marling on left and Sara Price on right holding award
Sara Price (right) pictured with NISTS Executive Director Janet Marling after winning a Bonita C. Jacobs Transfer Champion-Rising Star award. Photo courtesy of: Emily Kittrell.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 10, 2020) Sara Price, the transfer admissions director at the University of Kentucky, has been recognized as a Bonita C. Jacobs Transfer Champion-Rising Star winner during the opening session of the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS) 2020 annual conference, held in February 2020.

The Bonita C. Jacobs Transfer Champion-Rising Star is given to individuals implementing valuable improvements to the transfer field, despite being in the early stages of their career. Presented to three individuals at the conference, the award recognizes those who are making significant contributions to improving transfer student access, persistence and success. Award winners have created new or substantially improved programming specific to the transfer student population and have shown evidence of success.

“I am honored to be recognized for the work we do for our transfer students, but we would not be where we are now if it were not for my colleagues that I work with every day,” Price said. “It’s my colleagues who support me, each other and every student they can, and I want to thank them for making this award possible, because it takes a team to transfer.”

As the transfer admissions director, Sara Price is committed to transfer success at UK. A determined advocate, Price leverages her busy schedule to keep transfer needs and challenges a priority. Under her leadership, transfer admissions have become a comprehensive service-center, ensuring that incoming students have access to trained staff, resources and programs. Her nominators believe that her exceptional team is a direct reflection of her guidance.

NISTS is a national organization that aims to improve the lives of transfer students through research, education and advocacy. It empowers practitioners, faculty and administrators to challenge the status quo and improve the transfer student experience. NISTS’ overall vision is to have higher education institutions provide a holistic and inclusive transfer process to students.

To learn more about NISTS and the annual conference visit www.nists.org/.

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.