Outstanding UK faculty honored with The Graduate School’s Kirwan Prize and Sturgill Award

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 12, 2025) — Each year, the University of Kentucky Graduate School recognizes exceptional faculty for their achievements in graduate education and scholarly research. The 2025 recipients of The Graduate School’s top honors — the Albert D. and Elizabeth H. Kirwan Memorial Prize and the William B. Sturgill Award — are Ellen D.B. Riggle, Ph.D., and Joseph Hammer, Ph.D., respectively. Riggle and Hammer were recognized at the 2025 UK Faculty Awards Ceremony, held Thursday, May 1. Both have made lasting contributions to their fields, their students and the academic community.

2025 Kirwan Memorial Prize: Ellen D.B. Riggle, Ph.D.

Riggle, professor of political science and gender and women’s studies in the UK College of Arts and Sciences, is the recipient of the 2025 Albert D. and Elizabeth H. Kirwan Memorial Prize, awarded for outstanding contributions to original research and scholarship.

Riggle’s research explores topics including stress, health disparities and the effects of law and policy on the well-being of LGBTQ individuals and couples.

“I am honored to receive the Kirwan Prize in recognition of my scholarship and collaborations, and the impact my research has on addressing health disparities and enhancing the quality of well-being for LGBTQ people and their families.”

Over the years, Riggle has collaborated with colleagues and emerging scholars across disciplines and institutions.

“I am grateful to have the opportunity to establish strong research collaborations here at UK, such as with my colleague Jenn Hunt, Ph.D., and with scholars from other universities, such as Tonda Hughes, Ph.D., at Columbia University and Laurie Drabble, Ph.D., at San Jose State University,” she said.

These collaborations often extend to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.

“For example, my work involving a post-doc and graduate student created a scale to measure hypervigilance among LGBTQ people, an important concept in understanding minority stress that was previously unmeasured,” Riggle explained. “This scale has already been translated and used in international health research.”

Riggle is also known for her international mentoring and resource development.

“I recently collaborated with a master's student and her advisor in Wuhan, China to translate into Chinese and validate the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Positive Identity Scale (LGB-PIM; Riggle et al., 2014),” she said. “It’s always gratifying when young scholars reach out because they’ve read my work and are inspired to new research endeavors to address their own scholarly questions.”

2025 Sturgill Award: Joseph Hammer, Ph.D.

Hammer, associate professor of counseling psychology in the UK College of Education’s Department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, has received the 2025 William B. Sturgill Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to graduate education at the University of Kentucky.

“Receiving the Sturgill Award is an incredible professional honor that affirms the value of my commitment to expanding access to high-quality graduate education and training in psychology,” Hammer said. “It acknowledges the work I’ve done to innovate curriculum, strengthen clinical training and create internationally used tools like the Mental Health Professions Career Test and Psychology Graduate School Resource Library.”

Hammer leads the Help-seeking and Multicultural Measurement Evaluation Research (HAMMER) Lab, where he conducts research, mentors students and advances mental health education and equity.

“This recognition motivates me to continue supporting graduate students – not only at the University of Kentucky, but across the country and world — as they prepare to become the next generation of mental health professionals,” he said.

On a personal level, the award is deeply meaningful to Hammer.

“Much of my work, whether mentoring students, developing resources or enhancing training opportunities, has been driven by a desire to demystify the hidden curriculum and widen the doors to graduate education,” he said. “To be recognized for doing something that brings me so much joy and purpose is a truly humbling experience.”

Hammer added, “I’m deeply thankful to the students and colleagues who put me forward for this award and who make the day-to-day work of graduate education so rewarding.”

About the Kirwan Memorial Prize

The Kirwan Memorial Prize was established in 1995 and recognizes its namesakes' collaborative research efforts, as well as Albert Kirwan's endeavors in creating an environment at UK that promotes high quality research and scholarship. Albert "Ab" Kirwan was head football coach at UK from 1938 to 1944 and was a distinguished faculty member and scholar in the field of Southern history. He later served as dean of The Graduate School and as the seventh president of the university. Elizabeth Kirwan was awarded the Sullivan Medallion in 1973 for her service to UK and the Lexington community. She held executive roles across more than 10 organizations, including president of the UK Woman’s Club and chairwoman of the Lexington Parks and Recreation Board.

About the Sturgill Award

Established in 1975, the Sturgill Award is named in honor of alumnus William B. Sturgill, who contributed to higher education through organizing and serving as president of the Hazard Independent College Foundation, in addition to working with legislators to develop the community college system across the Commonwealth. Sturgill, who died in 2014, was born in Lackey, Kentucky, and graduated from UK in 1946. He was involved in a variety of businesses, including executive and owner of several coal operations, East Kentucky Investment Company, Fourth Street and Gentry Tobacco Warehouses and the Hartland Development Project. Sturgill served as both secretary of energy and secretary of agriculture under Gov. John Y. Brown Jr.  He served 18 years on UK's Board of Trustees, including serving as chair for 10 years. The Sturgill Development Building is named in his honor.

For more information about the awards, visit https://gradschool.uky.edu/faculty-awards  

About The Graduate School

The Graduate School at the University of Kentucky empowers students, faculty and programs to excel at every stage of graduate education. We cultivate a community of leaders, innovators and scholars who drive progress in their fields. Through collaboration, adherence to academic integrity and unwavering support, we prepare graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to make a lasting impact in the workforce and in our society. Offering advanced degrees in 90 program areas, including 55 doctoral, 85 master’s, and 52 certificate programs. The University of Kentucky is a hub for many, nationally recognized graduate education programs. Our offices provide essential services such as career advising, teaching and research support, wellness resources, and academic assistance.