Staff
Diane Kohler
Diane Kohler is the Manager of Career Development. Beginning her employment with UK in 1979, Diane has held several different positions in Student Affairs, Integrated Academic Services and Human Resources, including: staff assistant, academic advisor, Coordinator of Academic Advising for Developmental Studies and as career counselor, Assistant Director, Associate Director and, most recently, Senior Associate Director on the James W. Stuckert Career Center’s Leadership Team. Her 26 year background in career counseling includes assisting alumni, community members, employees and students. In other campus roles, Diane earned certification as a Master Trainer in Performance Evaluation by Development Dimensions International, Inc. and was instrumental in implementing a new performance evaluation system campus-wide. She also designed and managed UK’s first dual career program for accompanying partners of faculty and staff.
Diane believes that organizational development and success can best be achieved through individual employee development and success. She is dedicated to building a program of services that will enable UK staff members to manage their careers and professional growth. With a master’s degree in Educational Psychology and Counseling and bachelor’s in English Education from the University of Kentucky, Diane is qualified to use the MBTI and Strong II assessment tools as well as a wide array of other career assessments. As a former Wolverine and Buckeye, Diane came to Kentucky for the horses years ago, but stayed for the wonderful people and opportunities. She is proud to be employed with so many talented and dedicated individuals who are working to help the University of Kentucky reach Top 20 Status by 2020.
Esther Livingston
Esther Livingston joined the Career Development team in November 2008. She has spent the last eight years in Experiential Education and Career Services as an Experiential Education Program Coordinator, Assistant Director, and most recently as the Interim Director of the James W. Stuckert Career Center at the University of Kentucky. Lifelong learning and career development is something Esther is passionate about. She enjoys assisting individuals in their own self discovery process, helping them create a career development plan and achieve personal success.
Esther holds a M.S. degree in Career, Leadership and Technical Education and a B.A. in Organizational Management. She is qualified to administer and interpret the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Strong Interest Inventory, and a variety of other career assessment tools. She has been involved as a member and in leadership positions with the Kentucky Association of Colleges and Employers (KACE), the National Society of Experiential Education (NSEE), the UK Service-Learning Initiatives Council (SLIC), and the UK Appalachian Center.
A fun-loving adventurer at heart, Esther defines career as a person’s work and life roles over their lifespan. Her own career has incorporated roles in the fields of industrial psychology, publishing, thoroughbred racing, and education. She views the University of Kentucky as an employer with a great deal to offer and considers it a privilege to work with UK employees.
Jamie Stephens
The newest addition to the Career Development staff, Jamie Stephens, has worked with the University of Kentucky for several years. During her time here, she has worked primarily with students, most recently in the Gatton College of Business and Economics MBA Center.
Her support of the Career Development program will include scheduling employee appointments for career consultations, answering the telephones, and greeting visitors. In addition, Jamie will assist employees in utilizing web-based career assessments and other career materials available in the employee career resources room, located in Room 124 Scovell Hall.
A native of Lexington, Jamie enjoys helping people, reading, singing, laughing, and spending time with family. Jamie is excited to join the Career Development team and feels that being part of the effort to help employees with their careers will be very rewarding.
To make an appointment :
call: (859) 257-9416
or e-mail: CareerDevelopment@uky.edu
Prior to your meeting, please complete this Intake Form.
