Advising Network Banner Link to University of Kentucky Link to Advising Network home page
Undergraduate Education Homespacer


 

 

 

 

UK > Undergraduate Education > Advising Network > Awards and Recognition

Awards & Recognition

Ken Freedman Outstanding Advisor Award

NACADA Awards

Ken Freedman Outstanding Advisor Award

The Ken Freedman Outstanding Advisor Awards are sponsored by the UK Advising Network and the Office of the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and are named in honor of Ken Freedman, who served as a professional adviser at UK for 15 years prior to his death in 2001. The award recognizes outstanding service in the field of academic advising.

Ken was a teacher at heart with a passion for adult students. Prior to coming to UK, he worked at Eastern State Hospital and developed a reputation as a good listener who was devoted to students and went out of his way to help them find success. Colleagues remember him for his quirky sense of humor, dry wit, quiet demeanor and his way of putting things in perspective. Ken was a consummate professional who raised the consciousness of this campus.

2012 Award Winners

Photo of 2012 Freedman WinnersLEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 27, 2012) - The University of Kentucky's Jamie Wheeler and Sebastian Bryson were honored as the recipients of the 18th Ken Freedman Outstanding Advisor Awards at a luncheon held on Friday, Feb. 24.

The award recognizes outstanding service in the field of academic advising. Two awards are presented each year, one to a full-time professional advisor and another to a faculty advisor.

"Every time a University of Kentucky student graduates, an advisor earns his or her wings," said UK Provost Kumble Subbaswamy, evoking Frank Capra's 1946 film "It's a Wonderful Life."

This year saw more nominations than in any year previous. In total, 35 professional advisors and 39 faculty advisors were proposed to receive the honor, with several garnering multiple nominations from the students they serve.

"This was a tough year," said Mike Mullen, associate provost for undergraduate education. "With so many excellent and deserving nominees, it was a very difficult decision to pick just two."

Jamie Wheeler, professional advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences' Humanities Community, was cited by her nominators for being "warm," "caring," "upbeat," "organized" and "helpful." One nominator wrote: "Simply put, I would not have been able to excel at the University of Kentucky without Jamie Wheeler."

Wheeler says she feels tremendous support from her colleagues in the UK Advising Network.

"The past recipients of this award have been such great mentors to me — not only mentors, but friends as well," she said. "There is such a great sense of community here. I feel like I am surrounded by friends today."

Professor Sebastian Bryson, faculty advisor for the College of Engineering's Department of Civil Engineering, was cited by his nominators for being "generous," "comforting," "committed," for giving "excellent guidance" and for being "always available." One nominator wrote: "He has an incredible gift to motivate students and push them to meet their highest standards."

Bryson said he was honored to be recognized but he felt obligated to share the honor with his colleagues, who form "one cohesive team."

"I did not win this award," he said. "The Department of Civil Engineering Advising Team won this award."

Six finalists for the professional award were also recognized, each receiving a certificate of honorable mention. They were: Kahlil Baker, CARES; Jennifer Doerge, Engineering; Tricia Hargrove, Arts and Sciences; Casey Shadix, Business and Economics; Michael Stone, CATS; and Suzanne Wampler, Engineering.

The Ken Freedman Outstanding Advisor Awards are sponsored by the UK Advising Network and the Office of the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education. They are named in honor of Ken Freedman, who served as a professional advisor at UK for 15 years prior to his death in 2001.

2012 Ken Freedman Professional Advisor Nominees [PDF]

2012 Ken Freedman Faculty Nonimees [PDF]

Past Recipients of Ken Freedman Outstanding Advising Award
(Professional award is first; Faculty award is listed second)

1995
Gladys Pramuk - College of Arts & Sciences

1996
Shirley Rose - College of Communications & Information Studies
Dr. Loys Mather -Department of Agricultural Economics

1997
Pat Matthews - College of Communications & Information Studies
Dr. Jack Buxton - Horticulture

1998
Jane Johnson - College of Fine Arts
Dr. John Watkins - Department of Geography

1999
Cathy Hunt - Undergraduate Studies
Dr. Glenn Collins - Agronomy

2000
Kate Johnson - Honors Program
Dr. Robert Ireland - History

2001
Eric Brown - Gatton College of Business & Economics
Dr. Gail Hoyt - Economics

2002
Sheila Breeding - College of Communications & Information Studies
Dr. Enid Waldhart - Communications

2003
Bonita Lykins - Paducah Community College of Engineering Program
Dr. Penny Miller - Political Science

2004
Marilyn Underwood - Gatton College of Business & Economics
Dr. Mary Marchant - Agricultural Economics

2005
Janet Prewitt - College of Engineering
Dr. Carl Dillon - Agricultural Economics

2006
Amy Craiglow - Center for Academic & Tutorial Services
Dr. Lisa Broome-Price - Gaines Center

2007
Traci Letcher - College of Communications & Information Studies
Dr. Ruth Beattie - Department of Biology

2008
Joanne Davis -College of Nursing
Dr. Donna Smith - Department of Family Studies

2009
Abby Hollander - College of Arts & Sciences
Dr. Larry Grabau - Department of Plant and Soil Sciences

2010
Suanne Early - Undergraduate Studies
Dr. Jerzy Jaromczyk - Department of Computer Science

2011
Jessica Baer - College of Arts & Sciences
Dr. David Williams - Department of Plant and Soil Sciences

2012
Jamie Wheeler - College of Arts & Sciences
Dr. Sebastian Bryson - Department of Civil Engineering

NACADA Awards

  • 2012 - Jamie Wheeler, Outstanding Advisor - Primary Role Category - Winner
  • 2012 - Jamie Wheeler, Mid-South Region 3 Kentucky Outstanding Primary Advisor
  • 2012 - Casey Shadix, Outstanding New Advisor - Primary Role Category - Certificate of Merit
  • 2012 - Dr. Sebastian Bryson, Outstanding Advisor - Faculty Role Category - Certificate of Merit
  • 2011 - Jessica Baer, Outstanding Advising - Primary Role Category - Winner
  • 2010 - Suanne Early, Outstanding Advising - Primary Role Category - Certificate of Merit
  • 2010 - Jennifer Ellis, Outstanding New Advisor - Primary Role Category - Certificate of Merit
  • 2010 - Aaron Vaught, Graduate Student Regional Conference Scholarship - Winner
  • 2009 - Cindy Iten, Service to Commission - Winner
  • 2006 - Robinson Scholars Program, Outstanding Program Award
  • 2003 - Cindy Iten, Summer Institute Scholarship
  • 2003 - UK College of Arts & Sciences Advising Center Home, Electronic Publication Winner
  • 2002 - Adrienne McMahan, Outstanding Advising - Administrator Winner
  • 1999 - Cathy Hunt, Outstanding Advisor Award
  • 1997 - Louis J. Swift, Pacesetter Award
  • 1996 - Central Advising Service and Transfer Center, Outstanding Program - Certificate of Merit
  • 1995 - Gladys Pramuk, Outstanding Advisor Award
  • 1987 - Barbara Mabry, Outstanding Advisor Award
  • 1986 - Mary Ann Murray, Outstanding Advisor - Certificate of Merit

 

© 2011 Office of Undergraduate Education | The University of Kentucky is an Equal Opportunity University
Last Page Update: April 27, 2012 | Site Design by: Vaughan A. Fielder