By Ryan Clark
CHS Communications Director

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The College of Health Sciences announced promotions for six faculty members.

From the departments and programs of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Rehabilitation and Health Sciences PhD Program, Clinical Leadership and Management, Human Health Sciences, Physician Assistant Studies, Athletic Training and the Sports Medicine Research Institute, these six individuals have proven time and again why they are valued members of the CHS family.

Congratulations go out to: 
 

Judy Page, PhD, CCC-SLP, FASHA, FNAP

Promoted to full professor

Communication Sciences and Disorders

Judith L. Page joined the faculty in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 1980. She received her B.S. from the University of Minnesota, her M.A. from the University of Illinois, and her Ph.D. in Audiology & Speech Sciences from Purdue University. She holds Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

In 2022-23, she was named one of 14 University Research Professors.  

 

Anne Olson, PhD, CCC/A, Audiologist

Promoted to full professor

Communication Sciences and Disorders, Rehabilitation and Health Sciences PhD Program

Anne Olson received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and her master’s degree in audiology from the University of Texas at Austin and her PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences from the University of Kentucky. She joined the faculty in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2004 after working as a clinical audiologist. She is currently serving as Chair for the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
 

 

Jami Warren, PhD

Promoted to associate professor with tenure

Clinical Leadership and Management, Human Health Sciences

Jami Warren earned her doctoral degree in Instructional Communication from the University of Kentucky in 2011. Her areas of expertise include experiential and service-learning, program assessment, student engagement, and curriculum design and instruction. She also studies instructional communication within health contexts, specifically patient-provider communication among patients who suffer from chronic illness. She has taught courses in patient advocacy, health policy and politics, research methods, mentoring and outreach and composition and communication.

She is currently Lewis Honors faculty, as well as the HHS Director of Undergraduate Studies.

 

Sarah Kercsmar, PhD

Promoted to associate professor with tenure

Clinical Leadership and Management

Sarah Kercsmar joined the College of Health Sciences in 2017, after 7 years as a faculty member in the College of Communication and Information at UK. She has also worked on funded health policy projects for the UK College of Nursing and as a grassroots organizer for the American Lung Association of West Virginia and the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free West Virginia. Dr. Kercsmar has a PhD from the University of Kentucky in Communication (with a cognate in Educational Policy and Evaluation) and an MA and BA from Marshall University in Communication Studies.

She is currently the Program Director, as well as the Director of Undergraduate Studies, for Clinical Leadership and Management.

 

Leslie Woltenberg, PhD, MSEd

Promoted to associate professor with tenure

Physician Assistant Studies

Leslie Woltenberg is an Assistant Professor and Director of Graduate Studies for the UK Department of Physician Assistant Studies. With more than a decade of experience in education, Woltenberg has served UK and the greater Lexington community in a variety of teaching, assessment, and administrative capacities. Prior to joining the College of Health Sciences as a faculty member, she served as Associate Director of UK’s Center for Interprofessional Health Education and was instrumental in the redesign and evaluation of the university’s nationally recognized interprofessional curriculum. Her background also includes extensive experience in student services and enrollment management.

She earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation in Higher Education, a Master of Science in Education degree with an emphasis in Student Affairs, and Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing, all from the University of Kentucky. In 2018, she earned the honor of being named an Interprofessional Faculty Fellow.

 

Matt Hoch, PhD, ATC

Promoted to full professor

Athletic Training

Matt Hoch joined the University of Kentucky in July 2017 as a faculty member in the Athletic Training program. He is currently the Associate Director for the Sports Medicine Research Institute. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training in 2006 from East Stroudsburg University and his [A person in a suit smiling Description automatically generated with low confidence] Master of Science degree in Athletic Training from Ohio University in 2008. In addition, he received his Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Sciences from the University of Kentucky in 2011.

His research interests involve mitigating sensorimotor compromise and enhancing patient-centered care following traumatic lower extremity injuries to reduce the long-term consequences of these conditions over the lifespan. Dr. Hoch’s previous work has largely focused on identifying novel therapeutic intervention strategies for patients with chronic ankle instability.

This year, he was named a University Research Professor.

 

“I want to personally thank, and recognize, all of these faculty members for the amazing work they continue to do for us in the College of Health Sciences,” said Scott Lephart, PhD, and Dean of the College. “Their efforts in the classroom, as well as the contributions of their research, are helping us to build the health care leaders of tomorrow, which in turn helps us improve the lives of people across our Commonwealth and region. It starts here, with great faculty members like these. Once again, I am proud to say I am a part of this College.”