Staff
Lance E. Poston, Director of LGBTQ* Resources
Pronouns: He, Him, His Email: lance.poston@uky.edu
Lance is the inaugural Director of LGBTQ* Resources at the University of Kentucky. In this capacity, he leads diversity and inclusivity focused initiatives that support students, faculty, staff, and alumni. He received an undergraduate degree from Presbyterian College and a master's degree from Ohio University (OU). Before becoming a Wildcat, he was a faculty member in the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at OU where he is also a PhD Candidate in history. Lance is a trained oral historian with research interests in the intersections of race, religion, and sexuality in the US.
Outside of teaching and research, Lance has extensive experience in university advocacy and non-profit management. He has served on the boards of many forward-thinking state and regional organizations and is a frequent consultant for educational institutions around inclusive policymaking and staff development.
Rayne Parker, Coordinator for Education and Outreach
Pronouns: They, Them, Their Email: rayne.parker@uky.edu
Rayne works to support the LGBTQ* student groups on campus, facilitate programming for the office’s major events and asses needs of the University to further the office’s impact. Rayne has a degree in Gender Studies from Transylvania University and brings a variety of experiences as an educator and advocate to their work at UK, including time as an AmeriCorps VISTA in the Campus and Community Engagement Office at Transylvania. While in undergrad, Rayne was the Director of TUnity, the university’s gender and sexuality student organization, held office in the Black Student Alliance and feminist student organization, and was an active member of the Diversity Action Council. Their office is located in Blazer, Room 301. In their free time they enjoy writing spoken word poetry and fiction.
Kristen Mark, PhD, MPH, Faculty Fellow
Pronouns: She, Her, Hers Email: kristen.mark@uky.edu
Dr. Mark is an associate professor in UK's College of Education and is the inaugural Faculty Fellow in LGBTQ* Resources. In this capacity, she serves as a key advisor for office projects involving curriculum development and faculty engagement. Dr. Mark is also the faculty lead for the office's summer education abroad collaboration focused on comparisons of sexuality, gender, and sexual health in Kentucky and the Netherlands. She earned her PhD from Indiana University where she specialized in sexual desire, sexual well-being, and sexual health promotion at the Kinsey Institute.
Megan Walden, BSN, RN-BC, 2017-2018 Health Care and Outreach Intern
Pronouns: She, Her, Hers Email: megan.walden@uky.edu
Megan grew up in Lexington, Kentucky and earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Eastern Kentucky University. She has been employed by UK HealthCare since 2009 and works as a Central Monitoring Nurse Coordinator. Megan also serves as the Nurse Educator for the University's LGBTQ* focused Transform Health Clinic. Megan is passionate about creating inclusive clinical spaces that provide high-quality care for LGBTQ* patients. In 2013, she founded UK's Health Care Equality Index Committee, this initial group expanded into the Enterprise's Inclusive Care Committee and has managed the process for successfully accrediting UK HealthCare as an "LGBT Leader" health system two years in a row. Megan is currently a graduate student at George Washington University, pursuing a graduate certificate in LGBT Health Policy and Practice.
Rory Barron, 2017-2018 Programming Intern
Pronouns: He, Him, His Email: rory.barron@uky.edu
Rory is an undergraduate student at the University of Kentucky majoring in Gender and Women's Studies, Geography, and History as well as minoring in African American Studies. He is also the president of the Queer Project, a student group dedicated to serving as a creative outlet for queer identifying students on campus. His current research interests include student activism, particularly in this modern political age, and religious conservatism. His pronouns are he/him/his and he identifies as a queer transmasculine person.
Myles Powell, 2017-2018 Programming Intern
Pronouns: He, Him, His Email: mapo237@g.uky.edu
Myles is a sophomore at UK studying Civil Engineering. Starting in College Park, Georgia, where he attended high school, Myles began participating in policy debate and is a member of the team at UK. Passionate about social justice and equality, he minors in Political Science and Community Leadership and Development. He is also the founder of a social and political activist group called the New Yung Leaders. Myles hopes to grow the group/coalition into having the influence and groundwork necessary to making the world a better place.
Katrina Schweitzer, 2017-2018 Programming Intern
Pronouns: She, Her, Hers Email: katrina.schweitzer@uky.edu
Katrina is a senior at the University of Kentucky, majoring in Gender and Women’s Studies with a focus on Sexuality Studies. She is also vice-president of UK’s Gay-Straight Alliance and strives to create space for queer people and allies on campus and in the broader community. When she is not in class or at work, Katrina likes to travel and sleep.
Contact Us
Phone:
859-323-3312 (Business Office/Rayne Parker)
859-218-4816 (Lance Poston)
Visit:
Coordinator's Office: Blazer Hall 302
Director's Office: Blazer Hall 304
Community Room: Blazer Hall 301
Mail:
Office of LGBTQ* Resources
University of Kentucky
302 Blazer Dining Hall
343 South Martin Luther King Boulevard
Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0012
LGBTQ* and Friends Community Room
Contact Rayne Parker to reserve this space for a student meeting or event.
Located on the third floor of Blazer Hall, the LGBTQ* and Friends Community Room is an intentionally inclusive space available for students, faculty, and staff to use in a variety of ways. The room is equipped with a smart television for social events and meetings, a microwave and refrigerator to facilitate individual and group dining, a desktop computer for research and work, and ample seating for up to 15 individuals.
Keeping in line with our mission to serve all students, faculty, and staff at UK, we strive to ensure that every Wildcat feels welcome in the community room regardless of sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, class, or ability. We firmly believe that no person's liberation should necessitate another person's subjugation and continually work to maintain a safe space that makes room for important campus dialogues to take place.
Student Groups
As the Office of LGBTQ* Resources grows, one of our main goals is on promoting student leadership and collaboration through advising and supporting all student groups that have a core focus on gender and/or sexuality. We hope this section will give you a general idea of the LGBTQ* focused student organizations at the University of Kentucky.
- Gay Straight Alliance
- OUTLaw
- UKHope
- Queer Project
Scholarship and Awards Committee Members
Ellen Riggle, Faculty, College of Arts and Sciences
Rachel Farr, Faculty, College of Arts and Sciences
Jenna Hatcher, Faculty, College of Nursing
JoLynn Nye, Staff, Enrollment Management
Reinette Jones, Faculty, University Libraries
Ross Ewing, Alumni
JoAnne Wheeler Bland, Alumni