Carol Street 2026 Excellent Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year
Carol Street mentors undergraduates in the Learning Lab at the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center. Carol received her MLS, BA, and a certificate in Museum Studies from Indiana University, and has previously worked in museums, libraries, and other archives around the country. She has since moved to Lexington, where she mentors students at the Special Collections Research Center.
Carol Street cultivates critical thinking skills and information literacy by infusing coursework with modern-day examples to help students better understand history and their place in it. Carol said that the best thing about being an undergraduate research mentor is “watching students develop confidence and build a supportive academic community based on exploring the past.”
“Carol's commitment to undergraduate research is extraordinary because she is present,” recalled Anaya Ali, one of her mentees. “As the architect of the Learning Lab program, a one-of-a-kind program she has nurtured through every stage of its growth, she works alongside us day in and day out. She refuses to let us remain in the background; instead, she actively teaches us the granular skills of library science and archival data collection.”
Carol Street had an undergraduate research experience that inspired her own education and career. She said that she “had two internships in art galleries where I archived records pertaining to artists. I will never forget the awe of sorting through the boxes containing paper remnants of the rich lives of the artists Nicholas and Vera Morosoff.”
“She accomplishes what seems impossible: she single-handedly runs a one-of-a-kind undergraduate research program while fulfilling the demanding responsibilities of her primary role as an archivist in Special Collections,” said Anaya Ali, in the Street Lab. “Her job is extraordinarily difficult; she juggles countless responsibilities, yet she works on a deeply personal level with every student she mentors. What sets her apart is her relentless advocacy. She fights for us, our projects, and our opportunities without hesitation.”
Thank you, Carol Street, for your continued support of undergraduate research at the University of Kentucky. We are pleased to recognize your commitment and dedication as one of the 2026 Excellent Undergraduate Research Mentors of the Year.
Learn more about Carol Street and her research: