Faculty Mentor of the Month

Mentors make a difference.

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) officially launched the Research Faculty Mentor of the Month recognition program in August 2017 and have since recognized 82 faculty mentors.

Each month the OUR office will highlight one of UK's outstanding and very much appreciated research faculty mentors who offer leadership and support to undergraduate student researchers.

Jessica Houlihan

Week 18 Feb 18, 2019

Jessica Houlihan is a Lecturer in the Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition in the College of Agriculture and PA-C in the Department of Pediatrics at the Kentucky Children's Hospital. She is interested in clinical and community-based research, quality improvement research, preventative and primary clinical care, women's health issues, and teaching/precepting students. In the past year, Houlihan has mentored approximately 60 undergraduate seniors that are enrolled in the DHN 474 and 475 Research Theory and Application class. Ms.

Samuel Awuah

Week 17 Feb 11, 2019

Dr. Samuel Awuah is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry in the College of Arts & Sciences. Dr. Awuah's research focuses on innovative drug discovery through computer-aided drug design, genetic editing, and rigorous chemical synthesis of organic and inorganic small molecule probes to interograte human biology processes and disease states towards new therapeutics. His laboratory is pivoted on three overarching themes involving drug discovery, chemical biology, and chemical immunology. In the past year, Dr. Awuah has mentored five undergraduate students.

Yang Jiang

Week 16 Feb 4, 2019

Dr. Yang Jiang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Behavioral Science in the College of Medicine. She is also an affiliated faculty member of the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, and of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Center at the College of Medicine. Dr. Jiang's research focuses on understanding the neural mechanisms underlying visual perception and cognition in healthy and clinical populations. In the past year, Dr. Jiang has mentored eight undergraduate students.

Gail Hoyt

Week 15 Dec 3, 2018

Dr. Gail Hoyt is a Professor of Economics and Gatton College Teaching Fellow in UK's Gatton College of Business & Economics. Dr. Hoyt is the co-coordinator for the Lab for Economics and Accounting Proficiency. Gail has won numerous teaching awards including the UK Alumni Association Great Teacher Award, the UK Provost's Award for Outstanding Teaching, and the Kenneth Elzinga Distinguished Teacher Award from the Southern Economic Association. Dr. Hoyt's dedication to education and mentoring makes such a difference to her students and mentees. Thank you Dr.

Dr. Ana Liberato -

Week 14 Nov 26, 2018

Dr. Ana Liberato is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of Graduate Studies in the Sociology Department in the College of Arts & Science. Her research interests include race, ethnicity, and gender and their interplay with political identity and political attitudes. Dr. Liberato's role as mentor giver her "satisfaction and pure joy from my successful mentees".

John D'Orazio

Week 13 Nov 19, 2018

Dr. John D'Orazio is a Professor of Pediatrics in the UK College of Medicine, as well as the Interim Director of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. Dr. D'Orazio is a physician scientist who combines a clinical career in pediatric hematology/oncology, caring for children with cancer and blood diseases, with melanoma and melanocyte research. Over the last year, Dr. D'Orazio has mentored 4 students in his lab and many others in the hospital as clinical observers onn Pediatric Hematology/Oncology rounds.

Susie Thiel

Week 12 Nov 12, 2018

Susie Thiel is a multi-media artist, choreographer, performer and educator. She is the Director of the Dance Program and Assistant Professor of Theatre at the University of Kentucky. Over the past year, Ms. Thiel has mentored 10 undergraduate students and explained, "I work hard to teach my students the importance of dance research and practice as research. Most students do not realize the importance of dance scholarship or that dance performance and choreography is research.

Sarah Kercsmar

Week 11 Nov 5, 2018

Dr. Sarah Kercsmar is Director of Undergraduate Studies and CLM Assistant Professor in the College of Health Sciences. Dr. Kercsmar loves teaching and working with students, from the very first year until graduation. She especially likes trying out new teaching methods and active learning tools to help students learn through hands-on experience. Her research interests include the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, service-learning, and population level public health interventions.

Christia Brown

Week 9 Oct 22, 2018

Dr. Christia Brown is Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Psychology, as well as the Director of Center for Equality and Social Justice. Over the past year, Dr. Brown has mentored 15 students. When asked how her role as a mentor creates value in her life, she explained, "I am deeply inspired by my mentees. The most rewarding part of my job is helping students develop a passion for research and a drive to ask the kinds of questions that can improve the world." Dr.

David Puleo

Week 8 Oct 15, 2018

Puleo joined UK in 1991 after receiving his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. He became director of the Center for Biomedical Engineering (now the F. Joseph Halcomb III, M.D. Department of Biomedical Engineering) in 2005 and associate dean for research and graduate studies in 2015. He received UK’s Excellence in Teaching for Biomedical Engineering in 2011, 2013 and 2015 and the College of Engineering Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research in 2013.

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