Chellgren Center names 34 new fellows, 5 endowed professorships, 3 faculty fellows

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 25, 2023) — The Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence recently named 34 new fellows, five endowed professorships and three faculty fellows. With a mission to advance the University of Kentucky’s commitment to student excellence, teaching excellence and program excellence, the center works toward that mission through these three programs.

The Chellgren Student Fellows Program is open to all majors and takes place during the student’s second year at UK. During this time, students receive help understanding the process of research within their discipline, a research mentor to oversee a spring research project and assistance in preparing for the next phase of their career. Student Fellows also benefit from a variety of extracurricular events designed to broaden cultural and intellectual horizons.

The students selected as 2023 Chellgren Student Fellows are:

• Angel Aguilar, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering
• Anaya Ali, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
• Sawyer Arbogast, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering
• Maria Arenas Florez, College of Arts and Sciences
• Kiara Baker, College of Arts and Sciences
• Devin Bester, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering
• Alexander Branch, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering
• Angie Bushroe, College of Arts and Sciences
• Bailey Darbro, College of Communication and Information
• Leila Dawson, College of Arts and Sciences
• Elizabeth Elliott, College of Arts and Sciences
• Isabella Hardin, College of Arts and Sciences
• Lavery Malena Hughes, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
• Abigail Humphrey, College of Public Health
• Anna Melchers, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
• Lordina Mensah, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering
• Brady Moore, College of Health Sciences
• Leah Moylan, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering
• Emalie Mullane, College of Arts and Sciences
• Hersch Nathan, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering
• Brayden Nichols, College of Design
• Joy Ntakarutimana, College of Arts and Sciences
• Carlee O’Neal, College of Arts and Sciences
• Charles Petty III, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
• Siena Pilati, Martin School of Public Policy and Administration
• Hollings Ruml, College of Arts and Sciences
• Samuel Smith, Gatton College of Business and Economics
• Amica Snow, College of Education
• Lauren Spencer, Martin School of Public Policy and Administration
• Sophia Tseng, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering
• Anamei Walli, College of Arts and Sciences
• Olivia Walton, College of Arts and Sciences
• Caleb West, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering
• Drew White, College of Health Sciences

In addition to the Student Fellows, five Chellgren Endowed Professors and three Faculty Fellows were also named. The endowed professors are:

• Claire Clark, Department of Behavioral Science, College of Medicine
• Jennifer Cramer, Department of Linguistics, College of Arts and Sciences
• Sarah D’Orazio, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Generation, College of Medicine
• Rebekah Radtke, School of Interiors, College of Design
• Leon Sachs, Department of Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Culture – French, College of Arts and Sciences

Chellgren Endowed Professors maintain an active research program in their discipline, teach courses in one of the university’s programs of excellence or within their college or department, and direct a specific project intended to advance progressive reform of undergraduate education. They also collaborate with colleagues in the Chellgren Center on other initiatives and activities that are intended to improve the quality of the undergraduate experience and help UK become a beacon of undergraduate excellence. This is a three-year appointment.

The three Faculty Fellows are:

• Amanda Ellis, Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health
• Jennifer Osterhage, Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences
• Lydia Pelot-Hobbs, Department of Geography and African American and Africana Studies, College of Arts and Sciences

Chellgren Faculty Fellows are provided resources and support to design academic courses, research projects and other forms of creative work for a one-year period. Activities developed should sustain equity-oriented partnerships, organize novel opportunities for students to learn, and support faculty and students to implement ethical and rigorous participatory activities. The next application cycle will open in spring of 2025 for the 2025-2026 academic year.

These prestigious positions were made possible by an initial gift from Paul Chellgren and his family to create the Chellgren Center in 2005. As a UK undergraduate, Chellgren was an Honors Program student and star intercollegiate debater. After earning his MBA from Harvard and a D.D.E. from Oxford University, he began a successful career that culminated with his retirement as chairman and CEO of Ashland Inc. He was inducted into UK’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 2000 and the Gatton College of Business and Economics Hall of Fame in 1995 and served on the UK Board of Trustees for 11 years. His commitment to improving and enriching undergraduate education at UK continues to impact thousands of UK students, faculty and staff.

The Chellgren Center, the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards and our campus partner the Office of Undergraduate Research, will be hosting an open house 8:30-11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, on the second floor of Funkhouser Building (Rooms 224, 211 and 219/221). Stop by to welcome the new class of student fellows, endowed professors and faculty fellows, meet the staff and learn more about the units.

The Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence is housed within the Office of the Provost. To learn more about the Chellgren Center, please visit www.uky.edu/chellgren/.