UK’s College of Social Work Academic Advising Director Jaime Wainscott was honored with the Ken Freedman Outstanding Advising Administrator Award on Monday, May 8, 2023 at the Gatton Student Center.
The award is presented annually by the UK Advising Network. Ken Freedman, the award’s namesake, was one of the founders of the UK Advising Network in 1986 and served as a professional advisor at UK until his death in 2001.
“We are extremely proud of the work that Jaime has done in and for CoSW,” said Jay Miller, dean for CoSW. “Her commitment to excellence in academic advising is contagious and I am extremely glad for that commitment to be recognized in this way.”
Wainscott earned her undergraduate degree from the CoSW and her Master’s from the University of Louisville. She worked in the field providing both child welfare and medical social work services before joining CoSW as an advisor. Wainscott says she has always enjoyed the training and preparation pieces that come with working with students.
“I love their enthusiasm for changing the world and making a difference,” she shares. “I’ve always gravitated towards students, so when I saw the College of Social Work had a position posted for advising, I took that opportunity and thankfully they gave me a chance.”
Wainscott transitioned to the Academic Advising Director role two years ago and is responsible for supervising an advising team of five, as well as serving students across all programs in the college. She is incredibly appreciative of receiving the award because she knows that the nominations come directly from members of the UK community.
“There are so many wonderful advisors and directors of advising who are nominated that to be selected from such a strong pool of nominees means a lot to me. What means the most to me is having the confidence of my team…That is a huge compliment.”
Wainscott considers the CoSW her home and is excited to take on new responsibilities and challenges as the college continues to grow.
“I love working with students, helping to create opportunities, and taking away barriers for them to get their degrees and reach their goals.
I also really love supporting my team in an administrative role—supporting students by supporting their academic advisors—by making processes easier and more accessible, and making sure people feel like they have a community and a support system.”
