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The University of Kentucky College of Social Work is fiercely committed to developing outstanding professionals– leaders who serve individuals, families, and communities through innovative and effective practices that are guided by cultural competency, systematic ethical analysis, and a keen and pragmatic understanding of the human condition. 

The College of Social Work Alumni Association (SWAA) Awards provide a mechanism for formal recognition of the accomplishments of such outstanding professionals, as well as those who contribute to their development, and are the highest honors bestowed by the College of Social Work for alumni and other supporters of the college. 

 

Award Descriptions

  • Provided outstanding leadership and supervision to students during experiential learning.
  • Showed a commitment to preparing future professionals.
  • Served as an Experiential Learning Instructor in the current or most recent academic year.
  • Provided outstanding leadership and supervision to students during experiential learning. Recognizes an organization who has provided volunteer service to the College of Social Work. Recipients will have served as an Experiential Learning Site in the current or most recent academic year.
  • Showed a commitment to preparing future professionals.
  • Recognizes an alum who has provided volunteer service to the College of Social Work by serving as an exemplary mentor.
  • Provided support for a current student in working toward their future professional goals.
  • Recipients must have earned a degree from within the College of Social Work (CJ or SW) and will have participated in the current or most recent iteration of SWAA Alumni-Student Mentoring Program.
  • Recognizes an alumnus who has elevated their profession through high impact innovation and creativity.
  • “Changed the game” in an aspect of their profession in order to meet a previously unmet need within their organization, their field of practice, or in the community.
  • Recipients must have earned a degree from within the College of Social Work (CJ or SW).
  • Recognizes an alumnus already making exceptional contributions in their field and must have earned a degree from within the College of Social Work (CJ or SW) within the last 10 years.
  • Personifies the principles and values of their profession.
  • Recognizes an alumnus who has made exceptional contributions through a distinguished career in their field of practice and personifies the principles and values of their profession.
  • The Alumni Excellence Award recipient must have earned a degree from within the College of Social Work (CJ or SW) 20 or more years ago.
  • The Alumni Excellence Award recipient will be inducted into the College of Social Work Hall of Fame. Since the inception of the Hall of Fame, inductees’ experiences have spanned the wide spectrum of their criminal justice or social work practice. Direct service, clinical practice, program and policy development, agency administration, teaching and research have all been represented.

Overall Eligibility Criteria

  • Recipients may not receive the same award multiple times.
  • Recipients must meet the eligibility criteria of their specific award.
  • Recipients must participate in the recognition event in person unless exceptional circumstances prevent such participation. If a recipient does not reside in Lexington, Kentucky, the College of Social Work will help cover the recipient’s cost of travel.

Terms and Conditions

  • SWAA reserves the right to name recipients for all or only a selection of the awards each year.
  • Only information submitted as part of a nomination will be considered; additional independent research regarding nominees will not occur.
  • The following nominations will not be considered: incomplete nominations, self-nominations, or nominations from a family member.

Nomination Process

The nomination period will be open until May 30 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Award recipients will be notified by the end of July 2025.

Please submit nominations via the online form below:

Submit Nomination

The following materials are required for a nomination to be considered:

  • Nominator and nominee identifying and contact information.

  • Nominee’s current vita or resume (not required for the Outstanding Experiential Learning Site Award).

  • A detailed justification for the nomination, explaining why the nominee is a deserving recipient.

If you have any additional questions regarding the SWAA Awards or require additional accommodation to complete the nomination process, please contact Seth Bailey.

Recognition Event

Award recipients will be recognized at an annual recognition event, to occur annually in the fall in Lexington, Kentucky.

As stated in the eligibility criteria, recipients must participate in the recognition event in person unless exceptional circumstances prevent such participation. If a recipient does not reside in Lexington, Kentucky, the College of Social Work will help cover the recipient’s cost of travel.

Prior Hall of Fame Recipients

  • 2024 – Mahjabeen Rafiuddin 
  • 2023 – Vanessa Hunn
  • 2019 – Rep. Susan Westrom
  • 2016 – Jim Clark, Margaret Hazlette
  • 2017 – Kay Hoffman
  • 2015 – Dorothy Offutt, Eileen Recktenwald
  • 2014 – Carl Smith, Teresa James, Liz Croney
  • 2013 – Beth Mills, Crystal Collins-Camargo
  • 2012 – Audrey Tayse Haynes
  • 2011 – Sherri Weisenfluh
  • 2010 – Patrick Yewell
  • 2009 – Patricia Wilson
  • 2008 – Teri Faragher, Kenn Hicks
  • 2007 – Gretchen Brown
  • 2006 – Betsy Nowland-Curry
  • 2005 – Robert Walker
  • 2004 – Virginia Bell
  • 2003 – William Beaven, Willis Bright
  • 2002 – Linda Harvey
  • 2001 – Irma Rosenstein
  • 1999 – Jean Ritchie, Elizabeth DuMez, Doris Wilkinson

Prior SWAA Award Recipients

  • Outstanding Field Instructor Award: Carissa Sietsema
  • Outstanding Field Agency Award: The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Endeavors
  • SWAA Mentor of the Year Award: LaKeith Sutton
  • Rising Star in Social Work Award: La’Shardae Scott
  • Alumni Excellence Award: Mahjabeen Rafiuddin 

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