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Diane Loeffler and Natalie Pope stand together in Ireland

UK social work faculty co-edit new text advancing justice-informed practice

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 05, 2025) — Faculty members in the University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) are contributing to the next generation of social work education through a newly published edited volume, “Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice: Building Social Work Practice Skills.”

The book is co-edited by Kalea Benner, Ph.D., dean of Indiana University, and two UK College of Social Work faculty members: Natalie Pope, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the Ph.D. program, and Diane Loeffler, Ph.D., senior lecturer.

The text offers a foundational approach to justice-informed social work practice by bringing together experts from across the profession who emphasize the importance of understanding systemic barriers, the complex challenges individuals and communities face within those systems and how those experiences shape social work practice.

Designed as an entry point for students and practitioners, the text centers justice as a multidimensional framework that encompasses social, racial, economic and environmental dimensions. It also examines how structural inequities shape client experiences across systems.

“Our work is part of an ongoing commitment to preparing students to engage critically with the systems they will enter as practitioners,” Pope said. “Justice-informed practice requires both foundational knowledge and the ability to recognize how policies and structures can create or perpetuate harm.”

The textbook moves from key theoretical and conceptual underpinnings into applied discussions across major systems in which social workers operate, including education, criminal justice, child welfare, housing, health and environmental contexts.

“Each chapter integrates historical and policy perspectives with practical recommendations,” Loeffler said. “It was important to us that readers are equipped with tools to identify and respond to complex challenges in real-world settings, not just in theoretical contexts.”

Pope’s scholarship has been widely recognized for its impact in the field. She received the 2021 Rose Dobrof Award from the Journal of Gerontological Social Work for her co-authored article, “‘Just Like Jail’: Trauma Experiences of Older Homeless Men,” which examined the cumulative trauma experienced by men over age 50 with histories of homelessness. The award honors methodologically rigorous and innovative research that advances the field of gerontological social work.

Loeffler, a recipient of the University of Kentucky’s Outstanding Teaching Award, brings a strong emphasis on experiential learning and community-engaged research to both her teaching and scholarship. Her work connects classroom instruction to broader systems and policy conversations, helping students understand how their roles as social workers, advocates and policymakers can drive meaningful change.

In 2025, Loeffler participated in the Rural Investment Summit in Memphis, Tennessee, collaborating with leaders across banking, philanthropy and nonprofit sectors to address long-term economic and infrastructure challenges facing rural communities. Insights from this work inform her teaching, providing students with a deeper understanding of how large-scale policy and investment decisions translate into community-level outcomes.

Following the 2022 Eastern Kentucky floods, Pope and Loeffler led a qualitative research project examining how nonprofit and volunteer sector leaders responded to the disaster. The project was embedded within a doctoral research course, allowing students to serve as co-investigators, conduct interviews, contribute to data analysis and engage directly with community-based research in real time. Findings from the project have been presented at regional and national conferences and published in the “Troublesome Rising” anthology, with additional publications forthcoming.

Together, Pope and Loeffler’s new text builds on this shared commitment to bridging theory, research and practice. By emphasizing structural inequities and offering actionable strategies, the book prepares students to approach social work with a critical, justice-centered lens.

Black and white image of Patsy & Martin Tracy in 1964

Global Service, Kentucky Roots: The Enduring Legacy of Martin and Patsy Tracy 

Martin and Patsy Tracy’s story begins the way many meaningful lives do: in the space between two people learning how to put their beliefs into words and their words into action. 

At the beginning of their story, before there were passports and placements, before there were research programs and systems to reform, there was debate team. 

Martin and Patsy met on April 1, 1962, at a debate tournament in Morehead, Kentucky. Patsy was studying at Berea College; Martin was at Murray State. Somewhere between arguments and ideas, they found a shared rhythm. They exchanged information. Then came the letters. 

Thin paper folded and sealed, carried across distance between two people bound by curiosity, conviction, and a sense of responsibility to the world around them. Martin kept each one. Patsy wrote fifty-one. In those pages, she offered more than updates; she offered a mind in motion – twenty poems tucked among her sentences, three of them her own, and references to two dozen writers, as if the world itself could be expanded line by line into something truer, kinder, more awake. 

Martin knew early that he had found a partner whose intellect matched her independence. Patsy, driven and self-directed, wasn’t looking to settle down quickly. She once confided she needed seven years before she would even consider marriage. But through writing and a shared pull toward community, social services, and meaningful work, they began to recognize something larger forming between them. 

Eventually, Patsy transferred to Murray. In time, they married. And soon after their undergraduate years, they chose a path that would shape the rest of their lives: they joined the Peace Corps. 

From 1965 to 1967, Martin and Patsy served together in Turkey. 

They did not arrive as experts. They arrived as listeners. 

“I spent hours playing dominos,” Martin remembers. The village that welcomed them did not need saving so much as it needed partnership, and this distinction would become a quiet cornerstone of their lives. In cafés thick with cigarette smoke and conversation, Martin learned that development does not begin with blueprints, but with trust. 

Patsy watched just as closely. She observed how women cooked, shopped, and stretched limited resources into sustaining meals. She noticed the rhythms of daily life, the unseen labor, and the ingenuity already present. Where Martin built relationships in public spaces, Patsy built them in kitchens, markets, and homes – listening, learning, and noticing where small changes could make a meaningful difference. 

They were placed in the Cappadocia region, known for its striking “fairy chimneys” and cave dwellings. Tourism was beginning to grow, but the infrastructure to support it was limited. When local restaurants had no menus, Martin and Patsy helped design them first in Turkish, then in English. When visitors came to see the chimneys and cave homes, they suggested restaurants begin preparing boxed lunches for travelers heading out on long tours. 

These were small interventions, almost invisible ones. But they rippled outward. Income stabilized. Confidence grew. And the message was clear: they were not there to change the community’s ways, but to help strengthen what already existed. 

It was a lesson they carried for the rest of their lives: people support what they help build. 

When they returned to the United States, they brought back more than language skills. They returned with a recalibrated understanding of humility in service. Graduate school followed, not as a pivot, but as a continuation. Martin earned an MA and PhD from the University of Illinois. His work increasingly focused on social protection systems – how nations care for aging populations, support workers, and structure services that uphold dignity. 

He went on to serve as a senior research analyst with the Comparative Studies Staff in the Office of Research and Statistics at the U.S. Social Security Administration, and later with the International Social Security Association in Geneva, Switzerland. His work placed him in global conversations about retirement systems, labor policy, and social welfare structures across nations. 

Patsy, meanwhile, continued building bridges in the spaces around him. She taught English as a Second Language to students whose futures depended on fluency. Her classrooms were more than academic, they were cultural onramps. She helped newcomers learn not only grammar, but the subtleties of belonging, drawing on her own experiences adapting to life in Turkey. 

In Geneva, when Swiss regulations made formal employment difficult, she did what she had always done: she created her own opportunities. She advertised, gathered students, and began teaching independently. Where systems closed doors, she opened windows. Where formal pathways were limited, she built informal ones. Again and again, she ensured that the people around her were seen, supported, and connected to resources. 

In 1982, Martin began his academic career at the University of Iowa, where he became professor and director of social work programs. He later held the same leadership role at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, guiding the growth of programs that connected research, policy, and practice. His scholarship and administrative leadership focused on strengthening how social services systems functioned and how research could inform real-world care. 

Patsy’s path during those years ran alongside his, just as purposeful. She earned her LCSW and later trained in art therapy, working with survivors and individuals navigating addiction, trauma, and mental health challenges. Funding was often scarce. Creativity was not. Programs were built from conversations, not assumptions. Grants were won through storytelling and demonstrated need. She saw the people behind the challenges they faced and made sure they were not overlooked. 

Together, they kept returning to the same principle: community should be the author, not the audience. 

From 1999 to 2008, Martin served as a consultant to the International Labour Office in Budapest, contributing to a major project aimed at strengthening social services and civil society across eight countries in Southeastern Europe, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, and Serbia and Montenegro. In 2004, he was named a Fulbright Senior Specialist at the University of Bucharest. His career also included recognition as a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance and a Fellow of the Genealogical Society of America. 

In 2001, he returned to Kentucky to serve as Associate Dean for Research at the University of Kentucky’s College of Social Work, a role he held until his retirement in 2004. There, he focused on building research infrastructure that connected faculty and students, inquiry and practice, and policy with the communities it was meant to serve. 

Patsy remained deeply engaged in the communities they called home. Whether through teaching, counseling, volunteering, or organizing, she had a way of noticing who was missing from the room and finding a way to bring them in. She did not need to be at the center to be a leader; she worked from the edges, making sure the systems they helped build never lost sight of the people they were meant to support. 

Even in retirement, service did not recede. In Murray, Kentucky, they joined civic clubs, United Way efforts, Rotary, environmental initiatives, and church-based outreach. Patsy’s impact in community life was widely recognized, including being named State Newcomer of the Year for her engagement and leadership. Their commitment to the Commonwealth endured in tangible ways through the creation of the Martin Booth and Patsy Dills Tracy Scholarship at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work. The scholarship supports undergraduate and master’s students from rural Kentucky counties with populations under 100,000 who are engaged in research aimed at improving quality of life for rural Kentuckians. It also supports doctoral students studying social services or income support systems in rural communities in the United States or abroad, particularly those preparing for careers in social work education.

Later, as their needs changed, they relocated to Orlando, Florida, to be closer to family, carrying with them the same ethic of service and civic responsibility that had defined every place they called home. 

Ask them what sustained this lifetime of engagement, and they do not point to titles or accolades. They speak of parents who modeled civic duty. Mentors who nurtured curiosity. Early jobs that taught respect for work and for people. They speak of humility, of “good practices” rather than “best practices”, and of resisting the urge to arrive with answers. 

Service, for the Tracys, was never a performance. It was a posture. 

And perhaps that is the truest arc of their story: not a climb toward prestige, but a widening circle of care—drawn again and again around whoever stood in need of partnership. 

Abraham Teye Portrait

PhD student awarded second place for National Poetry Contest for Social Workers 

Lexington, KY – Poetry has long been a way for people to make sense of the world through emotion, memory and shared human experience. For University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) Ph.D. student Abraham Tetteh Teye, it is also a way to process the beauty, heaviness, heartbreak and hope that social workers encounter every day.  

A native of Ghana, Teye’s academic and professional journey has been shaped by a commitment to child welfare, social justice, human rights and the experiences of vulnerable populations. Before beginning his doctoral studies at CoSW, he completed the Erasmus Mundus Advanced Development in Social Work program, studying across multiple European universities.  

Those international experiences deepened his understanding of migration, poverty, inequality and other global social issues – perspectives that continue to inform both his scholarship and creative writing. 

“For me, poetry is both reflective and restorative. It allows me to process complex emotions, social realities, and human experiences in ways that academic writing does not allow.” Teye shared. “I see poetry as a form of storytelling, one that creates space for vulnerability, memory, resistance, and hope.” 

Teye’s poem, Presaging, earned second place in the 2026 National Poetry Contest for Social Workers and was published by The New Social Worker as part of its National Poetry Month feature highlighting the contest’s top three poems.  

The poem bears witness to the emotional weight of a client session in a way many social workers, counselors and helping professionals will immediately recognize. 

Teye opens with “I ask the alphabetical construction of her human dignity.” 

In a single line, he transforms routine documentation into something deeply human, asking readers to consider what it means to reduce a life, a wound, or a story into an assessment that can fit neatly onto paper. 

From there, Presaging unfolds in the tender quiet between counselor and client. Through fragments of memory, silence, and lived experience, Teye sketches the portrait of a young person confronting a life-altering reality.  

Without revealing the particulars of her story, he invites readers to sit in the weight of it — the devastation of betrayal, the heaviness of shame and the silence that often follows. 

Yet the poem refuses to leave its subject trapped there. Teye writes, “I refuse the stones of stigma and the sharp edge of judgment,” rejecting the impulse to define people by their worst moments or deepest wounds.  

Instead, he offers something gentler and perhaps more powerful. “I offer a different construction: a chair, a breath, a witness.” 

Teye closes his poem with a powerful reflection: “I am the keeper of her silence, until she finds her voice.” It is a line that leaves us with the reminder that even during uncertainty, stigma and suffering, a person’s story is not yet finished. 

To be recognized nationally in the 2026 National Poetry Contest for Social Workers is a remarkable accomplishment. Yet perhaps even more meaningful is the reminder Teye offers the profession itself: that social workers are not only practitioners and researchers, but storytellers, creators, witnesses and protectors of human dignity.  

As he continues his work as a researcher, educator and advocate, Teye hopes to use both scholarship and creative expression to contribute to conversations about social justice and the human experience — one story, and one poem, at a time. 

Read Teye’s poem here. 

Portrait of Dr. Wetmur

UK College of Social Work faculty member receives national CSWE Disability Manuscript Award

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Alison Wetmur, DSW, LCSW, visiting lecturer at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Disability Manuscript Award from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

The national award recognizes outstanding scholarship that advances understanding and inclusion of disability within social work education, research and practice.

The winning manuscript, “The Experiences of Growing Up Deaf in a Hearing-Abled Family: A Phenomenological Study,” was published in the Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare. The study interviewed 14 d/Deaf adults born into hearing-abled families, exploring the lived realities of growing up with a different ability status than other family members. Respondents spoke about childhood feelings of shame and isolation, frustrations with language access, and traumatic experiences that are commonplace in the Deaf community but largely unrecognized in the hearing-abled world. Informed by critical disability theory and Disability Justice principles, the study provides standpoint epistemology of the experience of growing up disabled in a hearing-abled family, research grounded in Wetmur’s own lived experience as a d/Deaf person raised in a hearing-abled home.

Wetmur’s work centers on Disability Justice, trauma, and expanding access to culturally responsive social work services for d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. Her scholarship and professional leadership have focused on strengthening disability-informed education, critiquing social work’s foundational frameworks through a Disability Justice lens, and improving clinical practice through ASL/English bilingual approaches. A particular focus of her work is language deprivation and its consequences for the social, emotional, and developmental well-being of d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

“As a DeafDisabled scholar, my lived experience is not separate from my scholarship, it is the scholarship,” Wetmur said. “Disability Justice is not a niche concern. It is a fundamental question about what social work is for, and it asks us to stop treating access as an afterthought and start treating it as a measure of whether our systems are working at all. I am honored by this recognition, and I hope it opens more space for disabled scholars to bring their full expertise to the profession without having to soften the critique.”

Born deaf to hearing parents and raised orally, Wetmur learned American Sign Language at age 23 after earning her bachelor’s degree in English literature from Drew University. After working in residential social services settings, she earned her Master of Social Work from Rutgers University before beginning clinical work at American School for the Deaf in West Hartford, Connecticut — the oldest school for the Deaf in the United States.

At the American School for the Deaf, Wetmur worked extensively with d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing middle and high school students experiencing significant behavioral, developmental and emotional challenges. She later returned to Rutgers University to earn her Doctorate of Social Work in 2022.

In addition to her teaching and scholarship at UK, Wetmur was appointed Inaugural Chair of the National Association of Social Workers National Committee on Disabilities in February 2026. She also serves on the Board of the Social Work Grand Challenges and as Team Lead for the Disability Justice cross-cutting group of the Social Work Grand Challenges Futures Initiative, where she contributes expertise related to disability-focused social work research and practice innovation. Wetmur is also co-founder of the Social Work Disability Justice League, a national professional organization advancing Disability Justice principles within the social work field. Wetmur’s scholarship has also extended internationally. In July 2025, Wetmur and collaborator Kristel Scoresby presented posters at the International Congress on the Education of the Deaf in Rome, Italy.

The Council on Social Work Education Disability Manuscript Award recognizes authors whose work significantly contributes to disability scholarship and advances the profession’s understanding of disability-related issues.

Image of Trish Ison

Social Work student becomes first Deaf Peer Support Specialist to earn CADCA I in Kentucky 

LEXINGTON, Ky. — For most of her life, Patricia “Trish” Ison has been guided by a simple instinct: to help. 

It was not always easy to do. 

As a Deaf woman navigating recovery, Ison often encountered a system that was not built with her in mind—one where access to care could feel out of reach, and where language and cultural understanding were too often missing. Those experiences, she said, did more than challenge her. They reshaped her sense of purpose. 

“I know what it feels like to need help and not be able to access it,” Ison said. “No one should have to go through that kind of struggle alone.” 

Now, as a student in the Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) program at the University of Kentucky, Ison is working to change that reality—not only for herself, but for others who have faced similar barriers. 

This spring, she became the first Deaf Adult Peer Support Specialist in Kentucky to earn the Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor Associate I (CADCA I) credential, a milestone that marks both a personal achievement and a broader step forward for accessibility in addiction recovery services. 

Ison was a participant in the CoSW’s Substance Use Counseling Undergraduate Training Program, which prepares students for careers in behavioral health and addiction counseling and eligibility for the Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor Associate I (CADCA I) credential.

For Ison, the credential carries meaning beyond its professional weight. 

“This is more than an achievement,” she said. “It’s about growth, purpose and becoming the kind of professional who can truly make a difference.” 

Her interest in social work grew out of the lived experience of navigating chronic challenges, seeking support, and of recognizing the gaps that exist for Deaf individuals in mental health and recovery spaces. Over time, that awareness sharpened into a clear focus: addiction counseling and advocacy for Deaf communities. 

“I am very passionate about making sure Deaf people have access to services that respect our culture, our language and our lived experiences,” she said. 

At the University of Kentucky, where she is pursuing her BASW with a focus in addiction counseling, Ison has found both direction and support. Though she said the university had long been part of her family’s story, her decision to enroll was ultimately her own. 

“After doing my own research, I felt strongly that UK was the best fit for me,” she said. “And that has proven to be true.” 

Still, she is quick to point to the people who helped her reach this point – family, mentors and a support system that encouraged her to keep going, even when the path ahead was uncertain. 

“Honestly, I never thought I would be here,” she said. “Being a trailblazer and helping open doors for future Deaf students. This isn’t just for me. It’s for them, too.” 

Olivia Raley, MSW class of 2025 with Colleagues from the Yellow Tulip Project

Social Work alum earns global Rotary honor for leadership in youth mental health

LEXINGTON, Ky. — For Olivia Raley, social work has become a powerful platform for community healing, education and connection. 

Early in her career, Raley was among the first cohort of social workers embedded within police departments across Kentucky. At the Bardstown Police Department, she and her therapy dog, Maverick, provide critical support in moments of crisis—helping individuals and families access immediate care and connect with essential community resources. 

In addition to her work in community policing, Raley serves as a board member for Kentucky Voices for Health, is an active member of the Rotary Club of Bardstown and was named a recipient of the University of Kentucky’s Sarah Bennett Holmes “30 Under 30” award. Across each of these roles, her work continues to center on making mental health resources more visible, accessible and community-led. 

Through her significant involvement in the Yellow Tulip Project of Nelson County, Raley has contributed to expanding opportunities for youth to engage in mental health awareness and advocacy. Youth across several schools have participated in week-long, dedicated mental health awareness activities through Family Resource and Youth Services Centers, as well as hands-on workshops such as planting Hope Gardens – learning how to advocate for mental health while building community connection. 

Several schools and community organizations have also participated in a county-wide scavenger hunt designed to bring families together, encourage conversations around mental health and connect participants with local resources through Tri-County Kentucky United Way’s Credible Minds platform. These efforts have been complemented by educational materials and peer-led advocacy opportunities that continue to expand the project’s reach. 

The Nelson County initiative builds on the broader mission of the national Yellow Tulip Project, which was founded after a teenager, Julia Hansen, sought to break down stigma surrounding mental health and create spaces where young people feel supported in seeking help. That vision has since taken root locally through a strong network of community partners. 

Key collaborators in Nelson County include Tri-County Kentucky United Way, Lincoln Trail District Health Department, the Department for Community Based Services, Family Resource and Youth Services Centers, WellCare and Lemon Aid Mental Health Services – each contributing to the initiative’s growth and impact. 

Recently, Raley was named one of Rotary International’s “Champions of Tomorrow,” a global distinction recognizing six young leaders worldwide who are driving meaningful change. She was the only recipient selected from the United States in 2026. 

What began as a local effort has evolved into a collaborative model for community-based mental health support that prioritizes prevention, partnership and long-term impact. 

Raley’s work has also been recognized close to home. In addition to her national Rotary honor, she was celebrated during the College of Social Work’s Annual Recognition Celebration with the “Rising Star Award” which recognizes recent alumni who are already making exceptional contributions in their field and who personify the principles and values of their profession. 

For Raley, the recognition is not about individual achievement, but about collective progress. 

As the Yellow Tulip Project continues to grow, so does its potential to influence how communities approach youth mental health by offering a model grounded in partnership, connection and care. 

Priscila Llamosa, Michelle Keller, Kristel Scoresby and Blake Conley stand together during at the International Family Therapy Association Annual Conference in Norway.

Social Work faculty, students present at International Family Therapy Association in Norway 

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Faculty and students from the University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) shared research and practice innovations with a global audience at the International Family Therapy Association annual conference in Norway, highlighting the college’s growing international presence in family therapy. 

Among the researchers representing CoSW were Kristel Scoresby, Priscila Llamosa, Michelle Keller, and doctoral student Blake Conley.

“This conference created space for meaningful exchange across cultures, disciplines and practice settings,” Llamosa said. “It’s an opportunity to not only share our work, but to learn from others who are advancing more inclusive and responsive approaches to care.” 

Llamosa’s presentation, “Navigating Difference Through Identity-Conscious Practice,” explores how identity mismatches between therapists and clients can create relational challenges and limit engagement. Drawing on the Identity-Conscious Psychotherapy Framework, the session outlined strategies such as reflexivity, trauma-informed care and cultural humility to advance more successful therapeutic practices. 

In a second presentation with Keller, the duo explored mental health needs among refugee populations following resettlement. Their session emphasized the need for culturally responsive assessment and treatment protocols while identifying opportunities to strengthen support systems for displaced individuals and families. 

Poster presentations expanded on these themes. Llamosa’s research reframed traditional notions of “resistance” in therapy, positioning client behaviors as protective responses rooted in cultural knowledge systems. In collaboration with Scoresby, she also presented on Universal Design principles in family therapy, offering practical strategies to create more accessible and inclusive environments for clients with disabilities. 

Scoresby and Conley contributed additional work focused on the integration of artificial intelligence in therapy education. Their presentations examined how AI tools can enhance training for emerging clinicians through simulation, feedback and case-based learning, while emphasizing the need to maintain ethical oversight and human-centered practice. 

The group’s collective presence at the conference reflects the CoSW’s ongoing commitment to contributing to the global research landscape and advancing social work education and practice in ways that improve the human condition for all.

Dr. Holden Dillman, PhD class of 2026 stands in graduation regalia on UKs Campus

Appalachian roots shape Holden Dillman’s path to a Ph.D. in social work 

LEXINGTON, Ky. — On May 8, 2026, Holden Dillman will cross the Commencement stage at the University of Kentucky, earning his Ph.D. in Social Work. His next chapter will keep him rooted in Kentucky, where he has accepted a faculty appointment in the psychology department at Transylvania University beginning in fall 2026. 

A licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and 2025–2026 DREAM Scholar through the University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Dillman’s work centers on the experiences of sexual and gender minority (SGM) young people in Appalachian communities. 

His research explores the intersections of identity, resilience and mental health, with a focus on elevating community-informed approaches to care and support. Through his dissertation project, “We Are Here,” Dillman examines how mental health, identity, caregiving and place shape both distress and resilience among SGM emerging and early adults in Appalachia. 

“My experience in the Ph.D. program at the College of Social Work has been deeply formative, both personally and professionally,” Dillman said. “The program has helped me see scholarship not as something separate from practice, but as another way of listening, witnessing and working toward change.” 

The project includes multiple studies, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches to better understand the lived experiences of SGM individuals across Appalachian contexts. Together, the work explores themes of mental distress, self-worth, belonging, caregiving and relational support, offering a more nuanced understanding of how individuals navigate both harm and resilience. 

Dillman said his research aims to shift the narrative around Appalachian and LGBTQ+ communities. 

“So much research about Appalachia has focused on deficits, and so much research about LGBTQ+ young people has focused on risk,” he said. “I wanted my work to also ask: Where do people find safety? How do people create belonging in places where they may have also experienced harm?” 

His contributions to Appalachian-focused research have been recognized with the 2025 James S. Brown Graduate Student Award for Research on Appalachia and the 2026 UK Appalachian Center Eller & Billings Student Research Award. 

“I am the first person in both my maternal and paternal family lines to receive a doctoral degree, and I hold that with a lot of gratitude and humility,” he said. “This accomplishment is not mine alone—it reflects the love, labor and sacrifices of the people who came before me.” 

Natalie Pope, director of the College of Social Work Ph.D. program, said Dillman’s impact extends beyond his research. 

“As a student, Holden has been such a steady presence among his colleagues and faculty he’s worked with,” Pope said. “We are so grateful to have worked alongside him and are glad that he’ll be right down the road at Transylvania University.” 

In addition to his academic work, Dillman brings a holistic perspective to his research, drawing on his background as a certified yoga teacher (CYT-200) and his experience in integrative mental health practice. 

Dillman said he hopes his work contributes not only to scholarship, but to recognition and belonging. 

“For SGM young people in Appalachia, I hope this work says: your experiences matter, your stories belong in research, and you are not invisible.” 

Portrait of Holden provided by Erica Chambers Photography.

Shawn Hunter holds recognition award and stands with mother and family friend during 2025 Annual Recognition Ceremony

‘Always the dream’: Shawn Hunter finds his path in social work at the University of Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. — For Shawn Hunter, attending the University of Kentucky was more than just a personal goal – it was “always the dream”.

After earning his GED in 2022 and starting college the same year, Hunter will graduate on Friday, May 8, 2026 Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in social work and continue directly into the College of Social Works’ Accelerated Master of Social Work program this fall.

The road to this milestone in Hunter’s life has been shaped by incredible resilience.

“I have faced many adversities in my life,” Hunter shared. “Since I was 14, I’ve been managing a chronic illness. Growing up, I was severely bullied for being sick and for my sexuality.”

Hunter learned early how quickly isolation can shape a person’s sense of self. He navigated the physical toll of chronic illness alongside emotional weight of bullying and feeling misunderstood. Later, the sudden deaths of both his brother and father altered the course of his life once again.

But those experiences sharpened his sense of empathy and his drive to help others.

“The trying times in my life helped me develop empathy toward others,” he said. “They instilled in me an unwavering passion for achieving success and helping others realize their full potential.”

As a nontraditional student, Hunter admits he initially felt intimidated entering higher education. But that uncertainty dissolved as he began to build relationships with students and faculty that strengthened his sense of self and purpose.

Hunter credits Dr. Shelita Jackson, director of the BASW program, as one of the most influential mentors in his journey.

“Her commitment to student learning and support helped me see my full potential and achieve things I didn’t think were possible,” he said.

Through the Accelerated Master’s Pathway, Hunter began taking graduate-level coursework while completing his undergraduate degree, building momentum toward a career rooted in service and advocacy.

“Social work feels like a path where I can turn what I’ve been through into something meaningful,” Hunter said.

Since arriving at UK, Hunter has earned a place on the dean’s list, maintained a 4.0 GPA and was inducted into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.

In 2025, he was named the College of Social Work’s Outstanding Undergraduate Student — an honor he describes as deeply meaningful.

“To have my hard work recognized by a place I feel so passionate about meant everything,” he said.

Hunter is also a recipient of the Virginia Marsh Bell Scholarship, which he said affirmed both his dedication and his place within the College.

For Hunter, those moments of recognition and hard work have continued to reinforce his commitment to serving others.

That commitment took shape through his practicum work at Ashland Terrace, an independent living community for women. The experience not only strengthened his clinical skills but deepened his passion for working with aging populations and individuals navigating complex health challenges.

Hunter’s next practicum placement will be with the University of Kentucky HealthCare Psychiatry and Trauma Surgery Departments, where he will serve for two semesters as he completes his MSW along with a Clinical Social Work (CSW) certificate.

“I know what it’s like to face the challenges of a disease,” he said. “That perspective allows me to approach others with respect, compassion and a genuine desire to help.”

This fall, Hunter will continue his education in the University of Kentucky’s Master of Social Work program, building on the foundation he has already established through the Accelerated Master’s Pathway.

With a future centered on advocacy, service and supporting others through life’s difficult moments, he remains grounded in the experiences that brought him here.

“I want to help people find the support they need and promote their wellbeing,” he said.

Portrait of Johnny Nantz III, MSW class of 2026

From case management to clinical care: MSW graduate Johnny Nantz builds a path toward holistic healing 

LEXINGTON, Ky. — For Johnny Nantz, the path to earning his second graduate degree wasn’t about starting—it was about going deeper. 

Already holding a master’s degree in psychology, Nantz was working as a case manager when he began to see the limits of focusing solely on individual behavior and expand his desire for a broader perspective. 

“I saw clients who needed more than psychological support,” Nantz said. “They needed someone who could help them navigate complex systems, access services and address underlying issues that were impacted their health and wellbeing.” 

With a strong foundation in mental health, Nantz chose UK’s Online Master of Social Work program to expand his clinical skills. 

“I wanted additional training that would allow me to continue working and providing therapy,” Nantz said. “The program’s flexibility gave me that opportunity, while also expanding my perspective in areas like policy, ethics, and clinical practice.”  

Nantz is also the first healthcare fellow from Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation to graduate since the partnership with the University of Kentucky College of Social Work launched in fall 2024. Created to strengthen workforce pipelines and expand access to behavioral health care in rural communities, the partnership provides tuition support for fellows pursuing advanced social work education. Through the initiative, professionals like Nantz are able to continue serving their communities through MCHC while building the clinical skills needed to address growing behavioral health needs across Eastern Kentucky.

For Nantz, practicum was particularly impactful. It allowed him to integrate his background in psychology with his social work training, helping him begin to shape his clinical identity.  

“Practicum reinforced that I am moving in the right direction professionally,” Nantz said. “I was especially proud to apply both my psychology background and social work training to support my clients.” 

Now graduating from the program, Nantz is focused on what comes next: continuing to build his clinical experience and working toward becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. 

“I’m motivated by the opportunity to help people create meaningful change in their lives,” he said. “Whether it’s through therapy or connecting someone to the right resources, being part of that process is what drives me.”