LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) is proud to announce the 2025 recipients of the Lyman T. Johnson Awards. This year, BASW alumna and faculty member Dr. Laneshia Conner has been named the Torch of Excellence Award recipient, and BASW student Aniyah Maxey has been named the Torch Bearer Award recipient.
The awards will be be presented during the 2025 Lyman T. Johnson Awards Luncheon on Friday, October 17, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Gatton Student Center Grand Ballroom.
The Lyman T. Johnson Torch of Excellence Award honors alumni whose values, faith, hard work and determination have positively impacted the lives of people on UK’s campus, the city of Lexington, the Commonwealth, and/or the nation. The Torch Bearer Award recognizes students whose academic achievement and ability have positively impacted the lives of others.
Both honors are named for Lyman T. Johnson, the civil rights pioneer who in 1949 became the first African American to enroll at the University of Kentucky, opening the doors for generations of students and scholars.
Dr. Laneshia Conner – Torch of Excellence Award
Laneshia Conner, PhD
Dr. Conner, an assistant professor at CoSW, is nationally recognized for promoting health and safety for older Black women through community-led solutions.
Most recently, Conner was awarded a five-year, $615,000 grant from the National Institutes on Aging to develop and refine Woman to Woman (W2W)—a culturally tailored HIV prevention intervention for older Black women.
The project provides pilot data and professional development to support a future large-scale clinical trial.
As part of her commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and advancing health equity, Dr. Conner also received a UK UNITE Humanities Pilot Grant—an initiative supporting research teams across career stages to generate sustainable, extramurally funded projects.
Aniyah Maxey – Torch Bearer Award
Aniyah Maxey, BASW class of ’26
Maxey is a standout student in the BASW program. serving as both a College of Social Work Student Ambassador, a participant in Kentucky’s CW PREP program, and a student in the Lewis Honor’s College.
Earlier this year, she was honored with the “30 Under 30” award at UK’s Sarah Bennett Holmes Luncheon and recognized as a Student Government Association Student of the Month.
Through her commitment to leadership, service, and community, Maxey embodies the very spirit of the Lyman T. Johnson legacy.
“We are thrilled to celebrate Dr. Conner and Ms. Maxey as this year’s recipients of the Lyman T. Johnson Awards,” said Ramla Osman, director of philanthropy at CoSW “Both have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to scholarship, leadership, and service, and they embody the spirit of excellence and perseverance that these awards represent.”
