University of Kentucky®
Overview
This page highlights award-winning faculty and staff whose collaboration, creativity, and support help strengthen online learning across the University of Kentucky.
The University of Kentucky Online Teaching Awards was established in 2026 to recognize faculty excellence and exemplary commitment to online education. Nominations are submitted from across campus, and an awards committee reviews the submissions and selects the recipient. In 2025, UK Online introduced the UKO Advocate recognition as an extension of its annual staff Excellence Awards. Through this recognition, UK Online staff nominate faculty or staff from outside the unit, and unit leadership reviews the nominations and selects the recipients.
2026
The inaugural University of Kentucky Online Teaching Award was presented to Sean Burns, Associate Professor in the School of Information Science in the College of Communication and Information. The award committee found that Burns was applying a wide range of pedagogical and curricular design principles alongside a commitment to scholarly development. Read more in this feature about Dr. Burns.
Carla Cantagallo, Librarian, started at UK as Extension Librarian, working with faculty and staff in a team that was a forerunner of what became Distance Learning and UK Online. She served on the 2026 UK Online Steering Committee and provides invaluable DL library services support to faculty and staff. “I have always felt quite fortunate to work with the excellent people managing, creating, and teaching within the Distance Learning/UK Online area,” she said. “The icing on the cake is supporting the students taking courses, often from afar, and introducing – or reminding – them of the amazing sources and services the library provides.”
Keith Wilson, Professor in the College of Education, serves on the Online Program Directors Forum and regularly consults with staff and UK Online partners to support his work as program chair in the counselor education program. “When I think about our partnership, two words immediately come to mind: innovation and patience,” he said. “UK Online is not only patient with instructors but also encourages us to move beyond our comfort zones. The Counselor Education Program is convinced that part of the reason our enrollment is booming is UK Online’s patience, guidance, and continued to support for the services they offer. I need a lot of all three!”
2025
Clinical Assistant Professor in the College of Social Work, Stephanie Ratliff was nominated in the award’s first year by multiple staff members for her proactive measures, communication, and collaboration in supporting UK Online’s Distance Learning Administration teams in compliance and student location verification. In her work as Director of Social Work Practicum Education, she oversees social work programs with placements and opportunities in every U.S. state and across the globe. “Collaboration with UK Online is essential to ensuring online learners have the resources to achieve their educational goals. In my role as Director of Social Work Practicum Education, I look to my colleagues at UK Online for guidance about compliance issues across the country and beyond.”
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