05/27/2026
Congratulations to the two recipients of the Founding Dean’s Award for Faculty Excellence in Honors Education, Dr. Julie Boutwell-Peterson and Dr. Kevin Sarge, and to business officer Laura Carter for winning the Staff Excellence Award.
The faculty awards, established in 2023 by Dr. Christian and Elizabeth Brady, recognize faculty who engage students in and outside the classroom, who model lifelong learning through continuous professional and pedagogical development, who foster critical thinking & intellectual inquiry, and who demonstrate excellence in all aspects of their teaching. One award is presented to a Lewis Honors College faculty member, and the other is given to a University of Kentucky faculty member.
Dr. Boutwell-Peterson teaches creative writing and an experiential course on the lives of immigrants and refugees. Nominators praised “her ability to foster empathy and creativity in her classroom,” which in turn led to deeper understanding. Multiple students describe her passion for good writing, her serious attention to their work, and her ability to foster an atmosphere where students are “willing to be vulnerable” and can overcome fear of “negative feedback.”
Dr. Sarge, a molecular and cellular biochemistry professor in the UK College of Medicine, teaches many Honors courses, including Appalachian Health. His nominator said he “never had a kinder, more inclusive professor.” Dr. Sarge begins by making students feel comfortable before introducing challenging, sensitive topics; students discuss things frankly and feel heard in his class. He “balances going into detail while also keeping class fun.”
Laura’s nominator wrote, “Laura is the quiet architecture of the Lewis Honors College. Her business sense and steady hand are the foundation beneath everything we build. Behind the scenes of every successful program, she is the unseen hand ensuring guest speakers are paid, organizations are supported, and supplies are purchased. Her work isn’t designed for the spotlight. It is something rarer: true, selfless service to this community.”
