Following the end of the 2022–2023 school year, three University of Kentucky College of Public Health advisors were honored for their work with students with nominations for campus-wide awards. Matt Bunch was nominated for the Outstanding New Advisor Award and won the Student Success Outstanding New Employee Award, while Jennifer Strange and Benji Bryant were nominated for the Ken Freedman Outstanding Advisor Award.
“I am truly proud of our team and grateful to have a front row seat. I see the positive impact that my colleagues’ work has on students, inside and outside of our college, on a daily basis,” said Britt Allen, CPH Assistant Dean of Student Affairs. “Recognition always feels good, but when the recognition comes from our students, it’s even more meaningful. Our students are the catalyst for our daily work — the fuel that drives us.
The Ken Freedman Outstanding Advisor Award is presented by the UK Advising Network to one full-time professional advisor and one faculty advisor for outstanding service. Ken Freedman, the award's namesake, was one of the founders of the UK Advising Network in 1986 and served as a professional advisor at UK until his death in 2001.
The Outstanding New Advisor Award is presented by the Advising Network to recognize an academic advisor who has been in the role for less than a year. The Student Success Outstanding New Employee award recognizes an Office of Student Success staff or faculty member who has demonstrated overall outstanding performance in their role. Twelve employees were nominated for it, the most of any of the categories.
“It was an honor to be nominated for the award and a surprise to win among the field of nominees,” said Bunch. “There is a lot of great work going on in Student Success in different departments and specifically academic advising to support students. It’s great to have the work I’ve been a part of have an impact on our students and be recognized on a university level.”
Bunch joined the CPH advising team in Fall of 2021. He has worked in higher education, mainly in admissions at a previous institute, prior to joining UK. His hope is to provide insightful direction of resources and perspective to connect with students as they navigate their academic careers.
Allen said Bunch has been an incredible asset to CPH’s Student Engagement & Academic Success (SEAS) team and to CPH students, particularly freshmen. Allen said Bunch launched the First-Year Focus initiative in the Fall of 2022, which serves as a dedicated time and safe space for freshmen to experience fellowship, share joys or concerns, and ask questions of returning student ambassadors.
“Being in a college like Public Health offers a different level of connectivity,” Bunch said. “I enjoy the ability to build a link with students about their different interests and how a base BPH degree can provide a foundation for a variety of their end goals, whether they seek to impact communities in the workforce, seek to continue education in a graduate program, or go on to be a direct care provider in a professional school.”
Bunch said working with a supportive team only adds to the ability to collaborate on projects and brainstorm ways to improve the team’s practices and, more importantly, the services geared toward the students.
“I would like to acknowledge and thank the members of our Student Engagement and Academic Success office, which is a wonderful team to work with,” Bunch said. “Specifically, Britt Allen, assistant dean of student affairs, for cultivating a work space that allows for team chemistry and relationship building. Additionally, Jennifer Strange, CPH director of academic advising, for her encouragement and guidance to support both my role and our students.”
For more on the advising awards, visit https://www.uky.edu/advisors/node/2067.
To connect with the SEAS office, visit https://cph.uky.edu/students/student-engagement-academic-success or stop by their office in the College of Nursing Building.
