LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 24, 2024) — The University of Kentucky Nu Circle of national leadership honor society Omicron Delta Kappa inducted 43 members at a ceremony on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. The group recognizes superior leadership and exemplary character and encourages collaboration among members across the five phases celebrated by the society: scholarship, athletics, service, communications and arts.
The UK Circle was established on May 2, 1925, and celebrates leaders across campus by co-hosting the Alumni Association Outstanding Teacher Award and other honors like the Maurice A. Clay Outstanding Graduating Senior Award and the Jerry D. Claiborne scholarship each year.
“This class of inductees is highly talented, hardworking, multidisciplinary — representing 11 different colleges on campus," said Nora Sypkens, Circle student co-president. "I am excited to collaborate with these student leaders and see what impact they can leave upon ODK and in their own respective fields in the coming year.”
Other student officers are: Hallie Rice, co-president; Sami Jones, membership chair; and Molly Tierney, communications chair. Francisco Andrade, Ph.D., a professor in the College of Medicine, is the faculty adviser. C. Lynn Hiler, program coordinator in the Chellgren Center, is the staff adviser and circle coordinator.
The 2023-24 undergraduate inductees include:
College of Arts and Sciences
- Rohan Kishor Desai.
- Kennedi D. Fishback.
- James Jie Hao.
- Kristen Rebekah Hughes.
- Olivia M Jacques.
- Mika Shaye Maynard.
- Safiyah M. Sadek.
- Jennifer Sadler.
- Matthew Sepulveda.
- Olivia Woodcock.
Omicron Delta Kappa is supported by the Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence within the Office of the Provost. For more information on membership, contact chellgrencenter@uky.edu.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.