2026 Mobley Awards recognize achievement, service to UK
By UK PAE Staff
The University of Kentucky Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement (PAE) recognized five individuals for their contributions to the university at the 2026 Terry B. Mobley Philanthropy Awards.
The annual awards honor staff members and university partners whose work advances UK’s philanthropic mission through professional achievement, service and lasting impact. Each recipient receives a commemorative julep cup, a monetary stipend and recognition on a plaque permanently displayed in the Sturgill Philanthropy Building.
“Behind every gift to this university is someone who made the experience personal,” said Jake Lemon, UK vice president for philanthropy and alumni engagement. “These colleagues have spent years doing that work with skill and conviction, and we’re proud to recognize them.”
This year’s recipients are Rachel Miersma, Front Line Award; Megan Armstrong, Rising Achievement Award; Lisa Atkinson, Professional Achievement Award; Ally Trauth, Impact Award and Kevin Locke, Philanthropy Service Award.
The Front Line Award recognizes a UK PAE or other support staff member whose performance supports the university’s philanthropic efforts. This year’s recipient is Rachel Miersma.
Miersma is a philanthropy assistant who provides administrative and operational support to the assistant vice president for philanthropy and the college and unit philanthropy team, coordinating communications, scheduling, reporting and logistics. She also supports donor and alumni engagement, from stewardship reporting and research to donor visits, meetings, special projects and events across PAE.
Since joining the office in 2024, Miersma has focused on cross-functional collaboration and projects that bring together colleagues and partners across the university. She has contributed to initiatives including the Hall of Distinguished Alumni and the annual PAE staff retreat, developed creative materials and activities for staff engagement and serves on the PAE CoMMIT Values Integration Committee. She also coordinates SPARK (Sharing Perspectives and Real Knowledge), a guest-speaker segment designed to encourage learning and connection among the college and unit philanthropy team. She earned a Master of Public Administration in law and policy and a bachelor’s degree in criminal psychology from Liberty University, along with an associate degree in psychology from Bluegrass Community and Technical College. She is originally from Riverside, California.
The Rising Achievement Award recognizes a professional staff member with fewer than five years of experience in UK PAE or college- and unit-level philanthropy or alumni relations who demonstrates strong performance, significant success and potential for continued achievement. This year’s recipient is Megan Armstrong.
Armstrong is assistant director of marketing and communications for UK Philanthropy, where she leads day-to-day marketing and communications efforts. Her responsibilities include project management, strategy, writing, editing and collaborating with colleges and units to meet marketing and communications needs across Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement.
Since joining the office in 2025, Armstrong has developed new strategies and processes for communications and marketing projects. Her work has helped ensure the timely delivery of proposals, mailings, emails and stewardship reports supporting annual giving and major and principal-level donors. She earned bachelor’s degrees in public relations and political science from Western Kentucky University and is from Morehead, Kentucky.
The Professional Achievement Award recognizes a professional staff member with at least five years of relevant experience who consistently demonstrates strong performance and significant success and impact in philanthropy or alumni relations. This year’s recipient is Lisa Atkinson.
Atkinson serves as executive director of principal gift operations, overseeing fundraising operations for the university’s top 25 to 35 donors and prospects. She works with senior leadership and campus partners to advance major philanthropic initiatives, cultivate donor relationships and coordinate high-level engagement opportunities supporting the university’s priorities.
Atkinson began her career in philanthropy in 1999, as administrative coordinator for Mike Richey, UK’s former vice president for philanthropy and alumni engagement. She later served as associate director for clubs, membership and programs with the UK Alumni Association before spending 12 years in alumni relations and marketing roles in the UK Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering. She returned to Philanthropy in 2016, working in donor relations, stewardship and communications before moving into principal gifts in 2024. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from UK in 1992 and a Master of Education from the University of Louisville in 1994. She is a native of Waverly, Kentucky.
The Impact Award honors a staff member whose efforts during the calendar year have led to a momentous, positive and lasting change at the university. This year’s recipient is Ally Trauth.
Trauth oversees the establishment of gift and endowment accounts across the university, ensuring contributions are allocated accurately and in accordance with donor intent. Since joining UK Philanthropy in 2022, she has served in roles supporting UK HealthCare’s Grateful Patient Team and the UK College of Medicine before advancing to her current position in 2025. Over the past year, she has facilitated the transfer of more than $4 million from university holding accounts into designated gift and endowment funds and established 100 new accounts, strengthening the university’s ability to steward philanthropic contributions effectively. Trauth earned bachelor's degrees in marketing and management from UK in 2015 and an MBA from the university in 2016. She is from Wilder, Kentucky.
The Philanthropy Service Award recognizes a UK senior professional, administrator, faculty member or volunteer who has demonstrated extraordinary support for the university’s philanthropic efforts and advocates for philanthropy without working full time in UK PAE. This year’s recipient is Kevin Locke.
Locke serves as associate vice president for UK Planning, Design & Construction and as the university architect. He leads a staff of more than 40 professionals responsible for campus planning, design, construction and renovation. The unit manages more than 300 active projects at a time, representing more than $6.5 billion in projects in planning, design or construction.
Locke joined UK in 2020 after more than 30 years as an architect in private practice. He earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design from Texas A&M University and a Master of Architecture from the University of Houston. He also served in the U.S. Navy as a navigator and gunnery officer. Locke is a member of the American Institute of Architects and a LEED Accredited Professional.
Lemon said the honorees share an ability to turn creativity and dedication into lasting relationships with donors and alumni.
“Their work reaches well beyond this office,” he said. “Students, patients and communities across the Commonwealth are better off because of it.”
The awards honor the legacy of Terry B. Mobley, a 1965 UK graduate who joined the university in 1977 as chief development officer and helped transform its fundraising operation. Mobley played a central role in expanding the “A Call to Greatness” campaign into a $1 billion effort, an unprecedented goal for a public institution at the time. Under his leadership, UK became the first public university in America to raise $1 billion.
Established in 2005, the Mobley Awards recognize individuals who advance the university’s philanthropic mission. More than seven dozen recipients have been honored since the program began. To learn more about the awards, visit the Terry B. Mobley Philanthropy Awards page.