Carter nominated for MLK Center Catalyst Award

By Ryan Clark

CHS Communications Director

In this sense, it really was an honor just to be nominated.

Uriah Carter, the College of Health Sciences’ director of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, was nominated for the Catalyst Award, given to a faculty or staff member by the Martin Luther King (MLK) Center at the University of Kentucky.

The ceremony, held Thursday, recognized multiple faculty and staff award winners. Specifically, the Catalyst Award embraces King’s legacy of addressing injustice and inequality. The award winner demonstrates a commitment to supporting and advocating for students, engagement in academic endeavors that address systemic inequalities and racial equity and serves as a champion for an inclusive campus environment and experience.

And while Carter didn’t win, she was thankful to have been in the conversation.

“I feel very honored and blessed to be nominated,” she said. “All of the winners and nominees are phenomenal!”

Last year, Ke’La Porter, a doctoral student in the UK College of Health Sciences, won the Leadership Legacy Award, which is given to both an undergraduate and graduate student who embodies the spirit of King’s legacy of thoughtful leadership and trailblazing vision.

Carter, a Louisville native, is a two-time Kentucky graduate; she earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2016 and a master’s in Social Work in 2019.

“I just want to help create a community where people feel empowered, and they feel like they’re welcomed — and not just welcomed — but free to be who they want to be, whether you’re a student or faculty or staff,” she said. “I want this to be a place where we can trust each other.

“It really all comes down to respect and communication.”