Kirsten Turner

Vice President for Student Success

Dr. Kirsten Turner (she/her) earned her Ph.D. at the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education in the Center for the Study of Higher Education. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Kentucky and a bachelor’s degree from Hanover College. Her research interests deal with student development, the public benefits of higher education as well as the current state of the American professoriate. Dr. Turner serves as a DEI Executive Sponsor for the Student Workstream as well as an Ex-Officio member of the DEI Leadership Team. 

Turner previously was associate provost for academic affairs, a role in which she would oversee key academic areas, including Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Planning, Institutional Research and Advanced Analytics and Academic Decision Support. Most significantly, that includes the university’s retention and graduation efforts. In the last few years, UK has reached historic highs for both retention and graduation rates.

In her role, Turner, as associate provost for academic and student affairs, continues to oversee those functions, but will add critical offices such as the Dean of Students Office, Academic Advising, Residence Life, the Counseling Center and a number of related functions within Student and Academic Life.