The University of Kentucky School of Human Environmental Sciences recently announced the recipients of the Patricia Brantley Todd Awards for Excellence in Human Environmental Sciences. The awards, recognizing excellence in national program leadership, extension and teaching, were presented at the school’s All-School Conference.

Patricia Brantley Todd is an alumna of the school and the wife of former UK President Lee T. Todd, Jr. The Todds provided the funding for the biannual awards to recognize and reward excellence among the faculty and staff at the school, which is a part of the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Winners receive a plaque and $1,000.

The 2013 award recipients are:

National Program Leadership: Janet Kurzynske. Janet Kurzynske, extension professor, is a national leader for at-risk audiences. During the past 20 years, she’s received $2.2 million in funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) State Strengthening program. These programs have reached more than 15 Kentucky counties. Since 1998, Kurzynske has served as one of six national technical assistance liaisons with CYFAR. She is also co-director of the Children, Youth and Families Education Research Network (CYFERnet), which has received $3 million in funding to provide web access to peer-reviewed resources and professional development opportunities for those working with at-risk audiences.

Extension: Martha Yount. As the Breathitt County family and consumer sciences extension agent, Martha Yount has worked to reach underserved audiences in her community through a variety of methods, including social media. Yount’s programs are geared toward meeting the needs of Breathitt County families and annually reach around 10,000 people. Her programming ranges from nutrition education to financial management to environmental stewardship.

Teaching: Jason Hans. As an associate professor in the UK Department of Family Sciences, nearly half of Jason Hans’ time is spent teaching undergraduate and graduate students. Students have consistently given him outstanding teaching evaluations. As an instructor for large enrollment classes, Hans has worked to integrate interactive elements into the courses. He also works with students to publish research and has co-authored 10 refereed journal articles with students, with five more articles in press or in review.