Alicia Abney
Academic Advisor

After her tumultuous first-year experience as an undergraduate student, Alicia is serious about her work as a cultural navigator for today’s students. She works hard to ensure that her conversations are with students and never at students. Alicia joined the Gatton Undergraduate Resource Center as an Academic Advisor in May 2023. She has extensive academic advising experience, including advising administration, advisor training and development, and advising research. Prior to entering the higher education profession, Alicia was a high school English teacher in Indiana. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in English with a secondary education minor at Indiana University, a Master of Arts in Student Development Counseling & Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University, a Specialist in Education (Ed.S) in Administration & Supervision – Higher Education from Middle Tennessee State University, and a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership from East Tennessee State University. Alicia’s dissertation research was focused on the importance of academic advisor training and development (The Front Lines of Student Success: A Phenomenography Exploring the Background and Knowledge of Primary Role Academic Advisors in Higher Education). She very involved in NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising and enjoys spending time with and learning from her peers in the organization.

As a first-generation student, Alicia knows how each student she meets has had their own experiences that have shaped their worldview and perspectives, impacting their ambitions and goals. She hopes every student that she helps to guide feels heard, supported, and encouraged to achieve their goals, no matter how their individual road to success may look. Alicia enjoys reading, being outside with her husband and dogs, sleeping in on the weekend, spending time with friends, kayaking and hiking, visiting her brother in the Pacific Northwest, magnolia flowers, sports, baking, music, terrible reality television, making others laugh, and watching her “kiddos” (no matter what age) succeed in life.

Contact Information

Phone: (859) 257-0709
Email: alicia.abney@uky.edu
Office: 144Y