Wally Ferrier – from Gatton Undergrad to Gatton Department Chair (and everything in between)For Wally Ferrier, strategy isn't just discipline, it's a way of thinking. Whether he's leading the Department of Management at the University of Kentucky's Gatton College of Business and Economics, mentoring doctoral students or challenging MBA candidates to think more critically about competition, Ferrier believes the best leaders are those who never stop learning.That philosophy has shaped a career spanning more than three decades at Gatton.
In the May 2026 episode of Simon Says, Dean Simon Sheather highlights some of the biggest recent moments at the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics, including Spring 2026 Commencement, faculty and staff awards, student competition wins, the launch of the Blue Means Business Conference, study abroad departures and more. This month’s episode also celebrates major milestones, including retirement recognitions and standout accomplishments from students, faculty and staff across the college.
When Michael Wheeler arrived at the University of Kentucky, he planned to study finance through the Wall Street Scholars Program. Four years later, he leaves the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics as a triple major, national fellowship participant, student government leader and one of the university’s highest student honorees.
This spring, Wheeler was named one of two recipients of the Otis A. Singletary Outstanding Senior Award, recognizing sustained leadership and service to the University of Kentucky. He also recently represented UK and Gatton College in Washington, D.C., as a 2025-26 Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress (CSPC) Presidential Fellow, presenting original research on economic development policy and leadership.
For Wheeler, the experience reflected years of growth shaped by leadership and relationships formed throughout his time at Gatton College.
