Shonta Phelps
Director, Student Leadership Development

Shontá Phelps is the Director for Student Leadership Development in the Gatton College of Business and Economics. As an integral part of the Graham Office of Career Management, Shontá is charged with developing and facilitating leadership programs within the College such as the Gatton Ambassador Program and Women Business Leaders Program. With a focus on developing future leaders, she also serves as the instructor for the honors seminar Leadership in the Global Marketplace specifically tailored for the Gatton Honors Pathways students. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Phelps creates micro experiences such as Discovery Visits which allow students to go off campus to visit local companies and network with industry leaders. Through all of these initiatives, Shontá is able to use her coaching and facilitation experience to help students develop a stronger sense of their personal leadership style. Additionally, Ms. Phelps serves as the director for the ConnectFirst Mentoring Program which focuses on providing intentional support, leadership development, and career exploration to first and second year business students from underrepresented and/or first generation backgrounds. This Virginia native earned her Bachelors of Business Administration from the University of Kentucky and a Masters in Business Administration at Eastern Kentucky University. She has nearly 20 years of experience in higher education spanning an array of areas including undergraduate recruitment, enrollment management, academic advising, student support services, residence life, honors, and student involvement. As a proud first generation college student, Shontá truly believes in the power of education to transform lives and counts it a blessing to do the job she is called to do – championing one student at a time!

Contact Information

Phone: 859-257-2513
Email: shonta.phelps@uky.edu
Office: Gatton 132G