Staff Spotlight

Arielle Parker, Marketing Intern 

The Study is excited to announce Jim Breslin as our Staff Spotlight of the Month! Jim is the Associate Director at Academic Enhancement (AE).  When Jim isn't maintaining the day to day operations of AE, he enjoys spending time with his wife and cheering on Notre Dame with his dog, CJ.  Read on to learn more about what makes Jim such a great addition to The Study.

NAME:

Jim Breslin

DEGREE(S):

BA, Anthropology, University of Notre Dame

MS, Higher Education, University of Kentucky

PhD (in progress), Higher Education, University of Kentucky

OCCUPATION:

Associate Director, Academic Enhancement

I’m responsible for the day-to-day operations of all programs and services that Academic Enhancement provides for the UK community. My goal is to help create an atmosphere of collegial learning and to facilitate effective, efficient communication. I work very closely with Dr. Karin Lewis, Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Education and Director of Academic Enhancement to provide leadership for all AE staff, establish and monitor progress toward strategic goals, and serve as a resource and partner for colleagues across campus. I am also responsible for maintaining the AE assessment plan, providing supervision and support for the AE staff, and for designing and implementing new, impactful programs and services to benefit UK students.

HOMETOWN: 

Louisville, KY

HOBBIES: 

I love to spend time with my wife, Farrah Dicken. We enjoy traveling, watching/going to football games, and playing with our pup, CJ.

FAVORITE FOOD:  

Farrah’s spaghetti and meatballs

MUSIC: 

I listen to lots of different music, but if I’m in the car I’m listening to NPR on WUKY.

FAVORITE MOVIE: 

That’s a really hard question, but given that it’s currently football season I’ll say “Rudy”

PET: 

Our dog, CJ (short for Claudia Jean, named for a character in “The West Wing”), who (we think) is a mix of Golden Retriever, Lab, and Chow.

FAVORITE RESTAURANT: 

 El Rancho Tapatio

COLOR: 

Blue

HOLIDAY: 

Thanksgiving

BEST PLACE TRAVELED TO:

San Francisco, CA

MOST DARING MOMENT: 

Trying to transfer from one master’s degree program to another after starting graduate school.

WHY UK: 

I originally came to UK to pursue an MA/PhD in Anthropology. However, I applied for a teaching assistantship in Academic Enhancement, which was a new department at the time, and once I started working I was hooked! I then transferred to the MS program in the Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation Department in the College of Education.

FAVORITE CLASS AT UK: 

It’s a tie among Post-Secondary Transitions, Theory to Practice in Support of Student Learning, and Legal Issues in Student Affairs

FAVORITE TEACHER/INSTRUCTOR: 

Definitely all four of my doctoral committee members:

Jane Jensen

Neal Hutchens

Karin Lewis

Mike Mullen

ADVICE TO OTHERS AT UK:  

Don’t hesitate to reach out and make connections with others on campus. Whether you’re a student, staff member, or faculty, it’s been my experience that people want to work together to create a university community that truly is supportive, rich, and enjoyable. Don’t miss an opportunity to strike up an informal conversation. Putting myself out there and being open to change has altered my path both academically and professionally and I am so grateful for that!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR JOB:

The combination of knowing, and literally seeing, that the work I do can have very positive impacts on the UK student experience and getting to do so with such a capable, talented, diverse staff that includes undergraduate students, graduate students, and professionals.

DESCRIBE WORKING AT AE IN THREE WORDS:

Exciting

Evolving

Meaningful

IF YOU COULD BRING ANYONE BACK FROM THE DEAD WHO WOULD IT BE:

My mom, who passed away back in 2010 after a second battle with cancer.