# Four UK faculty members named SEC leadership fellows **Published:** 2026-07-28T15:42:21.000Z **Source:** [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/professional-news/4-uk-faculty-members-named-2026-27-sec-academic-leadership-development-program) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/four-uk-faculty-members-named-sec-leadership-fellows LEXINGTON, Ky. — Four University of Kentucky faculty members have been selected as fellows in the Southeastern Conference Academic Leadership Development Program, a competitive initiative that prepares emerging academic leaders for senior roles in higher education. The 2026-27 fellows selected for the [SEC-ALDP](https://www.secsports.com/academic-leadership-development-program) are Dolphus Dawson from the College of Dentistry, Pearl James from Lewis Honors College, Brian Noehren from the College of Health Sciences, and Meghan Pifer from the College of Education. Established in 2008, the [SEC Academic Leadership Development Program](https://ofa.uky.edu/advancement-and-development/secac-academic-leadership-development-program) recognizes faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in leadership, scholarship and education while developing skills needed for senior leadership roles such as dean or provost. [According to the original UK announcement](https://uknow.uky.edu/professional-news/4-uk-faculty-members-named-2026-27-sec-academic-leadership-development-program), the university's Office for Faculty Advancement supports faculty growth through this and similar development opportunities. Participants engage in institutional leadership activities, two SEC-wide workshops and competitive fellowship opportunities that connect them with academic leaders across the Southeast. The 2026-27 fellows will participate in the SEC Fall Workshop at Louisiana State University and will help host the SEC Spring Workshop in February. Dawson is a professor of periodontics and chair of the Department of Oral Health Practice in the College of Dentistry. James is an associate dean for academic affairs in Lewis Honors College and associate professor of English, whose scholarship examines representations of war in literature and film. Noehren is an associate dean for research and professor in the College of Health Sciences who studies biomechanics and injury prevention. Pifer is a professor and chair of the Department of Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation whose research focuses on faculty development and academic careers. The university selects four fellows annually through a competitive process involving faculty and administrative nominations. ## Sources - [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/professional-news/4-uk-faculty-members-named-2026-27-sec-academic-leadership-development-program) - [Southeastern Conference — SEC Academic Leadership Development Program](https://www.secsports.com/academic-leadership-development-program) - [University of Kentucky Office for Faculty Advancement — SECAC Academic Leadership Development Program](https://ofa.uky.edu/advancement-and-development/secac-academic-leadership-development-program) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from University of Kentucky News, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://uknow.uky.edu/professional-news/4-uk-faculty-members-named-2026-27-sec-academic-leadership-development-program.