Congratulations to current and former CHET trainees Akua Asamoah, Isabella Skibba and Gabrielle Romines Parks, on their recent Lyman T. Johnson Awards!
The 35th annual Lyman T. Johnson Awards Luncheon held October 9, 2026, honored alumni and students from each academic college who embody the spirit and accomplishments of Lyman T. Johnson. Recipients were recognized for positively impacting the lives of others and their communities. Each academic college selects alumni to receive Lyman T. Johnson Torch of Excellence Awards for outstanding achievement, and students to receive Torch Bearer Awards for academic excellence and service to others. You may read more here.
SPARK Cohort 6 alumna Akua Asamoah founded the organization CATS for Ghana as a freshman, with a mission of reducing health and educational inequality in Ghana. Members of the organization offer free tutoring services to elementary and middle schoolers. Asamoah’s founding of the organization contributed to her nomination for the award. Reflecting on receiving the Lyman T. Johnson Torchbearer Award she said, “I started this CATS For Ghana when I was a freshman at UK, so getting this award means a lot to me and validates my hard work.”
Isabella Skibba is a Cohort 7 Students Participating as Ambassadors for Research in Kentucky (SPARK) member, an Undergraduate Research Assistant with the UK Active Girls Healthy Women program, and president of Movement Mentors. Skibba summarized what the award meant to her:” Receiving the Lyman T. Johnson Torch Bearer Award is an honor that means so much to me. I’m grateful to be recognized in the name of someone whose legacy continues to inspire generations. I hope to continue to honor Lyman T. Johnson’s legacy through my academic and extracurricular pursuits, and I’m so thankful for the University of Kentucky faculty and peers who have supported and encouraged me as I continue to grow as a servant leader and advocate for my community."
Gabrielle Romines Parks, is a former CHET trainee who was mentored by CHET Acting Director Shyanika Rose, Ph.D., throughout her master’s and doctoral program. She served as a research assistant on the REACT (Researching Equity-Advancing Counter Tobacco Policies on Flavors). Romines is currently completing her internship in pediatric psychology at Oregon Health and Science University to complete her Doctor of Philosophy degree in School Psychology