Carrie Oser, PhD, professor and vice chair of the department of behavioral science, has been selected as one of only two recipients of the 2025 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Academic Leadership Development Program (ALDP) Alumni Fellowship Award.
The fellowship is awarded to former SEC ALDP fellows who now serve in senior leadership roles at their institutions and wish to expand their administrative expertise. The SEC provides up to $2,500 in support for a leadership-focused project at another SEC university. The competitive award recognizes faculty leaders whose work is advancing their institutions and the broader SEC academic community.
Oser will use the fellowship to visit the University of Florida’s Center for Addiction Research & Education, a nationally recognized hub for interdisciplinary substance use research. There, she will engage with faculty, administrators, students, and community partners to study organizational structures, funding models, collaborative networks, and innovative programming.
“I am thrilled to receive the SEC ALDP Alumni Fellowship award,” Dr. Oser said. “This opportunity broadens my professional network within the substance use community, further building a support network for becoming a more effective leader. I will apply what I learn during the campus visit to contribute to the growth of UK’s substance use research portfolio and training activities. The acumen to identify and grow research opportunities and to ensure the expansion of research experiences for our students is critical and will improve the health and well-being of Kentuckians.”
A University Research Professor, Dr. Oser has built a distinguished career advancing research on substance use and health disparities. She serves as the associate director of both the Center for Health, Engagement and Transformation and the Substance Use Priority Research Area, two initiatives designed to elevate collaborative, community-engaged research at UK. She is also affiliated with UK’s Center on Drug and Alcohol Research and has held leadership roles at the college level, including serving as interim associate dean for research in the College of Arts and Sciences, where she holds a secondary appointment as a professor in the department of sociology.
Dr. Oser is joined this year by Rebecca Cruise, PhD, associate provost for global engagement at the University of Oklahoma, as the only two SEC ALDP Alumni Fellowship recipients for 2025.