Author Archives: Emily Houp

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) is pleased to announce the appointment of Kelly Cervenec Spears as Lecturer. 

A Lexington native and UK alumna, Cervenec Spears brings more than a decade of clinical and teaching experience to the classroom. After completing her MSW at UK, she began her career at UK HealthCare Good Samaritan Hospital as a case manager and discharge planner on an interdisciplinary rounding team. While in this role, she developed an interest in providing brief, solution-focused therapy for patients undergoing long-term IV antibiotic therapy related to substance use. 

Her passion for supporting individuals with opioid use disorders led her to the UK Polk-Dalton Clinic, where she provided therapy to pregnant and postpartum women and helped launch a pilot program embedding medication-assisted treatment (MAT) into primary care. She later transitioned to private practice at LifeStance Health, where she has treated a wide range of mental health conditions and life transitions, including anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, bipolar disorder, substance use disorders, women’s health issues, and grief. 

In addition to her clinical work, Cervenec Spears has taught part-time with CoSW for more than five years, primarily within the MSW program. In her new role as Lecturer, she will expand her teaching into both the undergraduate and criminal justice programs. 

“Kelly’s breadth of experience—spanning hospital care, community-based treatment, private practice, and classroom instruction—makes her an incredible addition to our faculty,” said Dr. Jackie Duron, Associate Dean of Faculty Advancement. “She brings both clinical expertise and a deep commitment to training the next generation of social workers.” 

Cervenec Spears holds a BA in sociology from Hanover College and an MSW with a clinical concentration from the University of Kentucky. 

Outside of her professional life, she has visited 16 countries, hiked part of the Appalachian Trail, run six mini-marathons, and performs with a local a cappella group. She and her husband are parents to a six-year-old son and eight-month-old daughter—and share their home with a 20-year-old cat. 

LEXINGTON, Ky. —The University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) is pleased to welcome Carly Kimiecik, PhD, MSW, as an incoming Assistant Professor. She will also serve as Assistant Director of the CoSW Sport Social Work Research Lab, working alongside Director Dr. Tarkington Newman to further the field of sport social work. 

Originally from Oxford, Ohio, Carly has called Columbus and West Lafayette home while completing graduate studies and pursuing community-engaged work in youth development, sport, and public health. She will relocate to Lexington this August to begin her new role. 

Carly brings with her a dynamic background that bridges youth programming, social work, and sport-based development. After earning dual undergraduate degrees from Miami University in Health Promotion and American Studies, Carly worked with After-School All-Stars and LiFEsports in Columbus, Ohio, where she served in multiple roles including program assistant, behavior specialist, and college and career readiness co-lead. 

She earned her MSW from The Ohio State University, where she contributed to student-athlete support initiatives and gained experience in program development, implementation, and evaluation through her work with LiFEsports. Following her time at Ohio State, she pursued a Ph.D. in public health at Purdue University. While at Purdue, she managed a public health research lab, contributed to the Center for Health Excellence, Quality, and Innovation, and served as a mentor for student-athletes through the Center for Academic Vision and Excellence in the athletics department. 

Carly’s research explores the lived experiences of youth and student-athletes through strengths-based and community-engaged approaches. Her work focuses on the intersection of health, development, and well-being across socio-ecological systems—especially in sport and play-based settings. She is particularly passionate about integrating social work into athletic contexts to promote holistic youth development and to strengthen community partnerships that address social determinants of health. 

Prior to joining the University of Kentucky, Carly served as an assistant professor in the Department of Family Science and Social Work at Miami University. 

“Dr. Kimiecik brings an exciting depth of experience to our growing sport social work efforts,” said Dr. Jackie Duron, Associate Dean of Faculty Advancement. “Her community-engaged research and commitment to youth development will not only enrich our academic programs, but also strengthen our partnerships across Kentucky and beyond.” 

Outside of her academic work, Carly enjoys spending time with her cats, friends, and partner, staying active through running, boxing, and tennis, and tuning into her favorite podcasts while out on walks. She’s also a college sports enthusiast and—fun fact—is ambidextrous! 

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) is pleased to welcome Megan Trafford, MS, as a Lecturer. 

Originally from New York, Trafford most recently lived in Connecticut while pursuing her academic and professional career in criminal justice. She taught introductory statistics for the criminal justice profession at the University of New Haven, where she also served as a teaching assistant for multiple courses including Victims and Victimization, Criminology, and Criminal Legal System Injustices.  

Notably, Trafford led an international research project in which she redesigned a survey measuring patterns of deception in intimate relationships—including misrepresentation or non-disclosure of important personal information—which has since been disseminated in England, Scotland, and The Netherlands, with plans for future cross-national comparisons. 

Trafford earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the State University of New York at Oneonta in 2019, before completing a master’s degree in criminal justice at the University of New Haven in 2022. She also holds graduate certificates in forensic psychology, and victim advocacy and service management. Currently, Trafford is completing her PhD in criminal justice at the University of New Haven.  

In addition to her academic training, Trafford has completed C-SSRS training through the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. 

“Megan’s expertise in criminal justice, victimization, and human rights brings an important dimension to our College,” said Jackie Duron, PhD, Associate Dean of Faculty Advancement. “We are excited for the perspective she brings to both her research and her teaching, and the impact she will have on our students and the broader community.” 

Outside of her academic and professional work, Trafford enjoys reading memoirs, traveling, and exploring the outdoors. On a recent trip to Montana, she flew a plane through Glacier National Park and kayaked across Lake McDonald. 

You can connect with Megan on LinkedIn. 

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) is pleased to welcome Stephanie Quiring, JD, PhD, as an Assistant Professor. 

Quiring brings more than 15 years of experience as an attorney, community advocate, and educator, with a career spanning multiple stages of the criminal legal system. Early in her career, she worked on the successful campaign to abolish the death penalty in Maryland. More recently, she served as Board Chair of the Indiana Abolition Coalition during the resumption of federal executions, after a 17-year hiatus, in Terre Haute, Indiana. As an attorney, her work focused on criminal defense, particularly in cases involving mental health concerns. 

Her research and policy interests are grounded in supporting people with lived experiences navigating mental health crises within the criminal legal system. This includes work in police decision-making, community-based mental health crisis response, and mental health law and policy. 

“I’m thrilled to join a college deeply committed to social justice and innovation,” shared Quiring. “I look forward to collaborating with students, faculty, and community partners as we work to improve systems that impact people and our communities.” 

Prior to joining CoSW, Quiring was on faculty at the Indiana University School of Social Work. In Indiana, she also served as the Research Director for the NAMI Indiana Technical Assistance Center for Mental Health and Justice Programs. There, she worked with communities across the state to strengthen infrastructure for crisis response through Sequential Intercept Model mapping and strategic planning. 

“Dr. Quiring brings a wealth of experience at the intersection of criminal justice and mental health,” said Dr. Jackie Duron, CoSW Associate Dean of Faculty Advancement. “Her scholarship and systems-level work reflect our college’s mission to bring positive change through people. We’re delighted to welcome her to our faculty.” 

Quiring earned her PhD from Indiana University, her Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law, and an Extended Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Northern Arizona University. She is licensed to practice law in Illinois, Indiana, and the Southern District of Indiana. 

When she’s not in the classroom or community, you’ll likely find Quiring exploring Lexington with her English Bulldog, Ace. She enjoys spending time with her family, road trips, and trying new restaurants.