The º£½Ç½ûÇø is excited to announce that Sharon Walsh, PhD, tenured professor of behavioral science and director of the Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, has been selected as a º£½Ç½ûÇø Alumni Professor.
The º£½Ç½ûÇø Alumni Professorship recognizes influential faculty who have made outstanding contributions to research, scholarship, education, and community service.
Dr. Walsh has been part of the º£½Ç½ûÇø College of Medicine faculty since 2005. She is recognized internationally for her research addressing substance use disorders, which focuses on pharmacological issues related to opioid use disorder and its treatment. Dr. Walsh directs º£½Ç½ûÇø’s Substance Use Research Priority Area and is a principal investigator on four extramurally funded grants, including the $87 million HEALing Communities Study (Helping to End Addiction Long-term), the largest-ever grant received by º£½Ç½ûÇø. For this study, she leads a team of University faculty and staff, community and state researchers, and policy experts working to reduce opioid death rates by 40 percent in 16 Kentucky counties.
Dr. Walsh has received many prestigious awards for her research, including the Marion W. Fischman Lectureship Award for lifetime contributions of an outstanding female scientist in drug abuse research, the Provost’s Distinguished Service Award (2013), as well as a University Research Professor award in 2018. Along with her research expertise, Dr. Walsh has a proven record of exceptional mentorship, training several graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty over the years. In recognition of her effective teaching, Dr. Walsh has received the º£½Ç½ûÇø Mentor Award and the William Willard Award.
Her professional and community service includes serving on panels for the Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health, serving as president of the College of Problems on Drug Dependence, and serving presently as a member of the National Institute on Drug Abuse Scientific Advisory Council.
The º£½Ç½ûÇø Office for Faculty Advancement, on behalf of the º£½Ç½ûÇø Alumni Association, manages the process for selection of the º£½Ç½ûÇø Alumni Professorship. Dr. Walsh’s professorship will be effective July 2022-June 2027, with opportunity for renewal