Three student-athletes in the UK College of Engineering were inducted into the Frank G. Ham Society of Character on January 29, 2020.
The Society of Character annually honors Wildcats who have shown an extraordinary commitment to academic excellence, athletic participation, personal development, career preparation and serving as a role model. The SOC was founded during the 1998-99 school year and is named for Ham, a longtime UK administrator.
The induction ceremony took place at a dinner prior to Kentucky’s men’s basketball game against Vanderbilt University and inductees were recognized during halftime of the game. Twenty-nine student-athletes were recognized.
Inductees from the College of Engineering include:
Luke Fortner, Football
- A mechanical engineering major who, along with Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky and other engineering students, helped design a specially built pushcart vehicle to provide a Kentucky Children’s Hospital patient the chance to both accompany the Wildcats on the Cat Walk and attend a game at Kroger Field in a project called “Lift Them Up”
- Leads the UK football team in community service hours
- Heavily involved in UK football’s weekly visits to the Kentucky Children’s Hospital
- Has appeared in 31 career games, starting every game of the 2019 season
- His blocking helped UK set team records for rushing yardage, rushing touchdowns, and rushing average during the 2019 season
- Three-time UK Dean’s List honoree
- Three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll honoree
Leon Jones, Men’s Soccer
- Two-time All-Conference USA
- Anchored defense that led nation in shutouts in 2018
- C-USA All-Academic Team
- Dean's List
- Chemical engineering major
Bailey Rouse, Men’s Soccer
- Started all 21 matches in 2019
- Recorded one goal and one assist while primarily playing defense in 2019
- Team captain
- C-USA All-Academic Team
- Dean's List
- Civil engineering major