LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 5, 2026) — The International Center at the University of Kentucky, housed within the Office for Student Success, has announced the 2026 UK Global Impact Award winners. Among the winners are College of Arts and Sciences professors Francis Musoni, Ph.D., and Alan Fryar, Ph.D.
Recipients include faculty, staff, alumni and community members who have contributed to the university’s global engagement through education, research and service. The 2026 recipients will be recognized at an event Oct. 28.
UK Global Impact Award for Distinguished Faculty Achievements in Internationalizing the Curriculum
Musoni received the 2026 Global Impact Award for Distinguished Faculty Achievements in Internationalizing the Curriculum. Musoni is an associate professor in the Department of History in the College of Arts and Sciences. He earned a doctorate in African history from Emory University.
Before serving as director of the International Studies Program from 2023 until June 2026, Musoni served as associate chair of the Department of History. He has participated in strategic planning within the College of Arts and Sciences and served on the Executive Committee of International Studies. He also was a member of the Working Group on Strategic Planning for Internationalization in 2021, helping develop the university’s strategic plan for global engagement. In 2019, he received the College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Service and Engagement Award.
Musoni’s scholarship focuses on African history, migration and mobility. He is the author of “Border Jumping and Migration Control in Southern Africa” and co-author of “Voices of African Immigrants in Kentucky: Stories of Migration, Identity and Transnationality,” which documents the experiences of African immigrants in Kentucky. He also has published numerous scholarly articles and presented his research at professional conferences and to the government of Zimbabwe.
His academic interests in migration and international affairs are reflected in his community and student engagement. In 2023, he founded the STEP-UP program, a service-learning initiative that pairs UK undergraduate mentors with local high school English learners. Through the program, undergraduate mentors provide literacy tutoring, academic support, college preparation and financial literacy guidance while developing cross-cultural and professional skills. The program has connected UK students with graduate education and employment opportunities, and several former mentees have enrolled at UK.
Musoni works with faculty and programs across the university to develop initiatives that have benefited nearly 1,500 students in Fayette County Public Schools.
In addition to his teaching and program development, Musoni has contributed to university and community initiatives through his service at UK. He has served as faculty adviser to the African Students Association and advised the Lexington mayor’s office on international affairs and migration.
UK Global Impact Award for Distinguished Faculty Achievements in International Research and Scholarship
Fryar received the 2026 Global Impact Award for Distinguished Faculty Achievements in International Research and Scholarship. Fryar is a professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences. He earned a doctorate in geology from the University of Alberta and joined UK in 1995.
Fryar conducts research in hydrogeology, examining how groundwater moves through the Earth and how communities can sustainably manage water resources, particularly in developing countries in North Africa and Asia. At UK, he teaches hydrogeology, hydrology and environmental geology while directing research on groundwater systems and sustainability.
His international work includes extensive participation in the U.S. Fulbright Program. He has served twice as a Fulbright Scholar and twice as a Fulbright Specialist, hosted four Fulbright Scholars and co-advised a doctoral student at UK who received a Fulbright research award. From 2015 to 2021, he served as an associate editor and editorial board member for Groundwater for Sustainable Development, a scholarly journal focused on groundwater sustainability.
He was the recipient of the James B. Thompson Distinguished International Lectureship of the Geological Society of America in 2024-25. This led him to travel to 17 international institutions in India, Turkey and Kyrgyzstan to present his research. He received the International Service Award of the U.S. National Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists in 2016 and is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America. He also works with the Kentucky Research Consortium for Energy and Environment at UK, conducting research to address hydrogeologic data gaps at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.
The Global Impact Awards were established in 2020 to recognize, highlight and celebrate the wide range of global engagement activities undertaken by UK faculty, staff and alumni. Nominees for the various award categories are reviewed by the International Advisory Committee and receive additional review from campus stakeholders, such as the Staff Senate and past awardees.
The Global Impact Awards were established in 2020 to recognize, highlight and celebrate the wide range of global engagement activities undertaken by UK faculty, staff and alumni. Nominees for the various award categories are reviewed by the International Advisory Committee and receive additional review from campus stakeholders, such as the Staff Senate and past awardees.