By Judy Clabes
NKyTribune editor
This story is a bit personal, as it involves one of our own, who happens to be a long-time friend and colleague – a BFF anyone would be proud to claim.
I first met Mike Farrell in 1982 when I walked into The Kentucky Post newsroom for the first time. He was city editor. I was the fresh-from-someplace-else new editor with a lot to learn about my new community. Mike was the perfect teacher then too. He was The Post’s true institutional memory – an asset beyond gold for any newsroom – and particularly for someone who needed to be on a fast track to an advanced degree in “community.”
Mike grew up in Covington and still lives today in the Latonia neighborhood where he grew up. Over the years, he’s been involved in too many civic organizations to name, a good citizen as well as a fine journalist and editor, and a great teacher.
He’s picked up plenty of acolades along the way, including being part of the team at The Post who scored a big national award for Distinguished Service to the First Amendment and a lot of other state and regional awards for reporting, community service, and editorial writing.
When The Post was in its long, painful shut-down phase, Mike decided to head to grad school at UK and eventually got his Ph.D. in communications. His terrific dissertation was on the state of the First Amendment in Kentucky. He’s now a tenured faculty member at the School of Journalism, head of the Scripps Howard First Amendment Center there, and a co-founder of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism, publisher of the nkytribune.com.
And, I can tell you – because I hear it from his students – that he is a terrific teacher, just as he is a terrific journalist and terrific friend. He’s just one of those people who have a gift for “teaching” – for helping others achieve their best. It was a gift that was apparent in the editor, as well, and why he was a great team-mate at The Post as he became managing editor on my watch. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner. And the community of NKy couldn’t have asked for a better advocate.
It’s with a great deal of pride that I share with you that Dr. Mike has been named the 2015 Faculty Advisor winner for the Ken Freedman Outstanding Advisor Award at UK, an announcement made by Matthew Deffendall, director of First Generation Initiatives at the University of Kentucky.
This is a tremendous honor and a well-deserved recogntion. Here are some of his nominators’ comments:
· Students learn quickly that Mike is personally interested and invested in their academic progress and truly is there for them when questions or problems arise. He is a holistic advisor and goes far beyond prescriptive advising, as he also mentors his students.
· Mike is not only the advisor of record for approximately 21 Journalism majors, but he also functions as an “ad hoc” advisor to some students assigned to other faculty advisors. Students learn quickly that Mike is personally interested and invested in their academic progress and truly is there for them when questions or problems arise. He is a holistic advisor and goes far beyond prescriptive advising, as he also mentors his students.
· Dr. Farrell is an incredible friend and advocate for students. I work with all students in our college who are on academic probation and two weeks ago Dr. Farrell sent me an update on one of his advisees who is currently on probation. He had recently met with the student and they agreed that the student would text Dr. Farrell each night of Thanksgiving break to update him on the amount of time he spent studying that day. This is just one example of how caring Dr. Farrell is and his willingness to go above and beyond the role of faculty advisor. He genuinely cares about each one of his students and has told me that he feels it is his duty to help them not only with academics, but also with life skills they will need after graduation. Here is a direct quote from him (from the e-mail update referenced above) that I think sums up why he is so deserving of this award: “There is more to college than the material they have to learn. So many life lessons, most of them more important than who wrote the Supreme Court’s opinion in New York Times v. Sullivan. I believe those lessons are part of my responsibility too.” Dr. Farrell is known in our college for being an incredible advisor and I think he is highly deserving of being recognized campus-wide with the Ken Freedman award.
· I nominate Dr. Farrell because he has never let me down. Over the last year, I have been taught and advised by Dr. Farrell in a plethora of areas and I value each lesson I’ve learned from him. He has helped me determine which career path I want to take after college and has worked with me to prepare for numerous exams and assignments in his classes. From what I’ve heard from my peers, these qualities aren’t limited to my experience; Dr. Farrell treats all of his pupils with the utmost respect and consideration. I believe he deserves the Freedman Outstanding Advisor Award a thousand times over.
Yes, this is the Dr. Mike I know and love – just notice the qualities these nominators focus in on – genuine caring, “never let me down,” focus on life lessons, responsibility, respect . . .Don’t you wish every student could have a teacher and role model like this? I do. I did.
Congrats to Mike Farrell — thanks for mentoring so many of us at The Kentucky Post. In my early days as an instructor at Miami University, Mike advised me and helped me advance my career there as well. Thanks for being a great friend and an even better editor and teacher.
SACHA! Great to hear from you.
Thanks Judy for writing this article. As his “first advisee” (oldest son), I can attest to his mentoring abilities and I couldn’t be more proud. (I think he is wearing lifts in that picture, though, either he was taller 30 years ago or the staff was short!)
Since 2010 I’ve known Dr. Farrell to be the best advisor at UK and I’m thrilled he’s finally getting recognized for it. It’s only because of his efforts that I have a degree. “Well-deserved” doesn’t do this justice. He’s truly one of the best men I’ve ever had the pleasure to know.
Wonderful story! I would not be the writer I am today if not for the instruction of Dr. Farrell. Congratulations!