Kirsten Turner, Ph.D.

Vice President for Student Success

Kirsten Turner serves as the University of Kentucky's Vice President for Student Success and chief student affairs officer. A leader with a long tenure at the University of Kentucky, she transitioned to her current position after serving in multiple associate provost roles and as an architect of the institution's strategies to improve retention and graduation rates. Prior to joining the provost's office, Turner served in various leadership roles in UK's College of Arts and Sciences. 

As a member of President Capilouto’s leadership team, Turner is committed to a student-first philosophy. Her portfolio includes areas that span the full range of student experience: from recruitment to graduation and beyond.  

Turner earned her Ph.D. at the University of Virginia, in the Center for the Study of Higher Education. Her research interests focus on the public and private benefits of higher education and the American professoriate.