Abbie Wood

Assistant Director, Graduate/Professional students and Postdoctoral Scholars

Abbie is originally from Jonesborough, TN but loves living in Lexington now and calling it home. She attended East Tennessee State University for undergrad where she majored in political science with a double minor in legal studies and sociology. She also holds a master’s degree and will earn her Ph.D. in political science from UK in May of 2024. Her Ph.D. work focuses on judicial politics, specifically, how U.S. Supreme Court justices choose to interact with the American public.

Prior job that shaped her: Before transitioning to this role, Abbie worked as a primary instructor/teaching assistant in the Department of Political Science at UK for four years. During this time, her passion for higher education and student success was ignited. She found the experience to be incredibly rewarding and loved watching students learn and grow. While she ultimately decided she preferred higher education administration to teaching, her time as an instructor taught her many valuable lessons that continue to inform her work. 

How She Would Describe Herself: An outgoing and compassionate Enneagram 2w3, driven by a sincere desire to connect with people and make a positive impact in their lives.

What she enjoys doing outside of work: Abbie loves visiting local coffee shops and restaurants in Lexington. She also loves running, reading, traveling, documentaries, podcasts, college football and basketball, and reality tv. Her favorite thing to do is spend time with her husband and friends and family. 

A Goal in Life: Abbie tries to live out the quote by Danny Thomas “success in life has nothing to do with what you gain or accomplish. It’s what you do for others.” 

Fun fact: Abbie loves “weird” snack foods like anchovies and olives and eats both almost every day.