Faculty & Staff

Laura Stephenson is the Assistant Director of Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Field Programs. Throughout her career she has focused on development of program-planning, implementation, and evaluation strategies which strengthen the skills of individuals and families while building community capacity in all Kentucky counties. She has worked with teams of specialists and agents to develop programs such as Griefwork: Guides for Survival and Growth, Plate it Up Kentucky Proud, and Kentucky Extension Leadership Development (KELD). Laura was actively involved in developing a statewide network of grandparents raising grandchildren support groups and program resources. Her Research has involved Elders in Community Based Participatory Research to assess civic engagement experiences through the life course.

Laura began her Family and Consumer Sciences career as a high school vocational home economics teacher. She served as Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences in Clark County and District Director in Southeast Kentucky with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. Laura received her Bachelor's and Master's Degree from Eastern Kentucky University in Vocational Home Economics Education and Ph.D. in Gerontology from U.K. College of Public Health.