Dr. Jay Miller was appointed Dean and Research Professor of Social Work at University of Kentucky in 2019. At the time of his appointment, Dean Miller was the youngest dean in the country. Dean Miller’s research interests focus on child welfare and youth involvement in systems. In addition, he is a leading scholar on self-care and wellness. In 2017, he founded The Self Care Lab (SCL), the first known research lab dedicated to empirically investigating self-care among helping professionals. Dean Miller’s work has been recognized widely. Recent honors include the CSWE Distinguished Recent Contributions in Social Work Education Award (2023) and the 2025 Wilson Wyatt Alumni Award—the highest honor bestowed by Louisville Alumni. He is also a past recipient of the Grannis Award, Kentucky’s highest public child welfare practitioner honor, among a host of other awards. Last, but certainly not least, Dean Miller is a loud, proud foster and kinship alum.