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.

Stephanie Paul currently serves as the Deputy Director of Resource Management Division and has dedicated nearly 25 years to the Department. She began her career as a Child Abuse/Neglect Investigator in Mobile County, and over the course of her tenure, worked in multiple counties before transitioning to the state Office. Stephanie has worked in and supervised every area of the child welfare program area. In her current role, she supports the Division Director in securing and managing resources to better serve Alabama's vulnerable children and families.

Jan Bell co-founded and directs the Child Trafficking Solutions Project, a broad-based coalition working collaboratively in the fight against human trafficking of minors in Alabama since 2016. Jan received her undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and her Master of Public Health degree from UAB with a focus upon Health Organization and Policy. She has been honored by the UAB School of Public Health as Alumnus of the Year for her work in furthering a variety of public health initiatives. She is a recipient of the national FBI Director Community Leadership Award, the Department of Homeland Security’s Outstanding Victim Protection in Countering Human Trafficking Award, and the City of Birmingham’s StrongHer Award in recognition of her collaborative work to improve prevention as well as outcomes for survivors of child trafficking.