Leading Ladies: Michelle W. Trawick, PH. D.

Story by Amelia Bowen

Michelle W. Trawick, Ph.D., has built a career around education, leadership and a dedication to helping students. When she is not focused on her work as Chancellor at Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College, Trawick enjoys traveling, reading, gardening and relaxing with her husband and son. An ideal evening might feature leftovers and an episode of the original “Law & Order,” “M*A*S*H” or a British detective show. Her appreciation for family runs deep. Trawick grew up in Logan County and says her earliest lessons in leadership came from her parents, though she admits she didn’t recognize them as lessons at the time. “My parents taught me about hard work. I watched them work until the job was finished, face uncertainty and difficult decisions and wake each morning determined to do better than the day before,” she says. Today, Trawick serves as the first female Chancellor of Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College. It is not her first time breaking that barrier: She was also the first female business school dean at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She hopes her career shows younger women that anything is possible. In her role at SKYCTC, Trawick is focused on students and making an impact across the region. “I love knowing that what we do creates opportunities and makes a difference to our students and their families,” she says. More families are experiencing that impact. Since fall 2022, SKYCTC enrollment has increased by more than 35%, with nearly 6,500 students taking classes this fall. Trawick is especially proud that more students are reaching the finish line. The number of students earning degrees and credentials has grown 27% over four years. Trawick is also eager to challenge stereotypes about community colleges and technical colleges such as the idea that they are a fallback for someone who doesn’t want to go to college. “SKYCTC is a college, and more students are finding that SKYCTC is a great place to start whether they want to go straight into the workforce or want to continue their education at a university. ”Trawick explains that the college meets the same institutional accreditation standards as Kentucky’s public universities, and many SKYCTC programs hold specialized accreditations. “We don’t assume we offer a high-quality education,” Trawick says. “We are hyper-focused on ensuring that we do.”