Professional Biography

Dr. Ashurst is a Senior Extension Specialist for Family and Consumer Sciences Extension. She serves as PI for a variety of grants focusing on outreach and support to military families and Co-PI for Kentucky's Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) joint grant with Kentucky State University focusing on life skills for underserved and unstably housed youth. Kerri also serves as a Federal Coach for the CYFAR Professional Deveopment and Technical Assistance Center.

Dr. Ashurst's focus is building state-wide capacity for reaching underserved or at-risk children, youth, families, and communities. Kerri's primary areas of interest include families who are coping with major crises such as illness or death of a family member; positive youth and young adult development and positive mental health; couple communication and relationship building; military families and reconnection after deployment; and stress management. Dr. Ashurst has worked with the FCS Extension unit at UK now for over 25 years.

Professional Licenses or Certifications

  • International Association of Coaching Masteries Practitioner
  • Professional Certification in Trauma and Resilience: Level 1 and Level 2, Florida State University
  • Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Gatekeeper Instructor

FY2023 Military Teen Adventure Camps

Ashurst, K. (PI) & Atkinson, T. (CoI)

Purdue University

3/1/247/31/24

Project: Research project

2023 Military Teen Adventure Camp

Ashurst, K. (PI) & Weisenhorn, D. (CoI)

Purdue University

3/1/237/31/23

Project: Research project

2016 MTAC Grant

Ashurst, K. (PI)

Purdue University

6/1/168/31/17

Project: Research project

2015 DoD Camp Grant

Ashurst, K. (PI)

Kansas State University

3/1/157/31/15

Project: Research project

2022 Kentucky Military Teen Adventure Camp

Ashurst, K. (PI)

Purdue University

3/1/227/31/22

Project: Research project

Military-Extension Adventure Camp Initiative

Ashurst, K. (PI) & Stephenson, L. (CoI)

Purdue University

3/1/112/29/12

Project: Research project

Operation Military Kids Camp Initiative/OSD Supplement 2011

Ashurst, K. (PI) & Stephenson, L. (CoI)

Kansas State University

2/1/118/31/11

Project: Research project

Operation Military Kids Camp Initiative/OSD Supplement

Ashurst, K. (PI) & Stephenson, L. (CoI)

Kansas State University

4/1/109/30/10

Project: Research project

Kentucky Operation: Military Kids

Ashurst, K. (PI)

Kansas State University

10/1/088/31/11

Project: Research project

Strong Dads, Resilient Families

Jones, K. (PI), Ashurst, K. (CoI) & Kurzynske, J. (CoI)

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

8/1/137/31/18

Project: Research project

2018 MTAC Grant

Ashurst, K. (PI) & Weisenhorn, D. (CoI)

Purdue University

3/1/188/31/18

Project: Research project

Education

Ph.D., Family Sciences, University of Kentucky, 2007

M.S., Marriage and Family Therapy, University of Kentucky, 1998

B.A., Psychology, University of Kentucky, 1995

Associated Departments

Family and Consumer Sciences