Abreu’s husband, Christopher Bauer, scholarship recipient Roberto Abreu,
Mr. and Mrs. Chester W. Korfhage, and faculty member Dr. Sherry Rostosky
at the College’s annual scholarship banquet.
F
or Chester and Thelma Korfhage, life’s order
was reversed in 2006, when a traffic accident
took their 30-year-old daughter.
Dr. Bethe Korfhage was days away from starting
an adjunct faculty position at Spalding University
in Louisville. With her passing, the world lost a
counseling psychologist on the cusp of a career in
teaching and research.
Bethe was known as a straight ally who had a fierce
dedication to LGBT issues.
“Bethe was my very first doctoral student and in
her dedication to learning how to use science and
practice in the service of social justice she set a very
high bar for all of the students who have followed,”
said her advisor, Dr. Sharon Rostosky.
With Rostosky and other collaborators she coauthored journal articles ranging from same-sex
couples’ perceptions of family support to the
attitudes of psychology graduate students toward
lesbians and gay men.
Chester and Thelma, along with Bethe’s husband,
Brian Thompson, wanted to keep her passions
alive. They contacted the UK College of Education,
where she obtained her doctoral degree, and
established the Bethe Korfhage, Ph.D., Endowed
Fellowship in Counseling and Educational
Psychology. The scholarship is awarded to graduate
students, with preference given to those who are
conducting research in the areas of LGBT issues,
multiculturalism and/or diversity.
Roberto Abreu, the current recipient of the
Korfhage’s fellowship, met them last October at the
college’s scholarship banquet.
“Immediately after introducing myself to them,
Chester and Thelma were warm and welcoming
and shared their story and dedication to supporting
LGBTQ research,” Abreu said. “They are
extraordinary individuals whose story, passion, and
dedication to see LGBTQ research move forward is
inspiring.”
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