Hi there; I’m Erin Norton Miller. I am a native of Lexington, and UK is my alma mater! I was an English major here and received my BA in May of 2000. Before working at UK, I had jobs doing everything from retail to working in a warehouse to banking. I started my career at UK in 2010 in a STEPS position in the College of Pharmacy. I joined the College of Arts & Sciences in 2011 and began my current position as the Department Manager at the UK Appalachian Center and Appalachian Studies in June of 2013. I really enjoy being a part of this College and getting to work on the Culture Committee. I love being in a place that values learning and excellence but also encourages getting to know and having fun with colleagues.
What do you do in your spare time? I like to be physically active—running, walking, kickboxing, weight training, yoga, and recently discovered kayaking. I also like baking, reading, writing, playing music, movies, art, and spending time with my friends and family. Tom, my husband and I like to travel and aspire to do a lot more of it. We have started a tradition of going to an art museum each time we visit a new place. The picture here is from the Baker Museum in Artis-Naples, Florida. That was a really great trip last October and where we got engaged!
What is your favorite movie or book? That is really a tough question for me because I have so many! If I had to choose one favorite (and couldn’t break my answers down into categories or genres of drama, comedy, historical, fiction, non-fiction, etc. and choose one for each), the movie would have to be Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind because it really affected me the first time I watched it and still does every time I see it. The book would have to be To Kill a Mockingbird. (Whew! If you ask me again, I’ll probably come up with some different ones!)
Are you a cat person or a dog person (or do you like another species entirely)? I’m a dog person, though I do think cats are beautiful animals (I’m allergic!). I had a Golden Retriever named Sienna for about 13 years. She was an incredible companion, and I still miss her! I like big, sweet, smart, goofy dogs. I think they have the best dispositions.
What is your favorite food? Another difficult question… I love fresh fruit. Mango. Apples. Cantaloupe. Grapes. Blueberries. Oh—and peanut or almond butter. Oh—and frozen yogurt.
Have you ever had a brush with fame? Well, once upon at time, long, long ago, I went to a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert at Rupp Arena…the Foo Fighters opened…which was awesome. Anyway, after the show, my friends and I went to hang out in the lobby/lounge in the hotel that connects to Rupp. As we were standing in the open area, several members of the band walked through the crowd toward the elevators to go up to their rooms. Flea walked right past me, looked me in the eye, and smiled back. That was in 2000, I guess, so not only was he a musician, but he was in The Big Lebowski as Nihilist #2, Kieffer not too long before that. It was nice to see this big star being a friendly human being!