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Kain Receives UT Commission’s Inaugural Rising Woman Award

UTPD Corporal Kelley KainKelley Kain, a UT Police Department investigator who has championed advocacy for victims of crime, has received the inaugural Rising Woman Award in recognition of those efforts.

The new award—given by the UT Commission for Women—recognizes women staff members at UT for the noteworthy work they have accomplished in their early career and honors the contributions they have made in improving the lives of other women.

“Kelley’s recognition is for her outstanding work as a police investigator and the leadership qualities she has demonstrated in her role in advocating for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault,” said Catherine Luther, the Commission for Women’s award committee chair. “Kelley also shows signs of having a positive future impact on the University of Tennessee and the broader community.”

Kain joined UTPD in September 2013. She served as a patrol officer and later in UTPD’s Community Relations Unit before being assigned to the investigations unit in 2016.

As an investigator, she developed a training in trauma-informed response to sexual violence, which she facilitated for UTPD police officers and dispatchers as part of a federal grant. She also led training statewide in trauma-informed response to sexual violence and best practices in investigations for the UT Law Enforcement Innovation Center.

Kain currently serves as a liaison for the Knox County Sexual Assault Response Team and a liaison for the UT Chancellor’s Commission for LGBT People.