The Southern Conference on Language Teaching (SCOLT) recently named Brenna Reinhart Byrd Teacher of the Year. Byrd is a University of Kentucky assistant professor of German studies. As the southern regional representative chosen by SCOLT, she will compete for Teacher of the Year at the national level at the annual conference of the American Council of Teachers of Foreign Languages. 

Byrd was named Kentucky's Teacher of the Year by the Kentucky World Languages Association in September 2016.

Byrd has over 15 years of education and teaching experience in the German language. She received her bachelor’s degree in German and a minor in linguistics from the University of Texas at Austin and both her master’s and doctoral degrees in Germanic linguistics from University of California, Los Angeles, before accepting a position at UK in 2010.

The Kentucky World Language Association was founded in 1974. It is dedicated to the improvement and expansion of the teaching and learning of all world languages at all levels of instruction through providing the latest and the best in professional development for its many members of world language teachers and professionals. Each year the organization recognizes through their awards program individual teachers, administrators, professionals, businesses or other organizations that have made significant contributions to the profession of world language education. For more information, visit www.kwla.org.