Timothy J. Wilson

Timothy J. Wilson (Class of 1977 & 1978) and Sarah Emmons (Class of 1979)

Tim Wilson, originally from Northern Ohio, followed in the footsteps of his older brother
and enrolled at MSU. During his time as a student, he was actively involved in the Pi
Kappa Phi Fraternity and Student Government Association. He served as SGA
Treasurer 1974-1975 and SGA President 1975-1976.

Sarah Emmons, originally from Fleming County, Kentucky, followed in the footsteps of
two older siblings. One of seven children, Sarah was a first-generation college student.
During Sarah’s time on campus, she was actively involved in campus activities including
the Delta Zeta Sorority and the Student Government Association.

Sarah, along with her five sisters, all graduated from Morehead State.

Tim and Sarah met during Tim’s senior year and Sarah’s freshman year. Tim graduated
with a degree in English in 1977 and stayed on campus to pursue his master’s degree
so, he could remain close to Sarah. Upon his graduation with his master’s degree, he
moved to Lexington to attend Law School at the University of Kentucky.

Sarah graduated from MSU in 1979 with a degree in Communications/Journalism and
they moved to Lexington. Sarah began working in the Office of Publications and Information
Services at Transylvania University while Tim attended law school, graduating in 1982.

Tim co-founded the law firm, Wilson & McQueen, in January 1987. The firm engages in
the practice of workers’ compensation and personal injury law and is noted to be one of
the leading firms in claims litigated. For over 40 years, Tim has practiced exclusively in
the field of worker’s compensation and has participated at various levels of the workers’
compensation system, including his assistance in writing proposed legislation and
administrative regulations, and has presented at numerous seminars over the years and
Wilson & McQueen has been recognized as a Tier 1 “Best Law Firm” by US News and
World Report. Tim has been recognized by Super Lawyers in both the field of workers’
compensation as well as in the corporate counsel edition. He was inducted into the
Kentucky Workers Compensation Hall of Fame in 2025. He has litigated an estimated
4800 cases through the Kentucky Workers’ Compensation system including many
appeals at the Kentucky Court of Appeals and Kentucky Supreme Court.

While Tim was enjoying professional success as an attorney, Sarah was also putting
her communications degree to good use. Rising through the ranks at Transylvania, she
held multiple positions including Director of Publications and Director of Public Relations
and Associate Vice President for Communications and Marketing.

During her Transylvania tenure, Sarah and her team won numerous awards at the state,
district and national level for their writing, editing, and design in printed publications and
for the University’s website and social media accounts. Her work was recognized by the
Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the International
Association of Business Communicators (IABC), among other organizations.

Sarah was the first woman to be named to the University’s cabinet and the first female
administrator to be inducted into the University’s chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa, an
honors society that recognizes leadership. After a 34-year career at the University, she
retired in 2013.

Throughout Tim and Sarah’s life, they have always valued their travel experiences,
specifically international travel and having the opportunity to explore the world. As long-
time supporters of MSU, they have chosen to show their gratitude through generously
helping students have the opportunity to student abroad. As they considered how to
best support the University they love and future generations of MSU Eagles, they
decided to direct their support to study abroad experiences. They hope that the creation
of this scholarship fund will allow Eagles to soar higher by experiencing different
cultures and gaining access to unique academic opportunities.

Tim and Sarah hope that the creation of this fund will inspire the university community to
consider the importance of Study Abroad programs. Their intention is to create a fund
with a general name, not for the personal recognition, but to create a general named
fund that will inspire others to give to the cause.