Participants will see — via video — many elements of a traditional commencement. Pomp and circumstance will play. Administrators will appear in cap and gown. The president, provost, deans and students will deliver their comments and congratulations.

And every graduate will have their moment — akin to crossing the stage — where their name, degree and honors appear on the video. Names will be announced audibly and, if a photo or special message was submitted before the deadline, that too will appear.

Because the event follows a traditional format and recognizes each student, it differs from last spring’s web-based celebration that honored nearly 3,200 May graduates. Those May graduates, as well as the summer and winter graduates, will be included in the upcoming virtual commencement because organizers wanted to give special recognition to all 2020 graduates.

Some hallmarks of the upcoming event include:

• There will be 12 separate web-based ceremonies, one for each of the university’s colleges and schools. That keeps the ceremonies to a manageable size and enables students to graduate with their classmates.
• Since spring, summer and fall 2020 graduates are all included, it will be one of the largest commencements in university history. More than 5,300 scholars are expected to be recognized.
• 2020 graduates can take part in any future in-person commencement if they wish to do so.

Planning for virtual commencement began months ago after university officials determined an in-person event, even with modifications, would pose a significant health risk. The decision — called “gut wrenching” by one administrator — came after weeks of consultations with students, health and infectious disease experts, government leaders and others.

“First and foremost, we had to protect our students, their families, campus community and larger community,” said Dean of Students Michael Mardis.

Mardis points out that if an in-person ceremony had been planned, escalating COVID 19 cases and new restrictions would have forced a cancellation.

Senior political science and history major Zach Pennington, who is part of the Student Government Association and a member of virtual commencement planning team, said virtual commencement is “the reality of this year.”

Even though he is not one of the graduates, he plans to watch the celebration.

“To me, the most important part of graduation will be the celebratory aspect with friends and family. Virtual commencement provides just that. It is an opportunity to celebrate accomplishments in the safest way possible while also thanking the people who have helped you along the way,” Pennington said.

More information can be found at . Links to the 12 school-based ceremonies will not appear until Dec. 12 and will remain available for viewing after the event.

The markers were unveiled Oct. 23 in the plaza between the Belknap Academic Building and the Student Activities Center.��

The 10 markers—one representing NPHC overall and nine representing each affiliated Greek fraternity and sorority—were planned and designed by students.��

Founded in 1930 at Howard University in Washington D.C., NPHC supports Black college students who seek the benefits of a Greek organization, especially collegial collaboration, peer activism and a robust campus life.�� ��

Political science senior Brandon McClain, who spoke at the unveiling ceremony, said NPHC’s mission is to work “toward advancing the social and economic status of African American and other persons of color through lifelong brotherhood and sisterhood.”

McClain, who is also vice president of the university’s NPHC and president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., said the plots serve as a reminder that “the University of Louisville National Pan-Hellenic Council is strong and united. This campus is better because we are here.”

“I don’t need to tell you how much Black Greek life has meant to Black life in this country. If you think about the leadership, the scholars, the activists that are right here in our midst today, the debt we owe is incredible,” said UofL President Neeli Bendapudi during the virtual ceremony.

Dean of Students and Chief Student Affairs Officer Michael Mardis said conversations have been ongoing about having a physical, permanent location on campus to recognize NPHC.��

“With some of the renovations underway, the idea came up and the students thought maybe we could utilize the plaza space,” Mardis said.��“Our goal every day at the university is to make sure every student has a place to belong and an opportunity to succeed and achieve their goals.”

Members of NPHC and its Black fraternities and sororities have a strong record of overall student success including higher grade point averages and higher graduation rates than non-Greek students. NPHC members are typically active in leadership roles as both students and alumni.

For alumna Terina Matthews-Davis (‘93) the NPHC plots are a gratifying milestone in a journey she helped launch. In the early 1990s, Matthews-Davis was part of a group dedicated to establishing NPHC at UofL. ��

“We saw all of our friends at other schools with NPHC chapters and saw an opportunity to govern ourselves,” she said. “We wanted something where we could have intimate, and sometimes controversial, conversations amongst like-minded people.”��

Mardis said that while NPHC has been linked with UofL for nearly 30 years, not all council-affiliated chapters—often called the Divine Nine—were active during those decades.

“By April, 2012, all Divine Nine were back on campus and it was truly a great celebration,” Mardis said.��

The Black fraternity and sorority chapters under the NPHC umbrella are Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.��

Photos of the marker dedication . To watch a video of the virtual event,

Flight cancellations. Closed embassies. Confusing paperwork. Health concerns.��Restrictions on travel. Worried parents. ��

Those are just a few of the challenges international students have grappled with amid the pandemic. For the fall semester, Beard and his team were expecting 154 international students. Instead, there are just 55.��

“To be honest, I am thrilled with the 55, considering all the closed embassies/consulates and the travel restrictions,” Beard said.��

School of Public Health and Information Sciences doctoral student Aravind Reddy Kothagadi was one of those 55 international scholars who navigated COVID-19 restrictions to attend UofL.

Kothagadi, a medical doctor who previously worked in rural areas of India, found it especially onerous to make travel plans.��

“Only one carrier was operating flights between India and the U.S.” said Kothagadi, who arrived the day before classes started. “I am glad that I could finally make it in time.”��

Kothagadi said his parents were concerned, but supportive, about his plans to pursue a degree overseas.��After all, he was no stranger to international travel and study: he previously earned a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School and a master’s degree in biomedical and health informatics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Even so, his parents were worried.

“I assured my parents that I understood their concerns and would take all necessary precautions,” he said. “I am very passionate about pursuing my PhD and determined to take this chance.”��

But just two weeks into the semester, Kothagadi got bad news from home: both parents had fallen ill to COVID-19 and were in the hospital.��

“I felt devastated,” he said. ��

Amid his apprehension, Kothagadi’s UofL family helped him through the crisis. Both parents have now fully recovered.

“My mentor,��, and my faculty and colleagues here in SPHIS were a pillar of support during this time,” said Kothagadi, whose current research work includes developing COVID-19 projections for Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness.

Beard is inspired by such stories of collegial comradery. ��

He has found that—despite the additional paperwork and headaches his staff has endured due to the pandemic—there’s a silver lining.

“International students are displaying their resiliency and adaptability, the students find new ways to connect, either through meeting virtually, finding new hobbies, taking advantage of university resources or talking with ISSS coordinators,” he said. “The ISSS team has become closer with the fall 2020 incoming students, in large part because of the uncertainty, and it has been a pleasure working with these students more closely, getting to know each student and helping them find normalcy even during a pandemic.”������

“Tuesday was calculus exam day and, so, I was at the by 7:45 a.m. every Tuesday,” said Mitchell, who is on the autism spectrum. “The major thing for me was to have some extra time to take the test. Sometimes I think differently and tend to look at other things (when taking an exam) that can cause me to go down a rabbit hole.”

Now a senior, Mitchell has maintained a 4.0 grade point average and is on track to graduate in May, 2021.

“The DRC helped me so much. It has directly helped facilitate that 4.0,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell is among the thousands of college students protected by the , a landmark law that turned 30 this year. The law prohibits discrimination based on disability and has reshaped the nation’s infrastructure and attitudes concerning equal access and opportunity.

UofL law professor , an expert on the ADA, said colleges were well prepared to comply with the ruling many years before it became law.

“That is because higher education had been subject to part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,” said Rothstein. This pre-ADA law mandated that any agency that receives federal dollars must provide equal access for all persons.

Indeed, UofL opened its first office dedicated to helping those with disabilities 12 years prior to the ADA said Colleen Martin, who heads the DRC.

In those early years, the primary focus was to help those with physical disabilities. But in recent decades, the unit’s role has morphed and expanded considerably.

“Today, the vast majority of students who come to us are students with invisible disabilities, such as ADHD, learning disabilities, mental health conditions, chronic health conditions, autism spectrum disorders and others,” Martin said.

“We now serve approximately 700 students per year. DRC tailors services to the needs of each student. Common accommodations include things like testing accommodations, supplemental note takers, textbooks in alternate format, access to assistive technology, etc. We also help promote awareness of disability in our campus community and provide advocacy for students with disabilities and their access needs.”

For Mitchell, the DRC was indeed an advocate. He says his academic confidence has translated into greater self-confidence—including being more comfortable in social situations.

“Coming here has launched me from someone who was clueless to being at the top of my class and even mentoring others,” said Mitchell.

The awards are among the institution’s most valuable and prestigious prizes, providing the student with full tuition, stipends to help with living expenses and enrichment opportunities.

Here’s a list of this year’s Grawemeyer, MLK and McConnell scholars. The 10 Brown Fellows will be listed at a later date. All of the students shown below are from Kentucky.

Grawemeyer Scholars

• , Louisville
• , Lexington
• , Smithfield
• , Benton
• , Bardstown
• , Louisville
• , Louisville
• , Frankfort
• , Benton
• , Williamsburg

MLK Scholars (pictured above)

• , Shelbyville
• , Bowling Green
• , Lexington
• , Louisville
• , Owensboro
• , Versailles
• , Louisville
• , Lexington
• , Lexington
• Morganfield

McConnell Scholars

• , Crestwood
• , Lexington
• , Pewee Valley
• , Georgetown
• , Alexandria
• , Fort Thomas
• , Owensboro
• , Springfield
• , Louisville

“I’ve wanted to minor in Arabic since I started at UofL, but they didn’t have a program for it,” said Gatsos.

Junior political science major Kristen Justice told a similar story.

“I found out about the minor sometime during the spring 2020 semester and wanted to declare it immediately. I believe I even emailed Khaldoun about it over the quarantine period,” Justice said.

Offered through the Classical and Modern Languages department, Arts and Sciences, the new degree comes amid growing student interest in Middle Eastern and African cultures and languages.�� ��

Most of the classes are taught by professor and program coordinator Khaldoun Almousily, a popular instructor who has and is credited with igniting curiosity in Arabic language and culture.

“Arabic is a very beautiful language with rich history and high demand in the job market,” said Almousily.

“Arabic has only 28 letters. It takes students a day or two to learn to read and write in Arabic. The U.S. Department of State offers several fully funded scholarships to students to study Arabic abroad. Because of all that, a large number of students expressed their high interest. In the coming years, we will offer a major. We also are in the process of starting a translation course so students could start making money as translators and interpreters.” ��

UofL also offers a minor in , an interdisciplinary program that provides instruction in languages, anthropology, art history, humanities, history and politics. ��

Almousily’s work to build global understanding goes well beyond Kentucky. Affiliated for years with the Jordan-based Arab Council for the Gifted and Talented, he was appointed chair of the council’s Curriculum and Instruction Committee Sept. 7.������

The appointment gives Almousily a chance to lead a team of educators from 23 countries to develop and improve curriculum and instruction for Arab students and teachers.

“I have always wanted to make a difference in the education system in the Arab world,” Almousily said. ��

He hopes his new appointment can directly benefit UofL too. His ideas include forging co-education partnerships between the university and the council, encouraging Arab graduate students to apply to UofL and opening doors for research and study abroad opportunities.

Almousily earned a Diversity Champion Award in 2017 and is a member of the Classical and Modern Languages department Diversity Equity Inclusion Committee.

For more information about the Arabic language minor, click

The encourages students to pursue academic careers in political science and features an intensive five-week program at Duke University during the summer. Students from the U.S. and its territories are eligible for the award.

For Martinez, the scholarship means she can focus on something very near and dear to her own heart: helping immigrant and refugee populations.

“I am an immigrant myself and seeing the hardship immigrants can experience was something that I could connect to and wanted to change or at least be part of the process,” said the political science and Latin American and Latino studies major.

Born in Colombia, Martinez moved to the U.S. when she was 7 years old.

She remembers what it is like to move to a new country, learn a new language and adopt a new culture. She has spent years helping others face those same challenges by volunteering for the Americana Community Center and Kentucky Refugee Ministries. On campus, she is involved at the Cultural Center as part of the Hispanic Latino Initiative.

As a Ralph Bunche scholar, Martinez will take graduate-level courses, conduct research and take part in special lectures and events aimed at helping students from underrepresented backgrounds learn about graduate school.

During her time at UofL, Martinez says several professors helped her explore her academic possibilities. Those professors include and in the Department of Political Science,�� in the Department of History and in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages.

While Martinez has not decided what to do after graduation, she is considering the Peace Corps, PhD programs and applying for the student Fulbright award.

The university has had outstanding results as a producer of Fulbrights. Since 2003, there have been 133 Fulbrights, more than all other Kentucky public institutions combined.

Students and recent alumni also earned many other competitive awards this year. There were five Critical Language Scholars, two Goldwater Scholars and one Rotary International award winner. Five students received Boren Award offers, but three had to decline this scholarship because they won two or more awards.

One such scholar, of Louisville, may be the most-awarded student in university history. The Brown Fellow, Ali Scholar and Porter Scholar awardee won, this year, a Fulbright, Boren and Critical Language scholarship. The recent graduate and political science major decided to accept the Fulbright. He will spend the summer in Taiwan as an English teacher.

“When I heard that we had so many winners of prominent awards—including a dozen Fulbrights—I marveled at how we are able to achieve such high honors year after year,” said President Neeli Bendapudi. “We have an astounding track record as a producer of top scholars and I’m so proud of our incredible students, faculty and staff because they all work together to make this possible.”

Charlie Leonard, interim director of the Office of National and International Scholarship Opportunities, said the university’s culture has become attuned to seeking out academic superstars who are candidates for prominent awards.

“It’s a system that has been in place here for years with lots of buy-in from faculty and staff who recommend students and are eager to help them in the interview and writing workshop process,” said Leonard. “Plus, we have extraordinarily strong support from upper administration.”

He said it is noteworthy that five of this year’s awardees earned research-focused Fulbright awards.

“This has been a good year for our Fulbrights who plan to conduct research,” he said. “I think that may be a result of our efforts to promote undergraduate research at UofL and we hope that trend continues.”

Fellowships coordinator Bethany Smith, who works closely with student and alumni scholarship candidates during and after the application process, said about 30% of UofL students who applied for the 2019 Fulbright received the award—a statistic that has been fairly typical for the past few years.

“That’s an impressive statistic,” said Smith. “Few institutions can claim such good results and it is indicative of our success in identifying and mentoring potential awardees.”

To see a full list, including biographies and photos, of UofL’s 2019 Fulbrights,��

The upcoming event��was announced today.��

The Louisville Maker Faire��will be a free, family-friendly event that includes spectacle acts,��exhibitions, competitions, hands-on��workshops, speakers, musical performances and more.

“We look forward to bringing��the community together on our campus to create, discover and be inspired,” said President Neeli Bendapudi. “This event will show the incredible power��of partnership between our university and local industry.”

“Hosting our city’s first full-feature��Maker Faire is an example of how businesses and organizations are working��together to drive��innovation, and a reflection��of the��budding��tech sector��and thriving art scene that have gained momentum in Louisville and across��the region,” said Larry Portaro, president of FirstBuild.

Rob Keynton, UofL’s interim executive vice president for research and innovation, said the university is a “hotbed for innovation,” adding that his office is dedicated to working with community partners to do even more.��

“This September, thousands of makers, artists and entrepreneurs from across the U.S. will see, first hand, what our students and faculty can do when they attend Maker Faire on our campus,” he said.

GE Appliances, one��of the event’s flagship sponsors, backs FirstBuild and is a Louisville-based��maker that has been inventing and��manufacturing home appliances for more than��100 years.��

“This Maker Faire will be��the largest gathering of inventors, creators and makers that this city has ever��seen,” said Kevin Nolan, president and��chief executive officer of GE��Appliances. “Hosting this event in the hometown of GE Appliances showcases the brain��power and creativity of our��community.”

Similar Faires have been��held in cities across the globe since 2006. Louisville has hosted a��smaller-scale, single-day mini maker faire for the past��six years.

“From my first day as the��city’s mayor, innovation and lifelong learning have been among my��core pillars to help our community thrive and grow,” said��Louisville Mayor Greg��Fischer. “Maker Faire will help us continue to advance that vision.”

Organizers are seeking makers,��sponsors and volunteers to contribute to the success of the event. Makers can��sign up to provide an exhibit,��presentation, performance, workshop or demo.��.��

See more .

Check out video from today’s press conference:��

Probably.

Since there are no tickets or gate counters for the event, held Saturday at the KFC Yum! Center, it’s hard to know for sure.

However, university officials estimate over 10,000 people attended (there are two). It was the first time extra seating was opened in the upper level of the Center and those seats were nearly filled at both ceremonies.

The burgeoning attendance is not surprising.

After all, the number of spring graduates was expected to be nearly 3,200—close to last spring’s record of 3,172 graduates. Numbers are not yet final. Of that huge class, about 2,100 took part in commencement.

President Neeli Bendapudi presided over both ceremonies, remarking about how this was the first senior class to graduate on her watch. She was named president shortly after last year’s spring commencement.��

She also shared her Cardinal principles with the audiences:��

• C – Community, reminding graduates that they are part of a bigger community and that we should take care of each other.
• A – Accountability. It is important to take responsibility, learn from our failures and move on.
• R – Respect. Respect each other and our differences. We are 99.9% alike in genetic makeup.
• D – Diversity, as well as inclusion and equity. Diversity includes diversity of thought. Bendapudi advised graduates to not get lost in our own echo chambers.��
• I – Integrity. Be who you say you are and do what you say you’re going to do.
• N – Noble. Most of us want to be part of a bigger purpose, find your noble purpose and pursue it.
• A – Agile. Be prepared for anything. Change is constant.��
• L – Leadership. Leadership means walking the walk. Leadership is different than management.��

Bendapudi also urged graduates to not forget about their university.��

“From this day on, you are part of a legacy – a rich tapestry of red and black, of generations before you and generations that will come after you. Always, wherever you are, make room for your alma mater,” she said. “Come home often.”��

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Alicia Kelso contributed to this story.��