The community is invited to this year’s free 2026 Grawemeyer Awards Lecture Series:

• Psychology��–��Sir Simon Baron-Cohen Stanford, founder and director of the��Autism Research Centre��at the University of Cambridge, will speak on Tuesday, April 14, 12 p.m., Middleton Auditorium – Room 101, Strickler Hall, about his pioneering scientific research into the prenatal sex steroid theory of autism. In 2021, he received a knighthood for his services to autism, and in 2023 he was awarded the Medical Research Council’s (MRC) Millennium Medal, for his work on the prenatal sex steroid theory of autism and his contributions to autism research and the public understanding of neurodiversity.
• World Order��– Joshua W. Busby, a professor of public affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, will speak on Tuesday, April 14, 1 p.m., Chao Auditorium, Ekstrom Library. In his book, “States and Nature: The Effects of Climate Change on Security,” Busby explains how the combination of state capacity, political exclusion and international assistance determine the degree to which the impacts of climate change affect security for a country’s citizens.
• Music Composition��–��Liza Lim, an Australian composer will give a lecture on��Thursday, April 16, 3 p.m., Bird Hall, School of Music. Lim is recognized for her visionary work,��“A Sutured World.” The piece was commissioned by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BRSO)/Musica Viva, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam Cello Biennale, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Casa da Música Porto for the world-renowned cellist Nicolas Altstaedt.
• Religion��–��Candida Moss, a biblical scholar at the University of Birmingham, UK, will speak on��Thursday, April 16, 7 p.m., Caldwell Chapel, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Throughout the history of Christianity, the authorship of the New Testament was credited mostly to Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul. But hidden behind these men are unnamed coauthors and collaborators. Their work is at the center of Moss’ influential book, “God’s Ghostwriters: Enslaved Christians and the Making of the Bible.”

There was no education award given in 2026.��

Charles Grawemeyer, a UofL alumnus and philanthropist, created the Grawemeyer Awards in 1984. An initial endowment of $9 million funded the awards, which have drawn nominations from around the world. Grawemeyer distinguished the awards by honoring ideas rather than life-long or publicized personal achievement, advocating that great ideas should be understandable to someone with general knowledge and not be the private treasure of academics.

Learn more about the lectures on the .

Watch segment on ���Ǵڳ�’s and .

“The University of Louisville is in a unique position to lead dialogue that creates deeper understanding in a way that can unite us and move our state forward,” Bradley said. “Sometimes being bold begins with changing the conversation.”

Recorded in the Ekstrom Library’s , the first episode features U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey and Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers. The conversation focuses on aspects of how elected officials model civility and cooperation, and how they work to balance conviction with the need to compromise. Listen to the first episode on or .

Red & Bold: Uniting Cardinals and Community��helps share messages of the ��which prioritizes the university’s efforts around the pillars: learn, work, discover and connect.��Bradley,��, plans to continue building communication efforts in 2026 with the Cardinal community and beyond.

See the����for more information and links to future episodes.��Follow President Bradley on .��

The event, held at the Angel’s Envy Bourbon Club at ���Ǵڳ�’s L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium celebrated the ongoing legacy of the three-time heavyweight boxing champion, activist and humanitarian.

UofL has a strong connection to Ali and the Muhammad Ali Center, founded by the Louisville native and his wife Lonnie Ali, a longtime friend and supporter of the university. ���Ǵڳ�’s offers undergraduate students a unique two-year experience combining leadership development, community engagement and service. Inspired by Muhammad Ali’s courage, resilience and commitment to humility and service, students prepare to lead engagement projects that impact the community.

“The Greatest of All Time certainly deserves this national recognition, as we know his impact was felt here in Louisville and extends far beyond the ring and this city,” said President Gerry Bradley. “His legacy continues to inspire our students to champion meaningful change on campus and around the world.”

In 1998, Ali was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 2005, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. UofL honored Ali in 2015 with the inaugural Grawemeyer Spirit Award, recognizing his humanitarian efforts and inspiring actions.

Ali also was a true Cardinal. His son, Assad Ali, played baseball at UofL and is a member of the athletics staff. Muhammad Ali was honorary captain of the 2007 Orange Bowl championship team.

The U.S. Postal Service plans to sell 22 million commemorative Ali stamps.

The meeting began with a presentation by Vice Provost Bob Goldstein outlining the results of 2022-23 climate surveys based on the experiences and assessments of faculty, staff and administration. The surveys revealed the university’s strengths in the areas of cost-of-living within the region, supervisor effectiveness and work-life balance. Themes around compensation, quality of facilities, budget cuts and administrative recognition were among the areas of needed improvement. Goldstein concluded with information on overlapping results across all surveys and highlights of progress, including modernization of facilities, Employee Success Center initiatives and establishment of strategic budget principles.

Goldstein emphasized the goal to “map climate surveys into the Strategic Plan process.”

Strategic Plan co-chairs Cherie Dawson-Edwards and Alma Ljaljevic-Tucakovic talked with the audience about the effort to wrap up the current plan and the process underway for the university’s next roadmap.

“We decided to continue with the four pillars in the current Strategic Plan because they reflect the core values of the university,” Ljaljevic-Tucakovic said.

The areas of focus: learn, discover, connect and work are each led by a different committee chair or co-chairs who each spoke briefly about their work.

Interim Provost Katie Cardarelli underscored the importance of university-community input throughout the development process of the .

She outlined the following tentative timeline:

• Mid-May – Initial draft to UofL senior leadership
• June – Initial review by the Board of Trustees
• Late August – First full draft to campus community with opportunities for feedback
• October – Completion of second draft
• Late November – Final draft to Board of Trustees with a vote in December

Additional resources:

• Watch the complete Town Hall on .
• The Climate Survey Report, Executive Summary and a feedback form are available on a . (Log in to your UofL account to access these materials.)
• Learn more about the . (This site will be updated as the Strategic Plan develops.)
• View the photo gallery from the Town Hall on .

The University of Louisville presents the annual prizes for outstanding works in education, music composition, psychology, ideas improving world order, and gives a religion prize jointly with��Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. The honorees each receive $100,000.

The schedule for the 2025 Grawemeyer Awards Lecture Series, which is free and open to the public, is as follows:

• World Order –��John M. Owen IV, a University of Virginia politics professor will present Tuesday, April 8, 1 p.m., Chao Auditorium, Ekstrom Library. He’s recognized for researching and writing “The Ecology of Nations: American Democracy in a Fragile World Order,” an innovative book about the way the international ecosystem constrains and influences democracies.
• Religion –��R�������� Julia Watts Belser, Georgetown University professor of Jewish studies, will speak on Tuesday, April 8, 5 p.m., Gardencourt, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, about reconsidering the relationship between disability and spirituality. “Loving Our Own Bones,” won a National Jewish Book Award.
• ����ֱ�� –��Mark R. Warren, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston will give a talk on Wednesday, April 9, 10:30 a.m., Chao Auditorium, Ekstrom Library, on “Willful Defiance: The Movement to Dismantle the School-to-Prison Pipeline.” This book describes and analyzes the building of the grassroots movement to end racially disproportionate school discipline policy and policing practices in schools across the United States.
• Psychology –��Stanford University psychology professor��James Gross��will present on Thursday, April 10, 1 p.m., Room 101, Strickler Hall. The Ernest R. Hilgard Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences theorized that managing one’s feelings before they are fully formed offers a healthier approach than trying to manage them after they’re in full swing.
• Music Composition –��Christian Mason, a London-based composer will give a lecture on Thursday, April 10, 3 p.m., Bird Hall, School of Music. Mason receives a Grawemeyer Award for creating a work that changes how music is usually experienced by employing a spatially shifting ensemble of 12 musicians and encouraging its audience to roam the performance space.

UofL graduate and philanthropist H. Charles Grawemeyer created the awards program in 1984 to pay tribute to the power of creative thought and emphasize the impact a single idea can have on the world. He further distinguished the awards by requiring the selection process involve a lay committee to ensure the winning ideas are understandable to a broad audience.

Soon, the building that now houses a laundromat and food mart will be torn down to make way for green space.

“We will work to determine the best permanent use of the space and given that it is within the residence hall district, that will be the priority consideration,” said UofL President Kim Schatzel. “This project will redefine Cardinal Center and benefit the entire neighborhood while completing an inviting student epicenter.”��

���Ǵڳ�’s housing demand was marked by a record-breaking 97% occupancy rate in fall 2024, with more than 3,900 housing assignments. Of these, nearly 1,900 first-year students unpacked their belongings in their new college homes, contributing to the unprecedented demand for on-campus housing.

The university has considered this property for 20 years, as the new use of the land aims to transform the Belknap Campus.

This purchase falls within ���Ǵڳ�’s overall which establishes a comprehensive vision that guides future development and transformation on the Belknap Campus and Health Sciences Center to support the university’s mission, vision and strategic plan. The Campus Plan serves as a 20-year framework, strategically strengthening ���Ǵڳ�’s distinct identity as both a top-tier research and community engaged university.

• New main UofL website��

Students, faculty, staff and community partners can now more easily find important information on ���Ǵڳ�’s , which launched just in time for start of the 2024-2025 academic year. This effort is part of the university’s . The site includes overview pages for departments and strategic areas linking back to their existing sites. All other websites will launch on the new Drupal system by Nov. 22.

• Building updates throughout campus

Major progress has been made on our next-generation engineering hub, and many of our longstanding facilities have upgrades aimed at improving their functionality, comfort and safety. Among these include the renovation of the Ernst Hall auditorium, with a new stage, seats, flooring, painting and lights. The corridor also received a refresh of lobbies and other student spaces. Work on an addition will get underway this academic year. The project, expected to be completed in summer 2025, will provide additional space for students to study and collaborate, along with more office space and archive space to preserve the history of the university and Commonwealth of Kentucky.

• Cardinal Marching Band to debut new uniforms
  

  

The will return to L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium this fall with a brand-new look.��Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, the band will step out in new uniforms. The design showcases a two-toned red and white jacket with a metallic gradient sash, accentuated by a small red gothic “L” on the right sleeve. Positioned prominently, the iconic Cardinal bird adorns the left chest, while the “Louisville” wordmark spans across the upper back.������

• University Safety App: Card Armor

UofL students, staff and faculty can now download the new��. This will allow access to several important resources. When visiting your preferred app store, search for the safety app by typing “cardarmor” as one word. Card Armor replaces the previous version of Rave Guardian but does not replace the Rave Emergency Notification System. All traditional methods of communicating with the also are still available.

• Blackboard Ultra

UofL has transitioned to for all fall 2024 classes. Blackboard Ultra is more modern and mobile-friendly. Some features have changed. As you gear up for this semester, take a few moments to��.

• New immigration clinic at the law school

The will launch a new immigration law clinic this fall to provide critical legal services to the growing immigration population, teach law students necessary skills to successfully practice law, and develop a pipeline of immigration law attorneys.��The clinic will serve clients who are authorized to be present in the United States and the Commonwealth of Kentucky but do not have the requisite documentation to prove it.��Law students, working under the supervision of a licensed, full-time attorney with extensive experience in immigration law, will take responsibility to represent clients and assist them in completing the required paperwork. ��

• New outpatient clinic and simulation operating room at the nursing school

The is opening a new simulation outpatient clinic and simulated operating room to provide the most up-to-date tools and experience for students in its nurse practitioner and nurse anesthetist programs. The space located on the first floor of the school has been repurposed from a former pediatric clinic. The new rooms will provide a modernized hands-on learning environment for students preparing to enter these specialties. This space will add to the already existing simulation and clinical training labs within the nursing school and Health Sciences Center campus, bolstering the educational opportunities for our students.

Tabitha Grier-Reed, associate dean for graduate education and faculty development at the College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development, University of Minnesota (UofM), Twin Cities, will begin Aug. 5, pending a tenure vote by ���Ǵڳ�’s CEHD faculty and approval by the UofL Board of Trustees.

“Dr. Grier-Reed brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our institution, and I am confident that she will contribute significantly to the continued success and growth of the College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development,” said Provost Gerry Bradley.

A licensed psychologist, she spent 16 years in the faculty ranks at UofM in the Department of Postsecondary Teaching and Learning and most recently in the Department of Family Social Science before joining the dean’s office in 2021.

Prior to her academic career, she worked as an adviser for TRiO Student Support Services for five years. She is past president of the Minnesota Psychological Association, a fellow of the American Psychological Association and a distinguished teaching professor at UofM. With her research primarily centered in higher education, Grier-Reed’s scholarship focuses on the well-being of diverse young people, including the cultivation of spaces that promote flourishing and cultural health.��������

“Deep alignment and noble purpose culminated in my decision to join CEHD at UofL, an environment that shares my commitment to diversity and inclusion, student success and advancing educational outcomes, especially for first-generation, Pell-eligible college students,” Grier-Reed said.

She earned a PhD and master of arts in educational psychology from UofM Twin Cities Counseling and Student Personnel Psychology Program in the Department of ����ֱ��al Psychology. Grier-Reed also attended Tuskegee University where she earned a bachelor of science in psychology.

“I am ready to lead with agility, respect, integrity and transparency. Let’s live out our Cardinal values and create a community of care for our students, staff and faculty as we co-create the future of CEHD,” Grier-Reed said.

Part of the growth in numbers comes as the result of major strides in the areas of affordability, access and equity, meaning Cardinals from a variety of backgrounds can take advantage of learning opportunities and experiences with reduced financial burden. This academic year, UofL announced the��expansion of its Border Benefit Award��that allows students from some neighboring states to attend UofL at in-state tuition rates, along with the investment of $2.4 million��toward the Cardinal Commitment Grant for in-state residents.

UofL jumped 15 places in the 2023-24 U.S. News and World Report����ranking, from No. 146 to No. 131, and also topped the list of “best values” among national universities in Kentucky.��In the past few years, Cardinals have graduated with the second-lowest student debt among all Kentucky four-year public universities.

New leadership helps guide the way

Taking the helm in early 2023, ���Ǵڳ�’s 19^th president, Kim Schatzel, spent six months in some 40 listening sessions to learn what was important to ���Ǵڳ�’s students, staff and faculty, as well as community and government leaders.

She outlined��her first eight priorities��in September, and those priorities became the basis for a new 2023-2025��. Schatzel was��officially inaugurated��on Sept. 29 in a joyous ceremony filled with music and tradition that was held on The Oval outside Grawemeyer Hall. The historic event took place during ���Ǵڳ�’s yearlong celebration of its��225th anniversary.��In recognition of her leadership, Schatzel was named among Louisville��Business First’s Power 50��for 2024, which identifies the city’s most influential people in business and related communities. The Louisville Defender Newspaper also named Schatzel as one of the “Women Who Choose to Challenge” in the publication’s women’s history recognition edition.����

In spring 2024, the university chose Gerry Bradley as permanent executive vice president and university provost. No stranger to the Cardinal community, Bradley had served as dean of the����since 2016 and as interim provost since July 2023. He previously held that same role from January 2022 to February 2023.

Several other top leadership positions have been filled throughout 2023 and 2024, including: Karlis Kaugars, vice provost for information technology services and chief information officer; Dayna Touron, dean, ;��John W. Miller Jr., dean, ; and Kathryn (Katie) Cardarelli,��dean, . This summer, Whitney Nash becomes dean of the , which celebrates 50 years of educating and preparing nurses for distinctive careers.

UofL also welcomed Pat Kelsey to lead the men’s basketball program, infusing excitement and enthusiasm into Card Nation.

Renovations, new infrastructure boost student success

The university is updating facilities and building new infrastructure to ensure students have the physical space to unleash their potential.

The��Center for Military-Connected Students��debuted its newly renovated offices in Brodschi Hall on Belknap Campus. The center focuses on meeting the needs of the more than 2,300 military-connected students enrolled at UofL. At the , construction of a new four-story, $90 million student success hub is underway. It will help us produce the next generation of engineers.

And thanks to a tremendously successful legislative session, the state budget appropriated $260 million toward a new Health Sciences Center Campus simulation center and collaboration hub. That’s the largest amount of funding for a single project in ���Ǵڳ�’s history. It also is the largest project being funded in Louisville and represents the most general fund support for any single project among Kentucky’s colleges and universities this session. UofL also received about $69 million for needed repairs on some existing facilities.

���Ǵڳ�’s research and innovation powerhouse flourishes

Research and innovation continued to soar to new heights in academic year 2023-24. Just a few highlights were:

• More than $22 million in funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration was awarded to the Schools of��Medicine ($16 million)and��Nursing ($6.5 million)��for physician and nurse training to help increase Kentuckians’ access to health care, particularly in underserved rural and urban areas. ��
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded four grants totaling $11.6 million to researchers affiliated with ���Ǵڳ�’s��to study factors affecting heart health. Through these projects, they hope to better understand how environmental exposures and tobacco products can affect the cardiovascular system, as well as how remodeling takes place in the heart after a heart attack.
• UofL researcher Cheri Levinson has received an $11.5 million grant from the NIH to continue her work addressing��the devastating effects of eating disorders.
• UofL researchers Susan Harkema, Charles Hubscher and collaborators recently won a $1 million grant from the NIH aimed at helping spinal cord injury patients regain function. They are now among four teams exclusively invited to participate in another competition with a potential prize pool of $5 million.
• More than 100 UofL researchers are among the top 2% most-cited in the world, according to a new��compiled by Stanford University and Elsevier. Citations show the value other researchers around the globe place on UofL research.
• Research conducted in ���Ǵڳ�’s Micro/Nano Technology Center is investigating whether the antibacterial properties of��cicada wings��can be turned into an antimicrobial for use in places like food service, health care facilities and medical devices.��
• More than 80 of ���Ǵڳ�’s top researchers, scholars and artists��were honored��in October at the 2023 Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Awards ceremony.
• Four University of Louisville innovators have been selected by the prestigious National Academy of Inventors for its 2024 class of Senior��Members.��The four inventors selected from UofL–the only ones from Kentucky–are:��Thad Druffel, Nobuyuki Matoba, Thomas Roussel and Jagannadh Satyavolu.

Commitment to serve, transform the community��

Throughout the 2023-24 academic year, Cardinals have utilized knowledge and resources to advance the mutual needs of the university and the community. Earlier this spring, more than 400 students danced for 18 hours at the annual raiseRED marathon.��

The students raised more than $516,000 for Norton Children’s Cancer Institute and the . This is ���Ǵڳ�’s largest student philanthropic effort. It has raised more than $5 million in its 11-year history.

In the mean time, former firefighter James Cripps was awarded one of the ��for teaching firefighters throughout Kentucky about occupational cancer and mitigation strategies. A manufacturing administrator at the UofL Health��, he hopes to eliminate some of those risks.

, meanwhile, celebrated a milestone:��200 years��of compassionate care, medical innovation and serving the underserved. It was Kentucky’s first hospital, first admitting patients in a facility downtown in 1823. Now, to address a real need for citizens south and west of Louisville, UofL Health recently cut the ribbon on UofL Health – South Hospital in Bullitt County just off Interstate 65.

As part of ���Ǵڳ�’s ongoing effort to collaborate with five K-12 schools in West Louisville, Central High School Pre-Medical Magnet Program students received white coats this spring, recognizing their hard work and encouraging them to stay focused on their goals. Students shadow UofL doctors and get to practice performing simpler procedures, like sutures, through this immersive curriculum.

Recently, ���Ǵڳ�’s McConnell Scholars and others heard a presentation by Sen. Katie Britt, R-Alabama, who spoke about the importance of respect and trust in building relationships to address the country’s most pressing issues. A guest of the McConnell Center, Britt spoke as part of its Distinguished Speaker Series. Celebrating its 30th year, the center also brought��Oksana Markarova, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, to Belknap Campus Oct. 30. She gave a public talk and met separately with the McConnell Scholars.

Students begin their next chapter at commencement

On May 11, more than 2,000 of the approximately 3,100 students who applied for degrees and certificates, will go across the stage at the KFC Yum! Center signifying their academic success.

This Commencement holds particular significance for the high school class of 2020, which graduated at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. For some, it will be their first chance to celebrate their educational achievement by taking part in a complete traditional ceremony.

UofL President Kim Schatzel will preside at both the 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. ceremonies. The����also will host a doctoral hooding and graduation ceremony for more than 100 graduates at 2 p.m. Friday, May 10, on Belknap Campus in the Swain Student Activities Center (SAC) Ballroom, second floor. All of these ceremonies will be broadcast live at��.