“This is a testament to the robust work which happens around campus to create meaningful education paths and to support our military-connected students,” said Kyle Hurwitz, director, Center for Military-Connected Students.

With almost 3,200ÌęÌęenrolled, military students account for more than 12% of UofL’s total enrollment.

Each year, Military Friendly¼ evaluates universities based on graduation outcomes, culture, military support and financial aid, among other areas. Military Friendly¼ Gold institutions are selected for “leading practices, outcomes and effective programs.”

“We are very proud to continue to earn these designations year after year,” said President Gerry Bradley. “We recognize and celebrate the Center for Military-Connected Students, whose dedicated efforts enable us to promote student success at the highest levels.”Ìę

One of the many programs supporting UofL’s service members is Red Bird Allies, a once per semester training for faculty and staff to learn about the military-connected student experience and to understand the concerns, unique perspectives, strengths and challenges of this student population.Ìę

Emily Miles, an academic advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences, is one of more than 200 faculty and staff Red Bird Allies. She frequently advises students who have been in the military, have a parent in the military or want to join when they graduate.Ìę

“Thanks to the training I received, I feel comfortable giving guidance about transferrable credits or financial coverage concerns and referring them to the highly capable specialists at the Center for Military-Connected students,” said Miles. “Feedback from students indicates UofL’s support of military-connected students is exceptional.”

Interested in becoming a Red Bird Ally?Ìę.

“You can hear rapids before you get to them or sometimes see them,” he said. “You start to think how you’re going to get through them, and then you turn the corner and get through them. It’s sort of similar to life.”

Sloan’s journey began at Princeton University in the 1960s. After two years, he had to withdraw to help out his family business. Like the river he describes, life continued to ebb and flow. He took courses at Butler University, changed jobs, took courses at Indiana University, changed jobs again – but never finished his degree.

Now at 83, UofL is giving him that opportunity.

This December, Sloan will graduate with a bachelor’s degree thanks to the . In Kentucky, students 65 and older can take a select number of classes for free at any state-supported institution within the commonwealth.

The world has changed drastically since Sloan began college. He remembers the first personal computers that ran on punch cards. Now, he’s finishing his degree entirely .

But for Sloan, earning his degree isn’t just about checking a box. He spent most of his life as a crafts salesman, traveling and selling fabric, yarn and other art supplies. His education was an education built by doing. Those experiences, he said, enriched his academic work.

“If you like what you are doing, you will like it more after becoming better educated,” Sloan said. “It’s a good way to improve yourself, learn how to do a better job and become a better person.”

Sloan says continuing to learn – at any age – is part of what keeps him energized.

“I think it makes you happier because you’re learning about the world,” he said.

He often thinks of a quote from actress Olivia de Havilland, who lived to be 104. When asked the secret to a long life, she replied: “love, laughter, learning
 and stairs.”

“That’s always stuck with me,” Sloan said. “łÉÈËֱȄ is important. It’s a good thing to remember.”

Sloan will graduate from the College of Arts and Sciences with a , with interdisciplinary studies in communications, creative expression and humanities. His communications courses taught him some of the theory behind his job as a salesman.

“It’s not just the words when we communicate,” he said. “It’s the gestures, the body language.”

Better yet, Sloan is just as much a part of campus and the Louisville community as any student. He’s an avid Cardinals sports fan, holding courtside season tickets to women’s volleyball. He also regularly attends baseball, men’s and women’s basketball games.

Sloan is a proud member of the Rotary Club of Louisville, which has more than 400 members and is the 13th-largest club among Rotary International’s 45,000 clubs. The club sponsors scholarships, hosts guest speakers and supports humanitarian efforts.

“It’s a bunch of do-gooders doing good in the community,” he said.

Sloan has watched more than a dozen graduations of his children and grandchildren over the years. On Dec. 12, many of them will come to watch him take his turn. And when the moment comes to cross the stage and receive his diploma, he said one emotion comes to mind: happiness.

“I’ll be very happy,” he said. “And I think I might even continue taking courses here after.”

Through a survey, Military Times collects data from colleges nationwide. With this information, institutions are evaluated based on academic quality, student support services, affordability and outcomes for veterans – including graduation and retention rates.Ìę

This year’s survey showcased a substantial increase in online/hybrid program options and a meaningful growth in veteran resources like peer mentorship centers and mental health services for post-service transition.

This latest honor adds to the accolades of UofL’s military-connected student supports. In 2025, the Cardinal community received recognition as aÌęfor the fourth year in a row. UofL is one of only 27 Carnegie research 1 institutions in the nation to earn a designated status, and the only one in Kentucky to earn a “Gold” designation from Military FriendlyÂź, a veteran-owned company that ranks universities for how well they support military students.

With almost 2,600 military-connected students enrolled, military students account for more than 10% of UofL’s total enrollment. TheÌęÌęis committed to providing a supportive space with five full-time staff members dedicated to assisting military students on campus. Some of the benefits include scholarships for veterans and their dependents, lower tuition rates and multiple fee waivers.Ìę

To learn more about the Best for Vets Colleges rankings,Ìę

“We want to expand the reach of SGA, making sure many voices are heard,” Waddle said.

She says this includes undergraduate students, professional school students, as well as graduate students, pointing out that creating a space for students of all career paths is crucial to the integrity of any college campus.

“We represent students who live on campus, may be commuters or may take classes online. Our goal is to really make SGA more accessible this year.”

The leadership of the organization, known as the “Top 4” also includes Anna Hernandez, executive vice president, Grant Avis, services vice president and Kathleen Price, academic vice president. They each began their roles in fall 2025.

Waddle says the Student Government Association has launched a new executive staff outreach team led by Hernandez, which aims to increase student knowledge about SGA.

“We are trying to open things up to the student body and show students how SGA works and how they can get involved,” she said.

Since 1952, UofL’s Student Government Association has been working to make the university a better place, where student voices are heard and the campus is able to thrive.

Learn more about the .

By Brie Carlini

Professor Oluwaferanmi Okanlami encouraged attendees to ask that question at the 2024 health equity keynote: “Disabusing Disability: Demonstrating that Disability Doesn’t Mean Inability.” Okanlami, whose mission is to close the gap among the diverse members of our society to create a more equitable and promising future for all, highlighted shortcomings in how most of society views disabilities and what must change.

Born in Nigeria before immigrating to the U.S. at a young age, Okanlami attended high school at Deerfield Academy and went on to Stanford University where he also ran track & field, serving as captain his last two seasons and achieving Academic All-American recognition.ÌęOkanlami earned his medical degree from the University of Michigan before matching into orthopedic surgery residency at Yale University. At the beginning of his thirdÌęyear of residency, he experienced a spinal cord injury, paralyzing him from the chest down. After two surgeries and intense rehabilitation, he recovered some motor function and navigates the world as a proud wheelchair user.

Today, Okanlami is director of student accessibility and accommodation services at the University of Michigan, where he oversees the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities, two Testing Accommodation Centers and the Adaptive Sports & Fitness Program. He also is an assistant professor of family medicine, physical medicine & rehabilitation and urology at Michigan Medicine and an adjunct assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. In addition, he earned a master’s in engineering, science and technology entrepreneurship from the University of Notre Dame and completed his family medicine residency at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Indiana.

As an accomplished athlete, he is passionate about adaptive sports and fitness and champions access to physical fitness and inclusive recreational and competitive sports for all.

At Research!Louisville, Okanlami’s topic provided insight into creating a health system which is accessible to and inclusive of both patients and providers with disabilities, as well as providing provisions necessary for students and employees with disabilities in higher education.

The Americans with Disabilities Act defines a person with a disability as an individual who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment. Okanlami’s work emphasizes that disabilities do not fairly identify individuals, but more than likely perceptions of disabilities can lead to artificially placing limits on people who have just as much or more to contribute to society.

As a disabled, Black, Nigerian, immigrant, cis-gender heterosexual, male, physician and athlete, Okanlami doesn’t just speak from an acquired knowledge-based perspective. He has experienced firsthand the difficulties of being identified in a culture that does not understand his main message that “disability does not mean inability.”

In his talk, Okanlami illustrated how each individual with a disability has unique needs for accommodations.

“When you have met one person with a disability, you have met one person with a disability,” he said.

Okanlami said that everyone must recognize that we live in an ableist world and we need to provide reasonable and appropriate accommodation for people that identify has having disabilities, whether those disabilities are visible or invisible.

“The health care system is ableist by definition. The medical model of disability teaches us that disability is pathology. It is something that is broken that should be fixed, prevented or cured,” Okanlami said. “The social model of disability does not see the problem living in the individual, it sees the system we are in as being inaccessible. If someone is born without the ability to walk, that shouldn’t be a problem if we have access to the resource they need to be able to navigate.”

But he encouraged everyone to take action.

“What is it we can do to make someone’s tomorrow better than their yesterday?” Okanlami said. “There is something that each of you can do, even if it is a tiny little bite, but the impact that little bite can have could be something that makes a profound impact on someone else’s life.”

Okanlami’s Research!Louisville presentation on Sept. 19 at the University of Louisville Health Sciences Center was led by the HSC Office of Health Equity and Engagement and the School of Medicine Office of Community Engagement and Diversity. To watch his entire keynote discussion, visit the .

Betty Coffman contributed to this story.

This summer, eight Muhammad Ali scholars embarked on a transformative, two-week international learning and cultural experience in South Africa. Sherry Durham, director of the , said the scholars are asked to be active in building awareness of social justice issues, not just on a local level but national and even internationally.

“That was one purpose of the trip,” she said. “Muhammad Ali was very committed to service and empowering his community. We want to help build future change agents. Whatever the student is passionate about, we connect them with real people who are doing that work, and they come up with some type of solution.”

Durham, along with Marian Vasser, associate vice president for , and Muriel Harris, retired faculty member from the , led the students abroad.

One stop on the journey included a tour of Robben Island, the infamous site of the prison where peace activist Nelson Mandela was held during apartheid. While talking with a tour guide and former prisoner, the group gained insight into South Africa’s arduous journey to democracy, and the resilience and spirit of the community.

“Through dialogue and conversation, we helped the students connect what they learned from the community and from the history in South Africa to their research projects,” ÌęDurham said. The director said she also was interested in connecting the dots from seemingly other disparate historical events around the world, like instances of genocide in various countries. “Even though these are very different events, it’s some of the same mistakes that we’ve made throughout history over and over again, regardless of race or ethnicity.”

Muhammad Ali Scholar and Ìęstudent Kaamraan Iqbal said he appreciated the conversations with local residents.

“Everyone I spoke to who was affected by apartheid were extremely welcoming in sharing their stories and how they coped,” he said. “The people of South Africa should have a medal of honor for perseverance with all the stories I heard.”

Additionally, Durham said she welcomed the opportunity to see how other cultures experience their worlds.

“I wanted everyone, not just the students, but everybody, to recognize their privilege on so many levels. For example, in America you might be an ally, or a part of the LGBTQ community, but in Africa, that’s frowned upon in a lot of places,” said Durham. “I felt blessed to be able to see a broader perspective versus what we see here in our little bubble in the United States.”

Iqbal said the Ali Scholars program has opened his eyes to so many possibilities.

“For anyone who’s trying to find themselves, who’s wanting to be more than what they are right now, who wants to make a change but doesn’t know how, the Muhammad Ali Scholars program can help you reach that goal,” he said.

Created in 2004, the Muhammad Ali Scholars Program is designed to create a community of scholars who embody Muhammad Ali’s legacy, becoming transformative leaders who positively impact the community. Through a commitment to service and social justice, the scholars inspire change and become future change-makers. The two-year program of social justice leadership development, academic research, community engagement and service also requires undergraduate students to research a social justice issue where they wish to make an impact.

“Carrying the floss had nothing to do with me wanting to do dentistry,” she said. “It had everything to do with me not liking things in between my teeth.”

But McPheeters knew she wanted to be some type of medical professional.

“I would look up anatomy in encyclopedias, intrigued with the human body and thinking, ‘wow, this is inside of me.’”

She said a mentor from her hometown of Chicago who helped minority students pursue professional careers was instrumental to guiding her to dentistry. After dental school graduation from Indiana University in 2016, she began her career in public health dental practice, but always with an eye towards academia later in her career.

That timetable was unexpectedly accelerated after her second child, Joshua, was born in 2018 with Trisomy 18, also known as Edwards Syndrome – a very rare genetic condition that causes severe developmental delays. The syndrome has no treatment and is usually fatal before birth or within the first year of life, but miraculously Joshua continues to beat the odds.

The demands of a special needs child and the arrival of COVID-19 prompted McPheeters to explore a career shift to academic research. In January 2021, she joined UofL and couldn’t be happier with the transition.

Her son’s special needs also became the inspiration for the professor’s decision to conduct oral health care research for special needs children.

“I had this idea to come up with some things to teach the community,” she said. “We have home nursing, however most clinicians don’t have any training on how to brush teeth or care for the mouth because most of the times they’re focused on things like, ‘Hey, is their heart working OK?’”

She applied for and received a Ìęto create a curriculum to help providers with oral care training for special needs patients.

“Most times we don’t see special needs patients until they’re in their 20s or 30s, and they need a full-mouth teeth extraction because someone hasn’t brushed with them, so I knew there is a need in that area. There are specialty clinics, but they have a two-year waiting list, so being on the prevention end will be helpful in so many ways.”

With the grant, she collaborated with local company Ohio Valley who provides home health services, and stocked them with special dental supplies for the community. McPheeters will present results of her initial community engagement research in March 2025. With the success of the Gheens grant, she plans to apply for larger grants that will allow her to continue and expand the work.

Coming from a big city, McPheeters has appreciated a slower pace and friendly vibe that is more aligned with family and work-life balance. She said she loves UofL’s emphasis on welcoming diversity.

“I never wake up dreading coming in to work, and when I come here, it brings joy to my day. I could be having a really tough morning, but if I’m able to mentor a student and touch their life in a way where I can encourage them and give them some good advice, it makes my day.”

A three-lecture series on Juneteenth will examine the past, present and future state of racial and social justice. Crystal Bradley, vice president of the , coordinated the series. UofL News caught up with Bradley to discuss Juneteenth and its continuing impact.

UofL News: How do you feel like our collective understanding of Juneteenth has evolved the past few years?

Bradley: There has been more awareness for everyone about the significance of Juneteenth, not just an awareness but a kind of freedom to celebrate the event as part of history. Juneteenth is not just Black history but it’s American history. It should be a positive thing and something that unifies us, not divides us. We can celebrate the idea of such an oppressive system of slavery being dismantled. You can imagine the enslaved getting this message that you don’t have to live this way anymore. That’s what we celebrate with Juneteenth, this message that you’re finally free from this oppressive system.

UofL News: What do you think is the most important thing that needs to be communicated about Juneteenth?

Bradley: Accuracy. Having a correct insight on history and the significance of it. It is not a divisive or taboo subject, and while it’s not pretty, it is American history and it’s our history to be embraced and shared by all. Information should be shared with everyone, so I think that’s the most critical part.

UofL News: How did the thematic concept of past, present and future – the idea of where we’ve been, where we are, where we’re going – how does that play into the struggle for racial equality?

Bradley: The Juneteenth event planning committee was deciding how to frame it, and we thought with everything going on this year, there are some people who want to rewrite history, and some just want to bury it altogether. With this theme of past, present, future, it’s kind of hitting the pause button on all of the noise to say, hey, let’s have an open, intelligent discussion with scholars and people who know about this subject matter. Let’s look back where we were as a community and talk about how the decisions made back then affected us, and how what we do now is going to affect us 20, 30, 40 years from now. We don’t want to stay stuck, so we need to have a vision to look forward. Our goal with this theme was to reflect, to pause and look at where we are and then to envision where we want to be in the future.

UofL News: Can you tell us a little bit about each speaker of the series?

Bradley: Monday, June 17th, Metro District 4 Councilman Jecorey Arthur is going to speak to our present component. One reason we chose him is because it is the 60^th anniversary of “freedom summer,” where in 1964, there was a big push to increase Black voter registration. That was in alignment with looking at how decisions we made back then plays into where we are now and the importance of voting, and how that plays into where and how we move forward as a society.Ìę

On Tuesday, June 18, John Mays, former director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) for Yum Brands, also known as the “I believe I can – man,” is going to address the future aspect. He’s a dynamic coach, author, entrepreneur and DEI motivational speaker. He brings a lot of energy, and he’s going to speak to that vision that we can have for ourselves as African Americans and as Americans collectively.

June 19^th is the official holiday, so on Thursday, June 20, the Coalition on the History of the Enslaved, which is a partnership and a collective of four diverse groups here in Louisville, will close out our speaker series. These are scholars who have deep knowledge of all the historical facts and points and sites within Louisville and surrounding areas such as the Oxmoor farm. They will speak about the impacts of the past, and tie back to how it affects us now and going forward. There’s been a lot of talk of slavery and what it is and what it isn’t, but I guarantee after listening to this groupÌę we’ll all walk away knowing more than we did before.

UofL News: Where do you see positive/ negative movement in addressing racial justice issues?

Bradley: Positive movement is that people are feeling more empowered to take up that fight, because it is a fight when you are going against forces and groups that feel like a zero-sum game. If you have, that means I can’t have, when we can actually all have. It’s a long, tiring fight, but I am encouraged that people – Black, white, Latinx – are all willing to say no, we’re going to push back on this agenda. No, we are not going to accept that.

We’re going to continue to fight, and when they change the rules of the game, which they do, then we’ll adjust and adapt but we’ll continue to push equity and inclusion forward because it’s important.

What is negative is that for every step made to increase equitable solutions, the powers-that-be are there to knock you ten steps back. Now they’re passing legislation and controlling what goes on in the classroom and changing the narrative. They’re in powerful positions that can affect that kind of change. So that’s really discouraging, but we wouldn’t have come this far as a society, as a community, as a collective, had we just accepted other people’s agendas years ago.

Learn more about the .

The UofL dental practice is part of Goodwill Industries of Kentucky’s newly built, 120,000 square-foot West Louisville Opportunity Center.

The center, which is designed to be a “one-stop shop” for life-changing resources including dental and medical care, workforce training, career coaching, youth mentoring, second-chance banking, and restorative justice services, is expected to serve more than 50,000 people each year.

According to a recent , Kentucky ranks 43^rd in the nation in dental care. As with other UofL community dental practices, the west Louisville practice is designed to serve people with unmet dental care needs, including individuals who have Medicaid or no dental insurance. In addition to serving Goodwill’s clients, the dental practice serves the broader community of west Louisville, which is a nine-neighborhood area comprised of mostly African American residents.

Gerry Bradley, executive vice president and university provost at UofL, and former dean of the UofL School of Dentistry, said the new clinic will provide great benefit for the west Louisville community as well as populate a new generation of highly qualified dentists who will work alongside licensed dentists in their clinical rotations.Ìę

“For the School of Dentistry, the definition of student success means entering the workforce as a competent, confident dental professional who practices evidence-based patient care, leads with compassion and has a purpose-driven, service-oriented mindset,” Bradley said.

Margaret Hill, interim dean for the School of Dentistry, said that dental care can be truly transformational for patients who need it.

“People looking to enter the workforce and progress in their careers can be aided by taking care of oral health, which can help restore overall health and build confidence, both of which can be barriers to moving forward.”

View pictures from the ribbon-cutting event on .Ìę

Louisville chef kicked off this year’s at the University of Louisville, which also features a student gala, art workshops and lectures.

UofL News caught up with Jianhua (Andrew) Zhao, the president of UofL’s Asian, Asian American Pacific Islander Faculty and Staff Association (AAPI FSA) and an associate professor of anthropology, to learn more about this year’s .

UofL News: Can you tell us about the mission of the Asian, Asian American, Pacific Islander Faculty and Staff Association and its history at UofL?ÌęÌę

Zhao: The vision of the AAPI FSA is toÌębuild community, promote diversity, and champion action and change for the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) populations on campus.ÌęThe AAPI FSA is an employee resource group (ERG) that was established in 2021, in the aftermath of the Atlanta spa shootings and surging anti-Asian hate. We initially started the group to offer a safe space for AAPI folks to speak their minds. Over time, we expanded our vision and purpose.Ìę

UofL News: What is the significance of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Week, both within the UofL community and nationally?

Zhao: Nationally, AAPI heritage is celebrated in the month of May. At UofL, along with some other higher education institutions in the U.S., the AAPI FSA have dedicated the second week of April to recognizing the contributions of Asians, Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans.Ìę

UofL News: What are some key aspects of Asian American and Pacific Islander culture and heritage that you hope to highlight or explore during AAPI Heritage Week?

Zhao: This is the third year for celebrating the AAPI Heritage Week. The first year, we focused on the theme of the “invisible minority.” Last year, we focused on the historical injustices toward and contributions of the AAPI community.ÌęThis year’s AAPI Heritage Week seeks to highlight the stories of our community through artistic expression. Art has long served as a way of preserving traditions, building community, and demonstrating resistance. From Chef Edward Lee’s speech about his culinary experience, to UofL student organizations hosting dance workshops, we hope to emphasize the importanceÌęof creativity in identity.Ìę

UofL News: How does the AAPI FSA collaborate with other organizations or initiatives on campus?Ìę

Zhao: We collaborate with AAPI student RSOs, other ERGs, the Office of Institutional Equity, the Office of Community Engagement, Commission on Diversity and Racial Equity (CODRE), the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Medicine, UofL Libraries,Ìęthe University of Louisville Athletic Association,ÌęCenter for Asian Democracy, and the Asian Studies Program, in AAPI related programs and initiatives to help create a vibrant and inclusive campus culture. We also collaborate with community partners, including the Asia Institute-Crane House and the World Affairs Council of Kentucky and southern Indiana.Ìę

UofL News: What message would you like to convey to the UofL community regarding the importance of celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Week?Ìę

Zhao: Through AAPI Heritage Week, we are hoping to foster community and a sense of belonging for AAPI identifying individuals, increase visibility and awareness of the AAPI community, and celebrate the rich heritage, cultures, and contributions of the AAPI community.

UofL News: How can students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds engage with and learn from the events and activities organized during AAPI Heritage Week?

Zhao: Go to our events, participate in the activities, try some different foods, and have an in-depth conversation with someone of a different background from you. Anyone who is interested in the AAPI FSA can join usÌę, and please consider supporting our future programming with aÌę.Ìę

To learn more this year’s AAPI Heritage Week celebrations, which includes lectures, dance and art workshops and student galas, All events are free and open to the public.