It combined the board’s formal evaluation with a university-wide 360-degree leadership assessment that invited feedback from more than 1,400 members of the campus community — including trustees, senior leadership and a broad sample of faculty and staff — plus individual 360 evaluations of six cabinet members.

“President Bradley has provided steady, decisive leadership during a demanding period for the university,” said Board Chair Larry Benz. “The board has full confidence in his direction. In his first full year he delivered record first-year student retention, advanced the university’s 2026–2030 strategic plan, strengthened the institution’s finances and elevated Louisville’s national standing — including a 37-position rise in the national rankings over two years. We are united behind his leadership as we move into year two.”��

The board noted the president’s priorities for the year ahead, including continued gains in student success, execution of the strategic plan, expanded philanthropy in advance of a comprehensive campaign, financial sustainability across the enterprise, and continued work to strengthen campus culture, communication and shared governance.

“I am honored to serve this university and grateful for a supportive and engaged board,” President Bradley said. “There is real momentum here, and my focus in the year ahead is to keep building trust across our campuses while we deliver for our students and the commonwealth.”��

The board expressed appreciation to the faculty, staff and trustees who participated in the evaluation.

The Center for Bioscience will be custom designed as a collaboration space for research and innovation teams from UofL’s Health Sciences Center and Belknap Campus. The state-of-the-art interdisciplinary research facility��will bring together researchers from biosciences, engineering, computational science and related disciplines to accelerate discovery, innovation and technology development.

“The Center for Bioscience represents a strategic investment in the university’s research enterprise and will transform the regional innovation ecosystem,” said President Gerry Bradley. “The larger vision for an innovation park will further drive collaborative research and expand our connection with industry and the community.”

The innovation park is a planned development for the 37-acre property formerly owned by Kentucky Trailer acquired by the UofL Foundation in 2008. The property is bordered by S. Third St., S. Brook St. and the CSX and Norfolk Southern railroad. It is just south of the Speed School of Engineering.

Developer Wexford Science + Technology shared concept plans for the project with the UofL Board of Trustees at their July 23 meeting. Plans highlighted options for additional academic and industrial facilities, living spaces, a restaurant, parking and greenspace. Key considerations include potential uses for the property’s historic Drop Forge building and a pedestrian walkway over the railroad, connecting the park with Belknap Campus.

The Center for Bioscience will be constructed on the northeast side of the property, adjacent to the J.B. Speed School of Engineering.

“As the first building to be constructed in the innovation park, the Center for Bioscience will catalyze expansion of the university’s scientific capacity and strengthen regional and national innovation competitiveness,” said Jon Klein, executive vice president for research and innovation. “The building is key in our goal of advancing the translation of discoveries by fostering multidisciplinary research and collaboration.”

The Center for Bioscience will house advanced research infrastructure��including wet, dry and computational laboratories, shared core facilities, collaboration spaces, conference facilities and research offices that support basic, applied and translational research.

The center will support activities such as design, prototyping, testing and refinement of biomedical technologies, translational research conducted in partnership with federal and industry collaborators and applied technology development efforts addressing real world health challenges.

Beyond the Center for Bioscience, other aspects of the innovation park will facilitate , allowing companies to access UofL’s workforce pipeline, engage with students, collaborate with university researchers and clinicians, access shared research infrastructure and form strategic partnerships in biosciences, engineering, computational science and other fields to accelerate commercialization and fuel economic growth.

Download a high-resolution file�� for the preliminary conceptual image of the Center for Bioscience shown at the top.��

The clinical trial led by , professor in the University of Louisville School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics and neonatologist with Norton Children’s, found a customized approach to treating babies with opioid withdrawal helps them recover faster than current standardized practices.

The findings were recently published in the (JAMA), one of the nation’s leading medical journals. More than 100 researchers across the country contributed to the study.

Every year, over 1,000 Kentucky babies are born with ). The syndrome can develop when mothers ingest opioids during pregnancy, causing the infant to experience withdrawal symptoms after birth. Those symptoms can include irritability, difficulty with feeding and sleeping concerns.

The study compared two treatments: a fixed medication schedule and a symptom-based approach that adjusts care based on the severity of each infant’s symptoms. Results showed babies treated with the symptom-based approach recovered faster.

When this individualized treatment was combined with the Eat, Sleep, Console (ESC) model of care – which includes family involvement, holding and swaddling before prescribing medication – infants with NOWS left the hospital an average of 2.3 days sooner. Notably, 65% of babies treated with this approach did not need scheduled opioid medications and gradual weaning.

“These findings confirm that ESC, combined with symptom-based dosing, helps babies recover faster and reduces unnecessary medication exposure,” Devlin said. “This work represents a true team effort involving researchers, nurses, administrators and families across the nation, including our team at Norton Children’s Research Institute and the UofL Department of Pediatrics.”

Nearly two dozen hospitals nationwide participated in the study, including neonatal intensive care units (NICU) at Norton Children’s Hospital, Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital and UofL Hospital.

The study builds on more than a decade of research aimed at improving care for infants with NOWS. Devlin previously led the ESC-NOW trial that showed using the family-centered ESC approach reduced hospital stays by about a week and decreased the need for medication from 52% to 19%.

“This research is actively changing how babies with NOWS are treated around the world,” Devlin said. “Our team is currently conducting another multicenter study to determine the best type of medication for NOWS.”

UofL faculty members Sucheta Telang, M.D., Scott Duncan, M.D. and Ryan Smith, M.D. were co-authors on the study.

The study was funded by the (NIH), with support from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the NIH HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative.

“Freshman year in college is such a trial by fire and it will be great if Liam has a small semblance of what college life looks like,” Knaebel said. “I also like that Cardinals Rising is slowly teaching him independence so he can start making decisions for college on his own.”

Douglas Craddock, vice president for community engagement and interim vice president for access and opportunity, said the program is creating a vital pathway for early engagement, mentorship and ongoing support for students coming to UofL’s campus.

“It’s about presenting opportunities to help middle and high school students explore their interests, understand options to make a decision for their future and connect with early meaningful relationships,” he said.

Cardinals Rising offers these young students mentorship and an introduction to college academics and culture through monthly learning sessions paired with UofL student ambassadors representing a variety of college majors such as education, pre-med, engineering and communications.

“The ambassadors support students and families all the way through this ongoing career exploration and orientation to college,” said Craddock. “It’s really good for the students to have someone they can identify with going through this experience.”

Cardinals Rising Director Daquarius Mahone said the program’s participating middle and high schoolers hail from both private schools and Jefferson County Public Schools including Francis Parker School, W.E.B. Dubois Academy, Grace James Academy, Noe Middle, Fern Creek High, Iroquois High, West End Middle and Meyzeek Middle, with more schools expressing interest.

“The program takes what used to be a two-day college introduction in the summer and essentially makes it a four-year comprehensive orientation,” Mahone said. “Cardinals Rising’s goals are simply to help students understand the university, understand what it means to go to college, and to demystify college, specifically UofL.”

Monthly sessions open doors

To advance these goals, monthly Saturday sessions are tailored to grade levels and introduce students to interaction with different academic departments, college professors and career paths.

Cardinals Rising program coordinator Kennedy Frye said the monthly sessions encompass a wide range of activities including: working with the on a rocket-building project, creating podcasts and videos using a digital media suite with the , delving into the business side of , learning CPR with students, staging a mock trial with students and talking entrepreneurship with the as well as exploring opportunities for service with current .

As student progress through each grade level of the program, subsequent sessions explore timely and relevant college readiness topics, such as working with on college essays and resumes and working with the on potential scholarship opportunities and financial aid preparation.

In its inaugural year, Cardinals Rising posted impressive results, with near-perfect retention of both students and ambassadors, and word of mouth about the program has generated significant interest among educators and local schools, according to Mahone.

“It’s been tremendous seeing the students blossom and build community with one another as well as academic departments really getting behind this powerful work,” he said.

Mahone said connecting students with opportunities while also engaging parents is key to the program’s success. For the Knaebel family, it’s about surrounding Liam with information, resources and encouragement.

“Cardinals Rising has been an awesome opportunity for Liam to be exposed to an academic environment, not just the buildings, but the energy and opportunity to learn with peers about what the future might hold,” said Liam’s mom, Jennifer.

Liam, who enjoys his high school courses in chemistry, photography and history, said he is hoping to gain more knowledge about college and find his own unique path. “I am meeting new people and more prepared for what’s ahead so when I get here, I’ll be ready,” he said.

UofL students interested in becoming a ambassador or volunteering for the program can reach out to Daquarius Mahone.

Classrooms, laboratories and athletic facilities are filled with middle and high school students exploring new interests through more than 30 academic and athletic camps. From basketball and robotics to chemistry and artificial intelligence, they’re getting an early look at college life while discovering what’s possible.

One of UofL’s newest summer opportunities is the����day camps focused on artificial intelligence.

Through AI Thinker Labs, students learn how artificial intelligence works, examine the ethical questions surrounding the technology and discover how it can be used responsibly in fields like marketing, leadership and finance.

By the end of the day, every participant leaves with a project of their own, whether it’s a business idea, marketing campaign or app concept.

“Our goal is to show rising high school students how AI can enhance their learning abilities, not replace them,” said��, an instructor in the College of Business. “My hope is that these students leave with more knowledge and more confidence about how to use AI as they finish high school and enter college, hopefully here at UofL.”

UofL employees like program manager Lexus Gardner offered organizational and logistical planning for the camp, while UofL’s Digital Transformation Center made the opportunity more accessible for learners by offering financial support.��

The initiative reflects��, UofL’s university-wide initiative to proactively and responsibly engage with the opportunities and challenges of emerging AI technologies.

Across campus, hands-on learning continues in the����.

The department’s second annual summer chemistry camp has grown from just seven students in its inaugural year to 83 middle and high school participants from across the region.

Led by General Chemistry Lab Coordinator and Instructor��Meenakshi Bansal, the program was held over two one-week sessions, giving each camper an immersive experience in a university chemistry laboratory through hands-on experiments and scientific discovery.

Hosted in the department’s modern undergraduate teaching laboratories in the Belknap Academic Building, campers explored how light interacts with matter using visible-light spectrophotometers and investigated concepts including absorbance, fluorescence, phosphorescence and light scattering. For most participants, it was their first experience working in a university chemistry laboratory.

Designed to be largely self-sustaining through registration fees, the camp also prioritized accessibility. Thanks to the support of participating families and a generous donation from Clariant, financial assistance was provided to 29 students, helping make the program possible for young scientists.

The camp was supported by seven undergraduate student leaders who mentored campers throughout the program while strengthening their own leadership, communication and teaching skills.

“There are not a lot of opportunities in chemistry for students to work in a laboratory before college.This gives them that chance,” said Hrishikesh Bhatt, a camp leader.

Roselline Peralta Danger, another camp leader, said the camp “allows students to get leadership opportunities they wouldn’t get anywhere else.”

Whether they’re programming an AI application, conducting chemistry experiments, building a robot or sharpening their skills on the court or field, every camper this summer leaves with something more than new knowledge: a glimpse of what their future at UofL could look like.

Ethan Havertape and Nate Royal developed Due Gooder, an AI-powered application designed to help college students stay organized and manage their coursework. Fed with users’ syllabi or learning management system information (such as Blackboard), Due Gooder can help students manage their work and plan for class deadlines.

Royal, a senior majoring in computer science in , and Havertape, a junior majoring in CIS in the , employ AI both within the software programming and in their business operations.

“Within the app, we’ve developed ‘Duey,’ a personal AI assistant that understands students’ class schedules, assignments and coursework context. Duey can help students plan study blocks, answer questions about syllabus policies and assist with schedule-related decisions,” Havertape said.

The system includes adaptive AI learning tools that generate flashcards and practice tests from the student’s notes, slides and coursework. It even identifies areas where the student needs improvement and adapts the study resources to strengthen those skills.

“Beyond the product, we use AI heavily across coding, operations, marketing and internal business workflows to increase efficiency,” Royal said.

The team gained support and mentoring for the project through Sandbox, a year-long class that guides students as they navigate the process of developing software businesses.

“Since entering Sandbox, we’ve grown from only a few hundred users to tens of thousands of student signups across thousands of universities, taken on investment and expanded into university research pilots focused on student engagement, persistence and retention,” Havertape said.

First offered during the 2025-26 year, UofL’s Sandbox chapter gave the student teams the opportunity to network with mentors and other Sandbox teams from across the U.S. The class allows students to form interdisciplinary groups to identify and validate software products, sell them and seek venture financing. The students retain 100% of the equity in any company they build as part of Sandbox.

Sandbox is for entrepreneurial students in any area of study, whether or not they are technologically trained, said , entrepreneur in residence and instructor for the course.

“Students with a desire to experience a startup team and develop a software business can benefit from spending a year in Sandbox,” Manzella said. “The resources and national networking opportunities available to Sandbox students help them lay a solid foundation and actually work through the steps to launch a business.”

Havertape and Royal said Sandbox gave them a distinct advantage in growing their idea.

“You do not need to already have a startup or even know exactly what you want to build,” Havertape said. “Sandbox gives students the opportunity to learn entrepreneurship from the ground up while being surrounded by people who are motivated to create and solve problems. The more effort and energy you put into the program, the more valuable the experience becomes.”

AI tool for Etsy sellers

Stephanie Sithu, another Sandbox alum, advanced her AI marketing tool, BeforeMe, through the class. Born out of a need to enhance her own Etsy business, BeforeMe is for Etsy sellers who want to grow their business on Pinterest. It generates pins from the user’s Etsy listings and schedules them.

In developing BeforeMe, Sithu engaged with both platforms’ tech teams and refined her marketing approach through Sandbox.

“I worked directly with both the Pinterest and Etsy API teams to build it. AI is central to BeforeMe in two ways: using Gemini to generate optimized pin copy and building my own heuristic AI layer that adapts scheduling based on which pins are gaining traction and what audience intent (shopping, lifestyle, gift-giving, solutions) they serve,” Sithu said.

The 2026 Speed School graduate in computer science said the structure of the Sandbox course was just what she needed.

“The customer discovery framework helped me stop guessing and start finding the real, specific problems Etsy sellers face with Pinterest marketing, which directly shaped the features I built,” Sithu said. “The lineup of industry speakers walked us through every stage of building something real, and I especially enjoyed the branding sessions. The pitching process was also humbling in the best way. I revised my pitch up to the final day, and by the end it felt genuinely like me, not a rehearsed product-benefit script.”

About Cardinal Intelligence

empowers the University of Louisville to lead and learn in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) with human-centered guidance and responsibility. For generations, Cardinals have embraced technology, expanding how we learn, discover, connect and work. While AI raises important questions, our students, faculty, researchers and staff bring the curiosity and innovation needed to find answers. Through Cardinal Intelligence, we are shaping how UofL uses AI to advance our university and uncover solutions that strengthen the communities we serve.

For more than four decades, these prestigious awards have recognized distinguished graduates whose professional achievements, leadership, service and commitment to their communities reflect the very best of the Cardinal spirit.

“These awards honor an extraordinary group of Cardinals whose influence extends far beyond our campus,” said President Gerry Bradley. “This year’s honorees include nationally recognized business leaders, educators, healthcare professionals, public servants, military veterans and community advocates. From Chris and Lisa Dischinger’s transformational work in affordable housing and community development to Jeff Brohm’s leadership of our football program, each recipient reflects the innovation, service and excellence that defines the University of Louisville and inspires future generations of Cardinals.”

The 2026 Wilson Wyatt Alumni Awards honorees include:

Alumni of the Year

Chris ’90 and Lisa Dischinger ’11

Chris and Lisa Dischinger are co-founders of LDG Development. The Louisville-based company launched in 1994 to create quality, affordable housing and is now one of the nation’s largest affordable-housing developers. Married 38 years, they’ve built a family and a business rooted in the belief that everyone deserves a quality place to live.

Throughout his career, Chris has been a leader within the real estate industry and community. He has served as president of four different trade organizations, including as national president of the Society of Exchange, as well as serving on the Endeavor Louisville board, a high-impact entrepreneurship movement in Kentucky and Indiana catalyzing long-term economic growth through mentorship and support of regional entrepreneurs. Chris also serves as vice chair on the UofL Board of Trustees.��

Lisa has played an instrumental role in shaping LDG’s mission and culture. Her early work managing its single-family home portfolio gave her direct insight into the challenges faced by families experiencing poverty – and inspired her to establish robust resident services that support families living at LDG communities and are focused on improving health and education outcomes. Key initiatives include onsite food pantries, after-school and summer camps focused on designed to improve school readiness and reading scores, and violence prevention programming.

Lisa also champions the benefits of early childhood education through her Rita June Foundation. This 501(c) philanthropic charity she founded raised over $10 million to support the construction of three Bezos Academies.

Alumni Fellows – Schools & Colleges

• College of Arts & Sciences – Michael G. Sullivan ’94, ’11
• College of Business – Jeff Brohm ’96
• School of Dentistry – Jim ’65 and Virginia Woodward ’71
• College of ����ֱ�� & Human Development – Debbie Akers Ford ’87, ’96
• Graduate School – Daniel J. Cox ’74, ’77
• Kent School of Social Work & Family Science – Marcia Colone ’82
• Brandeis School of Law – Robert Mattingly ’99
• University Libraries – Kenneth A. Dennis ’69, ’73
• School of Medicine – Francesca Rinaldo ’13, ’15
• School of Music – Lorenzo Trujillo ’03
• School of Nursing – Dale R. Pike ’78, ’80
• J.B. Speed School of Engineering – Frank J. Diebold ’73
• School of Public Health & Information Sciences – Connie S. Mendel ’20
• Student Affairs Legacy Award – Welby E. Edwards ‘69

Signature Award Honorees

• Emerging Leader Award – Angel McCoughtry ’09
• Inclusive Excellence Award – Jennifer K. Adams-Tucker ’06
• Military Alumni Award – Gene Forrest Price ’80, ’88
• Alumni Ambassador Award – Michael Davis ’84

Among this year’s honorees are two of the most celebrated athletes in University of Louisville history. Emerging Leader Award recipient Angel McCoughtry remains the all-time leading scorer in Louisville women’s basketball history and went on to achieve international success as a two-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA champion.

College of Business Alumni Fellow Jeff Brohm starred as quarterback for the Cardinals before embarking on a successful coaching career. Today, he serves as head football coach at his alma mater, leading Louisville’s resurgence on the national stage while strengthening connections among generations of Cardinals.

The 2026 honorees will be recognized during the annual ceremony on Oct. 29 as part of UofL Homecoming Week festivities on Belknap Campus.

At $1.96 billion, the budget is the largest in university history (an increase of 9.4% from the FY ’26 budget). The increase is largely driven by clinical and sponsored research as well as state capital appropriations for the new Health Sciences Center Building and accounts for internal and external financial pressures such as inflationary costs to library subscriptions (+8% over two years), cybersecurity (+12%) and employer-funded health insurance (+19%).

“The success of our students and support of our faculty and staff continue to guide our financial priorities,” Bradley said. “Every dollar in this year’s budget ties directly to our 2026-2030 strategic plan. We will not compromise our investments in student success, employee compensation and research and innovation.”

A $9 million increase in institutional financial aid, including money for unmet student financial need under the Cardinal Commitment program, will drive enrollment and retention efforts. UofL is anticipating another record enrollment for the fall 2026 semester at about 25,400 students.

Additionally, the university’s goal of achieving an 85% retention rate illustrates UofL’s commitment to student achievement and well-being.

The FY ’27 budget includes a 2.5% salary and wage increase, effective July 1, 2026. This is the sixth consecutive year of compensation increases. To help maintain that standard for the majority of the university’s workforce, senior administrators will not receive salary enhancements for FY ’27. Further, employee health insurance premiums will not increase for the remainder of calendar year 2026 despite the increase in university-funded health insurance.

Investments in a thriving student body and workforce enhance UofL’s influence on societal impact and economic growth. This is most notably seen in the university’s research and innovation efforts. The FY ’27 budget includes the addition of a $70 million federally funded National Institute of Standards and Technology bioscience building to be constructed in the coming Innovation Park, planned for the former Kentucky Trailer property behind the J.B. Speed School of Engineering. An $11.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will advance cancer immunotherapy research through the Center for Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy. Additional financial commitments include support for humanities and arts and social sciences faculty.

Bradley said institutional sustainability remains top of mind with each fiscal year’s budget planning, and the FY ’27 budget is no different. Additional fundraising staff have been hired to help the university meet its short-term and long-term institutional priorities.

“This budget echoes the spirit of our new strategic plan,” Bradley said. “In our classrooms, our workspaces, our laboratories, throughout the community we serve and beyond, the University of Louisville remains diligent in its commitment to be a place where the potential to shape the future of higher education is dynamic and ever evolving. My thanks to the many people who worked so hard on this year’s budget. We certainly have much to look forward to.”

IBD, which includes conditions such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, affects millions of people worldwide. The disease is characterized by chronic inflammation and damage to the intestinal lining. A healthy gut barrier helps keep harmful bacteria from leaking out of the intestines, while allowing nutrients to enter the body. In people with IBD, that barrier becomes weakened, leading to inflammation, pain and long-term complications.

A research team led by , associate professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology and UofL’s Brown Cancer Center, discovered how a naturally occurring microbial metabolite called urolithin A, or UroA, which is generated by gut bacteria after digestion of foods such as pomegranates, walnuts and berries, activates a protective pathway in the intestine that may help preserve gut health.

The study, , focuses on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, or AHR, a protein that acts as a sensor for environmental, dietary and microbial signals. Researchers have long known that AHR can contribute to harmful effects when activated by certain environmental toxins, but previous studies also suggested that activation by beneficial dietary compounds may support gut health. Scientists have not fully understood why this is the case until now.

These new findings suggest that the outcome depends on where and how strongly AHR is activated.

Researchers at UofL found that UroA selectively activates AHR in intestinal epithelial cells, the specialized cells that line and protect the gut. That targeted activation of AHR in intestinal epithelial cells triggers a cellular defense system known as the NLRP6 inflammasome. Although inflammasomes are commonly associated with harmful inflammatory responses, this study found they can also serve as a protective role.

When activated by UroA in intestinal epithelial cells, the NLRP6 inflammasome led to the release of the right amount of molecules that are associated with maintaining normal intestinal function and that help repair the gut lining, strengthen the intestinal barrier, increase protective mucus production and enhance antimicrobial defenses, rather than promoting inflammation.

This study shows, for the first time, how a natural microbial product works together with the body’s response to control complex molecular and cellular processes during intestinal injury, helping preserve gut health and reduce tissue damage.

“The findings show that not all inflammatory pathways are harmful,” said , previously a postdoctoral researcher in Jala’s laboratory and lead investigator on the study. “Under the right conditions and in the right cells, these pathways can play an essential role in maintaining gut health and supporting tissue repair.”

The team confirmed the mechanism using multiple experimental systems, including cell and organoid studies, as well as intestinal tissue samples from patients with IBD, demonstrating that UroA activated the same protective pathway in human tissue. Their findings indicate that rather than broadly suppressing the immune system, it may be possible to develop new therapies for IBD and other gastrointestinal diseases that target specific protective pathways in certain cell types.

“This study helps us better understand how natural compounds produced through interactions between diet, gut microbes and the body can influence disease processes,” Jala said. “By identifying this specific protective pathway, we may be able to develop more targeted therapeutic approaches that restore intestinal balance instead of broadly suppressing immune responses.”

Jala previously led research that discovered the in the gut. This study furthers that work by revealing how UroA interacts with the immune system to improve intestinal health.

Fulbright success and global reach

The��, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange initiative, remains a cornerstone of UofL’s global success with over 180 scholars, the most of any Kentucky institution.��

This year, four UofL students earned Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards, with an additional three named alternates:

Fulbright recipients include:

• Isabella Bastien ’26, College of Arts & Sciences, will study and research in Australia.��
• Wisal El Majbri ’26, College of Business, will teach English in Taiwan.��
• Hannah Limbong ’26, School of Public Health and Information Sciences, will teach English in Indonesia.
• Chris Millett, College of ����ֱ�� & Human Development PhD candidate and School of Music faculty, will study and research in Norway.��

Fulbright alternates include Adeola Esan, Grace McDaniel and Henny Ransdell.��

Historic firsts��

This year also brought historic milestones for UofL in other global awards.��

Richard Wilson ’21, ’22, J.B. Speed School of Engineering, earned a Schwarzman Scholarship,��. The Schwarzman Scholars program prepares global leaders through study in China and engagement with international affairs.

Henny Ransdell ’21, ’25, College of Arts & Sciences, was named as a Luce Scholar and is the first recipient from UofL and the first from any Kentucky institution.��

Ransdell, who has also earned a Fulbright Award and a Princeton in Asia Fellowship, will participate in the highly competitive, yearlong Luce Scholars Program, which provides immersive professional experiences in Asia through individualized placements. Selected from across the United States, the 2026–2027 cohort represents a diverse range of disciplines and emerging leaders.��

Other prestigious awards

Darini Nagarajan, College of Arts & Sciences, was awarded The Goldwater Scholarship. The scholarship recognizes U.S. sophomores and juniors pursuing research careers in math, science and engineering, and is the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields.��

Joshua Schmidt, J.B. Speed School of Engineering, was named a recipient of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange, a year-long professional fellowship funded by the German Bundestag, the country’s parliament, and the U.S. Congress. For over 40 years, the��CBYX��program has provided participants the opportunity to study and work in Germany.��

Alexis Daniel ’24, ‘25, College of Arts & Sciences and Kent School of Social Work, will study Portuguese in Brazil as part of the Boren Awards, a program that funds up to one year of immersive study abroad in languages and regions of interest to U.S. national security.

Haider Nasir, College of Arts & Sciences, was selected for the Mary Churchill Humphrey Scholarship. This specialized UofL scholarship enables graduates of the College of Arts & Sciences to pursue advanced study in the United Kingdom.��

Emma Posey, College of Arts & Sciences, will participate in English-Speaking Union (ESU) program. ESU is a non-profit educational service organization that offers summer study abroad scholarships for college juniors and Kentucky teachers to promote the advancement of knowledge in an expanding global community.

Four students were awarded, a prestigious funding opportunity that enables students from all disciplines to study or conduct research during the summer semester, building global perspectives and academic credentials that set them apart.��

Recipients:��

• Isaiah Cruz
• Marissa Gibson
• Darini Nagarajan
• Zack Wadsworth��

More information about prestigious scholars can be found on the��.