2024 Grawemeyer Awards – UofL News Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:59:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Winners of 2024 Grawemeyer Award in 成人直播 discuss race and public university funding /section/arts-and-humanities/grawemeyer-education-awardees-2024/ Thu, 25 Apr 2024 21:57:34 +0000 /?p=60438 University of California researchers Laura Hamilton and Kelly Nielsen, co-authors of the 2021 , “Broke: The Racial Consequences of Underfunding Public Universities,” presented key findings from their work at a public event on April 10.听

Hamilton and Nielson are the 2024 recipients of the which recognizes innovative ideas with the potential to improve educational practices and student achievement.

Their findings argue that decades of public funding cuts have crippled public universities’ ability to serve racially and economically disadvantaged students, with schools enrolling the most marginalized students receiving the fewest resources.

Hamilton and Nielsen pinpoint three major developments in higher education over the past 50 years that contribute to a separate and unequal system: demographic shifts in student enrollment at public universities, significant cuts to public funding for higher education and the decline of race-based affirmative action during this period.

“These issues are deeply interconnected,” Hamilton said.

The book identifies a cyclical pattern of racial resource allocation within universities, driven by the three historical dynamics. The cycle has five elements:

  • The social construct of 鈥榤erit鈥
  • The racial segregation in higher education
  • The racialized organizational hierarchies
  • Unequal access to private resources and
  • Inadequate student support

鈥淲e see a cycle whereby resources are allocated through mechanisms that distribute them along racial lines,鈥 Nielson explained. 鈥淭he cycle channels educational resources to universities that serve more privileged student populations and starves universities serving primarily racially and economically disadvantaged students.鈥澛犅

Hamilton and Nielson also emphasized the importance of reminding the public that higher education is a public good, benefiting everyone, not just a private commodity.

鈥淭hat kind of thinking traps you because you can鈥檛 step out of it and think about what it looks like to actually design institutions for social good rather than for people we think have successfully competed in the market to attain those services or goods,鈥 Hamilton said.

The Grawemeyer Award in 成人直播 has been presented yearly since 1989. The annual $100,000 prizes also honor seminal ideas in music, world order, psychology and religion.

“Our hope is that the book can be used by universities with limited resources to fight for more support,” Hamilton and Nielsen said. “The Grawemeyer Award is a powerful platform to amplify our message that public universities need public funding. We are thankful for this recognition.”

The $100,000 Grawemeyer prizes also honor seminal ideas in ,听,听听补苍诲听. Winners visit Louisville to accept their awards and give free talks on their winning ideas.

.听

]]>
2024 Grawemeyer music award winner explains how music transcends language /section/arts-and-humanities/2024-grawemeyer-music-award-winner-explains-how-music-transcends-language/ Thu, 25 Apr 2024 21:54:40 +0000 /?p=60445 For Aleksandra Vrebalov, visiting Louisville to give a public talk on 鈥淢issa Supratext,鈥 her nontraditional choral work, was more than your typical lecture.

It was an opportunity for her to put her work in context for herself in a way she had never done before, Vrebalov, 53, told the audience at the University of Louisville on April 11.

Vrebalov, a Serbian-American composer who now resides in New York City, was awarded the 2024 for 鈥溾.鈥

The Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition, which was the first of the five , typically receives 150 to 200 entries each year from around the world.

The work鈥檚 Latin title translates to 鈥淢ass Above Words鈥 in English. The nontraditional work, which is performed by string quartets and girls鈥 chorus, features just two words in English.

鈥淲ords are not essential,鈥 she said. 鈥淎nd I will say again – words are not essential for us to understand, and have insight into the abstract concepts of creativity, truth, beauty and love. These concepts represent the mental aspects of human existence and transcend language.鈥

Kronos Quartet, a group long known for nurturing musical innovation, and San Francisco Girls鈥 Chorus, a Bay Area group for young women from diverse backgrounds, premiered the work in 2018 in San Francisco.

Following her presentation, the audience had the opportunity to fully take in 鈥淢issa Supratext鈥 by listening to the 22-minute work, which includes handbells, Tibetan bowls and musical saw.

Vrebalov said through her music, she hopes to bring people together.

鈥淚t’s about my own yearning for a world that’s filled with love and a world in which we can experience connection and belonging,鈥 she said.

聽That鈥檚 why 鈥淢issa Supratext鈥 deliberately has no recognizable language, she said.

鈥淲e have reached a point of realizing individual freedoms as never before in history, and at the same time, our communities are fragmenting into increasingly separate worlds that often exclude each other,鈥 Vrebalov said.

Her idea 鈥 to create a work that forces people to confront human existence 鈥 inspired her to 鈥渂ypass traditional language elements and focus on a nonverbal dramatic narrative.鈥

鈥淲ords move us, but music can move us in ways that are not always easy to explain because it doesn鈥檛 require language,鈥 Vrebalov said.

The $100,000 Grawemeyer prizes also honor seminal ideas in ,听,听听补苍诲听. Winners visit Louisville to accept their awards and give free talks on their winning ideas.

.听

]]>
2024 Grawemeyer prize winner in religion explores God’s humanity /post/uofltoday/grawemeyer-awardee-in-religion-24/ Thu, 25 Apr 2024 21:28:23 +0000 /?p=60604 The traditional story of the rainbow as a symbol of hope and God’s unwavering love might be incomplete, according to Rev. Charles Halton, winner of the 2024 .

Halton, associate rector at Christ Church Cathedral in Lexington, argues in his 2021 “A Human-Shaped God: Theology of an Embodied God” that embracing a God with human qualities can deepen our theological connection and inspire moral growth.

This perspective earned him the 2024 Grawemeyer Award in Religion, presented by the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and the University of Louisville. The award recognizes those who have presented ideas with the potential to bring about change in the world through religion.

At a , Halton presented examples of God’s emotions, such as regret. He reasoned that the modern interpretation of the rainbow focuses on love and promises after devastation, but scripture actually states God regretted destroying everything except Noah’s Ark.

鈥淚n the story I had always assumed, I was supposed to look out in the world and see the rainbow and I am supposed to be reminded of God鈥檚 love and care and provisions,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not what the book of Genesis says. It says God made the rainbow to remind God to never do that again.鈥

Halton believes a deeper understanding of God’s human-like depictions in the Old Testament, when combined with traditional theology, offers a richer perspective.

鈥淭he God of Genesis experiences emotion, changes their mind, has regret, makes promises to be better in the future,鈥 Halton said. 鈥淭his is a God who is on a moral arc. It鈥檚 a God who is in relationship with creation. It鈥檚 a God who is in the process learning, even about God鈥檚 self, within this relationship with God鈥檚 creation. The more God learns about itself, the more God wants to change and be more kind, more loving, more charitable and embracing of God鈥檚 creation.鈥

By emulating this evolving God, Halton encourages individuals to find inspiration for their own understanding of how to move in the world.

The $100,000 Grawemeyer prizes also honor seminal ideas in , ,听听补苍诲听. Winners visit Louisville to accept their awards and give free talks on their winning ideas.

]]>
UofL, seminary name 2024 Grawemeyer Award winners /post/uofltoday/uofl-seminary-name-2024-grawemeyer-award-winners/ Fri, 08 Dec 2023 15:15:23 +0000 /?p=59788 The University of Louisville and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary announced 2024 recipients of five, $100,000 Grawemeyer Awards Dec. 4-8.

UofL presents the annual prizes in music, world order, psychology, education and religion and gives the religion prize jointly with the seminary. All of the 2024 winners will visit Louisville in April to give free, public talks on their winning ideas.

The winners are:

  • Aleksandra Vrebalov, a Serbian-American composer who won the music prize for a chorale work transcending a single language, culture or religion to express how all life is interconnected
  • Neta Crawford, a University of Oxford international relations scholar who won the world order prize for analyzing the Pentagon鈥檚 carbon footprint and its effect on climate change
  • Ann Masten, a University of Minnesota child development scholar who won the psychology prize for finding that resilience comes from 鈥渙rdinary magic鈥 within us and our supportive connections with others
  • Laura Hamilton and Kelly Nielsen, two University of California sociologists who co-won the education prize for exploring the racial consequences of funding cuts at public universities
  • The Rev. Charles Halton, an Episcopal priest in Lexington, Ky., who explained how embracing God as a being with human qualities can inspire us to become better people

鈥淭he Grawemeyer Awards recognize highly constructive ideas with world-changing potential and that鈥檚 certainly true of the ideas we鈥檙e honoring this time.鈥 said Marion Hambrick, the awards program鈥檚 executive director.

Vrebalov shows how music can unite us despite our differences, while Crawford sheds new light on the U.S. military鈥檚 role in climate change. Masten explains why some people recover quickly from major setbacks when others don鈥檛. Hamilton and Nielsen call for a fairer way to fund the nation鈥檚 public universities and Halton offers a fresh perspective on spiritual growth.

UofL graduate Charles Grawemeyer created the Grawemeyer Awards in 1984 with an initial endowment of $9 million. The first award, music composition, was presented in 1985. 成人直播 was added in 1989, religion in 1990, world order in 1998 and psychology in 2000.

Grawemeyer distinguished the awards by honoring ideas rather than lifelong achievement, also insisting that laypeople as well as professionals take part in the selection process.

]]>
Scholar focusing on God鈥檚 human qualities wins Grawemeyer religion prize /post/uofltoday/scholar-focusing-on-gods-human-qualities-wins-grawemeyer-religion-prize/ Fri, 08 Dec 2023 15:00:37 +0000 /?p=59729 God gets angry. God gets jealous. God hates, regrets and learns.

Theologians often dismiss those depictions of God in the Bible because they seem to clash with God鈥檚 image as an all-loving being, but an Episcopal priest with a different view has received the 2024 Grawemeyer Award in Religion for helping explain the paradox.

The Rev. Charles Halton, associate rector of Christ Church Cathedral in Lexington, Ky., won the prize for ideas set forth in his 2021 鈥淎 Human-Shaped God: Theology of an Embodied God.鈥 He argues that embracing God as a deity with human qualities can bring us closer to God and inspire us to become better people.

鈥淲e are, like God, to move from a place of exclusion and anger-fueled violence to a life of inclusion, radical forgiveness and compassion,鈥 he said. 鈥淭his is the path God is on. If we are not on it too, we are not imitating God.鈥

As an example, Halton cites the Old Testament story of how God floods Earth, destroying everything except Noah鈥檚 Ark. Later, God feels regret and creates a rainbow in the sky.

鈥淢any Bible accounts are springboards for theological imagination that help us see God in constructive ways,鈥 he said. 鈥淎s humans, we too lash out in anger, but we also learn to forgive.鈥

explores 鈥渁n underappreciated view of God that exists in the Bible but is absent from most Eurocentric theology,鈥 said Tyler Mayfield, who directs the religion award. 鈥淗is approach is original, thought-provoking and offers new opportunities for understanding the biblical God.鈥

Halton taught Old Testament and Semitic languages at seminary and college levels for nearly a decade. He holds a doctorate from Cincinnati鈥檚 Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Bible and ancient Near East studies and is an external affiliate at the Centre for the Study of Judaism and Christianity in Antiquity at St. Mary鈥檚 University, Twickenham, London.

The University of Louisville and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary jointly give the religion prize.

Recipients of next year鈥檚 were named this week pending formal approval by trustees at both institutions. The $100,000 prizes also honor seminal ideas in music, world order, psychology and education. Winners will visit Louisville in the spring to accept their awards and give free talks on their winning ideas.

]]>
Scholars citing racial effects of education funding cuts win Grawemeyer prize /post/uofltoday/scholars-citing-racial-effects-of-university-funding-cuts-win-grawemeyer-education-prize/ Thu, 07 Dec 2023 15:00:25 +0000 /?p=59714 How can the nation鈥檚 public universities do a better job educating students of color?

Two University of California sociologists exploring that question are cowinners of the 2024 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award in 成人直播 for their ideas in 鈥淏roke: The Racial Consequences of Underfunding Public Universities.鈥 University of Chicago Press published the in 2021.

In the work, and argue that decades of cuts in public funding for public universities have eroded schools鈥 abilities to deliver a quality education to racially and economically marginalized students.

The Grawemeyer 2024 成人直播 cowinner Kelly Nielsen, photo by Chris Kitchen Photography.
The Grawemeyer 2024 成人直播 cowinner Kelly Nielsen, photo by Chris Kitchen Photography.

For years, public universities operated mainly with government funds, which have been tapering off since the 1980s.听 Most schools have had to trim costs and raise tuition. Many have turned to philanthropy, investments and other sources of private income to stay afloat, a trend that has penalized schools with the highest number of marginalized students, Hamilton and Nielsen found.

鈥淧ublic universities have faced decades of austerity and were hit hard by COVID-19, but those primarily serving marginalized students are being literally starved for resources,鈥 Hamilton said.

In a study focusing on UC鈥檚 system of nine schools, Hamilton and Nielsen found the two campuses with the highest number of such students, Merced and Riverside, received fewer system resources. Some underfunded universities struggle to provide basic services to students, who may wait a month or more for mental health appointments and compete with hundreds of their peers to schedule sessions with academic advisers.

The Grawemeyer 2024 成人直播 cowinner Laura Hamilton.
The Grawemeyer 2024 成人直播 cowinner Laura Hamilton.

鈥淭his pattern is not just restricted to the UC system,鈥 Hamilton said. 鈥淯niversity wealth is nationally concentrated at schools that serve very few marginalized students.鈥

Hamilton and Nielsen make a compelling case for rethinking the way we fund public universities, said education award director Jeff Valentine. 鈥淭heir work raises important ethical and philosophical questions about what higher education is, what it should be and how a more equitable funding method can benefit everyone in our society.鈥

Recipients of next year鈥檚 are being named this week pending formal trustee approval. The annual, $100,000 prizes also honor seminal ideas in music, world order, psychology and religion. Winners will visit Louisville in the spring to accept their awards and give free talks on their winning ideas.

]]>
Scholar who explains how resilience develops wins Grawemeyer psychology award /post/uofltoday/scholar-who-explains-how-resilience-develops-wins-grawemeyer-psychology-award/ Wed, 06 Dec 2023 15:00:49 +0000 /?p=59711 A child psychologist who discovered resilience in human development depends on 鈥渙rdinary magic鈥 has won the 2024 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Psychology.

Ann Masten, a professor in the University of Minnesota鈥檚 Institute of Child Development, earned the prize for showing that our capacity to overcome potentially harmful experiences comes from ordinary but powerful adaptive processes inside us and from our supportive connections with others.

Resilience science began around 1970 as a search to explain how some children who face severe adversity seem to thrive while others do not.

鈥淎s I studied children and families dealing with war, disasters, poverty, violence and homelessness, I found a consistent set of surprisingly ordinary but powerful factors at work,鈥 she said. 鈥淩esilience didn鈥檛 depend on special qualities but on a capacity to adapt that we develop over time as we are nurtured, learn and gain experience.鈥

Supportive relationships, a sense of belonging, self-control, problem-solving skills, optimism, motivation and a sense of purpose all play a part in creating the 鈥渙rdinary magic鈥 that makes us resilient, she found.

鈥淗er work is inspiring because it reveals that the human capacity to overcome adversity does not rely on rare ingredients,鈥 said Nicholaus Noles, psychology award director. 鈥淭he seeds of resilience, of success, are within all of us, and we need only time and the right kind of relationships and experiences to overcome the obstacles we face.鈥

Masten鈥檚 findings have shaped policy and practice in many fields outside psychology such as pediatrics, school counseling, social work and disaster response. People in more than 180 countries including Ukraine have taken part in her online course about the resilience of children in war and disaster.

A licensed psychologist in Minnesota since 1986, holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor鈥檚 degree from Smith College. She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2021 and has received mentoring and lifetime contribution awards from the American Psychological Association.

Recipients of next year鈥檚 are being named this week pending formal trustee approval. The annual, $100,000 prizes also honor seminal ideas in music, world order, education and religion. Winners will visit Louisville in the spring to accept their awards and give free talks on their winning ideas.

 

]]>