Cardarelli is currently senior associate provost for academic affairs at the University of Kentucky. In her ten years at UK, she has served as associate dean, college diversity officer, department chair and assistant/senior assistant provost for faculty affairs. Her research focuses on community-engaged approaches to enhancing health equity, and she has served as principal investigator on more than $10 million in grants funded by the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Department of Agriculture and other sponsors.

A professor of health, behavior and society, Cardarelli received her Master of Public Health degree at University of North Texas School of Public Health Fort Worth. She went on to earn a doctorate in epidemiology at University of Texas School of Public Health Houston and completed the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine fellowship at Drexel University.

Cardarelli is a member of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health鈥檚 Inclusive Excellence through an Anti-Racism Lens expert panel.听Her commitment to advancing women and faculty of color in the academy is reflected in a two-year term as State Chair for the Kentucky chapter of the American Council on 成人直播 Women鈥檚 Network, where she grew institutional membership and professional development programming.

鈥淒r. Katie Cardarelli is an accomplished leader, researcher, and dedicated advocate for diversity and inclusion in academia. Her distinguished background and extensive academic experience have led to multifaceted contributions, spanning administrative leadership, impactful research, excellence in teaching, and commitment to equity, making her a formidable force in shaping the landscape of public health,鈥澨齭aid Interim Provost Gerry Bradley.

Cardarelli said the impressive track record of SPHIS faculty, staff, and students in advancing health equity in the Commonwealth and beyond was a key factor in her decision. 鈥淢y passion for social justice was instilled in me from an early age by my mother, who was a nurse,鈥� she said. 鈥淧ublic health strives to assure that all individuals have an opportunity to live a healthy life. I am excited to build upon the accomplishments of the school and build a vision for the next chapter.鈥�

In February 2021, the university took a significant step in that direction with the opening of the . The center provides various employee-centered resources and opportunities for personal and professional growth. Coaching circles allow employees to gather and collaborate on significant topics, such as anti-racism initiatives. Well-being retreats and mindfulness initiatives are also offered to cultivate a strong community of care. Award programs, which honor employee achievements and milestones, are also part of the center’s many efforts.

From the goals set in the Strategic Plan came seven initiatives to maintain a thriving spirit for UofL employees and ensure the institution is, indeed, a “Great Place to Work.” They are outlined below.

Web Improvement
The is a multi-year initiative aimed at revamping and improving the entire digital presence of the university. The effort marks the first funded, comprehensive web initiative in 鲍辞蹿尝鈥檚 history and is the largest concurrent 鈥渞eset鈥� of UofL websites, systems and platforms.

The project focuses on enhancing the daily lives of students, faculty and staff by modernizing and improving all university web-based experiences, as well as the processes behind developing and maintaining them. This digital overhaul will allow the university to attract new students, foster a stronger relationship with the community and provide staff with opportunities to further develop and implement current technology in their professional capacities.

Metrics and guiding strategies of the project will be routinely re-evaluated and the response with the web realigned accordingly.

Digital Transformation
To prepare the UofL community for engagement in the evolving global market, the university has undertaken a broad array of digital transformation projects designed to provide the digital and mobile on-demand solutions and services required to efficiently work, learn and create, as well as training opportunities for high-demand workforce applications.

The implementation of Microsoft Teams and other Office 365 applications has improved efficiencies in academic and operational services. Every active UofL student, faculty member and employee now have access to the Adobe Creative Cloud at no cost thanks to a university enterprise license. Creative Cloud is an industry standard platform for creating documents, videos, audio, graphic design, photos, illustrations, websites and mobile apps.

鲍辞蹿尝鈥檚 provides training for these and other software applications to faculty, staff and students at little to no cost. Many training programs come with badges, certificates or other credentials upon completion.

The Employee Success Center and the DTC announced in March that UofL employees and students have no-cost access to LinkedIn Learning. The platform includes more than 16,000 virtual courses designed to refine and develop technical, business, software and creative skills.

Workday
In order to simplify and enhance the day-to-day lives of employees, the university is transitioning from PeopleSoft human resources software to a newer, more accessible system. Information Technology Services identified the system that would best address employees’ needs. After working with various members of the campus community and engaging more than 77 stakeholders across 20 departments for feedback, the software was selected as the best system for the university.

Workday is an industry leader that provides a unified system for Human Capital Management. The implementation of the modern cloud-based system will offer timely and cost-effective functionality to employees while simplifying and standardizing numerous human resources processes across the university. The functionality of the software will improve hiring processes, reduce payroll calculation and processing errors, upgrade security and provide users with a more positive overall HR and payroll experience.

Brand Evolution
At the direction of the Office of the President and in support of the university’s Strategic Plan, UofL has refreshed its identity to include the addition of a strategic brand framework and messaging guidelines to complement the existing core brand visual standards.

More than just a logo, colors or tagline, the represents the core of who we are 鈥� from what it feels like to be a part of the Cardinal Family to the interactions that our faculty and staff have with students, families, fans and supporters.

Throughout the summer and fall of 2021, the Office of Communications and Marketing hosted several workshops to share 鲍辞蹿尝鈥檚 new brand positioning and messaging with faculty, staff and students. These sessions also included the rollout of an extensive toolkit for communicators across campus and coincided with the formation of the UofL Brand Council. Comprised of the top-level communicators in each school/college and key administrative units, the council is responsible for developing and managing communications and marketing strategies to improve overall brand awareness, perceptions and engagement.

The official brand rollout to the entire university will take place Friday, Jan. 14, 2022.

Grand Challenges
UofL is dedicated to creating and applying knowledge that improves lives. By harnessing our research and scholarship efforts behind three of our time, we will find solutions that make a difference and lead to thriving futures here and beyond. The three Grand Challenges, as identified by a president-appointed subcommittee are: 1.) empowering our communities; 2.) advancing our health; and
3.) engineering our future economy.

Throughout the past year, the UofL Office of Research and Innovation has expanded or launched programming aimed at celebrating and supporting researchers and their work in the Grand Challenges. That work is now the focus of the office鈥檚 research and innovation town hall meetings, where UofL researchers can share their projects and find collaborators.

R&I, in partnership with the UofL College of Arts & Sciences, Office of Diversity and Equity and ATHENA program, also launched a new program called Ascending Stars that provides mentorship, funding and other support to high-performing associate professors who focus on work in diversity, inclusion and empowering our communities.

Other efforts have focused on giving researchers better tools. UofL recently selected a new Electronic Research Administration system called Cayuse, for example, meant to minimize the administrative burden of conducting research and facilitate the growth of UofL research programs.

Cardinal Anti-Racism Agenda
In the summer of 2020, the Office of the President announced a goal for the university to become the 鈥減remier anti-racist metropolitan research university in the country.鈥� To guide us toward this goal, UofL has launched the .

While the university has taken many strides toward service to a more racially and socio-economically diverse workforce and student population, it is appropriate as a higher education institution to explore and to grow for the purpose of being a model for the communities we serve.

UofL has already established a few key commitments, including the recruitment and retention of more Black employees and students, building intentionally anti-racism curriculum across all disciplines, ensuring diverse representation on boards and committees, developing budgets that reflect the priority of diversity and equity and more. The in partnership with the , leads the charge to engage our community for more potential items to add to the anti-racism agenda.

Additionally, a vice president of diversity and equity will be named in 2022. This position will report directly to the university president, serving as a member of the President鈥檚 Cabinet, senior leadership team and other key institutional committees.

Total Rewards and Compensation Studies
Finally, the Strategic Plan identified fair and equitable compensation for faculty and staff as a critical aspect of 鲍辞蹿尝鈥檚 commitment to being a great place to learn, to work and in which to invest. To honor this commitment, the Office of Human Resources is leading the . These studies will assess both employee wages and Total Rewards, which is the total of benefits offered including health care, tuition remission, paid leave and more.

The comprehensive studies are divided into a six-phase approach that will be accomplished over the next 18 to 24 months with assistance from Segal, an outside human resources consulting firm with extensive experience in conducting higher education compensation studies. Findings from the studies will provide the necessary framework for employee salaries and benefits moving forward.

Of course, we’ve since learned the COVID-19 pandemic, and all of the uncertainties that come with it, remains. Still, 2021 seemed a little different. We know a little more about this virus, for example, and can make better mitigation efforts.

For UofL, that has meant a return to in-person operations while maintaining some hybrid elements. It meant masks and pop-up vaccination sites and plenty of continued mindfulness about safety. It meant a non-traditional raiseRED dance marathon, a livestreamed International Fashion Show and a Commencement ceremony at Cardinal Stadium for the first time ever.

In other words, it meant we carried on as a community 鈥� carefully, collaboratively 鈥� understanding that time doesn鈥檛 stop and neither do we. Our Cardinal spirit was on full display during 2020. In 2021, we brought that spirit to the next level听鈥� achieving records and reaching milestones while illustrating that not even a lingering global pandemic can slow us down.

Here are just a few of the highlights from the past year to instill pride and to motivate us into 2022.

Pandemic-inspired

When the COVID-19 pandemic reached the U.S., UofL went to work with an all-hands-on-deck mentality, searching for solutions, helping others and creating effective workarounds. That mentality continued in 2021 and extended to our pedagogical efforts. Our online learning programs experienced a 40% growth in the face of the pandemic, for example, while our law and dental faculty received an international award for creating a novel online teaching method in these new times.

Outside of the classroom, when vaccinations became available in late 2020, our UofL Health team was the first to step up and get the injection to prove their safety and efficacy. And when the city rolled out mass vaccinations, our medical, nursing and public health students and faculty were on the front lines. 听

As new variants appear, our groundbreaking COVID-19 wastewater research continues to provide critical learnings and is now backed by a CDC grant for $8.6 million.

Our School of Medicine joined a handful of other organizations, including local activist Christopher 2X鈥檚 nonprofit Game Changers, to launch a new campaign with a goal of ensuring all children have access to a face mask.

Diversity wins

Of course, our focus extends well beyond the pandemic. During summer 2020, former president Neeli Bendapudi announced a plan for UofL to become the premier antiracist metropolitan research university in the country. Several major steps have been taken since, including new hires and courses.

That鈥檚 just the tip of the iceberg. For the eighth year, UofL has been named a recipient of the Higher 成人直播 Excellence in Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, for example.听

Toyota invested $1.7 million this year to increase opportunities for underrepresented students and assist them in earning engineering degrees at UofL. Further, the inaugural class of graduates from the Louisville Teacher Residency Program began their teaching careers with JCPS. The program is a collaboration between JCPS and the UofL College of 成人直播 and Human Development to recruit more teachers of color. And, our Brandeis School of Law is addressing barriers to opportunities for lawyers of color in the underrepresented environmental law niche.

Notably, UofL recently opened a new Cultural and Equity Center, which brings together several offices that provide resources and create a sense of belonging for underrepresented students. The center is home to the Office of Diversity 成人直播 and Inclusive Excellence, Cultural Center, LGBT Center, Muhammad Ali Institute for Peace and Justice and the Women鈥檚 Center. 听

Research 1 Institution

UofL especially lived up to its status as a Carnegie-designated Research 1 institution this year, garnering a record-breaking $201.5 million in research funding for the fiscal year. This is more than $30 million over the previous record set a year earlier and supports work addressing some of the biggest global problems of our time. Our research literally spans the cosmos, and has yielded opportunities for education, training and policy development to address child trafficking in Kentucky; realized the health benefits of living in areas of high greenness;听and turned invasive plant species that threaten local ecosystems into art.

Further, a team of UofL researchers is developing a pilot program for the city that will divert a portion of 911 calls to health, behavioral health and ancillary services. In March, the National Institutes of Health provided a $7.8 million grant to fund work at 鲍辞蹿尝鈥檚 Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, in collaboration with Medtronic, to develop and test software applications designed for spinal cord injury. Not long after that, the NIH also provided UofL with an $11.3 million grant to support research into liver-related illness.

Don鈥檛 expect anyone at UofL to rest on research laurels, either. The Louisville Automation and Robotics Research Institute (LARRI) just opened a 10,000-square-foot space dedicated to research, education and collaboration in robotics, for example.听Researchers from UofL are also working with Eli Lilly and Company in a clinical trial to determine whether its monoclonal antibody treatment, bamlanivimab, can reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities.

Meanwhile, faculty in 鲍辞蹿尝鈥檚 College of 成人直播 and Human Development are conducting research to help JCPS school leaders create systems and structures that allow for equitable experiences for students and staff, and听UofL and听Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF)听are collaborating on research that will enhance travelers鈥� experience and airport operations through innovation.听听

This focus on research is reaping plenty of reward as evidenced by UofL-born startup Talaris Therapeutics鈥� $150 million initial public offering earlier this year. Expect this momentum to continue, as UofL recently opened a new office, called UofL New Ventures, to help launch and grow startup companies built on university research and technologies.

Business and community

Beyond startup support, UofL has proven time and time again that we are dynamically connected to our community as a premier metropolitan university. There were plenty of supporting examples of this connection in 2021. For instance, Kosair Charities granted UofL $6.6 million to support children鈥檚 health efforts, including $5.5 million to fund the Kosair Charities Pediatric Neurorecovery Center for another 5 years.

Louisville-based Yum! Brands, one of the largest restaurant companies in the world, partnered with the UofL College of Business to create the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence. The center provides education to future and existing franchising professionals, allowing underrepresented people of color and women to unlock opportunities to create generational wealth.

UofL received a five-year grant totaling $2 million to help minority-owned manufacturing businesses adopt additive manufacturing and 3D printing technology. The Plan Room, a new business accelerator created by OneWest to assist minority-owned construction companies in developing their businesses, began receiving support from the听.

Further, UofL and the U.S. Department of Defense鈥檚 National Security Innovation Network entered into an agreement that solidifies collaboration among DoD end-users, UofL students and faculty and Metro Louisville鈥檚 early-stage venture community.

And, UofL is one of 32 universities nationwide participating in a U.S. Department of Energy program to help manufacturers in the region improve their energy efficiency. UofL will receive $2.2 million of a $60 million investment in the current cohort of DOE Industrial Assessment Centers program.

Student success

Our students have also proved they鈥檙e exceptionally resilient this year, creating change, contributing to innovation and generally just kicking some you-know-what. UofL continued its track record as an institution rife with prestigious scholars, for example, generating more Fulbright scholars than all Kentucky public higher education institutions combined.

In addition, the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, awarded to one college junior in Kentucky each year, went to triple-major Lexi Raikes (English, French, political science), who planned to use the $30,000 scholarship to attend Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Ten students in Professor Chris Reitz鈥檚 Art and Activism seminar created the 鈥�Promise, Witness, Remembrance鈥� exhibition honoring Breonna Taylor. The exhibition was featured at the Speed Art Museum in the spring.

Two Speed students, Jorge Sanchez and Mercedes Pastor, finished second at an international simulation competition, while music major Benjamin Carter鈥檚 鈥�A Winter Night鈥� helped earn him the 2021 Kentucky Music Educators Association Composition Award, and听Sophomore Rawan Saleh was recognized as a top 20 under 20 from the Arab American Foundation for her work to end racism.

A UofL student startup aimed at fighting cancer and led by MD/PhD student Jordan Noe听 won the inaugural CardStart Innovation competition. The startup is developing a new cell-based therapy for the treatment of aggressive solid tumors.

鲍辞蹿尝鈥檚 Cardinal Battalion Ranger Team finished in the top 10 at the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition. Additionally, nearly 50% of the class earned an 鈥渙utstanding鈥� ranking at Cadet Summer Training, which means they鈥檙e ranked in the top 15% of cadets in the country.

A group of UofL undergraduate students is focused on closing what it calls 鈥渢he perception gap鈥� through the launch of a new, nonpartisan online magazine. The is modeled after the Harvard Political Review.

A UofL-based Unified Sports basketball team has been selected to represent the state as part of Team Kentucky at the 2022 Special Olympics Games in June. The team combines traditional Special Olympics athletes with teammates who do not have an intellectual disability. It is the first unified team that Special Olympics Kentucky has ever sent to a USA Games.

Our student-athletes achieved a 91% graduation rate this year, matching the Cardinals鈥� best mark in the Graduation Success Rate report developed 17 years ago by the NCAA. Outside of the classroom, we sent 10 athletes to the Tokyo Olympic Games; Catcher Henry Davis became overall draft pick in the Major League Baseball Draft; our spirit squad won its seventh consecutive national title; and our volleyball team has been ranked No. 1 for much of the season while remaining unbeaten and headed to the Final Four. Further, six of our student-athletes earned a Top 6 for Service award for their community service efforts and our entire athletics department finished second among all Division I NCAA institutions for the Team Works Service Challenge.

Accolades

The accolades certainly didn’t stop on the athletic field. In 2021, UofL was named one of the most 鈥�transfer-friendly鈥� schools in the U.S., for example.听

鲍辞蹿尝鈥檚 fully online programs were also acknowledged by U.S. News & World Report to be among some of the top education opportunities for online students in 2021 across the following categories: Online Bachelor鈥檚, Online Bachelor鈥檚 Psychology, Online Graduate Criminal Justice, Online Graduate 成人直播 and Online Graduate Engineering.听

For the 12th consecutive year, UofL was recognized for its commitment to serving military-connected students by earning 鈥�2021-2022 Military Friendly鈥� institution designation. UofL was one of only 29 Carnegie Designated Tier 1 Research institutions in the nation to earn the designation.

And in September, UofL once again held onto its spot as the top-ranked Kentucky college or university in Sierra Magazine鈥檚 15^th Annual 鈥淐ool Schools鈥� rankings.

A bright future ahead

If we鈥檙e able to accomplish all of this in a global pandemic, imagine what’s next for UofL. The future is undoubtedly bright, particularly as the Belknap Campus continues its transformation and prepares for new residence halls to open soon. Designed with input from student advisors, the halls create a modern experience aimed at helping students achieve success and providing them with a great place to learn.

We鈥檙e also positioned well as a great place in which to invest. Raise Some L, 鲍辞蹿尝鈥檚 annual day of giving, drew support this year from a record number of donors, including Cardinal fans in all 50 states for the first time. Together, these donors have pledged to fund education, research and community engagement efforts throughout the university.

And we’ve put in the work to ensure we’re a great place to work. UofL recently launched a new Employee Success Center, providing employees with professional development opportunities, onboarding, mentoring, workshops and other engaging initiatives and programs.

Bendapudi announced Dec. 9 that she was leaving to take the same role at Penn State University. Provost Lori Gonzalez has been named interim president, while Josh Heird has been named interim athletic director. We are starting the new year with new leadership and with that comes new opportunities. And, as we鈥檝e especially proven these past two years, nothing can stop us.

The grant, funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce鈥檚 Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), will launch the Kentucky MBDA Advanced Manufacturing Center, one of only four such programs nationwide.

鈥淭here鈥檚 huge economic potential in additive manufacturing,鈥� said Sundar Atre, endowed chair of manufacturing and materials at UofL and a lead on the new grant. 鈥淚 see the pathway to a multibillion-dollar economy built around this in Louisville 鈥� it鈥檚 not unrealistic. With this new program, we will work to make that ecosystem open to everyone.鈥�

The new center will build on the work of Atre and his team at 鲍辞蹿尝鈥檚 , housed in the . AMIST will use its faculty, staff and 10,000 square feet of dedicated facilities to provide minority-owned manufacturing businesses with product design, technology support, talent pipeline and business development assistance in additive manufacturing.

AMIST has put a strong focus on helping manufacturers adopt these disruptive technologies. The institute already supports training for minority-owned businesses in West Louisville and recently launched a new program to provide small- and medium-sized manufacturers with training, mentorship and UofL-backed research, development and consulting.

鈥淲e know Kentucky鈥檚 manufacturing industry has a rich and proud history,鈥� said Will Metcalf, associate vice president for research development and strategic partnerships in 鲍辞蹿尝鈥檚 Office of Research and Innovation, who leads the grant with Atre. 鈥淭his is a chance to leverage 鲍辞蹿尝鈥檚 research strengths to empower manufacturers within our community to use this technology and engineer a future economy that鈥檚 built around disruptive, inclusive innovation.鈥澨�

The will provide technical and business development assistance to build capacity of minority-owned companies, expand manufacturing ecosystems and facilitate contracts and financing. Miguel听Esti茅n, acting national director听of the MBDA, said efforts to improve equity for minority-owned businesses could add close to $5 trillion per year to U.S. economic output.

鈥淪upporting and promoting this community is a good investment,鈥� he said. 鈥淢oney spent in the minority business community stays in the community. It is good for the U.S. economy, and it enhances our credibility as a nation because it should be our aspiration to make the economy work for everybody.鈥澨�

UofL also recently received a $50,000 pilot grant to fund work to expand access to additive manufacturing technology for minority-owned, innovation-focused startups in Louisville. That grant, from the U.S. Small Business Development Administration鈥檚 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition to support STEM entrepreneurs, is led by UofL Assistant Professor Kunal Kate, who also will help lead the Kentucky MBDA Advanced Manufacturing Center.

Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman said the new center builds on the state鈥檚 demonstrated success in manufacturing.

鈥淭hrough this effort, 鲍辞蹿尝鈥檚 AMIST is opening doors to manufacturing to all our citizens by being听one of only four such programs nationwide recognized by the Minority Business Development Agency for its innovative work,鈥� Coleman said. 鈥淲e need to be more inclusive in manufacturing and expand opportunities for women and minorities. I applaud AMIST鈥檚 efforts in creating an inclusive, innovation ecosystem around new economic opportunities for all Kentuckians.鈥�

Companies can learn more and get involved by visiting the Kentucky MBDA Advanced Manufacturing Center .

Undergraduate student Edison Pleasants听is part of the Society of Porter Scholars and Muhammad Ali Scholar Program and said she appreciates how the new space enhances cross-cultural interactions and educational opportunities.

鈥淎s president of a student organization, we have a lot of incoming freshman trying to make connections on campus, and I always tell them to go to events held in the cultural center because they can meet lifelong friends,鈥� she said.

Students challenged university leadership to create a centralized home for the diversity centers. That challenge was met as plans included space within the new Belknap Residence Hall, which opened in August. Located on the first floor of the building, the Cultural and Equity Center provides a unified environment for the diversity centers, previously scattered throughout campus.

UofL President Neeli Bendapudi said the center represents one concrete action leading to change on campus as the university strives to become anti-racist and more inclusive and welcoming for the entire Cardinal community.

鈥淭he Cultural and Equity Center will help Cardinals build community across identities and provide programming that creates a sense of belonging 鈥� a key factor in eliminating bias and creating an appreciation for everyone because of our unique differences, rather than in spite of them,鈥� she said.

The university鈥檚 first vice provost for diversity, Mordean Taylor-Archer, was a driving force to make the center a reality. Her work continued following retirement in 2019 through the Office of Diversity and Equity, under the leadership of V. Faye Jones, interim senior associate vice president.

鈥淭he Cultural and Equity Center is not only key to graduating students who are engaged citizens prepared for a diverse and global society, but it also is crucial to ensure social justice and fairness across identities,鈥� Jones said.听

The diversity centers together help fulfill the university鈥檚 diversity, equity and inclusion strategic goals through many intentional initiatives. The efforts include unconscious bias training, coaching and mentoring, along with other services that support academic, personal and professional development for students and cultural experiences for employees.

鈥淪ince UofL is predominately a white institution, it is important that students know of resources available through this center,鈥� Pleasants said. 鈥淒iversity is essential for enhancing the college experience, and preparing students to engage with the world around them both now and in the future.鈥�

听Take a virtual tour of the Cultural and Equity Center .

The Cardinals have proven leadership as a two-time Diversity Champion, a distinction given to institutions scoring in the top tier of all HEED Award winners. Diversity Champions set the standard for thousands of other campus communities striving for diversity and inclusion.

鈥淲e are honored by this recognition. UofL remains steadfast in our anti-racism commitment to provide education that is fair, just and true, and is inclusive of our multiple identities, but there is still much more work to do,鈥� said V. Faye Jones, interim senior associate vice president for diversity and equity.

As a recipient of the annual HEED Award, UofL will be featured, along with 100 other recipients, in the November 2021 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

鈥淭he HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees 鈥� and best practices for both 鈥� continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,鈥� said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. 鈥淲e take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.鈥�

Other recipients of the 2021 HEED Award are:

• Adelphi University
• Agnes Scott College
• Arkansas State University
• Ball State University
• Binghamton University
• Broward College
• California State University Fullerton
• California State University San Marcos
• California State University, Fresno
• Case Western Reserve University
• Central Washington University
• Clemson University
• Columbia University in the City of New York
• Cuyahoga Community College
• Davenport University
• East Carolina University
• El Paso County Community College District
• Florida Atlantic University
• Florida Gulf Coast University
• Florida State University
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Georgia State University
• Grand Valley State University
• Hillsborough Community College
• Hudson County Community College
• Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis
• Indiana University Bloomington
• James Madison University
• Johns Hopkins University
• Kansas State University
• Kennesaw State University
• Kent State University
• Lehigh University
• Metropolitan State University
• Metropolitan State University of Denver
• Miami University
• Millersville University
• Mississippi State University
• Mount Holyoke College
• North Hennepin Community College
• Northern Illinois University
• Northwestern University
• Ohio University
• Oklahoma State University
• Oregon State University
• Pikes Peak Community College
• Regis College
• Rice University
• Rochester Institute of Technology
• Rockland Community College
• Rowan University
• Santa Clara University
• Santa Rosa Junior College
• Seminole State College of Florida
• Shippensburg University
• Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
• Southwestern Law School
• Stetson University College of Law
• Stockton University
• Suffolk University
• SUNY Old Westbury
• Swarthmore College
• Texas A&M University
• Texas Christian University
• Texas Tech University
• The University of Alabama at Birmingham
• The University of Texas at Arlington
• The University of Texas at Austin
• The University of Tulsa
• Towson University
• UNC Greensboro
• Union College
• University at Albany
• University of California System UC Office of the President
• University of California, Merced
• University of Central Florida
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Dayton
• University of Georgia
• University of Houston
• University of Houston Law Center
• University of Houston-Downtown
• University of Illinois Chicago
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• University of Kentucky
• University of Louisiana at Lafayette
• University of Memphis
• University of Missouri-St. Louis
• University of North Florida
• University of North Texas
• University of Oklahoma
• University of Oregon
• University of Pittsburgh of the Commonwealth System of Higher 成人直播
• University of Rochester
• University of West Florida
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• Virginia Wesleyan University
• West Chester University of Pennsylvania
• West Virginia University
• William & Mary
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)

More information about the 2021 HEED Award is .听

UofL News: What inspired you to write this book?听

鈥婽eresa Reed: About 12 years ago, I started writing, in bits and pieces, reflections on what I considered to be a big gap in the discourse about race relations in this country.听It seemed clear to me that many white Americans were genuinely unlearned and confused about race and racial difference, which seemed especially evident throughout the presidencies of Barack Obama and Donald Trump.听

I concluded that it was not simply racism, but rather widespread ignorance at the root of what many white people feared about Black people and other people of color.听This, in turn, has continued to fuel the frustration that many people of color feel about being unheard and misunderstood.听

Recent events 鈥� in particular, the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd 鈥� inspired me to formulate these reflections into a book that I hope will dispel some of the ignorance and dismantle some of the fears that fuel racial intolerance and keep people apart.

UofL News: What do you hope to communicate through the book鈥檚 title?听

Teresa Reed: My intended audience is white people who want calm, honest answers to their questions about race in a nonjudgmental space. Many white people have legitimate questions about race, but they are afraid to ask those questions for fear of being ridiculed or labeled racist.听Historically speaking, many white people have had neither need nor incentive to learn about what people of color experience; so, they simply don’t know, or their understanding may be shallow at best.听Unless someone steps forward to answer those questions, good people will remain hopelessly ignorant, which gets society nowhere.听I’d like to see the needle really move in a positive direction on race relations in this country.听This book is my tiny contribution to that effort.

UofL News: Tell us a little about what you鈥檝e written.听听

Teresa Reed: The book is part memoire, part research and part history.听It is definitely not a scholarly treatise, however.听Instead, it’s written to feel like a nonthreatening conversation at Starbucks.听Most of the chapters are formatted to be read as a question with an answer.听Some of the chapter titles (and I’m paraphrasing) are “Why Do Black People Think about Race all the Time?,” “Why Do Black People Get Away with Saying the ‘N’ Word When White People Cannot?,”听“Isn’t Affirmative Action Racist?,” “Am I Racist for Wanting to Keep My Neighborhood Safe?,”听 “Why Can’t Black People Forget about Slavery and Move on?,”听and “What’s All the Fuss about Black Lives Matter?” There are over 20 short chapters, and the book is an intentionally quick and easily digestible read.

UofL News: What do you hope will be the key takeaway(s)?听

Teresa Reed: The more we understand about one another, the less we’ll have to fear about one another, and the more equipped we’ll be to transcend this country’s racial malady to forge new pathways for friendship and understanding across our differences.

UofL News: How does the content fit within 鲍辞蹿尝鈥檚 anti-racism agenda?听

Teresa Reed: I think it fits like a glove.听Managing behaviors through rules, trainings and policies is fine, and these approaches may always be necessary to some extent. But changing hearts through enlightenment and understanding puts us much more authentically on the pathway toward anti-racism.

UofL News: As a leader, how do you guide faculty, staff and students within your school?听

Teresa Reed: Since June 2020, the School of Music has hosted ‘Safe Saturday Conversations about Race.’ These meetings, which started out weekly on Saturday mornings, were held on a Zoom call and invited any interested faculty, staff and students to bring their questions, concerns and thoughts about race into a safe place for discussion and consideration.听No topic was off limits.听All were welcome. We will resume Safe Saturdays once per month in the new school year.

UofL News: What does this book mean to you, personally?

Teresa Reed: My religion is compassion.听I love all humans and I am a radical inclusionist.听I want everyone, regardless of race, nationality, physical ability, gender identity, sexual orientation, political persuasion, or any other identifier to feel absolutely safe and valued in the spaces that I influence.听With this book, I hope that I can make it safe for white people to learn, and that I can offer hope to Black people and other people of color who are weary and frustrated at being misunderstood.听I also hope that it can offer a template leading to better understanding of those in the LGBTQ community, those in immigrant communities, and others who may feel marginalized by difference.

UofL News: Have you written other books, and if so, what is/are the title(s)?听

Teresa Reed: This is my fourth book.听I have also authored听The Holy Profane: Religion in Black Popular Music听(University Press of Kentucky, 2003),听The Jazz Life of Dr. Billy Taylor听(Indiana University Press, 2013), and听Beneath A Heretic’s Wings听with co-author Cassandra McClellan (GarySprings Independent Press, 2018).

UofL News: Anything else you鈥檇 like to share?听

Teresa Reed: Proud to be a Cardinal.听Be on the lookout for School of Music events in the coming academic year and come back to Comstock and Bird Halls for our in-person concerts. Most are free and open to the public and we are eager to welcome live audiences again.

Find the book,听 on .

The ABI, a program within the College of Arts and Sciences, was established in 2006 and honors the work and legacy of longtime racial justice organizer, educator and journalist, Anne Braden. McCormack shares his thoughts in this Q&A interview.

UofL News: Describe your passion and the 鈥榳hy鈥� behind your desire to lead the institute.听听

McCormack: I am drawn to the ABI鈥檚 mission of bridging the gap between scholarship and activism, and the possibilities that this mission presents for our campus and community in this crucial moment of racial reckonings.听听

UofL News: What is your vision for the ABI and how does it build on the legacy of Anne Braden, along with co-founders Cate Fosl and the late J. Blaine Hudson?听听

McCormack: As director, I want to position the ABI as a synergistic hub of critical thought, creative activity and community-engaged research. A place where faculty, staff and students across an array of disciplines can make connections between their research — whether it is in geography or gender studies; Jewish studies or jazz studies — and ongoing struggles for racial and social justice.听听

UofL News: What goals do you hope ABI will accomplish over the next five years?听听

McCormack: What I appreciate most about Anne Braden was that she was deeply committed to racial and social justice, but never centered herself in the work. She once described herself as joining 鈥渁 long chain of struggle,鈥� that stretched back long before her and would extend long after she was gone. I hope to help more and more people find creative ways to join, and be sustained in, the work of that long chain of struggle. If by the end of my directorship, we can look back and see where more and more students, staff and faculty found ways to link up to, deepen their engagement with, persist in, and expand upon that ongoing freedom struggle, I will have done my job.听听

UofL News: How does this support 鲍辞蹿尝鈥檚 anti-racism agenda?听听

McCormack: The ABI, in collaboration with other units, can play a vital role in cultivating the critical intellectual thought and community-engaged practices that undergird the work of an aspiring 鈥減remier anti-racist public research university.鈥� The recent racial uprisings — national, global, and perhaps most significantly, local — that called forth 鲍辞蹿尝鈥檚 anti-racism agenda require a renewed wrestling with the varied, and often fraught, relationships between scholarship and activism. In this moment of renewed struggle, and intensified backlash, those connected to the ABI must be committed to a sense of academic excellence and social responsibility that vigorously resists the violent workings of a white supremacist, capitalist, hetero-patriarchal, social order. At the same time, we must help others to imagine and envision a far more beautiful alternative that inspires people to want to strive to bring about a more just society for all of us. As I see it, that is Anne Braden鈥檚 legacy, and the ABI should further community-engaged intellectual work that expands upon that legacy.听听

UofL News: Your research explores听the intersections between Black religion, popular culture, the arts and activism. Tell us more about this.听听听

McCormack: As a Black Studies scholar, trained in history and critical theories of religion, cultural studies, social ethics and practical theological approaches to the study of religion, I bring critical questions of meaning, value, vocation and what it means to be human to bear upon racial and social justice research and action. This means that in addition to the historical and social scientific approaches that have grounded the work of the ABI to date, I am interested in calling greater attention to the indispensability of spirituality, culture and the arts in movements for racial and social justice. I see this as consistent with Anne Braden鈥檚 profound relationship to, and struggle alongside, the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr., James Lawson, Vincent and Rosemarie Harding, Ella Baker and Bernice Johnson Reagan.听听

UofL News: Describe your role as a speaker and influencer outside the academic setting.听听听

McCormack: As the child of parents who never attended college, I am deeply invested in speaking to, and learning from, communities of everyday people, who gather to make meaning and struggle for freedom outside of the academy. The ABI can play an important role in amplifying the voices and concerns of those who are consistently relegated to the margins of society — those who may never enroll at the University of Louisville, or even set foot on a college campus. I see my work as director as a way of becoming more deeply rooted in community-engaged scholarship while refusing to relinquish critical intellectual engagement with the best that the academy has to offer.听听

UofL News: Anything else you鈥檇 like to share with us?听听

McCormack: I am very excited to be entrusted with this work and I look forward to possibilities for collaboration on campus, within the community, and across the country!听听

But the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville is trying to change these statistics by addressing barriers to opportunities and providing mentorship to create greater equity, embracing the Cardinal Principles of leadership, diversity and inclusion.

Cameron Lyons and Lauren Neal, both second-year law students of color, are engaged in unique summer experiences. Lyons is taking part in a fellowship with the National Wildlife Federation. One issue he鈥檚 helping tackle is equitable access to the Land and Water Conservation Fund that he hopes will result in more outdoor recreation opportunities in disadvantaged areas.

鈥淚t is important to have diverse representation in environmental law for the same reason it is important to have diversity in any field 鈥� perspective,鈥� Lyons said. 鈥淎t the local, state and federal levels, attorneys of color contribute a unique perspective that safeguards the environment with respects to vulnerable segments of the population.鈥�

Neal is a community engagement intern for Kentucky Waterways Alliance and a legal intern for the Kentucky Equal Justice Center. She is creating relationships between KWA and communities of color within Kentucky to give underrepresented communities a voice in planning about water sources. Her work with KEJC involves legal research and writing to help impact litigation and legislative (state and local) housing and consumer law issues within Kentucky. 听

鈥淩epresentation can make a world of difference when it comes to bridging the gap of communication so that the cycle of exclusivity and marginalization stops. Having a seat at the table allows for those conditions to be replaced by the empowerment of being present and, moreover, being genuinely heard in shaping the conversations about the environmental injustices that affect these communities,鈥� Neal said.

Behind every great student is a great teacher

Both students credit Tony Arnold, Brandeis law professor and Boehl Chair in Property and Land Use, for mentoring them and making the connections needed to land their summer experiences.

鈥淧rofessor Arnold has been the biggest mentor and encourager when it comes to my pursuits. He has been an amazing guide and wealth of knowledge on how to pursue my dreams 鈥� a true inspiration who has kept me motivated through a lot of tough times,鈥� Lyons said.

Arnold says when law students of color become interested in environmental law and related fields like land use and natural resources, they need mentors who will encourage their interests and connect them to valuable opportunities in the field.听

鈥淭oo often Black and Latinx law students are steered, sometimes subtly and sometimes not-so subtly, to fields that are perceived to be most salient to communities of color, such as civil rights, criminal law and affordable housing law, or to fields that are high-paying, such as corporate law or major litigation,鈥� Arnold said.

Although 鲍辞蹿尝鈥檚 Brandeis School of Law has a small environmental law program, mentoring is one of several reasons for the success in connecting law students of color to the niche.

Arnold says aspects of race and ethnicity are integrated into all courses in related fields of environmental, land use and natural resources law. This allows students to explore the ways in which environmental conservation and racial justice are interconnected.

In addition, Arnold鈥檚 research has influenced not only knowledge but also public policy and activism, which led to creation of the law school鈥檚 Resilience Justice Project. He has been involved in many community issues, including service on the board of the West Jefferson County Community Task Force, and has collaborated with the late Robert Garcia of in Los Angeles. Garcia was one of the nation鈥檚 top Latino environmental leaders and one of Arnold鈥檚 mentors.

Students have opportunities to work with Arnold on this research. Most recently, half of the co-authors of his most recent article, 鈥淩esilience Justice and Community-Based Green and Blue Infrastructure,鈥� are current or former students of color.

鈥淥ur students get lots of personalized attention, support and encouragement,鈥� Arnold said. 鈥淎ll students, but especially our students of color, need to know their professors are invested in them and their educational and professional development.鈥澨�

In the summer of 2020, President Neeli Bendapudi charged the to lead a taskforce in bringing forth recommendations to guide UofL in becoming a premier anti-racist metropolitan research university.

鈥淭o be an anti-racist institution, UofL cannot rest on the racial advancements of the 20^th century,鈥� Bendapudi said. 鈥淲e are facing long-held racist beliefs, action and inaction, and we aren鈥檛 shying away from the fight.鈥�

The agenda, now in the final stages of development, underscores the strategic vision of the university as a great place to learn, work and invest through celebration of the unique attributes every individual brings to the university community.

鈥淭he approach of this work focuses on evaluating policies and institutional behaviors as a means of shifting cultural values and perspectives toward greater racial equity,鈥� said V. Faye Jones, interim senior associate vice president for diversity and equity.

CARA progress

Representatives from throughout 鲍辞蹿尝鈥檚 campuses — faculty, staff, students, trainees (residents and post docs) and administration — helped develop the agenda. These five subgroups of the taskforce have carefully and thoughtfully drafted a report of six priority areas, and action steps, which are now being refined. Completion of a final plan, along with implementation is expected this year.

The six broad priority areas are:

• Culture, Policies, Practices and Procedures
• Equity in Work, Compensation, Professional Development and Reward
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Images and Communication
• Recruitment and Retention of Diverse Talent
• University and Community Relationships

This year the taskforce anticipates a report with action plans for every strategy, a data dashboard making diversity data transparent and accessible and a CARA cultural impact to improve the lived experiences of the entire Cardinal family.

Campus movement

As details of CARA are being finalized, movement to support the agenda is already in motion. Every unit throughout campus is laying groundwork to break down barriers and make changes that reflect our anti-racism goal.

For example, leadership from each of the four Health Sciences Center schools participated in a 10-week immersive executive leadership program with the Aspen Institute focused on leading institutional diversity, equity and inclusion. Not only this, but leaders at many schools and units throughout the university have set aside funding to support dedicated diversity, equity and inclusion positions at the director, assistant dean and associate dean levels.

Faculty, staff and student support is one area of growth. Through the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD), faculty, staff and students can receive on-demand access to mentoring, professional development and support leading to success in the academy. Several faculty of color are being supported by their school鈥檚 dean and the to participate in NCFDD鈥檚 Faculty Success Program designed to help faculty increase research and writing productivity while maintaining a healthy work/life balance. This opportunity will provide needed resources as the faculty pursue tenure. Meanwhile, Human Resources has developed an affirmative action review process for faculty tenure and promotions, seeking to understand whether decisions made regarding tenure and/or promotion adversely impact members of certain groups.

Launched through the Office of Research and Innovation, the new 听provides mentorship, funding and other support to high-performing associate professors. The goal is to boost the national impact of the fellows鈥� scholarship, with a focus on work in diversity, inclusion and community empowerment.

Other actions, too, are helping the CARA progress, as staff and faculty have opportunities to participate in book studies and Continuing 成人直播 sessions on the topics of implicit bias, microagressions, power and privilege, health disparities and racial justice. A new Lunch and Learn series also helps welcome, mentor and retain Black faculty, with plans to extend to Hispanic and Latino faculty. Development of a faculty search document, Strategies and Tactics for Recruiting to Increase Diversity and Excellence (STRIDE) will lead to workforce change, and a new Employee Resource Group is focused on faculty and staff who identify as Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

The Office of Diversity and Equity, in collaboration with the Employee Success Center, also is working to better incorporate diversity and equity in university onboarding, leadership and retention programs, policies and practices. Programs and services to support employees and students experiencing racial trauma also give credence to one of 鲍辞蹿尝鈥檚 guiding principles as a Community of Care.

A new Undergraduate Student Success Taskforce, coordinated through the Office of Diversity and Equity, aims to make it easier for underrepresented, underfunded and first generation students to have an equal opportunity for achievement. The group will work to improve information sharing, communication and collaboration across units; identify gaps in services, student performance and experience; and develop creative ways to eliminate barriers and build student success. The taskforce will have a plan in place this fall.

A course for first-year students taught by student success center staff also is being revised in time for the new academic year to more intentionally thread themes of diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the curriculum. All GEN 100 instructors will be trained on what it means to be an anti-racist institution and tie the work of CARA to first year students鈥� experience as they join the university community.

And advancement is working to raise funds for student financial support aimed at racial equity. The School of Nursing鈥檚 Breonna Taylor Memorial Scholarship and the J.B. Speed School of Engineering鈥檚 diversity education scholarship through are two examples.

New committees and groups

The Student Government Association recently created a diversity and inclusion committee, the Staff Senate created a and new recognized student organizations have launched this year, including the Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA).

Jason Deakings helped lead the effort in bringing together the BGSA. As a CODRE student representative, he鈥檚 also helping shape CARA. Deakings worked on a committee to explore anti-racism initiatives at other universities, and had the opportunity to listen to both graduate and undergraduate student ideas and concerns related to the agenda.

鈥淚nclusiveness is of paramount importance for students,鈥� Deakings said. 鈥淓ven as new RSOs have been created, we are working toward unification and progressing inclusivity.鈥�

Inclusiveness and belonging are key, says Jones.

鈥淲e听must ensure equity in all of our practices and policies听that are inclusive of our multiple identities,鈥� she said.

As the world begins to recover from the devastating effects of the recent global COVID-19 pandemic, we maintain our commitment to providing education that is fair, just and true, and leads toward an end of the devastating effects of the long-term racial pandemic.