Sparks, a junior majoring in civil and environmental engineering, plans to complete his Master of Business Administration at UofL before relocating to Colorado Springs to work on environmental solutions.

Sparks hails from French Village, Missouri. From 2006 to 2014, he served in the U.S. Army as an infantryman, rising to the rank of staff sergeant. After completing basic training and advanced individual training, his first duty station was Fort McNair, Washington D.C., where he was assigned to the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as The Old Guard. Ěý

The Old Guard’s primary role is to conduct funerals in Arlington National Cemetery for active duty, retired, and veteran service members. It also provides flag display backgrounds for press conferences and ceremonies in the Pentagon and Capitol building, and “maintains traditions with the Commander-in-Chiefs’ Guard.”

Sparks performed roles as escort platoon member, full honors firing party member, firing party commander, colors guard member, regimental colors bearer, Arlington Lady escort, and fire team leader.

Memorable moments from his time there include marching in the funeral of President Gerald Ford and serving as an escort at the inauguration of President Obama. He also earned the Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Parachutist Badge, and attained the rank of Sergeant.

In 2010, he re-enlisted and was sent to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. While there, he served as a fire team leader, squad leader, platoon sergeant, MRAP truck commander, and Stryker vehicle commander, earning the Combat Infantryman’s Badge and obtaining the rank of staff sergeant. During a deployment to Kirkuk, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Sparks sustained injuries from an improvised explosive device.

Several years passed between separating from the Army and choosing to attend college. After choosing to leave Missouri, he selected the University of Louisville after researching schools with environmental engineering programs in cities with a relatively low cost of living.

As a first-generation student, returning to school after a 16-year break, Sparks said he faced challenges, including navigating the Department of Veteran Affairs’ education benefits system. He credits the UofL Center for Military-Connected Students, particularly VA education benefits manager Carissa Gentry, for supporting his transition.

“She always made time when it was needed,” Sparks said. He says from the first time she helped him work through some bugs in the VA benefits process, to personally handling tasks outside of her scope of work, to being an active listener during a “vent session” – she always went above and beyond. Ěý

UofL is proud to recognize and celebrate Sparks and all members and veterans of the U.S. Army on the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday, June 14 of this year.

Gen. Joseph M. Martin will be honored by his alma mater in a livestreamed broadcast of the UofL Alumni Awards on Oct. 21 during Homecoming Week.

“I am thrilled to welcome Gen. Martin back home to UofL so we can present this deserved honor to him,” said UofL President Neeli Bendapudi. “He exemplifies all that we stand for as Cardinals, particularly living a life focused on the highest standards of leadership in achieving a noble purpose.”

Martin earned his Master of łÉČËÖ±˛Ą in Occupational Training and Development degree from the University of Louisville in 1997. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1986 and was commissioned as an armor officer. He also is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Army War College.

As the 37th Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army, he is the second-highest ranking officer in the Army, and one of only 16 four-star generals currently serving in the Army. Throughout his distinguished 35-year career, Martin has commanded soldiers at every level, including the Army’s Operational Test Command, the National Training Center, and the famed First Infantry Division.

Martin has deployed numerous times including during Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve, where he commanded the Combined Joint Force Land Component Command. His most recent assignment was director of the Army Staff.

Martin’s staff assignments have included observer/controller at Fort Irwin, California, and instructor/writer and aide to the commanding general at the U.S. Armor Center at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He also served as a battalion operations officer, aide to the III Corps commanding general and brigade operations officer at Fort Hood, Texas. Additionally, Martin served as the armor branch chief and chief of the Maneuver, Fires and Effects Division at the United States Army Human Resources Command in Alexandria, Virginia. He also served as the initiatives group director for the commander, U.S. Forces Iraq and U.S. Joint Forces Command.

Martin’s awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal with “V” device; the “V” device signifies heroism or valor in combat. He also earned the Combat Action Badge and the Parachutist Badge.

Martin and his wife have been married for 33 years and have two children.

Twenty other distinguished alumni have already been named and will also be honored at the UofL Alumni Awards, including winners of the new Alumni Ambassador Award, Diversity Leadership Award, Emerging Leadership Award. More information about those honorees is available online here.

UofL’s Alumni Awards are sponsored by Commonwealth Credit Union and Buff City Soap. For information about all events planned for UofL’s Homecoming Week 2021, visit the

The ceremonies cannot take place in a crowded auditorium this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on large gatherings. But a little creative thinking is producing two unique events.

The Army ROTC, the Cardinal Battalion, will hold a virtual commissioning ceremony beginning 10 a.m. Friday, with cadets participating from home. It will be held on Microsoft Teams and broadcast live on Facebook. (Go to the UofL Army ROTC Facebook Page: )

“Basically, we are doing a full commissioning, just not in person,” said Major Michael J. Dargavell, military science department chair and commander of UofL’s ROTC.Ěý

The four Air Force cadets will each have individual ceremonies, said Lt. Col. O. Peter Day, aerospace studies professor and commander of the Air Force ROTC Detachment 295.

The following Army cadets will be promoted: John Gabriel Collins (political science), Zackary Thomas Golding (criminal justice), Zachary Michael Hynes (criminal justice), Paul Thomas Wallenhorst (criminal justice), Jared Zorade Harper (communication), Jordan Elaine TemmeĚý (communication), Seth Coomes (middle and secondary education), Lisbeth Melchor (organizational leadership and learning), Richard William GoodmanĚý (human resource and organization development), and Akissi A. R. Kouassi (human resource and organization development). Also promoted was Nolan Wesley of Bellarmine University (communication).

UofL’s Army ROTC has commissioned more than 400 officers during its 38-year history.

The four members of the U.S. Air Force’s 295th Air Force ROTC Cadet Wing to be commissioned were: Melanie Finch (criminal justice), Cameron Payne (aerospace engineering), Lacey Parham (law) and Joshua Moore (applied geography).

Brian Holland, MD, has been serving as interim chief since 2017 and practices with . The UofL Board of Trustees approved his appointment in March.

“Dr. Holland relentlessly pursues quality improvement initiatives, research projects and growth opportunities to enhance and improve pediatric cardiovascular services, both in UofL pediatric clinics and at Norton Children’s Hospital,” said UofL Department of Pediatrics Chair Charles Woods, MD.

Holland is board-certified by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Cardiology and American Society of Echocardiography. He joined UofL as a pediatric cardiologist in 2010. In 2015, he became the medical director for echocardiography, which is the use of ultrasound to obtain images of the structure and function of the heart. He also is chief of cardiology at .

Holland specializes in fetal, transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. Fetal echocardiography uses ultrasound to find details of heart defects before birth. Transthoracic echocardiography looks through the patient’s chest wall to see the heart, while transesophageal echocardiography uses a device that passes through the mouth into the esophagus to obtain images.

Holland attended the University of Pennsylvania where he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in bioengineering and then received his MD degree from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, where he was awarded membership in Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.

Following his graduation from medical school, Holland served seven years with the U.S. Army Medical Corps. While in the Medical Corps, he completed an internship and residency in pediatrics at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu and served as a pediatrician in Germany. He also earned the Bronze Star for exceptional service while deployed as a U.S. Army physician during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

After finishing his military service, Holland completed a three-year fellowship in pediatric cardiology at New York-Presbyterian, the training hospitals of Columbia University and Cornell University, before coming to UofL.

Second Lt. Samuel Fox of the Cardinal Battalion ROTC became a commissioned officer Dec. 14 in a ceremony at Chao Auditorium.

Fox, an electrical engineering major, is going on to be an active duty soldier serving in the Signal Corps.

One of his highlights at UofL was his participation in River City Rocketry, the Speed School’s award-winning rocket team that competes annually in the NASA Student Launch Initiative. Fox worked on the electrical systems for the payload.

Family, friends, ROTC officers and cadets, faculty members and deans attended the tradition-laden ceremony. Fox’s parents and fiancée pinned gold bars to his uniform signifying his new rank and his sister, also in the Army, gave him his first salute as an officer.

UofL’s Army ROTC has commissioned more than 400 officers during its three-decade history.

According to the Army, the Army ROTC produces more than 5,000 commissioned officers each year, or approximately 70 percent of the officers entering the Army nationwide. Nearly 1,000 college campuses nationwide offer ROTC programs.

The seminar, sponsored by UofL’s McConnell Center, is a series of intensive classes that cover a range of subjects including history, political philosophy and constitutional law. The Army’s goal is to have their mid-career soldiers learn how to think beyond tactics and the battlefield.

“It’s probably one of the best military opportunities I’ve had,” said Captain Sam Spencer-Pittman, one of the participating soldiers.

UofL’s McConnell Center was one of five places around the globe that was chosen to host this program. Gary Gregg, the director of the McConnell Center, said that: “it’s a great testament to the kind of faculty we have on campus, and to our Army-friendly environment at the University of Louisville.”

Watch more about the SBS below:Ěý

During the Cardinal Battalion Army ROTC ceremony in Middleton Auditorium, the cadets were each commissioned a second lieutenant and assigned to their branches, including infantry and the nurse corps. All will be active duty soldiers.

The new Army officers bring to 427 the total number of officers UofL’s Army ROTC has commissioned during its 35-year history.

Guest speaker Brig. Gen. Brian Mennes, who served in Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan and is the Army’s director of force management, introduced the group as the next generation of U.S. Army leaders.

“We serve to defend what is the most powerful document in the history of mankind: the Constitution,” Mennes told the new officers and their families and friends.

Mennes encouraged the new second lieutenants to be caring, selfless, gifted leaders, adding they need to be fit not just physically, but mentally and spiritually, too.

Lt. Col. Jessica Murnock, UofL professor of military science, said in opening remarks that the commissionees had a combined average GPA of 3.64, and included two who were receiving master’s degrees.

In both ceremonies, each new officer received a commission certificate, then family members or friends pinned bars to the service members’ uniforms.

The tradition of the first salute followed, in which the new second lieutenant presented a silver dollar to the first enlisted person who rendered a salute.

The following were commissioned: Steven Bidwell, Nathaniel Cook, Louis Faust, Samantha Frank, Victoria Henry, Nicholas Kenrick, Joshua Nobile, Clayton Stanley, Eric Thompson, Monica Willard and Connor Williams.

See more Army ROTC photos .

During their ceremony in Ekstrom Library’s Chao Auditorium, the following Air Force cadets were promoted to second lieutenant: David Lewis, Aaron Patterson and Isabella Proctor.

The Air Force cadets are part of the 295^th Air Force ROTC Cadet Wing, led by Lt. Col. Jerry Crigger.

The A.J. Kramer Wingman Award was given to Patterson. Named in honor of Anthony Joseph “A.J” Kramer, an Air Force ROTC cadet who was within months of graduating from UofL in 2013 when he was killed in a motorcycle accident, the award is voted upon by the cadets to honor a graduating cadet who provides exemplary support, leads by example and demonstrates strong integrity, initiative and diplomacy.

See more Air Force ROTC photos .

Video of the Army ROTC is below:Ěý

During the Cardinal Battalion Army ROTC ceremony in Chao Auditorium, the cadets each commissioned a second lieutenant and assigned to their branches. Three were assigned to the Army Nurse Corps and one each was assigned to the Armor, Chemical and Field artillery branches. Four will be active duty soldiers, while one was assigned to the Army Reserves and one to the Army National Guard.

The new Army officers bring to 416 the total number of officers UofL’s Army ROTC has commissioned during its 34-year history.

Guest speaker Col. Lance Oskey, commander for U.S. Army Cadet Command’s 7^th Brigade, told the cadets that their careers in the Army will make them lifelong learners.

“The Army will prepare you for each step in your journey,” he said. He advised them to spend as much time as possible with the troops in their commands, saying, “The days are long but the years are short.”

In both ceremonies, each cadet received a commission certificate, then family members or friends attached gold bars to the cadets’ uniforms. The tradition of the first salute followed, in which the new second lieutenant presented a silver dollar to the first enlisted person who rendered a salute.

UofL music school student Nala Kathleen sang the national anthem at the Army commissioning.

The following Army cadets were commissioned: 2^nd Lt. Michael Connolly, 2^nd Lt. Emily Farrar, 2^nd Lt. Zacharie Frank, 2^nd Lt. Christopher Jenkins, 2^nd Lt. Christopher Meany, 2^nd Lt. Paul Morlock.

During their ceremony in Bigelow Hall in the Miller IT Center, the following Air Force cadets were commissioned: 2^nd Lt. Patrick Assef and 2^nd Lt. Benjamin Soto.

The Air Force cadets are part of the 295^th Air Force ROTC Cadet Wing, led by Lt. Col. Jerry Crigger.

Crigger gave the A.J. Kramer Wingman Award to Assef. The A.J. Kramer Wingman Award is named in honor of Anthony Joseph “A.J” Kramer, an Air Force ROTC cadet who was within months of graduating from UofL in 2013 when he was killed in a motorcycle accident. It is voted upon by the cadets to honor a graduating cadet who provides exemplary support, leads by example, and demonstrates strong integrity, initiative and diplomacy.

More than 400 educators — mostly military science instructors for ROTC programs — have completed or are currently enrolled in the College of łÉČËÖ±˛Ą and Human Development’s Cadre and Faculty Development Course. The Fort Knox-based program is attracting students from across the U.S.

UofL presented the Army with an innovative model of learning drawing on education sciences, higher education administration, and leadership theory and practice. CEHD professor and chair Dr. Jeffrey Sun, who is spearheading the Cadre and Faculty Development Course, said the grant is designated as a pilot project.

said the idea behind the program is to help the Army revamp its ROTC program to provide tomorrow’s soldiers with a more holistic education.

“The future of war and battle is not just through physical fighting but through cognitive dominance,” Sun said. “Skills like creative solutions, problem solving and leadership are more important than ever.”

The CEHD kicked off a preliminary version of the course in 2015 through its łÉČËÖ±˛Ąal Leadership, Evaluation and Organizational Development Department. Administrators used feedback from those first participants to hone the curriculum. Sun said course content leans heavily toward team-based learning and use of technology instead of traditional lectures.

Capt. David Edwards, who teaches military science at University of Houston, took part in the CFDC this summer.

“I like learning about strategies so I can keep students engaged, said, during a June visit to the Belknap Campus.

Edwards, like many of the course participants, has decided to continue his UofL education by earning a master’s degree in organizational leadership and learning.

Participants in the program begin with an assessment of their skills in areas such as critical thinking, problem solving, writing, technology and more. The idea, said Sun, is to see improvement in all of those benchmarks.

There is also a heavy focus on pooling expertise and experience so the group can learn military best practices from each other. Sun said course content leans heavily toward team-based learning and use of technology instead of traditional lectures.

“For example, when we teach leadership, we tap into what they are already doing well and then we clarify and distill that information so it becomes tangible and teachable,” he said.

UofL will compete for another DOD grant in 2017 in hopes of continuing the program.