Today, the single parent of a special needs 10-year-old sees herself with a PhD instead.

On Dec. 15, she graduated from the University of Louisville through the����online program and a goal of getting her PhD before she’s 40.

White, a Tennessee native and first-generation college student, had a change of plans after her son, Landon, was born with a severe heart condition and other special needs. She worked in a bank and a beauty salon, taking Landon to his many medical appointments in her free time.

She never forgot her dream, though, and came to UofL in 2021 to earn a business degree. She later switched to the College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development’s (CEHD) online��. She took only one year to get her undergraduate degree, then immediately started on her master’s.��

She made time to get involved in college life, and served on the board of UofL’s Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Student Chapter. This year, she became vice president of the UofL CardinOLL Ambassador program for BS OLL students and alumni.

“I didn’t come to play,” said White, who maintained a 4.0 GPA. “I look at the big picture all the time.”

She singled out the and for helping her juggle her many responsibilities. A scholarship recipient, White sought out the scholarships she needed to make sure she had no debt when she graduated.��

“I have overcome enormous challenges which could have stopped me but didn’t,” she said. “Instead, I was able to utilize UofL resources and excel quickly through this degree.”

White knows well that life is a winding road, and is looking for a job with the flexibility she needs for Landon. She is ready to work “wherever God places me,” she said, adding “while change is inevitable, growth is optional.”

Ammerman, a former UofL volleyball player and graduate of several UofL College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development (CEHD) programs, credits her career success to her years of academics and athletics at the university.��

“UofL has always felt like my second home,” she said. “I have developed lifetime friendships through each program, degree and certification that have been pivotal in my life and career,” Ammerman said.��

Her next journey will start this fall, where she is excited to reinvent how a school can look and feel.

“I am thrilled to have this once in a lifetime experience to open a brand-new school and build a strong sense of belonging with our students and community,” said Ammerman. “We will be an ‘explore school,’ which gives students the opportunity to experience hands on learning in the following pathways: Engineering and Design, Business and Communications, and Consumer Sciences.”

Ammerman began her academic and athletic career at UofL in 2003 as a volleyball recruit and garnered numerous accolades with her team, winning conference titles and advancing to the Sweet 16 twice. ��

As an educator and scholar, Ammerman obtained a bachelor of science degree in in 2007 and a in 2008. While working full-time in JCPS and starting her family, Ammerman also earned a with a concentration in principalship in 2013, and a in 2016. In May 2023, she completed her fifth credential from UofL’s College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development (CEHD) – a rare accomplishment for any student.

Ammerman has worked in various roles throughout JCPS for 15 years, most recently serving as principal of Crosby Middle School where she led during the year of non-traditional instruction (NTI) during the pandemic. In 2021, she was named JCPS Middle School Principal of the Year by the Jefferson County Association of School Administrators.

“Throughout my career as a UofL student, I have always been treated like a person. Relationships matter and UofL professors and advisors have always made that the number one priority,” said Ammerman. “I have always felt like they wanted me to be successful and were happy to engage with me outside of class.”

By Tessa Chilton,

Referencing her role as Middle School Executive Administrator, Greenwell says, “Middle School is not an easy time for kids. This program was designed with that in mind. We know that students thrive when they have a choice in their learning and feel a sense of belonging. Through Explore, students will go through a rotation of pathway offerings in 6th grade. Then at the end of 6th grade, they will choose their 7th and 8th grade pathway in a special selection ceremony. Over the next two years, students will experience project-based learning, guest speakers, field trips to local high schools, and the creation of a capstone backpack artifact that connects to their passion.”��

Greenwell stressed that the program is about hands-on learning and student choice during a time when many students can become disengaged.����

Prior to the Explore program, middle school students had to choose between taking an art and music-based elective or pursuing career and technical education electives such as robotics or healthcare.

“Now, due to funding and staffing, kids get to have both. It’s a win-win for all,” Greenwell said.����

Greenwell will work with principals districtwide to expand the program.

“The principal is key to the success of any new initiative and when working with principals, it’s important to respect their knowledge and experience in the field. Therefore, their time must be valued and goals must be clear,” she said. “It’s essential to provide expectations, but then also avenues of support for success. My goal has always been to serve others, and in this role, I’m able to do that on a much larger scale. Working with principals is no different – I’m here to serve.”��

As Greenwell gets this new program rolling, she acknowledges that her experience earning a Doctor of ����ֱ�� (Ed.D) degree from UofL was the “best step I made in my professional career.”

“The programs, especially the Ed.D, challenged me to pinpoint my exact philosophy of education and to understand the need for continual growth. There were long days and long nights in the process, but I graduated with a sense of pride knowing what I had accomplished,” Greenwell said. “I encourage anyone who wants to grow in education to pursue their administrative degree and doctorate. If nothing else, you will be exposed to a world of research that will help shape your beliefs about student learning and open your eyes to inequitable systems you can then fight to change.”��

Story written by Susan Hildebrand, CEHD recruitment strategist.

��

On April 26, 2022, the Find Your Fit Awards reception was held in recognition of the many faculty and staff who have contributed to its success and mission of supporting undergraduate students inside and outside of the classroom.����

“We were thrilled to have this special opportunity to thank and recognize the faculty and staff who collaborated across departments and programs to engage in this innovative work on behalf of our undergraduate students,” said Dr. Patty Payette, the executive director of Find Your Fit.��

At the heart of Find Your Fit is a three-credit hour elective that was offered through the department of Counseling and Human Development. The Personal and Academic Inquiry seminar (ECPY 302) was designed to help second-year students who are undecided, pre-unit or in transition between majors, identify their strengths as well as academic and career goals.����

A previous ECPY 302 student said, “I learned a lot about who I am as a person and a student and how I can thrive in the upcoming years of my life. This class has taught me both educationally and personally.”��

Led by a dedicated team of UofL faculty members, advisors and librarians, the course offered an intimate setting for students to explore personal and academic areas of interest. Those enrolled also worked closely with a designated advisor to help them navigate potential program majors and career paths. The result is an academic plan that can be modified beyond the course and aid students in the decision-making process as they continue to refine their values and skills.��

Robert Detmering, professor and head of research assistance and instruction at the University of Louisville Libraries, served as the embedded librarian for many of the instructional teams.��

“The intent is to help exploratory students who are maybe having trouble finding out where they’re situated in the university, in terms of a major, but also in terms of the community and relationships they have on campus,” Detmering said. “Find Your Fit is designed to help students think through where they’re at in life, what their goals are, and help them go through a research process that’s personally meaningful to them.”��

When COVID became a reality for our community, all the Find Your Fit partners stepped up to modify the course and project to keep teaching and reaching our students in hybrid and online formats. The instructional teams stretched themselves to teach and advise in new ways while modeling a pedagogy of care during a series of difficult semesters.��

Responsibilities of those who assisted the Find Your Fit program included serving on QEP planning and implementation committees, teaching on an instructional team during one or more semesters, and tapping colleagues and students to be part of the QEP. These commitments were completed in addition to their usual workload within the university.��

Interim Senior Vice Provost, Gail DePuy, presented awards to the faculty and staff for the successful completion of this ambitious initiative. Those award winners are listed below.

QEP Staff Team��

• QEP Executive Director and QEP Impact Report co-chair Patty Payette
• Manager of Assessment IL Barrow
• Faculty Development Specialist Caroline Boswell
• Administrative Services Manager Crystal Bradley
• Graduate Assistant Abbie Bordewyk

��Find Your Fit Faculty, Advisors and Librarians��

• Arts & Sciences faculty member Mary Ashlock
• Kent School of Social Work faculty member Jennifer Bobo
• Exploratory and Transition Advisor Daniel Darland
• University Libraries faculty member and library team leader Rob Detmering
• ����ֱ�� faculty member Eileen Estes
• Speed School of Engineering faculty member Mark French
• University Libraries faculty member Lidiya Grote
• ����ֱ�� faculty member Meg Hancock
• ����ֱ�� faculty member and QEP Impact Report co-chair Amy Hirschy
• Public Health faculty member David Johnson
• Business faculty member Abby Koenig
• Public Health faculty member Scott LaJoie
• ����ֱ�� faculty member Mark Leach
• Music faculty member Kimcherie Lloyd
• Arts & Sciences faculty member Brandon McCormack
• ����ֱ�� faculty member Amanda Mitchell
• Exploratory and Transition Advisor Jessica Newton
• University Libraries faculty member Latisha Reynolds
• Exploratory and Transition Advisor Jessy Rosenberg
• Kent School of Social Work faculty member Sharon Sanders
• University Career Center liaison Rosie Shannon
• Exploratory and Transition Advisor Emily Spoden
• Law School faculty member JoAnne Sweeny
• ����ֱ�� faculty member Shelley Thomas
• Exploratory and Transition Advisor Eric Turner
• University Libraries faculty member Amber Willenborg
• Exploratory and Transition Advisor and project co-leader Marissa Williams

Find Your Fit Administrative Leaders��

• Director of Student Success and Director of Exploratory and Transition Advising Katie Adamchik
• Interim Associate Provost for Teaching & Innovation Marie Kendall Brown
• Vice Provost for Assessment and University Decision Support/Analytics Bob Goldstein
• Vice Provost for Undergraduate ����ֱ�� Beth Willey

Now at the end of its five-year arc, Find Your Fit will culminate in a QEP Impact Report currently underway. The University will review the program’s outcomes and decide how the program will transition beyond the experimental phase. More information about the Find Your Fit QEP initiative is available .��More photos from the awards ceremony are .��

Story written by Ashley Striegel, marketing and communications coordinator at UofL’s Delphi Center.��

Her passion for helping others led her to UofL, where she became a first-generation student, Woodford R. Porter scholar, Multicultural Teacher Recruitment Program scholar and president of the Kentucky ����ֱ�� Association’s student program on campus, among several other accomplishments. Now, all of Hunter’s hard work has paid off and she’s earned her degree in early education with a track in learning and behavior disorders.

However, Hunter strayed from the path to becoming an educator before finally discovering her calling. She came into college undecided of her major and focused on taking general education courses to explore her options and find her purpose. She tried out nursing, but quickly realized that was not the career for her.

“I met with my advisor and got into the lower division of nursing and everything,” she said. “Everyone was so helpful, but in that first week of nursing classes, I figured out that was not for me. I don’t like blood.”

She ultimately switched to education and never looked back.

“I think I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, but I had those thoughts running through my head, like, ‘Oh, they have to deal with this and that and they don’t get paid enough,’” she said. “But once I let all of that go and went toward what I love to do, which is being with kids and helping them out, I really found my true passion in teaching.”

While in high school, Hunter participated in a buddy program where she helped students in a moderate to severe disability classroom. Her experience sparked her interest in helping those with learning and behavior disorders. ��

“For one period of the day, I would help students with life skills and go on field trips to learn skills like counting money or how to pick out hygiene products,” she said. “We were trying to get those students ready for transitioning in their lives. We helped prepare them for what life after high school would look like and made sure they had the skills they need to transition successfully.”

Hunter, who hails from Shelbyville, knew then she had a passion for helping people. And when it came time for her to decide on a college, an on-campus tour of UofL’s campus and a scholarship opportunity helped make the decision an easy one.

“I toured around the university with my cousin who was a student and I just loved it. I saw so many diverse groups of people, which was so different for me, especially coming from a small town,” she said. “It was very different for me, but an exciting type of different, so I applied for and got the Woodford Porter scholarship, which really swayed me to attend here.”

Being a Porter scholar provided Hunter with a community that helped her discover more about herself and build relationships that have helped her succeed in education.

“I’ve been a Porter since my freshman year and that has allowed me to make so many connections with not just other Black students, but Black educators. That’s something I’ve not seen a lot of, so those opportunities to connect and network with other Black educators has been really great,” she said. “It’s also allowed me to learn a lot more about myself and connect with my dad’s side of the family, which is my Black side.”

Hunter credits her parents for helping her not only become a first-generation student, but to achieve everything she’s accomplished over the last four years.

“My mom and dad cared so much and wanted to make it different for me, so they learned along with me and helped me through it all,” she said. “It feels really good to graduate first-gen. Especially since I had no idea at first going through the process of learning all the things that come with college and now I know and can help others and my future children one day.”

In addition to her multiple scholarships, Hunter also serves as a peer buddy for the Best Buddies program, is a member of the Black Student Union, Baptist Campus Ministry, Kentucky Association of Professional African American Women and works as a student success ambassador on campus.

“I have mentees that are also first-gen students and helping them find resources and support from the Student Success Center has also provided so much help for me too,” she said. “Seeing the impact I’ve made on my mentees’ lives has been so rewarding.”

Hunter’s professors and mentors have inspired her to make an impact on others.

“I’ve seen the passion all my professors have and being able to help other educators like they’ve helped me is what I want to do. Especially in education, you always need a mentor and someone to help you. I want to be that person to give that back to new teachers or college students or kids.”

For her next move, Hunter is going to attend grad school at UofL to pursue her master’s in teacher leadership with an ESL endorsement this fall.

One of Hunter’s fondest memories from her time in undergrad is helping a student learn to write his name during her student teaching.

“It’s incredible what you can do just by showing a student they are loved.”

After graduating, Midle will return to her alma mater, South Oldham High School in Crestwood, Kentucky, to teach mathematics.

“I hope to stay there and help the students grow and give back to a community that gave me everything,” she said.��

The university is conferring a total of more than 3,300 degrees and certificates and more than 1,900 students are expected to attend the traditional two commencement ceremonies at the KFC Yum! Center. Interim UofL President Lori Gonzalez will lead both ceremonies, which mark the return of spring commencement exercises to the downtown arena since they were canceled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Last spring, exercises were held outdoors in historic ceremonies at Cardinal Stadium.

Midle said she plans to give her fellow UofL graduates a message of “new beginnings.”��

“I hope to provide my fellow graduates with a sense of hope and accomplishment as we enter this new chapter in our lives,” she said.

In their nomination letter, College of ����ֱ�� & Human Development associate professors Sue Peters and Shelley Thomas praised Midle for overcoming the challenges of becoming a teacher during a pandemic that upended school schedules and locations and left few true classroom experiences to learn from.

“Piper, however, learned how to adapt to the challenge, going above and beyond to refine her teaching skills. This is representative of the commitment to academic excellence and student engagement that she shows on a consistent basis,” they said.

Midle said UofL was a perfect fit for her as someone who grew up right outside of Louisville in Pewee Valley. A lifelong Cardinal fan with an older brother who graduated from UofL last year, she wanted to support the teams she had always loved as part of the Marching Band and the Pep Band. She played both flute and saxophone in the Cardinal Marching Band beginning in her freshman year.

“Some of my favorite experiences have been through band and the College of ����ֱ�� & Human Development,” Midle said.��

She loved traveling to away games to other cities with the band, she said, and she was disappointed they missed out on so many travel opportunities in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. But some of her most treasured band memories were a result of that difficult time.��

“While I did miss out on these opportunities, I was given different opportunities to work closer with my CEHD peers as well as provide nursing homes and hospitals with free performances to try to raise spirits and show our support of those on the frontlines during this time,” she said.

The May 14 ceremonies at the KFC Yum! Center will be as follows:

• 10 a.m.: College of Arts & Sciences, Brandeis School of Law, Kent School of Social Work & Family Science, Graduate School, School of Dentistry, School of Medicine, School of Nursing and School of Public Health & Information Sciences.

3 p.m.: College of Business, J.B. Speed School of Engineering, College of ����ֱ�� & Human Development, School of Music.

For more, visit .

The CEHD Social Justice Library hosted its opening ceremony in late February.��

“I knew there was a need for more guidance in terms of reading, as well as a space to have critical conversations,” said Brigitte Burpo, the unit’s assistant dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.����

Making the transition from faculty member to assistant dean beginning in May of 2021,�� Burpo knew the space was needed among her colleagues in the College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development.����

“I had questions from college leadership regarding book recommendations and summer reading circles, so I was already finding books that could spark conversation. Those kinds of conversations confirmed to me that there was a need for more resources specific to social justice,” Burpo said.��

The converted space, once a conference room located in the Dean’s Suite, has been turned into a cozy and inviting nook.����

“I saw more of need for a communal space rather than simply a space devoted to meetings,” Burpo said. “When you look around our building, we have a lot of spaces devoted to formal meetings. We have less opportunity to meet informally and comfortably in a space that encourages conversation around social justice and diversity.”����

Burpo added she wants the space to be a “hub” where people can find at least one book about their own identities, or a list of resources they can seek out. The space itself includes materials about several identities groups, including��international students, those with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ students and more.

Burpo relied on expertise within the College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development to curate many of the resources now present in the library.����

“I know my own area of expertise is in race and ethnicity, so I relied on others with expertise in diverse areas to offer recommendations and guidance into what resources should be offered,” Burpo said.������

Burpo intends to expand the library’s function in the coming months, with plans for “Mid-day Movies” – short films hosted during lunch hour to inspire discussion, community, and comfort with difficult topics.����

The Social Justice Library is continuing to accept donations of books and learning resources. Contact Burpo at brigitte.burpo@louisville.edu for more information about donations, starting resource circles, or making resource recommendations.����

��

The opportunity arose through an established relationship with SP+ GAMEDAY, a transportation management company that also partners with the Kentucky Derby.

Students enrolled in the Sport Administration special topics course “Kentucky Derby Logistics” volunteered at the event in the Spring of 2021, transporting those with mobility needs to and from Churchill Downs. Doctoral student Michael Clemons taught the course and has seen the partnership flourish.

“In the class, more than 20 students worked with the Mobility Assistance Program outside of Churchill Downs,” Clemons said. “Since SP+ GAMEDAY partners with multiple mega sporting events, they contracted our students from the class to assist with the same Mobility Assistance Program at this year’s Super Bowl.”

Student volunteers will serve as contractors, stationed outside of Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles to assist those with mobility needs.

“The Sport Administration program at UofL is nationally known as a top program providing opportunities for its students, including experiences like this,” Clemons said. “As I teach both during my PhD program and after I graduate, I plan to incorporate examples and real-life lessons learned from my time at the Super Bowl. It’s nice to be able to talk about mega-sporting events, but being at an event and experiencing it firsthand adds another unique element to class discussion.”

Junior Emily Bridges anticipates the opportunity will advance her understanding of the field of sport administration.

“I’m interested in seeing the elaborate, precise preparation and coordination that goes into major sporting event planning,” Bridges said. “I am most familiar with collegiate sporting events, so working at a professional sporting event, especially one of this magnitude, will broaden my experience.”

She also thinks the opportunity will increase her confidence in her future career.

“[The opportunity] will also encourage me to look at other unique sport opportunities to diversify my skill set, which will directly impact my future career endeavors in terms of confidence, knowledge and experience in the sport industry,” she said.

The rare opportunity is one that the students are not taking for granted.

“While I’ve worked a lot of major sporting events, the Super Bowl is at a whole new level. It is the most-watched, most-anticipated annual sporting event in the United States,” Clemons said.��“To be on site and playing a part in event operations is truly special, and something that very few sport administration students and faculty receive.”��

The two UofL startups, BioProducts LLC and OrgVitals, will be formally recognized in a February live event. To be eligible, startups must be based in Kentucky, have been founded five or fewer years ago and have total raised capital of less than $25 million.

BioProducts is built around UofL-patented technology that gives new life to local distillery organic-based byproducts, for example, as a low-calorie sugar substitute and as specialized activated carbon suitable for a number of high-performance applications, particularly lithium-ion batteries.��

The technology was invented by Jagannadh Satyavolu, of the UofL Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research, in collaboration with Michael Nantz and his team in the UofL chemistry department, and recently took the top spot at the Distillers Grains Reverse Pitch competition.

OrgVitals, which��grew out of Unitonomy studio, is a startup leveraging UofL-born intellectual property for employee engagement data and analysis — used for predictive modeling to create healthier places to work.��

That technology was invented by Brad Shuck, an organizational culture and applied behavioral economics researcher in the UofL College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development (CEHD). The��, and the first to be supported by the UofL Office of Research and Innovation’s entrepreneurs in residence program, which brings in seasoned founders to help guide the university’s research-backed technologies to market.

UofL supports entrepreneurs through its UofL New Ventures office, which works to launch and grow startups built around . Aside from the entrepreneurs in residence program, the office also supports startups through LaunchIt, a 10-week entrepreneurship and innovation bootcamp, and through a prestigious suite of grant programs aimed at translating university research into products.

“We’re so proud of these UofL startups and the work they’re doing to further innovations that improve the way we work and live,” said Will Metcalf, an associate vice president for research and innovation who leads UofL New Ventures. “This recognition is proof-positive of that, and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish.”

All of the company’s participate in UofL Trager Institute’s network training hub, for example. Our School of Nursing houses a state-of-the-art simulation lab, upgraded just last year thanks to Trilogy’s $250,000 commitment.

And it just so happens that Trilogy’s founder, Randall J. Bufford, is one of our most prominent alums. In 2016, he was named the alumni award winner for the College of Business and just last month earned our inaugural Alumni Ambassador Award. The 1981 graduate was a part of UofL’s 1980 national championship men’s basketball team. He has since been recognized for his leadership in his profession and community, as Trilogy employs over 10,000 people and is considered to be one of the best senior housing companies in the world.

It’s no wonder, then, that Trilogy would tap into UofL’s expertise to transform its organization to emphasize diversity, equity and inclusion. The company’s DEI plan was developed earlier this year with the help of UofL researchers from the College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development, Geneva Stark, Jeffrey Sun, Heather Turner.

UofL’s researchers worked alongside Todd Schmiedeler, Trilogy’s chief engagement and innovation officer, and Priscila Mattingly, Trilogy’s chief human resources and inclusion officer. The team worked for a year collecting and spoke to every level of employee to capture the company’s strengths and improve both employee and resident outcomes.

“Trilogy Health Services has an impressive leadership team and has been dubbed one of the nation’s best workplaces for aging services. They care about their employees who are truly integrated as community members of the organization. They sought to expand their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and building off our existing relationship (which is based on trust and genuine interest in each other’s success), we also engaged with them on rethinking their practices, policies and priorities to ensure that diversity, equity and inclusion actively and visibly became a critical component of their organizational culture and values,” Sun said.

“In fact, they revised their whole Environmental, Social & Governance structure so diversity, equity, and inclusion were not simply words or temporal concerns, but a lived experience where employees felt a sense of belonging and are hopefully having rich and valuable encounters across the company, even with their vendors and partners. It’s likely no organization has reached these aspirations, but Trilogy Health Services is trying, and we are honored to be partners with such a caring and focused company,” he added.

Together, the UofL and Trilogy team identified four key areas to advance Trilogy’s DEI efforts: Accountability, recruitment, retention and development, and culture.

Accountability: The DEI plan tasks Trilogy’s leaders to develop unit-specific and measurable annual diversity goals. The goals are also to be monitored quarterly, so leaders can assess progress and readjust if necessary. Leaders are also tasked with holding regular campus town halls to ensure all employees have a voice in enacting these changes.

Further, Trilogy is conducting an audit of its suppliers to ensure their values are consistent with Trilogy’s, and the organization will revise supplier contracts to include this consideration.

Recruitment: Trilogy will analyze job postings for content and placement to identify language or phrasing that may deter applicants. The company is also strengthening partnerships with organizations – such as universities and nonprofits – to help facilitate a recruitment pipeline. Finally, the company plans to establish a business resource group for networking – all with an objective of increasing the diversity of its applicant pools.

Retention and development: Trilogy is creating individualized employee growth plans to provide employees with steps for advancement into leadership roles. The plans are paired with advancement and mentorship programs that include training, resources and mentoring.

Culture: Trilogy aims to break down siloes by creating employee resource groups (ERGs) to focus on connecting people with similar interests across campuses and creating a stronger sense of belonging with the company.

This plan has been published in and will be presented next week at the 2021 annual conference of the Association for the Study of Higher ����ֱ��. This isn’t likely the last of the UofL/Trilogy partnership, however.

“In the College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development, our commitment is to our community, and since 2019, we have been working with Trilogy to build and enhance its workforce through innovative learning designs such as apprenticeships and workforce diversity,” Sun said. “Under the leadership of (CEHD) Dean Amy Lingo, we plan to continue expanding our private/public partnerships to learn from each other and increase community engagement.”

Natalie Hewlett, CEHD’s coordinator for development and communications, contributed to this story.