The new Ascending Star Fellowship provides mentorship, funding and other support to high-performing associate professors. The goal is to boost the national impact of the fellows’ scholarship, with a heavy focus on work in diversity, inclusion and community empowerment.

The UofL Office of Research and Innovation launched the program last year, selecting its inaugural class in partnership with the . This year’s class — representing four schools — includes:

• , an associate professor in the Department of Philosophy whose work focuses on feminist bioethics, specifically on clinical encounters��between�� health��professionals and��members��of��marginalized communities;��
• an associate professor��in the Department of Mathematics whose work focuses on developing analytic��and computational tools, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, to study nonlinear fluid equations;
• , an associate professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, whose research focuses on electrochemistry, wastewater treatment, solar cells and more;��
• , an associate professor in the Department of History whose work lies at�� the intersection of human rights, religion and foreign relations history;
• , an associate professor in the College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development, whose work focuses on health promotion, with a particular focus on underserved populations and rural communities;
• , an associate professor in the Kent School of Social Work, whose work focuses on utilizing trauma-informed organizational change interventions to disrupt systems of oppression and investigating the scope and complexity of child trafficking across the U.S.;
• , an associate professor in the Hite Institute of Art & Design and a nationally recognized glass artist;��
• , an associate professor in the College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development whose work focuses on the intersection between Black education and sociopolitical factors and the role sociopolitical forces play in creating disparities in Black education;
• , an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, whose work focuses on microfluidics, electrokinetics and colloid science, including tracing the unique “DNA” of whiskey.��

“I’m extremely pleased with the quality and diversity of the work already being done by this new cohort,” said M. Cynthia Logsdon, the Office of Research and Innovation’s director of research academic programs, who leads the fellowship program. “They’re already stars, but with the Ascending Stars Fellows program, we hope to help them in advancing their scholarship, magnifying their national recognition and extending the impact of their work.”

In addition to other supports, the and UofL’s , aimed at improving equity for female STEM faculty, will provide educational and enrichment activities geared toward advancement of diverse communities and populations.

To be considered for the program, faculty must be associate professor rank, must be nominated by their unit and must show a “consistent record of scholarship with the passion and desire to achieve greater national recognition.”

The untitled artwork will be included in the museum’s upcoming exhibit, , on view from May 13, 2022 to April 2, 2023.

To see his work closer to home, visit the current exhibition at KMAC Museum, 715 W. Main St., called In addition to pieces by Rhodes, it features contemporary glass artists SaraBeth Post, Corey Pemberton, Therman Statom, Leo Tecosky and Nate Watson. It is open until April 3.

His work is also on the cover of the Spring 2022 edition of .

Other honorees include Philanthropist Nana Lampton, Artist/Gallerist Billy Hertz and Muralist Liz Richter.

Embodying a rich tradition of Kentucky glass artistry and teaching, Rhodes holds a BA in Art from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, where he studied with famed glass maker Stephen Powell. After earning an MFA from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, Rhodes headed the Glass Department at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, from 1999–2004.

In 2005, he founded the glass program at UofL, where he is associate professor and head of Studio Glass. The program’s glass studio anchors Hite’s Cressman Center for Visual Art at 100 E. Main St.

A former Glass Art Society Board member and Penland School of Crafts Trustee, Rhodes has taught at the Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina; the Studio of the Corning Museum of Glass in New York; UrbanGlass in Brooklyn, New York; and the Scuola del Vetro: Abate Zanetti in Venice, Italy.

In January Rhodes was featured on��‘s show “Kentucky Life,” where he described his artistic inspirations and teaching philosophies. View the full episode here.

Last month, Rhodes also created the the blown glass award Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer presented to civil rights activist Mattie Jones during the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Keepers of the Dream celebration at the Kentucky Center for Arts.

��for LVA’s Friday Luncheon. Sales to the event support��

This is the sixth annual Open Studio Weekend, featuring more than 100 artists in all visual media. Established professionals, exciting newcomers and students and faculty from the the Hite Art Institute will share their work in unique studio spaces.��

This year, for the first time, the public may visit the�� facility, a renovated warehouse at 1606 Rowan St. in the historic Portland neighborhood. Hite faculty and MFA students will operate studios there with capacity for a range of media, including ceramics, drawing, fiber, glass, painting, printmaking, sculpture, mixed media, book arts and design.

This year also continues a partnership with , which makes free bike rentals available to OSW attendees. LouVelo will lead a free guided bike tour of downtown and Portland studios departing from Hyland Glass at 12:45 p.m. on Nov. 3.��
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In addition, a distinguished panel of curators from around the region will select works by participating artists to showcase in the 2018 Louisville Open Studio Weekend Juried Exhibition at Hite’s Cressman Center for Visual Arts, 100 N. Main St. All are welcome to a free opening reception for the exhibition during First Friday Hop, 6-8 p.m., Nov. 2.
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Open Studio Weekend is 12-6 p.m., Nov. 3 and 4. Tickets are $12 (a 40% decrease from last year), or $10 for students, art educators and LVA members. A ticket provides access to all participating studios and includes a 60-page publication with maps to studio locations, suggested routes, information, and images of participants’ artworks. Purchase tickets on����or at the Cressman Center. All proceeds from the weekend tour benefit the Mary Spencer Nay scholarship at UofL and Children’s Fine Art Classes through LVA.

Participating Hite students and faculty include: , , , , , ,��,��, , Reid Broadstreet, , Rachid Tagoulla,��,��, , ,��,��, ,�� and .