UofL Health, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and is governed by an independent board of directors. The agreement solidifies UofL/ULH roles as an integrated academic health system, combining UofL’s medical education and research with UofL Health’s clinical services (hospitals, clinics) to train future providers, advance medicine and offer comprehensive care. It also ensures that UofL’s Health Sciences Center serves as the academic arm, fostering research and education in medicine, dentistry and nursing, while UofL Health provides advanced patient care and expands access statewide through this academic integration.

Clubhouse Apartments Renovation Project

The Finance Committee approved a capital renovation project to the Clubhouse Apartments located on Crittenden Drive near Belknap Campus. The university purchased the property in July 2025 for $9.75 million. Assessment by architecture and engineering firm Luckett & Farley determined a need for significant renovations to the buildings on the property due to poor initial construction and lack of maintenance prior to the university鈥檚 purchase of the property.

The total cost of the renovation is estimated not to exceed $75 million. The committee also approved a financing plan for the project, which is scheduled to begin January 2026. Anticipated completion dates are August 2027 for two of the buildings and August 2028 for the third building.

Strategic Plan 2026-2030听Update

President Gerry Bradley and Executive Vice President and University Provost Katie Cardarelli submitted the latest draft of the University of Louisville’s听 to the board for review.

According to Bradley, this is the university鈥檚 most comprehensive strategic plan, which includes strategic priorities, goals, specific strategies to reach those goals as well as revisions to the university鈥檚 mission, vision and core values.

Initial drafts of the plan have been shared with trustees as well as university faculty, staff, students and other stakeholders since May 2025. Each new draft was developed based on constituency feedback. To further ensure transparency, Bradley, Cardarelli and strategic plan co-chairs gave plan updates to the UofL community at Town Halls and throughout the year.

Pending the board鈥檚 approval, the plan will be implemented in January. Then, the university鈥檚 academic programs and operating units will have until May 2026 to begin incorporating the plan鈥檚 goals and action items into their own strategic initiatives.

Other Board of Trustees Actions

As legally mandated by the 2025 Regular Session Kentucky Senate , the board approved the Combating Antisemitism policy, which prohibits all forms of bias, discrimination and harassment, including Antisemitism. All such complaints will be investigated by the Office of Legal Compliance and Investigations in accordance with the existing university policy on .

The board also approved the December degree and certificate candidates. UofL鈥檚 newest alumni will be celebrated at the .

The winners were approved by the Academic and Student Affairs Committee. Award winners in the categories of Music Composition, World Order, Psychology听and Religion were announced in early December 2025.

The next meeting of the UofL Board of Trustees is Jan. 22, 2026. Meeting minutes, dates and other information are available on the .听

President Gerry Bradley will preside at the event.

Non-traditional student Maria Rowland, graduating with her bachelor鈥檚 degree in organizational leadership and learning from the College of 成人直播 and Human Development, will serve as the student speaker.听

Over 980 degrees and certificates were conferred for Summer 2025 and an anticipated 1,526 will be conferred for Fall 2025.听听

The ceremony will be broadcast live at听.

In addition to commencement at KFC Yum! Center, the UofL Graduate School will host a doctoral hooding and graduation ceremony at 2 p.m. on the same day. Seventy-four graduates are expected at the ceremony, which will be on Belknap Campus in the Swain Student Activities Center Ballroom, second floor.

Follow听#UofLGrads2025听on social media for updates. For more information, visit听.

But what do all those cords and hoods and tassels mean? It鈥檚 time for a graduation fit check to discover the history and symbolism behind commencement regalia.

Gowns and hoods

Many historians believe that graduation gowns and hoods date back to medieval times from the long garments worn by clerical scholars. There are many reasons for the design including showing their status and possibly keeping them warm in the stone, unheated buildings in which they lived and conducted their studies. Some say the hoods may have helped to keep their shaven heads warm as well.

The tradition of wearing the hood hanging down the back is said to be derived from medieval monks who were solicitors in the King鈥檚 Court and used the bag-like hanging hood as a 鈥渃ontribution bowl鈥� for clients and well-wishers. Early scholars used the hood to collect the fees for lectures.

For advanced degrees, the hood has remained part of the commencement costume but now is worn on the shoulders. And it鈥檚 not just graduates who get in on the gown game – academic deans and other officers of the university wear the gowns and hoods of the various institutions from which they received their doctoral degrees during official commencement ceremonies.

Caps and tassels

The cap originated as a hood but evolved throughout the centuries, becoming a skull cap with a square board atop somewhere around the 1700s. The reason for the flat square design remains unknown, but some theorize it may represent the historic square courtyard at Oxford school in England or might allude to the shape of a book being carried on the head. The cap is often called a mortarboard cap, getting its name from the flat tool brick layers used to lay mortar.听

The tassels came in during the late 1800s. Before this standardization, some caps were topped with pom-poms. Though the exact reasoning for all these designs remains a mystery, the cap and tassel has long served as the standard for commencement attire.听

Modern-day graduates have the United States Naval Academy鈥檚 graduating class of 1912 to thank for starting the tradition of throwing caps into the air upon the official announcement of graduation during the ceremony. The naval graduates had just earned the right to wear officer hats and are said to have spontaneously and dramatically tossed aside the midshipman hats they were wearing. News of the toss spread to schools across the country and overseas, sparking a ritual continued to this day, even despite later codes trying to prohibit it.

Colors and cords听

The distinctive shade of each tassel represents the academic field of study for graduates. From salmon pink for public health graduates to lemon yellow for those majoring in library science, there are a rainbow of colors represented on graduation day. Even drab 鈥撎齛 light brown shade representing business majors 鈥撎齡ets to shine.听

On hoods, degrees are signified by the colors of the binding on the hood piece around the neck such as purple for law or kelly green for medicine. For all UofL doctoral and master鈥檚 graduates, advanced degrees are signified by the cardinal red and black lining of the hood.

The various color cords and stoles draped around graduates鈥� necks also have meaning, representing academic honors or membership in student organizations. Students graduating with Summa Cum Laude honors, for example, get to wear red and gold cords.听

Commencement is a distinguishing day in a student鈥檚 academic journey. As unusual as the attire may be, perhaps it is fitting to wear such a singular outfit for a singular day, honoring not only thousands of years of scholarly history but also one鈥檚 own years of personal growth.

Information compiled from the university commencement program and archival sources

More than 2,000 of the approximately 3,199 University of Louisville students who applied for degrees and certificates have indicated they will participate in听 ceremonies.

Student speaker Austin Browner, graduating from the , will address the morning ceremony, while Griffin Gould, graduating from the, will speak at the afternoon ceremony.

The听听also will host a doctoral hooding and graduation ceremony for more than 90 graduates on Friday, May 9 at 2 p.m. at the

All of these ceremonies will be broadcast live at听.

In addition,听听will hold a commissioning ceremony on Friday, May 9, at 3 p.m. in Stickler Hall Room 101. Seven听cadets will be commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Air Force. Earlier in the day,听, Cardinal Battalion, will hold its commissioning at 9 a.m. in the SAC Ballroom. About a dozen cadets will be commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army.

Follow听#UofLGrads2025听on social media for updates.

For more information, visit听.

鈥淚 love the process of learning a language. One word or grammatical structure unlocks a whole array of thoughts and feelings that can be expressed,鈥� he said.听

An aspiring physician, Amirneni believes an understanding of multiple languages and cultures will help him connect with a diverse range of patients, whether they speak Spanish, Hindi or his native language, Telugu, spoken in southern India.

Amirneni鈥檚 desire to provide compassionate medical care for people from different cultures drove him to complete his Bachelor of Arts in both Biology and Spanish from听.听

Originally from Aldie, VA, Amirneni solidified the language skills he studied at UofL through study abroad programs in Mexico and India, as well as a medical Spanish immersion program in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His experience in a Spanish-speaking hospital environment while in Buenos Aires provided him with practical knowledge that will particularly apply to the medical field.

“Being in a hospital where people spoke only Spanish was crucial for understanding how words are used in real life.听Shadowing in another language would only be possible while abroad,”听Amirneni said.听

The real-life application of his language skills in a medical setting allowed him to grasp medical terms and colloquial language that are essential for effective patient care. The chance to observe firsthand the benefits of public health initiatives in Buenos Aires also inspired Amirneni to pursue public health as well as medicine.听

“Being part of Argentina’s public health care system cemented my desire to work on health policy,”听he said.听

As a result, Amirneni plans to earn a dual medical doctor and master of public health degree (MD/MPH) at the University of Miami. In fact, part of the reason he chose Miami was because of the city鈥檚 large and diverse population, which will offer additional immersive experience with multiple languages and cultures.

While at UofL, Amirneni shared his expertise in study abroad programs with other UofL students by working as a peer adviser in the听. He also provided academic support for students in biology and chemistry as a structured learning assistant at听.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 great to connect with younger students and converting complicated topics into an understandable form,鈥� he said.听

He also worked as a substitute teacher for JCPS, where his favorite classes to teach were English as a Second Language. He said the Spanish-speaking students were always excited to chat with him in their own language.

In recognition of his academic excellence, campus activities and community service, Amirneni was one of two seniors who received the 2025 Cardinal Award from the Student Activities Board.听

.听

Five years apart, the siblings from northwest Illinois both found their way to the Louisville campus for their collegiate careers. Alex, who earned a biology degree from the in 2020, spent time working as an EMT before beginning medical school in the fall of 2021 through the U.S. Navy. His positive experience in Louisville played a significant role in Kaitlyn鈥檚 college decision. She started in the in the fall of 2021.

鈥淚 applied to only four colleges, all out of state. I applied to UofL because Alex said I should and they offered me the most financial aid,鈥� Kaitlyn said. 鈥淎lso, I knew I wanted to go to engineering school and the co-op program here at UofL is awesome. It made college much more affordable, and I gained a lot of experience from it.鈥�

Alex also helped Kaitlyn acclimate to campus life, introducing her to mentors and groups such as the Both siblings were actively involved during their time at the university.

鈥淥ne of the beautiful things about UofL is that it鈥檚 large but it鈥檚 also small. We have all the resources of that any large university has but if you are feeling overwhelmed there is always that safety net you can find,鈥� Alex said. 听听

A shared passion for sports further cemented their bond and appeal to Louisville.

鈥淪ports are a big part of my life and Alex鈥檚 life, and it鈥檚 something we bond over,鈥� Kaitlyn said. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 a football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, or any Louisville sporting event, we have a great time.鈥�

She fondly recalled their playful, and sometimes contentious, backyard games growing up.

鈥淲henever Alex and I would play catch, he would love to throw a curveball without telling me and usually hit me in the shins, the cause of many arguments,鈥� she said.

While Kaitlyn will remain in Louisville to begin her career with C&I Engineering after graduation, Alex will head to the east coast for his residency. Adding to an already significant May, Alex will also be celebrating his wedding the weekend following graduation.

Even as their journeys branch out after graduation, the shared UofL experience will undoubtedly remain a heartwarming chapter in the Piekarczyk sibling narrative.

鈥�(Kaitlyn) coming to UofL definitely made a big difference that we could get a lot closer,鈥� said Alex.

Watch the video:

UofL President Kim Schatzel will preside at the event and Melissa Johnson, a graduate student from the School of Public Health and Information Sciences, and outstanding Air Force leader, will be the student speaker.

The ceremony will be broadcast live at听.

This year’s commencement will feature a with a walk-out song set to “Joker and the Thief,” a popular tune already familiar to Cardinal fans from athletic events. The Student Government Association initiative was created by students, for students and听is a collective way for graduates to mark their transition from student to alumnus.

In addition, 50 graduates are expected to attend the ‘s doctoral hooding and graduation ceremony at 2 p.m. on the same day. The ceremony will be held on the Belknap Campus in the Swain Student Activities Center Ballroom, second floor. Schatzel will preside.

For more information, visit听.

Jessica Carney-Perks, an undergraduate communications student in the College of Arts and Sciences, attended Noe Middle School and duPont Manual High School. Her collegiate journey took her to two other universities before transferring to UofL where she completed her degree.

鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing like it, especially to return home. These are my roots,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o be in this space and transition from all of these locations, it鈥檚 all been a part of the journey.鈥�

Carney-Perks said the decision to transfer to UofL came with support from her family.

鈥淭hey鈥檝e been through every twist, turn, curve I鈥檝e hit,鈥� said Carney-Perks.

Carney-Perks was surprised with a letter from her mother, who spoke of her intelligence, strength and humor.

Alison Jackson, a graduate student in the College of 成人直播 and Human Development, is from Lexington and said UofL created an environment where she felt connected to her fellow students from day one.

鈥淚 was looking for an environment that was supportive of non-traditional students,鈥� said Jackson.

Jackson completed her bachelor鈥檚 degree in May 2023 and jumped into the master鈥檚 program soon after, all while having a full-time job and taking care of her family. She said she would often do homework with her grandson at the kitchen table.

鈥淗e calls me ‘honey’ and he would often look at me and say, 鈥楬oney, are you finished with your work?鈥� Being able to see him encourage and support me was fun and made a difference in my life and his as well,鈥� she said.

Jackson鈥檚 daughter Ashlee wrote the letter and spoke on Jackson鈥檚 resilience and dedication to achieving her education all while supporting their family.

This heartwarming event serves as a reminder of the profound impact that family support has on the lives of UofL students and the importance of celebrating their achievements.

Part of the growth in numbers comes as the result of major strides in the areas of affordability, access and equity, meaning Cardinals from a variety of backgrounds can take advantage of learning opportunities and experiences with reduced financial burden. This academic year, UofL announced the听expansion of its Border Benefit Award听that allows students from some neighboring states to attend UofL at in-state tuition rates, along with the investment of $2.4 million听toward the Cardinal Commitment Grant for in-state residents.

UofL jumped 15 places in the 2023-24 U.S. News and World Report听听ranking, from No. 146 to No. 131, and also topped the list of 鈥渂est values鈥� among national universities in Kentucky.听In the past few years, Cardinals have graduated with the second-lowest student debt among all Kentucky four-year public universities.

New leadership helps guide the way

Taking the helm in early 2023, UofL鈥檚 19^th president, Kim Schatzel, spent six months in some 40 listening sessions to learn what was important to UofL鈥檚 students, staff and faculty, as well as community and government leaders.

She outlined听her first eight priorities听in September, and those priorities became the basis for a new 2023-2025听. Schatzel was听officially inaugurated听on Sept. 29 in a joyous ceremony filled with music and tradition that was held on The Oval outside Grawemeyer Hall. The historic event took place during UofL鈥檚 yearlong celebration of its听225th anniversary.听In recognition of her leadership, Schatzel was named among Louisville听Business First鈥檚 Power 50听for 2024, which identifies the city鈥檚 most influential people in business and related communities. The Louisville Defender Newspaper also named Schatzel as one of the 鈥淲omen Who Choose to Challenge鈥� in the publication鈥檚 women鈥檚 history recognition edition.听听

In spring 2024, the university chose Gerry Bradley as permanent executive vice president and university provost. No stranger to the Cardinal community, Bradley had served as dean of the听听since 2016 and as interim provost since July 2023. He previously held that same role from January 2022 to February 2023.

Several other top leadership positions have been filled throughout 2023 and 2024, including: Karlis Kaugars, vice provost for information technology services and chief information officer; Dayna Touron, dean, ;听John W. Miller Jr., dean, ; and Kathryn (Katie) Cardarelli,听dean, . This summer, Whitney Nash becomes dean of the , which celebrates 50 years of educating and preparing nurses for distinctive careers.

UofL also welcomed Pat Kelsey to lead the men鈥檚 basketball program, infusing excitement and enthusiasm into Card Nation.

Renovations, new infrastructure boost student success

The university is updating facilities and building new infrastructure to ensure students have the physical space to unleash their potential.

The听Center for Military-Connected Students听debuted its newly renovated offices in Brodschi Hall on Belknap Campus. The center focuses on meeting the needs of the more than 2,300 military-connected students enrolled at UofL. At the , construction of a new four-story, $90 million student success hub is underway. It will help us produce the next generation of engineers.

And thanks to a tremendously successful legislative session, the state budget appropriated $260 million toward a new Health Sciences Center Campus simulation center and collaboration hub. That鈥檚 the largest amount of funding for a single project in UofL鈥檚 history. It also is the largest project being funded in Louisville and represents the most general fund support for any single project among Kentucky鈥檚 colleges and universities this session. UofL also received about $69 million for needed repairs on some existing facilities.

UofL鈥檚 research and innovation powerhouse flourishes

Research and innovation continued to soar to new heights in academic year 2023-24. Just a few highlights were:

• More than $22 million in funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration was awarded to the Schools of听Medicine ($16 million)and听Nursing ($6.5 million)听for physician and nurse training to help increase Kentuckians鈥� access to health care, particularly in underserved rural and urban areas. 听
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded four grants totaling $11.6 million to researchers affiliated with UofL鈥檚听to study factors affecting heart health. Through these projects, they hope to better understand how environmental exposures and tobacco products can affect the cardiovascular system, as well as how remodeling takes place in the heart after a heart attack.
• UofL researcher Cheri Levinson has received an $11.5 million grant from the NIH to continue her work addressing听the devastating effects of eating disorders.
• UofL researchers Susan Harkema, Charles Hubscher and collaborators recently won a $1 million grant from the NIH aimed at helping spinal cord injury patients regain function. They are now among four teams exclusively invited to participate in another competition with a potential prize pool of $5 million.
• More than 100 UofL researchers are among the top 2% most-cited in the world, according to a new听compiled by Stanford University and Elsevier. Citations show the value other researchers around the globe place on UofL research.
• Research conducted in UofL鈥檚 Micro/Nano Technology Center is investigating whether the antibacterial properties of听cicada wings听can be turned into an antimicrobial for use in places like food service, health care facilities and medical devices.听
• More than 80 of UofL鈥檚 top researchers, scholars and artists听were honored听in October at the 2023 Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Awards ceremony.
• Four University of Louisville innovators have been selected by the prestigious National Academy of Inventors for its 2024 class of Senior听Members.听The four inventors selected from UofL–the only ones from Kentucky–are:听Thad Druffel, Nobuyuki Matoba, Thomas Roussel and Jagannadh Satyavolu.

Commitment to serve, transform the community听

Throughout the 2023-24 academic year, Cardinals have utilized knowledge and resources to advance the mutual needs of the university and the community. Earlier this spring, more than 400 students danced for 18 hours at the annual raiseRED marathon.听

The students raised more than $516,000 for Norton Children鈥檚 Cancer Institute and the . This is UofL鈥檚 largest student philanthropic effort. It has raised more than $5 million in its 11-year history.

In the mean time, former firefighter James Cripps was awarded one of the 听for teaching firefighters throughout Kentucky about occupational cancer and mitigation strategies. A manufacturing administrator at the UofL Health听, he hopes to eliminate some of those risks.

, meanwhile, celebrated a milestone:听200 years听of compassionate care, medical innovation and serving the underserved. It was Kentucky鈥檚 first hospital, first admitting patients in a facility downtown in 1823. Now, to address a real need for citizens south and west of Louisville, UofL Health recently cut the ribbon on UofL Health 鈥� South Hospital in Bullitt County just off Interstate 65.

As part of UofL鈥檚 ongoing effort to collaborate with five K-12 schools in West Louisville, Central High School Pre-Medical Magnet Program students received white coats this spring, recognizing their hard work and encouraging them to stay focused on their goals. Students shadow UofL doctors and get to practice performing simpler procedures, like sutures, through this immersive curriculum.

Recently, UofL鈥檚 McConnell Scholars and others heard a presentation by Sen. Katie Britt, R-Alabama, who spoke about the importance of respect and trust in building relationships to address the country鈥檚 most pressing issues. A guest of the McConnell Center, Britt spoke as part of its Distinguished Speaker Series. Celebrating its 30th year, the center also brought听Oksana Markarova, Ukraine鈥檚 ambassador to the United States, to Belknap Campus Oct. 30. She gave a public talk and met separately with the McConnell Scholars.

Students begin their next chapter at commencement

On May 11, more than 2,000 of the approximately 3,100 students who applied for degrees and certificates, will go across the stage at the KFC Yum! Center signifying their academic success.

This Commencement holds particular significance for the high school class of 2020, which graduated at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. For some, it will be their first chance to celebrate their educational achievement by taking part in a complete traditional ceremony.

UofL President Kim Schatzel will preside at both the 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. ceremonies. The听听also will host a doctoral hooding and graduation ceremony for more than 100 graduates at 2 p.m. Friday, May 10, on Belknap Campus in the Swain Student Activities Center (SAC) Ballroom, second floor. All of these ceremonies will be broadcast live at听.

“My husband said to me, ‘You don’t like this job, you don’t like what you’re doing. Go back to school and do something you want to do,'” Martin said.

In her previous job, Martin enjoyed training new talent and wanted to pursue a degree in human resources. Her stepdaughters were also an inspiration.

鈥淚 watched what they went through in their own lives and what inspired them. They needed a good role model,鈥� said Martin. 鈥淣o one ever thought I would be a college drop-out. I wanted to go back to get my bachelor鈥檚 degree for them but also for myself.鈥�

This spring, Martin will graduate with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in business administration and a minor in management, completed online while working full-time. She will also become the second student to complete the management certification.

Established in 2021, the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence in the focuses on recruiting and educating underrepresented populations and women on the possibilities of franchising as a pathway to entrepreneurship. The franchise management course, which Martin initially intended to just be an elective, was a turning point in her academic journey.

“Ten minutes into the recorded orientation from center director Kathy Gosser and I knew they were the best thing ever,” Martin said.

Opportunities began opening for Martin. She applied to attend the 2024 International Franchise Association convention, where she joined three other students on a 5-day trip to Arizona to meet with franchisers, business owners and others.

鈥淲ithout the College of Business and without the Yum! Global Center for Franchise Excellence, I would not have had that amazing experience,鈥� Martin said. 听听

As she neared graduation, Martin felt a sense of accomplishment going from a college dropout to successful business student and she thought she was done. But then, a professor challenged her to think about what came next.

“I realized there is more out there,” Martin said.

Martin was accepted into the program and will return to UofL in the fall.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream,鈥� she said. 鈥淥pportunities are out there; you just have to work hard and go for it.鈥�