Each ceremony, led by University of Louisville President Neeli Bendapudi, will include one student speaker.

Aliyah D’Rae Brutley, College of Arts & Sciences

Brutley will speak at the first ceremony of the weekend May 7 at 7 p.m. She is receiving a bachelor of science in theatre arts and a bachelor of arts in psychology.

A , Brutley is this year’s recipient of the Woodcock Medal, the most prestigious recognition of accomplishment by an undergraduate student in A&S. The Woodcock Medal is awarded each year to “an outstanding senior whose personal characteristics and superior scholarship give promise of constructive leadership in society.”

As an undergraduate student, she was cast in UofL’s Repertory Company, which is a small ensemble usually reserved for graduate students that tours Jefferson County Public Schools. 

“I had the pleasure of … seeing the look on young Black girls’ faces as they saw themselves reflected on stage,” said Sidney Monroe Williams, assistant professor in theatre arts, who nominated Brutely for the Woodcock Medal.

Brutely is graduating with a 4.0 GPA and is currently employed in a National Science Foundation-funded project to retain underrepresented minority women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). She previously worked at UPS loading and unloading delivery trucks. 

Brianna Marie Blasi, College of Business

Known as Bree to her friends, Blasi will receive her bachelor of science in business administration at the second weekend ceremony May 8 at 10 a.m. The marketing major said she wants to send a positive message to the class of 2020, whose ceremony last year was abruptly cancelled because of the pandemic, and the class of 2021.

“As we celebrate the classes of 2020 and 2021, let us live in the moment and remember how far we’ve come,” she said. “The struggles and the changes we went through have made us more resilient, made us more equipped for the unknown, and most importantly, showed us our strength.” 

Blasi, of Louisville, said UofL has felt like home to her from the moment she arrived for freshman orientation. 

“From the professors, lovely staff members and education resources to all the supportive classmates I have encountered over the last four years, I was truly able to excel at UofL and reach my goals,” she said. “When Covid-19 hit, my world, and so many others’, was shook to its core. It sometimes seemed like I was travelling through this never-ending dark tunnel with no sign of light. What helped me get through it all was the continuous support from classmates and understanding professors.”

Murphy Lamb, School of Music

Pianist Murphy Lamb will give remarks at the 4 p.m. ceremony May 8, the final ceremony of the weekend. The Campbellsville, Kentucky, native is graduating with a bachelor of arts in music and a minor in physics.

“I hope to relay to guests and fellow graduates that graduation is a time to reflect on our experiences, look forward to the opportunities ahead of us, but most importantly, it is a time to connect with one another in the present. It is a time to celebrate our accomplishments and live into the fullness of the moment,” Lamb said.

Lamb developed chronic tendinitis in his wrists and elbows during his first year in the School of Music and feared he would have to abandon his dream of a music degree.

“As a pianist this was an incredible obstacle,” he said. “At my worst I was almost forced to make the decision to leave my major. How could I complete a music degree if playing my instrument was a serious health risk? I would not have been able to find a solution had it not been for the empathy and flexibility shown to me by my close personal mentors and beloved faculty in the School of Music. They gave me space to rest when needed, time to develop ways to work around my condition, and a never-ending stream of words of encouragement.” 

This year, the 19th Annual International Fashion Show takes place Jan. 29. Because of social distancing guidelines due to Covid-19, the show will go on without an in-person audience, instead being live streamed on and on . The only people in attendance will be organizers and participants.

“The show will occur just with the group of models and performers who signed up. It will be filmed in the Ballroom at the Student Activities Center and we will be using all of the space available to us in the SAC to social distance. Masks will be worn at all times as well,” said Lilah Kahloon, a junior psychology major who is chair of the Student Activities Board Diversity Committee, which organizes the event.

The show will be separated into six regions: North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, Middle East.

“We have students from various cultural RSOs such as Black Student Union, African Student Union and Vietnamese Student Association to name a few,” Kahloon said.

The theme, “Revolution: It’s Not Over,” will be incorporated into every part of the show, Kahloon said, adding it emerged from a feeling that “we could not put on the show without addressing the state of the world we have been living in.”

“It seems like the demand for global change is stronger now than ever. Watching the ongoing protests for Breonna Taylor and the Black Lives Matter movement as a whole, we wanted to address the ideas of revolutions and how students, like those at UofL, can often be seen at their forefront,” she said.

The show’s poster features an image of hands holding up the Earth, a powerful symbol meant to convey that people have the power to change the world they live in, Kahloon said.

Kahloon said there will be about 65 models in the show and eight dance performances.

Because anyone around the world can watch this year’s show, UofL students have the opportunity to demonstrate to an unlimited audience “the joy they have for celebrating their culture with others,” Dean of Students Michael Mardis told WHAS11 .

The show begins airing at 7 p.m. Jan. 29. 

Some UofL faculty have served on the Mayor’s task force for the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness project. Other faculty and students are helping with check-in and screenings, administering vaccines, assisting with volunteer supervision and training, and observing individuals post-vaccine to ensure they have no adverse reactions.

“I’m helping because I have a commitment to service,” said Master’s Entry into Professional Nursing student Matt Livers. “I believe we have an opportunity to turn the tide on this pandemic and I would much rather be doing something than waiting for something to happen.”

Livers says this experience will help him gain extra experience in giving vaccines, along with serving as a resource for those who have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine. Educating the public, he says, is key to community acceptance and willingness to become vaccinated.

This isn’t the first time nursing and other health professions students and faculty have provided help for a drive-thru vaccination clinic in Louisville. In 2009, thousands of doses of the H1N1 “swine” flu vaccine were administered by UofL faculty and students at Cardinal Stadium.

Health professions students and faculty will help staff the COVID-19 vaccination drive-thru event through February, or as long as the city’s health department continues the effort. ­­­The health department’s mass vaccination site is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and is offering the Moderna vaccine by appointment only. It is first focused on the Tier 1a group, as mandated by the federal government. Frequently asked questions and answers about the mass vaccination site can be found .