Beginning at 6:02 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 24, and continuing through midnight, Wednesday, Oct. 25, Raise Some L runs for 1,798 minutes in honor of UofL’s founding year. The 30-hour campaign, held during week, is a chance for the Cardinal community to support students, research and campus initiatives that help foster a better world.

“Your investment in UofL creates vibrant futures for our students and empowers the next generation of Cardinals to unleash their potential and build a brighter tomorrow,” said President Kim Schatzel.

Several sizable donations have been pledged in advance of the day including:

• $50,000 to benefit the HDR Foundation from an anonymous donor
• $50,000 to Brandeis School of Law LGBTQ Community Impact Scholarship by John Selent
• $50,000 challenge from UofL Health for the UofL Health Employee Emergency Fund
• $37,500 to create the UofL English Writing, Editing and Publishing Lab
• $25,000 to Whittenberg Construction Endowment by Whittenberg Construction
• $25,000 to create a scholarship within the School of Public Health & Information Sciences by Kim Mascaro

“UofL’s day of giving campaign helps keep the university affordable for students, provides opportunities for learning and discovery and ensures UofL’s progress as a major metropolitan research university,” said Brent Pieper, vice president for advancement. “We are grateful for the generous alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the Cardinal community who continue to rise to the occasion. Thank you for everything you do to support our mission.”

Interested donors can make a gift at . In addition to online giving, in-person donations may be made at the Raise Some L Belknap Campus and Health Sciences Center campus headquarters from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 25. To learn more about Raise Some L or become an advocate, visit .

The Student Organization for Alumni Relations will be stationed at Raise Some L headquarters at the quads of both campuses with snacks, activities and additional information. Share the word about Raise Some L by using #RaiseSomeL.

For information on other UofL Homecoming week events, visit .

The statue holds personal meaning for Smith, as he served as Sculptor Ed Hamilton’s model during its creation.

The statue itself, unveiled in October of 2000, was erected to honor a Louisville-raised athlete who changed the landscape of sports at UofL.

Lyles became the first Black athlete at the university in 1954 and started as a defensive back and running back for four years. Known at the time as the “fastest man in football,” he translated that speed to the track, where he set school records in the 100-yard dash and 220-yard dash – distances that have since been replaced with their metric counterparts.

In the first round of the 1958 NFL Draft, Lyles went to the Baltimore Colts, where, aside from a two-year stint with the San Francisco 49ers, he spent his 12-year career.

As a two-sport athlete, UofL Athletic Hall of Fame member and true trailblazer, Lyles was to be honored with a life-size bronze statue outside of the newly-constructed Cardinal Park. Ed Hamilton, an accomplished area artist, was commissioned to sculpt and cast the piece, but needed a model as he only had a front-facing photo to work with.

With a similar build to Lyles in his college days, Smith – then a sprinter for the track and field team – was selected as that model.

“For about a month to a month and a half, I would attend his studio downtown,” Smith said.

A few days a week, he would spend a few hours posing as Hamilton sculpted away. Each time he entered the studio, he saw the piece coming to life more and more, noting the subtle changes made as Hamilton worked using his photo reference.

“I didn’t really understand the gravity of it [at the time],” Smith said.

He researched Lyles and began to realize what he was a part of. ��

“Seeing what Mr. Lyles did here and the impact he had here at the University of Louisville,” Smith said. “It’s a big deal because of the history – of him being an African American, him coming here and making the impact he did in his sports.”

Now, 21 years later, Smith still drives by the statue with his two daughters any time he has the chance.

“I wasn’t really the fastest guy, so this is really my claim to fame,” Smith said. “This is what I consider my legacy.”

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 ����ֱ�� 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 three new awards and their recipients are:

. The inaugural Alumni Ambassador Award is presented to Randall J. Buford ’81. Bufford is the founder and chairman of the board of Louisville-based Trilogy Health Services, a health care company providing medical care, wellness and hospitality services to seniors. This new award is presented to recognize alumni as ambassadors for the university and leadership and service in their profession and community.

. The inaugural Diversity Leadership Award is presented to Steven D. Kniffley Jr. ’08. Kniffley, a board-certified clinical psychologist, is chief diversity officer and associate professor of Spalding University’s Center for Behavioral Health. This new award recognizes alumni for promoting diversity and inclusion through their professional or volunteer endeavors, aligning with the university’s goal of being the premier anti-racist metropolitan research university.

.��The inaugural Emerging Leader Award is presented to Whitney B. Austin��’03 and ’09. Impassioned after surviving a Sept. 6, 2018, mass shooting in Cincinnati, Ohio, Whitney and her husband cofounded Whitney/Strong, an organization focused on finding common ground to end gun violence through data-driven, responsible gun ownership solutions. This new award honors alumni who have achieved outstanding professional accomplishments at age 40 or younger.

These new awards join 14 others that recognize alumni accomplishment by UofL’s colleges, schools, libraries and student affairs division. Named as Alumni Fellows for 2021 are:

• ��’01, College of Arts & Sciences
• ’73, College of Business
• , ’72 and ’81, School of Dentistry
• ’12, College of ����ֱ�� & Human Development
• ��’08 and ’12, Graduate School
• ’06 and ’10, Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work
• ��’62 and ’64, Brandeis School of Law
• ��’77 and ’84, University Libraries
• ��’70 and ’75, School of Medicine
• ��’75, School of Music
• ��’08 and ’16, School of Nursing
• ’99, ’01, ’02 and ’11, School of Public Health & Information Sciences
• ��‘87, ’89 and ’93; ��’86; and ’82, J.B. Speed School of Engineering
• ��’71, Student Affairs Legacy Award

The university will formally announce its highest award recipient, the Alumnus of the Year, on Friday, Oct. 1.��

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 Diversity Leadership Alumni Award will honor a graduate who has demonstrated leadership in promoting diversity and inclusion through their professional and volunteer endeavors. The award winner will be recognized for raising awareness for underrepresented populations and a deep commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. The new award supports the university’s goal of being the premier anti-racist metropolitan research university by seeking to formally recognize graduates who are working for social change.

The Emerging Leader Alumni Award will honor a graduate who is 40 years of age or younger for their outstanding professional accomplishments, who demonstrates and upholds the university’s and who is an outstanding ambassador for the university.

“Our graduates are making an impact in Louisville, the Commonwealth and beyond,” said Josh Hawkins, assistant vice president for alumni relations. “I am excited to announce these two new awards that will recognize some of the many graduates who serve as catalysts for change in their communities.”

In addition to these two new awards, the university will continue to give awards for outstanding graduates from each school and college, as well as the prestigious Alumna/Alumnus of the Year award.

The university invites public nominations through May 7 for all awards. Nominations can be made online at .

According to “The University of Louisville” book by Dwayne D. Cox and William J. Morison, Threlkeld Hall was UofL’s first co-ed dorm. During its early years in the 1960s, a wall separated the 126 women in the north end of the building from the 136 men on the south end.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s the Berlin Wall,” the director of the dorm said at the time, according to the book.

The dorm is named after Hilda Threlkeld, former dean of women.

In recent years, Threlkeld Hall has served as a living-learning community for honors and many scholarship students and, since 2004, it has hosted the Etscorn Honors Center. The co-ed residence hall now houses approximately 250 first-year and upper-class residents. Throughout its 58-year history, Threlkeld has housed approximately 14,500 residents.

Morgan Blair, Campus Housing assistant director of marketing and communications, lived in Threlkeld during her freshman year in 2010.

“I came from a small town in Eastern Kentucky and Threlkeld offered me a close-knit community on campus. At that time, it was the honors hall, so a lot of students were part of that honors community,” she said. “In Threlkeld, if you’re someone who doesn’t fit in elsewhere, you have a community. There is always something going on. It’s a place where everyone can have a social group.”

Indeed, the lobby of Threlkeld has served as a social hub for residents throughout the years, with movie nights, karaoke, video game tournaments, billiards and more. There is seemingly always something going on. Further, a “birdhouse” exists in the lobby, where residents write down their names and majors in the beginning of the year – an effort to foster that community.��

Campus Housing asked a few former Threlkeld residents to share their favorite memories from the hall, which included:

• “The people. I met some lifelong friends by living in that dorm”
• “The strong sense of community and everyone hanging out in the lobby having a good time.”
• “Threlkeld was in a prime location, super close to the SAC.”
• “The people I met. I have many friends I still talk to and see on a regular basis who I met while living at Threlkeld. That one year gave my some of my best friends and fondest memories of college.”
• “I chose Threk because it was in the middle of campus and close to everything. My favorite part was the community setting that allows you to meet new people and hang out with friends.”

UofL Alumni will host a homecoming farewell to Threlkeld Hall . The event will take a last look inside Threlkeld and will feature comments from former residents. Michael Mardis, dean of students and vice provost for Student Affairs, will also share updated on the new residence halls. Campus Housing will dedicate a commemorative page on its website to Threlkeld once the dorm is officially demolished after the fall semester.��

Renderings of the new dorm are featured in the virtual tour below:

The University of Louisville will honor Alice Houston as Alumna of the Year, along with 13 additional Alumni Fellows from UofL’s schools and colleges as well as Libraries and Student Affairs.

Alice Houston, the 2020 Alumna of the Year, earned her Master of ����ֱ�� from UofL in 1975. She received her Bachelor of Science from Baldwin-Wallace College in 1968 and an Honorary Doctorate from Spalding University in 2002.

After a successful 15-year career working at UofL as assistant director of financial aid, Houston and her husband founded Houston Johnson Inc., doing business as HJI Supply Chain Solutions (HJI) along with their friend, Charlie Johnson, in 1994. Houston served as CEO from 2005 until August 2020 when the reins of the family business were turned over to her daughter and son-in-law. HJI is a supply chain logistics company with clients that include Ford Motor Company, Yanfeng, Martinrea, the Brown-Forman Corp. and Humana. More information about Houston is .��

“I am thrilled about the announcement of Alice Houston as our Alumna of the Year,” said UofL President Neeli Bendapudi. “She has been a longtime advocate of UofL and has had an incredible impact on our campus, our past students and the Louisville community. We met during my first weeks on campus. She has been a supporter, a friend and a confidante. Alice truly has the best interests of the University of Louisville at heart.”

The 2020 Alumni Fellows, in alphabetical order by college or school, are:

• , College of Arts and Sciences, 2011
• , College of Business, 1972
• , School of Dentistry, 1972, 1976
• , EdD, College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development, 2007
• J.B. Speed School of Engineering, 1992, 1993
• Louis D. Brandeis School of Law, 1994
• School of Medicine, 1968, 1972
• , School of Music, 2006
• D., School of Nursing, 1991
• School of Public Health and Information Sciences, 2003, 2012, 2015
• Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work, 1980
• , Student Affairs Legacy Award, 1993
• , University of Louisville Libraries, 1968

This year is a virtual celebration featuring video interviews with the honorees as they discuss their time at UofL and the impact of their careers.

The virtual celebration kicks off on Tuesday, Oct. 6 and culminates on Thursday, Oct. 22 of Homecoming week. Each day will feature a celebration video of an honoree on social media and the alumni website.

“The��recipients of this year’s Alumni Awards are��among the best and brightest UofL has to offer,”��said��Josh��Hawkins, assistant vice president for Alumni Relations and Annual Giving.��“Not only have they each made significant contributions in their respective fields, but they have also had a profound impact in their communities.��They truly embody what it means to be a UofL graduate. We hope UofL alumni and friends worldwide join us in celebrating this year’s honorees by viewing, sharing and commenting on these videos.”

Other virtual events for UofL’s Homecoming 2020 are planned, with .��

Commonwealth Credit Union is the sponsor of the 2020 University of Louisville Alumni Awards and the preferred credit union partner for UofL.��

The month of October features events that celebrate so much of what makes the University of Louisville a special place. Here’s a tour of events from Oct. 14 to Oct. 26 that applaud our , our diverse and our work in the area of with a little something for everyone.

Let’s begin with the J.B. Speed School of Engineering and its annual Oct. 14-16, featuring free events for students, faculty and staff. It all begins with “Donuts for Diversity” on the front lawn of the Speed Building (or in the lobby in the case of inclement weather) Oct. 14, followed later by “We Are Speed” photos (“Diversity in a Snap”) and a dine-and-dance event focusing on black and Latinx culture.

Indian food and henna tattoos are on tap for Oct. 15 in the Belknap Academic Building (noon to 2 p.m. and 4:30-6 p.m.). That evening, a friendly competition from 4-6 p.m. in Sackett Hall will highlight “Women in STEM Trivia Night.”

Learn more about the LGBTQ community while making tie dye shirts and enjoying rainbow popsicles at “Tie-Dyeversity” Oct. 16 in the Duthie Center, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

To wrap up the events Oct. 16, , alumnus and founder of the award-winning Interapt IT services firm, will be the keynote speaker at the Diversity Jubilee, a 5:30 p.m. buffet dinner in the Student Activities Center multipurpose room. Interapt is recognized nationwide and internationally for its unique paid IT workforce training program that focuses on serving underemployed and unemployed individuals in rural and urban areas, as well as veterans.

“This fun week of activities at the Speed School is designed to cheer on and empower our diverse population,” said Emmanuel Collins, dean of the Speed School. A full schedule of events can be found .��

Next up will be a chance to learn more about UofL’s efforts toward responsible environmental, social and economic stewardship during Sustainability Week, which is Oct. 17-25.

Events begin Oct. 17 with the annual and the Josh Smith Sustainability Award Ceremony, 5-8 p.m., at the Red Barn.

Justin Mog, assistant to the provost for sustainability initiatives, will bring his perspective from a decade of working at UofL when he gives a talk, “Business-as-Usual Is Killing Us! The need for institutional weirding in the age of global climate weirding.” There are two opportunities to attend: Oct. 18, noon to 1 p.m. in Kornhauser Auditorium 103 on the Health Sciences Center campus, and Oct. 21, noon to 1 p.m., in Ekstrom Library W104 on Belknap Campus.

On Oct. 23, UofL’s 12^th Annual Campus Sustainability Day Fair will be held in the Humanities Quad, featuring booths and information about what UofL and community organizations are doing to advance sustainability.

For a full schedule of activities, visit the UofL Sustainability Council website .

Homecoming Week wraps up the month Oct. 21-26 with a full slate of activities.

At the on Oct. 24, the university is honoring Executive Director of Admissions Jenny Sawyer as the 2019 Alumna of the Year. Sawyer is the start of many of the relationships between students and the university. She maintains many of those relationships through students’ collegiate careers and often serves as a mentor after graduation.��

Along with Sawyer, the Alumni Awards will recognize 13 Alumni Fellows from the university’s colleges and schools while celebrating UofL’s past, present and future.

Alumni, students, faculty, staff and community members are joining forces during the week for , a week of service in the city. The week features volunteer opportunities at sites around Louisville as well as donation drives.

Cardinal supporters can “Raise Some L” during the annual UofL Day of Giving on Oct. 22 and 23. Beginning at 6:02 p.m. on Oct. 22, for 1,798 minutes, Cardinals everywhere will come together to celebrate who we are and raise money to fund essential areas of need across campus. If you don’t know the significance of 1,798 minutes, check .

Other events for the week include the for the Classes of 1968 and 1969 and the Homecoming football game against Virginia.

For a full schedule of events, including student activities, visit the page.

Have fun, love the Earth, be safe and Go Cards!

• Francisco Garcia, the top scorer on the Cardinals’ 2005 NCAA Final Four team who played 10 years in the NBA;
• Wesley Korir, an All-America distance runner who holds multiple UofL records and finished third in the 5000-meter event at the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Championship;
• Cindy LaCrosse, UofL’s first All-American in women’s golf who earned the highest finish for a Cardinal in the NCAA Championship;
• Angel McCoughtry, the Cardinals’ career leader in scoring, rebounding and steals who led UofL to its first NCAA title game in 2009;
• Eric Wood, a four-year starter at center on the Cardinals’ offensive line and nine-year NFL veteran with 120 career starts;
• Lacy Wood, UofL’s first softball All-American who helped the Cardinals to three NCAA regional appearances.

“We’re thrilled to have each of these outstanding individuals return to our campus and be honored as exceptional representatives of Cardinal Athletics,” said Vince Tyra,��UofL VP/Director of Athletics. “I had the pleasure of watching many of them in competition when they were student-athletes here and saw first-hand many of their remarkable achievements. We look forward to celebrating with this impressive Hall of Fame class next month.”

More information about the inductees is included below.��

Francisco Garcia (2002-05 at UofL) scored 1,413 points in three seasons (No. 26 all-time at UofL), helping the Cardinals to a combined 78-22 record. He was the leading scorer (15.7 ppg) on the Cardinals’ 2005 NCAA Final Four team, UofL’s first in 19 years. Louisville won its first Conference USA championship that year when Garcia was a John Wooden first team and NABC second team All-America selection. He was twice honored on the All-Conference USA team (2003-04, 2004-05) and was the C-USA Freshman of the year in 2002-03. He set the UofL single-game assists record holder with 15 against Murray State (1-3-04). Garcia was the No. 23 overall pick in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft and played 10 years in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets, scoring over 4,000 career points.

Cindy LaCrosse (2005-09),a four-time All-Big East selection,��holds several UofL records including lowest round (65), lowest 54-hole score (200), most rounds under par in a season (20), career top-five finishes (17), career top-10 finishes (22), and rounds played (137), among others. As a sophomore, she won the Big East Championship and set a conference record. As a second team All-American in her final season in 2009, she finished tied for 11th at the 2009 NCAA Championship, the highest finish by a Cardinal ever, and was named the 2009 Big East Player of the Year. ��After graduating from UofL, LaCrosse joined the Duramed FUTURES Tour where she earned three victories. She went on to earn her LPGA card in her first attempt and has played in numerous LPGA tournaments since 2010. She finished 13th at the 2012 Women’s British Open and 14th at both the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2011 Women’s LPGA Championship.��

A three-time WBCA All-American, Angel McCoughtry concluded her four-year career (2005-09) as the program’s all-time leader in points (2,779), rebounds (1,261), and steals (481). Her point total ranks in the top 30 all-time in NCAA Division I history. ��McCoughtry, who led Louisville to its first national championship game in 2009, averaged 20.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.5 steals in her decorated career. Among her many accolades, she was named the 2007 BIG EAST Player of the Year and the 2009 Big East Defensive Player of the Year. McCoughtry was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft by the Atlanta Dream. She earned the league’s rookie of the year honors that season and has collected all-league honors on five occasions and has been named to the WNBA All-Defensive Team six times. Internationally, McCoughtry has helped the U.S. win five gold medals, including two at the Olympics (2012 London Olympic Games; 2016 Rio Olympic Games).

Eric Wood was a four-year starter at center (49 consecutive career starts, 2005-08) on the Cardinals’ offensive line. He earned freshman All-America honors his first season in 2005 and was twice named a first-team All-Big East selection (2007, 2008). Wood was a driving force in UofL’s 2006 offensive line when the Cardinals ranked fourth in the nation in total offense and 12th in rushing offense in a season which culminated with a victory in the Orange Bowl. Wood was a first round NFL draft selection in 2009 by the Buffalo Bills, where he started 120 career games and played his entire nine-year NFL career, until a dangerous neck injury forced him to withdraw from professional football in 2018. He made the Pro Bowl in 2016 and was the Bills’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2015 and 2016. He currently serves as an analyst for the ACC Network and the Buffalo Bills Radio Network.

A distance runner from Kenya, Wesley Korir (2005-07) holds school records in the outdoor 1500m, 3000m, and 5000m and the indoor 5000m. He earned multiple All-American honors, finishing third in the 5000m at the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship and 12th in the fall of 2007 at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Following his collegiate career, Korir competed in marathons, winning the open division of the 2008 Chicago Marathon with no previous marathon experience, posting the fourth-fastest time overall. He won his next marathon, the 2009 Los Angeles Marathon, in a time of 2:08:24 which at the time was the fastest marathon ever run in the state of California. He repeated as champion in Los Angeles in 2010 and won the prestigious Boston Marathon in 2012. Korir was elected a member of Kenya’s Parliament in 2013. He is working with dairy farmers of Cherangany to improve and strengthen their yield.

A catcher who hails from Louisville, Lacy Wood was the Cardinals’ first softball All-American. While at Louisville (2003-06), she helped the Cardinals to three NCAA regional appearances including the first in program history (2004) helped her team reach the regional finals for the first time in school history (2006). During her senior season in 2006 while earning third team All-America honors, she led the team with a .382 batting average, nine home runs and 51 RBI. She owns the school’s career record for grand slams (four) and still ranks among Louisville’s top 10 in several offensive career lists including: batting average, hits, slugging percentage, doubles, home runs and RBIs. She helped the Cardinals earn 2005 Conference USA regular season and 2006 Big East regular season championships. ��

The awards ceremony recognizes the top UofL alumni throughout the colleges and units. The Alumni Association selects 13 Alumni Fellows, representing each of the schools, libraries and student affairs. Winners are selected based on their merit and contributions to the community.

Penny Heaton, chief executive officer of The Bill and Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, is the 2018 Alumna of the Year. Heaton received her undergraduate degree in 1986 and her Doctor of Medicine in 1990. .��

The 2018 Alumni Fellows are:

• Ernest A. Brooks, III, College of Arts and Sciences, 1996

Brooks is a financial advisor affiliated with the brokerage services of COEX Partners Inc. He lives in New Jersey but is heavily involved with the university by partnering with high schools from his hometown and helping students get the support they need to get into college. He also created the Brooks-Gibson Scholarship Fund.

• Lisa Carter-Harris, School of Nursing, 2004, 2013

Carter-Harris serves as assistant professor at the Indiana University School of Nursing and an associate member of Cancer Prevention and Control at the IU Simon Cancer Center. Her research targets the reasons behind whether or not people choose to engage in lung cancer screenings, writing several books on the subject as well.

• Avonne Connor, School of Public Health and Information Sciences, 2005, 2007, 2011

Connor is an assistant professor at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the Department of Epidemiology/Cancer Epidemiology with a joint appointment in the School of Medicine. Her research interests are breast cancer, cancer survival, tumor phenotype, chronic inflammation, polymorphyisms/genetic variants, health disparities, ethnicity and race, obesity, Hispanic and African Americans and quality of life.

• Lottie Cook, Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work, 1985

Cook retired as superintendent of Evansville Psychiatric Children’s Center in December 2017. She also held several leadership positions with the National Association of Social Workers Indiana Chapter, including president of the board, and was instrumental in helping the University of Southern Indiana develop its Master of Social Work Program.

• Sundeep Dronawat, J.B. Speed School of Engineering, 1996, 2001

Dronawat is a serial entrepreneur and president of Payment Holdings and CEO and co-founder of POS on Cloud, as well as co-founder and partner in West Wind Power, a startup in green energy. He gives back to his community as an adjunct professor at UofL and works with leaders from the City of Louisville in the Leadership Louisville Program.

• Jonathan Helfat, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law, 1971

Helfat is co-general counsel to the Commercial Finance Association and co-authors a column in The Secured Lender magazine relating to current legislative and judicial developments in asset-based lending. He and his wife, Robin, established the Helfat Endowment at the Brandeis School of Law.

• George Marriner Maull, School of Music, 1970, 1972

Maull is the founder and artistic director of the Discovery Orchestra and has conducted performances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, as well as in England, Belgium, The Netherlands, Poland, Hungary and Romania. He received many accolades including the Bronze Telly Award, Cable Telly Awards, Emmy nominations, Somerset County New Jersey Excellence in Arts Award, and Conductor Laureate, New Jersey Youth Symphony.

• Michael Saag, School of Medicine, 1981

Saag serves on the International AIDS Society-USA Board of Directors, is president-elect of the HIV Medical Association, a member of the HHS Guidelines Panel on Antiretroviral Therapy, and on numerous state, local and national committees. He received the Myrtle Wreath Award from Hadassah and has been listed as one of the Best Doctors in America since 1994.

• Mark Schulte, School of Dentistry, 1977

Schulte began his dental career in South Louisville and helped start Smile Kentucky, an organization that secures dental care to underprivileged youth, providing over $1 million in free dental work for children in Kentucky over the last 10 years. He was recognized as a Fellow of the American College of Dentists and the International College of Dentists.

• Jeanine Triplett, Student Affairs Legacy Award, 1982, 1985

Triplett is the chief development officer of the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana, having also served 33 years with the Delta Zeta – Beta Gamma chapter. She also has a long career working in Louisville at Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby Festival, University of Louisville/Alcohol & Drug Coalition, University of Louisville/Greek Housing Task Force and the Younger Woman’s Club of Louisville.

• Lowry Watkins Jr., College of Business, 1968

Watkins is a semi-retired real estate developer and a contributing author for the best-seller “Solicitor General Bullitt: The Life of William Marshall Bullitt.” He established the Lowry Watkins Jr. Endowed Chair in the College of Business and received the University of Louisville Dean’s Service Award and the Kentucky Country Day Exceptional Service Award.

• Eddie Whitehead, College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development, 1967

Whitehead is president and chief executive officer of KPST Channel 66 TV San Francisco, as well as president and chief executive officer of the Whitehead Media Group. In 1992, he received the Order of Merit award from the UofL Alumni Association.

• Richard “Dick” Wilson, University of Louisville Libraries, 1974

Wilson established the Robin Hood Project, Wilson Geriatric Fund, Wilson Piano Enrichment Fund, Preservation Fund for the Wilson Comic Books, Wilson Scholarship for JCTCS Transfers, Wilson Mentoring Endowment and the Wilson Music for Children Endowment. He received numerous awards for his community service in the state of Kentucky.

“This year’s alumni awardees are true examples of leadership and excellence both at UofL and in their respective fields,” said Josh Hawkins, assistant vice president of the Alumni Association. “We are overjoyed to celebrate Penny and our 13 alumni fellows because of their significant contributions to their communities, the university, and the world.”

The Alumna of the Year and the Alumni Fellows will be honored at an event Oct. 25, at the Henry Clay Building downtown. Attendees may register .