Exemplifying that commitment to student success is , who received the 2025 University of Louisville Trustees Award for her ability to balance rigor with accessibility and foster intellectual curiosity, while equipping students with practical skills. Farrier, professor of political science and director of the , was presented with the award at the annual Faculty & Staff Excellence Awards Reception, which took place April 17.

According to the award nomination committee, the impact of Farrier’s teaching philosophy extends far beyond her classroom. Farrier demonstrates a steadfast commitment to student success initiatives at UofL, both through her instructional leadership and through hands-on program development. Her role in securing a $2.4 million grant from the James Graham Brown Foundation to enhance student success in STEM courses exemplifies her dedication to fostering academic achievement across disciplines.

At the April 17 UofL Board of Trustees meeting, Trustee and Faculty Senate Chair Eugene Mueller said: “The consensus among students, faculty colleagues, UofL leaders, the community and the discipline is that Jasmine is a consummate professional and one of the toughest yet most beloved professors that they have ever known. She emulates the Cardinal Principles in her every word, deed and action. Jasmine gets not only positive, but dramatic results and outcomes.”

Farrier joined the UofL faculty in 2002. Her courses and research span all three branches of the U.S. government. Her third book, was published by Cornell University Press. In addition to teaching and research, Farrier’s impact includes expanded experiential learning opportunities for students. She led two program launches over the last decade: and , a summer scholarship funded by political science alumni to broaden access to career-building internships.

“I am grateful to Drs. Tricia Gray (political science chair) and Laura Moyer for organizing the nomination, and especially to the nearly 50 alumni and colleagues across campus who contributed testimonials,” said Farrier, who also served UofL in leadership roles in recent years, including as department chair, vice president for University Advancement and acting executive director of the University Honors Program. “It is an honor every day to work with UofL’s determined students, dedicated professionals and our extraordinary Cardinal community.”

Reynolds, a UofL alumna, is CEO of Perception Institute, an organization of researchers, facilitators and strategists turning mind science research into solutions that apply to individual and institutional success. She previously served as CEO of the Louisville Urban League and was the first woman to hold this title in the affiliate’s 95-year history. Her career encompasses many firsts, including being the first Black woman to clerk for the Kentucky Supreme Court and the first Black inspector general for Kentucky.

Hollenbach is a managing partner of Hollenbach-Oakley, a Louisville-based commercial real estate development firm, which he co-founded in 1996. His firm has been involved with business park projects totaling over 3,500 acres and $1 billion dollars in real estate investment. A graduate of both Leadership Louisville and Bingham Fellows, he has served as a board member of the Louisville City FC Board of Directors, Louisville Sports Commission, the Building Industry Association of Louisville, Olmstead Parks Conservancy and the Old National Bank Advisory Board.

In other news …

Trustees conferred the Trustees Award to Jasmine Farrier, professor of political science and director of the UofL-Frankfort Internship Program. The Trustees Award was established in 1989 to honor faculty who have an extraordinary impact on students.

“Dr. Farrier’s commitment to student success is evident in her pedagogical approach, which balances rigor with accessibility and fosters intellectual curiosity while equipping students with practical skills,” said Trustee and Faculty Senate Chair Eugene Mueller. “Her ability to challenge students with complex constitutional and institutional topics — while simultaneously ensuring they build a solid foundation in critical thinking, research and civic engagement — is a testament to her excellence as an educator.”

The next meeting of the University of Louisville Board of Trustees will take place Thursday, May 22, at 1 p.m., in the Jefferson Room, Grawemeyer Hall. Board meeting minutes, schedules and other information are available on .

During the annual day of giving, which occurs during Homecoming week, more than 2,450 donors contributed to the 2021 total of $2,932,603. The number of donors surpassed the initial goal of 2,021 and the previous record of 2,206 donors set in 2019 as alumni, employees, students, friends and organizations gave to their favorite UofL areas where they wanted to make an impact.

“As a national metropolitan research university, the University of Louisville is thrilled that donors from all 50 states support us,” said UofL President Neeli Bendapudi. “We can’t achieve success without the aid of our donors, and again this year, they have come forward from throughout the United States to fund the programs, projects and initiatives we execute. I thank them, one and all.”

 A highlight among several large gifts was Delta Dental’s commitment of $1.07 million to the UofL School of Dentistry, celebrated by the campaign Oct. 20 at the Health Sciences Center with a live social media segment. Other gifts included $400,000 to the UofL Health Brown Cancer Center from the Thomas Dunbar family, $112,000 to the College of Business from Yum! Brands (parent company of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut) and $100,000 to the College of Arts and Sciences from alumna Monica Pearson ’75. 

The HSC and Belknap Campus each had a special campus headquarters during the fundraising period where students who donated at least $10 could snag a pair of Cardinal socks and where donors could commemorate their giving spirit with a selfie taken against a giant “I Raised Some L” backdrop.

The fundraising site featured more than 560 initiatives, including individual colleges and schools, student scholarships and student-led organizations.

“Once again, our Cardinal Family stepped up to give back to our university and the areas they believe in,” said Jasmine Farrier, vice president of university advancement. “This record-breaking support shows that the University of Louisville is vitally connected to our alumni, the community, commonwealth and beyond.  We are grateful to our alumni, staff and faculty ambassadors who spent countless hours sharing updates about our programs across Belknap and Health Sciences to inspire Cardinals to learn more about student success, research innovation and community engagement at UofL.”

The Raise Some L campaign ran for 1,798 minutes, starting at 6:02 p.m. Oct. 19, in honor of the university’s founding year of 1798.

Since 1982, Kosair Charities has been a solidly dependable supporter of children’s health programs at the University of Louisville. This year, total donations have reached more than $50.4 million.

Moving the total past the $50 million mark this year is over $1 million in funding from the charity – the largest in Kentuckiana – to support programs in pediatric forensic medicine, neuro-recovery and cancer research, along with the Center for Women & Infants at UofL Hospital.

“Kosair Charities has made immeasurable contributions to the University of Louisville, this community and beyond. I believe what makes a partnership great is a shared vision. And that is certainly the case with Kosair Charities and UofL,” said UofL President Neeli Bendapudi. “Kosair Charities has given to so many areas across the University of Louisville, and the impact can be felt far and wide throughout our community, region and beyond.”

“Louisville is my home, UofL my school, and Kosair Charities is my passion. It is special to be able to pull it all together to help children move forward,” said Keith Inman, president of Kosair Charities. “For almost 100 years Kosair Charities has had one mission, one focus, and that is for children to overcome their obstacles and reach their full potential. For 38 of those years, the University of Louisville has been an important partner, as we have invested in research, programs, facilities and people at the university who can make that vision, that mission a reality.”

The support is as important to UofL for its consistency as much the dollars donated, said UofL Vice President for Advancement Jasmine Farrier.

“All philanthropic gifts are impactful, but this level of extraordinary support given consistently over decades is truly transformational,” Farrier said. “We are so fortunate to have Kosair Charities’ commitment to our children’s health programs.”

Recent gifts made by Kosair Charities to the university have helped fund:

• UofL Kosair Charities Division of Pediatric Forensic Medicine: Led by Dr. Melissa Currie, the first board-certified child abuse pediatrician in Kentucky, this division focuses on physical, mental and sexual abuse and neglect in children.
• Kosair Charities Center for Pediatric NeuroRecovery: The gift from Kosair Charities targets paralysis in children with acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a disease that affects the area of the spinal cord called gray matter, causing the muscles and reflexes in the body to become weak. Although occurrences are relatively rare, cases of AFM have been on a steady increase since 2014.
• Kosair Charities UofL Brown Cancer Center Pediatric Cancer Research: Drawing upon the strengths of researchers and physicians in the UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center, this program applies immunotherapy – the use of the patient’s own immune system – to fight children’s cancer.
• UofL Hospital’s Center for Women & Infants: Kosair Charities funding enables the center to purchase upgraded infant warmers for its cutting-edge Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and most vulnerable newborns.

Due to his battle with cancer, Andrew left UofL in 2009 just shy of his graduation date. He died in 2011. 

Seven years after his death, Andrew became the first in his family to earn a college degree. 

The degree was presented to Andrew’s family by Political Science Professor Jasmine Farrier. In attendance at the ceremony was Senator Jimmy Higdon, a friend of the Cecil family, who wrote the following tribute on his Facebook page: 

Yesterday I had the occasion to recall memories of a great young man Andrew Cecil. He attended University of Louisville and majored in Political Science. He was a hard working and dedicated A student. He never complained even though he was fighting cancer at the same time he was attending UofL. He was taking the last class he needed to graduate but could not finish due to his declining health. He withdrew from the class and a short time later he lost his battle with cancer. He died in October of 2011 at age 25.

Andrew was a very proud young man.
He was proud of his family, he was proud of his Marion Countpy community and he was proud to be a student at UofL. He was also very proud of the fact that he would be the first in his family to finish college. Andrew was never strong enough to go back and finish that last class. It looked like the degree he was so looking forward to hanging on the wall and being the first in his family with a college degree would never happen. Yes it appeared that that chapter had been written
and Andrew’s dream had died with him.

His sister Tina set out to try to get his diploma so her parents Elain and Jim 
could cherish it as a remembrance of Andrew. With a great deal of help from the President’s office at University of Louisville and Political Science Chair Professor Jasmine Farrier, Andrew’s diploma was delivered to his family in Lebanon yesterday. What a great event
to be invited. Not a dry eye in the back yard of the Cecil residence. In the shade of a giant pine tree planted by Andrew at age 5.

He had gotten the from a soil conversation event. The pine sprig was about the size of a pencil. He was told by his brother that that tree would never live. Andrew told him the man said if I water it and talked to it that the pine would grow very tall. Yes it did grow and serves as a reminder of a outstanding young man that went home to his maker at a very early age.

With the presentation of Andrew’s 
diploma to his parents on Saturday by Professor Jasmine Farrier, Andrew’s dream of being the first in his family to get a college degree was accomplished 7 years after his death. What a great day for the Cecil family.
Congratulations Andrew. You did it.
None worked harder or deserve this 
recognition more than Andrew and his family.

My closing comments are that all this was possible because The University of Louisville had a heart. They made this happen because they cared. The University went the extra mile and had Andrew’s diploma deliver by the head of the department Jasmine Farrier to the Cecil’s home in Lebanon.