Those are the moments when the University of Louisville’s “” steps in.

The university opened the permanent, on-campus resource earlier this year to ensure no student’s career path is blocked by a lack of access to professional clothing. Managed by the  (SSC) and located in the , the no-cost shop offers suits, shirts, pants, dresses, skirts, ties, shoes, belts and bags in a variety of styles and sizes – all completely free to any current UofL student.

An official ribbon cutting was held Feb. 5. said the university has a “shared responsibility to remove barriers so every student regardless of background or circumstances can fully pursue their goals.”

“This space exists because our students were honest with us about what they needed to be confident,” she said. “The university believes success is more than course work. It’s about success. It’s about confidence. It’s about access.”

As students prepare for spring career fairs, the SSC aims to ensure they walk into interviews focused on their skills, not their clothes. The clothing resource is open Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 3 p.m. and is staffed by SSC student workers.

How it began

The closet represents an expansion of student support that grew out of a series of “pop-up” events. Charice Patterson in the said she saw the need as far back as 2020.

“I’ve always thought it would be nice to see a professional clothing closet on campus,” Patterson said. “And then we had a student employee in the Career Center who really took on the project to turn this wish list idea into reality.”

Natalie Hicks, a student in the , helped plan the original pop-ups. Hicks believes the resource fills a critical need for students balancing professional expectations with financial hurdles.

“Growing up first generation and low income, we can be overlooked and outsourcing for resources,” Hicks said. “In the business school, there is a lot of expectations on appearance, and it can be inaccessible for low-income students.”

The first pop-up event was so successful they “gave away almost everything,” eventually requiring three times the amount of donations to meet student demand for the second one. That response led to a collaboration between the Career Center and the SSC to establish a permanent home.

The power of partnership

Hire Attire now falls under the wider umbrella of services related to accessibility offered by the SSC. SSC Manager Josie Raymond helped lead the effort to get the resource established permanently.

“It’s been really fun to watch students come in, try on their first-ever suit and walk out feeling really confident,” Raymond said.

Other on-campus partners included the , which helped convert the previous storage space into a boutique-like atmosphere, and the which offers casual wear and gives the more professional pieces to Hire Attire.��

Community partners have donated attire and hosted donation drives, including C. E.& S. Foundation, DXL Big + Tall, Dress for Success Louisville, Omni Louisville and Portland Avenue Community Trust.

Supported by campus partners, local organizations and a growing network of donors, Hire Attire reflects what can happen when a community comes together for its students. It’s more than a clothing resource; it’s a collective investment in redefining student success.

For more information, .��

Cardarelli joined UofL as dean of the School of Public Health and Information Sciences in April 2024. In March 2025, she was appointed interim university provost to provide leadership for academic affairs and set the university’s curricula through collaboration with faculty, staff and students.��

“Since Dr. Cardarelli arrived on UofL’s campus, she has, time and time again, proven her talents as an innovative, forward-thinking and strategic leader in higher education,” Bradley said. “For this search, we took every measure to garner feedback on our finalists from our entire university community. With so many outstanding candidates, we had much to consider, but we are confident that we found the best person for the job in Dr. Cardarelli.” 

Cardarelli’s priorities will continue to focus on student success and further develop a strategic undergraduate success plan to dramatically improve retention. As interim provost, Cardarelli has played a key role in several initiatives such as the development of the university’s 2026-30 Strategic Plan, establishment of the Navigating Teaching Challenges program to support educators as they navigate legislative and policy changes and the development of the Student Success Task Force, which uses informed data and real-time problem-solving to improve student success.��

Before coming to UofL, Cardarelli spent 10 years at the University of Kentucky, where she served in several positions, including senior associate provost for administration and academic affairs. She also served as assistant provost and senior assistant provost for faculty affairs, associate dean for academic student and faculty affairs, and department chair at UK. Her research focuses on community-engaged approaches to reducing chronic diseases in rural and urban communities. She has served as principal investigator on more than $14 million in grants funded by the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Department of Agriculture and other sponsors.��

A professor of epidemiology and population health, Cardarelli received her Master of Public Health degree at University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth. She went on to earn a doctorate in epidemiology at University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and completed the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine fellowship at Drexel University.�� 

“To help further enhance UofL’s standing as a nationally recognized institute of higher education – one that is marked by student success, breakthroughs in research and strong community engagement – is the opportunity of a lifetime for me,” Cardarelli said. “I want to thank President Bradley, the Board of Trustees, the search committee and all those who supported my candidacy for this opportunity, and I very much look forward to working with our faculty, staff and students on shaping what will no doubt be a bright future for the University of Louisville.”  

“The value Dr. Cardarelli brings to this position cannot be overstated,” Bradley said. “We look forward to seeing her vision for UofL come to life in the short and long term.” 

First up was Bradley, who was unanimously voted president by the Board of Trustees on March 26. In his remarks, Bradley emphasized how “his heart is with UofL,” and that played a significant role in his decision to accept the appointment.

“I am excited about the future of our great university,” said Bradley, who joined UofL as dean of the School of Dentistry in August 2016 and served as provost in both interim and permanent roles since 2022. “We have fantastic people in place to keep our momentum going forward.”

Bradley, along with Faculty Senate President Eugene Mueller, Staff Senate President Kevin Ledford and Board Chair Diane Medley, fielded questions about changes in university leadership.

Mueller and Ledford said the timeline needed to conduct a national search (average 1.5 to 2 years) was not practical given the immediate needs of ongoing university initiatives.

“The constituent representatives on the board – Faculty Senate, Staff Senate and Student Government – were all fully involved in the process and stand by the measure,” said Mueller.

Bradley was appointed with a three-year contract, rather than the customary five-year contract. In two years, the Board of Trustees along with all appropriate shared governance mechanisms, will conduct a formal review of Bradley’s work.

“We have a strong leader in President Bradley, and we look forward to working with him,” added Medley.

In his remarks, Bradley said that there will be no major changes in policies or priorities from the previous administration. Those priorities include completion of the university’s current Strategic Plan and development of the new Strategic Plan, which will be introduced in early 2026. Growing student enrollment and retention are among other university goals.

When asked about the potential impacts of the recently passed (an act relating to diversity, equity and inclusion), Bradley said that the university is an agent of the state and must abide by the law. However, the university’s general counsel, along with the general counsels from several other Kentucky universities, is working with the state attorney general to get clarification on what the law requires.

Interim Provost Cardarelli echoed Bradley’s comments about the university’s current priorities. She added that student success is one of her priorities and wants to create initiatives that promote a shared understanding among faculty, staff and administrators of their respective roles to prioritize a meaningful and productive higher education experience for UofL’s students.

Cardarelli will also drive ongoing efforts to ensure that faculty compensation standards are competitive in today’s market.

Concerns about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) efforts’ impact on UofL’s international students and faculty were raised at both meetings.

Paul Hofmann, associate vice provost for international affairs, addressed those concerns with Faculty Senate, and Cardarelli did so with the Staff Senate.

Recently, rumors circulated about ICE agents detaining international students on the Health Sciences Center Campus. Cardarelli and Hofmann said that these rumors were not true and noted that, if ICE were to come to any of the university’s campuses, they would first contact the University of Louisville Police Department.

The larger concern, according to Hofmann, is international students’ ability to return to the United States after traveling abroad, including those who travel as part of UofL-sponsored travel abroad programs. While a visa allows an individual to attempt to enter a country, it does not guarantee entry. The final decision on whether one is allowed to enter rests with the immigration officials at the port of entry.

The UofL International Center provides guidance to international students on how to best consider their decisions to travel abroad for personal, academic or professional reasons.

The next meeting of the University of Louisville Faculty Senate is Thursday, May 1, 3-5 p.m., Chao Auditorium, Ekstrom Library, Belknap Campus. Meeting minutes, committee reports, action items and other information are available on the .

The Staff Senate’s next meeting is Tuesday, May 13, at 2:30 p.m., on Teams. Meeting minutes, committee reports, action items and other information are available on the .

“The Humana Foundation’s generous grant enables us to not only enhance our research capacity but also continue our commitment to breaking down barriers and achieving equal health outcomes,” said University of Louisville President Kim Schatzel. “This partnership will generate a lasting impact for all and allows us to further amplify our efforts to reduce health disparities and fulfill our mission of improving lives through education, research and service.”

This six-year initiative positions the university as a leader in addressing systemic health disparities through innovative solutions that can serve as national models. Led by Dean Katie Cardarelli and Ted Smith, professor of environmental medicine representing the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, the center will advance interdisciplinary research and foster collaboration across multiple fields and deepen understanding of social determinants of health. By tackling systemic barriers to health equity, the center aims to foster best-in-class community engagement and solution-oriented research that aligns with national health equity standards.��

“The Humana Foundation is proud to continue its partnership with the University of Louisville in its mission to foster health equity and drive impactful research and community engagement,” said Tiffany Benjamin, chief executive officer of the Humana Foundation. “Together, we aim to generate lasting, meaningful change by addressing the root causes of health disparities and ensuring that innovative solutions are accessible to all.”

Why this research matters

Health disparities, shaped by social determinants such as housing, education and access to health care, contribute to unequal health outcomes across communities. By addressing these systemic barriers, the Humana Health Equity Research Center will play a pivotal role in reshaping public health policy and practice at a national scale. The center’s efforts will generate data-driven insights, develop best practices for community engagement and create innovative, evidence-based interventions to advance health equity.

Building on research leadership

This grant builds upon UofL’s strong foundation of health equity research, UofL’s and the Humana Foundation’s earlier health equity work and the university’s reputation as a leader in community engagement. The funding will enhance the university’s ability to attract top-tier faculty, expand resources and retain the prestigious Carnegie Foundation’s Classification for Community Engagement. These enhancements further UofL’s capacity to tackle pressing public health issues with a national and global reach.

National and regional impact

The Humana Health Equity Research Center will develop accessible frameworks for addressing health disparities, benefiting communities throughout Kentucky and serving as a replicable model for other regions. By integrating research with actionable solutions, the center is poised to influence policy and practice across the nation, solidifying UofL’s status as a trailblazer in health equity innovation.

The commitment to the Humana Health Equity Research Center is expected to enhance faculty resources within the School of Public Health and Information Sciences and the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, allowing faculty to undertake advanced research on the social determinants of health and other health equity issues. It will also build upon previous work with Humana and the Humana Foundation to address health equity challenges in Louisville and Kentucky more broadly.

Through this grant, UofL strengthens its commitment to building healthier communities and ensuring equitable access to health resources for all, setting a benchmark for impactful research and meaningful engagement.