“On the 10-year anniversary of the program, it was time to honor and thank the two individuals whose driving vision and support launched what has become the Kosair Charities Center for Pediatric NeuroRecovery by naming these awards in their honor,” said Andrea Behrman, director of the center. “Further, we are proud to present these awards to individuals whose support and contribution have had a significant positive impact on the lives of children with spinal cord injuries and their families.”

The Susan J. Harkema Pediatric NeuroRecovery Research Award honors Harkema’s “enduring generosity in sharing her vision to advance recovery for adults with spinal cord injury to children with SCI, the contributions of her research as the foundation and catalyst for recovery and her unwavering support of the Pediatric NeuroRecovery Program,” Behrman said.

The first recipient of the Susan J. Harkema Pediatric NeuroRecovery Research Award is Yury Gerasimenko, professor in UofL’s . Known as the father of neuromodulation, Gerasimenko extended his spinal stimulation technology and work using neuromodulation to advance motor recovery of postural control, arm and hand function and walking in children with SCI.  

“His work embodies the characteristics of generosity in sharing his knowledge to advance recovery in children with SCI. We are grateful for his contributions of research and unwavering support of the Pediatric NeuroRecovery Program,” Behrman said.

The second recipient of the Susan J. Harkema Research Award is Goutam Singh, assistant professor at Spalding University and visiting scientist in the Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, for his research in pediatric SCI relative to respiratory function, trunk control and neuromodulation.

The A. Keith Inman Pediatric NeuroRecovery Community Service Award recognizes the contributions of Inman, who served as president of Kosair Charities from 2017-2021 and previously as vice president for advancement at UofL. The award honors those who support children and adolescents with spinal cord injury and their families through the gift of their own time and community-based support.

The first recipients of the A. Keith Inman Pediatric NeuroRecovery Community Service Award are Amy Brown and Jennifer Nachreiner of RISE AGAIN, a not-for-profit organization that supports those with spinal cord illness or injury to reach beyond expectations. As parents of children with spinal cord injury, Brown and Nachreiner have first-hand knowledge of the challenges facing parents and families of children with spinal cord injury.

The second recipient is Alyssa Lemons, who established and maintains a Facebook group “” as a resource for parents and caregivers of children and adolescents with spinal cord injury.

On behalf of the awardees, $10,000 ($2,500 for each award) was donated to the Shelley A. Trimble Pediatric NeuroRecovery Fund at the University of Louisville. The Trimble fund provides assistance for children with SCI and their families to fill the gaps in insurance, funding for clinical services at UofL Health – Frazier Rehab Institute and travel and lodging for children and families participating in research at the Center for Pediatric NeuroRecovery.

The Pediatric NeuroRecovery Summit was a two-day educational forum tapping a broad array of expertise on recent scientific research and innovations that may effectively advance the recovery of children with spinal cord injury. More than 35 invited researchers, physicians, therapists, psychologists and SCI community members from across the United States, the United Kingdom and France attended to network and to address progress in recovery in children with spinal cord injury and outreach to educate health care professionals and families concerning the potential for recovery that now exists for these children.

Speakers included Karen Adolph of New York University, Federico Canavese of Universite de Lille, France, Gerasimenko, Singh, Katie Lucas of UofL, and Kyle Brothers and Margaret Calvery of UofL and Norton Children’s, along with parents of children with SCI.

The summit is held every two years in conjunction with the .

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.

His path eventually took him to other places – an insurance business in Elizabethtown, the University of Maryland, Cary, North Carolina, and Jewish Hospital in Louisville. But he often came back to UofL; since 1978, Inman has served in a variety of capacities on both the Belknap and HSC campuses.

In 2006, Inman was named VP for University Advancement for UofL and has served in that role since. At the end of this month, he will retire from the university before embarking on a new adventure as president of Kosair Charities. 

UofL News had the chance to talk to Inman about his nearly 40-year career, what kept him coming back to campus throughout those years, and what he will miss most about working for his alma mater.

UofL News: What made you want to stay here to start your career and return again after other opportunities?

Keith Inman: For me, UofL has always been home. It has been a good place to be from and a good place to be. Early in my career I was like a lot of young people: I had no clue what I wanted to be when I grew up, so change was necessary. As I learned more about myself, I knew I could make a difference here. I went to other places to learn, to get out of my comfort zone, be challenged, grow and to hone my trade. When I came back in 2006, it was with and for a purpose. That was to start and complete a campaign. One with a magnitude we had never done. It was a big goal, I knew given the time and resources we could do it.

UofL News: How have your roles at UofL differed? Are there any similarities?

Keith Inman: All have a development or fundraising purpose, so they were similar there. Each had a vision or role to be bigger, be the best and make a difference in their respective areas of focus. In each area, we came to work wanting to improve and compete at higher levels. So as I think about it, there are many more similarities than differences.

UofL News: What has been your biggest challenge at UofL?

Keith Inman: It is hard to think about one challenge, there have been several. Obviously, the issues we are facing now may be the largest, as it seems to be dragging on and on. I am sure we will get through them, as many people are working hard to heal and put these events in the rear view mirror. We have always faced challenges with people not understanding the process of philanthropy, what it takes to be successful and the resources necessary to create a team.

UofL News: What would you consider your biggest personal accomplishment here?

Keith Inman: I don’t really think about my accomplishments, I think about our accomplishments. No one does it by themselves. There is a team behind everything. (Inman’s wife Susan) and I have raised two outstanding kids. Gary the oldest is about to graduate from the Culinary Institute of America in New York. He is passionate, hard-working and driven to create. James, the youngest, is a junior at Bellarmine. He is a very good student and a great golfer. James works hard and is driven to be the best. Both are little comedians. We are very proud of each.

At UofL we have many accomplishments. The team broke 10 records in a row for fundraising production. We have established a world class Alumni Association. Advancement Services operates at a very high level with almost no mistakes. We have hired great people. When we started, Advancement was the gang that could not shoot straight; we had issues. Now we are the department that is held up as a place that is a Best Practice organization. Again, we did this together.

UofL News: What is your favorite place on campus?

Keith Inman: Crawford Gym … No wait … Actually, the Quadrangle between the Library, Life Sciences and Humanities. It is beautiful and peaceful.

UofL News: How has the role of advancement changed throughout your career, if at all?

Keith Inman: There have many changes. It used to be an art. With technology, it has also become a science. It is still a people business and one that is done face to face. It is about the human experience and it is about the relationship. It is about something bigger than you. It is not about you, it is about the donor and the project.  It more important now than ever. As other sources of revenue and budgets decrease, this is an area that theoretically can produce an infinite amount of funding, if proper resources are supplied. It has always been about the ask and the stewardship. We all need to do a better job with the stewardship.

UofL News: What will you miss most about UofL?

Keith Inman: I know everyone says the people. I will do the same. I will miss the people. After all, what else is there?  

Retirement reception scheduled July 19

A retirement reception will be held for Inman July 19 from 4-6 p.m. in the University Club Ballroom. A short program will begin at 5 p.m. RSVP by Friday, July 14 via email.