“Dr. Smith is a distinguished physician and leader, uniquely positioned to continue the momentum of UofL Health,� Gerry Bradley, University of Louisville president, said. “His combination of clinical experience, innovative leadership and consensus building is well known among our team and colleagues across the nation. I look forward to the impact he will have on the health of our community and commonwealth.�

Smith has served as CMO for UofL Health since its inception in November 2019 and served as CMO for UofL Health – UofL Hospital from 2017 to 2019. He has been a member of the University of Louisville School of Medicine faculty since 2008.

“I strongly believe in the mission of UofL Health,� Smith shared. “Being able to serve our organization in this role is exciting and I look forward to continuing to work alongside our team to provide quality, patient-centered care to our community. I want to thank former CEO, Tom Miller, for his leadership and the UofL Health Board for this opportunity.�

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith led the health system’s response and served as an expert voice throughout Kentuckiana and the commonwealth.

Last year, he was awarded the Paragon Award from the Greater Louisville Medical Society for his outstanding contributions to health care leadership, advocacy for gun violence victims and his commitment to the education of future physicians.

Smith earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry from Wright State University before completing hisÌımedicalÌıdegreeÌıatÌıTheÌıOhioÌıStateÌıUniversity. He completed his residency inÌısurgery at The Ohio State University before joining the University of Louisville. Smith earned his Ph.D. in physiology and biophysics from UofL in 2012. He received a master of business administration from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University in 2019. He is board-certified in general surgery and critical care by the American Board of Surgery.

For more information on the UofL Health, visit: .

About UofL Health

UofL Health is a not-for-profit (501(c)(3)) fully integrated regional academic health system with nine hospitals, four medical centers, Brown Cancer Center, Eye Institute, more than 250 physician practice locations, and more than 1,200 providers in Louisville and the surrounding counties, including southern Indiana. Additional access to UofL Health is provided through a partnership with Carroll County Memorial Hospital.

ÌıAffiliated with the University of Louisville School of Medicine, UofL Health is committed to providing patients with access to the most advanced care available. This includes clinical trials, collaboration on research and the development of new technologies to both save and improve lives. With more than 14,000 team members – physicians, surgeons, nurses, pharmacists and other highly-skilled healthcareÌıprofessionals, UofL Health is focused on one mission: to transform the health of communities we serve through compassionate, innovative, patient-centered care. For more information on UofL Health, go to .

The program is a nine-month training course where students gain hands-on experience creating and testing their ideas in the real world. The curriculum includes opportunities to prototype new designs while participating in workshops and lectures led by faculty at the UofL School of Medicine, College of Business and J.B. Speed School of Engineering.Ìı

“This is about training the next generation of innovators in health care and medicine,â€� said In Kim, a professor of pediatric medicine and program lead. “With Bluegrass Biodesign, we hope to equip UofL students with the tools they need to launch technologies that can save lives.â€�Ìı

Students complete the program in multidisciplinary teams, each blending undergraduate and graduate students in medicine and engineering. The idea is that they each bring insights from their own area of expertise that could help them solve problems and innovate.

“What we find is that innovation is a team sport,� said Beth Spurlin, an associate professor and co-director of the program. “The best solutions come from different people with different perspectives working together. With Bluegrass Biodesign, we give students the opportunity to experience that before they even leave campus.�

Eight teams — a total of 58 students —participated in the 2024-2025 cohort.ÌıLogan Davis, an M.D./MBA student, said the experience taught him just how much work goes into developing the innovations his patients will one day rely on. His team worked on a device to help patients who struggle with both urinary control and motor tremor and/or dexterity. The solution for the former is to self-catheterize, which can be difficult without full control of your hands or arms.Ìı

“We wanted to target this set of problems to give back some comfort and autonomy to these patients,� said Davis, who also was co-president for the 2023-2024 cohort. “This is a process I am so thankful to have been a part of, and I plan on using the biodesign process Bluegrass BioDesign is based on for the rest of my career to design/improve care for all of my patients.�

The student teams also complete business training via , the office’s accelerated entrepreneurial bootcamp that is part of UofL’s National Science Foundation program, housed in the . In the 2024 cycle, all eight teams received $3,000 in funding, along with mentorship and training, via the I-Corps program.

“We are thrilled to formalize the collaboration between Bluegrass Biodesign and UofL’s I-Corps program,â€� said Jessica Sharon, senior director of innovation programs and new ventures, who leads I-Corps and LaunchIt. “We are proud of these students’ hard work in the program to identify and validate market needs they are working to solve!â€�

Applications for the next cycle of Bluegrass Biodesign will be open for submission at the beginning of the spring 2025 semester. Learn more and apply .

The vast majority — — of those athletes came from American colleges and universities, including several from the University of Louisville who traded their Cardinal red for red, white and blue.Ìı

This month, several Cardinals will also head to Paris to compete in the summer games.Ìı

So why do so many Olympic athletes come from academia? According to UofL researcher Meg Hancock, who studies college athletics, it comes down to the unique environment and resources available to college athletes that allow them to achieve an elite level of competition.Ìı

“It’s a formula for success that starts with these bright, talented, ambitious students — they’re driven, both on the court and in the classroom, � said Hancock, an associate professor at the UofL . “When you take a great athlete, and support them with coaches, mentors, health experts and other resources only universities can offer, they become more and more competitive, even on an international stage.�

That ‘formula’ is likely why more than 170 U.S. colleges and universities have produced Olympians, with UofL alone producing around 40 — and some Olympic-level coaches — since 1980. Those athletes, representing 20 different countries, competed in events as wide ranging as rugby, swimming and diving and track and field.

“I think it’s phenomenal that we have folks who are competitive across that breadth,â€� Hancock said. “It’s an incredible opportunity for these student athletes to compete on a world stage and represent their home countries.â€�Ìı

UofL, she said, has taken a leading role in supporting student athletes and working to help them improve their Olympic chances. UofL and have been on the forefront in taking a holistic approach to athlete performance, including looking at players’ physical, mental and nutritional health and that helps them minimize risk and improve their technique.

“That holistic approach is part of UofL’s strong commitment to the health, safety, and performance of all of our student athletes,â€� said Pat Ivey, associate athletic director for student athlete health and performance. “We want to ensure that they’re firing on all cylinders and on all fronts — that we’re helping them achieve not only their athletic or Olympic aspirations, but overall wellbeing.â€�Ìı

UofL also offers student athletes access to a suite of trainers, health care experts and clinicians via its official care provider, . That care is unique among universities, Hancock said, because it puts heavy focus on mental and emotional health, with UofL Health for student athletes.Ìı

“We have built the nation’s largest team of mental health professionals with a focus on student-athletes. This commitment is directly enhancing individual and team performance in UofL sports,� said Kate O’Bryan, director of the UofL Athletics Mental Health and Performance Team, a partnership with UofL Health. “The integrated approach, alongside our other services in sport science, nutrition, athletic training, and sport performance, positions UofL Athletics as a leading model of high performance for other universities to emulate

Mental health has been a big part of the recent public discussion around Olympic athletic performance, especially since gymnast Simone Biles famously withdrew over concerns at the 2020 Tokyo Games. But even so, some surveys show think mental health is a priority for their athletics department.

“They’re under a lot of pressure,â€� Hancock said. “UofL has worked to address that, and now, other colleges are seeing this as a model and thinking about the role mental health and mental performance play in athletics at this level. To compete in the Olympics, you have to consider the whole athlete.â€�Ìı

Britt was the 66^th world figure to come to the as part of itsÌı. Since 1993, the series has hosted prominent guests including U.S. presidents, cabinet members, Supreme Court justices and congressional and international leaders.

Throughout the one-hour program held at Chao Auditorium and , Britt emphasized the importance of respect and trust, despite party lines. Upon her introduction to the U.S. Senate, Britt became friends with Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. Britt expressed that they could collaborate on matters crucial to the public despite any differences.

“We’ve got to have a lot of tough conversations in this county and if ever we want those tough conversations to actually yield results, they are going to have to be honest,� Britt said. “If you are going to be honest, you are going to have to trust and respect the person sitting across from you.�

Britt met with the university’sÌı before the public presentation and praised the scholars for their thoughtful questions.

“I was soaking up every bit of hope that these young people gave me,� she said.

Britt also praised McConnell’s leadership and credited him with inviting her on an international trip to engage with foreign leaders on security matters. Reflecting on the experience, she highlighted its lasting impact to encourage her to empower others as well.

“When you march through that door, look back, grab somebody else’s hand and take them with you, because that is exactly what we are going to need to do to have success in this nation,� she said.

In moments of doubt, advice Britt’s grandfather told her continues to guide her. He said she only has control over four things: her character, her integrity, her work ethic and how she treats others. He advised her not to let anything beyond these factors dictate how she viewed herself.

“The world will place limitations on you, but it is the ones you place on yourself that will do the most damage,� Britt said.

In 2023, Britt was sworn in as Alabama’s first elected female senator and is the youngest Republican woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate.

In his remarks before Britt’s talk, McConnell said Britt was his “favorite freshmanâ€� and “there was no better choiceâ€� to give the Republican response to the State of the Union address in March.

The program concluded with a gift — a bottle of Old Forester Single Barrel bourbon from UofL to Britt.

“This is my first trip to Kentucky but I’m hopeful I will be back,� Britt said.

UofL News:ÌıTell us how you first landed at UofL.

Margaret Hill:ÌıI’m from a little town in Eastern Kentucky – Ravenna. I’m a proud alumna of Estill County High School and I went to Eastern Kentucky University for my undergrad. I came to the UofL School of Dentistry partially because it just felt right. It was a good fit for me.Ìı

UofL News:ÌıYou’ve been part of the UofL community for more than 30 years as a student, faculty, associate dean and now interim dean. What has kept you here?Ìı

Hill:ÌıFor me, I think I can distill it down into something very simple. I am addicted to the magic that happens – and it usually happens at chair-side when there’s a student as the operator, a patient in the chair and a faculty member working together. The charge that you get in a clinical setting or the charge that you get when you’re in a didactic setting or a research setting, when students have that ‘aha’ moment and they get it. You have helped them understand a major concept, and especially if it was something that they were struggling with. It is one of the biggest thrills I’ve ever experienced in my life. I think most of us who are in the educational environment live for those moments. There’s such a sense of accomplishment and joy that you’re passing on what someone gave to you.

UofL News: Many people say the School of Dentistry is like a family. What do you think?

Hill:ÌıVery much so. This place is and has always been a family. It’s always felt like family to me. Sometimes it’s quantifiable in the ways that we support each other, and sometimes it’s just that sense of knowing that others are here for you and here to support you, and they’re interested in your success.

We want our graduates to be able to be the best, safe, competent, confident, beginning dental professional they can possibly be. Everything we do is oriented toward that. There’s no decision that is made that isn’t oriented toward that at its fundamental, basic level. We want our students to be successful.Ìı

UofL News:ÌıThinking back to when you were in dental school, what is one great piece of advice from a faculty member that has stuck with you?

Hill:ÌıWe lost Dr. Tom O’Toole recently, and I’ve thought a lot about the contributions he made for all of us who were able to work with him in a clinical or classroom setting. He was a remarkable example of somebody who had such an excellent sense of human nature. I believe that in today’s language we would say he had a very high emotional intelligence.

He taught me so much about working with people, including children. He was a pediatric dentist, and so many of the things that he taught were focused in working with pediatric patients, but it can be applied to people of all ages. He never talked down to children, they just weren’t as knowledgeable as somebody who was a little bit older. And he treated everyone with respect. I use his advice every day.

UofL News: Could you ever have imagined that you’d end up serving as interim dean?

Hill:ÌıNot in a million years. I feel like I represent every woman who has ever gone through this institution. I feel like I represent every woman who’s ever worked for this institution. It’s really important for us in our history, and I can’t tell you what a privilege it is to be able to be the first woman to serve in this position.Ìı

UofL News: What are your goals as the current leader of the School of Dentistry?

Hill:ÌıMy goal is to stay on track with many of the initiatives that Dr. Bradley has started and continued in some cases. We’re not moving away from any of those things. We have a tremendous team assembled, and I have the privilege to work with many individuals dedicated to making sure we educate the best safe, competent dental professionals that we can educate.

My other goal is to continue to work toward our site visit from the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) that’s coming up in 2023. It’s really important that we are successful. We are actively in preparation for all of the self-study that has to be done prior to accreditation, and it’s going very well.

I am truly honored that Dr. Bradley chose me to lead the school at this time, and I am fully committed to continuing its legacy of 135 years of excellence in patient care, education and research.

Ìı

The inaugural winners of these awards are:

Community of care: Jenna Orwick, program coordinator, UofL Health Promotion

Orwick was a lead facilitator on the Growing Mindfulness Initiative, a campus-wide collaborative effort built around the Cardinal Principles to cultivate a community of care through mindfulness. She has coordinated weekly mindfulness programming and other services and workshops for the entire campus community. “Jenna has been essential in creating a culture on campus of compassion, gratitude, kindness and health mentally and physically,� according to her nomination.

Accountability: Cathy Carter and Roberta Devers from the Human Subjects Protection Program OfficeÌı

The office reviews research submissions that involve human participants and serves as the administration office to support the UofL Institutional Review Board. In 2020, the office transitioned its entire operation despite a high volume of time-sensitive work due to COVID. Carter and Devers have motivated the team by hosting discussions and meetings based on the Cardinal Principles.

Respect: Tamara Russell, academic coordinator senior, University Honors

According to her nomination letter, Russell “has a rare and extraordinary ability to subvert existing hierarchies to uplift and empower students. She is ceaseless and unwavering in highlighting students’ strengths, making space and creating platforms for them to speak their own truths, and supporting them to carry out their visions and plans … At the same time, she is able to see multiple perspectives and act as a liaison and mediator.�

Diversity and inclusion: Jonathan Hughes, director of admissions, Speed School of Engineering

Hughes has come up with creative initiatives that have yielded an increased number of African American and Black students attending the Speed School, according to his nomination. He also greatly increased the Latinx and first-generation student population at the school.

Integrity and transparency: Julie Dials, senior executive director of Development, University Advancement

According to her nomination, Dials exhibits the Cardinal Principles in her daily work. One of her values is also integrity. “She doesn’t just expect this of us as we deal with one another as well as with donors, but she also walks the walk. I have seen her time and time again display herself as an honest leader, one that extends grace and always assumes good intention.�

Noble purpose: Karen Thompson, administrative assistant, A&S Criminal Justice

During the pandemic, Thompson continued to come into the office, stating the work needs to be done and the faculty need support. According to her nomination, “Her belief in the noble purpose of our collective work has definitely helped the department’s faculty weather the storm of 2020-21, but it has also helped to shine a bright light on how her kindness, generosity and sense of care are too often underappreciated. This past year has made it abundantly clear … that things would fairly quickly start coming apart at the seams if she wasn’t there to keep holding it all together.�

Agility:ÌıMichael Mardis, Stephanie Reibert, Tim Moore, Angela Taylor, Heather Gentry, Kevin Lush, Ryan Sears, Joe Elliott, Amanda James, Lily Assgari, Kassie Flanery, Scott Burks, Vanessa Blair, Janet Cappiello, Paul DeMarco, Courtney Kerr, Reilly Brown, Zach Pennington, Mary Ann Vetter, Commencement Planning Team

The team recommended the postponement of May 2020 commencement due to the pandemic and began planning for a virtual celebration to honor what would have been the spring 2020 commencement date. The team then started to plan the virtual commencement ceremony in December 2020 and continued to meet weekly to plan and execute a return to in-person commencement exercises in May.

Leadership: Brandyn Bailey, Nubia Bennett, Blaz Bush, Valerie Casey, Sarah Garrison, Leondra Gully, Lisa Gunterman, LaJa Hurt, Jamieca Jones, Faye Jones, Goldie Latta, Daquarius Mahone, Marcos Morales, Monica Negron, Patsy Russell, Enid Trucios-Haynes, Marian Vasser, Aaron Weathers II, Phyllis Webb, Brevin Woodford, Shonna Boyd-Wagner, Kiana Fields, Vicki Hines-Martin, Karen Krigger,Jon Moody, Steven Osborne, Ryan Simpson, Tonia Thomas, Craig Ziegler, Diane Whitlock, Diversity and Equity Division

The DEI has stayed the course of its noble purpose, including some pushing back, to make a difference in the campus and the community, the nomination notes. “Even when they receive messages that their policy recommendations, messages or trainings are ‘too much’ or ‘not realistic’ or ‘don’t play nice enough,’ the DEI unit continues to speak up and out to try to make the action that is needed … As we move forward, this group will most likely continue to be instrumental in the leadership of the [Cardinal Anti-Racist Agenda] as the agenda must move from a dream into realities.�

Read more about these .

The Ìıat the University of Louisville has launched a smartphone app, Leadership Amplifier, to help new and experienced leaders develop these skills by embedding them in their day-to-day activities.

“Classroom instruction helps people learn concepts about leadership and practice leadership skills, but even when people learn well, they may never translate that knowledge and skill into everyday application,� said Ryan Quinn, associate professor of management at the UofL College of Business and academic director of PPL. “Leadership Amplifier allows leaders in training to practice those skills in their everyday activities with inspiration and advice from others in a learning community.�

The Leadership Amplifier app is available for users in the U.S. in and the .

The app is a centerpiece of PPL’s efforts to increase positive leadership in the world by providing training and tools for developing leaders at every level – students, higher education instructors, executives and executive leadership coaches. PPL worked in partnership with Slingshot, a Louisville company founded by UofL College of Business alumnus David Galownia, to develop the app to support classroom education and make it available to everyone.

Leadership Amplifier is free to download with all the app’s functions for an individual or a community of up to three individuals to practice positive leadership. With a subscription, users can create a larger community.

“Anyone can use the app by gathering a group of people to practice leadership, setting aside regular times to make and report on plans, then give advice and feedback to others,� Quinn said. “Or they can use the app on their own by setting a regular time to make plans to practice various aspects of leadership and then reflect on those plans.�

Classes offered through the program incorporate Leadership Amplifier to help participants apply the skills and concepts they learn in the classes to their everyday lives, translating those ideas into changed behavior. Instructors can use Leadership Amplifier in undergraduate or graduate classes as well, and can join a to discuss ways to use the tools for developing positive leadership.

“The Leadership Amplifier app is a great way to plan, share, analyze best practices and get feedback on your path to being a better leader,� said Beth Williams, director of UofL Health Sciences Center faculty affairs, who used the app in a class taught by Quinn.

Increasing positive leadership is the fundamental goal of the , founded by the UofL College of Business to create and disseminate teaching tools for positive leadership, support research in the field and collaborate with units within the university and other organizations throughout the region and beyond. In addition to the app, PPL provides , many of them free, on the PPL website.

“Positive leadership begins when people exhibit virtues such as courage, compassion, integrity or humility with more excellence than if they had conformed to convention,� Quinn said. “Consistent, skillful virtue requires practice in a wide array of everyday activities. Leadership Amplifier can help leaders practice these skills and turn them into habits.�

This is the second year the project has provided five grants of up to $5,000 each to be used for research or to develop instructional tools that focus on positive leadership. The grants are funded by a donation from the Sam and Bonnie Rechter Family Trust.

“Positive leadership begins with actions that exhibit virtue with more excellence than a person would have exhibited if she had conformed to convention,� said Ryan Quinn, associate professor of management and academic director of the Project on Positive Leadership. “These projects each address a specific need for better understanding the characteristics and behaviors that result in positive leadership.�

The 2021 Rechter Fellows and their projects:

• Brad Shuck, associate professor and program director in the Human Resource and Organizational Development Program of the UofL College of ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥ and Human Development, and Rajashi Ghosh, associate professor of human resource development and chair of the Department of Policy, Organization and Leadership in School of ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥ at Drexel University: Shuck and Ghosh will develop the Compassionate Coaching Leader Index (CCLI) by assessing how effective leaders avoid compassion fatigue, providing insights about how leader development programs could be framed around the lens of positive leadership through compassion.

• Isabel C. Botero, director of the UofL Family Business Center in the College of Business and associate professor of entrepreneurship, JocelynÌıDeamer,Ìıprogram coordinator for the Family Business Center, and Sarah Snyder, intern in the Family Business Center: The researchers will explore how family businesses engage in positive leadership and inspire family and non-family employees and increase understanding of the role that family business members have in the well-being of the community.

• Dejun (Tony) Kong, associate professor in management at the University of South Florida’s Muma College of Business: Kong will develop measures for students and practitioners to assess self-awareness, social mindfulness and a virtuous mindset in relation to ethical leadership.

• Katherine (Kat) K. Bae, PhD candidate at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan: Bae proposes that engaging in positive leadership can be energizing and beneficial for the leaders themselves. Her project will focus on the responsibility of effective leaders in motivating followers to explore the question: When and why doÌıpositive leadership behaviors increase leaders’ own subsequent energy and motivation?
• Lauren Locklear, PhD candidate at the University of Central Florida: Locklear’sproject will examine the relationship between supervisors’ expressed appreciation and subordinates’ felt appreciation and suggest a feedback intervention to reduce or eliminate the tendency for people to overestimate the extent to which others can discern their internal states, understand their expressions and comprehend their communications.

The grants are awarded for the 2021 calendar year. Instructional tools developed or research conducted through the Rechter Fellowships will be made available for distribution through the Project on Positive Leadership to help advance its mission.

Encouraging virtues in leadership is the fundamental goal of the , an interdisciplinary unit housed in the University of Louisville College of Business. The project was founded to conduct research and to create and disseminate teaching tools for positive leadership, support research within the field and collaborate with other units within our university and other organizations throughout the region and beyond who embrace similar missions.

The Project on Positive Leadership, a partnership between the University of Louisville and UofL Athletics, was created to teach virtues-based leadership skills to individuals, leaders, universities and organizations. To further this mission, the project is offering five grants of up to $5,000 to be used for research or to develop instructional tools that focus on positive leadership.

This will be the for the grants, which are funded by a donation from the Sam and Bonnie Rechter Family Trust. The grants are to be awarded for the 2021 calendar year, with awardees identified as fellows of the Project on Positive Leadership. Instructional tools developed through the Rechter Fellowships will be made available for distribution through the project to help advance its mission.

“Leadership is something that touches everyone, that everyone should aspire to and that everyone should understand. We want all of UofL’s students to grow as leaders and engaged citizens,� said Todd Mooradian, dean of the UofL College of Business. “The Rechter Fellowships foster multidisciplinary approaches to exploring and teaching leadership and will advance President Neeli Bendapudi’s vision of giving all of our students the skillsets and the mindsets to impact their world in powerful ways.�

Individuals both within and outside of UofL may submit proposals for the grants, which are due Oct. 15. For details and requirements, see the .