“Our team at UofL Health’s Jewish Hospital is dedicated to creating an environment of healing for our patients and their families. We are proud to celebrate such a big win,” said John Walsh, CEO of UofL Health – Jewish Hospital. “These incredible liver and heart transplant teams pushed boundaries to perform Kentucky’s first ever double heart and liver transplant surgery. We are pleased to give Mr. Munday a second chance at life.”

A team of five transplant surgeons and dozens of medical staff worked together for about 12 hours to perform the procedure.

“A surgery of this magnitude is choreographed from the moment the donor teams leave until the patient is taken to the ICU post-operatively. It would not have been possible without exhaustive collaboration between our heart and liver transplant surgeons, as well as the diligent anesthesia team and dedicated operating room nurses,” said Dr. Dylan Adamson, a transplant surgeon at UofL Health’s Trager Transplant Center at Jewish Hospital.

Nearly 10 years ago, Munday, 55, started having heart trouble and says doctors told him it was operating at about 25%. Those heart issues got worse in July of 2021, when he says he got caught in a ventricular storm. He suffered from multiple ventricular arrhythmias over a short period of time. His heart’s function fell to about 10% and he spent nearly two and a half months at Jewish Hospital between July and September.

He returned to Jewish Hospital on January 6. The double transplant was performed on March 22, and Munday returned home to Graham, Kentucky on April 13Ìęwith a healthy heart and liver.

“They released me from the hospital in 22 days,” Munday said, thankful for the “top notch staff.” “Everybody, the doctors, the nurses, the nursing aids treated me like a celebrity. I’m not 100% yet, but I’ve been feeling excellent.”

The heart and liver double transplant surgery becomes the latest in a long line of transplant firsts at UofL Health – Jewish Hospital:

• Kentucky’s first adult heart transplant
• Kentucky’s first pancreas transplant
• Kentucky’s first adult liver transplant
• Kentucky’s first double-lung transplant
• Kentucky’s first dual heart/lung transplant

Today, Jewish Hospital is among a very small percentage of hospitals across the country approved to perform all five solid organ transplants: heart, lung, liver, kidney, and pancreas. The hospital is also home to the World’s Most Successful Hand Transplant.

“World’s first or Kentucky’s first, these procedures demonstrate Jewish Hospital’s significance to this community and why it’s such an important part of UofL Health,” said Lori Gonzalez, UofL’s interim president.

The university led the effort to bring Jewish Hospital into the UofL Health system three years ago.

The Health Equity Innovation Hub is an integrated, multidisciplinary collaboration among The Humana Foundation, Humana and UofL that is focused on groundbreaking research, talent development, entrepreneurship and innovation, with a deliberate emphasis on health equity, social determinants of health and digital health and analytics. The Hub seeks to develop solutions for health inequities in Louisville and globally.

“Humana is pleased to donate this building in the heart of downtown Louisville to UofL, and we continue to be strong supporters of the work being done to establish the Health Equity Innovation Hub,” said Nwando Olayiwola, chief health equity officer and senior vice president at Humana. “Having the Hub in close proximity to our downtown offices will allow for better collaboration and ultimately will result in greater impact for the important work being done to solve health inequities.”

“As we considered potential new uses for the 515 building, we knew that we wanted to find an occupant that would add to the vibrancy and diversity of downtown while also aligning closely with Humana’s mission to improve the health and wellbeing of our members and communities,” said Douglas Edwards, senior vice president of enterprise associate and business solutions at Humana. “We could not think of a better neighbor for the downtown business district than UofL.”

“We appreciate Humana’s generous donation of this building to UofL, as well as the ongoing support provided by Humana and The Humana Foundation for the Health Equity Innovation Hub,” said Lori Stewart Gonzalez, interim president of UofL. “We are excited to share more details about the building and the Health Equity Innovation Hub in the near future.”

The UofL Athletic Association endorsed the hiring at its meeting Friday morning. The appointment is immediate, although contract terms have not been finalized.

“Josh is our athletics director because he represents who we are today—and who we aspire to be,” Gonzalez said. “He has a vision of the limitlessness of U of L athletics. He has built relationships with student-athletes, coaches, staff, donors, alumni and fans. He has demonstrated time and again that not only is he ready to lead our program—he is ready to elevate it.”

“Today is a great day for the University of Louisville, with the official appointment of Josh Heird as permanent athletic director,” said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. “Josh has proven to be a strong leader who will not only champion the school, but also the incredible student athletes. I believe there are very bright days ahead for UofL athletics, and Josh will be a stable, guiding force through this exciting time.”

Heird, 41, was selected following a national search that drew a “strong” pool of candidates, including sitting athletic directors from “well-known, established” universities, Gonzalez said.

“It is impossible for me to put into words the emotion that accompanies this announcement,” Heird said. “The opportunity to lead one of the premier athletic departments in the country means the world to me. Between having an MBA from this institution and being fortunate enough to spend 13 years working for this university, I am extremely aware of the responsibility and expectations that come with this appointment. I will work tirelessly to provide our world-class coaches, staff, and student-athletes with the resources essential to achieve their academic and athletic dreams.

“The Louisville Cardinals are the common thread that connects this entire community – it has been and will continue to be my goal to make this university and this city proud of this program,” he added. “I am grateful to Dr. Lori Gonzalez and others who provided input in this importance decision. Lastly, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank my family and especially my wife Abbey, for their support through my entire career.”

In his six months serving as interim athletic director, Heird hired UofL’s popular new men’s basketball coach, Kenny Payne; established an NIL department within athletics; addressed educational payments for student-athletes beginning this fall; and worked with UofL staff to plan for an operating budget for the 2022-23 year that exceeds a record $114 million.

Heird has more than 13 years experience in athletics administration at UofL and at Villanova University.

He worked at UofL from 2007 to 2016, including four years as assistant athletic director for championships and facilities. In that role, he helped design and oversee construction of the Jim Patterson Baseball Stadium expansion, the Ulmer Softball Stadium expansion, the building of the Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Soccer Stadium, the lacrosse stadium press box, as well as the Thorntons Academic Center of Excellence. ÌęHe also assisted with the day-to-day management of facility operations. Heird was responsible for management of all ACC and NCAA postseason events hosted by UofL, including the 2015 and 2012 men’s and women’s cross country national championships, the 2015 and 2012 men’s basketball second and third rounds, the 2014 women’s basketball regional, the 2012 women’s volleyball national championship and the 2012 field hockey national championship.Ìę

He then served as senior associate athletics director/chief athletics operating officer at Villanova in 2018-19 after operating nearly two years as associate athletic director for internal operations and finance. ÌęIn those roles, he provided leadership for all internal units of the athletic department and had administrative oversight with finance and budget, capital projects, ticket and equipment operation, food service, camps and overall project and event management. ÌęHe also was the sport administrator for the men’s lacrosse and men’s soccer programs, as well as the secondary administrator for men’s basketball.ÌęVillanova won the national championship in basketball in 2018.

He returned to UofL in 2019 as deputy athletic director, serving as the sport administrator for baseball, men’s basketball and football, as well as providing administrative oversight for championships, facilities/events, capital projects and equipment operations. He also provided sport oversight for men’s and women’s golf and men’s and women’s swimming and diving.

Before starting a career in collegiate athletics, Heird spent five years in Washington, D.C. working for U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho and U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard of Colorado. Ìę

Heird is a 2002 graduate of Mississippi College, where he was a member of the cross country, track and field and football teams. ÌęIn addition to being the American Southwest Conference 800-meter champion in 2001, Heird was an all-conference cross country selection in 2001 and was an academic all-conference honoree every semester of his career. He earned an MBA from UofL in 2009.

Interim President Lori Stewart Gonzalez said next year’s budget priorities are both mathematically and strategically balanced and correlate to action plans outlined in the university’s 2019-2022 strategic plan.

“We are investing in the things we value the most – our students, our faculty and staff and our university,” said Gonzalez. “We strove to develop a budget that reflects our values and what our community thinks is important to institutional success.”

The FY 2022-23 proposed budget accounts for a 0.0% tuition rate increase for undergraduate students and the development of a new Cardinal Commitment financial aid program that will supplement other forms of financial aid to help ensure full cost of attendance for resident Pell-eligible students. Commitments to increased student persistence funding and graduate student stipends are also among the financial priorities. The next fiscal year will also see the opening of two new residence halls, the Center for Engaged Learning and the Center for Military-connected Students.

Even with a $110 proposed student fee increase, UofL’s tuition, fees and housing are less than or consistent with such costs at other universities throughout Kentucky. Dan Durbin, executive vice president for finance and administration, noted that $100 of the student fee increase was necessary to help fund the university’s match for the state’s $80 million of asset preservation dollars and ongoing improvement of conditions and safety of classrooms, buildings and infrastructure. An additional $10 will support student programming and the Disability Resource Center. He added that the proposed fee increase was vetted through the Student Government Association.

Compensation and benefits are the investments earmarked for faculty and staff. If the budget is approved, a cost-of-living salary increase of 2.5% will take effect July 1, 2022. The minimum starting wage for regular full-time and part-time staff will also increase to $14.75 per hour with efforts underway to further increase that to $15 per hour by early 2023. The budget also continues the current employer retirement contributions (7.5% automatic, plus 2.5% match) and 100% tuition remission for employees and dependents. Further, employee health insurance premiums will be frozen for the first half of the fiscal year.

Investments in the university itself remain budgetary priorities. Improvements, such as the Digital Transformation Center, web improvement project, deferred maintenance and a new customer relationship management system for Advancement, are among budgetary priorities that will help continue the university’s external image and effectiveness. Fueled by the spirit of the new Here & Beyond brand campaign, investments in the university’s community resources, such as UofL Health and the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, will showcase UofL as a premier metropolitan university.

According to James Begany, vice provost for enrollment management and student success, even in the face of declining enrollment figures nationwide, UofL remains steady in its enrollment performance. Efforts to monitor and prepare for future trends in enrollment continue, and several growth and contingency planning strategies are built into the proposed budget.

Revisions to the proposed operating and capital budgets will be made based on feedback from the university trustees. The board will then formally consider the budget at its June 23 meeting with implementation of the 2022-23 operating and capital budgets to begin July 1.

Durbin emphasized that input from faculty, staff and students was essential to developing the proposed budget. As an example of that buy-in, Durbin noted how he and Interim Provost Gerry Bradley have been meeting with every university dean to assess the financial situation of each of their units. He said these meetings have been productive and feedback has been valuable.

“Engagement and accountability are keys to the positive financial performance of our university,” said Durbin. “This budget is not the work of just a few people. This is a product of our university community’s commitment to success.”

The campus will beÌęboth a world-class research center and a nexus for community engagement, spawning citizen scientists and making health equity everyone’s pursuit.ÌęIt will consist of two historic buildings on West Muhammad Ali Boulevard totaling 133,000 square feet and an adjacent garden space.

The launch of the New Vision of Health Campus is made possible by a commitment from health advocate Christina Lee Brown of Louisville valued at $47 million by the university. Brown is providing $30 million over 20 years to support theÌęÌęand is giving rent-free use of the buildings to the university, equating to a $17-million in-kind donation. In a special meeting earlier today, the UofL Board of Trustees approved a lease granting UofL use of the property, which is owned by Brown. The university plans to seek additional partnerships and financial support for the campus and its mission.

“We are incredibly grateful to Mrs. Brown for this generous gift of support and this special space in the heart of the city,” said Lori Stewart Gonzalez, interim president of UofL. “On this new campus, UofL researchers will increase our understanding of the many aspects of our environment that contribute to optimum health for everyone, here and beyond. It embodies our commitment to health equity.”

“To grow from our past and promote long, fulfilling lives, we shouldn’t chase any single cause. We live in a complex, interdependent world where history is our shared legacy and health is our shared aspiration,” Brown said. “By honestly recognizing our common stories, we can frame a new vision of health which unifies us. It can inspire healthier lives, healthier communities and a healthier world.”

TheÌęÌęwill include specially designed laboratories and offices for theÌęthat will engage researchers and community members to learn how natural, cultural and personal environments impact health. Institute researchers work with community partners to discover how to build healthier cities, creating insights and models to improve health in Louisville and around the world.

The research will be directed by Aruni Bhatnagar, director of the UofL Envirome Institute, professor of medicine and chief of the UofL Division of Environmental Medicine.

“Our quest is to pursue the new vision that health is a resource that needs to be cultivated through conducive physical and environmental conditions,” Bhatnagar said. “Health is more than the absence of disease. Health is a resilience that helps individuals withstand all forms of stress. We want to move the discussion of health away from disease and instead focus on actively promoting health before disease occurs.”

The UofL Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute was created in 2018 with a $5-million gift from Brown that charged UofL researchers to take a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to understanding how the human-environment interrelationship affects peoples’ lives and to convert that knowledge to actionable steps to promote human health. This research and the new funding announced today support the university’s grand challenge strategic research priority of “,” an initiative to lead a transformative shift in how we understand, promote and recover health through all stages of life.

Research highlights from the Envirome Institute include theÌę, documenting the health impacts of living among greater levels of vegetation, theÌę, tracking the presence and spread of COVID-19 in the community through testing of individuals and wastewater, and research to document the effects of smoking and vaping on health. Bhatnagar is co-director of the American Heart Association’s Tobacco Center for Regulatory Science, and the center’s research was employed as key evidence for ending the sale of flavored vaping products in California. The institute also houses the only NIH Superfund Research Center devoted to studying the effects of superfund chemicals on cardiovascular health, diabetes and obesity.

“This is UofL research that could transform the way we promote well-being by revealing and decoding the factors that affect it,” said Kevin Gardner, UofL’s executive vice president for research and innovation. “We are proud to work with Christina Lee Brown and appreciate her continued support to further this important effort in advancing our health. Together, we will help people here in Louisville and around the world live lives that are not just longer, but healthier and more resilient.”

The gift announced today is the single largest philanthropic gift in the university’s history.

The university is conducting a national search based on best practices that includes listening to stakeholders, engaging a specialty search firm and identifying an advisory group to the president. The search process has included listening sessions with students, faculty, staff, alumni, student athletes, student athlete alumni, coaches, athletic department staff and the community.

The Planning Group will share feedback with Interim President Lori Stewart Gonzalez and an Athletic Director Search Advisory Group, which will work with the search firm to create a leadership statement/job description for the athletic director position and to inform decisions made during the search process.

The search firm will be retained within the next few weeks. From that time, the search process should take three to five weeks, Gonzalez said.

After structured interviews, background checks and other key elements of a structured search, the Advisory Group will advise the president, who will select the final candidate pending input from the Board and any necessary approvals.

“We have committed to a thorough search conducted with integrity and diligence,” Gonzalez said. “This process will help us secure an athletic director who will have the skills and experience necessary to lead our program now and in the future.”

During listening sessions held by Interim President Lori Gonzalez last fall, law school faculty, staff and students expressed the qualities they wanted in a new dean, and Gonzalez said Jacobs possesses all of them.

“We are excited Melanie has chosen to join the University of Louisville,” Gonzalez said. “She is experienced and well versed in the academic and administrative aspects of a law school. She has a history of championing diversity, equity and inclusion and is a strong advocate of the needs of students, faculty and staff.”

Jacobs is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in family law. Her scholarship advocates for legal recognition of non-traditional families and changes to the traditional establishment of parent-child relationships due to the increased use of assisted reproductive technologies. Her work has been featured in nearly a dozen law reviews including the Buffalo Law Review, Arizona State Law Journal and Yale Journal of Law & Feminism.

Jacobs is part of the Feminists Judgments Project in which she has submissions in “Reproductive Justice Rewritten,” “Family Law Rewritten” and “Trusts & Estates Rewritten,” all published by Cambridge University Press.

Jacobs joined Michigan State’s College of Law faculty in 2002 and served as interim dean from January 2020 to June 2021. She also served appointments as senior associate dean for academic affairs, senior associate dean/chief of staff, senior associate dean for admissions and international programs and associate dean for graduate and international programs. She has served on numerous advisory committees at Michigan State and is the former chair of the Association of American Law Schools’ Family and Juvenile Law Section.

Prior to joining Michigan State, Jacobs served as a Freedman Fellow and a lecturer in law at Temple University School of Law. Her additional teaching experience includes two years as a clinical instructor for the Hale & Dorr Legal Services Center, now known as the WilmerHale Legal Services Center, at Harvard Law School and as an adjunct instructor at the Boston University School of Law. She also held visiting appointments at Marshall-Wythe School of Law in Williamsburg, Virginia, and Fudan University in Shanghai, China.

Jacobs received her AB from Columbia College in New York City, her JD from Boston University, and her LLM from Temple University. She is admitted to the Massachusetts Bar.

“I am thrilled and privileged to serve as the next dean of the Brandeis School of Law,” Jacobs said.Ìę“Brandeis Law has a rich tradition of public service and I look forward to working with the outstanding faculty, staff, students, alumni and our community partners to continue to build on Justice Brandeis’ extraordinary legacy.Ìę

“Consistent with Justice Brandeis’ predilection for innovation and interdisciplinary studies, I am excited to explore new curricular initiatives that will ensure our law students are well prepared for 21st century lawyering, including building programs with other Louisville deans and expanding interdisciplinary opportunities.”

Payne’s six-year contract with the Cardinals extends through the 2027-28 season. The University of Louisville Athletic Association Board of Directors approved the terms of his contract this morning.
Ìę
“As I stated when we began this process in early February, the University of Louisville is a destination job and the strength of our candidate pool proved this out,” Heird said. “After a thorough national search during which we sat down with a number of expectational coaches, it was clear that Kenny Payne was what we need. His basketball knowledge, his passion for his student-athletes, his vision for our program and his understanding of what Louisville Basketball means to our city and to our institution, are evident. I am thrilled to welcome Kenny and Michelle, and their children, Alexis and Zan, to the University of Louisville.”
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Payne has 17 years of coaching experience, most recently serving as an assistant coach with the NBA’s New York Knicks after 15 years as a college assistant or associate head coach with both the University of Oregon and the University of Kentucky.

He will be just the sixth head coach to guide the Cardinals in the last 48 years, following Denny Crum (1971-2001), Rick Pitino (2001-17), David Padgett (2017-18, interim), Chris Mack (2018-22) and Mike PeguesÌę(2021-22, interim). Payne is the 23rd head coach in Louisville’s 108-year history and the ninth in the past 77 years (fourth since 1971, excluding interim coaches).
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“I want to thank President (Lori) Gonzalez and Josh HeirdÌęfor this incredible opportunity to return to a place that means so much to me to lead our storied basketball program,”Ìę Payne said. “While there are challenges, I see opportunities, and if we are united and aligned, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish. Our fans and community deserve a championship basketball program fueled by exceptional and high-character student-athletes, and it is my responsibility to deliver on that vision. I cannot wait to get started.” Ìę
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The Knicks posted a 41-31 record in 2020-21, finishing fourth in the NBA’s Eastern Conference and are currently 29-40 this season.Ìę While at Oregon and Kentucky, Payne was part of four Final Four teams, 10 NCAA Tournaments and won six conference titles. Payne was honored in theÌęA STEP UPÌęAssistant Coaches Hall of Fame Class of 2020 for his track record of success and contributions to the game, as well as his high character, integrity and respect among colleagues. He has been nationally recognized for his player development, helping dozens of players achieve their dreams of playing in the NBA.
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As a student-athlete at UofL, Payne scored 1,083 points in his career (1985-86), connecting on 40.1% of his career three-point attempts (85-of-212, fourth-highest in UofL history). He was a member of Louisville’s 1986 NCAA Championship team as a freshman and throughout his collegiate career, Louisville participated in three NCAA Sweet Sixteens, won three Metro Conference championships and three Metro tournament titles. As a senior playing under Hall of Fame Coach Denny Crum, Payne averaged 14.5 points and 5.7 rebounds and was named to the All-Metro Conference Second Team.
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Payne was selected in the first round of the 1989 NBA Draft as the 19^thÌęoverall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers, where he played four seasons (1989-93). He continued to play professional basketball abroad and in the Continental Basketball Association until 2000, with stops at the CBA Tri-Cities (Washington) and with teams in Italy, Japan, Brazil, the Philippines, Cypress, China, Argentina and Australia.
Ìę
Payne earned a Bachelor of Science degree in sport administration from the University of Louisville in 2003.
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He and his wife, Michelle, have two children: Alexis and Alexander (Zan), who currently plays on the Kentucky men’s basketball team.
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Kenny Payne Coaching Career
2022, Head Coach, University of Louisville
2020-22, Assistant coach, New York Knicks
2014-20, Associate Head Coach, University of Kentucky
2010-14, Assistant Coach, University of Kentucky
2004-09, Assistant Coach, University of Oregon
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UofL Interim President Lori Gonzalez and local officials gathered Friday to announce the effort through Supplies Overseas (SOS), an organization that works with area hospitals and healthcare providers to collect gently/unused medical supplies and send them to those in need.ÌęUofL surgeon Gordon Tobin, a founding board member of SOS, also participated in the announcement.

Former ambassador to the Slovak Republic Tod Sedgwick said his contacts in Ukraine stressed the need for medical supplies. The local organization has collected almost 20 pallets of supplies – worth more than $100,000 — including bandages, defibrillators, and anesthesia and orthopedic supplies, said SOS president Denise Sears.ÌęThe organization also is sending personal protective equipment in response to Covid-19 concerns in the region.

SOS has worked with local philanthropist Christina Lee Brown to secure funding for the initiative, and officials from UPS have offered their services to help transport the supplies.

“This is a partnership of many elements of our compassionate community,” Tobin said, noting that the organization was created more than two decades ago by physicians at the UofL Department of Surgery, with early participation by UofL, Jewish and Norton hospitals. “And they continue to supply the needed supplies you see here today.”

Tobin said SOS has shipped more than $60 million in supplies to more than 106 countries around the world.

Gonzalez said UofL’s participation is an example of one of its Cardinal Principles, being a Community of Care. And she thanked those who have pulled the initiative together.

“This is an example of the university and the city stepping up to help those in need,” she said. “To the people of Ukraine, you are in our thoughts. You are in our prayers. And more importantly 
 we are able to take action to actually give help on the ground.”

People wishing to donate medical supplies can drop them off at the SOS headquarters, 1500 Arlington Avenue in Louisville, or request pick up for larger items.ÌęThe first shipment of supplies to Ukraine is expected to leave Louisville early this week.