After more than two years of baseline research, construction and planting, the 0.65-acre Founders Square, located at Fifth Street and Muhammad Ali Boulevard, is now an inviting public space for everyone to enjoy. However, the Trager MicroForest is more than a refreshed urban park. It is a space for scientific inquiry into the impact of intense urban greening on human health and the wider urban environment.

“The vitality of downtown Louisville is inextricably linked to the vitality of the University of Louisville and the entire metropolitan community,” said UofL President Gerry Bradley. “This beautifully renewed green space will benefit not only residents and visitors to the downtown area, it also will serve as a research site for groundbreaking investigations into the connection between trees and health by UofL researchers.”

A 30-year lease with Louisville Metro Government allows the Envirome Institute to use Founders Square as an outdoor public laboratory. In the park, UofL researchers test the physiological effects of dense planting on human health and to what extent the forest�� affects temperature and humidity in the area. For Phase One of the project, the central area of the park has been densely planted with trees, shrubs and ground cover to optimize cooling and reduce urban heat.

The Trager MicroForest Project builds on the Envirome Institute’s groundbreaking Green Heart Project, which found that adding trees to a neighborhood lowered residents’ inflammation levels.

Prior to planting and construction, UofL researchers collected baseline data on how spending time in the space affects stress levels and physiological responses compared with spending time in nearby downtown areas that lack greening. In addition to human studies, the researchers are monitoring air and surface temperatures, air quality and other measures to assess the impact of densely planted trees on the environment in and around the park.

“The Trager MicroForest is part of the wider mission of the Envirome Institute to pursue knowledge about health,” said Aruni Bhatnagar, director of the Christina Lee Brown Institute. “This little forest will not only provide a pleasant space to spend time in downtown Louisville, but it will also help us test how dense urban planting can improve human health. The results of this experiment could inspire and inform the planting of microforests in cities worldwide.”

The microforest is considered part of UofL’s New Vision of Health Campus, located just across Fifth Street, which will include specially designed laboratory space to study sleep, nutrition and exercise, as well as offices and public spaces to investigate how environmental factors impact human health. The development of this innovative campus affirms UofL’s commitment to the vitality of Louisville’s urban core.

“We are excited for this project and hope to see further growth in the greening of downtown Louisville,” Michael Trager-Kusman said. “We believe having public spaces like these will only contribute to the growth of downtown Louisville.”

The park’s opening marks the completion of Phase One of the project. Planning and design for Phase Two of the Trager MicroForest will begin in late 2025. Learn more about .��

• 0.65-acre site
• 119 new trees
• 242 new shrubs
• 750 tons of new top soil
• 220 linear feet of new pathways
• 178 linear feet of retaining wall

of the official opening on May 13, 2025. View the .��

Honeybees have always been a part of��Robinson’s��life��as she��first learned about beekeeping from family members who’ve cared for beehives through generations, starting with her��grandfather,��and��then her father.��Beehives bring nostalgic scents and sounds to��Robinson, whose earliest memories include following her grandfather around their family hives in Meade County, Ky., harvesting honey for their��“Bee Happy Farms”��honey jars.

“My grandfather had this big garden and orchard with apple trees, so he had the bees to pollinate them,”��Robinson said. “I��just��remember playing around the garden and being close to the bees. They��weren’t��ever interested in me because I��wasn’t��bothering them, so that fear��kind of��got eliminated when I was pretty young.”

After the death of Robinson’s��grandfather, her family kept a hive on his property to support the orchard. She and her father now tend to the inherited bees. “It’s��crazy that��it’s��a family tradition that can carry��on,��beyond someone like that,”��Robinson reflected.

The UofL’s beekeeping internship, too, has brought Robinson closer to her��father who she��now asks for advice when dealing with new obstacles facing��UofL’s��beehives. His insights keep a heritage of beekeeping knowledge from disappearing.

Everything about beekeeping can be done��in��a variety of��ways, from how the hive is��built and how to handle the bees to the protective clothing worn by beekeepers.��

“It’s��like��a dance to specifically move with the bees and see which frame��they’re��mostly on and which one I should touch and which one I��shouldn’t,”��Robinson said.

As a beekeeper, Robinson has developed her own style under the guidance of her father and the UofL Sustainability mentorship.��

“I��read somewhere that bees can remember their��beekeeper’s��face, so I always try��to��talk to them when I get in the hive and just see how��they’re��doing,”��Robinson said.��“There are old folktales about the��‘telling of the��bees,’ so��there’s��a strong connection between beekeepers and their bees.”

A Spring Sting

Beekeeping��isn’t��always comfortable,��even��for a legacy beekeeper.

“I��have gotten stung a few times, but after��the second��time��it’s��no big deal,”��Robinson said.��“And��every time I do��get stung, I never blame the bees.��It’s��not their fault that��they’re��stinging, they��just��think��I’m��like a bear trying to get their honey.”

Bees often face a fear from people, much like snakes or bats, and many believe that their presence always means potential danger. However, bees are defensive, not aggressive, so their sting is a last resort. Like other animals, bees fear humans more than people fear them and prefer keeping to themselves.��

According to Robinson, even with wasps and hive beetles, honeybees defend the hive by surrounding the pests to block them from an area or to overheat them with their wing movements.��

But keeping bees also��comes with its rewards and pleasures. To extract honey from the hive, Robinson first determines how much honey needs to��be left behind��for the bees. The frames are then removed,��and��the bees��are brushed��into an empty super box/hive box. Finally, the beeswax on the frames is uncapped with a blade to release the honey and the frames are placed in a spinner to remove, filter and jar the honey. Beeswax is often collected during the filtering process and can also��be used for various products like lip balm.

“One of my favorite things about beekeeping is just the smell of the��beehives,��it’s��this��really sweet��aroma. I think��it’s��really special��and really cool to introduce new people to that, and the sound of the buzzing from the hives,”��Robinson said.��“It can��definitely��be intimidating, but��I’ve��found it to be a��little��bit more soothing because I know bees are in there and that��they’re��happy.”

As��UofL’s��beekeeping intern, Robinson cares for the beehives year-round. Before the winter, Robinson adds entrance reducers and hay bales around the hive to reduce wind-chill. Throughout the early spring, she visits the hives a couple of times a month to monitor the bees’ behavior, add pollen patties, remove any pests and add more hive frames��which��are��used��by the bees to build honeycombs.

After the bees become more active in the spring, honey can��start to��be harvested��through the summer.��Robinson dresses in a beekeeping suit that covers her legs, arms and face in one sealed garment to protect her from her buzzing friends.��She also burns natural wood shavings to calm the bees down if��she’s��in the hives��for a��longer��amount of time��than��normal.��Robinson uses a brush to gently guide the bees out from any tight spots or crevices to keep��the bees��safe��as she��carefully removes frames and places them on a rack to check the��honeycomb’s��structure and��honey��production.��

“You really count on every bee to help your hive survive,”��Robinson said. “So,��it’s��a very gentle process.”

Last year, one UofL hive produced about 12-pint jars of honey and grew enough to create a second hive.��

Robinson says there’s��no negative aspect in harvesting the bees’ honey when done��properly.

Tending to the hives functions like a symbiotic relationship where the keeper protects the hives from pests, cold, moisture and hunger while harvesting honey for consumption. Seeing the hive thrive and overcome obstacles is as rewarding for Robinson as collecting honey.

“Seeing how much everybody likes the honey is really cool. Not that I made it, but it feels like I helped at least jar it,”��Robinson said.��“It’s��cool to see the different tastes of what this honey is like compared to a different��hive’s��honey.”

Supporting the Hive

Caring for bees��not only��ties Robinson to her community and family, but it also��fulfills a called duty to the environment and sustainability.��

“The responsibility as UofL’s beekeeping intern to me is to show kindness and consideration toward ecology, urban agriculture and every little pollinator that comes my way,” Robinson said. “To help our bees is an honor because I’m also helping our local and community gardens, wildlife and student outreach on sustainable, eco-friendly practices.”

Honeybees are��an important��keystone species as pollinators��and��their success could��be directly tied��to the success of future generations. Keeping beehives helps secure a sustainable future and protects��an important��species from eradication. In trade, beekeepers can harvest honey and beeswax from hives��to use��for various purposes.

“It’s��just important for everybody to know that you can absolutely be a beekeeper wherever as long as you have a yard and some plants nearby,”��Robinson said.��“You just have to know some pretty basic things about bees��and��how to use the equipment.”

Justin Mog, assistant to the provost for sustainability��initiatives,��created the beekeeping internship to help connect student learning with sustainable agriculture and nature stewardship.��Mog works closely with Robinson to manage��the��hives and honey harvesting��at UofL.��The two also participate in programming on-and-off campus to better connect the Louisville community with honeybee conservation.

“Anyone who cares about sustainability needs an intimate understanding of how nature works, and I find��there’s��no better way to do that than to crack open a beehive and observe��what’s��going on,”��Mog said.��“I learn so much from my bees!”

After graduation, Robinson hopes to continue beekeeping��either through��volunteering or keeping her own hives.��“I would love to have some beehives of my own one day as��kind of��a family tradition, help my dad still take care of his bees and hopefully get more involved with the����

KSBA offers resources, workshops and programs to help create new beekeepers and share knowledge.

Interested in becoming��UofL’s��next beekeeping intern? Contact��.

I want to make sure to recognize and appreciate the heroic actions of those in our community who responded quickly, bravely and professionally in the early moments of the horrific attack and throughout the day.��

I know you all join me in offering our tremendous gratitude to the courageous officers of Louisville Metro Police Department who rushed into the Old National Bank Building, saving lives while putting themselves at great risk.

Within minutes, officers from our own UofL Police Department arrived to support LMPD. These brave members of our community worked quickly with LMPD to secure the scene itself as well as throughout the hospital district. I cannot say it often enough how greatly I appreciate our colleagues – the officers of ULPD – as each day they work tirelessly to keep our community safe.

We all recognize with deep gratitude the efforts of our colleagues at UofL Health – UofL Hospital��– the trauma doctors, nurses and staff – who provided outstanding emergency medical care to those injured in the attack and continue to care for them. In our darkest moments, these heroes, as well as other first responders, exhibited true bravery and professionalism in serving their fellow citizens. I feel, as I know we all do, humbled by their actions and grateful to all of them.��

I want to remind everyone that asking for help, especially in times of trauma and stress, is a most important part of recovery. Help is available for those needing additional support. Students can call our����at 502-852-6585 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or access�� other options at��. Counseling for our faculty and staff is available through our Employee Assistance Program provider, Anthem EAP. Call��800-865-1044 or go to����> Select “Member Log In” > Type “University of Louisville.”����

As we all work to find a path forward in the midst of this tragedy, although I have only been a part of UofL for less than three months, I have great faith in our Cardinal and Louisville communities. I have quickly learned that Cardinals stick together, especially when they need each other most. Please take an extra moment to care for yourself, your classmates and your colleagues, and don’t hesitate to reach out to the university for support.

Sincerely,

Kim Schatzel, Ph.D.
President

This year, R!L presented 325 abstracts to a panel of more than 125 judges. Among the scientific poster competition participants represented were master’s degree and doctoral engineering students, NCI R25 undergraduate students, cancer and health disparity Summer Bridge Program students, Brown Cancer Center high school scholars, dental students, master’s degree and doctoral basic science students, medical students, distinction tract medical students, case reports, postdoctoral scholars, research associates, research staff, pharmDs, master’s degree and doctoral public health students, nursing students, medical residents, clinical fellows and faculty.

“UofL is true a research engine,” said Kevin Gardner, executive vice president for research and innovation. “This event is a unique opportunity to engage with UofL students, faculty and staff and showcase the full breadth of their work to produce groundbreaking discoveries and new innovations that save and improve lives.”

A full list of award winners and a slide presentation of the winners, including the names of their mentor(s), as well as photos/recording of the closing ceremony are available on the .

The closing ceremony included a keynote address by John D. Carpten, a renowned expert in translational genomics whose research spans multiple disciplines. Carpten is a pioneer in cancer disparities and is highly regarded for his superb leadership in the African American Hereditary Prostate Cancer Study Network. He serves as professor and chair of translational genomics, director of the Institute of Translational Genomics, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. Carpten’s lecture, “Closing the Gaps in Cancer Health Equity,” has inspired substantial scientific inquiry.

R!L’s symposium featured seminars, presentations and lectures on a variety of subjects, including nursing research, environmental health sciences, core facilities, anti-racism research, faculty development and more. Highlights included presentations by research scholars who received funding by the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence, the Center for Integrative Environmental Health Sciences’ series of presentations, Research Integrity’s lecture by Jean Shin of the Scientific Workforce Diversity Office at the National Institutes of Health, a documentary film “Healing in the Valley” and the Kentucky Science Center’s half-day program for seventh to twelfth-grade students with a focus on biomedical sciences. The full schedule of events is on the .

In November, voters in the city of Louisville will elect a new mayor and Metro Council. University of Louisville social scientist Lauren Heberle and the Metropolitan Housing Coalition, Louisville’s affordable housing advocacy group, are ready.��

MHC’s 2022 , titled “Toward a Just Future in Uncertain Times,” was released in June. It is the latest annual MHC report written by Heberle, director of the University of Louisville Center for Environmental Policy & Management in the College of Arts & Sciences, along with graduate student researchers.��

Heberle has contributed to the report since 2006 and written it for more than a decade. Kelly Kinahan, a former UofL assistant professor in the Department of Urban and Public Affairs, was co-author since 2017. (Kinahan has since left the university.)��

The report, at 90 pages, is the longest and most comprehensive ever, designed to be the go-to document for newly elected Louisville leaders who need current information on housing. ��

The MHC report is normally published in November, but its schedule was thrown off by the Covid-19 pandemic. That gave MHC and Heberle’s team the chance to “do a real deep dive” before the November election, she said.��

“If you don’t have it documented, it makes it harder to hold folks accountable or keep moving it forward, especially in something as complicated as housing,” Heberle said. ��

The current report will serve as a road map for the new administration. It is jam-packed with tables, charts, maps and graphics used to help MHC and others advocate for housing changes in Louisville. ��

UofL students also contribute mightily to the report, with several taking a lead on data analysis every year. Some are undergraduate students, some are graduate students. Some are sociology majors, while others are from urban and public affairs. ��

This applied research is a “way of teaching them how to make sense and talk about the importance of research for policy change, for social change, for social justice,” Heberle said.��

 “Figuring out how to understand this complicated structure of funding and policy that comes down from the federal government and shapes how Louisville is able to function is a really important learning opportunity for our students,” she added. Students have used their experience working on the report to help them apply for jobs, she said.��

Tony Curtis, executive director of MHC, noted the many years Heberle has worked on the report.��

“Producing this report is not only important to drive the fair, accessible and affordable housing conversation in Louisville and making the best housing data and analysis available for policymakers, advocates, and the community, it is a research and educational tool that Lauren uses to teach her UofL students and give those students the opportunity to engage in research that has real community impact,” Curtis said. “This is the beauty of the State of Metropolitan Housing Report collaboration between MHC, Lauren and her team.”��

There have been some years that the report focused on research topics suggested by Heberle or her students, while other years the report is in response to a specific need or request that MHC has, such as preparing for upcoming legislation.��

“They’ve understood the value of working with students and have seen that work to their benefit over the years,” Heberle said of MHC, “and have been really supportive of our students in that work.”��

As director of the in A&S, Heberle might have two or three graduate students working with her on the MHC report or another project each semester.����

Students bring different interests and talents to the project. “I’ve had folks come to the table saying, ‘I want to learn how to make better maps,’” she said, and they produced maps for the report. Additionally, she and her students often work closely with UofL’s and the .��

Learning how to obtain and report federal census data is a big part of compiling the report. Students learn how to put the information that is available — which fluctuates — into a form that MHC can use for its needs — which also fluctuates. ��

“That’s a learning experience for students,” she said. ��

Heberle also leads community engagement for the created at UofL about five years ago to support research on the cardiometabolic effects of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs). As a social scientist, her focus is community engagement, or working with the public affected by the sites. UofL is one of several universities that conduct research or outreach on the sites .��

Many employees vividly remember that day, recalling their personal experience 10 years later. Amanda James, who was working for the Office of Admissions at the time, was trapped in the Houchens Building as the deluge began.

“We watched the water rise on a car right in front of our building,” shesaid. “Unfortunately, we also watched many of my coworkers’ cars get ruined.”

While some escaped via boat, James and several of her co-workers put bags over their legs and feet, tread through the water, and exited through the post office on Floyd Street. During the aftermath, Admissions employees were relocated to Strickler Hall.

“It was very cramped and not an ideal situation, but it showed our resiliency as Cardinals,” James said. “Classes started on time, work still got done, and we made the most of it.”

Carrie Daniels, who was the interim director for University Archives and Records Center at the time, was part of the ensuing rescue and cleanup process which included surveying the damage to Houchens. Many of UofL’s flooded spaces, primarily basements, stored university records.

“Disaster recovery is part of our work as archivists,” said Daniels. “Many archives management degree programs include training in this area.”

A colleague of Daniels’, Rachel Howard, remembers thinking the flood would be widely documented by smartphones, but that the documentation would not be preserved.

“This led to our idea to solicit that documentation for the community,” said Howard. “The response was immediate and very positive.”

In addition to soliciting documentation, Howard and her colleagues utilized a web archiving tool, ArchiveIt, to of websites about the flood. They also published a of the flooded campus and wrote an award-winning article , especially within the context of the flood.

Ali began at UofL in 2009 as a communication major and a member of the Cardinals baseball team. He left the university in 2011 when he had an opportunity to work for the Chicago White Sox.����

After spending some time working in Major League Baseball and coaching at the college level, Ali returned to UofL to finish his college career. He graduated May 11 with his bachelor’s degree from the College of Arts and Sciences.����

“I always knew I was going to end up back here … this is home for me,” he said. “I just have so much pride for Louisville.”

��and connect with other .��

The letters installed Friday read LEAP. The acronym stands for Louisville, Entrepreneurial, Accelerating, Principled.

“We will be the example of building a business school that serves its constituents,” COB Dean Todd Mooradian said as the letters were unveiled. “These values define our intent and guide our activities as we LEAP forward as a college.”

The core values expressed by LEAP:

Louisville
We partner with the city of Louisville and the broader business community to develop programs and initiatives that support the growth of both a leading university and a thriving global city.

Entrepreneurial
We instill in all our students an entrepreneurial mindset, which enables them to recognize opportunities, drive creative change and pursue possibility.

Accelerating
We create access for all — regardless of differences, seen and unseen — to accelerate their lives and their successes in pursuit of personal and professional ambitions.

Principled
We develop principled citizens and business leaders who act ethically and with integrity, shaping sustainable and socially responsible organizations that change the world.

Mooradian said he hoped the sculpture will serve as a daily reminder to faculty, staff and students.

“I hope you walk by LEAP and say ‘I know why I am here. I know what I am contributing to. I know what to use as my North Star when I’m looking for direction and making decisions and making investments.’”

The former UofL women’s tennis player and head coach has a rich history of success on the court. She holds the school’s top two positions for singles wins in a season, is second with most career doubles victories, and ranks third in career singles wins. She secured all-conference honors twice, the first in school history to earn the distinction. In 1987, she was voted the Kentucky College Coach of the Year.

Peavy was inducted into the UofL Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Kentucky Tennis Hall of Fame five years later. Though highly prestigious honors, Peavy has strived – and succeeded – to be synonymous with more than her on-court success.

For more than 30 years, including her time as leader of the Cardinals’ tennis program, Peavy dedicated herself to the city of Louisville.

Under her watch, teams were highly involved in the community, volunteering in soup kitchens from 1983 to 2002. Still, Peavy wanted to affect more lives throughout the community.

“I remember sitting in a committee meeting of the KTA (Kentucky Tennis Association) on a rainy day, discussing how to make our small parks tennis organizations gain a bigger piece of the pie from grant funds available from the USTA,” Peavy said. “It occurred to me as the KTA Minority Participation director, we would be more powerful as a fist than individual fingers.”

That meeting paved the way for Rising Stars of Kentucky Tennis, an inner-city program that provides year-round tennis instruction to kids. Beyond teaching a sport that has helped her impact lives, she has donated racquets, shoes and clothing since 1994.

“Rising Stars is in its 25th year of putting smiles on faces, including mine,” Peavy said.��

Also, since 2000, Peavy has been an instructor for the Kentucky Special Olympics and the KTA Wheelchair summer tennis camp.

In September 2018, the United States Tennis Association identified Peavy as a WLKY Bell Award recipient, recognizing her for demonstrating the true “spirit of Louisville” through selfless volunteer efforts and as someone who seeks to inspire all residents to engage in community service.

“The Bell Award was literally over the top,” Peavy said. “I received a certified letter, no less. I’m proud, thrilled, humbled, delighted, and as you can imagine, shocked.”

Peavy remains active on the court, but she hopes to continue to make more of a lasting impact off of it.

“Being involved with those who need help doesn’t cost anything and only asks for a bit of your time and whatever skill you have to offer,” Peavy said. “It could be helping someone to speak a new language or learn basic skills. No matter what, just have your heart in it and you will be rewarded thousand-fold.”