UofL is one of seven Microsoft Academic Research Consultants, or MARCs, that will study how researchers might leverage the technology to, for example, sift through large data sets and glean insights. The idea is to understand needs and develop next-generation tools and training that could generate more groundbreaking research here and around the world.Ìę

“UofL is home to a rich pool of top researchers in high-tech, cutting-edge fields,” said Sharon Kerrick, an assistant vice president at UofL and head of the , which will lead the on-campus Microsoft effort. “We at the DTC are proud to be among the other top schools to partner with Microsoft to enable groundbreaking research that’s engineering our future economy.”ÌęÌę

The other MARC schools are Duke University, the University of Rochester, the University of Central Florida, the University of South Florida, Texas A&M, Oregon State University and Washington University – St. Louis. The MARCs will serve as liaisons between Microsoft and researchers, seeking to better understand how AI is being and could be used.ÌęÌę

UofL has significant earned expertise in this kind of tech-enabled education and research; some researchers are already using computing, big data and artificial intelligence to screen potential drugs and compounds against and , to analyze medical images and more.ÌęÌę

UofL also was recently selected by the U.S. Department of Defense to work on research and education to strengthen the country’s cyber defenses. UofL was the only school selected from Kentucky for both networks and one of only a handful to hold the competitive Research-1 classification from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher łÉÈËֱȄ. ÌęUofL also recently received significant funding to develop cybersecurity education and conduct cutting-edge biometrics research.ÌęÌę

“UofL has a strong record of researching the digital frontier, artificial intelligence and other technologies,” said Kerrick. “Through this new partnership with Microsoft, we hope to find new ways leverage those same technologies to benefit researchers.” Ìę

Jim Begany, vice provost for Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success, provided updates on current student enrollment and graduation rates. The student graduation rate at UofL has reported steady growth over the past six years, increasing from 52.9% in 2015 to 61.6% in 2021.

“Our graduation rate is the real highlight of this presentation. Last year we eclipsed 60% for the first time in the history of the university, and now we have surpassed it and we’ll continue to improve that number,” Begany said.

Total enrollment for fall 2021 was 21,754 students, a decrease of 227 from last year’s fall semester; these figures reflect the national downward trend in undergraduate enrollment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Enrollment figures nationwide are projected to decline significantly over the next five to 10 years. This is due to falling birthrates and a decrease in the population of high school students known as the demographic cliff.

According to Begany, Kentucky’s estimated drop is around 15-16%, which, he said, will be a significant challenge in our regional markets.

Begany informed senators that the Office of the Provost is exploring possible solutions to address this future obstacle, including the formation of the Demographic 25 Committee. This committee will confront the challenge of the projected 2025 demographic cliff by focusing institutional efforts in six areas: academic quality, institutional aid strategies, retention and graduation, academic programs, recruitment and partnerships.

Senators were also joined by M. Rehan Khan, vice president of Information Technology Services and chief information officer, and Katherine Stevenson, executive director of Enterprise Technology Services. Stevenson informed senators that Information Technology Services will start using , a form of multifactor authentication for Microsoft O365 software. Authorization will be a combination user and device identity, location signaling and if necessary, two-factor user verification.

“When we turn this on, what we’re doing is checking the reputation of the IP address that you’re logging on from and your normal login behavior. If we rank that as a high-risk login, we’re simply not going to allow that login to continue. If you were a medium risk login, you would be prompted to do two-factor verification,” Stevenson said.

Conditional Access for Microsoft O365 systems will provide increased security for the university, as well as improving the security of employees’ data and personal information. Conditional Access will go into effect for all staff and faculty Jan. 10, 2022, and will apply to all applications that utilize the Microsoft Single Sign-On system, such as Outlook and SharePoint.

Committee reports and a of the virtual meeting can be found on the . The next Staff Senate meeting will be held on Dec. 13 via Microsoft Teams.

The University of Louisville is no doubt contributing to this trend.

, Louisville scores as the 13^th top smaller market with potential for growth. The report cites employment, wage and tech degrees as contributing factors.

In 2019, Louisville had 641 tech degree graduates and while it may be hard to pinpoint how many of those are UofL alums specifically, many of our students stay in the city after graduation, taking advantage of the robust opportunities afforded by a metropolitan market with over .

We’re not just contributing our graduates, however. We’re developing tech-focused programs with the city, amplifying a town-and-gown synergy that has existed for more than 200 years. We’re also training our students for the “workforce of tomorrow,” adding new degree programs to meet the existing and growing need for tech-related jobs throughout the city, state and beyond.

UofL, for example, recently added a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science undergraduate degree, facilitated by the Computer Science & Engineering Department in the J.B. Speed School of Engineering.

Other STEM-related programs that have been approved just since the start of the spring 2020 semester include artificial intelligence in medicine graduate certificate; materials and energy science MS; and a managerial analytics graduate certificate. Further, the College of Business recently added data analytics and a 100% online business education managerial analytics.

Technology moves fast and we are moving full speed ahead on approving and providing programs to keep pace. The new computer science program, for example, was developed explicitly in response to the growing need for technical jobs. The program offers students a chance to become well-equipped computer scientists and to excel in other areas of studies to match their interests.

These graduates would ideally be qualified for the 3,650 software developer and computing jobs posted in 2019 in the Louisville region alone. They might also be qualified for other occupations in the STEM field, which is expected to grow by 8% by 2029, compared to 3.7% for all other occupations, .

In Kentucky, it is predicted that there will be a 15.9% increase in all computer-related jobs through 2026. UofL has positioned itself to fulfill this growing need, and we’re not stopping at new programs and certificates.

In the past few years, we have also forged a partnership with IBM to establish an IBM Skills Academy to prepare the next-generation workforce. We collaborated on the FutureLou initiative, launched a Center for Digital Transformation, became part of a new Artificial Intelligence Innovation Consortium and more.

We also aren’t limiting our opportunities to the campus community. In 2019, we partnered with the Humana Foundation and Interapt to bring a paid, immersive training program that teaches high-demand IT skills to the underemployed and unemployed in Louisville. We also joined the city to develop a that established Louisville as a regional hub for AI, internet of things and data science.

This town-and-gown collaboration is why Louisville has been recognized by the CBRE for two straight years, according to Rebecca Fleischaker, co-chief of Louisville Forward and director of the Department of Economic Development.

“We are seeing our tech and data analytics ecosystem grow rapidly because of the expansion of our local companies like El Toro and Untitled, as well as critical partnerships with Microsoft, General Assembly and IBM,” she said. “The University of Louisville is a major part of ensuring our tech talent pipeline is filled with a diversity of talent and qualifications, and we’re thrilled with their addition of the IBM Skills Academy and a new BA in Computer Science and with the progress they’ve made in expanding enrollment in their tech-related degree programs.”

Our work isn’t even close to being done. Earlier this month, for example, the university launched UofL New Ventures, aimed at growing startup companies built on the university’s research-backed technologies. There will be more partnerships, opportunities and degrees, all added with a focus on growing the tech talent pipeline in our city.

“Strong town-gown partnerships are important for any city to be competitive for job growth and economic development opportunities,” said Joshua McKee, senior economic & workforce development manager at Louisville Forward, Department of Economic Development. “Our relationship with UofL and its administrators is vital to the success of our city, and our goal of increasing tech education and job growth. As a UofL alum, I am thrilled to see the university soliciting feedback from industry, government, and consultants to develop in-demand and industry-responsive curriculum and degree programs.”

This idea of equitable economic recovery is critical right now, especially. The story cites data that shows from February through August 2020, the number of workers who lost their jobs permanently due to COVID-19 rose by 2.1 million to 3.4 million — an over 60% increase.

The author identified Louisville as a benchmark city for equitable recovery, looking at Humana’s role specifically, and a partnership the company has with other community organizations, including the University of Louisville. As one of the city’s largest employers, Humana and the health insurance sector at large have been less impacted by the pandemic than other industries. Conversely, the company represents a sector of the economy that is still growing and, therefore, building in-demand skills.

Technology is Louisville’s fastest-growing job sector, Humana SVP Roger Cude told the publication, which is driving local business leaders to increasingly adopt a “digital-first mindset.”

“But like other communities, Louisville-area businesses are struggling to find qualified applicants for those jobs,” he said, adding that the pandemic is “creating new and unexpected challenges and accelerating the imperative for businesses to evolve.”

Simply put, there is a greater need than ever for digital and analytical skills. This is where FutureLou comes in. The coalition entails private, public and academic leaders in the region, including the University of Louisville. These players are combining resources to “create a future-ready local workforce through training and development in high-demand data science skills and capabilities,” Cude explained.

Notably, that training is free for Louisville residents.

“The goal of theÌęÌęinitiative is to provide a pathway for displaced or underemployed workers to upskill into industry-aligned careers that provide stability and resilience during this period of disruption. By providing both financial support and job search guidance, we’re reducing the barriers to reskilling for digital jobs and helping Louisville residents earn credentials that will have high demand now and for the future,” Cude said.

The program is a partnership between Microsoft and Louisville Metro Government, in tandem with the General Assembly, Kentuckiana Works and a virtual “micro-campus” team.

Also as part of this effort, website became a strategic partner in Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer’s 30-day Data Upskilling Challenge Initiative earlier this year. The program encouraged residents to access free online, self-paced, data skills training through a COVID-19-related effort by the city’s Future of Work Initiative, also powered by Microsoft.

This isn’t the only “future-proofing” effort UofL is involved in to advance the city of Louisville and its equitable recovery.Ìę

Last year, the university teamed up with The Humana Foundation and Interapt to bring a paid, immersive training program that teaches high-demand IT skills to the underemployed and unemployed in the community. The program, called “,” provided individuals with the opportunity to build the technical, business and life skills necessary to work in fast-paced, high-tech environment, preparing them to launch promising careers in the tech industry.

Interapt’s training program has been called “a national model of creating next-generation opportunity.” The Louisville Skills program marks the first time Interapt partnered with a major university.

Also last year, UofL became part of a new Artificial Intelligence Innovation Consortium, an alliance that also includes Amazon Web Services, GE Appliances, Amgen, V-Soft Consulting and other companies. This alliance is the first-of-its-kind for the city.Ìę

, UofL received a nearly $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to build a program that prepares students for the ever-evolving, technology-enabled “jobs of tomorrow.” ​The UofL Modern Apprenticeship Pathways to Success (MAPS) program is funded through the DoL’s “” initiative. UofL was one of just 28 public-private partnerships funded under this federal program in its most recent round, and is the only one in Kentucky.

Finally, last year, UofL and IBM announced a partnership that includes the establishment of an IBM Skills Academy focused on digital learning and technology skills. Like Interapt’s initiative, this skills academy is the first of its kind that IBM has developed with a higher education institution.

Specifically, the academy will provide curriculum and educational tools concentrated on eight fast-growing technology areas: artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, cybersecurity, cloud computing, internet of things, quantum computing, data science and design thinking.

It is estimated that over 120 million jobs will be affected within the next three years by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and upskilling through these areas is more important.

These examples are just the tip of the iceberg of what UofL is focused on, or plans to focus on in the near term. One of UofL’s identified “,” for example, is “engineering our future economy.” This means, in part, honing our research to focus on developing and harnessing technological advancements for the digital and robotic transformation of the workforce.

As President Neeli Bendapudi said when the IBM partnership was announced:Ìę“It is important for us to be nimble with this, to be truly transformative, to say, ‘We see what’s coming, how can we be proactive?’”Ìę

As Microsoft establishes a physical location downtown, the city will serve as a sort of urban laboratory to strengthen Louisville’s core industries like health care and manufacturing, which face a risk of automation from the progression of AI technology. The AI Innovation Digital Alliance with Microsoft, in part, will help companies in vulnerable industries re-skill and up-skill their workforce to meet the changing economy.

“We are so excited to partner with Microsoft and Mayor (Greg) Fischer to leverage our workforce, prepare students for the future and strengthen our vital town-gown relationship,” UofL president Neeli Bendapudi said during the June 7 announcement.Ìę

The Microsoft news came on the heels of the that UofL will partner with IBM to establish an IBM Skills Academy focused on digital learning and technology skills. It will be housed in a newly-created Center for Digital Transformation on the Belknap Campus and will open by the start of the fall semester.

Similar to the Microsoft partnership with the city of Louisville, IBM’s partnership with UofL will cover fast-growing technology areas like AI to bridge the growing digital divide.

“It’s important for us to be nimble with this, to be truly transformative, and to say, ‘We see what’s coming, how can we be proactive?’” Bendapudi said.Ìę

These efforts are catching plenty of attention. Last month, Louisville Business First devoted its cover story to UofL’s position to be the impetus behind . As an example, the story spotlights UofL’s Bucks for Brains program, which has yielded a number of innovations from the nation’s top researchers and scholars who have been recruited through the program since its inception in 1997.

Success stories from the program include Cellular Therapeutics, a research group created by Dr. Suzanne Ildstad in the late 90s dedicated to developing a technology for organ transplantation. Cellular Therapeutics’ iteration, Talaris Therapeutics, secured a $100 million investment in April, which will go toward a unique cell therapy technology that improves the lives of kidney transplant recipients.

“Ildstad’s story is the embodiment of the kind of high-impact, transformative work that happens when investments are made in UofL’s mission as the only public research university in the city,” Business First says.

Such tech-focused efforts are being noticed nationally as well. In May, titled, “Four Reasons Why The University Of Louisville’s IBM Skills Academy Is A Very Smart Move,” touting the mutual benefits between the university and its corporate partner.

According to Forbes, the partnership helps address the continuing digital divide and boosts economic development in the area. It is also expected to provide a recruiting advantage for the university.

“College students express two major motives for pursuing their education – to prepare themselves for a good job and to gain knowledge so they are broadly prepared for a successful life,” the story says. “The IBM Skills Academy at the University of Louisville offers one path to help synergize the two main purposes of college. Students can acquire marketable technology skills at the same time they benefit from the broader education that good universities provide.”

In June, Forbes piggybacked off this idea with another article illustrating the , a nonprofit membership organization comprised of Fortune 500 executives, major university presidents and other educational leaders. Once again, the IBM/UofL partnership was highlighted as an example.

“American businesses are increasingly taking the lead in developing and ‘up-skilling’ their workforce in critical digital and technological competencies. Whether it’s through increasingly generous employer-provided educational benefits 
 or through specific company-university partnerships like theÌę, the rise of business-directed and employer-supported curricula is one of higher education’s most noteworthy trends,” the story says.

Such efforts were also highlighted in , which focused specifically on how the university is helping the city of Louisville bring tech training to scale. The story spells out the need for such work, noting that Louisville has just 79% of the technology jobs it should have for a city its size. In the past decade, Louisville has added just 17,000 jobs in the professional scientific technical services industry, for example, compared to Nashville, which added 75,000 such jobs.Ìę

Based on estimates, the city of Louisville would need to add about 1,500 jobs annually for four years to catch up. This is why UofL is stepping up.

In addition to corporate partnerships, UofL is also sharpening its focus on commercialization. For example, in May, the university to help guide research-backed invention to market.Ìę

UofL ranks as one of only 120 U.S. “Research 1” universities with “very high research activity,” according to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher łÉÈËֱȄ. The EIRs will amplify UofL’s existing efforts aimed at getting technologies born from that research to market, which include a “superfecta” ofÌę.

Funding for the EIRs comes from the Louisville Entrepreneurship Acceleration Partnership (LEAP), another public-private partnership led by UofL and backed by the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development.

LEAP was . During the launch, President Bendapudi noted the objectives for LEAP were to commercialize university research, enhance the region’s reputation for innovation, grow jobs and economic development and build the next generation of leaders.

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg of all the work on campus that has gone into helping transform the city and the region into an innovation hub. There is also the impact that Giddy, the Hive, FirstBuild and others have made.

In September, UofL will team up with GE-backed FirstBuild to host a , which will include exhibitions, competitions, workshops and more. According to Kevin Nolan, CEO of GE Appliances, the Maker Faire will be the largest gathering of inventors, creators and makers that this city has ever seen. Mayor Greg Fischer added that the event will help the city thrive and grow. And, as all of this progress is happening, the University of Louisville is at the center of it all.