, an organization of military women seeking to connect and heal through art, came to Hite to learn papermaking for their new that opens Friday.

Some chose to use pieces of their uniforms “to reclaim their experiences – maybe their experience wasn’t positive – to make something positive with it,” said Lindsay Gargotto, founder and executive director of Athena’s Sister and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

The exhibit, at Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church, 4936 Brownsboro Rd., celebrates the organizations 3^rd anniversary, and will feature work from about 15 women. It will be on display throughout the month of February. 

The group has done exhibits in the past exploring other mediums – like photography – but chose to work with fiber arts this year. Coincidentally, Maggie Leininger, assistant professor of fiber arts reached out to them. Leininger, who is the director of the , a collaborative, grassroots feminist art project by Judy Chicago that’s housed at UofL, thought there could be some natural synergy between the quilt collection and Athena’s Sisters.

“I thought the International Honors Quilt project could be a good model for the creative process,” she said.

Wendy Dunleavy, a part-time faculty member at Hite, led about 20 women from Athena’s Sisters in paper-making workshops.

“They loved making paper. The process speaks of our life experiences. There’s no one way to heal, there are layers to it,” said Gargotto, who is also a 2008 alum from UofL’s Women and Gender Studies program.

The exhibit opening is 6-9 p.m. Friday and is free and open to the public. Appetizers and desserts will be served.

The annual award funds junior faculty research projects that relate to reforming education through collaborative efforts. Scholars then present their findings at a national conference.

Herd, an assistant professor at UofL’s Department of ����ֱ��al Leadership, Evaluation and Organizational Development, will use the award to conduct research on the experiences of veterans and their employers during the transition back into the civilian workforce.  

 “Veterans are often a neglected group, particularly when they go back to school,” Herd said. “This research project will help us better understand the needs of these potential students, as well as their potential employers.”

The Nystrand-Offutt Scholar is supported by adopted alumna Nancy Stablein and her husband George through the Offutt funds named for Nancy’s parents. It also bears the name of Ray Nystrand, who served as Dean of the College of ����ֱ�� from 1978 until his death in 1999. To honor his work and memory, the Stableins donated the funds to the university to support scholarship that aligns with his vision of collaborative transformation.

“The award supports the scholarship of early-career faculty by funding their research and releasing them from teaching one course,” said CEHD Dean Ann Larson. “This gives them a big leg up in getting promotions and tenure.”

: See the far-reaching impact of the premier programs and services UofL has created for U.S. military members and veterans.

: UofL collaborates with community arts and cultural partners to put on a city-wide celebration of all things Shakespeare.

: UofL’s Dan Popa and his research team are pioneering robotics technologies that could provide needed assistance for healthcare facilities.

: James Wheeler, 73DMD, has brought the same passion he uses in dentistry to a small museum in his basement dedicated to his father and World War II.

The full issue of UofL Magazine, including alumni and campus news, is also available .