To guide us toward this goal, UofL has launched the Cardinal Anti-Racism Agenda. The agenda entails a phased process, soliciting input from the university community, creating a committee to organize and identify priorities from that input, and seeking approval from the Board of Trustees to get this important, intentional work started.

This goal is an iteration of UofL’s mission of being the “premier, nationally-recognized metropolitan research university,” established in 1997 with the passage of HB1 – the Postsecondary ����ֱ��al Improvement Act. As part of that initial mission, UofL was obligated to serve the needs of a diverse population, including many ethnic minorities and place-bound, part-time, nontraditional students.

Indeed, in the 23 years since the passage of that legislation, UofL has transformed itself from an urban commuter college to a world-class research university. We serve a more racially and socio-economically diverse student population than most research universities in the country, and we have a unique and pervasive relationship with the City of Louisville. We are proud of our progress and of our standing.

However, times have changed, and it is appropriate as a higher education institution to change with them in an effort to achieve the highest ideals of society. It is incumbent upon us to explore and to grow for the purpose of being a model for the communities we serve. That is why we have created this Cardinal Anti-Racism Agenda.

Actions will define who we really are and what we truly believe as a community and there is no better time than now – – to stand on the right side of history.

As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice … Each of us who works for social change is part of the mosaic of all who work for justice; together we can accomplish multitudes.”

There is no doubt this work will take time and it will take all of us. Our first step is to harness our collective wisdom to lay the groundwork. We have already established a few key commitments, including the recruitment and retention of more Black employees and students, building intentionally anti-racism curriculum across all disciplines, ensuring diverse representation on boards and committees, developing budgets that reflect the priority of diversity and equity and more.��

In the coming weeks and months, the Commission on Diversity and Racial Equality (CODRE), in partnership with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, will lead the charge to engage our community for more potential items to add to our agenda. We will regularly remind our community to to craft an appropriately robust agenda, which will be put in front of the Board of Trustees at the Sept. 24 meeting.

Upon approval from the board, we will put the ball in motion to become a national model of anti-racism, proving that race will not negatively impact anyone’s experience at the University of Louisville.

We’ve made bold steps before. In 1951, for example, UofL integrated our student body several years before most of our Kentucky peers were willing to do the same. Our Department of Pan-African studies is one of the oldest of its kind in the country. We are that provide equal access for Black and Latinx students.

Those bold steps will be the foundation of our new objective. We will continue to lead the way here. We will become the country’s premier anti-racist university. .��

Check out President Bendapudi’s introduction of our Anti-Racism agenda: 

“Cardinal Family,

This pandemic has surfaced many truths about our society. In many cases, it has highlighted the goodwill and caring community found across this country as individuals have banded together to help address the growing need created by the global public health crisis. In many other cases, however, it has shown us the glaring disparate impacts of Covid-19 on communities of color due to longstanding health and structural inequities, legacies of slavery and racism we grapple with still today.

In the last four months, we have come to know the names of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and most recently George Floyd. Ms. Taylor is from our very own Louisville community. Whatever your perspective on the specifics of each case, I hope we can agree that these three lives being taken from us so soon is devastating.

At the University of Louisville, Diversity and Inclusion is one of our core Cardinal Principles. This university strives to be a home and safe haven for our students, faculty and staff of color just as we strive to do this for all of the many rich and diverse identities held throughout our campus community. I believe that in many cases we succeed in helping people survive and thrive, but I am also certain that in numerous cases the same expressions of hate and exclusion that daily impact people of color and vulnerable communities outside the campus affect our Cardinal Family right here in our own backyard.

To our students, staff and faculty of color – I see you. I hear you.

Given these tragic incidents and mounting tension building in our own city and across the country, I know many of you are in deep pain having to confront these inequities, sometimes on a daily basis. Please know that I am here to support you, this university is here to support you and we will continue our endeavor to provide an environment where everyone can thrive.��

I want to highlight some of the actions taken recently and others we will soon take to ensure we fully live out our commitment to being a Community of Care that values Diversity and Inclusion:

1. The Campus Environment Team is in the process of revamping the Bias Incident Response Team to better equip the university to support our constituents, track its occurrence, and implement strategies to counteract incidences of bias, microaggression and racism.
2. The University of Louisville Police Department’s primary mission is to focus on providing a safe campus community, which includes supporting diversity and equity within the department and on campus. The Department continues to be actively involved in open forums discussing critical racial issues that impact our campus and local community.
3. The Office of Diversity and Equity, the HSC Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and all affiliated offices are enhancing programming related to structural racism, and reaching out to support those experiencing pain and isolation as well as those who want to learn more and work to change inequitable structures.
4. The Department of ����ֱ�� Leadership, Evaluation and Organizational Development in the College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development, in collaboration with the Office of Diversity and Equity, are developing an educational series for faculty and staff on topics related to diversity and inclusion.
5. We have made available a curated list of resources on the Diversity and Equity site for the campus community to engage with to learn more about the historical legacy of slavery and racism in America.

These actions represent some progress, but they are not the solution. The thing that will ultimately change these unfair systems that continue to disproportionately harm people of color, particularly black people, is for each of us to learn more, to understand how we contribute, both knowingly and unknowingly, to these systems and to actively work to change them. I too am committing to learn more, to take real actions to make a difference, to be better and to do more.

The frustration and anger that has led to protests here and across the country is understandable. Each of us must choose how to take meaningful action to improve the society we live in. Take care of yourself and take care of each other. This is what our Cardinal Principle of Community of Care requires of each of us.

It will take all of us acting collectively with informed intention and empowering care to start to see the change we need. I ask each of us to please take an intentional step today to be better and to do more. I need your help. Our Cardinal Family of color needs your help. Our society needs your help.

Sincerely,

Neeli”

Tasha Golden, School of Public Health and Information Sciences

A doctoral student in the School of Public Health and Information Sciences, Tasha Golden works with the Youth Violence Prevention Research Center and the Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky. Golden’s community-oriented research at the intersection of art and public health is informed by her career history. As the frontwoman and songwriter for the band Ellery, her songs have been heard on the radio and in major motion pictures, TV dramas and Starbucks.

Golden’s prose and poetry have been published in “Ploughshares,” “Pleaides” and “Ethos Review,” among others, and her debut book of poems, “Once You Had Hands” (Humanist Press), was a finalist for the 2016 Ohioana Book Award. Her critique of gender inequities in the juvenile justice system appears in the Spring 2017 issue of peer-reviewed journal “Reflections.” Golden’s background as artist, entrepreneur and researcher often leads to new and unique networks, and allows her to draw connections among disparate ideas and initiatives. She continues to write and record, and has led trauma-informed creative writing workshops for incarcerated teen women since 2012.��

John Luttrell, School of Nursing

John Luttrell obtained a bachelor’s degree in organizational communication from Murray State University in 2005, and a bachelor of science in nursing from the University of Louisville in 2013. While he was a student at UofL, he served as the academic affairs liaison on the Nursing Student Council, and received the Helen C. Marshall Award for Outstanding Leadership.

While working as a trauma nurse at University of Louisville Hospital in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit from 2013-2016, Luttrell completed the one-year nurse residency program, often served as the charge nurse during his scheduled shifts, and served as a clinical capstone preceptor for nursing students at the UofL School of Nursing. Luttrell is a full-time PhD student in the School of Nursing, where he holds a position as a graduate research assistant. His research interests focus on health disparities among homeless adolescents and engaging with community organizations to provide services to homeless youth.

Devin McBride, School of Medicine

Originally from Ithaca, New York, Devin McBride received a bachelor of science in economics from Syracuse University in 2008. She graduated with a degree of distinction after completing a thesis project on the impact of mega-multi mall development on local communities. While earning a second bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering, she was involved in multiple research projects including biomedical research, which first sparked her interest in medicine. After moving to Louisville in 2012, McBride began working in the emergency room as a scribe and volunteered with the Kentucky Waterway Alliance. She has been involved in numerous other research projects in Louisville, and presented posters at the Kentucky Academy of Science Annual Meeting and Research!Louisville.

Currently, McBride is a student director at the Family Community Clinic, is co-president of the student LGBTQ group HSC Pride, and is involved in health-care politics as a member of Students for a National Health Plan. She plans to research health disparities in the LGBTQ community.

Morgan Pearson, School of Dentistry

A native of Louisville, Morgan D. Pearson is a second-year student in the School of Dentistry. As a child, Pearson experienced a traumatic injury, resulting from an automobile accident that required her to have multiple surgeries. Because of the expert and compassionate care she received, she decided early on that she wanted a career in the health sciences field, ultimately choosing dentistry. Pearson is a 2015 graduate of Murray State University, where she earned a bachelor of science in biology with minors in music and chemistry. She attended UofL’s Summer Medical and Dental ����ֱ�� Program (SMDEP) and MCAT/DAT workshop before deciding on a career in dentistry over medicine.

Pearson has had a heart for service since she was a child. From age 11 through 17, she volunteered at the VA Medical Center in various capacities. After going away to college, she volunteered at the VA during summer breaks. At Murray State University, Pearson mentored and tutored incoming freshmen to ensure their success. As a dentist, Pearson will focus on community dentistry, continuing to serve those who are disadvantaged because of their inability to pay or to access care.

From applications received from doctoral students in the Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing and Public Health and Information Sciences, scholars are selected based on their commitment to social justice and health equity. They will engage in a three-year program designed to help them learn techniques for working interprofessionally and with community members to improve the overall health of local residents. Scholars will develop projects that include community-based research conducted along with a faculty mentor and a report prepared for scholarly publication. In addition, they participate in community service projects and attend monthly discussions.

UofL’s HSC is administered by the HSC Office of Diversity and Inclusion and directed by Katie Leslie, PhD.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), safer sex, protective devices and preventive treatments can reduce the spread of HIV. PrEP involves a daily pill, Truvada, which, when combined with safer sex techniques, can reduce the risk of HIV transmission up to 92 percent.

The University of Louisville and Project Compassion are hosting the free Women’s PrEP Summit, June 27, from 5:15 to 8 p.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church. The goal of the event is to educate women about their risk of HIV and empower them with the knowledge to prevent infection.

“Even one woman contracting HIV in our community is one too many,” said Karen Krigger, MD, director of health equity in the UofL Health Sciences Center Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Those at the event will receive information on PrEP, including how to get it and how to pay for it, as well as safer sex instructions and tips for using both female and male condoms. HIV testing and treatment information also will be available. June 27 is designated National HIV Testing Day.

Also available will be education about sexually transmitted diseases and information on post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which can help prevent infection up to 72 hours after HIV exposure through sexual contact. IV drug users and their partners can obtain information about needle exchange and reducing risks from sharing needles.

Individuals at risk of getting HIV include:

• Anyone who does not know if their partner has HIV or is being faithful
• Anyone who has a partner with HIV
• Anyone who uses IV drugs or their partner uses IV drugs
• Anyone with multiple sexual partners

Women’s PrEP Summit

June 27, 5:15 to 8 p.m., Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3640 River Park Dr., Louisville, KY 40211

The free event includes dinner and childcare with registration. Transportation may be available with early registration, which can be done online or by calling 502-852-7181.

This event is sponsored by Project Compassion, Redeemer Lutheran Church, University of Louisville Health Sciences Center Office of Diversity and Inclusion, UofL HSC students, Volunteers of America, Kentucky AIDS Alliance, Louisville Metro Department of Health and Wellness, UofL LGBT Center, UofL School of Nursing and School of Public Health and Information Sciences, and other supporters.

At the 2016 Culturally Effective Care Symposium, nearly 550 students learned about working with colleagues from different disciplines to improve health equity for patients and populations and participated in discussions on LGBT health and barriers to health care issues faced by immigrants and refugees. The day-long event, “Health Equity through Interprofessional Practice,” was coordinated by the University of Louisville Health Sciences Center Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Previously known as Cultural Competency Day, the event was renamed this year to more accurately reflect its mission.

“Through one-day events no one becomes ‘fully competent’ about any culture, including their own, so the name did not reflect the true purpose of the program,” said Ryan Simpson, assistant director of the UofL HSC Office of Diversity and Inclusion. “In these symposiums we are trying to provide participants foundational experiences in culturally effective care to equip future health professionals in achieving optimal patient care.��Our planning committee renamed it the ‘Culturally Effective Care Symposium’ to better represent what we are there to achieve.”

Students from all four UofL Health Sciences Center schools, as well as the Sullivan University College of Pharmacy and the UofL Kent School of Social Work participated in the symposium, held at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage in Louisville. Participants included students and residents in nursing, dentistry, dental hygiene, speech pathology, pharmacy, social work, public health and medicine.

UofL’s Patricia Allen Cultural Competency Day was first held in 2006, the result of efforts by V. Faye Jones, MD, PhD, assistant vice president for health affairs – diversity initiatives, and Patricia Allen, administrative associate for the Area Health ����ֱ�� Center program office at UofL, to improve cultural understanding of UofL Health Sciences Center students. The event is named for Allen, who helped lay the groundwork and planning for the event.

Research!Louisville is the annual exposition of health-related research in the Louisville Medical Center. The 2016 event will include showcases of scientific research, lectures and activities for scientists of all ages from Oct. 11-14.

Investigators from high school through professional faculty will present their research in five poster sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in the Kosair Charities Clinical and Translational Research Building (KCCTRB). Awards for top research presentations will be announced on Friday following the keynote address by Birnbaum.

Other events during the week include:

• InNet – The new online matchmaking tool
  to help UofL investigators match their skills with potential collaborators in industry and research will host a launch party, Tuesday, Oct. 11, from 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. in room 101 of KCCTRB.
• Kentucky Science Center – S.T.E.M. careers – More than 200 high school students will be introduced to science careers through interactive sessions in which they will take a patient history, engage in patient-interaction role-play with standardized patients, and practice suturing in a workshop courtesy of the UofL School of Medicine Standardized Patient Program and the Paris Simulation Center. Students also will have the opportunity to interact with the operating room at KentuckyOne Health in “Pulse in Surgery,” in which students observe a live-streamed open-heart surgery while asking questions of the operating room staff in real time. Wednesday, Oct. 12, 9 a.m.–1:30 p.m at the Kentucky Science Center.
• Beer with a Scientist – The leading-edge ways researchers and clinicians are diagnosing and curing cancer right here in Louisville. Wednesday, Oct. 12, 8 p.m. at Against the Grain Brewery, 401 E. Main St.
• Science and Innovation in the Public Interest – Karen Kashmanian Oates, PhD, professor of biochemistry and dean of Arts & Sciences at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, will discuss science and innovation in the public interest.��She will explore the role of educators in not only imparting knowledge to students, but helping them understand how to use that knowledge to benefit society. Thursday, Oct. 13, at 10:30 a.m. in room 124 of KCCTRB.
  

• Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Children’s Health – Health inequities among children result in poorer quality of life for individuals in our nation. Glenn Flores, MD, Distinguished Chair of Health Policy Research at the Medica Research Institute, a Research Affiliate in the Department of Health Sciences Research at the Mayo Clinic, will speak on “Racial and ethnic disparities in children’s health and health care and their successful elimination.” Thursday, Oct. 13, noon to 2 p.m. in room 101 of the KCCTRB.
  
• Clinical/Translational Research Summit – A dozen areas of clinical and translational research will be highlighted, each with 10-minute presentations. Areas include cancer, cardiology, cardio-thoracic surgery, biomarkers, personalized medicine, gastro-intestinal metabolism, dentistry, infectious diseases, public health, nursing, neurosciences/spinal cord injury and transplant. The event is sponsored by UofL, KentuckyOne Health, Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) and the Chi Institute for Research and Innovation (CIRI). Friday, Oct. 14, 8 a.m.��to noon in room 101 of KCCTRB.

More information about the 21st annual Research!Louisville is .��

Before starting medical school, she worked at the Chicago Department of Public Health through the CDC’s Public Health Associate Program. In Chicago, Sabharwal worked in the school-based sexually transmitted disease program, which educated and tested high school students on the south and west sides of the city. She is a second-year student in the UofL School of Medicine and serves as public health coordinator for the national American Medical Student Association.

UofL News had the opportunity to talk to Sabharwal about what motivates her and her objectives as a Health and Social Justice Scholar.��

UofL News: What motivated you to invest in health and social justice?

Sabharwal: My family and I immigrated to Florida from India. My dad struggled with mental health disorders and we lived in a rural area so he didn’t always have access to the care he needed. There also were linguistic and cultural barriers besides economic barriers. Seeing him struggle with medical care and how it affected my family motivates me to improve health care access for everyone.

UofL News: Describe one experience that drives you to make a difference.

�������󲹰��ɲ���:��When I was an undergrad, I volunteered at a student-run clinic. We often would see patients who were underinsured or homeless – underserved populations. I found it ironic that in health care you learn so much about people yet they are just there for a medication. We can give them a prescription for that medication, but there are so many underlying barriers that affect their health. I feel like I am in a position to address those other barriers.

I remember one woman specifically. I was doing intake on her, just going through the motions, and when I came to address, she said, ‘I am homeless.’ I was just … ‘sorry.’ I didn’t even know how to react. She needed a blood pressure medication refill. As a physician, I feel like I can give you your blood pressure medication, but I can also refer you to public housing or a social worker who can help you find housing besides just giving you the blood pressure medication.

UofL News: What would you like to accomplish as a Health and Social Justice Scholar?

Sabharwal:  I would like to build a skill set that allows me to better articulate on issues of health disparity and health inequity. I also hope to create a project that the community can adopt and sustain beyond the program.

About the Health and Social Justice Scholars program

Introduced in the spring of 2016, the Health and Social Justice Scholars Program engages professional students with local communities and faculty mentors to bring about changes to benefit underserved populations in the Louisville area. The students will participate in public service projects and mentored scholarship to learn techniques for working interprofessionally and with community members to combat issues such as youth violence, public water safety and depression in adolescents in West Louisville and other disadvantaged communities.

Health and Social Justice Scholars are selected during the second year of their professional program at the UofL Health Sciences Center and are expected to remain scholars for three years. They receive annual financial support of $10,000 toward educational expenses.��

For more information, visit .

Students in the UofL schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing and Public Health and Information Sciences who are dedicated to social justice are encouraged to apply for the program, where they will learn techniques for working interprofessionally and with community members to improve the overall health of the populations through community engagement and scholarly activities. The students will work with faculty mentors to combat issues such as youth violence, public water safety and depression in adolescents in West Louisville and other disadvantaged communities.

“As a pediatrician, I know that a physician can’t do it alone,” said V. Faye Jones, MD, PhD, MSPH, assistant vice president for health affairs – diversity initiatives at UofL. “You have to have different perspectives and different skills to move that needle. We cannot work in silos; we have to work as a team to accomplish the goal of health equity.”

One second-year student from each of the four schools in the UofL Health Sciences Center will be selected for the first cohort of scholars for the 2016-2017 academic year. The Health and Social Justice Scholars will conduct interprofessional, community-based research along with a faculty mentor, participate in community service projects and attend monthly discussions. In addition, the scholars will receive annual financial support of $10,000 toward their education programs. Scholars are expected to continue in the program for three years.

“We want students who are dedicated to community engagement and who are passionate about making a difference,” said Jones, who oversees the program. “Eventually, these professionals will be leaders in advocating for policy changes to improve the overall health of the community.”

Applicants for the program must be entering their second year of a doctoral program in the school of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing or Public Health and Information Sciences.��Applications will be accepted through May 31. For additional information and to apply, visit the , or contact the UofL Health Sciences Center Office of Diversity and Inclusion at 502-852-7159 or hscodi@louisville.edu.