Then there are Quantá Taylor’s three Rs.

When the new University of Louisville director of student involvement considers the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on student involvement, the three Rs that spring to his mind are reimagine, revamp and reengage.

“This is one of the ways that I have been proud of the work of the Office of Student Involvement, as they have been resilient, innovative and adaptive in finding ways to continue to engage and connect with students,” throughout the pandemic, Taylor said. “From grab-and-go options, to hybrid events, to fully online opportunities, OSI has never stopped, but only temporarily slowed down to make sure that the programs and initiatives that we offered were still able to be delivered at a high standard.”

Taylor came to UofL earlier this year after working for the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program and The Ohio State University. His time at OSU included working in a program whose goal was to be a national model for graduate and professional student engagement.

“After three years in this role, I shifted to an assistant director of campus programming, which focused on the holistic student experience and ensuring that all students were included in campus programs, traditions and experiences,” he said.

Taylor and his colleagues thrive on high doses of student contact, and UofL’s plans for a fully open campus this fall are a dream come true.

“I don’t think there are adequate words to describe how excited I am looking forward to a return to a vibrant and active campus life,” he said. “Having an office space that is in the Student Activities Center, I am looking forward to randomly popping in on student events, the hustle and bustle of students moving between grabbing food, attending meetings and just relaxing. I get energy from the activity of our students and I am looking forward to seeing the best that UofL has to offer.”

Student involvement is part of the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. It provides cultural, social and recreational programs that enrich the education experience by maximizing the capacity of students to learn, serve and lead.

“As a practitioner scholar, research tells us that those students who are involved develop necessary skills such as better time management, transferable skills to their career and a better understanding of their personal values. When involvement shifts to engagement, this is when we see students retained,” he said.

Taylor pointed out that belonging aligns with UofL’s Community of Care, the first of the eight Cardinal Principles.

“When a student experiences belonging, it equates to feeling as if they matter to the campus community, that their presence has a significant impact on those they interact with,” he said. “When I think about the Cardinal experience we hope to foster here in the Office of Student Involvement, every experience we curate is done so to increase student academic and social success and help them reach the ultimate goal of graduation. With students spending more than 70% of their time on campus outside of classes, we want to be intentional in helping students maximize every opportunity to achieve success.”

Departmental and individual award winners are listed in full below. Congratulations, Cards! 

Department Awards

DRC Student of the Year: Sierra Stewart 

ACC Top Six For Service Awards: Kim Dil, Rachel Florek, Jazmine Jones, MaKenzie Kelley, Ainsley Mattingly and Emmaline Wuensch 

Adult Learner Awards: Enisha King, Jessica Gardner, Dr. Simona Bertacco, Dr. Andrew McCart and Chelsea Wicks

Outstanding Metropolitan College Student Award: Casandra Hernandez, Jackson Jones IV, Elianis Rodriguez

A&S Peer Advisor of the Year: Carley Brueckner

A&S Peer Advisor Rookie of the Year: DeAsia King

Most Outstanding Gen 101 Teaching Assistant: Rahaf Alrefai

Most Outstanding Orientation Peer Advisor: Gabrielle Mabra

Campus Housing Desk Staff Member of the Year: Steven Miritello

Campus Housing Facilities Student Staff Member of the Year: Ty Corbin 

Campus Housing Resident Assistant Leader of the Year: Brooke Armenta 

Campus Housing Office Assistant of the Year: Bobby Siefert

Campus Housing Conference Assistant of the Year: Victoria Sims

International Student and Scholar Center Award: Ruth Echiejile, Seyda Muratova, Olalekan Olakitan Olowo, Thuy Trang Do, Sabina Chertmanova

2020 Student Awards

CCU Outstanding Sophomore Student Award: Eli Cooper, Ugonna Okorie

CCU Outstanding Junior Student Award: Madelyn Carek, Emma Lawson, Julie Nwosu, Kayla Payne

CCU Outstanding Senior Student Award: Rita Ackah, Praneeth Goli, Cheyenne Richardson

CCU Outstanding Student Awards for Graduate and Professional Students: Yomna Amer, Jade Montanez Chatman, Shakeyrah Elmore, Joseph Lee Holland, Samantha Mackenzie, Preston Simmons

Spirit of Service (Individual): Eli Cooper 

Social Justice and Inclusion Award (Individual): Cheyenne Richardson 

Social Justice and Inclusion Award (Student Group or Organization): Alpha Phi Sigma, Lambda Alpha Epsilon

Collaboration Award for Student Groups with University Departments: Student Activities Board, Louisville Alumni

Collaboration Award for Two or More Student Groups: Black Student Nurses Association, The Society of Porter Scholars 

Outstanding Academic/����ֱ�� Program: “Justice And Music (J.A.M.),” sponsored by Lambda Alpha Epsilon & Alpha Phi Sigma

Outstanding Cultural Program: “Jalsa” sponsored by Indian Student Organization

Outstanding New Program: “Flourish Your YOU-niverse” sponsored by the Student Activities Board

Outstanding Program of the Year: “ASEZ Crime Prevention Forum: Reduce Crime Together” sponsored by ASEZ_UofL

Outstanding Student Employee Award: Dacia Berry – Testing Services, Erin Coppola – VP Student Affair, Joi Harbison -Dean of Students, Eriqc Lumzy – SPHIS Undergraduate Student Services, Kat Stierle – Intramurals, Dilishia Thomas – Student Involvement 

Advisor of the Year: Samantha Mackenzie – Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity

Outstanding New Organization of the Year: Exposure Photography Club

Student Organization of the Year Under 50 Members: Black Student Nurses Association

Student Organization of the Year 50+ Members: American Society of Civil Engineers

Cardinal Award of Excellence: Rita Ackah

Fraternity and Sorority Life Awards

Additionally, the Fraternity and Sorority Life Awards were held in late March. Winners were also acknowledged on social media and are listed below.��

Academic Achievement

• GPA above the All Women’s Average: Chi Omega, Delta Zeta, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Delta, Phi Sigma Rho, Sigma Kappa 
• GPA above the All Men’s Average: Alpha Tau Omega, Beta Theta Pi, Phi Delta Theta, Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Chi, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Triangle
• Highest GPA in Council: Phi Delta Theta, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Kappa Delta 

Chapter Awards

• Cardinal Credentials: Delta Zeta
• Outstanding Risk Prevention and Accountability: Phi Delta Theta, Alpha Omicron Pi
• Outstanding Member Development: Pi Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Alpha Omicron Pi
• Outstanding Philanthropy: Pi Kappa Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Alpha Omicron Pi
• Outstanding Communication and Branding: Sigma Phi Epsilon, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Kappa Delta
• Outstanding Community Engagement: Pi Kappa Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Sigma Kappa
• Outstanding Campus Program: Sigma Phi Epsilon, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Kappa Delta
• Outstanding Interfraternal Relations: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Delta Zeta
• Outstanding Alumni Engagement: Pi Kappa Phi, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Alpha Omicron Pi

Individual Awards

• Chapter Advisor of the Year: Samantha MacKenzie
• Servant Leader of the Year: Alex Elias
• New Member of the Year: Hunter West, Manu Nair
• Senior of the Year: Lizzie Glass, Dylan Haas
• Council Officer of the Year: Kendall Shook
• Chapter President of the Year: Brooke Shields, Antonio Burgess
• Sorority Woman of the Year: Emily Rich
• Fraternity Man of the Year: Ethan Sammons

Cardinal Awards

Finally, the Cardinal Awards (formerly Mr. and Ms. Cardinal) were presented in early March to Kendra Ford, a senior chemical engineering major with a minor in criminal justice and mathematics, and Praneeth Goli, a senior chemistry major with minors in philosophy and biology, have been presented with the Cardinal Awards.

The Cardinal Awards are presented by UofL’s Student Activities Board and is based on academic excellence, co-curricular activities and service to the university. .��

She realized later that not everyone is that passionate about the right to cast a ballot but still thinks they should be. She and fellow UofL student Clara Wilson are bringing their zeal for the electoral process to campus life and encouraging others to join in – especially this week in the midterm elections.

“Midterms are coming up, you guys. We’ve really got to get in here to vote,” Wilson told students passing near their table on the Quad during National Voter Registration Day Sept. 25. Students checked out an information sheet about who’s up for election in Kentucky, literature about signing up to vote and an iPad with the Secretary of State site, along with stickers reminding “Midterms Matter” and “Friends Don’t Let Friends Miss Elections.”

Wilson and Greenwell are UofL ambassadors for Vote Everywhere, a nationwide, nonpartisan effort by the Andrew Goodman Foundation to encourage citizens to get involved in the democratic process. Their endeavors are part of a coalition of partners and programs that helped gain UofL a “voter-friendly campus” designation from the Campus Vote Project and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher ����ֱ��.

Greenwell, a May political science graduate from Springfield who now is a first-year law student, and Wilson, a junior political science major from Elizabethtown, attended the foundation’s National Civic Leadership Training Summit in July at Ramapo College of New Jersey. There they learned about voter registration, nonpartisanship, leadership and alliance-building.

The nonpartisan alliance at UofL includes groups such as Student Government Association, National Pan-Hellenic Council, Campus YMCA and the Engage Lead Serve Board.

“They’ve been working really hard to get the information out,” said Kathy Meyer, ELSB adviser and the Office of Student Involvement’s student leadership coordinator. “Through Vote Everywhere we’re able to surpass the reach of those partnerships.”

Recently they targeted absentee voters, reminding them to mail their ballots to their home counties; at a campus party to address the mailings, Canon chipped in to cover their postage.

The students are urging registered Jefferson County voters in affiliated housing and Old Louisville to get to their nearby polling places Tuesday and are participating in “Stroll to the Polls” walks with volunteers at 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. from the Student Activities Center Ballroom. Student Government Association organized an election results TV watch party at Ekstrom Library’s Chao Auditorium from 7-10 p.m. after the polls close, according to Nicole Fielder, SGA governmental relations director.

“We’re trying to make any effort possible to (help students) vote any way they can,” Greenwell said. “It takes five minutes to register but it takes more commitment to go out and vote.”

So how do she and Wilson counter apathy?

“People tell me all the time their vote doesn’t matter,” Greenwell said. Her response: “Your vote is unique. People vote different ways for different reasons. No one else is going to vote the same way as me for the same reasons.”

As a student of political science and now law, Greenwell said she doesn’t regard politics negatively but rather as a mechanism for change.

“It’s all about the world you want to exist.”