Second Lieutenant Pavel Buechter was commissioned in 2023 and is currently stationed at Vandenberg Space Force Base in central California, where he is a mission integrator with the 2nd Range Operations Squadron, where he manages and integrates government and commercial launches at Vandenberg.

In this role, he works with contractors like Northrop Grumman, Firefly Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Stratolaunch and SpaceX.

He supports the launch service providers by making sure they abide by range policy and procedures, along with managing their use of government launch infrastructure.

Buechter represents the range and the Space Force to mission partners, and helps establish the path to mission success. His current focus is managing the restoration and revitalization of a launch complex to support its first mission in more than 15 years.

Buechter, who is cross trained as a Range Operations Commander (ROC), has overseen the launch of various commercial SpaceX launch missions.

In 2023, Buechter was awarded the U.S. Space Force quarterly award for commitment. He has also been awarded various team awards for mission integration and nuclear deterrence.

He said his favorite part of the job is getting to be a part of the team that, “launches rockets and puts satellites into orbit to support the warfighter downrange.”

Buechter said he chose UofL because of the fully online master’s degree and how well UofL supports its military-connected students. The program is also offered at a reduced tuition rate, which matches the military tuition assistance rate.

Buechter said his degree will help him better oversee Space Force projects and make him a better leader.

This year, two programs cracked the top 20 nationally. UofL’s online bachelor’s in business and bachelor’s in psychology rank came in at #17 and #11, respectively.

Along with business and psychology, the university’s fully online programs were acknowledged among some of the top education opportunities for online students in 2024 across the following categories:

• Best Online Bachelor’s
• Online Graduate Criminal Justice
• Online Graduate łÉČËÖ±˛Ą
• Online Graduate Engineering
• Online Graduate Technology

UofL also is ranked among the Best Online Programs for Veterans across many of the same categories.

“Online learning, especially in a post-pandemic society, remains an extremely important area of growth and development for the university,” said Kelvin Thompson, vice provost for online strategy and teaching innovation. “Today’s students often navigate the complexities of careers, families and myriad priorities while pursuing their education. We continually strive to offer programs that maintain the esteemed quality associated with UofL while evolving to meet the complex needs of contemporary learners. Recognition from sources such as U.S. News & World Report encourages dialogue about how we at UofL can keep moving forward in meeting the diverse needs of our students.”

In pursuit of extending education opportunities to the Greater Louisville-area and beyond, UofL launched seven new online programs in 2024 including four new public health graduate certificates, an engineering graduate certificate in Six Sigma and a master’s in business analytics. The university currently offers over 70 programs completely online.

Online programs are targeted toward the non-traditional students, including adult learners, working professionals, military and degree completer students – as well as anyone looking to earn a college credential through flexible, high-quality online education.

Learn more about UofL’s

A passion to help others is central to her own life, demonstrated in part through a willingness a few years ago to donate a kidney to her father who had end-stage renal disease, a condition in which the kidneys function below 10 percent of normal ability.

In June 2004, Fernandez stepped up to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps, leaving for boot camp just 10 days after graduating high school. After this and follow-up training, she arrived at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay. During her assignment, Fernandez deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 362 (HMH-362), providing transport of combat troops, supplies and equipment during day and night operations.

During a later assignment in Montgomery, Ala., she was a part of an infantry company and oversaw training evolutions in preparation for combat operations, contingency operations, and humanitarian/peacekeeping operations, including national emergencies.

In 2012, Fernandez arrived at Parris Island, S.C., to support recruiting missions, and was selected to attend the University of South Carolina through the Marine Corps Degree Completion Program, receiving a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

Upon graduation, she was transferred to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, Calif., where she worked at the Professional and Personal Development Branch assisting Marines on educational program opportunities and offering transitional counseling services.

Her next assignment was in New Orleans, La., supporting the Marine Corps Reserve Forces administratively. Following that three-year assignment, she moved to her current role, as a Course Chief for the Marine Corps Center for Learning and Faculty Development, where she teaches Marines to become curriculum developers for their formal schoolhouses.

Fernandez enrolled in UofL’s Online Master of Science in Social Work in fall 2022 after an extensive college search process. When looking for an institution, she said UofL’s reputation was a major influencer in her decision.

Not only did UofL offer the degree she wanted to pursue but, “the Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work and Family Science ranks in the top 17 percent in the nation,” Fernandez said. “UofL also is one of the few universities that matches the DoD Tuition Assistance cap per semester hour for a master’s program.”

Fernandez says she is impressed with the assistance from staff and faculty at UofL, pointing to Kent School program coordinators Holly Eckert and Connie Cox as being extremely helpful, saying “they carefully explained the process and requirements of practicum and the expectations as a graduate student.”

UofL honors and celebrates Fernandez for her military service and is proud to recognize the 247th birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps on Nov. 10.

More students are taking advantage of , a partnership with United Parcel Service that makes it possible for students to earn a degree and graduate debt-free. There also is an upsurge in new students enrolled part-time, many of whom are interested in the university’s growing number of online degree programs, which tend to attract adult students who work full-time.Ěý

“UofL strives to be an institution where every student can create their own path to graduation, including traditional, online and part-time students. I’m excited to see continued growth in programs that serve every type of student,” said UofL President Neeli Bendapudi. “This will be my second incoming class, and I’ve been counting down the days until the fall semester begins.”

The increased participation in the Metropolitan College program is most likely attributed to UPS’ boost in the starting wage to $14 for overnight package handlers, effectively drawing a greater number of students who work for the shipping company, which then pays for their full-time undergraduate tuition. Metropolitan College also recently implemented an option for students to begin the program part time during a “transitional” semester, contributing to the university’s uptick in freshmen attending school part time.Ěý

Another factor in the increase of part-time students is the growing number of completely online programs.ĚýUofL offers more than 35ĚýonlineĚýprogramsĚýincluding master’s, bachelor’s, certificates and teaching endorsements. Of this fall’s new students, 485 plan to earn their degrees completely online; most of those are adults returning to college. UofL’s current online enrollment for all students is 1,469.Ěý

The increased availability of online programs and strong partnerships with Metropolitan College and Jefferson Community & Technical College have helped UofL attract 77 transfer students for fall semester. JCTC students can participate in the Metropolitan College program.

Of students starting today, nearly 2,600 are freshmen. Here’s a snapshot of the first-time freshman class:

• 56% have some college credits
• 17% are African American or identify as mixed race
• 6% are Hispanic/LatinoĚý
• 72% live on campusĚý
• 17% are first-generation college students
• 25.6 is the average ACT score, well above the 2018 Kentucky average of 20
• 3.6 is the average high school grade-point average, based on a 4.0 scale
• 22% are from outside Kentucky
• 38 states represented
• 271 part-time incoming freshmen, up 70 from last year
• Psychology, biology, business, education and nursing are the five most popular majors.

The program, offered by the College of łÉČËÖ±˛Ą and Human Development, lets students with at least 2,000 hours’ experience in healthcare and 24 transferable college credit hours work toward a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership and learning. It’s an example ofĚý“competency-based education,” a teaching model recognizing the value of lessons learned outside the classroom through employment, military service or other training. Depending on their proficiency, students can earn up to 48 credit hours for their on-the-job learning.

Classes are offered online as a set of 36 modules weighted at one credit hour each, with the option to test out of a module if the student has already masteredĚýthat topic. Students can complete the program in as little as three intensive semesters, or work through it at a slower pace more convenient to them. A Healthcare Leadership Success Coach is also available to provide students with focused academic counseling throughout their time in the program.

“The primary value for students interested in this program is that they will earn a bachelors degree from a nationally-recognized university in a time-efficient and cost-effective manner through a self-paced online curriculum developed to meet healthcare industry standards for leadership development,” said program director Lee Bewley.

The program, accredited at the same level as UofL’s traditional courses, can prepare students for careers in healthcare administration and management. Applications for enrollment are being accepted now, and the first class will begin in the Fall semester with new classes starting the first Tuesday of every month except December.

Bewley said the program is expecting to matriculate about 20 students in its first year, eventually expanding to reach hundreds of students across the country.

Healthcare Leadership is UofL’s first competency-based educationĚýoffering through the new OnTrack Program and more degree programs are expected soon. More information is .Ěý