UofL President Kim Schatzel will preside at the event, and School of Nursing outstanding student Ellen Tinker will be the student speaker.

The ceremony will be broadcast live at .

In addition, the UofL Graduate School will host a doctoral hooding and graduation ceremony at 2 p.m. on the same day. More than 60 graduates are expected at the ceremony, which will be on Belknap Campus in the Swain Student Activities Center Ballroom, second floor. Schatzel will preside.

UofL’s U.S. Army ROTC cadre, Cardinal Battalion, will hold a commissioning ceremony at 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, in Ekstrom Library’s Chao Auditorium. Five cadets will be commissioned as second lieutenants at that time.

For more information, visit .

The summa cum laude graduate became a second lieutenant with the Army ROTC commissioning ceremony in May that preceded commencement. He was an honors scholar who wrote a timely thesis in addition to the several other research papers that admittedly left him “typed out” by semester’s end. But what really got to him was the commencement moment recognizing first-generation college students.

“This matters to me,” he said. “You don’t need to be a legacy to pull off some great things.”

But tenacity helps, as does the willingness to seek answers from good advisers. Not to mention time management.

While studying to earn his UofL undergraduate degree in four years in political science with a minor in Russian, Payne also served in the Army National Guard, having joined in 2019.

“We made it work. It was a struggle,” Payne said. “Doing ROTC and the National Guard and academics is difficult.”

But the balancing act paid off and he plans to further his educational journey with a graduate or law degree, having an interest in immigration law or even a “dream” of working for the State Department.

Before that, however, he will spend four months working in recruitment at Fort Knox and later will report to Fort Huachuca in southern Arizona to train as a military intelligence officer.

Payne credits some critical internships in political science as good preparation for that intelligence officer role. While working with government officials on Louisville Metro Council and in the Kentucky General Assembly through the Legislative Research Commission, he learned to gather and distill critical information, research issues and present facts and even recommendations to decision-makers to use.

The Louisville native was always intrigued by watching the news and learning about current events, which ultimately led him to the political science department and its faculty members who opened his eyes to career opportunities.

His choice of Russian studies also became “very timely,” he admits.

“I always wanted to choose a language that was critical and impactful,” Payne said. Russian, he decided, was “more relevant in the world and underused in the west.”

The combination of major and minor led him to the also timely honors thesis topic about the Russian diaspora, although the swiftly shifting current conflict in Ukraine made it more stressful to write.

He cannot believe the changes in world affairs that have occurred in his time at UofL, especially this last year, and within his National Guard service. “It’s been a heck of a ride.”

A week before his classes started last year, he was in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, when the capital city of Kabul fell and he suddenly was helping a unit prepare to deploy to Afghanistan.

As a Guardsman stateside, he has worked with an engineering battalion and spent the past year supporting the 101^st Airborne Division. “I had a blast doing that,” he said. Other assignments have included helping to run COVID-testing centers and polling places.

And Payne’s face is familiar around the American Legion Jeffersontown GI Joe Post 244, where he has volunteered and became a district officer, believing he may be the youngest member in Kentucky. Bolstering such civic organizations is important to society, in his estimation, and he says they need new blood to support them.

Whether it be drawing attention to military service through the veterans work or continuing his Guard tenure, Payne said he hopes to continue building the force.

“I take the most pride in recruiting,” Payne said.

Captain Nathan Hanners completed the in the fall, and expressed enthusiasm for returning to his position at John Carroll University in Cleveland, now better equipped to engage with students.

“I was unleashed to work with freshmen students, and although I knew all the material to teach classes, I am excited to get all these great, new ideas to take back to our programs this year,” he said.

MEC is designed to educate the Army ROTC instructors about higher education policies and practices, including teaching and instructional strategies, facilitation of learning, curriculum development, and organizational analysis.

UofL’s Jeffrey Sun, project director and professor of higher education, worked collaboratively with the U.S. Army to conceive and design the project, which was originally developed in 2014. The initiative was inspired by a joint offering between Columbia University and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Sun also worked on that program rollout in 2004.

The UofL/Army program offers programming opportunities on a bi-annual basis. CEHD professors teach approximately 60 MEC students, who are active-duty soldiers, from throughout the U.S. Delivered across two modules: face-to-face residential module in Fort Knox, and the clinical module delivered online, cadets receive personal and in-depth coaching and mentoring from experienced higher education professionals.

MEC students attend classes during the day and engage in extensive reading and writing assignments during the evenings and weekends. Sprinkled in throughout the program are social activities, which emphasize networking and learning the student experience, along with leadership development seminars about higher education administration.

Soldier placements range across institution types. The most recent group of students represented Georgia State, Mississippi State, Norfolk State, Northwestern, UCLA, Prairie View A&M and Tuskegee. The program is selective and diverse, with students of color representing more than 40% of soldiers in the latest course.

For 1^st Lieutenant Keila Roper, returning to her alma mater at Fort Valley State University in Georgia is an opportunity to change the way things were done during her time as a cadet. She says the MEC program also helped her foster communication across ranks.

“I feel like this program allows for young lieutenants like us to pick the brains of more seasoned guys. If we’re in uniform, or somewhere on base, we’d be intimidated to ask some of the things we’ve asked. But this program fosters��an��open policy to be able to have conversations that are open – it’s great,” Roper said.

Roper, along with 1^st Lieutenant Stherline Joseph, is recipient of the General Patton Internship, a program intended to increase diversity in the Army.

Major William R. Hale II is in the twilight of his military career, and says MEC was an opportunity to see career options beyond the military.

“MEC exposes us to higher education administration and give us some tools and a degree to pursue something different after a military career. It’s a great opportunity, paid for by the Army, for us to be able to get professional and personal development toward future goals,” Hale said.

Upon completion of the MEC program, students earn 18 hours of graduate credit, and are encouraged to continue their academic work in pursuit of a master’s degree in higher education administration.

The College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development’s Nina Marijanovic contributed to this article.��

“We’re still taught to use a compass and paper maps,” said Orr, who learned his grandfather’s skill during summer ROTC training camps.

Orr and 17 fellow Cardinal Battalion cadets will be commissioned May 7 as second lieutenants in the United States Army. The in-person commissioning (the last two have been virtual due to the pandemic) is scheduled for 10 a.m. in the Student Activities Center Ballroom.

He will also graduate that evening at Cardinal Stadium during a 7 p.m. ceremony with a master’s degree in political science. With that, the 25-year-old Louisville native will have achieved his goals of better positioning himself for a rewarding career and serving his country through the Army National Guard.��

“For me, ROTC provided the chance to spend two years to come out with an advanced degree from a flagship university like UofL and as a commissioned officer in the Army,” Orr said. “It presented an opportunity that no other academic and leadership program could provide.”

After Orr was laid off from an office job at the start of the pandemic in 2020, he relied heavily on his ROTC community for support.

“I think the experience of going through the pandemic with the Cardinal Battalion this past year showed me how strong and how powerful those relationships are to get you through those harder times,” he said.

Orr continued his classes as he juggled four part-time jobs: bartender, deli worker, middle school lacrosse coach and dog walker. Between morning ROTC workouts, work and class, he was often gone 15 or 16 hours a day, only to have to do it all again the next day. “Staying motivated was certainly the key for me,” he said.

A graduate of Louisville Collegiate High School, Orr went to Allegheny College in far western Pennsylvania and earned a bachelor’s degree in international studies. He attempted to join the Navy�� his senior year, but was disappointed when he was medically disqualified. He then returned to Louisville where he worked as an analyst for an international law firm before joining ROTC in 2019 to help him “serve my community and do meaningful work.”

Following commissioning and commencement, Orr will remain at UofL until October as a recruiter for the Cardinal Battalion. Then he will head to Fort Lee, Virginia, for his four-month Basic Officer Leader Course. When that is completed, he plans to work in the public sector while serving in logistics and maintenance for the Kentucky Army National Guard.

The ceremonies cannot take place in a crowded auditorium this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on large gatherings. But a little creative thinking is producing two unique events.

The Army ROTC, the Cardinal Battalion, will hold a virtual commissioning ceremony beginning 10 a.m. Friday, with cadets participating from home. It will be held on Microsoft Teams and broadcast live on Facebook. (Go to the UofL Army ROTC Facebook Page: )

“Basically, we are doing a full commissioning, just not in person,” said Major Michael J. Dargavell, military science department chair and commander of UofL’s ROTC.��

The four Air Force cadets will each have individual ceremonies, said Lt. Col. O. Peter Day, aerospace studies professor and commander of the Air Force ROTC Detachment 295.

The following Army cadets will be promoted: John Gabriel Collins (political science), Zackary Thomas Golding (criminal justice), Zachary Michael Hynes (criminal justice), Paul Thomas Wallenhorst (criminal justice), Jared Zorade Harper (communication), Jordan Elaine Temme�� (communication), Seth Coomes (middle and secondary education), Lisbeth Melchor (organizational leadership and learning), Richard William Goodman�� (human resource and organization development), and Akissi A. R. Kouassi (human resource and organization development). Also promoted was Nolan Wesley of Bellarmine University (communication).

UofL’s Army ROTC has commissioned more than 400 officers during its 38-year history.

The four members of the U.S. Air Force’s 295th Air Force ROTC Cadet Wing to be commissioned were: Melanie Finch (criminal justice), Cameron Payne (aerospace engineering), Lacey Parham (law) and Joshua Moore (applied geography).

The college provides graduate-level instruction for selected military, civilian and international officers to prepare them for strategic leadership assignments and responsibilities. Past alumni include Dwight D. Eisenhower and George S. Patton. ����

The Harold Keith Johnson Chair, located in the Department of National Security and Strategy, is the college’s most prestigious visiting professorship. The chair holder conducts a seminar, “War, Policy and National Security,” in the fall, then teaches an elective in the spring.

“It’s a great honor,” said Krebs, who, along with his wife, will live in Carlisle for a year. His plans were in motion months before the COVID-19 pandemic, but Krebs said he confirmed his appointment in early April.

Krebs, a military historian, organized an international 2018 military history conference in Louisville that was attended by over 600 military historians. “For history, that’s a fairly big conference,” he laughed.

Afterward, a professor from the War College approached him about applying for the chair. But Krebs, who hails from Germany, declined because he was not yet a U.S. citizen.

That changed last year, and when the War College approached him again, “I said, ‘I am indeed a citizen now, so we can make this happen.’”

Krebs’ elective will address how prisoners of war impact strategic decision-making. Most of his research is related to this issue, which addresses what happens “after the battle,” as opposed to the “planning and crafting of operations.”

“I’ll try to teach them to think of POWs not just while in camp, their treatment,” he said, “but also about what kind of effect POWs have on war-making and the operational and strategic decision-making processes.”

UofL has a strong relationship with the U.S. Army and the education of soldiers. An Army War College Fellow has attended UofL annually for the last six years, an appointment that allows the officer to take classes to help broaden strategic thinking while spending time with university leadership.

In addition, the McConnell Center holds strategic broadening seminars for the Army during the summer months and hundreds of undergraduate ROTC cadets have earned the rank of second lieutenant through UofL.

Krebs has been at UofL since 2007. In addition to teaching military history, he specializes in colonial and revolutionary American history.

The War College’s Johnson Chair is a scholar-in-residence program for visiting professors to teach and conduct research on military history. It is named for Gen. Harold Keith Johnson, who served as chief of staff of the United States Army from 1964 to 1968.

In addition to teaching at the college, Krebs will have an opportunity to pursue individual research and writing projects. ��

“[UofL] offers a great discount for military personnel as well as allowing us to intermingle with the other students on campus,” said Jayelyn Lewis, a cadet in the Army ROTC and graduate student. “You don’t feel like an outcast as a veteran, you feel like you fit right in with the students.”

Active duty military take classes at UofL’s Fort Knox campus while others around the world seek UofL degrees online.

“Some of them are pursuing an education because it helps them in their military service with promotion and advancement,” said UofL’s Director of Military Initiatives, Kyle Hurwitz. “Some of them are pursuing an education because they are cognizant that a degree will help them once they get out of the military.”

UofL, which has been named a “military friendly” school for 10 years in a row, offers veterans $250 per credit hour, meaning they can obtain their degrees almost for free.

“I think UofL does an outstanding job of [welcoming veterans], and they do more than enough,” said Spraggins. “I appreciate the support UofL has given veterans.”

Check out more about our military programming:

Burrell found disparities in the way women are treated in ROTC programs. He outlined ways the Army can foster more inclusion and promotion of women while improving his own teaching and willingness to speak up for change on his campus.��

But our connection runs far deeper than sheer proximity. In fact, UofL’s Board of Trustees nearly purchased Churchill Downs in the 1960s, hoping to generate a steady revenue stream during a period of financial struggles. However, according to “The University of Louisville” by Dwayne D. Cox and William J. Morison, the plan was called “shameful and godless” by a local minister and deemed impractical.

Despite that failed plan, there remains quite a few UofL ties, either directly or peripherally, to the track’s flagship event, the Kentucky Derby – the most famous horse race in the world.

As it turns out, UofL has faculty, staff, alumni and a whole lot of students involved in The Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports. Through Thurby, Oaks and Derby this week, members of Card Nation will sling drinks, clean up trash, evoke emotion by playing “My Old Kentucky Home” and more.

To get a sense of just how unique a perspective we have to this , look no further than Remington Smith, an assistant professor of Communication in the College of Arts & Sciences. Smith recently received the Reel South Short award for his documentary, “The Derby.” The Indie Grits Festival and PBS Reel South give the Short award to the best short documentary filmed in or about the south.

“The Derby” showcases Guatemalan backside workers, bourbon-drinking visitors in Millionaires Row and everything in between; a juxtaposition of “the haves and the have nots,” .��Smith spent about three years on the project.

“I grew up poor and working class, so I’m always interested in the lives of people working, especially at big events like the Kentucky Derby. The main thing was I didn’t want to focus on the usual suspects at the top for Kentucky Derby coverage (horse owners, jockeys, etc.). I wanted to show you the moments only people who live and work here will tell you about,” Smith said.

The 15-minute documentary is .��

Of course, one of the signature features of the Derby is the mint julep, which showcases Kentucky’s rich bourbon tradition. Those mint juleps, as well as the many other cocktails sold at the venue, have to get to fans somehow. That’s where UofL’s ROTC cadets step in.

For the past eight years, our cadets have worked behind the scenes with the venue’s alcohol vendor to make those drinks. According to Captain Steven Richards, assistant professor of Military Science, the work is hard, but the cadets get compensated.

“They’re on their feet all day Thursday through Saturday working alongside each other in a big assembly line. It’s all hands on deck from 6:30 a.m. to about 6 in the evening. They are long days of hard labor, but they’re valuable,” Richards said. “Teamwork is a huge part of what we’re trying to build here and they get a lot of camaraderie from this.”

The money that the cadets earn from this work typically goes toward their Military Ball and other ceremonial occasions such as graduation and commissioning. Derby weekend is the only event in which they work to build up these budgets.

“Obviously the Derby brings a lot of economic stimuli to Louisville and we’re fortunate to be able to tap into that a little bit and to benefit from that,” Richards said. “I’m really happy that this translates to our students and supports them directly.”

Unsurprisingly, UofL’s Equine Program has some involvement in this weekend’s festivities. Madison Jackson is interning in the race office, while Adrianna Lynch is shooting photos for BloodHorse magazine, ��and Tricia Warrens is doing work for Upson Downs Farm, a breeding farm in Goshen, Indiana.

A number of graduates from the Equine Program are also heavily involved in the Derby, either through event marketing (Gary Palmisano), as a blood stock agent (Josh Stevens) or in another capacity.

Speaking of alums, the Hite Art Institute has two from the Graphic Design program who are on the creative team at Churchill Downs. Emily (Schmidt) Shepard, BFA ’10, is the director of Design and Creative at the Downs and the Kentucky Derby, while Zach Downs, BFA ’18, was just hired as a production designer. Also, Colin Dean, a senior Studio Art minor, participated in the Poetry Derby, where he read his poem, “Drive By.”

Communications graduates (and alums of Professor Karen Freberg) Abbie Chambers and Michael Jester have joined the social media team at Churchill Downs for the weekend’s events. They are tasked with creating content for both the Oaks and the Derby.

Throughout Derby weekend, UofL Housing staff will assist with check-in and check-out for groups and individuals coming in for the event. According to Jarayon Jackson, assistant director for Summer Operations, this group will have about 290 people working the check-in process on May 1 and May 2.

Students from the Biomedical Engineering Society will volunteer on both Oaks and Derby day, cleaning up trash and helping to keep the venue clean. According to Maddy Wesley, BMES president, about seven students are participating in this effort.

Also, as has been the case since 1937, the UofL Marching Cards will serve as the official band of the Kentucky Derby this year, opening up the flagship race Saturday with “My Old Kentucky Home” as TV cameras pan to attendees typically in tears.��

And, finally, UofL alumni chapters across the nation will host parties to celebrate the Derby. Check out the schedule here to see if there’s one in your area, and enjoy that mint julep.��

Lt. Col. Jessica Murnock, UofL professor of military science, said in opening remarks that the life of an Army ROTC cadet is more than classes, papers and exams. There’s also a lengthy list of training activities from physical training several mornings a week to obstacle climbing to parachuting out of airplanes and helicopters.

“They are not better or worse” than the average college student, she said. “They are just different.”

The new officers received a commission certificate, then family members pinned bars to their uniforms signifying their new rank as second lieutenants. The tradition of the first salute followed, in which the new officer presented a silver dollar to the first enlisted person who rendered a salute. For several cadets, the salute came from a family member retired from military service. Afterward, the officers recited the Oath of the Commissioned Officer and closed by singing the Army Song.

During the ceremony in Chao Auditorium, the following Army cadets were promoted:

College of Business: Leah Harper, Computer Information Systems; Matthew Whitehouse, Marketing

School of Nursing: Jacob Robinson, Nursing

Speed School of Engineering: Tyler Ley, Chemical Engineering

College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development: Kendall Howerton, Health and Human Performance/Exercise Science

Photos from the Dec. 13 ceremony by University Photographer Tom Fougerousse are .��