About the College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts & Sciences

About Us

As UofL's largest academic unit, the College of Arts & Sciences offers a diverse range of opportunities from dozens of departments and programs in the natural and physical sciences, the social and behavioral sciences, and the arts and humanities. A degree from Arts & Sciences provides a solid foundation upon which to build future academic, professional and personal successes.

Our students learn how to think critically; but they don’t just think, they do. They explore, create, research, communicate, collaborate, and meaningfully engage in the world around them. As a result, graduates of UofL’s College of Arts & Sciences are adaptable, innovative, and highly attuned problem-solvers. They are lifelong learners who are well-equipped for the work force and primed to make significant contributions to their chosen professions and respective communities.

Peace and Psychology in Northern Ireland

Peace and Psychology in Northern Ireland

Undergraduates studying abroad in Northern Ireland not only learn about the physical walls separating citizens, they learn about the emotional barriers that continue to affect the descendants of those involved in “The Troubles.”

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UofL SGA president role a natural fit for Aaron Vance

UofL SGA president role a natural fit for Aaron Vance

Aaron Vance, a senior Political Science and Anthropology double major at the University of Louisville, has recently been appointed as the 2016-2017 Student Government Association president.

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Taking risks, reaping rewards

Taking risks, reaping rewards

University of Louisville graduate and Paintsville native Morgan Blair spent nine months in Gaziantep, Turkey, as a 2015 Fulbright Scholar teaching English to the community. During her time there, she saw firsthand the impact of displaced Syrians and a country in peril.

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Girl Power

Girl Power

The University of Louisville is hoping to get more sixth grade girls, many of them from low income families, to take an interest in technology and engineering. That’s the goal of the Digital Media Academy according to academy director and UofL professor Andrea Olinger.

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Fine Arts undergrad earns internship with Congressman Yarmuth

Fine Arts undergrad earns internship with Congressman Yarmuth

Senior Kathryn Harrington (Fine Arts) received the first federal photography internship established in Kentucky Congressman John Yarmuth's office this past spring semester. This prestigious internship was created with the help of Prof. Mary Carothers (Fine Arts).

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A&S professors reflect on recent shooting deaths

A&S professors reflect on recent shooting deaths

UofL A&S professors react to Dallas police officer shootings and deaths in St. Paul and Baton Rouge.

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Discovering the Meaning of Life

Discovering the Meaning of Life

How do we build a life worth living? For Prof. Avery Kolers (Philosophy), games, and playing them, provide substantial answers. Kolers’ latest paper, “The Grasshopper’s Error: Or, On How Life is a Game,” published in Dialogue in 2015, takes the lead from fellow philosopher Bernard Suits to explain how the meaning or value of life is a lot like the meaning or value of a game. Though they are arbitrary in one sense – they have value only because you decide to play – they matter a lot while we're playing them. They give meaning and importance to the silliest things, like hitting a small ball into a little hole 300 yards away. They engage us mentally, physically, and socially. They imbue our actions with value. They can be played better and worse, and whether we are better or worse at them isn't subjective.

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I think, therefore I EXPLORE

I think, therefore I EXPLORE

While many people are working on their tan or taking a family road trip, Prof. Steve Yanoviak (Biology) is spending his summer hoisted high above the rainforest floor in the tree canopies of Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Dr. Yanoviak, a tropical ecologist, specializes in researching the ecology and behavior of rainforest insects. Read more.

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UofL Human Subjects Protection Program earns reaccreditation

UofL Human Subjects Protection Program earns reaccreditation

Research involving human subjects at the University of Louisville continues to follow the most stringent ethical and professional guidelines in existence, as evidenced by the UofL Human Subjects Protection Program earning reaccreditation in 2016 by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs.

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Ali Scholars walk in the Champ’s footsteps

Ali Scholars walk in the Champ’s footsteps

The legend of Ali will live on far past his death, not least in UofL’s current cohort of Muhammad Ali Scholars, half of whom are from the College of Arts & Sciences.

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Public Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization

Public Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization

Prof. Maggie Walker and Prof. Carol Hanchette, of the Geography & Geosciences Department, sought a different approach to applied geography and GIS research. Their 2015 study, “Residents’ experiences in the aftermath of a HOPE VI revitalization project: A three-pronged, grounded visualization approach,” published in Applied Geography, incorporated “drive-by photography” – a process of working with residents to acquire photos and trigger visual memories – and personal histories collected through interviews with qualitative GIS.

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A&S sophomore to speak at Ali memorial service

A&S sophomore to speak at Ali memorial service

College of Arts & Sciences sophomore Natasha Mundkur will join a distinguished group of speakers, including former president Bill Clinton, King Abdullah of Jordan and actor Billy Crystal, in honoring the life and legacy of Muhammad Ali at the public memorial service Friday, June 10, in Louisville.

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Repertory Company sparks 40-plus years of imagination

Repertory Company sparks 40-plus years of imagination

The Theatre Arts department is celebrating the Repertory Company’s 40 years of success and raising funds to support the program with an event from 6-8 p.m. June 18, at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage. Each year, a troupe of graduate students from University of Louisville’s Theatre Arts Department travels to dozens of area schools and performs plays from their repertory.

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I think, therefore I VISUALIZE

I think, therefore I VISUALIZE

Meet Assistant Professor Chris Reitz (Head of Critical and Curatorial Studies Program and Gallery Director at the Hite Art Institute) focusing on transnational practices in art and exhibitions of the past 30 years, with a particular emphasis on art and the art market in the era of neoliberalism.

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An Intellectual Journey: Undergraduates explore a variety of subjects to complete theses

An Intellectual Journey: Undergraduates explore a variety of subjects to complete theses

From climate change to the Kentucky legislature, pheromones to foreign investment, and the historical myth of England to high school music programs – seniors in the College of Arts & Sciences complete honors theses on topics across a wide range of academic fields of study.

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A&S students earn scholarships for travel abroad

A&S students earn scholarships for travel abroad

Three undergraduates and an alumna of the College of Arts and Sciences are winners of international scholarships offered by the College of Arts and Sciences and the University Honors Program.

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Gay Rights and Presidential Elections

Gay Rights and Presidential Elections

Dr. Rhodebeck’s research in Political Science involves poring over data and finding the patterns that illuminate political history. Her primary focus has been around gay rights issues in elections. Her research found that the pattern of policy voting reflected the particular gay rights issue that was important in an election – e.g. gays in the military in 1992 and same-sex marriage in 2004.

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I think, therefore I INQUIRE

I think, therefore I INQUIRE

Biology Prof. Lee Dugatkin’s book, "Mr. Jefferson and the Giant Moose: Natural History in Early America", tackles ideas of European supremacy and the inferiority of the United States through the lens of natural history. In this Q&A, we learn who most inspires Dr. Dugatkin, and how to do research in some of the coldest places on Earth.

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Meet 2016 Diversity Champion Derrick Brooms

Meet 2016 Diversity Champion Derrick Brooms

In this Q&A we find out about Professor Brooms commitment to diversity. Instruction, research, and service are not just part of his professional life but also part of his social life. He engages with underrepresented populations and with students who face various risks and are high need. Read more about Dr. Brooms.

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