Monday Memo February 12, 2018

Dean's Message

Dear Colleagues,

Today I am requesting your assistance with three matters:

    1. Please see this letter from the Student Government Association with a plea from students that instructors provide students with a reasonable assessment of their progress in every course by mid-term. Students, using their problem-solving skills we want them to hone, need to know how and what they need to do to improve their performance, including whether they might be better off dropping than continuing to struggle to complete the class at this time. We want our students to succeed, so we owe them this timely valuable feedback. Provost Billingsley and I both support the SGA’s request, and we hope you will fashion your course structure to assist students in this way. REACH and other student services are available to help students who are struggling. Additionally, some departments offer late start classes to assist students who are best advised to exit a class.
    2. Faculty, please send me your name if you are interested in serving on the University of Louisville’s Athletic Association Board of Directors. I will organize an election so that we can submit the name (or names if we are able to have two) of A&S representatives in advance of a mid-March deadline. Dawn Heineken’s terms is expiring, and we can elect one representative for A&S this year.
    3. Please, please nominate faculty and staff for the annual Arts & Sciences awards. A lot of people merit recognition, and we want to celebrate with a lot of awards in April!

Sincerely,

Kimberly Kempf-Leonard
Dean

Annoucements

Faculty/staff invited to participate in market research initiative

The University is about to embark on a comprehensive market research initiative in partnership with SimpsonScarborough, a higher education marketing firm. The purpose of this effort is to discern UofL’s position, identify its differentiation points from other universities, and develop an authentic and compelling way to tell the story of our culture and people. On March 5 and 6, members of the SimpsonScarborough team will come to UofL to kick off the project. They will host several small meetings where the university community is invited to share perceptions of UofL. The team is seeking 20 to 25 faculty members and 8 to 10 staff members to participate in these meetings. Faculty can participate in one of two 45-minute sessions to be held on Belknap Campus. Staff can participate in one 45-minute session to be held on Belknap Campus. If you are interested in participating, please fill out this survey by Tuesday, Feb. 20. Those selected will receive confirmation of their participation by Thursday, Feb. 22. Email Erica Walsh for more information.

Call for faculty judges

The Graduate Student Council is seeking faculty judges from across disciplines for our Graduate Student Regional Research Conference (GSRRC) at UofL. Judges will evaluate graduate student poster presentations and assign prizes to the top presenters. There are two poster sessions on March 2 on the Belknap campus and three poster sessions on March 3 on the Heal

Research & Creative Activity

A&S Award Opportunities

Olorunsola Award for full-time, tenure-track assistant professors in A&S
A&S is soliciting applications for the Victor Olorunsola Endowed Research Award, which is awarded to faculty in their first four years of teaching. One award of $2,000 will be made this year. The deadline for applications is March 9, 2018. Guidelines and additional information.

A&S Research and Creative Activity Grant for Tenured or Tenure-track Faculty
A&S announces funding opportunities to promote research and creative activities of faculty members with the purpose of increasing the extramural research funding, and the number of scholarly publications, refereed exhibits, and artistic performances of the college. The deadline for submissions is March 9, 2018. Guidelines and proposal template.

A&S Research and Creative Activity Grant for Graduate Students
A&S announces funding opportunities to promote research and creative activities of Graduate Students with the purpose of increasing the extramural research funding, the number of scholarly publications, refereed exhibits, and artistic performances of the college. The deadline for submissions is 4:00 PM on March 23, 2018. Guidelines and proposal template.

2018 (Spring) Internal Grants Program deadline is March 27
The call for proposals for the EVPRI Internal Grants Program is reinitiated and the EVPRI will be accepting applications for Spring 2018 review. The Internal Grants Program (Research I, Research II and Undergraduate Research Grants) aims to assist faculty and students in new highly productive research projects. All grant categories are open to full-time faculty, including full time faculty who mentor students for the Undergraduate Research Grants projects. Information and applications forms.

Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP)

The SROP provides UofL undergraduate students who would like to know more about graduate-level education at the university, with a 10-week research-intensive experience in a department that offers graduate degrees. Mentors will provide students with individualized research projects. All UofL departments with graduate programs will be supported. Students should be, preferably, in their sophomore or junior year of study. The deadline is March 15. More information

Kudos

Williger receives Fulbright

Prof. Gerry Williger (Physics & Astronomy) has been awarded the Fulbright Fellowship. The Fellowship will support his research at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences next Fall.

Items of Note

Transplanted Roots installed in Humanities Bldg

Transplanted Roots photo<

Prof. Rhonda Buchanan (Latin American & Latino Studies) and Prof. Robert Buchanan (Chemistry) donated Transplanted Roots(artist: Marie-Elena Ottman, MFA 2017) which was recently installed in Bingham Humanities.

Retirement reception for Pam Drake

Please join the University Honors Program in thanking Pam Drake for her many contributions to Honors students and UofL and wishing her farewell as she retires. Tuesday, February 27, 3:00-4:30PM in the Lobby of the Overseers' Honors House. More info

Louisville Free Public Library’s One BookLouisville presents Orwell’s 1984

1984 Panel Discussion | Thursday, February 22 | 6:00 p.m. – 8 p.m. | Main Branch, 301 York Street -- A panel of distinguished faculty will discuss the influence of George Orwell’s masterpiece on today’s cultural and political landscape. The panel includes UofL professors Rodger Payne (Political Science) and Matthew Biberman (English), and IU-Southeast professor Jeffrey Perry (alumnus, BA English '94, MA English '00). The discussion will be moderated by Kate Howard, WFPL’s Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. More 1984 programming

In the News

Research award opens window on distant galaxy(BMCC News, 2/8/18) - References Prof. Benne Holwerda (Physics & Astronomy) as part of the team of researchers who will use Hubble to observe UGC 2885, the largest-known spiral galaxy.

On Louisville's Public Art Advisory Committee on which Prof. Chris Reitz (Fine Arts) and Prof. Dewey Clayton (Political Science) are serving:

Former ambassador Matthew Barzun talks teen perceptions of the U.S. (WFPL.org, 2/6/18) - Barzun discussed his topic for the 2018 UofL Phi Beta Kappa lecture sponsored by the College of Arts & Sciences, UofL's Office of the President, and the Phi Beta Kappa Association of Kentuckiana.