Monday Memo February 13, 2017

Message from the Dean

Dear Colleagues,

Several people have expressed concern about whether public opinion of Arts & Sciences has been affected by recent University-wide issues. While it is true that some potential gifts are delayed until findings of the forensic audit of the UofL Foundation are known, I believe support for UofL generally and Arts & Sciences particularly remains very strong. In fact, our total annual fund dollars are up from the same time last year!

Community participation is strong too. Just this past weekend, the exhibition “Painting in the Network: Algorithm and Appropriation” opened to a packed house at the Cressman Center for Visual Arts. I was even stopped at the grocery store and the opera by people raving about it! There were also good crowds for performances of ”Baltimore,” and at Prof. Kiki Petrosino’s moving presentation at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage. In Celebration of Black History Month, our Yearlings Club event scheduled for February 19, “Trailblazers Who Broke Color Barriers in College Sports,” was featured on the YUM! Center’s jumbotron at Saturday’s men’s basketball game.

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I want to thank you for your commitment to the College and encourage you to continue reaching out to the community and sharing generously of your time and expertise. Although there is not always an immediate and or tangible payoff, I assure you that it does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.

Sincerely,

 Kimberly Leonard

Kimberly Kempf-Leonard

Dean

Announcements

Scholarly publishing presentation & lunch Mar. 3
Editors from the University Press of Kentucky will be on campus Mar. 3 for a presentation on scholarly publishing. The presentation will be held in Shumaker Research Building RM139 from noon - 1:00pm. Pizza will be served. After the one hour presentation there will be the opportunity to meet one-on-one with an editor to discuss specific projects. For more information, visit University Press of Kentucky.

2017 (Spring) Internal Grants Program deadline Mar. 27
The Office of the EVPRI is accepting applications for the Internal Grants Program. The Internal Grants Program (Research I, Research II and URG) aims to assist faculty in new highly productive research projects. All grant categories are open to full-time faculty. Information and application forms are available online.

Awards

Woodcock Medal nomination deadline Mar. 23
Please submit nomination letters for the Woodcock Medal, the most prestigious recognition of accomplishment by an undergraduate student in the College of Arts & Sciences. The A&S Honors Thesis Committee selects the nominee for the Woodcock Medal on the basis of a student's record and at the recommendation of members of the faculty. Eligible students are those who graduated in Dec. 2016, or who will graduate in May 2017. Please note that students will be considered only if we receive letters of nomination/support from members of the faculty. We do not limit the number of letters that can be submitted. Letters of nomination can be sent to Prof. Joy Hart, director of the University Honors Program, by campus mail or email by Thurs., Mar. 23.

Teaching, Service, Creative Activity, & Research

Prof. Kelly to sit on Fulbright Application Review Board
Prof. Baron Kelly (Theatre Arts) has been chosen by the Fulbright Association to be on the application review board. He holds the distinction of being a four-time Fulbright Scholar. Prof. Kelly is on leave this spring semester as the Distinguished Langston Hughes Visiting Professor at the University of Kansas.

Items of Note

UofL's fourth annual raiseRED dance marathon
UofL's fourth annual raiseRED dance marathon is quickly approaching and looking for campus support. raiseRED focuses year-round efforts to raise awareness and funding for the children, families, and doctors fighting pediatric cancer and blood disease at UofL. Last year, more than 1,000 students raised over $330,000. One hundred percent of the donations to RaiseRED directly benefit the work of Dr. Ashok B. Raj, Chair of the Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology at UofL. In years past, RaiseRED funding has created a position for a much-needed social worker in the clinic, helped support Dr. Raj’s research initiatives, and directly benefited patient needs. With the help and support of faculty and staff, we are hoping to spread awareness of this organization outside campus and into the community. If you could encourage students to sign up for the marathon or anyone in the community to donate to our tireless efforts, the raiseRED team would be so grateful in your help to reach the $450,000 goal this year. To find out more, to donate, or to sign up for the marathon please visit the website www.raisered.org.

Drawing for basketball tickets deadline noon Feb. 16
If you would like your name to be entered into a drawing for two tickets to the Louisville vs. Virginia Beach Men’s Basketball Game on Sat., Feb. 18th at 1 pm. Please email asdean@louisville.edu by noon on Thurs., February 16.

In the News

We must keep Kentucky welcoming (The Courier-Journal, 2/2/17) – An editorial written by sophomore Natasha Mundkur (Political Science/Business) and Darcy Gleeson (University of Southern California), both alumnae of the Muhammad Ali Center Council of Students.

Rainforest Trees Are Like Islands: The bigger the tree, the greater the diversity of ant species that call it home (The Atlantic, 2/6/17) – On Prof. Steve Yanoviak’s (Biology) ecology research in Panama.

Study: Bourbon industry not done growing (The Courier-Journal, 2/7/17) and Raise your glass to Kentucky bourbon’s rising economic kick (Associated Press, 2/9/17) – On the Department of Urban & Public Affairs Urban Studies Institute’s research, led by institute Executive Director professor Janet Kelly, on the impact of the bourbon industry in Kentucky.

Trump, Bevin are both bullies (The Courier-Journal, 2/7/17) – An editorial written by Prof. Ricky Jones (chair, Pan-African Studies).

Reacting to the world: A Q&A with artist Aron Conaway (LEO Weekly, 2/6/17) – Fine Arts alumnus Aron Conaway interviewed about his work as an artist.

Author of antiwar and Holocaust literature, journalism to speak March 7 at UofL (The Lane Report, 2/8/17) – Israeli author and peace activist David Grossman will speak at UofL on Mar. 7 for the third annual Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence lecture. Grossman also will lead a free, public master class as part of the university’s Axton Reading Series.

Lawmakers push for tax changes as bourbon boom continues (WAVE-3, 2/7/17) – The Department of Urban & Public Affairs Urban Studies Institute’s research on the impact of the bourbon industry in Kentucky informs state leaders who may alter taxes to aid the bourbon industry and tourism.

Criminal Justice professors Justin Nix and Bradley Campbell’s latest publication, which concluded that “implicit bias” was a critical factor leading to a police officer’s failure to judge whether such encounters represented a serious threat.

‘Painting in the Network’ is a mind-boggling interplay between painting and digital media (Insider Louisville, 2/9/17) – Prof. Chris Reitz (Fine Arts) on the Cressman Center for Visual Arts’ latest exhibit.

Poet and professor Kiki Petrosino to unveil new poems and discuss ancestry at free event (Insider Louisville, 2/9/17) – Prof. Kiki Petrosino (English), director of the Creative Writing Program, introduced new work at the Kentucky Center for African-American Heritage Feb. 11.

Telling our Tales: Theatre Arts helps West End residents craft plays (UofL News, 2/9/17) – The African-American Theatre Program and the Kentucky Center for African-American Heritage teamed up for the project “Telling our Tales: Plays from West Louisville,” which will offer playwriting workshops to residents of the West End as a way to explore critical issues, stimulate discussion and expose others to a more nuanced view of the community.

‘Being Black, Being Male on Campus’ (Inside Higher Ed, 2/9/17) – On sociology professor Derrick Brooms’ new book, “Being Black, Being Male on Campus,” (SUNY Press), which explores the experiences of 40 black, male college students trying to navigate social, academic and cultural life on campus.

'Blue Lives Matter' bill approved by House panel (The Courier-Journal, 2/9/17) – Prof. Justin Nix (Criminal Justice) on the difficulty of proving hate crimes against police officers and other first responders.

Did you know?

The College of Arts & Sciences Research Office, led by Associate Dean for Research professor Robert Buchanan (Chemistry), is responsible for six of the seven modules of the Grant Writing Academy.