About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts & Sciences
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hite art students reimagine stories of the Ohio River
Gresham, Smith and Partners’ Urban Design and Landscape Architecture Studio hosted “36 Miles” in partnership with the College of Arts & Sciences’ Hite Art Institute and the University of Kentucky Department Of Landscape Architecture. The purpose of the project is to bridge art and design education, increase environmental awareness and connect people with Louisville’s hallmark waterway.
Arts & Sciences has banner year for prestigious scholars
Twenty-three students and alumni from the University of Louisville – 16 from the College of Arts & Sciences – earned some of the world’s most prestigious scholarships in 2016. The scholars will head to destinations throughout Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Dedicated instructor helps language students win big
Although he has been at the university for just two semesters, Prof. Khaldoun Almousily's Arabic language classes in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Classical and Modern Languages Department have become popular and, now, four of his students have won prestigious Critical Language Scholarships (CLS) in Arabic.
A&S junior Hannah Wilson earns Kentucky’s only Truman Scholar
College of Arts & Sciences junior Hannah Wilson (Political Science, Women’s & Gender Studies, and Philosophy) has earned a Truman Scholarship, a prominent award given to just 54 U.S. college students this year and valued at $30,000. She is Kentucky’s only 2016 Truman Scholar.
