Dear A&S Colleagues,

In this month celebrating both Juneteenth and LGBT Pride, it is fitting that the Monday Memo should celebrate those faculty and staff who have been recognized for their contributions to championing diversity and fostering community engagement. See below for more about the ways in which they create a more welcoming culture in A&S, ensure that our work is deeply embedded in the concerns of our community, and demonstrate how A&S leads the university in these efforts. 

Stephanie Godward, the College's new Communications and Marketing Director, was introduced in the May 27th Monday Memo, and this week's edition features her first story. Read below about 2024 Political Science major Liam Gallagher, who exemplifies the intellectual diversity that thrives in our college. 

Finally, a shout-out to the several Theatre Arts students, alumni, faculty, and staff who are featured in this summer's Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, including the stars of Romeo and Juliet! See below for details. I've always been the theater-goer who saves programs and reads all the performers' biographies from beginning to end, and it's certainly noteworthy how many of these proudly claim their affiliations with UofL. I hope you will come out to Central Park to enjoy these timeless plays and support your A&S colleagues!

Sincerely,

Julie Wrinn, Chief of Staff

A&S Awards in Diversity and Community Engagement

Left to right: Dean Touron, Yolanda Demaree, Selene Phillips, Lucian Rothe, Timothy Dowling, and Sherri Wallace

Commencement Profile

Frankfort Internship Leads to Legislative Director Career for Political Science Alum

By Stephanie Godward, A&S Communications and Marketing Director

Liam Gallagher’s ambition to have an impact in the world of politics all began in the first grade when he had the chance to meet the President of the United States at the time: Barack Obama. “I was a little boy, and I was thinking, ‘I want to be him someday,’” Liam said.

Liam’s father, an artist, had painted a portrait of Michelle Obama in 2004, and as a result in 2008, this chance encounter with the leader of the free world opened Liam’s young mind to the possibility of one day achieving the highest office in the United States.

Today, Liam is a 22-year-old 2024 graduate from UofL’s Political Science Department, with a laser-focus on having an impact as a center-right conservative lobbyist working within the Kentucky General Assembly.

Liam has quickly gone from full-time student to full-time Legislative Director at Americans for Prosperity, where he is fighting to influence and shape state laws around important issues. His passions include lobbying for free speech and certificate of need reform, which aims to ensure people in remote and rural areas have access to hospitals and emergency medical care.

He credits UofL’s Political Science Department and the opportunity to participate in the Frankfort Legislative Internship Program for accelerating his career. Having the option to earn credits through independent studies with the support of his professors also allowed him to begin working full-time for AFP while he was still completing his undergraduate studies.

“In college, you’re preparing yourself for your inevitable career and experiential learning does that,” Liam said. “There’s no better program than UofL’s. It gives you access to the most connections, the most chances to network, and so many opportunities for experiential learning – it’s just amazing.” Read more. 

Research Agenda

Rare beetle discovered in UofL’s own backyard

Stumbling upon a creature not witnessed in almost a century, Biology graduate student Kane Lawhorn, undergraduate students Ignatius Wirasakti and Emma Jones, and Biology professor Steve Yanoviak rediscovered the beetle Limulodes paradoxus as part of an ecological survey at the UofL-owned Horner Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary. There are around 400,000 currently described beetle species—meaning one in every four described species is a beetle. The patch of land that UofL has preserved reveals the importance of conserving remaining habitats. Read more in UofL News.

Snapshot of Recent Grant Awards

Congratulations to the following A&S faculty who earned grant funding, as announced by the UofL Office of Research and Innovation:  

Summer Theatre Spotlight

Theatre Arts Alumni Cast As Romeo and Juliet, Among Many

One of the crown jewels of Louisville's cultural scene is the free Kentucky Shakespeare Festival in Central Park, which every summer produces three works from the bard's oeuvre. Up first this summer is Romeo and Juliet, starring two alumni from the A&S Department of Theatre Arts in the title roles: Nick Willis as Romeo, and BeeBee Patillo as Juliet (BeeBee was featured in the 11.14.22 Monday Memo).  Performances of Romeo and Juliet are May 30-June 16 (not including Mondays and Tuesdays); and July 17, 20, 23, 26. 

The festival also includes A Comedy of Errors and The Tempest, and many others with ties to the Department of Theatre Arts are featured. Alumni Tajleed Hardy, Ebony Jordan, and Kyle Ware appear in various acting roles, as well as current MFA acting candidate Krystal Waller. Jennifer Pennington, Professor of Acting, appears as Propera in The Tempest. Ian Fitzgerald, a rising senior, is Assistant Stage Manager, and senior Mavrick Cook is Carpenter. Last but not least, Department Coordinator Stephan Carpentar is Sound Engineer for the festival. Come out to Central Park to enjoy these timeless plays and support your A&S colleagues! For more information, visit Kentucky Shakespeare.com. 

Call for Submissions

Feedback requested by ITS

Information Technology Services (ITS) is creating a new strategic plan. As with any planning process, there are key building blocks including assessments of technology at UofL. We invite feedback from all faculty and staff on their technology use (personal, professional, departmental, by unit). Please participate on an online, public SWOT(strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis whiteboard (Miro board – no account needed) or online MS form. If you have questions, email ITS.

Call for Papers: LCLC52

The 52nd Annual Louisville Conference on Literature & Culture will take place on Feb. 17-18 (virtual) and Feb. 20-22 (in-person) with a thrilling new line-up of nationally and internationally renowned keynote speakers: Rachel Kushner, Ben Lerner, Jahan Ramazani, and Jorge Medina!

LCLC52 welcomes critical papers and full panel discussions about literature from the 20th and 21st centuries and its connections to other art forms and academic fields. The conference also welcomes creative submissions, such as literary compositions, videos, or hybrid genres. Additionally, critical-creative submissions exploring poetics, crafts, or writing practices are welcomed.

Submissions are accepted in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Hebrew, and Italian. Panels involving global literature and culture in other languages are encouraged. We also encourage proposals that bring together people from different universities or organizations, with varying levels of experience in academia, and from various fields of study.

Deadline for submissions is 11:59 P.M. EST on September 16, 2024. Read more for submission guidelines or contact Emily Ravenscraft, Conference Coordinator, at lclc@louisville.edu to learn how you can be a part of LCLC52.

Kudos

Biology Professor's Article on Anthropogenic Evolution Published in Scientific American

Congratulations to Lee Dugatkin, Professor of Biology, on the publication of his article, “Anthropogenic Evolution,” in Scientific American Magazine, Vol. 330, No. 6 (June 2024), on news stands now. In this piece, Dugatkin explains how the darkening of the peppered moth (pictured above) is an example of anthropogenic evolution: evolutionary change caused by alterations humans make to the environment.  He writes:

In recent years, scientists have identified many more cases of human-­mediated evolutionary change. The full scope and effects of anthropogenic evolution are only now coming into focus. But already we have ascertained that humans are shaping the evolutionary trajectories of animals across the globe, from insects to whales. As a result of our influence, key aspects of animal behavior are changing, including where they live, where they breed, what they eat, whom they fight and whom they help. We are remodeling more than just the environments species live in. We’re altering the species themselves as they evolve in response to our impact on their surroundings.

One consequence of this change is that we are creating mismatches between animals and the settings in which they evolved. Creatures once well equipped to meet the challenges of their environment suddenly face a world in which their fine-­tuned behavioral adaptations are no longer adaptive at all. In some species, natural selection is recalibrating behavior so that individuals are better suited to their new circumstances. The question is whether it will be able to do so fast enough to keep pace with human transformation of the planet we all share. Read more.

Philosophy Chair Joins Employee Success Podcast on Integrity and Transparency

In the last episode covering the Cardinal Principles, the Employee Success podcast, hosted by Brian Buford, talked with Avery Kolers about the Cardinal Principals of integrity and transparency. Kolers teaches students about integrity as chair of the Department of Philosophy and was the recipient of the 2022 Cardinal Principles Champion Award for Integrity and Transparency. Integrity is complex, he says, because it requires commitment to more than just personal values, but also commitment that those values are aligned with the greater good. 
Listen now on Apple Podcast, Spotify or click here.

A New Canvas for Local Art Makers with CeLOUbrate Print

As experts in printmaking, Rachel Singel, Associate Professor in the Hite Institute of Art and Design, and humanities doctoral student Erica Lewis wanted to expand their classrooms off campus to connect more people to the art form. In collaboration with members of the local community, the Portland Museum and UofL, the two artists built an event bigger than themselves on April 20, 2024, to bring the city together through CeLOUbrate Print. Read more in UofL News.

President of AAPI Faculty and Staff Association Interviewed on WWAS11

May was AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Heritage Month, and to wrap up its coverage of that, WWAS11 interviewed Jianhua (Andrew) Zhao, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Anthropology and President of UofL's AAPI Faculty and Staff Association. In that interview, Dr. Zhao explained that the group was formed in the aftermath of the Atlanta spa shootings and the rising anti-Asian hate in 2021. That national story sparked anxiety within the community. 

“I think there's an awakening for the AAPI community that we realize that we cannot just stay in the shadows. We need to be the voice for our community and make sure all members of the community are taken care of," Zhao said. 

The group holds events celebrating the rich history and culture across the campus, while bringing awareness to issues they face and staying inclusive to all students. Read more and watch a video of Dr. Zhao's interview and AAPI campus highlights. 

Human Resources

Career Pathways Support

Navigating our careers doesn't end after college. All of us need some direction from time to time. The Employee Success Center now includes career navigation support, led by newest team member Mallory Newby. Reach out to her at mallory.newby@louisville.edu, for a coaching session and watch for upcoming learning opportunities and coaching circles.

Onboarding 

Are you anticipating a new hire soon? What happens in the first few weeks on the job can make all the difference. We've created a comprehensive guide for supervisors that includes everything you need to know about effective onboarding, including sample agendas, a checklist, and even a template for a welcome sign you can put on the door!

Two-Factor Authentication for Blackboard

UofL is adding two-factor authentication via Duo to Blackboard starting tomorrow, June 11, 2024. After this date, all students, faculty and staff will need to use this second factor of authentication to login to Blackboard. Please spread the word to UofL students in your unit: they can still enroll in UL2FCTR (Duo)—and the majority have done so—or update their account via our webpage: louisville.edu/its/ul2fctr.

Two-factor authentication keeps your account secure even if your password is compromised. With UL2FCTR / Duo, you'll be alerted right away (on your phone) if someone is trying to log in as you. All students, faculty, and staff must enroll in UL2FCR/Duo. Visit the UL2FCTR webpage for more information.

A&S Events

Join us for an afternoon of tea and pastries celebrating Joy Hart, Ph.D., Professor of Communication, who is stepping down as Director of Honors after leading the program since 2014. This come-and-go reception will be on Tuesday, June 25, 2:00 – 3:30 pm, Etscorn Honors Center, 126 Strickler Hall. RSVP to let us know how many refreshments to provide.

Origin Stories: Peruvian Pre-Columbian Ceramics Exhibition

The Hite Institute of Art + Design is pleased to present Origin Stories, an exhibition of Peruvian pre-Columbian work from the archives of the Speed Art Museum curated by Dani Deeley. On view for the first time in nearly forty years, the objects in this exhibition provoke questions about the acquisition of objects, the circumstances of their arrival, and their current condition.

The collection of Peruvian art was donated by Elizabeth Crow Bullitt, of the well-known Bullitt family in Louisville, on behalf of her late husband, Charles William Buck in 1934. Buck acquired these objects during his time as U.S. ambassador to Peru from 1885 to 1889. Origin Stories presents a window into the lives of five Peruvian pre-Columbian ceramic objects that, up until 2024, had never been fully investigated. This exhibition will be on view from July 13 through August 9 at the Cressman Center for Visual Arts. The opening reception will be on July 13, from 4pm-7pm. 

UofL Events

UofL a Sponsor of 2024 Kentuckiana Pride Festival

UofL is sponsoring the 2024 Kentuckiana Pride Festival on Saturday, June 15. This sponsorship includes participation in the parade and a booth at the event. There are several volunteer opportunities available for both parade marchers and booth workers. Please use this link to sign up to volunteer.

There will be a limited number of free tickets and t-shirts available for volunteers and parade marchers. Volunteers and parade marchers will be given one (1) ticket and/or t-shirt on a first come, first served basis until they are all gone. Confirmation and additional details about the event will be sent out to all volunteers. For more information, contact Diandre Glover Thomas at diandre.gloverthomas@louisville.edu

Don't Miss the UofL Juneteenth Events

Juneteenth is Wednesday, June 19, and is the oldest-known celebration marking the end of slavery in the United States. The University of Louisville Black Faculty and Staff Association has planned several events to honor this occasion. Lectures, wellness events and community gatherings are among the many Juneteenth events open to the UofL community. See the UofL Diversity Events Calendar for event listings, details and registration. For questions, email Shaun Jacobs.

Juneteenth Belknap Campus Cook-Out: Red & Green on the Black

Come out and enjoy a Juneteenth celebratory lunch as we recognize and celebrate Juneteenth! We will have a voter registration table and vendors on hand to educate our faculty, staff, and students and to promote and bring awareness to the many outstanding products and services offered by our community's Black business owners and allies. Wed., June 26, 11 am - 1 pm, University Club, 200 E. Brandeis Ave Louisville KY 40208. RSVP

Instructors’ Fall Courses in Blackboard Ultra

UofL’s Blackboard team is excited to announce all fall 2024 course shells have been created in Blackboard Ultra. Don't wait; prepare yourself now to ensure a smooth transition. Delphi recommends attending a virtual training first to learn the basics, and then a pop-in session this week for personalized support. It’s essential for even users familiar with Blackboard Original to attend Ultra training due to significant user experience and feature differences.