Dear Colleagues,

In today's edition we pay tribute to the final group of A&S Award winners in the category of Outstanding Performance. These six exceptional staff, through their dedication, hard work, and commitment to excellence, have contributed to making the college a better, more welcoming and smoothly functioning environment for all. Each of them has demonstrated remarkable skill and professionalism in their roles, making a lasting impact on their colleagues. We are immensely proud to have them as part of our team, and we look forward to their continued success and achievements. Read on for just a small sampling of their colleagues' glowing praise!

This week a highlight of the Juneteenth celebrations finally arrives: Red & Green on the Black: the Belknap Campus Cook-Out, with vendors on hand to educate faculty, staff, and students about the many outstanding products and services offered by our community's Black business owners and allies. Join them on Wednesday, June 26, 11 am - 1 pm, at the University Club.

Finally, a reminder to stop by for tea and pastries celebrating Joy Hart, who is stepping down as Director of Honors after leading the program since 2014. (Joy is continuing in her role as Professor of Communication.) This come-and-go reception is tomorrow, June 25, 2:00 – 3:30 pm, Etscorn Honors Center, 126 Strickler Hall. We would love to see you there! 

Sincerely,

Julie Wrinn, Chief of Staff

A&S Awards in Outstanding Performance

Left to right: Dean Touron, Mary (Elliott) Stump, Meg Kennedy, LaRee Shontee , Kim Hendricks, and Jana Tajibaeva. Not pictured: Corinna Stephens.

Alumni Spotlight

Political Science Alum Receives Prestigious Kennedy Award

Michael G. Adams, Kentucky Secretary of State and a 1998 political science alum, has been named the 2024 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award recipient. Created by members of the Kennedy family, this award recognizes politically courageous leadership in the spirit of Profiles in Courage, Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning book. Jack Schlossberg presented the award on June 9 at the JFK Presidential Library in Boston.

Adams was presented with the award for “expanding voting rights and standing up for free and fair elections despite party opposition and death threats from election deniers.” Learn more about those efforts in this video. 

“President Kennedy’s admonition to put country before self still resonates today and rings true now more than ever,” said Adams. “I am honored to accept this award on behalf of election officials and poll workers across America who, inspired by his call, sacrifice to keep the American experiment in self-government alive.”

Adams attended McCracken County public schools and was the first in his family to get a bachelor's degree. After graduating from UofL, he attended Harvard Law School on low-income aid. Returning to Kentucky, Adams clerked for Chief U.S. District Judge John Heyburn, worked on Senator Mitch McConnell's 2002 reelection campaign staff, and served as Deputy General Counsel to Governor Ernie Fletcher before moving to Washington to accept an appointment in the second Bush Administration. In 2007 Adams began full-time private practice in election law, first as General Counsel to the Republican Governors Association, and later opening a national practice in the field. In 2016 he was appointed to the Kentucky State Board of Elections, and in 2020 he was inaugurated as Secretary of State. 

Past winners of the award include former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and U.S. Senator John McCain. Read more in the JFK Library's press release.

Research Agenda

Students Researchers Are Key to Unveiling Galaxy Evolution

By Stephanie Godward

Physics and Astronomy Professor Benne Holwerda is leading a groundbreaking research initiative recently funded by NASA with over $300,000 of support for a project entitled, "Gas Economy – Star Formation and Gas Supply in Galaxies Over Cosmic Times.” Through powerful telescopes like the MeerKAT in South Africa (pictured above), researchers can peer back nearly 8 billion years to witness how galaxies formed and evolved over time. “The further down you look in time by using this telescope, which is the largest radio telescope ever built, you see the first galaxies – it is a time machine,” Holwerda states.

Undergraduate and graduate students play a crucial role in this pioneering research. Senior graduate student Kyle Cook will oversee a small team of undergraduate researchers each year, mentoring them in hands-on research. Students will engage in synthesizing vast amounts of telescope data, constructing Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs) that reveal the star formation rates and comparing those to the gas content of galaxies.

Participating students will gain skills in scientific programming, data visualization (through tools like Python), and thesis writing through honors programs. Students will also have opportunities to present their findings at local meetings with astronomers in addition to prestigious conferences, such as the American Astronomical Society meetings, networking with leading researchers in the field. Read more.

Three A&S Faculty Named Ascending Star Fellows

The university-wide Office of Research and Innovation program that helps exceptional mid-career researchers accelerate their scholarship and establish a national reputation has named nine Ascending Star Fellows for 2024. Congratulations to the following three from A&S:

• Melanie Gast, Sociology, whose work focuses on race, class, and gender in higher education;
• Siobhan Smith-Jones, Communication, whose work focuses on exploring African American women as interpretive communities and, through the fellowship program, on Black horror television; and
• Ian Stansel, English, director of the Creative Writing Program and a fiction/nonfiction writer. 

During the year-long program, the fellows work with an external mentor and are coached through an ambitious project that moves their scholarship to the next level of development.  To be considered for the program, faculty must be associate professor rank, must be nominated by their unit and must show a “consistent record of scholarship with the passion and desire to achieve greater national recognition.” Read more.

Kudos

Philosophy Professor Quoted in NYTimes Article, “Do We Need Language to Think?”

Guy Dove, Professor of Philosophy, was quoted in a recent New York Times article discussing the intricate relationship between brain function, language, and thought. The article explores groundbreaking research that aims to decode how the human brain processes language and thought, utilizing advanced AI models to shed light on this complex interaction. 

The study delves into how AI, specifically large language models (LLMs), can mimic aspects of human language but still struggle with tasks requiring true comprehension. By examining brain scans and neural responses to language, scientists are uncovering the distinct ways our brains handle different linguistic tasks. This research not only advances AI development but also enhances our understanding of human cognition.

Prof. Dove states, “When we’re thinking about democracy, we might rehearse conversations about democracy,” he said. “You do not need language to have thoughts, but it can be an enhancement.” Read more at the New York Times.

Communication Professor Quoted in Forbes on Personal Branding

Karen Freberg, Professor of Strategic Communication and Director of The Bird's Nest student agency, was quoted in a recent article on personal branding in Forbes. The article, "What are Personal Brand Attributes for 2024," highlights key insights from leaders in the marketing and communications industry.

“Intentional focus is a great attribute to have for a personal brand today as it allows you to invest in relationships - brand and personal - with a mindful perspective to bring together opportunities effectively and efficiently,” said Freberg. “It’s about investing in the brands, relationships, opportunities and people that align with your goals and objectives to help create a win-win situation.” Read more at Forbes. 

English Professor Delivered Distinguished Lecture at UMass-Amherst

Andrew Rabin, Professor and Vice Chair of the English Department, recently delivered the Margarita Hopkins Rand Distinguished Lecture at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, entitled, "Notes on the Uselessness of Old English Law." Professor Rabin took his audience on a journey through the law and literature of early medieval England. He is the author of books including Crime and Punishment in Anglo-Saxon England and Wulfstan: Old English Legal Writings. 

WGSS Professor Quoted in the Atlantic Magazine

Cara Snyder, Assistant Professor of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, was quoted in an article published in The Atlantic about "The Decline of Streaking." The article explores streaking as a means of expression from its onset in the 1970s to the present and how it has become less frequent over time. "It seems like a dying art," she said. Prof. Snyder's first book will examine struggles by women soccer players in Brazil for rights and recognition beyond the bounds of normative citizenship, against the backdrop of rising right-wing extremism. Read more in the Atlantic. 

Kaila Story Quoted in CNN Article on Queer Identity

Kaila Story, Associate Professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies with a joint appointment in the Department of Pan-African Studies, was recently quoted in a CNN article exploring the evolving meaning of the term "queer." Prof. Story, who holds the prestigious Audre Lorde Chair in Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, provided valuable insights into the term's significance and its empowering impact on LGBTQIA+ communities.

Dr. Story emphasized the liberating nature of the term "queer," highlighting its role in allowing individuals to define their identities on their own terms. She remarked, "Queer means not letting society, institutions, friends or loved ones define who you are or who you hope to be. It means to define yourself for yourself, live boldly and unapologetically."

In addition to her academic achievements, Dr. Story co-hosts the award-winning podcast "Strange Fruit: Musings on Politics, Pop Culture, and Black Gay Life" on WFPL, which further amplifies discussions on critical issues affecting the Black LGBTQIA+ community. Read more on CNN.

New Book on Indigenous Media Activism in Bolivia

Congratulations to Karl Swinehart, Assistant Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Comparative Humanities, on the publication of his book, Voice and Nation in Plurinational Bolivia: Aymara Radio and Song in an Age of Pachakuti (Bloomsbury, June 2024). This book offers ethnographic accounts of media activism in Bolivia by the indigenous Aymara people during the presidency of Evo Morales (2006–19). It draws on research conducted among Aymara language radio broadcasters, hip hop artists, and community members during a period of radical social change and Indigenous political resurgence (pachakuti) in South America's most Indigenous republic. While Aymara is among Bolivia’s official languages, its social status and transmission to newer generations raise concerns about whether, despite being one of the most widely spoken Indigenous languages of the Americas, the threat of language obsolescence persists. Swinehart shows how Aymara media and cultural workers combat this threat by making the language audible in diverse corners of Aymara life, including politics. Organized into two sections, one on radio and one on song, and including clear explanations of key concepts in linguistic anthropology, this book listens to Aymara language advocacy from devout Catholics, union militants, and hip hop artists and fans, who hear in their language both the past and the future of Bolivia's Aymaras.

Human Resources

Important Changes to Timesheet Approval Process Starting July 1, 2024

Effective July 1, supervisors must approve timesheets by the deadline in order for their hourly employees to be paid on time. For the past two years since the roll-out of Workday, Payroll has run mass-submit and mass-approval processes to ensure that hourly employees were paid on time even if supervisors were tardy in approving timesheets. After July 1, Payroll will no longer perform this service.

If a supervisor will be out of the office, they must set up a delegate who will approve their team member’s timesheet. That delegate must complete the acceptance task in Workday by following the “Delegation on Behalf Of." For more information, visit Workday training resources or direct questions to asbustime@louisville.edu.

Call for Submissions

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.

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. 

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

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

Come out and enjoy a Juneteenth celebratory lunch! 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.