Past Tachau Award Recipients

Kathi E. B. Ellis

Kathi E.B. Ellis is a professional theatre director who received her MFA as a director from the University of Louisville. Kathi conducts drama residencies at schools throughout the Commonwealth, both as an independent teaching artist and with Actors Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, and the Kentucky Arts Council’s Roster of Artists.  She has conducted arts professional development sessions for Jefferson County Public Schools, the Kentucky Center, and the Kentucky Theatre Association.

Lucy Freibert

Lucy Freibert A true pioneer of women’s issues and gender equity, she taught the first women’s studies course at UofL, “Women in Literature,” in 1973. She was an early advocate for a university-wide sexual harassment policy, and she worked tirelessly for the establishment of the UofL Women’s Center and the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies.  She also taught one of the first African-American literature courses and was an advocate for racial equality throughout her career.

Laura Schweitzer

Laura Schweitzer While blazing new trails for women in medicine, Schweitzer has devoted much of her career to helping others do the same. During her tenure at Louisville, she boosted the number of women leaders in medicine, creating a formal mentoring program for female associate professors and redesigning the medical school’s academic promotion system to help women achieve leadership positions.

Janice R. Martin

Janice R. Martin From Morganfield, KY, Janice R. Martin, at the age of 35 became the first elected African American woman judge in Kentucky, in 1991. She earned her undergraduate degree and law degree from the University of Louisville; she was the only African American female in the Class of 1977. Martin was also the first African American woman to serve as bar counsel for the Kentucky Bar Association.  She was selected by Gov. Brereton Jones to fill the District Court vacancy left by Judge Steven Mershon. She was then elected to the position in 1993, and retired in 2009.

Mary Craik is a retired university professor with a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Iowa. But after she retired, she began a whole new life.In her 70s, Mary started teaching herself painting. Then, a year later, she took up fiber art. Now she makes acrylic paintings on silk with fiber paints and dyes, large quilts, contemporary wall hangings, banners, and wearable art.

Julie Hermann

Julie Hermann Hermann has served on numerous local and national boards and committees including the Center for Women and Families, Women 4 Women, Metro Parks, Frazier Rehab Institute, YMCA, the Louisville Sports Commission, the Kentucky Sports Commission, the Commission on the Status of Women, the AVCA Hall of Fame selection committee, the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Committee serving as Chair and the National Association of Collegiate Women's Administrators.

Eliza Atkins Gleason

Eliza Atkins Gleason This separate and segregated four-year liberal arts college under the administration of the University of Louisville Board of Trustees was absorbed into UofL’s College of Arts and Sciences in 1951.  In 1932, Dr. Atkins Gleason became head librarian and also taught library classes in the new library department she created. This department, in conjunction with the Louisville Western Colored Branch Library, offered the only library classes for African Americans in Kentucky between 1932 and 1951. Dr. Atkins Gleason left Kentucky in 1935 to pursue her M.A. in Library Science at the University of California at Berkley.    In 1936, after completing her master’s degree, she was hired as Assistant Professor and Head of the Reference Department of Fisk University34’s library in 1936.

Bonny Manning

Bonny Manning is staunch advocate for Kentucky’s women, past president of the local and state chapters of the Business & Professional Women; and organizer of the Equal Pay Coalition to begin lobbying legislators in the Commonwealth for passage of HB 399.

Judi Jennings grew up in Kentucky and earned a Ph.D. In British History from the University of Kentucky. She lived and studied in London, England, for two years and is the author of two academic books on 18th century British History. At home in Kentucky, she has served as Associate Director of the Kentucky Humanities Council, a fundraiser for Appalshop arts and education center, and the founding Director of the Women’s Center at the University of Louisville. She is currently the Executive Director of the Kentucky Foundation for Women, a private philanthropy supporting feminist art for social change.

Shelley Santry

Shelley Santry received her Juris Doctor from Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord, NH in 1992.  Professor Santry has extensive practical experience in the area of domestic violence in both civil and criminal law.  Since 2001, she prosecuted domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse cases for the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office.  From 1992 until 2001, her work at the Legal Aid Society focused on representing low income clients in civil cases.  In July, 2009, Professor Santry joined the faculty as the Director of the clinic.  The Clinic allows 3Ls to practice law in Court under supervision.  The Clinic is focusing its work on representing victims of domestic violence in a variety of courts.

Professor Santry is a member of the American Bar Association, Kentucky Bar Association, Louisville Bar Association (LBA) and Chair of Government Section, LBA 2009 Leadership Academy, and Women Lawyers  Association.  Santry was recently appointed to the Supreme Court of Kentucky Evidence Rules Review Commission.

Cathe serves as the Chief Possibility Officer and President and CEO of the Family Scholar House. Under Cathe’s leadership the Scholar House has grown to serving over 2,000 families with over 3,000 children. They now have four campuses providing housing for 215 disadvantaged families and has produced 121 college degrees. In its beginning days its services were limited to single mothers. Cathe discovered in order to meet the needs of single parents, the organization had to access more and diverse funding, serve single mothers and fathers and provide children’s services.

She sets high standards for herself and in doing so for everyone around her. These expectations of excellence have been the catalyst for the success of the Family Scholar House and it’s amazing achievements and life changing stories.