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The University of Louisville grounds keeping staff will show off its environmentally friendly lawn equipment March 28 at a free Green Lawn Maintenance Vendor Fair on Belknap Campus.
The event, from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., will be held at the UofL Grounds Shop, 1820 Arthur St.
“We will be demonstrating how advanced ‘clean’ has become,” said Greg Schetler, supervisor of UofL’s Grounds Shop.
UofL’s fleet of lawnmowers runs on propane rather than gasoline, a change made in 2011 to use less fuel and help reduce the university’s carbon footprint.
The event is sponsored by the Partnership for a Green City, a collaboration among UofL, Louisville Metro Government, Jefferson County Public Schools and Jefferson Community & Technical College.
For more information, contact Brent Fryrear, 502-852-8854 or visit louisville.edu/sustainability.
What do pawpaw trees, river birches and devil’s walkingstick trees have in common? They are all woody plants that are native to our region.
Using native trees, shrubs, vines, hedges, grasses, ferns and flowering plants in landscapes large and small helps conserve water, attract wildlife and reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides.
The public is invited to learn more about the native plants of Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana at a free workshop March 20 on the University of Louisville’s Belknap Campus.
The 1 p.m. event will be held inside the Cultural Center Multipurpose Room next to UofL’s Garden Commons community garden. Margaret Shea, owner of Dropseed Native Plant Nursery in Goshen, will be the speaker.
“Native species are so important to our environment, even right here on our urban campus,” said Justin Mog, assistant to the provost for sustainability initiatives. “Margaret has more than 25 years of training and practical experience in natural areas management, restoration and biological inventory. We are thrilled she is coming here to speak to students, faculty, staff and members of the public.”
For more information, contact Mog at justin.mog@louisville.edu or visit louisville.edu/sustainability.
The UofL Alumni Association will host local and national events for alumni and fans to celebrate the NCAA Tournament play this week.
UofL’s #2-seeded men’s team will face #15 Jacksonville State at 2:45 p.m. Friday in Indianapolis in the first round, while #4 women’s basketball will face #13 Chattanooga at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the KFC Yum! Center.
On Friday, March 17, in Indianapolis, two locations are available for UofL alumni and fans to gather. They are: Colts Grill at 10 a.m. and Scotty’s Brewhouse at 11 a.m.; both are one block from Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Entry is free and the first 50 fans at each location will receive a special giveaway. Seating is first come, first serve with no reservations. If the Cardinals advance, the pre-game gathering locations will remain the same for Sunday’s games.
Fans are also invited to support the 12 Cardinals competing in the NCAA Division 1 Swimming & Diving Championship, which will be March 15-18 at IU Natatorium.
On Saturday, March 18, the UofL and UK alumni chapters in Indianapolis will co-host a Collaborative Community Service Project from 9 a.m.–noon at Gleaners Food Bank. While rivals off the court, the two schools will come together to give back during the event.
Alumni regional chapters will also host national game watches in more than 30 locations across the country including the Sport & Social Club for local fans. A full list of men’s and women’s tournament-related news can be found at: UofLalumni.org/UofLNCAA.
For more information, on-site interview opportunities or photos, contact Lindsay Wehr, Director of Advancement Communications, at 502-262-5434 or lawehr01@louisville.edu.
As part of his mission to seek justice for victims of sexual assault, Attorney General Andy Beshear is partnering with the University of Louisville to provide accountability in Kentucky’s efforts to address the sexual assault forensic exam (SAFE) kit backlog.
Beshear said the Kentucky SAFE Kit Backlog Research Project, announced yesterday with the university’s Department of Criminal Justice, will provide valuable data to ensure a rape kit backlog never happens again.
The project will aid Kentucky’s law enforcement and victim advocacy communities when responding to sexual assaults and further transform sexual assault investigations and prosecutions.
The overall goals of the project are to examine the outcomes of kit testing, identify data-driven, victim-centered responses to sexual assault and provide justice to victims, Beshear said.
“This important project allows us to further support sexual assault victims in the pursuit of justice and to ensure no victim ever has their courage locked in a box on a self ever again,” Beshear said. “I am proud that we are not only ending the backlog, but are also committing to do better. As a community that cares about victims, we will learn important, much-needed data from this project.”
Dr. Bradley Campbell with U of L’s Department of Criminal Justice will serve as principal investigator on the project.
“I am excited about the opportunity to work with the Commonwealth to study this under researched area,” Dr. Campbell said. “The project represents an innovative and progressive commitment from AG Beshear and his office to add a research component to statewide testing efforts. Through this funding, the University of Louisville research team will be one of the first to examine the problem of untested SAFE kits at the state level.”
Dr. Campbell said specifically the study will collect baseline data in the cases associated with untested kits, examine connections of tested cases, evaluate pre-arrest decisions, training efforts and the impact of legislation, and provide evidence-based policy recommendations.
Kentucky’s state auditor uncovered more than 3,000 SAFE kits languishing in police departments and in the Kentucky State Police crime lab in 2015.
Upon taking office, Beshear made ending Kentucky’s backlog and providing justice for rape victims a top priority.
In 2016, Beshear provided $4.5 million in settlement money to lawmakers to fund requested Kentucky State Police crime lab upgrades. The SAFE Act of 2016 ensures the submission of all SAFE kits, requires police receive training to conduct victim-centered sexual assault investigations and that timelines are set for testing kits.
Beshear’s office provided an additional $1 million from the settlement to aid law enforcement and prosecutors in the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault cases.
In launching the Kentucky SAFE Kit Backlog Research Project, Kentucky is one of the first in the nation to examine the SAFE kit backlog at the state level, and the project places Kentucky at the forefront of national efforts to respond to the problem of backlogged sexual assault kits.
To date, single jurisdictions like in Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles and New Orleans conducted studies. Kentucky’s study will most closely replicate the Houston Sexual Assault Kit Action-Research Project, but at the state level.
Like other projects, a website and regular reports with stakeholders will help to inform the public of project findings.
Kentucky’s project was established through a competitive procurement process and will be funded using nearly $50,000 from Risperdal lawsuit settlement funds, as provided for in the state budget.
Beshear said his Office of Victim Advocacy and Department of Criminal Investigations are supporting KSP, Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs, local law enforcement, prosecutors and victim advocates across the state in the implementation of the Safe Act.
Beshear’s office held a SAFE summit in September and is currently helping to train those working to end Kentucky’s SAFE kit backlog on how to conduct victim-centered investigations and prosecute sexual assault offenders.
In addition to working to seek justice for victims of rape, Beshear’s core missions for the Office of the Attorney General includes safeguarding children from sexual abuse, protecting senior citizens from scams and fraud and finding solutions to the state’s drug epidemic.
Gov. Matt Bevin today announced 10 appointments to the University of Louisville Board of Trustees’ 13-member board. The additional three members include student, faculty and staff representatives.
The Board is responsible for providing governance and oversight for the University’s administration and is accountable for the health, reputation and integrity of the University community in all aspects.
The following is a list of the appointments made:
- J. David Grissom, of Louisville, shall serve for a term expiring Jan. 13, 2023.
- John H. Schnatter, of Louisville, shall serve for a term expiring Jan. 13, 2022.
- Sandra Frazier, of Louisville, shall serve for a term expiring Jan. 13, 2021.
- Nitin Sahney, of Prospect, shall serve for a term expiring Jan. 13, 2021.
- Bonita K. Black, of Crestwood, shall serve for a term expiring Jan. 13, 2020.
- Brian A. Cromer, of Louisville, shall serve for a term expiring Jan. 13, 2020.
- Ulysses Lee Bridgeman, Jr., of Louisville, shall serve for a term expiring Jan. 13, 2019.
- Ronald L. Wright, MD, of Prospect, shall serve for a term expiring Jan. 13, 2019.
- James M. Rogers, of Prospect, shall serve for a term expiring Jan. 13, 2018.
- Diane B. Medley, of Ekron, shall serve for a term expiring Jan. 13, 2018.
Click here to view a video message from Gov. Bevin on the University of Louisville Board of Trustees appointments.
Gov. Bevin made these appointments pursuant to Sections 69 and 81 of the Kentucky Constitution, and KRS 164.821, as amended by SB12 during the 2017 Regular Session.
Download the executive order.
Gov. Matt Bevin has signed into law seven historic bills sent to his desk by the Kentucky General Assembly, following a record-setting first week of work in Frankfort.
The legislation includes transformative measures protecting the lives of unborn children, positioning the Commonwealth for economic growth, strengthening the University of Louisville’s governing structure and establishing a new era of transparency for public servants.
“This is truly a new day in Kentucky, as our General Assembly has worked in an unprecedented manner to advance the people’s business,” said Gov. Bevin. “It is an honor for me to sign into law these historic pieces of legislation that protect our most vulnerable, guarantee important freedoms for workers and set our Commonwealth on a course for unparalleled opportunity and prosperity.”
Pro-life legislation includes Senate Bill 5 (protecting children after 20 weeks of gestation) and House Bill 2 (requiring an ultrasound before a pregnancy is terminated).
Pro-business measures include House Bill 1 (providing right-to-work guarantees to all Kentucky workers), Senate Bill 6 (paycheck protection for employees of labor organizations) and House Bill 3 (repealing prevailing wage requirements for public works projects).
Senate Bill 12 authorizes a fresh start for the University of Louisville board of trustees, and Senate Bill 3 opens state legislator pensions to public scrutiny for the first time.
All of these laws contain emergency clauses and thus, take effect immediately.
Important Notice: Please be advised that House Bill 2, the Ultrasound Informed Consent Act, as passed by the Kentucky General Assembly, was signed by Governor Matt Bevin and became effective on Monday, January 9, 2017. This bill requires a signed form before a patient can have an abortion.
The link to the form is here: http://chfs.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/246DB74A-7FAA-4C73-A971-BC2EA7C8FA4A/0/HB2form.pdf.
For more information on House Bill 2 use this link: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/17RS/HB2.htm
Dr. Gil Liu, a Louisville pediatrician and member of the UofL School of Medicine faculty, has been appointed as the new medical director for the Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services (DMS) in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. CHFS Secretary Vickie Yates Brown Glisson announced the appointment for Liu, who was also recently named as the University of Louisville (UofL) School of Medicine Endowed Chair and Distinguished Scholar in Urban Health Policy Research.
A graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Dr. Liu completed an internship and residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) School of Medicine as well as completing an additional fellowship in medical informatics and earning a master’s degree in biomedical engineering while at UNC. He resides in Louisville with his wife and four children.
“Dr. Liu’s impressive background and wealth of experience in the practice of medicine and public policy make him an ideal fit for this position. We are thrilled he is joining our Medicaid team,” said Sec. Glisson. “The Medicaid program provides health coverage for over a million Kentuckians and is vital to Kentucky’s healthcare landscape. As medical director, Dr. Liu will play a key role in providing oversight and directing clinical decisions to guide the program and improve delivery of services.”
“The Department is privileged to have someone of Dr. Liu’s caliber to serve as our Medical Director,” said DMS Commissioner Steve Miller.
Dr. Liu served on the faculty of the Indiana University Department of Pediatrics for 12 years and joined UofL as the director of General Pediatrics Division in 2013. In addition to his medical practice and teaching work, he also founded the Kentucky Pediatric Alliance for Transforming Children’s Healthcare, a learning collaborative to improve healthcare quality for publicly insured children in the Louisville metro area.
This is an incredibly exciting and challenging time to lead health care transformation. I am convinced that Kentucky can advance towards better health for its citizens through higher quality health services, stronger more diverse partnerships, and commitments to creativity and sustainability. I plan to especially contribute2016 expertise in using data and careful analysis to identify effective solutions, I am glad to bring the voice of a clinician to the Medicaid team; and as a pediatrician, I will always be drawn to endeavors that champion child health, taking a family based approach.
Dr. Liu has taught general pediatrics and his research interests include obesity prevention, environmental health, spatial analysis, and improving medical education. His studies of how neighborhoods and schools affect health and health behavior have been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the US Department of Education, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Dr. Liu serves as the current Chair for the American Academy of Pediatrics Pediatric Leadership Alliance, a globally recognized initiative to improve the leadership capacity of pediatricians and other health care providers
