The University of Louisville's faculty and staff bring more than their professional skillsets to campus every day. They embrace and embody the passion, dynamism and innovation characteristic of a quality higher education experience. On April 18, Interim President Lori Stewart Gonzalez and Interim Provost Gerry Bradley conferred the 2022 Presidential Excellence Awards during the Celebration of Faculty and Staff. The awards recognize the employees whose personal and professional commitments to student success impact the entire university community. Here are this year's winners. Cardinal Principles Champions The Cardinal Principles Champions award honors faculty and staff who demonstrate one of the Cardinal Principles at the highest level of impact. • Kathy Meyer, Community of Care • Asma Addarrat-Edwards, Accountability • Leondra Gully, Respect • Nakia Strickland, Diversity and Inclusion • Avery Kolers, Integrity and Transparency • Mani Vangalur, Noble Purpose • C
Tammy Lawson knows pretty quickly whether or not a student will be a fit for her UofL Ambassador program. The university's visitor information manager has been interviewing first-year students for 20 out of her 30 years as a UofL employee, identifying a dozen or so each year who would be best suited to be the face of our campus – leading tours for prospectives and their families, providing information for visitors, guiding donors and dignitaries and more. Her formula is simple: They have to be able to carry on a conversation with her and their peers. "I can usually tell right away whenever I start a conversation with them during their interview. If they can talk to me about everything – sports, hobbies, lipstick color, whatever – I know they're going to be able to talk to parents and maybe set them at ease about sending their kids here," Lawson said. Lawson started her UofL adventure in 1991 at the School of Nursing. Not long after, her job was cut so she stay