From the President T
Pete Comparoni, UK Photo
he University of Kentucky — your university, the Commonwealth’s university — has long been a source of hope. Today, in this moment and in this place, we are also a source for solutions. And embedded in those moments of hope and sources of solution are our people and their unwavering commitment to UK’s mission of service — a mission that has sustained us for 156 years. In our long fight against COVID-19, our people have come together like never before to develop and administer vaccines, ensuring the protection of our health care workers, teachers and older and underserved populations in the community through our Kroger Field clinic and mobile vaccine clinics. As of the writing of this letter, we have administered more than 100,000 doses — a size, scope and scale unlike anything else in Kentucky. We have the capacity now to administer 4,000 shots of hope a day because that’s what we have been called to do in partnership with our Commonwealth. The feelings of relief and joy and the anxieties lifted at Kroger Field are tangible. You can feel the hope and happiness pulsing from that stadium like a beating heart. Still, this institution holds the promise of much more. At the same time, we have not slowed in our efforts to unify this campus through our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Implementation Plan. We recently announced substantive progress on a number of initiatives among the many we are pursuing in Phase 1 of our plan. We announced the formation of a campus diversity master plan that will identify existing areas of concern on the campus relative to institutional history, art, sculpture and civic landscapes, accessibility and other barriers to inclusion within buildings across campus. Through a new dedicated fund on all large building projects, we are prioritizing intentional and impactful public art
dedicated to enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion on campus. And, after a national search, we have hired a supplier diversity manager who will guide our efforts to build trust and credibility in the community related to procurement. Much work remains to be done. But the stories of our people — our students, employees, alumni and friends of the university — instill a renewed sense of hope. I know that the individuals in the following pages will inspire in you the same sense of hope and with the same sense of pride that we are a source for solutions, too. Your university also continues to make progress on a number of other fronts — stories and milestones you will read about in this edition. Asia Seidt, our very own former student athlete, made history at UK Athletics as the first NCAA Woman of the Year. Chimene Ntakarutimana, a 2020 graduate, was named a 2021 Marshall Scholar — the sixth UK student to receive the prestigious honor from the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission. These alumni and so many more have left a mark on this special place, leaving it better than it was each day that passes. I see this compassion in our students and our employees. I see it in you, friends of this special place, as you continue to support and uplift this community. Thank you for all you do to support who we are — and who we must be — at this moment. Sincerely,
Eli Capilouto President
College of Dentistry students prepare vaccines as part of the more than 1,000 volunteers from UK, including employees from UK HealthCare, athletics, emergency operations, health corps and public relations and marketing, as well as hundreds of volunteer students, faculty and staff from our health care colleges, who have joined forces to help our community via our COVID-19 vaccination clinic.
www. u kal u mni. net
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