University of Louisville Magazine

SUMMER 2016

The University of Louisville Alumni Magazine: for alumni, faculty, staff, students and anyone that is a UofL Cardinal fan.

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4 4 | L O U I S V I L L E . E D U LOUIS D. BRANDEIS SCHOOL OF LAW A centennial celebration Students at the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law pay homage to their school's namesake by placing animal crackers and coins on his grave, which is located under the building's portico. But recognizing Brandeis is especially poignant this year as the campus community marks the 100th anniversary of the former U.S. Supreme Court Justice's appointment. Brandeis, who was born in Louisville in 1856, served on the high court from 1916 to 1939. "After the longest Supreme Court nomination approval process in history, the inf uence of Louis Brandeis has withstood the test of time and has had a profound impact on our nation," said law school professor Laura Rothstein, a self- professed fan of Brandeis. "He was an advocate for improved government transparency and a protector of privacy and human rights and is known for his commitment to public service." Various centennial celebrations have been underway since January, and included a May 11 Kentucky Bar Association event that was moderated by journalist and alumnus Howard Fineman and featured Melvin Urofsky, author of numerous works on Brandeis. Rothstein also shared information about the former justice's connections with Louisville and the law school at that event. The highlight of the year will be the presentation of the Brandeis Medal to Justice Elena Kagan at a dinner on Sept. 15. Justice Kagan traces her seat to Justice Brandeis. Rothstein says the law school recognizes the legacy of Brandeis in many ways. It adopted one of the nation's f rst public service programs within legal education, it bestows the Brandeis Medal to individuals whose lives ref ect the ideals of the former justice, and it has worked to develop a strong interdisciplinary studies program by partnering with other schools and units. The law school was named in honor of Brandeis in 1997. SCHOOL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY AND GRADUATE STUDIES SIGS Community Engagement Academy pilot focusing on hands-on skills training The School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies is piloting a new program as part of its PLAN (Professional development, Life skills, Academic development, and Networking) initiative f rst created in 2008. The Community Engagement Academy was piloted through the spring and is expected to transition to a year-long series of sessions in the 2016–17 academic year. These sessions will allow students to participate in community engagement opportunities throughout Louisville, including a continuation with its pilot partner — The Parklands of Floyd Fork. The impetus behind the newest academy is two-fold: It contributes to UofL's designation as a Carnegie Community Engaged University; and, according to Beth Boehm, vice provost for graduate affairs and dean of SIGS, it also allows students to gain hands-on experience by working with different community stakeholders. Through the pilot program, students completed a needs assessment of The Parklands, an area of nearly 4,000 acres of parkland that includes trails, playgrounds, f shing areas, camps, family programs and more. The Parklands created a list of needs the grad students could help with, such as f eshing out curriculum, teaching f eld trip groups and building online resources. There also are adult education pieces, such as creating programs that encourage lifelong learning and thinking about ways The Parklands can engage corporations. The possibilities, Boehm said, are far-reaching. "Many students are committed to using their education to help others. Part of that is seeing a problem and studying it from an academic point of view," she said. "But there is a gap between academic learning and hands-on learning, and the academy is helping to bridge that gap." Graduate students participating in the Community Engagement Academy pilot program partnered with The Parklands of Floyds Fork to create a needs assessment and provide help with programming.

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