University of Louisville Magazine

FALL 2011

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

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News & Impact Nucleus: Stimulating the economy through innovation, development The region is one step closer to implementing a cutting-edge economic development pro- gram after the groundbreaking of the fi rst building in Nucleus Innovation Park Downtown. The $18 million, eight-story structure, located on the nine-acre research park on and around the former Haymarket property, will house UofL researchers and others devoted to developing and commercializing new products and services for the aging. The International Center for Long Term Care Innovation, a project initially funded by Signature HealthCARE and Nucleus, will occupy about 20,000 square feet of the 180,000-square-foot building. Signature HealthCARE, which operates senior living facilities, moved its headquarters to Louisville last year from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Seven additional tenants have signed let- ters of intent, and three more have expressed interest in moving into the building, according to Nucleus President and Chief Executive Offi cer Vickie Yates Brown. "We've already fi lled our two existing business incubators, Med Centers 1 and 3," said UofL President James Ramsey. "This building will provide much-needed space for more in- novation to blossom in our community." Created by the UofL Foundation in 2008, Nucleus works on behalf of the university to boost economic development. Its downtown park spans an area roughly bounded by Jefferson, Market, Floyd and Preston streets. The venture is partly funded by tax-increment fi nancing, a program that allows tax revenue to be used for public infrastructure projects. "To be world-class leaders in innovation, we must continue to invest and attract new researchers, companies and space," said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. "This building will be a signifi cant step forward in that goal." Nucleus Innovation Park Downtown is scheduled to open by the end of 2012. and businesses across Kentucky save energy and money while benefi ting our economy, education system and environment." Applause! Applause! The Orphan of Chao, which opened to much aclaim last February at the Belknap Campus' Thrust Theatre, garnered rave reviews. The African American Theatre Program (AATP) produc- tion went down the street with its fi rst-ever invitation to perform at the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival in July at the C. Douglas Ramey Amphitheatre in Louis- ville's Central Park, and in August took the show on the road to the National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, N.C. The classic drama — often referred to as "the Chinese Hamlet" — was given a fresh adaptation by AATP Director Lundeana Thomas and a host of talented collaborators who used elements of hip hop and Yoruba themes of color, music and movement to transition the play from its 13th century Chinese setting to a 2111 ecosphere dome surrounded by a toxic wasteland. The inspired production also drew the attention of the Australasian Associa- tion for Theatre Drama and Performance Studies in Melbourne, Australia. The association invited Thomas to present a paper at its June forum on inter- cultural and cross-cultural performances and their importance. Founded in 1993, the AATP is committed to stag- ing works by new and estab- lished African American dra- matists, developing a broad audience for African Ameri- can theatre, and providing an in-depth curriculum that focuses on the theory and craft of acting, directing and designing for black theatre. It is fully integrated into the overall Department of The- atre Arts master of fi ne arts degree program and offers the only graduate certifi cate in African American theatre in the country. KPPC 'greens' schools, businesses across Kentucky The Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center (KPPC) is putting its money where its mouth is, and nowhere is that more evident than in its newly renovated of- fi ce space at ShelbyHurst. The new location features energy-saving devices like motion-triggered lights, a solar-powered water heater, recycled materials and double-paned windows. Using $8.1 million in fed- eral stimulus money, KPPC 8|LOUISVILLE.EDU is working with schools and businesses to save money and become more energy-effi cient over the next two years. In the fi rst year, KPPC's Kentucky Energy Effi ciency Program for Schools (KEEPS) identi- fi ed $634,973 in potential annual savings school dis- tricts could achieve through onsite energy-saving measures. In addition, an analysis of school districts' utility bills identifi ed more than $200,000 in possible refunds, reimbursements and credits. After conducting 37 onsite assessments for 82 participating industrial and commercial clients, the center's Environmental Sustainability Program identifi ed $961,962 in po- tential annual savings those businesses could realize by implementing energy- saving practices. "This is further proof of the University of Louis- ville's commitment to our community and state," said President James Ramsey. "We're helping schools

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