Women in Philanthropy Award Recipients

The Women in Philanthropy program, launched in 2025, brings together a dedicated group of supporters who share a passion for advancing UofL’s mission through philanthropy. Through their memberships, members combine their gifts to maximize impact across campus initiatives.

Members came together to review project proposals from UofL faculty, staff and students and ultimately funded five of those initiatives. You can learn more about the recipients and their projects below.

Award Recipients

Porter Scholar Service & Immersion Experience

In partnership with SLCE & ISLP, the program provides 16 Porter Scholars the chance to participate in community education programs in K-12 schools in Costa Rice. Participants will deepen their understanding of education as a global force for empowerment and equity, while developing their leadership, adaptability and intercultural competence through hands-on service learning. Funding will be used to offset housing and transportation costs for participants.

Voices of the Louisville Cardinal

This project seeks funding for equipment, student stipends and training to reach their four connected goals of building institutional memory, celebrating the Cardinal’s 100th year, investing in essential equipment and training the next generation of student journalists.

Soul in the West End: Nourishing the Ville Community Cookbook

This School of Medicine student-led project aims to empower communities to embrace healthy eating without losing the flavors, stories and traditions that define them. By pairing "Food as Medicine" education with cultural storytelling, this project turns nutrition into connection. West Louisville faces some of the city's highest rates of food insecurity and diet-related chronic illnesses, this innovative response is a community-driven, culturally competent cookbook that merges storytelling, clinical nutrition guidance and familiar recipes reimagined with healthful authenticity, with the aim to preserve beloved flavors while introducing healthier ingredients and methods. Funding will be used to print copies of the cookbook, community workshops and design of a free digital cookbook.

Engineering Scholars: Empowering First-Year Students Through Research, Reflection, & Communication

Funding will support the development and launch of this pilot program, which expands the First-Year Summer Research Experience at the J.B. Speed School of Engineering. The program aims to help students move from participating in research to effectively communicating their findings. Through workshops, mentorship and a fall research showcase, the program strengthens scholarly communication, reflection and research confidence. Embedding librarians as research mentors, the initiative aims to create a sustainable model that may be expanded across campus.

UofL Cardinal Marching Band Instrument Replacement

The Cardinal Marching Band seeks funding for four trombones as part of a multi-year instrument replacement program. Due to aging instruments, repair and rentals costs currently strain their budget.