General Studies: Power Partnerships
November 29, 2016That UofL has been invited to host such esteemed military programs comes as no surprise to those familiar with world-class faculty, dedicated staff and strategic-minded leaders. But the military may not have taken notice if it hadn’t been for the efforts of UofL’s Office for Military Initiatives and Partnerships.
UofL created the office in 2011 and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between UofL and Fort Knox that included plans to educate, employ and treat military members. A similar MOU was signed in 2012 between UofL and the Kentucky National Guard.
Its executive director, Renee Finnegan, and its director of military outreach, Kevin Finnegan, are both committed to creating win-win outcomes for the university and the military. Together, they promote UofL’s unique academic strengths and resources to military leadership, while also reaching out to the university’s deans and department heads when they learn about military initiatives that would be a great fit for their areas of expertise.
Renee readily offers praise for UofL faculty and staff, not just for participating in such programs, but also for giving them their full attention and dedication.
“The faculty and staff at the University of Louisville are passionate about helping the military,” said Renee. “They routinely go above and beyond their duties to assist the military and our student veterans.”
The same might be said of the Finnegans, who could have easily settled into retirement after admirable careers in the U.S. Army, where both reached the rank of colonel. Instead, Renee explained, “We served as soldiers and we’re honored to be able to continue to serve our nation’s military in our current roles at the University of Louisville.”
Read more about UofL's partnerships with the military here.
Erica Walsh is the marketing director for the Office of Communications and Marketing. Her job lets her share UofL’s good news in all avenues of communications including publications, advertising, content marketing and branding. Walsh joined UofL in 2014 after previously serving as the public relations specialist at Indiana University Southeast. Prior to her career in higher education communications she was an award-winning newspaper reporter. Red is one of her favorite colors and it’s a good thing, too, because she earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Western Kentucky University and her master’s in communication from UofL.