New awards added to UofL alumni honors for 2021

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – At the University of Louisville, three new awards have been created in 2021 to recognize service and leadership for this year’s annual Louisville Alumni awards. A total of 20 honorees will be recognized for extraordinary achievements in their profession and enduring service in their community during a livestreamed broadcast from the Belknap Campus on Oct. 21. 

The three new awards and their recipients are:

The Alumni Ambassador Award, The inaugural Alumni Ambassador Award is presented to Randall J. Buford, Class of 1981. Bufford is the founder and Chairman of the Board of Louisville-based Trilogy Health Services, a health care company providing medical care, wellness and hospitality services to seniors. This new award is presented to recognize alumni as ambassadors for the university and leadership and service in their profession and community.

The Diversity Leadership Award, The inaugural Diversity Leadership Award is presented to Steven D. Kniffley Jr., Class of 2008. Kniffley, a board-certified clinical psychologist, is chief diversity officer and associate professor of Spalding University’s Center for Behavioral Health. This new award recognizes alumni for promoting diversity and inclusion through their professional or volunteer endeavors, aligning with the university’s goal of being the premier anti-racist metropolitan research university.

The Emerging Leader Award, The inaugural Emerging Leader Award is presented to Whitney B. Austin, Classes of 2003 and 2009. Impassioned after surviving a Sept. 6, 2018, mass shooting in Cincinnati, Ohio, Whitney cofounded Whitney/Strong with her husband, an organization focused on finding common ground to end gun violence through data-driven, responsible gun ownership solutions. This new award honors alumni who have achieved outstanding professional accomplishments at age 40 or younger.

These new awards join 14 others that recognize alumni accomplishment by UofL’s colleges, schools, libraries and student affairs division. Named as Alumni Fellows for 2021 are:

• Michelle Lawlis Shelton, Class of 2001, College of Arts & Sciences
• Walter Earl Reed III, Class of 1973, College of Business
• Sherry Babbage Melisizwe, Classes of 1972 and 1981, School of Dentistry
• Martin A. Pollio, Class of 2012, College of Education & Human Development
• Shyam Sharma, Classes of 2008 and 2012, Graduate School
• Michael A. Robinson, Classes of 2006 and 2010, Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work
• Harry D. Shapiro, Classes of 1962 and 1964, Brandeis School of Law
• Donna Moser Peak, Classes of 1977 and 1984, University Libraries
• James L. Sublett, Classes of 1970 and 1975, School of Medicine
• Steve P. Crews, Class of 1975, School of Music
• Ashley M. Anderson, Classes of 2008 and 2016, School of Nursing
• Douglas J. Lorenz, Classes of 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2011, School of Public Health & Information Sciences
• Gregory R. Judge, Classes of 1987, 1989 and 1993; Scott R. McReynolds, Class of 1986; and Curtis A. “Tony” Mouser, Class of 1982, J.B. Speed School of Engineering
• William F. Brasch, Class of 1971, Student Affairs Legacy Award

The university will formally announce its highest award recipient, the Alumnus of the Year, on Friday, Oct. 1. 

UofL’s Alumni Awards are sponsored by Commonwealth Credit Union and Buff City Soap. For information about all events planned for UofL’s Homecoming Week 2021, visit the Homecoming website.