Cardinal Directions
Volume 2(1), Fall 2026
The semesterly newsletter of the University of Louisville's Department of Educational Leadership, Evaluation, and Organizational Development, which serve as a means of highlighting the important work of our department's students, alumni, staff, and faculty.
Co-Editors
--W. Kyle Ingle ( william.ingle@louisville.edu )
--Joshua Wallace ( joshua.wallace@louisville.edu )
The LEAD department is sad to announce the passing of Dr. Shane N. Kelley on September 10, 2026. Dr. Kelley, who earned his Ed.D. from Maryville University in St. Louis, served as Clinical Assistant Professor in the Master's of Human Resources and Organizational Development since 2024. Dr. Kelley dedicated much of his life to his students and leading within universities. He will be missed by his students, colleagues, and family alike. Upon hearing of Dr. Kelley's passing, one of his students responded stating, "Dr. Kelley was my very first professor in the master’s program at the College of Education and Human Development...I cannot fully express the impact he had on me as I began this journey. I feel profoundly grateful that he was the one who guided me through my first graduate course. He made me believe I could succeed in this program, and he encouraged me to think boldly about what I wanted to accomplish after earning my degree."
Dr. Kelley is survived by his wife, Cassie, and their two sons, Knox and Jameson. In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to a charity of your choosing that is involved in solving social injustice. Dr. Kelley's full obituary is found at Dr. Shane Neil Kelley Obituary (2026) - Versailles, KY - Kerr Brothers Funeral Home - Harrodsburg Road
Effective July 1, 2026, the Department of Educational Leadership, Evaluation, and Organizational Development (LEAD) had new leadership .
Dr. Kyle Ingle (Professor, P-12 Educational Leadership) has assumed the role of Department Chair. Prior to his appointment as Department Chair, Dr. Ingle served as Assistant Chair of the LEAD Department for six years. He also served as Program Director for the P-12 Educational Leadership programs and the Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Organizational Development. Dr. Ingle also previously served as Associate Professor and Program Coordinator for the Master’s program in Educational Administration and Supervision at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Before beginning his doctoral studies, Dr. Ingle was employed by the Jackson County (Mississippi) School District as a social studies teacher, department chair, member of the school’s leadership team, and program coordinator (beginning teacher mentoring).
Dr. Casey George (Associate Professor, Higher Education Administration) was appointed as Assistant Chair. Dr. George is a researcher and educator with over 20 years of experience working in a variety of higher education settings, including 9 years partnering with the United States Army Cadet Command. Her work as a researcher provides quantitative and qualitative based evidence to leaders and practitioners to inform organizational change and improvement with an emphasis on data-driven decision-making, equity, and inclusion. Dr. George's research investigates complex tuition policies and information transparency, sense of belonging and perceptions of campus climate for student veterans and military-connected students, and postsecondary programs and policies.
Dr. Jason Immekus (Professor, Research & Evaluation) ended his term as LEAD Department Chair after serving in the role since 2022. He now serves as Associate Dean for Research, Innovation, and Community Engaged Scholarship for the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Louisville. Many thanks to Dr. Immekus for his leadership of the LEAD Department!
Congratulations to Shauna Evans (Ed.D. student in Educational Leadership & Organizational Development) who was awarded the Equity in Action Award at the 2026 Educators of Color Celebration, hosted by the Alpha Lambda Center for Excellence Foundation.
Ms. Evans also received an Honorable Mention in 2026 for her paper titled, The Mental Violence of Silence: Legislative Hostility, Deliberate Indifference, and the Duty to Mitigate Race-based Traumatic Stress for Black Womxn Educators and Girls. The award was given by the Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research, which sponsors the annual Social Justice Research Paper and Multimedia Awards to recognize exceptional work completed by UofL students.
Mandel Selected as an Emerging Education Policy Scholar
Mitch Mandel, a doctoral candidate in the Ph.D. program in Educational Leadership and Organizational Development (P-12 Educational Leadership Emphasis) was selected to join the 15th cohort of Emerging Education Policy Scholars (EEPS). Established by the American Enterprise Institute and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, the EEPS program seeks to develop human capital within the education-policy sector, bringing together newly minted Ph.D. scholars and doctoral candidates to the nation’s capital to meet with education-policy experts and to explore new directions for K–12 education research. The program focuses on three over-arching goals:
Fostering an opportunity for talented, promising scholars to connect with other scholars in their field, as well as to introduce them to key players in the education-policy arena;
Expanding the pool of talent and ideas from which the education-policy arena currently draws; and
Increasing understanding of how the worlds of policy and practice intersect with scholarly research in education and related fields.
Accepted scholars attend EEPS events free of charge, and will also be reimbursed for reasonable travel and accommodation expenses. The EEPS program is generously supported by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
Buckley Received Award from the Kentucky Association for College Admissions Counseling
Dr. Kevin Buckley (Ph.D., Educational Leadership & Organizational Development), assistant director of admissions for in-state recruitment at the University of Louisville, was awarded the 2026 Supervisor Award by the Kentucky Association for College Admission Counseling (KYACAC) at their annual conference. He was also elected as the next president-elect of the organization to begin a three-year leadership term in July. KYACAC is an organization that brings together high school counselors and admissions professionals that serve students across the Commonwealth in their postsecondary transitions.
Brydon-Miller Engaged with FLASH initiative in Eastern Kentucky
Dr. Mary-Brydon-Miller, along with collaborators from UofL's Speed School of Engineering are part of the FLASH (Flooding in Appalachian Streams and Headwaters) Initiative, a multi-institutional research project focused on improving how communities understand, monitor, and predict flash floods in the Appalachian region. The initiative, led by the University of Louisville and University of Kentucky, alongside regional partners ( Eastern Kentucky University, West Virginia University, and Marshall University) seeks to 1) better understand the dynamics and mechanics of flash flooding in eastern Kentucky headwaters, 2) build models to more accurately and effectively predict flooding given soil moisture and precipitation conditions, and 3) develop community partnerships to build early warning technologies that serve local community needs. Their work is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF). You can learn more about their work by visiting the following Youtube site:
UofL researchers partner with rural community ravaged by floods to build a better future - YouTube
Miller Appointed to Editorial Board
Congratulations to Dr. Anastasia Miller on her appointment to the editorial board of Health Informatics Journal, a SAGE Publications journal with an Impact Factor of 2.2 and a 5-Year Impact Factor: 3.0
Shuck Selected as a Global Fellow
Kerrick and the Digital Transformation Center See the Fruits of their Labor
Dr. Sharon Kerrick, Associate Professor of Human Resources and Organizational Development and Assistant Vice President of the University of Louisville's Digital Transformation Center, are yielding positive outcomes in the Greater Louisville Metro area. Their Train Community Trainers — Digital Literacy program has now trained 193 community trainers that in turn train community participants. There are now over 3000 community participants who have received training from this program. The work of Dr. Kerrick and the University of Louisville's Digital Transformation Center was recently featured by Spectrum news. The story can be found at:
Umpstead-Pratel Attends NEPC Fellows' Meeting
On Sept. 25-26, 2026, Dr. Regina Umpstead-Pratel, Professor of Educational Administration, participated in the National Education Policy Center's (NEPC) Annual Fellows' Meeting in Boulder, Colorado. At the meeting, the NEPC Fellows provided updates on their work, discussed current education policy issues, and developed a list of policy briefs to produce in the upcoming year. Dr. Umpstead-Pratel facilitated the conference on briefs about state and local governance and higher education policy.
Awards
Congratulations to Dr. Denise Cumberland for receiving the 2026 Homer Saunders Mentoring Award at the 2026 Annual Small Business institute Conference held April 8-11 in Fort Myers, Florida. Pictured (from left to right) are Dr. Sharon Kerrick, Dr. Denise Cumberland, and former doctoral student Subarna Pandit.
Herd Facilitates Workshops for US Army War College and UofL School of Medicine
Dr. Ann Herd, Clinical Associate Professor (OLL) recently facilitated two workshops. She designed an interactive assessment to facilitate an invited workshop on May 26, 2026 at the U.S. Army War College for its 2026 graduates and partners on military-to-civilian transition challenges and strategies.
Dr. Ann Herd also designed and facilitated an invited workshop on HR selection and talent acquisition practices for the U of L School of Medicine on August 11, 2026.
Ingle Appointed to UCEA's Policy Advisory Board
Dr. Kyle Ingle was recently appointed as a member of the University Council for Educational Administration's Policy Advisory Board. The purpose of this advisory board is to provide guidance to UCEA in three areas: 1) to shape the association’s public policy initiatives related to quality leadership preparation; 2) to provide strategic counsel on emerging policy issues reflective of diverse member and state contexts; and 3) to promote scholarship within UCEA focused on policy issues that concern UCEA members.
Dr. Umpstead-Pratel Speaks on Transgender RIghts and OCR's Enforcement Authority
Dr. Regina Umpstead-Pratel presented at a Coffee Talk hosted by the Education Law Association entitled, "BPJ Supreme Court Decision - Transgender Rights and OCR's Enforcement Authority" on July 23, 2026.
Organizational Leadership & Learning (OLL)
Congratulations to Dr. Mary Jo Gonzales on her recent appointment as Program Director of the Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and Learning Degree Program.
Miller Speaks at Kentucky Physicians' Leadership Institute
Dr. Anastasia Miller, Clinical Associate Professor in Organizational Leadership and Learning (Healthcare Leadership) gave a workshop on Healthcare Financial Leadership to the Kentucky Physicians' Leadership Institute on June 19, 2026
Whetstone Featured in Delphi Center Podcast
Dr. Randy Whetstone (OLL) served as a guest on a new podcast offered by the University of Louisville's Delphi Center this summer titled, "Online but Not Alone." Dr. Whetstone was asked to demystify degree completion for adult learners, offering tips and advice for the challenges that adult learners face when pursuing higher education for the first time--or returning to higher education after a long absence. Dr. Whetstone also highlighted the work that OLL faculty and programs do with adult learners, bringing greater attention to the leadership and expertise within OLL programs.
The podcast can be found at: https://youtu.be/hk4MAInCR2E?si=TeytzB7tE9UFHXh_
Did you know that UofL soared 13 spots to reach No. 84 among US News and World Report's Top Public Schools, and it climbed to No. 158 on the Best National Universities list, a jump of 21 spots from the previous year. The increase is the largest among ACC institutions and places UofL in a tie with the University of Cincinnati among public schools. Earlier this year, U.S. News and World Report also rated UofL a Best Global University, placing it in the top 30% of universities worldwide, recognized for academic research and reputation.
