University of Louisville names new provost

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The University of Louisville has a new provost.

Dr. Kathryn "Katie" Cardarelli was hired as executive vice president and university provost.

Cardarelli's priorities will focus on student success and improving retention. UofL President Gerry Bradley said after a wide search, he is confident she is the best person for the job.

"Since Dr. Cardarelli arrived on UofL's campus, she has, time and time again, proven her talents as an innovative, forward-thinking and strategic leader in higher education," Bradley said in a news release. "For this search, we took every measure to garner feedback on our finalists from our entire university community."

Cardarelli, a professor of epidemiology and population health, joined UofL as dean of the School of Public Health and Information Sciences in April 2024. UofL said her research focuses on "community-engaged approaches to reducing chronic diseases in rural and urban communities."

Prior to arriving at UofL, she spent 10 years in several positions at the University of Kentucky, where she served as senior associate provost for administration and academic affairs, as well as assistant provost and senior assistant provost for faculty affairs, associate dean for academic student and faculty affairs and a department chair.

Last March, she was appointed interim university provost. Bradley said in the interim position, Cardarelli played a key role in initiatives such as developing UofL's 2026-30 Strategic Plan, establishing the Navigating Teaching Challenges program, policy changes and the development of the Student Success Task Force.

"To help further enhance UofL's standing as a nationally-recognized institute of higher education — one that is marked by student success, breakthroughs in research and strong community engagement — is the opportunity of a lifetime for me," Cardarelli said in a statement.

Approval from the UofL Board of Trustees is pending.

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