University of Louisville
PRE-2: Points of Distinction

Established in 1994, the Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center (KPPC) is a state-mandated technical assistance resource center housed at the University of Louisville. As part of the J.B. Speed School of Engineering at UofL, KPPC has the resources, expertise and experienced engineering and technical staff to help Kentucky’s businesses, industries and other organizations achieve sustainability, improve environmental performance, and save money to stay competitive. KPPC's vision is to be the “go-to” environmental sustainability resource center in Kentucky. KPPC is committed to excellence and continuously looks for ways to improve their services to meet client needs. Their ongoing motivation is to be a resource that can be turned to for expert knowledge, advice and impactful services and can always be relied on to bring satisfaction, success and good results. Their goal is to be the resource center that everyone thinks of calling first to leverage sustainability-based solutions in business and industry. KPPC not only helps educate its business, industry, and organizational clients, but it helps educate UofL students through a robust co-op experience for Engineering students. More information is available at https://kppc.org/

UofL's Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research conducts and facilitates R&D on potentially commercializable renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. The Center’s main objective is to foster development of transformational concepts and accelerate the translation of technology concepts from the lab to pre-commercial scale. UofL established the Conn Center at the J.B. Speed School of Engineering in 2009 in honor of major donors Hank and Rebecca Conn. Over the past decade, the Conn Center has established leadership, research, support and policy development in renewable energy.

The center advances the goal of renewable energy and promotes technologies, practices, and programs that increase efficiency for energy utilization. The center promotes partnerships among colleges and universities, private industries, and non-profit organizations to actively pursue federally and privately funded research and development resources that are dedicated to renewable energy solutions. Through innovative R&D at an accelerated pace and development of Kentucky’s workforce and renewable resources, the Center’s ongoing goal is to seek outcomes that enhance global energy security, maintain US technological leadership, and improve high-tech manufacturing activity in Kentucky.

The center is also a hub of engagement for the campus community in our renewable energy future and for tackling climate change. The center is engaged in numerous campus as a living lab of sustainability projects, from growing hemp on campus to study biofuel applications to helping facilitate conversations between area industries and the university about converting organic waste problems into renewable energy solutions for the campus through anaerobic biodigestion. The center also played a pivotal role in UofL's participation in the 2013 Solar Decathlon and the 2020 Middle East Solar Decathlon, and it is now headquartered in the student designed and built fully solar-powered home from the 2013 competition.

Research themes include Solar Manufacturing, Solar Fuels, Biofuels & Biomass Conversions, Energy Storage, Advanced Energy Materials, Materials Characterization, and Energy Efficiency & Conservation. Conn Center employs top-notch scientists and engineers as theme leaders for directing these research thrusts and to enable collaborations with faculty researchers and industry partners worldwide. More information is available at https://engineering.louisville.edu/research/centersinstitutes/conncenter/

The University of Louisville's Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE) is the driving force behind making the University statement on diversity a reality: "The University of Louisville strives to foster and sustain an environment of inclusiveness that empowers us all to achieve our highest potential without fear of prejudice or bias. We commit ourselves to building an exemplary educational community that offers a nurturing and challenging intellectual climate, a respect for the spectrum of human diversity, and a genuine understanding of the many differences-including race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, religion, diversity of thought and political ideology-that enrich a vibrant metropolitan research university. We expect every member of our academic family to embrace the underlying values of this vision and to demonstrate a strong commitment to attracting, retaining, and supporting students, faculty, and staff who reflect the diversity of our larger society." From aiding in the offering of a vast array of diversity focused curriculum, to realizing Diversity Policy and Plans, to hosting Social Justice Camps and Inclusion and Equity Internships, to facilitating scholarship programs such as the MLK Scholarship Program, the Porter Scholar Program, the Muhammad Ali Scholars Program, and many more, the ODE is an outstanding institution at the University of Louisville and a vital partner in our sustainability efforts. More information can be found at https://louisville.edu/diversity/