Latest news with #UniversityofLouisville
Business Wire
24-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Doe-Anderson Honored with Ad Age Best Agency Culture Award
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Doe-Anderson, the nation's oldest employee-owned advertising agency, proudly announced today it has been named "Best Agency Culture Silver" at the 2025 Ad Age Small Agency Awards in Toronto. This award recognizes the agency's commitment to fostering a workplace where employees thrive and are empowered to do their best work. This recognition affirms that the steps we're taking to build an agency where people can show up as their authentic selves—and do their best work—are making a real impact. Share The Ad Age Best Agency Culture awards acknowledge agencies that nurture talent and create the space for bold, meaningful creativity, while providing meaningful benefits and a focus on employee well-being. Doe-Anderson's win highlights its unique approach to talent retention and community impact. "In an era when agencies across the country are competing harder than ever for talent, retention, and relevance, culture is more important than ever," said John Birnsteel, EVP, Chief Executive Officer of Doe-Anderson. "This recognition affirms that the steps we're taking to build an agency where people can show up as their authentic selves—and do their best work—are making a real impact." Doe-Anderson's culture is distinguished by several key initiatives and benefits: High Retention Rates: The independent agency achieved a 6% staff turnover rate in 2024, significantly lower than the industry average, with an average employee tenure three times the industry norm. This continuity ensures clients work with deeply knowledgeable and collaborative teams. Employee Ownership: As a 100% employee-owned agency, over half of Doe-Anderson's current employees hold shares in the company, allowing them to collectively guide its long-term vision. DEI Commitment: Doe-Anderson actively prioritizes diversity and inclusion, most recently evidenced by co-founding the University of Louisville's Multicultural Marketing program in 2024. Work-Life Balance: Employee well-being is paramount, with a hybrid work model, four "Work From Anywhere" weeks per year, and two fully paid agency-wide "Recharge Weeks." Community Engagement: As a newly certified B Corp, Doe-Anderson demonstrates a transparent standard of sustainability and inclusivity. Initiatives include the "All Hands" pro bono program providing pro-bono marketing services to Black-owned small businesses and a tree-planting effort in underserved neighborhoods. This recognition underscores Doe-Anderson's philosophy of "Work. People. Love." The agency believes that great creative work stems from brilliant people who are passionate about what they do and where they do it. Doe-Anderson works with iconic brands including Maker's Mark, Jim Beam, and Louisville Slugger bats and equipment. Client partners also include Georgia Aquarium, Carrier, Roto-Rooter, and several healthcare and financial sector brands. Doe-Anderson has 137 employees spanning offices in Louisville, KY and Columbus, OH. It offers integrated communication services including brand and digital strategy, creative execution, media buying and planning, analytics, digital design and development, content production and public relations. Founded in 1915, the agency is a Certified BCorp and is a member of AMIN Worldwide, a global peer group of independent agencies, and the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As).
Time of India
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Why are top US universities facing questions over who really qualifies for scholarships?
US universities face federal probes over scholarship eligibility and discrimination. (AP Photo) The US Department of Education has opened investigations into five prominent universities over concerns that some of their scholarships may be unlawfully excluding American-born students. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is examining whether certain scholarships reserved exclusively for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or undocumented students violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on national origin. The universities under scrutiny include the University of Louisville, the University of Nebraska Omaha, the University of Miami, the University of Michigan, and Western Michigan University. The investigations follow complaints filed by the Legal Insurrection Foundation's Equal Protection Project, which alleges that the scholarships in question unlawfully restrict eligibility, thereby discriminating against US citizens. Investigations focus on scholarships reserved for undocumented students According to the complaints, the University of Louisville's Sagar Patagundi Scholarship is designated for undergraduate DACA and undocumented students to subsidise the cost of higher education. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Access all TV channels anywhere, anytime Techno Mag Learn More Undo The University of Nebraska Omaha's Dreamer's Pathway Scholarship targets DACA or DACA-eligible Nebraska residents seeking an undergraduate degree. Similarly, the University of Miami offers the U Dreamers Program to academically talented high school seniors and transfer students with DACA or undocumented status. The University of Michigan provides the Dreamer Scholarship, which is intended to support undocumented students or those with DACA status. Western Michigan University also offers the WMU Undocumented/DACA Scholarship for undergraduate students who cannot receive federal student aid due to their undocumented or DACA status. Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor stated, 'Neither the Trump Administration's America first policies nor the Civil Rights Act of 1964's prohibition on national origin discrimination permit universities to deny our fellow citizens the opportunity to compete for scholarships because they were born in the United States.' Further probes into scholarships based on race and colour In addition to the scholarships focused on national origin, the OCR will examine other scholarships that allegedly exclude students based on race and colour, which could also violate Title VI. Examples include the University of Louisville's Dawn Wilson Scholarship for undergraduate LGBTQ+ students of colour and the Louisville Tango Festival Scholarship for Latino/a/x and Hispanic students. The University of Nebraska Omaha's HDR Scholarship reportedly gives preference to underrepresented minority students. Western Michigan University's Elissa Gatlin Endowed Scholarship is designated for African American, Native American, or Hispanic American students. William A. Jacobson, founder of the Equal Protection Project, remarked, 'Protecting equal access to education includes protecting the rights of American-born students. Discrimination against American-born students must not be tolerated.' The Legal Insurrection Foundation's Equal Protection Project initiated these complaints in order to ensure equal protection under the law and prevent government discrimination in any form. The investigations mark a notable expansion of enforcement efforts under the current administration to address alleged discrimination in US higher education, emphasising the protection of American students and lawful residents from exclusionary scholarship practices. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
CNN
24-07-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Why record-breaking athlete Abdelrahman Elaraby is about more than just swimming
EDITOR'S NOTE: Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters. In the United States, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide also can provide contact information for crisis centers around the world. For all Abdelrahman Elaraby's success as an athlete, swimming is a passion simultaneously pursued intensely and held at arm's length. 'You'll never find me talking about swimming outside the pool,' the 25-year-old Egyptian told CNN Sports. Few people even knew that he had broken the African record in the men's 50m butterfly in Monaco in May until the news was shared publicly. When one of his friends checked to make sure he was OK after not hearing from him for a few days, Elaraby simply responded, ''Yeah man, I just … became the fastest African in history so I feel great.' 'And he was like … 'How did you not tell anybody?'' Elaraby recalled. For him, focusing on life outside swimming is just as important as his goals in the sport. There is time for training in the pool and at the gym, 'and then outside that we can find some other stuff to do,' he added. 'I'm very family-oriented … I read, I journal, I could go crazy if I leave my house without journaling in the morning or praying or reading the Quran.' Still, even as the fifth fastest man in the world this year over his preferred distance – the 50m butterfly – Elaraby prefers not to think about swimming as a career, wary of the trap he fell into earlier in his life. It was Elaraby's mom who first introduced him to swimming as a child in Cairo, searching for any way to tire out her young, chatty, social son who had been diagnosed with ADHD. 'So many people told her: 'He's the slowest kid on the team. What are you doing?'' Elaraby said. But she stuck with it and her son improved, drawn to the sport by the friends he found there. In 2018, he became Egypt's national champion in the 50m fly and won bronze in the 50m freestyle at the Junior Olympic Games. Aged 18, he left Egypt on a scholarship for the University of Louisville (Kentucky), competing on the swim team. However, while at Louisville, in March 2022, he attempted to take his own life. He had lost his passion for swimming and that spiralled into feelings of worthlessness, he said in a 2023 video made by the University of Louisville for Mental Health Awareness Month. He overdosed on medication and was taken to hospital, where he fell into a coma. When Elaraby recovered, he was transferred to a 'mental health hospital,' but even then, his thoughts were on returning to competitive swimming, he said in the video. In the time since March 2022, Elaraby has spoken of 'reclaiming' his life, of finding purpose and fulfillment again. Part of that has involved getting closer to his Muslim faith, he said. Another part has been by reducing the time he spends on his phone, instead using it to try things like learning a musical instrument and 'reading more about topics in life,' like the philosophy of Stoicism. And another is by considering: 'Who do I allow in my life?' 'I'm the fastest person to block people now (on social media) … just being part of each other's life is a great honor,' he told CNN Sports. Although 2023 was tough and he considered quitting swimming, he threw himself into his training and won the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) title in the men's 50m freestyle. In 2023, he left Louisville and swam for the University of Notre Dame, but after graduating, he began working full-time at a non-profit that helps college athletes break into the world of work, giving himself something to focus on beside his training. 'I got so stuck on the idea that I need to win, not because I want to win, I need to win because, if I win, I'm going to make this amount of money; if I win, I'm going to get seen by this amount of investors or sponsors,' he said. 'And it took away from the beauty and the love I have for the sport.' Last year, he was 'ready to quit' after failing to qualify for the Egyptian Olympic team. He didn't have a coach. Notre Dame's swim team was suspended for a year due to 'possible misconduct' and gambling violations and Elaraby says he was not seen as a training priority; he had 'every reason' to stop. Only a passing comment made by an Egyptian entrepreneur while she was interviewing him persuaded Elaraby to continue swimming. 'You should go back to swimming, but not because you want to achieve things, it's because this is what you love,' he recalled her saying. So he returned to the pool and trained three or four times a week. But without any serious weight training, he went to the World Championships last year in Budapest, Hungary, knowing he was 'absolutely out of shape.' There he finished joint 34th in the 50m butterfly and realized that 'being here just for the fun of the sport is not what I wanted. It's not fulfilling.' Determined to become a world-class athlete again, Elaraby took it upon himself to buy books about coaching, learned how to coach himself and set up competitions at the end of every month to focus his training blocks. That approach has paid off, allowing him to break that African 50m fly record and resurrect his goal of qualifying for the Olympics. In a moment of serendipity, Elaraby's preferred 50m butterfly event, as well as the 50m breaststroke and backstroke, will be included at the 2028 Olympics for the first time in the Games' history. This news made Elaraby 'so excited,' he said, adding that he believes competing at the Olympics in his preferred event would give him respect that he's previously been denied. But, even with such lofty goals, Elaraby's life remains multifaceted, concentrated as much outside the pool as inside it. After his suicide attempt, he shared his story in the hope of encouraging others, particularly men, to seek help when they need it. Opening up publicly initially provoked two types of reactions, he said. '(Some) people were like, 'Why are you talking about it? This is a very private matter. You should keep it to yourself' … And then a lot of people were like 'We feel seen, thank you, you're so courageous,'' he said. Speaking so publicly about his mental health and advocating for others to take better care of theirs comes with a complex responsibility. As time went on, Elaraby became wary of people taking his message and using it 'to find an excuse not to do things.' 'I don't want to drown a whole generation while I'm trying to save some people,' he said. 'I don't want to create a world of mentally weak individuals – I'm just trying to allow people to see mental health the right way, just as physical health. I'm not asking people to curl up and cry. I'm just asking people to get help, just like (when) you break an arm.'
CNN
24-07-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Why record-breaking athlete Abdelrahman Elaraby is about more than just swimming
EDITOR'S NOTE: Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters. In the United States, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide also can provide contact information for crisis centers around the world. For all Abdelrahman Elaraby's success as an athlete, swimming is a passion simultaneously pursued intensely and held at arm's length. 'You'll never find me talking about swimming outside the pool,' the 25-year-old Egyptian told CNN Sports. Few people even knew that he had broken the African record in the men's 50m butterfly in Monaco in May until the news was shared publicly. When one of his friends checked to make sure he was OK after not hearing from him for a few days, Elaraby simply responded, ''Yeah man, I just … became the fastest African in history so I feel great.' 'And he was like … 'How did you not tell anybody?'' Elaraby recalled. For him, focusing on life outside swimming is just as important as his goals in the sport. There is time for training in the pool and at the gym, 'and then outside that we can find some other stuff to do,' he added. 'I'm very family-oriented … I read, I journal, I could go crazy if I leave my house without journaling in the morning or praying or reading the Quran.' Still, even as the fifth fastest man in the world this year over his preferred distance – the 50m butterfly – Elaraby prefers not to think about swimming as a career, wary of the trap he fell into earlier in his life. It was Elaraby's mom who first introduced him to swimming as a child in Cairo, searching for any way to tire out her young, chatty, social son who had been diagnosed with ADHD. 'So many people told her: 'He's the slowest kid on the team. What are you doing?'' Elaraby said. But she stuck with it and her son improved, drawn to the sport by the friends he found there. In 2018, he became Egypt's national champion in the 50m fly and won bronze in the 50m freestyle at the Junior Olympic Games. Aged 18, he left Egypt on a scholarship for the University of Louisville (Kentucky), competing on the swim team. However, while at Louisville, in March 2022, he attempted to take his own life. He had lost his passion for swimming and that spiralled into feelings of worthlessness, he said in a 2023 video made by the University of Louisville for Mental Health Awareness Month. He overdosed on medication and was taken to hospital, where he fell into a coma. When Elaraby recovered, he was transferred to a 'mental health hospital,' but even then, his thoughts were on returning to competitive swimming, he said in the video. In the time since March 2022, Elaraby has spoken of 'reclaiming' his life, of finding purpose and fulfillment again. Part of that has involved getting closer to his Muslim faith, he said. Another part has been by reducing the time he spends on his phone, instead using it to try things like learning a musical instrument and 'reading more about topics in life,' like the philosophy of Stoicism. And another is by considering: 'Who do I allow in my life?' 'I'm the fastest person to block people now (on social media) … just being part of each other's life is a great honor,' he told CNN Sports. Although 2023 was tough and he considered quitting swimming, he threw himself into his training and won the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) title in the men's 50m freestyle. In 2023, he left Louisville and swam for the University of Notre Dame, but after graduating, he began working full-time at a non-profit that helps college athletes break into the world of work, giving himself something to focus on beside his training. 'I got so stuck on the idea that I need to win, not because I want to win, I need to win because, if I win, I'm going to make this amount of money; if I win, I'm going to get seen by this amount of investors or sponsors,' he said. 'And it took away from the beauty and the love I have for the sport.' Last year, he was 'ready to quit' after failing to qualify for the Egyptian Olympic team. He didn't have a coach. Notre Dame's swim team was suspended for a year due to 'possible misconduct' and gambling violations and Elaraby says he was not seen as a training priority; he had 'every reason' to stop. Only a passing comment made by an Egyptian entrepreneur while she was interviewing him persuaded Elaraby to continue swimming. 'You should go back to swimming, but not because you want to achieve things, it's because this is what you love,' he recalled her saying. So he returned to the pool and trained three or four times a week. But without any serious weight training, he went to the World Championships last year in Budapest, Hungary, knowing he was 'absolutely out of shape.' There he finished joint 34th in the 50m butterfly and realized that 'being here just for the fun of the sport is not what I wanted. It's not fulfilling.' Determined to become a world-class athlete again, Elaraby took it upon himself to buy books about coaching, learned how to coach himself and set up competitions at the end of every month to focus his training blocks. That approach has paid off, allowing him to break that African 50m fly record and resurrect his goal of qualifying for the Olympics. In a moment of serendipity, Elaraby's preferred 50m butterfly event, as well as the 50m breaststroke and backstroke, will be included at the 2028 Olympics for the first time in the Games' history. This news made Elaraby 'so excited,' he said, adding that he believes competing at the Olympics in his preferred event would give him respect that he's previously been denied. But, even with such lofty goals, Elaraby's life remains multifaceted, concentrated as much outside the pool as inside it. After his suicide attempt, he shared his story in the hope of encouraging others, particularly men, to seek help when they need it. Opening up publicly initially provoked two types of reactions, he said. '(Some) people were like, 'Why are you talking about it? This is a very private matter. You should keep it to yourself' … And then a lot of people were like 'We feel seen, thank you, you're so courageous,'' he said. Speaking so publicly about his mental health and advocating for others to take better care of theirs comes with a complex responsibility. As time went on, Elaraby became wary of people taking his message and using it 'to find an excuse not to do things.' 'I don't want to drown a whole generation while I'm trying to save some people,' he said. 'I don't want to create a world of mentally weak individuals – I'm just trying to allow people to see mental health the right way, just as physical health. I'm not asking people to curl up and cry. I'm just asking people to get help, just like (when) you break an arm.'
CNN
23-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights initiates investigation into 5 universities over DACA scholarships
Human rights Immigration Federal agencies Education policyFacebookTweetLink Follow Five universities are under investigation by the US Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights for providing scholarships to undocumented immigrants enrolled in the Obama-era DACA program, according to a statement from the Department of Education Wednesday. DACA, or the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, allows hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children to live, work and pursue an education in the country. The department's investigation focuses on scholarships for DACA students but also includes LGBTQ+ students of color, Latin or Hispanic, African American, Native American or other minority students, the agency said in a statement. The schools under scrutiny are the University of Louisville, the University of Nebraska Omaha, the University of Miami, the University of Michigan and Western Michigan University. 'The investigations will determine whether these universities are granting scholarships only for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or 'undocumented' students, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964's (Title VI) prohibition against national origin discrimination,' the Department of Education said. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act bans any institution receiving federal funds from discriminating based on race, color and national origin. The investigations into the universities were launched following complaints from the conservative nonprofit Legal Insurrection Foundation's Equal Protection Project. 'Protecting equal access to education includes protecting the rights of American-born students. At the Equal Protection Project, we are gratified that the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights is acting on our complaints regarding scholarships that excluded American-born students,' said William A. Jacobson, founder of the Equal Protection Project. 'Discrimination against American-born students must not be tolerated.' Calls and emails to the University of Nebraska Omaha, the University of Miami and Western Michigan University were not immediately returned. John Karman, the University of Louisville's interim vice president for communications and marketing, told CNN, 'The university was just notified of the investigation yesterday. We are reviewing the claims.' Kay Jarvis, the University of Michigan's director of public affairs, said in a statement to CNN, 'The university has received a letter of notification relating to this matter. We have no further comment.' The Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights office works to protect students by holding schools and colleges that receive federal funds accountable for combating antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and discrimination against students with disabilities. Efforts to dismantle the department are underway and the agency's civil rights office has been hit hard by a combination of layoffs and voluntary 'buyouts.' What will happen to the office is still uncertain, but employees within the office have told CNN they are extremely concerned about their ability to process the claims effectively with half of the staff. Earlier this year, the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights sent letters to dozens of colleges and universities it says are under investigation for alleged violations 'relating to antisemitic harassment and discrimination,' warning institutions of possible consequences if they don't take adequate steps to protect Jewish students. CNN's Karina Tsui, Elizabeth Wolfe and Shania Shelton contributed to this report.
