University of Louisville faculty and staff have played a significant role in the success of the Charting Our Course comprehensive campaign, contributing more than $27 million to the billion-dollar effort. (See Keith Inman’s letter to the campus community.) This is the fourth in a series of profiles of UofL faculty and staff, the areas they support and their reasons for giving back to the university.
Ann Swank, PhD
Ann Swank,PhD, is a professor of exercise physiology and program/lab director in the Health and Sport Sciences Exercise Physiology Program. She has been with the university almost 30 years and donated to the exercise physiology program.
Reasons for giving to this program: My donation is specific to student scholarships for careers in exercise physiology. The students I have worked with in exercise physiology have been outstanding over the last 30 years and have gone on to do wonderful things with their lives. In fact, five of our current faculty are past students. Many of our students are internship partners with our program and that continues the education process. I want my donation to assist with enhancing the ability to recruit quality students into exercise physiology and give each student the opportunity for a wonderful career and life.
Your history/involvement with this organization: My entire career has been with exercise physiology. First I was the director of the university-wide Wellness Program, and for the last 20 years or so, human performance laboratory director and professor.
Why you feel it’s important to give back to the university: The University of Louisville has provided a significant opportunity for me to be successful. I am the first in my family to attend and finish college so I feel like I have so much. Giving something back to the university and especially to my program is an appropriate thing to do.