UofL’s Faculty Senate gavel was ceremoniously transferred on Oct. 7 from former Faculty Senate Chair Krista Wallace-Boaz to her successor, David Schultz. Schultz has been an associate professor of biology in the College of Arts & Sciences since 2001.
While teaching in the Department of Biology, Schultz has focused on cellular and molecular biology, intermediary metabolism and medicinal plant biochemistry. Schultz’s research experience in plant biochemistry is applied in his lab to instigate specialized plant metabolites with therapeutic applications, such as breast cancer treatment, as well as plant lipids that can act as renewable petroleum replacement products.
After serving as a senator on the Faculty Senate for three years, Schultz assumes his position with two clear objectives in mind: representation and acknowledgement of additional faculty efforts outside of the classroom.
“I want to ensure the voice of the faculty is heard by making certain we have faculty representation in administrative decisions. The Faculty Senate has standing representatives on numerous administrative committees, and we are also asked to make many additional suggestions for appointments to other administrative committees. I have tried to make certain we have representation from diverse disciplines,” said Schultz.
“The Faculty Senate has done a good job of representing the teaching and service aspects of faculty life to the administration; I would like to address the research, creative and professional aspects of faculty efforts, and work to ensure all faculty are given sufficient time to pursue these efforts. This will strengthen our Carnegie R1 classification.”
Schultz spoke with UofL News about his professional and personal background.
UofL News: What is your favorite thing about UofL?
Schultz: I was attracted to UofL because of the blend of teaching, research and service. I grew up in an urban area and am a first-generation college graduate, so the feel and culture at UofL were good fits for me. I’m also a big fan of college athletics and so the blend of strong academics and nationally recognized athletics was important for me.
UofL News: How do you spend any free time you have?
Schultz: I have a number of things I do with my free time. I enjoy weight training with my children. I enjoy gardening and beekeeping with my wife. I have a workshop at home and enjoy doing household/home repair and woodworking projects.
UofL News: What is your favorite thing to do in Louisville outside of work?
Schultz: I enjoy hiking and bike riding on the Louisville Loop.
UofL News: What has motivated you to teach?
Schultz: I enjoy seeing others learn and succeed. One of the most rewarding things is when former students let me know that my courses have helped them succeed in life. I enjoy seeing the progression of students from lower level courses to higher level courses and seeing how much knowledge each has mastered and applied to complex problems.
UofL News: How long have you been involved in Faculty Senate and why did you join?
Schultz: I’ve been in the Faculty Senate for about three years. I saw the senate as a way to help ensure faculty viewpoints are represented to the administration. I have been fairly active in my department, college and at the university level, so my involvement in the Senate was a natural progression of my previous service work.
UofL News: What compelled you to seek out the chairmanship?
Schultz: I had contemplated taking on more impactful leadership roles. I decided to run for the chair of the senate because there was a need, and I felt that I could balance the high demands of this position while maintaining my current teaching and research commitments.
UofL News: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Schultz: I have two similar points. Both are research related, each from one of my doctoral research dissertation advisors: Never spend clean thinking on dirty data. Your results can never be better than the research materials you start with.
