The University of Louisville has partnered with health services and products company, Cardinal Health, to open a new center on the Belknap Campus.
The customer service center, called “Launch,” is staffed by about 50 UofL students from a variety of disciplines, and there are plans to add more. The students get on-the-job experience working alongside those already in the industry.
“We learn by doing things — we teach each other,” said Launch associate, Abdulaziz Arrak. He hopes to join Cardinal Health full-time after he graduates from the UofL College of Business in May.
Launch started as an idea two years ago. Cindy Adkins, Cardinal Health’s VP of Customer Support Services, said the Dublin, Ohio-based company was looking to expand in Kentucky to support its growing business.
“We knew we needed great talent to round out our team,” she said. “And with a great university in our backyard, we decided to start right there.”
The students perform customer service activities, and collaborate on market research and other strategic and special projects in the space, leased from the University of Louisville Foundation on the third floor of the Cardinal Station building on Central Avenue.
“This partnership is a tremendous benefit for our students,” said UofL President, Dr. Neeli Bendapudi. “Not only does it create flexible, meaningful employment, but it provides our students a great opportunity to work with a leader in the health care industry without leaving our campus.”
Launch is the latest addition to UofL’s industrial partnerships, which include FirstBuild, in collaboration with Haier’s GE Appliances, and Hive, with Kindred Healthcare Inc. The goal is to help corporate partners innovate and grow while creating educational and job opportunities for students.
“We continue to work aggressively to secure other collaborative ventures, attracting companies that lease space on our campus, hire students and faculty, and look to further our research,” said Interim Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation, Robert S. Keynton. “So we’re so proud to have another cardinal, Cardinal Health, join us here on the Belknap campus.”
Watch a video on the announcement here. Students are encouraged to submit applications online at cardinalhealth.com.
