University of Louisville trustees approve funding for Student Wellness Center; funding for Endowed Chair in Nutrition and Health in School of Medicine

The University of Louisville Board of Trustees Finance Committee has approved a $10 million capital renovation project that will establish the Student Wellness Center. The Student Wellness Center, if it receives approval from the full Board of Trustees at the final vote on April 23, will be located within the Miller Information Technology Center, and will unify the university’s student health and wellness services. Additionally, the Academic and Student Affairs Committee approved the establishment of the Ray E. Murphy and Ann P. Murphy Endowed Chair in Nutrition and Health in the School of Medicine.

According to an article on the University of Louisville's website, Michael Mardis, who serves as the vice president for student affairs and as the dean of students, was quoted as saying of the Student Wellness Center project, “This new space will foster real-time collaboration and seamless care coordination between medical and mental health providers. It also will provide a modern, welcoming environment that normalizes help-seeking behavior and educates students about their health as they prepare for the larger world.”

The renovated space that will hold the Student Wellness Center will house Campus Health and the Counseling Center. It will have therapy rooms, exam rooms, a psychological assessment room, and procedure rooms, among other spaces. The project will take about two years to complete.

If the project receives full Board approval, Student Affairs will provide $6.5 million of the total $10 million. The rest will be generated through philanthropic efforts.

In other matters discussed by the Board of Trustees, the Academic and Student Affairs Committee approved the establishment of the Ray E. Murphy and Ann P. Murphy Endowed Chair in Nutrition and Health in the School of Medicine. The Ann P. Murphy Trust gave $1 million toward the endowment, and the Council on Postsecondary Education Endowment Match Program (Bucks for Brains) will be requested for another $1 million, pending full Board approval. The endowed chair will benefit the education of future physicians, dieticians, nutritionists, and nurses.

Other matters included the approval of the creation of a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) in Global Supply Chain Management, which would begin with the Summer 2026 semester, pending full Board approval, and the creation of a Graduate Certificate in Educational Administrative Leadership, which would begin in the Fall 2026 semester, pending full Board approval.

The next meeting of the University of Louisville Board of Trustees will be on April 23, 2026.

For more information about the University of Louisville, visit the school’s website.