Northern Kentucky University kicked off the beginning of a new academic year with the Fall Convocation address on Friday. Classes started today.
Interim President Gerard St. Amand welcomed the NKU community back to campus and celebrated the university’s successes over the past year. His address spoke to new challenges and recapped past accomplishments.
NKU’s entering freshman class
St. Amand introduced new colleagues and conferred the Frank Sinton Milburn Outstanding Professor award upon Dr. Holly Riffe, Professor of Social Work in the College of Education and Human Services.
Dr. Cecile Marczinski was honored as the university’s 13th Regents Professor. Dr. Marczinski is a Professor of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Meantime, NKU delivered a special banner to the University of Virginia to show support as it copes with events in Charlottesville after protests and violence last week. The controversy over Confederate statues in the city and on campus continues.
#NKU4UVA is the hash tag on the banner.
NKU’s Student Government Association held a vigil last week to express support for the students of the University of Virginia and to stand in solidarity with the people of Charlottesville. The campus community signed a large banner with messages of love and support. Interim President Gerry St. Amand’s granddaughters presented the NKU banner to UVA’s Student Body President Sarah Kenny.
“We held this vigil to drown out the hate and spread a message of love through our campus, our community and beyond,” Sami Dada, NKU Student Body President said.
“We have to condemn this type of behavior and acknowledged that this is pure hate. If we do not, we will be providing the fertilizer for the seeds of hate that were planted before us. Now more than ever, we must unite together as one on the side of justice. More than Republican and Democrat, black or white, believer or non-believer, we are human beings. When we stand together we can confront forces of hate among us.”
