Presidential Conversation
With appreciation to my — and UK’s — first lady
It is always awkward to read about yourself (I suggest it is something to which our new president
better become accustomed). It is infnitely more awkward to write about yourself
I·Iaving said that, I hope you take some time to read the feature about me and my wife, Patsy in this
· · issue of Kentucky Alumni magazine. I don’t suggest this so you can learn more about me — my sense
` » is that after 10 years youve heard plenty from me! But I hope you learn a little more about Patsy and
____ how she has served her alma mater with distinction over the past decade. It is not easy being the Hrst
( - lady at the University of Kentuclqz In many ways, that position is tougher than the one I held. She
" must contend with long days that feature plenty of night and weekend meetings, and that post is very
l much in the public spotlight. She does all that without getting paid!
_ I didn’t write this so you feel bad for Patsy You shouldn’t — she would tell you that this has been
1 the thrill of a lifetime. I simply say those things so you can appreciate — as I certainly do — how
_. much she has meant to this administration. I could not have done it without her, and I wanted
‘ " ‘ publicly to thank her for her support and encouragement over these years.
One initiative in which Patsy and I will stay engaged after we leave our respective positions is the Presidents Scholarship
Initiative (PSI). I knowI would not have achieved my dreams if not for academic support. I received some small scholarships
that supported my undergraduate education, and I received a fellowship from the Hertz Foundation that allowed me to earn my
masters and Ph.D. from MIT.
Scholarships help level the playing Held for students, regardless of their background or Hnancial standing. All too often Hnancial reasons
can result in a person not attending college.
As Kentuclqrs flagship, land-grant university I believe it is incumbent on us to offer the Hnest education to every capable and promis-
ing student regardless of their Hnancial situation.
That is why we launched PSI about a year ago. We wanted to ensure that a UK education remained accessible and affordable to
students from all 120 counties.
And I am proud to say our work is paying dividends.
In]uly energy service provider E.ON, parent company of E.ON US., announced that it will donate $2 million to help fund energy-
related scholarships. The   will help fund scholarships in UKs recently created Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky (PEIK).
Republic Bank CEO Steve Trager announced in]uly that he was creating a scholarship program. Republic Bank decided to provide 20
four-year UK scholarships to students from the 12 Kentucky counties included in the banks network. Each Republic Bank Foundation
Commonwealth Scholarship will provide $2,500 per year in a renewable annual scholarship. In addition to funding the scholarship pro-
gram, Steve Trager hosted a lunch this fall to encourage fellow Louisville business leaders to support the Presidents Scholarship Initiative.
In December, ESPNs Scott Van Pelt appeared at Rupp Arena during the annual UK-Indiana University mens basketball game to pro-
vide the PSI with a $100,000 donation. Last March Madness, I·Iewlett-Packard Co. (I·IP) and ESPN launched the Amazing 16 contest
to Hnd which school in the Sweet 16 had the most enthusiastic fans. Big Blue Nation stepped up to the challenge and won $100,000 for
the university
I certainly thank all of those who have supported UKs Presidents Scholarship Initiative over the past year, and I look forward to
partnering with you to provide our next generation the greatest gift of all: The opportunity to receive aworld-class education from the
University of Kentucky
For more information about the Presidents Scholarship Initiative, please contact the UK Office of Development by calling
800-875-6272 or logging on to its website, wwwukyedu/psi/
Sincerely
jl 3 Q Q J b I TM
S G G U G.
Lee T. Todd, ]r. • ·
President zn ezzeryt/amg we da.
www.uka|umni.net 7