LOUISVILLE, Ky. — University of Louisville President Kim Schatzel has resigned, and Executive Vice President and University Provost, T. Gerard (Gerry) Bradley was named the University’s new president. UofL’s Board of Trustees made the announcement after her departure in an executive session.
UofL’s Board of Trustees appointed Schatzel the role on Nov. 29, 2022, but she didn’t officially take over the position until Feb. 1, 2023.
In a surprise move, the Board of Trustees instantly named Bradley new president. He becomes the 20th president at the university.
Bradley said, “I am deeply honored and humbled today to take this role at the university.” He added, “Nobody knows what a provost does, right? So, nobody really knows me at all. That’ll probably change over the next couple of days, but I plan to be very engaged and very visible on campus.”
Bradley was set to become the executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of Cincinnati. But yesterday, March 25, UC President Neville Pinto, announced Bradley was “pursuing other opportunities.”
According to UofL, Bradley joined UofL as dean of the School of Dentistry in 2016 and has served as provost since 2022. On his biography page, he is quoted as saying, “I was a first-generation college student and higher education changed my life. I am proud to serve the University of Louisville and help make this a great place to learn, discover, connect and work. We have great students, dedicated faculty and staff and we have the urgent and important mission of transforming lives.”
Schatzel and the Board of Trustees entered a mutual separation agreement. As part of the agreement, UofL will pay Schatzel $400,000 plus “applicable earnings on account of deferred compensation within 30 days” of her resignation date.
She will also receive an additional $300,000 paid out in six monthly installments beginning on April 15, 2025.
“As with any position, times change, the goals of Schatzel changed, our goals changed, and we were very fortunate to have had have the ability to name, Dr. Bradley, who had already been here so we wouldn't lose any momentum,” said Diane Medley, board chair.
Before UofL, Schatzel served as the president of Towson University from 2016 to Jan. 2023. TU is one of 12 universities that are part of the University System of Maryland. She also previously served as provost of Eastern Michigan University and dean of the College of Business at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
When UofL announced her appointment, it said Schatzel’s track record of leadership included advancing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives as priorities. In Sept. 2024, Schatzel along with four other Kentucky universities were questioned by lawmakers over each campus’s DEI programs.
Schatzel told members, “There is no mandatory DEI classes for students at the University of Louisville.”
She was credited with building a strong academic profile at Towson University, which enrolled approximately 20,000 students, while emphasizing accessibility, affordability and inclusive student success.
UofL ranked No. 97 among top public universities in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings while ranking No. 179 among national universities under Schatzel. “UofL has a stellar reputation for redefining student success, producing groundbreaking research and deeply connecting with our community,” she said in a release. UofL said it improved in several categories, including the average first-year retention rate increase from 78% to 81%, marking an all-time high for the school. U.S. News and World Report evaluated more than 1,500 universities.
Schatzel replaced Neeli Bendapudi who accepted the president’s position at Penn State. Schatzel is the third president UofL has had since 2000. James Ramsey served from 2002-2016. There were two interim presidents after Ramsey, Neville Pinto from 2016-2017 and Gregory Postel from 2017-2018. Bendapudi served from 2018-2021 and Lori Stewart Gonzalez was named interim president from 2021-2023.
