< Previous1 NCAA Championship | 8 SEC Titles | 1 SEC Tournament Championship 66 @KentuckyMBB JOE B. HALL 1973-85c D r. Eli Capilouto became the 12th President of the University of Kentucky July 1, 2011. Under his leadership, Kentucky’s flagship and land grant research university has re-imagined what’s possible as the state’s most important institution for growth in edu- cation, health care and eco- nomic and social advances. In less than a decade, UK has grown from $2.7 billion to $5.1 billion in total operations, fueled by sustained and significant momentum in its missions of teaching, research, service and health care. One example of that growth—and re-imagination of what is possible for a pub- lic university—has been a more than $2.8 billion transformation of the campus, aimed squarely at expanding UK’s education, re- search, service and health care missions. Specifically, through partnerships with the private sector, increased philanthropy and effective financial management, UK is self-financing the vast majority of this ag- gressive development. Over the last ten years, the University has opened: n The $265 million Healthy Kentucky Research Building; n The $201 million Bill Gatton Student Center; n The $112 Jacobs Science Building (fi- nanced, in large part, through a $65 million partnership with UK Athletics); n The $65 million renovated and ex- panded Gatton College of Business and Economics building; n 20 new dining facilities; n 14 new residence halls, funded entire- ly with private equity; n A new $15 million home for the School of Art and Visual Studies; n A $126 million revitalized Kroger Field (funded solely by Athletics revenue); n Nearly $550 million since 2011 in the continued construction and fit-out of the new Chandler Hospital; and n A $56 million renovation and expan- sion of the J. David Rosenberg College of Law. This re-imagination and innovation of the campus has resulted in: n Continued growth in students to a record level of more than 30,000 — cen- tral to our goal of fueling Kentucky’s future workforce needs; n Record retention and graduation rates, boosted by increases in the last five years alone of more than 5 percent; n Conferring more than 7,000 undergraduate, gradu- ate and professional degrees in the last aca- demic year, reflective of a record graduation rate; n A commitment to our state’s health needs, with UK HealthCare treating more than 40,000 patients and being named the No. 1 hospital system in Kentucky for five consecutive years; n Continued acceleration of our research efforts with growth in research and contracts to $429.2 million in FY20 — much of it fo- cused on Kentucky’s most intractable chal- lenges, from opioid use disorders to cancer, heart disease and our country’s energy fu- ture; n A historic investment of $10 million to conduct research into racial inequities and inequality in health, justice, education and society and an investment of seed money to launch the multi-disciplinary Common- wealth Institute of Black Studies; n Remaining in a strong fi- nancial position, reflected by a strong and stable bond rating; and n Negotiating a transformative partnership with the city of Lex- ington that will strengthen eco- nomic develop- ment, improve career prospects for our gradu- ates and provide better pedestrian safety. The progress on the campus is helping en- sure an outstanding workforce for Kentucky, with dramatic increases in the number of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) degrees. More than 77 percent of all UK graduates stay in Kentucky, with average earnings of more than 25 percent above the national average. UK is Kentucky’s indispensable eco- nomic partner, with dozens of partnerships to provide research expertise to private business owners and internship opportu- nities for UK students; spending $5.5 bil- lion with Kentucky companies since 2011; owning more than 600 patent assets; and employing more than 13,500 people, who pay more than $100 million in state and local taxes. A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Dr. Capilouto previously served as provost of the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) and dean of the UAB School of Public Health -- a period of remarkable growth and transformation at one of the leading aca- demic and health sciences institutions in the South. Dr. Capilouto holds several under- graduate and graduate degrees from schools within the University of Alabama system, a Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (D.M.D.) from UAB and a Doctorate in Health Policy and Management from Harvard University. He and his wife, Dr. Mary Lynne Capilouto (D.M.D.) a former Dean of the UAB School of Dentistry, have one daughter. Eli Capilouto n President of the University of Kentucky@UKSportsNetwork 69 E ntering his 20th year as Director of Athletics at the University of Kentucky, Mitch Barnhart continues to add to his ac- complishments as one of the foremost lead- ers in collegiate athletics. The 2019 AD of the Year as selected by the SportsBusiness Journal, Barnhart’s acu- men was put to its strongest test in 2020- 21. As if it were not enough to guide UK through the severe challenges in health care, competition and finances caused by Covid-19, Barnhart also was Chair of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee, a task which required him to take a lead role in re-creating and executing the organiza- tion’s most prominent event in the midst of a pandemic. And, as he has done so often during his two decades at Kentucky, Barnhart rose to the occasion by drawing upon his wisdom, experience and – most of all – his steadfast dedication. Working alongside the NCAA staff, in the span of only two months, Barnhart and the tournament committee scrapped the time-tested format and invented a new pro- cedure by bringing all 68 teams to one lo- cation and supporting them with numerous health and safety protocols. As a result, all but one of the scheduled games was played and the mission was completed when Barn- hart handed the championship trophy to the victorious Baylor Bears. Meanwhile in Lexington, with assistance from the Southeastern Conference, UK HealthCare, and state and local officials, Barnhart kept the Wildcats on the prowl en route to one of the most successful years in UK Athletics history. The Kentucky football team was able to play all of its scheduled games and topped the campaign with a fifth-straight postsea- son appearance, and third-consecutive bowl victory, with a win over No. 23 North Carolina State in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. In February, the women’s swimming and diving team won its first SEC championship. A month later, UK rifle claimed its third NCAA championship. That was followed by another national crown, as the volleyball squad earned the NCAA title, the first by an SEC school in that sport. All totaled, UK finished 12th among 358 Division I teams in the 2021 Directors’ Cup national all-sports standings, the third-best finish in school history, the fourth year in a row in the top 20, and ninth in a row in the top 30. The national championships give UK a total of five during Barnhart’s term, joining men’s basketball in 2012 and rifle in 2011 and ’18. The growth of UK Athletics began earn- ing national recognition for Barnhart in 2015, when he was named one of four Di- vision I Athletics Directors of the Year by NACDA. He also was one of four finalists for 2015 Athletics Director of the Year as chosen by the SportsBusiness Journal and he received the Sports Business Award from the Bluegrass Sports Commission that year. Four years after his first nomination by the SportsBusiness Journal, Barnhart was named 2019 Athletic Director of the Year, but he has always been more interested in the achievements of UK student-athletes than his own. On that count, UK has had plenty to celebrate. In the last year alone, Mary Tucker (rifle) Madison Lilley (volleyball) and Liam Draxl (men’s tennis) were named National Athlete of the Year in their sports. In addition, Lilley was voted SEC Female Athlete of the Year, covering all sports. Asia Seidt of swimming was named the NCAA Woman of the Year for her combination of academic and athlet- ic accomplishments. A school-record total of 20 Wildcat athletes and coaches partici- pated in the Tokyo Olympics, including sev- eral medalists. Off-the-field performance also is im- portant to Barnhart. As a group, UK stu- dent-athletes have a achieved a 3.0 grade- point average for 18 consecutive semesters. Community service has risen to more than 4,000 hours annually and includes outreach to the Lexington area, the Commonwealth of Kentucky and as far away as Ethiopia, the Dominican Republic and Panama. Stu- dent-athletes are prepared for life after UK through “The Kentucky Road” program, equipping them with professional skills and helping them identify and pursue internship and work opportunities while continuing to provide the academic support that has made UK Athletics a national trendsetter. A steadfast believer in the transforma- tional power of college athletics, Barnhart is influential on the national level. Already having served on numerous committees and boards for the NCAA and the National As- sociation of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), including his five-year term on the Men’s Basketball Tournament Commit- tee, he will stay on the national stage as a new member of the College Football Playoff Committee. Barnhart is a native of Kansas City, Kansas. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Ottawa University (Kansas) in 1981 and a master’s in sports administration from Ohio University. Barnhart and his wife, Connie, have three children and four grandchildren. Athletics Director of the University of Kentucky n Mitch BarnhartNext >