Abby Hess, APRN, DNP, Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Researcher at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Assistant Professor at University of Cincinnati

Abby Hess, APRN, DNP is a nurse practitioner and clinical researcher at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and an affiliate assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati. Clinically, Abby works with the Department of Anesthesiology, blending patient care with research and innovation projects focused on reducing preoperative anxiety. She was awarded the first Johnson and Johnson Nurses Innovate Quickfire Challenge, supporting the creation of a patented breathing-controlled video game device that’s designed to ease anxiety for kids before surgery. She co-chairs the American Nurses Association’s Innovation Advisory Committee for Technology and Devices. Abby is currently partnering with Cincinnati Children’s chief innovation officer to develop a program to support clinical innovation, empowering frontline clinicians to drive meaningful change in health care.

Dr. Lou Hirsch, Martin-Gatton Distinguished Assistant Professor University of Kentucky, Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Agricultural and Biotechnology Programs

Dr. Lou Hirsch was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, where he hunted, fished, and hiked throughout the deserts and forests of the American Southwest.  After going to college at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana for English and Religious Studies, he started a career as a scuba instructor and boat captain.  He managed scuba diving charter companies in the Florida Keys and San Diego, California before moving to Arkansas with his future spouse who was starting graduate school. In Arkansas, he accidently discovered the field of plant pathology (the study of plant diseases), and through a series of happy accidents and some hard work he ended up returning to school to earn a master’s degree in plant pathology and a Ph.D. in Plant Science.  After teaching at a small liberal arts college in South Carolina and working for the Veterans Administration system on human genomics research, he started a teaching- and outreach-focused position in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Kentucky in Lexington.  At the University of Kentucky, Dr. Hirsch is a Martin-Gatton Distinguished Assistant Professor and serves as the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Agricultural & Medical Biotechnology and Agriculture Individualized Programs in addition to teaching numerous classes in multiple disciplines across campus.  When he is not working, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing on a moderately competitive adult kickball team, and teaching scuba classes.

Henry Eng, Vice President of Cooking GE Appliances

 (Coming soon)

Stacey Purifoy- Jones, Project Management Professional (PMP), United States Army Corp of Engineers

Stacey Purifoy-Jones, PMP is a Program Manager and Section Chief of the Army & International and Interagency Support (IIS) Section of the Military Branch in Planning, Programs and Project Management Division (P3MD) for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – Louisville District with over 20 years of experience. She received her Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Louisville and a master’s degree in construction engineering management from the University of Alabama – Birmingham. As the Army & IIS Section Chief, she manages $5B program consisting of studies, design and construction projects which include Military installations in Louisville District’s five state Area of Operation and the Nationwide Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program (ERCIP) projects and supervises 12 – 14 personnel. In USACE-Louisville District, Stacey previously served as a Senior Life-Cycle Project Manager/District Primary Point of Contact with customers/stakeholders; responsibilities include planning, scoping, coordination and execution of military and health facilities projects. Provided interagency service support for risk management, scope development and manages $4.8M in demolition for Military Construction Army, $209M in Military Construction Army Reserve (MCAR), Air Force Reserve (MCAFR), $210K for VA Indianapolis and Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) projects, served as the Program Manager for the 63rd, 81st and 88th Readiness Division (RDs) Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Program exceeding $21M for 87 projects over nine fiscal years; assisted customer in scope development for design and construction; provided guidance in regard to procurement and risk management in accordance with USACE policy and procedures. She also served as a Program Manager and Section Chief of the Military Support Section of P3MD managing a $2.2B program that consisting of a total of 110+ projects in study, design, and construction and managed 17-19 personnel and was the temporary Risk Manager for $900M VA Medical Center in Louisville, KY. Stacey is also the District’s EEO Special Emphasis Program Manager for Federal Women and is the recipient of the Civilian Award for Humanitarian Service.

Prior to USACE, Stacey served over seven years as an Engineer Officer in the U.S. Army and Kentucky National Guard in a series of company and higher echelon positions such as: Assistant Operations Officer/Construction Manager, Battalion Intelligence Officer, Battalion Construction Officer and a Platoon Leader in a construction and maneuver unit. Responsibilities included managing 50 projects related to Baghdad’s drinking water infrastructure more than $27M, maintaining situational awareness of an average of 38 projects, 500 pieces of equipment and 735 personnel in Iraq. Supervised the completion of 10-unit projects (including an internet café, bathroom re-modeling, fire station renovation and campground enhancement), assisted in the preparation of various scopes of works and cost estimates. Stacey has several military honors to include a Bronze Star Medal and multiple Army Commendation Medals. She also worked as a Staff Engineer in the geotechnical section of AMEC Earth and Environmental, Inc. where she managed geotechnical subsurface explorations and performed soil mechanics analysis for design recommendations and served as a Quality Assurance Inspector for material testing.

Stacey has been an active member of the community and volunteers for West Louisville Math and Science Incorporated and is a member of the University of Louisville, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department Advisory Board; previously volunteered for Big Brothers Big Sisters. She is an active member of her church and serves in multiple ministries. Stacey enjoys spending time with her family, friends, sports, and karaoke. Stacey is married to her husband Ramann, and has two sons (Ramann-David, Tristan) and a stepdaughter (Alexis).

Jonathan Hughes, Director of Admissions and Outreach Speed School of Engineering, University of Louisville

Higher Education professional with over 5 years of higher education experience in recruitment and student success. A graduate from the University of Louisville with a M.A. in Education Administration, where he held the student position of president for the School of Education. He is currently working towards his Ph.D. in higher education administration at the University of Louisville. Jonathan has presented research at the regional and national level with a focus on students of color and low socioeconomic status, access, student success, and organizational leadership. Jonathan began his professional career as a graduate assistant for REACH academic services, followed by a stint with the Cardinal Covenant program and undergraduate office of admissions. Jonathan began working full time for the undergraduate office of admissions in 2013 as an academic counselor, afterwards, transitioning to the JB Speed School of Engineering as the assistant director of admissions from 2015 to July 2019 and is now the Director of Admissions.

Dr. Eric Wong, Science and Engineering Teacher, Mercy Academy