UofL Center for Military-Connected Students

On Aug 4, 2026, UofL recognizes and celebrates the 236th birthday of the U.S. Coast Guard and its precursors, the Revenue Marine, the Revenue Cutter Service, and the U.S. Life Saving Service.

Connor Sullivan is a second-year graduate student in the University of Louisville’s Online Master of Science in Human Resources and Organizational Development (MS HROD). A native of Amherst, New Hampshire, Connor is married with four children and is a proud member of the United States Coast Guard.

Connor joined the Coast Guard in 2015. After completing boot camp and required training, his first assignment was at a small boat station in Cortez, Florida. As a boat crew and boarding team member, he responded to maritime distress calls from Tampa Bay to Boca Grande. During this time, he accumulated over 560 hours underway on Coast Guard boats, participating in 229 missions, ranging from search and rescue to law enforcement. His favorite memory from this assignment was a challenging 16-hour tow, bringing a disabled sport fishing vessel and its crew safely back to St. Petersburg, Florida,

From Cortez, Connor was stationed in Savannah, Georgia, as a Maritime Enforcement Specialist. In this role he strengthened the physical security of ports responsible for $84 billion in annual revenue. A major highlight of this tour was helping coordinate Multi-Agency Strike Force Operations that integrated over fifty law enforcement officers across seventeen different agencies. On one of these missions, the joint boarding team interdicted five stowaways, leading to identifying and disrupting a large human trafficking organization. For these and other efforts, Connor was awarded the Coast Guard Achievement Medal.

In 2021, Connor earned his commission as an U.S. Coast Guard officer, and was assigned to Sector St. Petersburg, Florida. As a Command Duty Officer. Connor led a team overseeing more than 1,700 -mission cases, resulting in 2,331 lives saved or assisted, and over $20 million in property saved. While assigned to St. Petersburg, he worked to improve their operational capabilities, including an initiative to utilize a lighting system to enhance nighttime search and rescue visibility.

His most memorable experience from his tour at St. Petersburg was serving on the Continuity of Operations team during the eyewall of Hurricane Ian, a category Four storm. During this time, Sullivan spent hours in direct communication with a man riding out the storm on his boat, mentally preparing him for a helicopter hoist. Once the storm passed, the helicopter Sullivan dispatched not only rescued the solo boats man but saved six additional people from two other cases. For his leadership and operational excellence during this tour, Sullivan was awarded the Coast Guard Commendation Medal with the Operational Distinguishing Device.

Currently, as the Incident Management Division Chief at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley in Louisville, he leads a team of five people that responds to pollution incidents along the Ohio River.

Connor says he chose the University of Louisville’s MS HROD program because it was the perfect academic fit for what he was looking for, and that the program, “resonated with what drives me professionally.” He cited the passion Louisville has for its university as a secondary reason for choosing the program.

Saying the degree is equipping him with new tools to mentor, guide, and advocate for his personnel, Connor intends to integrate the human resources and organizational principles he is learning at UofL directly into his leadership style.

Connor says his favorite part of the UofL experience has been the exceptional faculty who, “consistently put their students first and champion our success.” Throughout his time in the program, he has found that the faculty genuinely cares about students’ personal and professional growth. He has enjoyed collaborating with diverse classmates along the way.

Sullivan wants to shout out to his academic advisor, Dr. Shane Kelley, a Clinical Assistant Professor in the MSHROD program. Calling him, “phenomenal from day one,” Connor says Kelley’s assistance has been vital to navigating a graduate program while serving on active duty.

The University of Louisville Center for Military-Connected Students participated in the Scott Air Force Base annual Education Fair on July 23rd, 2026!

The University of Louisville is proud to recognize and celebrate Corey on the 251st birthday of the United States Army on June 14, 2026.

Corey Hunter will graduate from the University of Louisville in spring 2026 with a degree in Exercise Science and was recently notified that he was awarded the College of Education and Human Development’s Distinguished Military Graduate award. Corey is also a member of the United States Army Reserves as a Behavioral Health Technician, and he is the outgoing President of the Student Veterans of America chapter at the University of Louisville.

A Louisville native, he has served in the United States Army since 2012. During his service he spent time at Fort Knox and Fort Campbell (Kentucky), Fort Mccoy (Wisconsin), Fort Huachuca (Arizona), Fort Jackson (South Carolina), and Fort Sam Houston (Texas). Corey’s awards and decorations include multiple Army Commendation Medals, the Global War on Terrorism Medal, the Global War on Terrorism-Expeditionary Medal, the National Defense Metal, and the Foreign Campaign Medal.

Among Corey’s favorite Army memories are a deployment to Qatar, where he provided support to Al Udeid Air Base and to Camp As Sayliyah as well as to ally nations and other locations throughout the Middle East. In 2017 during Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, Corey was able to Australian Fast Rope with the Commanding General of United States Army Cadet Command, Major General Peggy Combs.

Corey has been a student at the University of Louisville since 2023, and during that time he has made significant contributions to the veteran and military-connected community. As the outgoing President of the Student Veterans of America chapter, Corey’s leadership was instrumental to the chapter getting re-established, to growing membership by twenty percent, and to raising veteran student awareness across the campus. On several occasions Corey served as a student veteran panelist during Red Bird training, where faculty and staff learn about the military-connected student experience and become allies for military-connected students.

His favorite memories from his time at the University of Louisville are the community of veterans and military-connected students he was able to join, and the opportunities his service as Student Veterans of America chapter president afforded him. In 2025, Corey was able to perform an internship with the strength, conditioning, and performance coaches for the football team. In November 2025 he was the honorary captain and special guest of the university president for the home football game vs. California, where he and his service dog, Freyja, participated in the coin flip in front of 55,000 fans. Hunter credits the Center for Military-Connected Students for making his educational journey at the University of Louisville, “beyond what I ever thought it would be.”

Corey is keeping his options open as he decides what is next. He intends to either pursue his master's degree in athletic training or to pursue employment in the personal trainer or strength and conditioning coach areas.

Our very own Brian Voils just completed the the Cardinal Leadership Institute (CLI) last week! We are super proud of him and eager to take what he learned from this prestigious program apply it to the Center for Military-Connected Students!

The CLI is a professional development program created by the Employee Success Center and the College of Education & Human Development to cultivate strong university leaders. CLI equips new and emerging leaders with practical skills aligned to the university’s strategic plan and Cardinal Principles. Participants engage in hands-on learning, explore topics like leadership, strategic planning, and organizational change, and learn from experienced campus leaders. Graduates earn a certificate, expand their professional network, and gain valuable insights to drive positive change while supporting the university’s mission, culture, and long-term vision.

We are hiring! Please see the link below for job description and preferred qualifications for a Manager, Military Education Benefits position on the Center for Military-Connected Students team at the University of Louisville. Share with any individuals that you think would make a great fit for our team!

If you are passionate about supporting military-connected students and want to make a meaningful impact, this is your chance to join a dedicated, mission-driven team🎓.

Manager, Military Education - Benefits Department: Location: Belknap Campus Time Type: Full time Worker Type: Regular Job Req ID: R108606 Minimum Requirements: Bachelor's degree in a related field and four (4) years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Grade 6 (Salaried) Position Description: T...

At the 2026 Presidential Excellence Awards Night on Tuesday April 28th, UofL President Gerry Bradley presented our very own Teammate, Kristen Roy, with the Outstanding Performance Award!

The Outstanding Performance Awards celebrate UofL staff who demonstrate exceptional performance, service and dedication. These awards highlight contributions that make a meaningful impact across the university.

We are very proud of her achievements and support to students during her career with UofL!

Military Student Spotlight! Active Duty Navy Sailor, Josef Arnoldy (seen pictured with his dog Hercules), attended our Graduation event at Brodschi Hall last week to pick up his free Stole for his Cap and Gown. He also won our door prize, a coveted "L" Pullover! He will be graduating with a Graduate degree in Engineering Management this Spring! Congratulations on this outstanding achievement and thank you for your service!

Next week is Armed Forces Week!
We’re inviting all active service members & veterans to enjoy a FREE sandwich every day next week on their designated military branch day as our way of saying, "Thanks For Your Service!"