Bellarmine University honored four outstanding alumni at a new event, Knight of Excellence,
on Oct. 19 at the Omni Louisville Hotel.
Knight of Excellence combined two previous signature Bellarmine occasions—Knight of
Knights and the Bellarmine University Alumni Awards—into one evening to thank members
of the President’s Society, the university’s premier donor-recognition club, and celebrate
the importance of philanthropy to Bellarmine’s mission. All proceeds from the event
go to student scholarships.
The honorees
Trustee Sharon E. Des Jarlais ’72
2024 Knight of Knights
Sharon Des Jarlais, who received the university’s highest honor, is retired vice president
of Finance for American Express (AMEX), where she worked for 25 years. She has served
on the Bellarmine Board of Trustees since 2008 and is currently board secretary. She
supports Bellarmine’s work with first-generation students and students with learning
differences and welcomes the use of technology to stimulate innovative ideas from
faculty and students. She is a member of Bellarmine’s Gallery of Distinguished Graduates
and was the 2016 Alumna of the Year.
Dr. Mushtaque Juneja ’00 MBA
Alumnus of the Year
Dr. Mushtaque Juneja is a distinguished anesthesiologist based in Louisville with
over 40 years of experience. He directs multiple medical and chairs the Department
of Anesthesiology at Norton Women’s and Children’s Hospital. He is also an entrepreneur,
commercial real estate developer, restaurateur and financial consultant. He is a founding
member of the Rubel School of Business Advisory Council, and he and his wife, Dr.
Samina Juneja, are longtime supporters of Bellarmine University. Their recent $1.725
million gift supports the Bellarmine University Juneja Nurse Anesthesia Program.
Dr. Barbra Cave ’03, ’05, ’10 MSN
Scarlet & Silver Society
Dr. Barbra Cave is an associate scientific director in hepatology at AbbVie. She earned
a bachelor’s in Biology, an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and
a Master of Nursing degree at Bellarmine before earning a Ph.D. in Nursing at the
University of Louisville. She has worked at Jewish Hospital and U of L’s Division
of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, where she became an assistant professor
in 2020. Her focus is patients with viral hepatitis. Cave served on Bellarmine’s Alumni
Board for seven years and has been a preceptor for numerous Bellarmine students.
Fr. George Kilcourse ’69
Msgr. Alfred F. Horrigan Distinguished Service Award
Fr. George Kilcourse is a scholar in the fields of Thomas Merton studies, ecumenism,
and religion and literature and was a Bellarmine faculty member for more than 40 years.
As a student, he studied under Msgr. Alfred F. Horrigan and turned a chance meeting
with Merton in the library into a lifetime of scholarship. He is the former editor
of and a frequent contributor to The Merton Annual and has written dozens of scholarly
articles and several books, including the award-winning
Ace of Freedoms: Thomas Merton’s Christ.
