Lindsey Wilson’s name may have changed this past year, but its mission and identity remain unchanged.
by Venus Popplewell
COLUMBIA, KY (04/27/2026) Lindsey Wilson’s name may have changed this past year, but its mission and identity remain unchanged – grounded in a commitment to “care for, mentor, and love our students.”
That was the message delivered by 2026 Lindsey Wilson Founders’ Day Celebration keynote speaker, Dr. Traci Luckey ’91 Pooler on Thursday, April 23, at the university’s Roberta D. Cranmer Dining & Conference Center.
“Yes, we’ve grown. Yes, we can now offer experiences beyond the bricks and mortar of our campus,” Dr. Pooler said. “But those strategies only work because of the culture that came first.”
Dr. Pooler addressed supporters, faculty and students at the first Founders’ Day Celebration since last spring when the Lindsey Wilson Board of Trustees unanimously voted to change the name of the 123-year-old institution from Lindsey Wilson College to Lindsey Wilson University.
“We are, at our core, a place of love and support for our students. And that, more than anything, is our secret sauce,” said Dr. Pooler.
A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Dr. Pooler arrived at Lindsey Wilson College in 1988 as an elementary education major and member of the softball team. She graduated in 1991 and, after a year of teaching full-time, returned to her alma mater, launching a career that has spanned more than three decades.
“Admissions is competitive, strenuous, sometimes heartbreaking, and one of the most rewarding roles a person can have, at least that is what it has been for me.
“The biggest thing that drives me in my recruiting efforts is that I want students to have the experiences I had,” Dr. Pooler said. “I want them to feel the love, support, encouragement, and challenge to be the best versions of themselves.”
Dr. Pooler has held several key roles during her time at Lindsey Wilson, including serving as evening college director for both the Scottsville and Columbia campuses, alumni director, director of admissions and, most recently, dean of admissions. During her tenure, Lindsey Wilson has experienced record enrollment, residence halls at capacity and first-time, full-time retention at an all-time high. Additionally, the profile of the student body has evolved.
“Lindsey Wilson has been part of almost every chapter of my life,” Dr. Pooler said as she spoke to a packed room of more than 250 Lindsey Wilson alumni, friends and donors. “The words thank you will never be enough, but I do want you to know you are making such a difference, one student at a time. You see we are all connected. You have given your time or your treasure because we have experienced what I call the spiritual nudge to invest in a place filled with students who need us.
“I get to stand here today as one of those students whose life was forever changed by that culture, and I also get to stand here as an employee who fully believes in smothering our students with that secret sauce.”
Lindsey Wilson Dean of Students Dr. Traci Luckey ’91 Pooler delivers the 2026 Lindsey Wilson University Founders’ Day Celebration keynote address on Thursday, April 23, at Roberta D. Cranmer Dining & Conference Center. Looking on is Dr. Pooler’s husband, LWU Athletics Director Willis Pooler, LWU First Lady Elise Luckey and President William T. Luckey Jr.
Lindsey Wilson University President William T. Luckey Jr. speaks to more than 250 alumni and friends of the liberal arts university at the Founders’ Day Dinner, held Thursday, April 23 in Roberta D. Cranmer Dining & Conference Center.
At left, Lindsey Wilson University student Reilly Wells ’26, a media studies and theatre major from Columbia, Kentucky, delivers one of two student addresses at the 2026 Lindsey Wilson Founders’ Day Celebration on Thursday, April 23, at Roberta D. Cranmer Dining & Conference Center. At right, Leeshawn Johnson ’26, a theatre major from Louisville, delivers the second student address at the Founders’ Day Celebration.
View Online: http://lindseywilson.meritpages.com/news/dr–traci-pooler-delivers-founders–day-message/59394
(Venus Popplewell – Lindsey Wilson University)