The University of Alabama

Melissa Walker, a member of The University of Alabama's CrossingPoints Certificate in Occupational Studies Program, was recently awarded the Ruby's Rainbow Warriors for Walt Scholarship. Walker, a native of Tuscaloosa, is the first UA CrossingPoints student to receive a scholarship through Ruby's Rainbow, a national nonprofit organization that grants scholarships to adults with Down syndrome seeking post-secondary education, enrichment or vocational classes. The goal of Ruby's Rainbow is to help individuals with Down syndrome achieve their dreams of higher education while spreading awareness of their capabilities. The Warriors for Walt Scholarship was created in memory of Walter "Walt" Luther Morris IV who was born with Down syndrome and passed away at nine months because of complications following open-heart surgery in 2016. His scholarship is a joint partnership between Ruby's Rainbow and the Warriors for Walt Charitable Fund through the Arkansas Community Foundation. "I'm so excited and thankful to Liz and Trey Morris, and Walt from up above," said Walker. "The scholarship really means a lot and will help me complete another semester at UA."

A University of Alabama senior is among 46 Americans selected to study in the United Kingdom through the prestigious Marshall Scholarship. Caroline Yuk, a senior from Crystal Lake, Illinois, is the third UA student to win the award and first in more than 40 years. The scholarship provides aid to American students to study at graduate-level U.K. institutions in any field of study. Yuk, an interdisciplinary studies major in UA's New College, will pursue postgraduate degrees in neuroscience at the University of Oxford and audiology science at University College London. "Earning the Marshall Scholarship means the absolute world to me," said Yuk. "It's the greatest validation that I'm living in such a way that gives back to all who have helped me along the way, including my parents, siblings, friends and mentors." Yuk, who was born completely deaf but has since gained the ability to hear through cochlear implants and years of auditory-verbal training therapy, hopes to use her education and research to improve outcomes of those who are deaf or hard of hearing in underserved populations. "In order to study and find effective solutions for a macroscopic problem such as poorer hearing outcomes in rural areas, it is critical to study at the microscopic level, such as the molecular mechanisms of hearing and balance," said Yuk. "Auditory neuroscience is inherently multidisciplinary, so I will especially connect with audiologists, clinicians, scientists, biomedical engineers and hearing aid manufacturers in the U.K. "In doing so, I intend to contribute significantly to a future team of international and esteemed professionals in the field with a view to increasing hearing access for underserved populations."

Eight students from the The University of Alabama's Capstone College of Nursing received the DCH Health System's BSN Scholarship. "We are so appreciative of this opportunity for our students," said Dr. Suzanne Prevost, CCN Dean. "The need for nurses has never been greater, and many of our nursing students are experiencing increased financial challenges due to the pandemic. The DCH Health System BSN Scholarship is easing the financial burden of pursuing a BSN, while ensuring that qualified nurses remain in our community during this time of great need." The DCH BSN Scholarship Program is open to all BSN college students enrolled in their last four semesters at an approved nursing program. Recipients of this scholarship are expected to become employed as full-time RNs at DCH Health System, and to remain employed at DCH for 12 months for each semester of scholarship assistance. "Some of these students have already been gaining experience at DCH. From those experiences and what we have read, they are an exceptional group," said Faye Zwieg, Chief Nursing Officer at DCH Health System. "We are excited to offer these scholarships and look forward to working with each of them."

University of Alabama student Meredith Ward, of Niceville, Florida, was selected as a recipient of the Gilman-McCain Scholarship to study in Italy during the 2019-2020 academic year. The Gilman-McCain Scholarship, a congressionally funded initiative of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and named after the late senator John S. McCain, provides awards to child dependents of active service members to study or intern abroad. "Our Education Abroad office invests heavily in increasing awareness and supporting students in refining their stories and scholarship applications," said Carolina Robinson, director of Education Abroad at UA's Capstone International Center. "Our efforts are paid off with each student who wins a scholarship, which allows them the incredible opportunity to experience a new country and culture."

Ten University of Alabama students were awarded scholarships through the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program during the 2019-2020 academic year. "The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship allows students to study abroad who might not otherwise participate due to financial constraints," said Carolina Robinson, director of Education Abroad at UA's Capstone International Center. "We are thrilled that we had 10 UA students selected as recipients for this award." Recipients were selected by the Institute of International Education through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the U.S. Department of State. "Our Education Abroad office invests heavily in increasing awareness and supporting students in refining their stories and scholarship applications," said Robinson. "Our efforts are paid off with each student who wins a scholarship, which allows them the incredible opportunity to experience a new country and culture."

Eleven University of Alabama students were chosen as Fulbright Student Award Winners for 2020-2021. The Fulbright Program is the most prestigious U.S. international exchange program, offering opportunities for students, scholars and professionals. The Fulbright Award of the U.S. Department of State offers one-year grants for independent study and research, and for English teaching assistantships overseas. "We applaud every Fulbright 2020-2021 student applicant for their interest in furthering the Fulbright mission of mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and the people of other countries," said Dr. Teresa Wise, associate provost of international education and global outreach. "As the world unites in solving the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19, that mission is more important than ever. "We congratulate our awardees and know that they will represent UA and the U.S. with distinction in the coming year." The highly competitive program selects about 1,500 award recipients from over 11,000 applicants each year. UA has received national recognition as a Top Producing Institution for Fulbright U.S. Students four of the last five years. Alternates may be brought forward to serve at any time should winners be unable to travel to the designated country, or if additional federal funds become available.

University of Alabama student Nicholas Hayes, of Memphis, Tennessee, will receive the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship for 2020-2022. The scholarship provides a two-year academic award of $9,500 per year, and a 10-week, full-time, paid summer internship opportunity at any NOAA facility nationwide. Scholars also receive funding to present their NOAA research projects at two national scientific conferences. The Hollings Scholarship is given in addition to existing awards the student may already receive. Since the program's inception in 2005, more than 36 UA students have been named Hollings Scholars. Hayes is a Randall Research Scholar pursuing a diverse combination of majors and minors in mathematics, physics, interdisciplinary linguistics, German and computer science. Hayes serves as an undergraduate research assistant for Dr. Firat Soylu, assistant professor of educational psychology and neuroscience, and Dr. Zhe Jiang, assistant professor of computer science. He contributes to projects focusing on bilingual math cognition, machine learning and spatiotemporal data mining with applications in earth science. Outside of research, Hayes is an Honors College Ambassador, Tide Talks executive team member and co-founder of Tuscaloosa's chapter of the United Nations Association of the United States of America.

University of Alabama student Max Hawkins, of Renner, South Dakota, will receive the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship for 2020-2022. The scholarship provides a two-year academic award of $9,500 per year, and a 10-week, full-time, paid summer internship opportunity at any NOAA facility nationwide. Scholars also receive funding to present their NOAA research projects at two national scientific conferences. The Hollings Scholarship is given in addition to existing awards the student may already receive. Since the program's inception in 2005, more than 36 UA students have been named Hollings Scholars. Hawkins is a computer engineering major and Randall Research Scholar. He has worked under Dr. Jeremy Bailin, associate professor of physics and astronomy, to improve radio astronomy data using machine learning techniques. His research continues work Hawkins did last summer at the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia. This summer, he will remotely intern at Breakthrough Listen, a $100 million initiative to search for civilizations beyond Earth. Hawkins is also a member of UA's EcoCar team.

University of Alabama student Ashley Elizabeth Batts, of Kingsport, Tennessee, will receive the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship for 2020-2022. The scholarship provides a two-year academic award of $9,500 per year, and a 10-week, full-time, paid summer internship opportunity at any NOAA facility nationwide. Scholars also receive funding to present their NOAA research projects at two national scientific conferences. The Hollings Scholarship is given in addition to existing awards the student may already receive. Since the program's inception in 2005, more than 36 UA students have been named Hollings Scholars. Batts is a Randall Research Scholar majoring in marine science, biology and physics. She conducts research under Dr. Kevin Kocot, assistant professor of biological sciences, on the global biodiversity of aplacophora and biodiversity of Icelandic euphrosinidae. For these projects, Batts makes DNA barcodes to analyze the phylogenetic relationship between samples. Outside of research, she is an assistant team leader for the Center for Service and Leadership and president of the Marine Science Club.

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program has selected a student from The University of Alabama as a Goldwater Scholar for 2020-2021. Hannah Slater, a Randall Research Scholar studying chemical engineering and chemistry from New Lenox, Illinois, is the 57th UA student to receive the prestigious Goldwater scholarship. Her parents are Ronald and Tina Slater. Slater has worked under Dr. David A. Dixon, professor and Robert Ramsay Chair of Chemistry, researching the hydrogen bonding interaction between bioisosteres and amino acids using computational chemistry approaches. According to Slater, there is significant interest in designing drugs with novel binding sites for interactions with specific peptides in proteins to improve pharmaceutical outcomes. Outside of research, Slater is president of UA's student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, vice president of UA's student chapter of the Biomedical Engineering Society and volunteers at DCH Regional Medical Center. She also works as a residential adviser on campus. Slater plans on pursuing a medical degree as well as a doctorate in biomedical informatics with the goal of conducting clinical computational oncology research while directing a lab at the university level. Scholarships of up to $7,500 a year are provided to help cover costs associated with tuition, mandatory fees, books, and room and board.

Five graduating seniors at The University of Alabama will participate in the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program. In addition, two students from other institutions will be using fellowships at UA The students are among 2,000 NSF Graduate Research Fellows selected from more than 13,000 applicants to receive financial support for graduate studies.

Ten University of Alabama students were chosen as Fulbright Student Award Winners for 2019-2020. "Congratulations to UA's 2019-2020 Fulbright winners and alternates," said Dr. Teresa E. Wise, associate provost for international education and global outreach. "During their year abroad, these leaders of tomorrow are putting into action the diverse and intercultural experiences and education that UA provides." The highly competitive U.S. Student Fulbright Program provides grants for individually designed study and research projects or for English-teaching assistantships to 160 countries. More than 10,000 applicants compete for approximately 2,100 awards each year. "These students have emerged from the national Fulbright competition as the best in the nation," said Dr. Beverly Hawk, UA Fulbright program adviser and director of global and community engagement in the Center for Community-Based Partnerships "They represent our excellence in education to the nation and the world. Through their individual community engagement activities overseas, these Fulbright winners will develop lasting international ties for Alabama and the USA." Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Fulbright is the largest U.S. international exchange program, offering opportunities for students, scholars and professionals. Alternates may be brought forward to serve at any time should winners be unable to travel to the designated country, or if additional federal funds become available.

The Coca-Cola Foundation is continuing its support for the Coca-Cola First Generation Scholars program at The University of Alabama with a new four-year grant award of $1 million. The new grant will fund the program through 2022. The program was first established at UA in 2006 with an initial $1 million gift. Since that time, The Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded $4 million to support first generation scholars at Alabama.

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program has selected three University of Alabama students as Goldwater Scholars for 2019-2020. The selections bring to 56 the number of UA students who have received Goldwater scholarships. The three UA students are: Thomas "Hank" Richards is a physics and mathematics major and Randall Research Scholar from San Antonio, Texas. At UA, he has worked under Dr. Igor Ostrovskiy, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, with the EXO-200 project, an experimental search for a hypothetical form of exotic nuclear decay called neutrinoless double beta decay. His role in the project is to use deep machine learning methods to search for signals of this decay. Outside of UA, he completed a nuclear physics research project at Vanderbilt University in summer 2018 under Dr. Joseph Hamilton. His parents are Michael and Beth Richards. Ryan Tuckey is a third-year undergraduate from Middletown, Maryland, and is the vice president of the Alabama Undergraduate Research Association and a Research Ambassador at UA. His parents are Taraneh and Brian Tuckey, and he has come to UA with 1.5 years of research experience from the National Cancer Institute. While working at NCI, Tuckey was able to contribute to a publication in the journal Nature and also has recently been published as a co-author in Disease Models and Mechanisms from work done during the three years he has worked in the Caldwell Laboratory at UA. Peyton Strickland is a junior from Pelham pursuing his Bachelor and Master of Science in aerospace engineering and mechanics. He has conducted research under the advisement of Dr. Semih Olcmen, professor in aerospace engineering, since the spring of his freshman year. His work, sponsored by The MITRE Corp., investigates the use of a low-cost K-band communication satellite constellation to meet our nation's low Earth orbit space object communication needs. Outside of research, Strickland is a volunteer C++ coding instructor at Central High School, UA American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics president-elect and a member of the Alabama Rocketry Association's Project ARES. Scholarships of up to $7,500 a year are provided to help recipients cover costs associated with tuition, mandatory fees, books and room and board.

Erin Behland, a University of Alabama graduating senior from Chicago, has received a Critical Language Scholarship to study Mandarin in China. Behland is majoring in international relations, history and anthropology with a minor in Chinese. She previously received a Critical Language Scholarship in 2017. Since her first scholarship, Behland has studied at The University of Glasgow in Scotland and traveled across Greece studying ancient western civilization via the UA in Greece study abroad program.

Two University of Alabama students have received Boren Scholarships for the study of languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad.

A member of UA's antenna team was recently awarded a grant from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Katelyn Isbell, an electrical and computer engineering senior from Chesapeake, Virginia, received the Eugene F. Knott Memorial Pre-Doctoral Research Grant worth $1,500 from the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society. "Winning this grant means that I can begin working on my research proposal 'Archimedean Spiral Antenna Array with Backing Cavity for Deep Space CubeSats,'" she said. "I will be developing a high gain antenna for small satellites with lunar or planetary destinations." Grant selection is based on a proposal submitted by applicants and chosen by a committee. Funds are given to enable students to continue their electromagnetics education. Recipients of the grant are also given a free year of membership in IEEE and in AP-S. The grant is named for an IEEE Life Fellow and distinguished member of the IEEE AP-S who was well known for his contributions to the theory, reduction and measurement of radar cross section. Isbell is a member of the UA student team selected for two consecutive years to the Student Antenna Design Contest held by the IEEE AP-S. The goal of the international contest is to design an antenna system to sound wireless channels and locate radio signals. The UA team won the contest a year ago and came in second this summer. "Under the direction of my mentor, Dr. Yang-Ki Hong, I have been researching antennas for CubeSats since my sophomore year, and I plan to continue the research in my senior year and as a graduate student at UA," Isbell said. IEEE AP-S is the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology.

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded two University of Alabama mechanical engineering students a scholarship that covers their full tuition and secures them a job after graduation. Two graduate students, Olivia Miller and George Stubblefield, were awarded the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation, or SMART, Scholarship for Service. The program, through the DoD, funds undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a science, technology, engineering, math, or STEM, degree with an interest in working for the government after graduation.

Two University of Alabama students have earned Critical Language Scholarship for summer 2018. Lawrence Monocello, a doctoral student in anthropology from Erie, Pennsylvania, will study Korean in Gwangju, South Korea. Maria Huryn, an undergraduate from Tuscaloosa, will study Russian in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Huryn, a member of UA's Honors College, is majoring in international studies and economics with minors in Russian and Spanish. She is involved with the Alabama International Relations Club and sings in the University Chorus. She also works as a research assistant at the University of Alabama's Institute for Social Science Research. In the summer of 2016, Huryn participated in the UA in Spain: Language and Culture study abroad program, and she spent the 2017-2018 academic year studying Russian abroad in Daugavpils, Latvia, as a U.S. Department of Defense Boren Scholarship winner. Monocello is studying biocultural medical anthropology in the department of anthropology. He studies how culture affects body image and the development of eating disorders among Korean men. The Critical Language Scholarship program is part of a U.S. government effort to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. CLS scholars gain critical language and cultural skills that enable them to contribute to U.S. economic competitiveness and national security. The program provides scholarships to U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to spend eight to 10 weeks overseas studying one of 14 critical languages: Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Swahili, Turkish or Urdu. The program includes intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains. CLS scholars are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship and apply their critical language skills in their future careers. Students interested in Critical Language Scholarships, Boren Scholarships or Fulbright Awards may contact the Capstone International Center at cic@ua.edu for more information.

University of Alabama student Raien Emery of Sheridan, Wyoming, will receive the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship for 2018-2020. The scholarship provides $9,500 a year for full-time study during the junior and senior years and $7,000 for a 10-week internship at NOAA or an NOAA-approved facility during the summer between the junior and senior years. The Hollings Scholarship is given in addition to existing awards the student may already receive. Since the program's inception in 2005, more than 30 UA students have been named Hollings Scholars. Emery works in the campus Forest Dynamics Lab to quantify the effects of disturbances on forests. Long-term, she aspires to earn a Ph.D. researching methods to mitigate biodiversity loss from ecosystems affected by climate change. Her environmental science major is accompanied by a minor in creative writing, and some of her work has been featured in campus publications. Emery is also a member of Alabama's women's rowing team. In her free time, Emery enjoys oil painting, attending folk concerts and exploring the great outdoors. Emery is appreciative of the guidance provided by Dr. Justin Hart, her academic adviser, research professor and role model. Emery was raised in Sheridan, Wyoming, as the youngest child of Ben and Raili Emery. She also has three older brothers: Bret, Scot and Nathan.

Hadley Spadaccini, a University of Alabama student from Leesburg, Virginia, has received a Boren Scholarship for the study of languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad. She will be studying Mandarin in China.

The University of Alabama has welcomed the 12th cohort of Coca-Cola First Generation Scholars to campus. The 12 students werer honored at a luncheon in April. Representatives of the Coca-Cola Foundation attended, along with students who are members of previous cohorts. The Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship program was established at UA in 2006. Since then, the Coca-Cola Foundation has donated $3 million to support first-generation scholars at UA. The scholarship provides $5,000 a year, renewable for four years, provided that recipients maintain a 3.0 GPA. The program also provides a strong support structure for the scholars. Since 2006, the Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship Program boasts a freshman-to-sophomore retention rate of 100 percent and a graduation rate of 90.1 percent. Graduates of the program have gone on to medical school, law school and graduate school and have found employment in their chosen fields. Each year, scholars participate in individual meetings with the program coordinator, attend cultural and academic enrichment activities and participate in service projects.

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program has selected two University of Alabama students as Goldwater Scholars for 2018-2018. The two UA students are: Elizabeth Rowe of Chicago. Elizabeth Rowe has conducted research under the advisement of Dr. Paul A. Rupar, an assistant professor in chemistry, since the fall of her freshman year. Her work investigates the anionic ring-opening polymerization of azetidines. These polymers have a wide range of applications including carbon dioxide capture, antimicrobial coatings, chelation (removing metals from water), material templating and gene transfection and drug delivery. Outside of research, Rowe is the liaison and educational outreach director for the Society of Women Engineers. She plans to pursue a research career in chemistry after obtaining her Ph.D. Her parents are William and Margaret Rowe. Donna Xia of Tuscaloosa. Donna Xia is a chemical engineering major and a Randall Research Scholars student. Her faculty mentor at UA is Dr. David A. Dixon, Robert Ramsay professor of chemistry. An overall goal of Xia's research in the Dixon group is to develop computational chemistry approaches to aid the Department of Energy's efforts to provide new nuclear materials that meet the Nation's needs for energy and national security as well as to deal with the environmental legacy issues due to the production of nuclear weapons during the Cold War. Outside of research, Xia is a leader in organizations for engineers in medicine and works as a scribe at University Medical Center. Her parents are Paul Xia and Carola Hsieh.

UA Away scholarships, including the Sara J. Finley Global Leadership Endowed Scholarship and the Ann and A. F. Delchamps Jr. Endowed Scholarship, provide financial support for undergraduate students who wish to participate in learning opportunities away from The University of Alabama campus. UA Away supports three distinct opportunities: Study Away: Students travel to another country, city or university to study in their academic fields. The Study Abroad Program and National Student Exchange offer these opportunities. Serve Away: Students volunteer for service projects, often related to their fields of study or career goals, which expose them to issues related to poverty, hunger, and lack of educational resources, and expose them to new cultures and regions. Opportunities for service are available through the Center for Service and Leadership. Work Away: Students receive first-hand work experience, related to academic and career goals, that increases their marketability to future employers.

The Alabama Space Grant Consortium has given seven University of Alabama engineering students $42,000 in graduate fellowship and undergraduate scholarship money. The graduate fellowships are funded jointly through the ASGC and the UA Office for Research and Economic Development. The UA office provided fellowship matching for a total of $37,000. In addition to the fellowships, the ASGC gave away five merit-based undergraduate scholarships worth $1,000 each. Undergraduate applicants were selected based on their academic qualifications, career goals and an assessment of their motivation toward an aerospace or space science career.

Erin Behland, a junior at The University of Alabama, has been awarded a U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship to study Chinese in Dalian, China, during the summer of 2017.

Five University of Alabama students have received Boren Scholarships for the study of languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad. Boren Scholarships, an initiative of the National Security Education Program, provide funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate students to study less commonly taught language in such regions as Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Boren Scholarship recipients represent a vital pool of highly motivated individuals who wish to work in the federal national security arena. In exchange for funding, Boren Scholarship recipients commit to working in the federal government for at least one year after graduation. Amounts range from $8,000 for a summer program to $20,000 for six-to-12 months of study.

The University of Alabama has welcomed the 11th cohort of Coca-Cola First Generation Scholars to campus. The Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship program was established at UA in 2006. Since then, the Coca-Cola Foundation has donated $3 million to support first-generation scholars at UA. The scholarship provides $5,000 a year, renewable for four years, provided that recipients maintain a 3.0 GPA. The program also provides a strong support structure for the scholars. Since 2006, the Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship Program boasts a freshman-to-sophomore retention rate of 100 percent and a graduation rate of 90.1 percent. Graduates of the program have gone on to medical school, law school and graduate school and have found employment in their chosen fields. Each year, scholars participate in individual meetings with the program coordinator, attend cultural and academic enrichment activities and participate in service projects.

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program has selected four University of Alabama students as Goldwater Scholars for 2017-2018. From 2007 to 2017, UA is No. 1 in the United States for Goldwater Scholars with 31. Harvard is second with 29. UA is one of only four institutions - along with Stanford, Princeton and Iowa State - to have as many as four nominees selected this year. In addition, 2017 is the third time in the past seven years that UA has had all four nominees selected for this award. The scholarships cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 a year for up to two years. The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed agency established by Public Law 99-661 on Nov. 14, 1986. The scholarship program honoring U.S. Barry Goldwater was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.

Neal Paschal, a civil engineering student from Columbia, South Carolina, has been named a 2017 Traffic Safety Scholar. With the recognition, Paschal has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship to attend the 35th annual National Lifesavers Conference on Highway Safety Priorities in Charlotte, North Carolina, from March 25-28.