The University of Alabama

The University of Alabama's Black Faculty and Staff Association recently recognized students who received premier academic awards for 2017-18. The students were honored on Black Scholars Day in March. The mission of the Black Faculty and Staff Association is to contribute to the betterment of UA a by serving as an advocate for educational equity, with an emphasis on African-American students, and the professional needs of its members. To that end, this organization promotes and provides opportunities for networking among individuals and groups to articulate mutual concerns and advance educational opportunities.

Students representing majors from across The University of Alabama campus pitched their business plans to judges in the Edward K. Aldag Jr. Business Plan Competition Tuesday, March 27.

The Randall Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award Program recognizes and celebrates the best research activity conducted by undergraduate students at The University of Alabama. Undergraduate students who have conducted significant scholarly research are nominated by faculty/staff research directors. The recipients and their nominators are recognized at a luncheon in their honor during UA's Honors Week. In 1997, the Randall Publishing Co. and the H. Pettus Randall III family created the Randall Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award Program in memory of Henry Pettus Randall Jr., a distinguished UA alumnus and creator of Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. A distinguished panel of UA research faculty and past winners of the Burnum Distinguished Faculty Award select the winners.

PRWeek has named University of Alabama junior Maret Montanari its Public Relations Student of the Year. Montanari, of Beaumont, Texas, is UA's first PRWeek Student of the Year winner.

The University of Alabama Division of Student Life has announced the recipients of the 2018 Premier Awards - the top individual honors for scholarship, leadership and service. The 2018 UA Premier Award recipients will be recognized at a dinner in March as well as during Honors Week.

Kaylee O'Connor, a junior chemical and biological engineering student from Fort Worth, Texas, won first place in the Institute of Biological Engineering bioethics essay competition. O'Connor's submission, titled "The Cost of Compassion," was initially chosen as one of the top five essays written on an ethical dilemma regarding biological engineering. The five semifinalists were invited to the 2017 IBE Conference in Salt Lake City from March 30 through April 1. The students were given complementary registration and $500 for travel expenses.

Xuyang "Rhett" Zhou, a Ph.D. student in materials science from Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China, was selected to receive a Microscopy & Microanalysis Student Scholar Award given by the Microscopy Society of America and the Microanalysis Society. As an award recipient, Zhou will receive complimentary student registration for the 2017 M&M Meeting and financial support of up to $1,000 to cover any expenses to attend the meeting.

Mackenzie Ross, a graduate student at The University of Alabama, was named the recipient of the 2018 Bruce K. Berger Graduate Student Leadership Award on Saturday, Feb. 3. The department of advertising and public relations at UA established this award in 2013 to honor one graduate student in the advertising and public relations Master of Arts program for exemplary leadership. The students in the M.A. program vote and select the student who best demonstrates passion for work and the public relations profession, exemplifies a strong ethical orientation and employs an inclusive style of leadership. "I think the most touching part of receiving this award is the fact my fellow classmates voted and selected me for this award," Ross said. "Their confidence in and recognition of my leadership ability is truly touching." Ross currently serves as the graduate assistant for The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations and as a graduate teaching assistant for the Department of Communication Studies, teaching Public Speaking labs. She graduated summa cum laude from UA last May with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Information Sciences. During her time as an undergraduate student, Ross received the Susan Colvin Prize, honoring the top student in the College of Communication and Information Sciences; the William P. Bloom Premier Award, recognizing one student for outstanding service and collaboration; and The University of Alabama Outstanding Senior Award. The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations is the leading international resource for practitioners, educators and students who are passionate about advancing their careers and the public relations profession. Led by a national advisory board of leading educators and practitioners, the Center develops and recognizes outstanding diverse public relations leaders, role models and mentors to advance ethical public relations in an evolving, global society. Founded in 2005, the Center is named after Betsy Plank, the first lady of public relations. Plank's legacy and vision continue on in the Center's programs and initiatives to advance the profession and public relations education.

Michael R. Dunn, a senior at The University of Alabama, recently received the 2017 Capstone Engineering Society Outstanding Senior Award. Along with the award, Dunn was given a $500 stipend to honor his achievements. A graduate of Merritt Island High School in Merritt Island, Florida, Dunn is set to graduate this spring from UA with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering.

The National Alumni Association of The University of Alabama recognizes and honors one male and one female in the senior class to receive the Alumni Student Award. The association also recognizes and honors students in the senior class. The students have excelled in academics and extracurricular activities, shown strength of character and maturity, and displayed exceptional hospitality.

Justin Magrath of Mandeville, Louisiana, has received the 2017 Dr. Catherine J. Randall Award, one of The University of Alabama's Premier Awards. The award recognizes the most outstanding student scholar at UA based on GPA, rigor of course study, and extraordinary scholarly or creative endeavor; applicants may come from any academic program of study, as scholarly and creative activities from within all majors will be considered for this award. The Premier Awards are the top individual honors for scholarship, leadership and service at UA .

Charlotte Watters has received the 2017 John F. Ramsey Award, which honors students with broad humanistic interests who have exerted a positive influence on his or her contemporaries. The Ramsey Award is part of UA's Premier Awards - the top individual honors for scholarship, leadership and service.

The William P. Bloom Award honors a student who has improved relations among different groups. Past recipients have been chosen primarily for improving understanding and supporting interaction among groups for a common cause. This year's recipient is Lillian Roth of Montgomery. The Bloom Award is part of UA's Premier Awards - the top individual honors for scholarship, leadership and service.

Two University of Alabama students have received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award for 2017. The award honors one man and one woman of this academic year's graduating class as well as one non-student. The recipients of the award have demonstrated the highest standards of scholarship, leadership and service. The Sullivan Award is part of UA's Premier Awards - the top individual honors for scholarship, leadership and service.

University of Alabama student Chris Lancaster has received the 2017 Morris L. Mayer Award. The award is for one member of this academic year's graduating class and one member of the teaching faculty who exemplify the life of Dr. Morris L. Mayer: selfless and significant service and leadership for the UA community and significant contributions to student life and integrity. The Mayer Award is part of UA's Premier Awards - the top individual honors for scholarship, leadership and service.

The University of Alabama Graduate School has announced the recipients of the 2017 Outstanding Graduate Student awards. Three faculty committees selected seven outstanding graduate students nominated by their individual departments and colleges. For more information, go to https://www.ua.edu/news/2017/03/ua-announces-outstanding-graduate-student-awards-for-2017/.