The University of Alabama

The following people recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

The University of Alabama's Model UN team, comprised of 42 students, ranked on Best Delegate's list of the Top 25 Collegiate Model UN teams in the World Division for the first time. UA ranked No. 25 for strong performances throughout the 2019-20 academic year. According to Best Delegate, UA's showing at the McGill Model United Nations Assembly in Montreal in January, the second largest Model UN conference, was among the top performances in an evenly matched field. Unlike most top-performing universities that train one group of students within its team to compete at conferences, UA's team encourages all of its members to compete and gain experience. "Model UN team members come from various majors and interests across campus and compete at a world-class level through dedicated training outside of their regular studies," said Megan Wagner, assistant director of international partnerships and scholarships at UA's Capstone International Center. "They're practicing the problem-solving and critical thinking it takes to be engaged leaders in a global society." Best Delegate awards recognize both individual students and college teams as a whole for their accomplishments in leadership, research, public speaking, resolution-building, negotiation and diplomacy. According to the organization, this year's team rankings were more competitive than ever. UA's Model UN team is part of the Capstone International Center's Alabama International Relations Club. The Model UN is the cornerstone of the AIRC, the premier student-led global affairs organization at UA that continuously provides opportunities for its members to learn, develop, find community and make an impact at the Capstone and the world beyond.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is proud to announce its 2020 Literacy Grant recipients. The grants of up to $2,500 were awarded to Phi Kappa Phi chapters and individual members to fund literacy initiatives.

A total of 16,470 students enrolled during the 2020 spring semester at The University of Alabama were named to the Dean's List with an academic record of 3.5 or above or the President's List with an academic record of 4.0 (all A's). The UA Dean's and President's lists recognize full-time undergraduate students. The lists do not apply to graduate students or to undergraduate students who take less than a full course load.

The University of Alabama awarded some 6,326 degrees this spring. The recent change to remote learning during this unprecedented time affected the University's plans for traditional commencement activities. However, commencement is a milestone, and the University wants graduates to have the opportunity to walk across the stage in celebration of their success. Although any plans are contingent on how the summer outlook progresses, all spring graduates are invited to participate in the summer commencement events scheduled for Friday, July 31, and Saturday, Aug. 1. "We will also be recognizing the achievements of our spring 2020 graduating class through online and social media outlets to highlight our shared pride in them," said UA President Stuart Bell. "I look forward to congratulating each student on stage very soon." With dozens of challenging academic programs, expert and world-renowned faculty and numerous opportunities for service and growth, The University of Alabama is the place where legends are made. UA offers its students a premier educational, cultural and social experience with more than 200 undergraduate, graduate and professional programs and gives students the opportunity to partner with faculty performing cutting-edge research.

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.

The Order of Omega chapter at The University of Alabama presented awards virtually on May 14. Order of Omega is a leadership honor society for members of fraternity and sorority organizations. Order of Omega recognizes juniors and seniors who have exemplified high standards in the areas of scholarship, leadership and involvement within their respective organizations, the campus and the community.

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 Omicron Delta Kappa Society is the national leadership honor society for college students, faculty, staff, administrators and alumni that recognizes and encourages superior scholarship, leadership, and exemplary character. Membership in ODK is a mark of the highest distinction and honor. Omicron Delta Kappa recognizes and encourages achievement in scholarship; athletics; campus or community service; social and religious activities; campus government; journalism, speech and the mass media; and creative and performing arts.

Mortar Board is the premier national honor society recognizing college seniors for superior achievement in scholarship, leadership and service. The University of Alabama's Hypatia Chapter is one of the oldest chapters in the nation. Only a select few students on each campus are invited to join this esteemed society. Mortar Board members are presented with the opportunity to join a diverse group of students from different disciplines and interests.

Blue Key is a premier honor society that recognizes college students for balanced and all-around excellence in scholarship, leadership and service.

The Anderson Society is a leadership honorary that recognizes students who have made significant contributions to The University of Alabama. Twenty-four students are accepted each year; and seven honorary memberships are awarded to faculty and graduating seniors. While these contributions often take many forms, there are certain qualities of members of the Anderson Society that are prominently and ubiquitously found -- an immersion into some sort of community service, passion for improving the university community through both explicit and implicit means, and persistent effort to attain excellence in some sphere of university life. Once an Anderson initiate, members are expected to continue to devote themselves to service, some directly under the auspices of the Anderson Society, but much more individually.

The following people recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

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.

A University of Alabama engineering doctoral student was awarded a national fellowship with the U.S. Department of Transportation. Gabi Willis, a civil engineering doctoral candidate, was awarded a fellowship with the Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program.This program, which is sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration, includes a $5,000 grant and an invitation to the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, which was held in January 2020. "I was able to network and meet with people who are working or doing research right now to see the state of the transportation industry," Willis said. The application for the fellowship asked students to detail a research topic they would like to explore that focused on transportation. The merit-based program awards grants of different amounts to 150-200 graduate students across the country annually. "The fellowship encourages graduate students to pursue research or careers in the transportation field," Willis said. Willis' proposed research involves investigating the interface between an original pavement surface and a new overlay that might be poured to fix problems, like potholes.The research aims to increase the durability of repairs to highways, bridges and other pavement surfaces. "This fellowship shows that the research Gabi is trying to do is very important right now," said Dr. Sriram Aaleti, UA assistant professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering and Willis' adviser. "The research can move the needle to address some of the issues facing U.S. transportation systems right now." Though a portion of the grant is reserved for alleviating the cost of travel expenses to the TRB Annual Meeting in Washington D.C., grant recipients are able to apply the grant to any area they need.Willis is applying the remaining amount of the award to focus on her new research. "The grant will go to my stipend. I won't have to TA or teach, which allows me to solely focus on research this summer," Willis said. The TRB Annual Meeting attracted more than 13,000 attendees from around the world. Willis submitted an abstract for her research and met other academic and industry professionals. "This is a great way for her to see the other fellows and learn about the kind of research they are doing," Aaleti said. "It can open up some opportunities for her to learn about upcoming technologies and hopefully bring back something useful to the University to try and use to improve the research." Willis said that it feels amazing to represent UA at the national level through the fellowship at the conference. "I've been at this school for my [undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees], so anything I can do to show that university pride is great," Willis said.

A University of Alabama engineering student's research presentation was awarded a top honor at a recent international conference. Kathryn O'Harra, a chemical engineering doctoral candidate, was awarded first place for her oral research presentation at the 5th International Conference on Ionic Liquid-Based Materials, or IL-MAT V. This conference was earlier hosted in Paris. O'Harra gave an oral presentation about her doctoral research on the development, design, synthesis and application of high-performance ionic polymers and composites for gas separation membranes and 3D printing. She said the research is environmentally geared and seeks to combat industrial emissions through more energy efficient separation processes. "I discussed the concept and motivation of the research project, and talked a little bit about how we're rethinking the design of materials and utilizing established chemistry to achieve materials which suit our goals," O'Harra said. She conducts her research with Dr. Jason E. Bara, a UA associate professor of chemical and biological engineering. O'Harra has been working with Bara since late in her time as an undergraduate student, while completing bachelor's degrees in chemical and biological engineering and dance performance. "It's easy to mentor a student like Katie. She is outstanding in all aspects of research - from the design and planning and experiments to writing journal articles and presenting at conferences," Bara said. "She's one of the best students we've ever had in [chemical and biological engineering]." At the IL-MAT Conference, O'Harra was able to present the research to and interact with international colleagues, as well as gain connections to form new collaborations. Through the first-place award for her oral presentation, O'Harra represented herself, her research colleagues and the College of Engineering at UA. "It was humbling to receive an award that recognized my work as significant at a conference where there was a lot of great work presented," O'Harra said. "It was really encouraging, both as a researcher and as a graduate student." O'Harra was also recently selected to present her research at the American Chemical Society 2020 Excellence in Graduate Polymer Research Symposium, which will take place in March 2020 at the ACS National Meeting and is expected to draw over 10,000 attendees. "For [O'Harra] to be recognized in that way is a big deal," Bara said. "She's doing just as much good for our [chemical and biological engineering] department, in our reputation and rank, as we're helping her." For her, representing UA and the College of Engineering at the national and international levels through these awards and at these conferences is very exciting. "I am proud to represent The University of Alabama," O'Harra said. "I've done all my degrees here, so I love to share about the work I've had the opportunity to do and demonstrate the strength of the College of Engineering."

University of Alabama student Annabeth Mellon, of Oxford, has received the 2019 William P. and Estan J. Bloom Award. The 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. Mellon came to the Capstone believing she was not the UA type, seeing herself as more of a problem than a problem solver. However, it didn't take her long to find her chapter in the greater UA story. By transforming her own experiences with sexual violence into a powerful movement, she brought together students from all walks of life. Mellon is a co-founder of the Walk of Shame, an annual protest calling attention to sexual assault and victim blaming on campus.The event is a unique space in that it is primarily survivor-focused and survivor-led. At the event, survivors of sexual violence come for healing and community, while also calling for change. Originally from Talladega County, Alabama, Mellon is double majoring in creative media and gender and media studies. She has served as vice president and social coordinator, and serves as president, of Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity UA. She is a member of the Blackburn Institute's New Student Class of 2019 and sits on Student Government Association's newly formed SAFE Center Committee. Alongside her work in sexual assault advocacy, she works with New College to provide media literacy and production education to local youth. Her mother is Bethany Mellon.

The University of Alabama's Morris L. Mayer Award honors 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 2020 student winner is Olivia Gevedon. Gevedon plans to be a physician, but her aspirations to serve others extend far beyond an exam room. Gevedon, an anthropology major, is the founder and director of NoteABLE, an educational outreach program of Engage Tuscaloosa that aims to empower local elementary students through music literacy and performance. As a musician, Gevedon believes every child should have access to music education, which equips them with a valuable creative outlet and form of self-expression. Since its implementation in spring 2018, NoteABLE has reached 210 kids and was recognized as the Most Outstanding Student-Initiated Engagement Effort of 2019 by the Council on Community-Based Partnerships. In addition, Gevedon is a member of an aging, immunity and neurodegeneration lab under the mentorship of Dr. Stanislava Chtarbanova in the department of biological sciences. Her role as a research ambassador and vice president of engagement in the Office for Undergraduate Research allows Gevedon to recruit and connect other UA students interested in research with faculty. Following graduation, she plans to help Project Horseshoe Farm, a community health nonprofit, establish a new site in Pomona, California. Her parents are Timothy and Cynthia Gevedon.

University of Alabama student Logan Goulart has received the 2020 John F. Ramsey Award, which recognizes in a junior the versatility of gifts and attainments, as well as the breadth of excellence in mind and character, that have traditionally been the goals of a liberal education. The combination of studying history and human rights has led Goulart to many interesting places. A member of the Blount Scholars Program and New College, he is passionate about understanding the ideas of equality and justice and how they have evolved. Goulart's research interests include the intellectual history of 20th century sub-Saharan Africa, South African apartheid and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that followed Nelson Mandela's election. He plans to attend law school to work as a human rights attorney, before enrolling in graduate school to pursue a history degree. He is involved in many organizations on campus, such as the Blackburn Institute, Student Government Association, the Million Dollar Band and Alabama Model United Nations. Goulart is also an active cellist, performing regularly with the Huxford Symphony Orchestra. His parents are his mother, Karen Duncan, stepmother Tracy Goulart and his late father Chris Goulart.

University of Alabama student Sarah Deutsch has received the Catherine Johnson Randall Award, recognizing the most outstanding graduating senior based on GPA, rigor of course of study and extraordinary scholarly or creative endeavor. Despite the common stigma that physics does not affect the layperson, Deutsch, a physics major and Randall Research Scholars student, believes that societal progress is driven by fundamental research. Deutsch's research pursuits have included X-ray analysis of medieval artifacts, simulation studies of components of radiotherapy machines for cancer treatment and machine learning studies for CMS, an international particle physics experiment. Driven by an appreciation for the arts and humanities, Deutsch desires to help bridge the gap between society and science through research and outreach. By restarting UA's Society of Physics Students, she hopes to help build a sense of community in the physics department and pass along information to help her peers get the most out of their undergraduate experience, while hoping to promote inclusion and work toward equality in the field. She said she sees great value in interdisciplinary exposure, and she studied electrical engineering and mathematics in addition to physics. Her research endeavors have opened the door for her to travel to Switzerland for a summer internship at CERN, and she's earned several awards for poster presentations at national conferences. Her parents are Chris and Joyce Deutsch.

The University of Alabama honored a man and a woman of the graduating class and a non-student who have been helpful to and associated with the University. Malik Rashaun Seals received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award for excellence of character and service to humanity. When Seals' mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2011, he was rocked to his core. Everything about his life changed that day and the Columbus, Mississippi, native found himself drawn to research and medicine. Now, as a biological sciences major on a pre-med track, he seeks to become equipped with the skills he needs to eradicate MS. He's already presented at the largest North American conference for MS, Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, and has been published in the Journal of Neurology. He will be attending graduate school with the intent to study microbiology and immunology in his pursuit to advance his scientific foundation to continue studying MS and neurodegenerative diseases. In his time at UA, he's served as president of National Pan-Hellenic Council, vice president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., assistant team leader for the Center for Service and Leadership, on the SGA's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion cabinet and as the University's first Movember Student Ambassador, a role in which he raised awareness about men's mental health, suicide prevention, prostate and testicular cancer. He said he tries to live with the constant awareness of the work that needs to done at UA and in the community. His mother is Danyell Smith and his father is Derrick Seals. Alexus M. Cumbie, of Birmingham, was the other student recipient.

The University of Alabama honored a woman and a man of the graduating class and a non-student who have been helpful to and associated with the University. Alexus M. Cumbie received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award for excellence of character and service to humanity. Cumbie, a Birmingham native, is an influencer. In 2019, she was named one of Birmingham's most promising natives to invest in by the Birmingham Times, honored as the Southeastern Region's New Soror of the Year by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., was named the recipient of the Greer Marechal Memorial Prize for her published healthcare research, "Why Negro Bodies Dodge a Southern Sun," and was selected by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation to serve as an intern on Capitol Hill for the second time as a legislative and press assistant with the office of Congresswoman Terri Sewell. The political science and business management major is president of UA's NAACP chapter, president of InterVarsity Christian Ministries, director of SGA's Black Student Leadership Council, vice president of the Anderson Society and a member of the honor societies Mortar Board, Omicron Delta Kappa, The Carl A Elliott Society and Rho Lambda. She's also a member of the 31st Order of XXXI, which recognizes the most influential women at the Capstone based on their distinguished character and significant contributions to the University, state and nation. Outside of her leadership roles, Cumbie is a poet whose work has been published in the American Library of Poetry. She uses poetry as a tool to help increase literacy rates in the South through an organization she created called Literary Vibes. Her parents are Cathleen and Kennard Cumbie. Malik Rashaun Seals, of Columbus, Mississippi, was the other student recipient.

A total of 12,050 students enrolled during the 2019 fall semester at The University of Alabama were named to the Dean's List with an academic record of 3.5 or above or the President's List with an academic record of 4.0 (all A's). The UA Dean's and President's lists recognize full-time undergraduate students. The lists do not apply to graduate students or to undergraduate students who take less than a full course load.

Emma Mansberg, a University of Alabama student from Memphis, Tennessee, recently received the Horizon award. The award is presented annually to a young person who demonstrates "outstanding vision and hope in promoting social justice, equality and peace."

Student fashion designs hit the runway for the 10th annual Fashion for Life on Nov. 24 in The University of Alabama Ferguson Center Ballroom. The show offered designers from the College of Human Environmental Sciences an opportunity to share their collections in front of friends, family and members of the community while raising money for Tuscaloosa DHR Children's Christmas Gift Fund. "Fashion for Life is the culminating experience for our senior students studying apparel design in the department of clothing, textiles and interior design," said Brian Taylor, instructor of apparel design. "This year we have 16 designers showing, each with a unique sense of style and point of view. The collection development process and fashion show experiences mimic what students will encounter once entering the apparel industry." In this year's show, designers have been inspired by their own personal experiences in life. Fashions will incorporate sustainability, size inclusiveness, cultural backgrounds and model diversity among other themes. "I'm extremely proud of their hard work and excited to see their work displayed in an event that also gives back to the community," said Taylor.

Fifteen graduate students at The University of Alabama will compete for a chance to win scholarships and monetary awards in the finals of this year's Three Minute Thesis. The UA Graduate School hosts the competition. The finals will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 11, at the Bryant Conference Center. The event is free and open to the public. Developed by The University of Queensland, the competition challenges graduate students to present a compelling talk on their thesis or dissertation topic, explaining its significance using language appropriate to a nonspecialist audience, in three minutes. The audience will vote for the People's Choice Award. The scholarships and awards will be used to support the students' research and conference travel. This year's competitors represent an array of academic departments and disciplines. The competition also serves as a professional development exercise that gives students the opportunity to clarify and crystallize their research ideas and discoveries while honing their presentation and communication skills.

The 2019 University of Alabama Homecoming Court was selected Oct. 22 in a student election. A total of 10,352 votes were cast. These students were selected as members of the court: Bryan Covington, a marketing major from Houston, sponsored by the Blount Student Organization. Chloe Maize, a graduate advertising and public relations major from Cleveland, Tennessee, sponsored by the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. Taylor Roberson, an economics and history major from Florence, sponsored by First Fellows. Olivia Rush, a communicative disorders major from Montgomery, sponsored by Alpha Gamma Delta. E'talia Shakir, a mathematics graduate student from San Antonio, Texas, sponsored by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

The big, bold voice of the French horn inspired Matthew Meadows. Now his passion for mastering the instrument has brought him recognition in international competition. When he was in seventh grade in Jasper, Meadows saw an opportunity for a bargain in his school band. He came away with much more -- a life-defining and award-winning passion for playing the French horn. Matthew Meadows performs during a duet with French horn and piano at the International Horn Competition of America. "I actually started on trumpet, and then after the Christmas concert of my seventh- grade year, my teacher asked if anyone wanted to try the French horn," Meadows said. "I decided to try it because it looked cool, and the school owned one so I wouldn't have to rent an instrument. And I fell in love with it." Meadows, now a UA first-year graduate student, won second prize in the university division of the International Horn Competition of America in September in Fort Collins, Colorado. He rose above more than 100 other musicians competing at his level to make the final four. And he did it playing an instrument whose sound inspires him.