The University of Alabama

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.

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 Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is proud to announce the recipients of a 2019 Love of Learning Award. The awards help fund post-baccalaureate studies and career development for active Society members.

A total of 477 students enrolled during the 2019 summer term 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 1,450 degrees during its spring commencement Aug. 3. With a beautiful campus, dozens of challenging academic programs, expert faculty and numerous opportunities for service and growth, The University of Alabama is a 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. The campus gives students the opportunity to interact with faculty performing cutting-edge research.

More than 220 University of Alabama students are receiving hands-on, innovative and advanced educational experiences with dozens of companies and organizations across the United States through UA's Cooperative Education Program for fall 2019. In the Cooperative Education Program, students alternate periods of full-time study with periods of full-time employment. This program offers work related to the academic major or career interests of each student. While in school, students carry regular course schedules. While on co-op, they work with professionals in their fields who supervise their training and work. At work, co-op students earn competitive salaries and may receive benefit packages in addition to valuable job experience. Participants maintain their full-time student status while at work and have priority registration status each semester through graduation.

The Randall Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award Program recognizes 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 and staff research directors. The recipients and their nominators were 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. UA research faculty members and past winners of the Burnum Distinguished Faculty Award select the winners.

A total of 11,406 students enrolled during the 2019 spring term 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 5,716 degrees during its spring commencement May 3-5. With a beautiful campus, dozens of challenging academic programs, expert faculty and numerous opportunities for service and growth, The University of Alabama is a 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. The campus gives students the opportunity to interact with faculty performing cutting-edge research.

For the second consecutive year, a senior robotics team from The University of Alabama took home a win at an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers regional conference. Brandon Quinn, Julia Lanier, Trent Whalen, Katie McCray and David Weil, senior computer engineering students, competed at IEEE SoutheastCon 2019 in Huntsville. Six senior computer engineering students won the Student Hardware Competition at IEEE SoutheastCon 2019 in Huntsville. Dr. Ken Ricks, faculty adviser and associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, doesn't think any school has ever won twice in a row.

Nearly 60 students are serving on The University of Alabama's Avanti team -- a group that seeks to welcome new students during the Bama Bound orientation process. By becoming acquainted with Capstone academic programs and co-curricular opportunities, the Avanti Team provides essential support in preparing incoming students to meet the challenges of enrollment and in welcoming high school groups to campus for large-scale recruitment events. The Avanti team functions under the auspices of the Office of Orientation and Special Programs in the Division of Academic Affairs.

The University of Alabama's team of 20 Parent Ambassadors welcomes more than 8,000 incoming parents and family members to UA during the summer. They work for Parent & Family Programs within the Division of Student Life. Students who are Parent Ambassadors receive opportunities to build their leadership skills and to work with other student leaders and professionals from across campus.

For the fifth consecutive year, the student robotics team from The University of Alabama won NASA's grand prize in its Robotics Mining Competition. Made up of 60 students, primarily from UA's College of Engineering, Alabama Astrobotics won the Joe Kosmo Award for Excellence, the grand prize, in NASA's 2019 robotic mining competition, NASA announced. UA's teams previously placed first in 2012 and from 2015-2018.