The University of Alabama

University of Alabama senior Lauren Pan received one of the Society of Women Engineers' most prestigious collegiate awards this year. Pan was named Outstanding Collegiate Member for her "stellar academic and internship performance; for commitment to both ethics and social responsibility; and for championing diversity and inclusion in SWE, on campus and beyond." The award was announced at SWE's annual WE20 conference, held virtually in early November. SWE is a worldwide organization that advocates for women in engineering and technology with more than 40,000 members globally, about half of which are collegiate members. Pan, an Atlanta, Georgia, native majoring in chemical engineering, has served in numerous leadership positions within UA's SWE section, as well as at the Society level, including positions as a global co-lead for the LGBTQ+ and allies affinity group. She was also elected as the only collegiate member for last year's SWE Senate. Although only about 13 percent of engineers are women, organizations such as SWE help students like Pan more easily find their way in the field of engineering. "UA has such a large campus and large College of Engineering," said Pan, who is attending UA on Presidential and Engineering Leadership scholarships. "Having an organization like SWE allows students to really build a sense of community within such a large organization. It helps them find their place and the support they need." The SWE award is a fitting addition to Pans' long list of achievements. She's devoted much of her college career working to make a big impact on her field, as well as on the lives of those working in it.

Kaitlyn May's presentation on Autism Spectrum Disorder won first place at this year's virtual Three Minute Thesis competition at The University of Alabama. May is a graduate student studying educational studies in psychology, research methodology and counseling. Her talk title for the competition was "Frontoparietal Network in Executive Functioning in Autism Spectrum Disorder." Hosted by the UA Graduate School, Three Minute Thesis is a research communication competition that challenges graduate students to present a compelling oration on their research and its significance in just three minutes in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience. Fifteen finalists competed Nov. 9 for a chance to win scholarships and monetary awards. This year's competitors represented an array of academic departments and disciplines.

Ten students studying to become physicians with plans to practice in rural Alabama communities were recently accepted to The University of Alabama's Rural Medical Scholars Program for the 2020-21 academic year. The Rural Medical Scholars Program, part of UA's College of Community Health Sciences, is a five-year medical education program that leads to a medical degree. The program includes a year of study, after students receive their undergraduate degree, and leads to a master's degree in rural and community health and early admission to the UA School of Medicine. The 2020-21 class includes Brooks Bergman, of Killen; Jackson Broadfoot, of Hartselle; Devin Dobbins, of Flat Rock; Taylor Golden, of Florence; Stewart Gwin, of Gallion; Kayla Hazelwood, of Cropwell; Abye Nelson, of Woodstock; Boyd Price, of Clanton; Bethany Sparks, of Phil Campbell; and Matthew Tackett, of Pickensville. Students spend their first two years of medical school at the School of Medicine's main campus in Birmingham and return to CCHS for their third and fourth years of medical school - the clinical training years. The Rural Medical Scholars Program is exclusively for rural Alabama students who want to become physicians and practice in rural communities. It has been cited nationally as a model initiative. To date, it has placed 75 physicians into practice in rural 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."

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.

A total of 506 students enrolled during the 2020 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 1,345 degrees during its summer commencement July 31 - Aug. 2. 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.

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."

University of Alabama student Andrew Smith, of Haslet, Texas, was named to the first team of the North American Collegiate Model UN All-Star Team. Haslet is among the first UA delegates to make the team that consists of the top 12 delegates in the nation. The purpose of the North American Collegiate Model UN All-Star Team is to recognize exemplary individuals in the college Model UN community who make a difference inside and outside of committee. The University of Alabama's Model UN team recently ranked on Best Delegate's list of the Top 25 Collegiate Model UN teams in the World Division. "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.

University of Alabama student Russell Puffer, of Marietta, Georgia, was named to the first team of the North American Collegiate Model UN All-Star Team. Puffer is among the first UA delegates to make the team that consists of the top 12 delegates in the nation. The purpose of the North American Collegiate Model UN All-Star Team is to recognize exemplary individuals in the college Model UN community who make a difference inside and outside of committee. The University of Alabama's Model UN team recently ranked on Best Delegate's list of the Top 25 Collegiate Model UN teams in the World Division. "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 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."