The University of Alabama

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

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

The Honors College has selected 51 students to serve as college ambassadors for 2018/2019. Honors Ambassadors represent the Honors College at alumni and recruiting events both on and off campus and host prospective students during on-campus visits. Students were selected based on college involvement, knowledge of campus resources and opportunities, poise and public speaking ability.

Each spring, a group of UA theatre students flies to New York to participate in a showcase known informally as Bama on Broadway. The showcase is designed to highlight students' skill as they perform for an audience that includes Broadway talent agents and often ends with performers signing contracts or being called back for auditions. Students prepare for the showcase by enrolling in a one-hour course designed to ready them for the one-shot performance. In the course, which is offered the preceding fall semester, students work together to find, choose and rehearse material that emphasizes each student's individual strengths.

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

The University of Alabama hosted its first campus-wide Global Health Case Competition for undergraduate students Jan. 27. More than 80 students in interdisciplinary teams of four-to-six members competed for prize money as well as the chance to represent UA in the Statewide Global Health Case Competition at the University of Alabama Birmingham. The students analyzed a scenario involving recovery after a cyclone, in Bangladesh. With only five days to prepare, the teams were challenged to study the situation described in the case and propose short-term and long-term solutions that were culturally appropriate and that fit within the assigned budget. The teams then presented their solutions in 20-minute sessions and were judged by a panel consisting of faculty members from UA, UAB and Auburn University.

The University of Alabama recently selected 39 students as Capstone Men and Women. Capstone Men and Women serve as official ambassadors of UA. They assist the University president's office, admissions and alumni during functions held on campus and in other locations, as well as host daily tours of the campus for prospective students and other visitors.

Culverhouse real estate student Sarah Rasmussen was recently inducted into Alpha Sigma Gamma in recognition of her academic and scholarly achievements in real estate. Alpha Sigma Gamma is sponsored by the American Real Estate Society and is a premier international student real estate honorary organization.

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.

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

A team of University of Alabama College of Engineering students took home first place in a recent hacking competition where teams came up with a business plan. HackATL was held on the campus of Emory University in Atlanta Nov. 10-12. Approximately 45 teams made up of 200 undergraduate and graduate students, studying subjects including business, graphic design and computer science, participated in the event.

The University of Alabama will award some 2,077 degrees during winter commencement Dec. 16. 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 nationally renowned faculty performing cutting-edge research.

Culverhouse real estate students Elizabeth Gates and Brooke Loescher were recently inducted into Alpha Sigma Gamma in recognition of their academic and scholarly achievements in real estate. Alpha Sigma Gamma is sponsored by the American Real Estate Society, and is a premier international student real estate honorary organization.

A total of 12,594 students enrolled during the 2017 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 undergraduate students who take less than a full course load.

The University of Alabama's Division of Student Life has named two students as recipients of the Spring 2018 UA Away scholarships. The UA Away scholarship initiative supports learning opportunities for students to work, serve, or study away from campus. William Hanlin, a graduate student pursing a master's degree in social work, will work away as a social worker in Cuernavaca Morelos, Mexico with an agency called VAMOS! Riley O'Neill, a junior majoring in Spanish, will study away in Buenos Aires, Argentina at the Universidad de Belgrano. The main goal of the UA Away scholarship initiative is to provide students with unique learning opportunities to study in different environments, serve others and experience on-the-job training. To learn more about the Division of Student Life and UA Away scholarships, visit sl.ua.edu.

The University of Alabama department of art and art history is presenting the master of arts exhibitions of graduate students Amy Smoot and John Klosterman, Feb. 8-22,in the Sella-Granata Art Gallery.

University of Alabama graduate students recently achieved recognition in the UA Three Minute Thesis competition. Three Minute Thesis is a research communication competition that challenges master's and doctoral students to present a compelling oration on their thesis topic and its significance in just three minutes. The competition develops academic, presentation and research communication skills and supports the development of research students' capacity to effectively explain their research in language appropriate to a nonspecialist audience.

Students in the Computer-Based Honors Program in the Honors College presented their research during CBH Live 2017, a live interactive broadcast of research projects conducted during fall 2017.

University of Alabama advertising and public relations students Katie Bell, Willow Ennen and Arianna Straggas had their advertising campaign selected to air nationally by Fox Sports U. Bell, of Memphis, Ennen, of San Francisco, and Straggas, of Waltham, Massachusetts, worked to develop copy, graphics and creative ideas for their campaign. Their group won and was asked to help produce the ad, which will air through January and the end of the NFL season on three Fox networks. The campaign, "Fox Sports Supports PCA," is a commercial created in conjunction with Fox Sports' and the Positive Coaching Alliance's national campaign to promote positive coaching and a relaxed atmosphere for youth sports.

Five students were selected as members of the 2017 University of Alabama Homecoming Court. A total of 11,028 votes were cast in the Oct. 10 student election. Members of the court are as follows: Mackenzie Brannan, a psychology senior from Austin, Texas. Sponsoring organization: Read Bama Read. Abigail Greenberg, a nursing senior from Montgomery. Sponsoring organization: Delta Delta Delta. Greenberg was named Homecoming Queen and was crowned Oct. 14. Lane Griffith, a communication studies senior from La Mesa, California. Sponsoring organization: NSBE and C100. Allison Mollenkamp, a senior English major from Jefferson City, Missouri. Sponsoring organization: College of Engineering Does Amateur Radical Theatre, Alex Smith, a political science and journalism senior from New Market. Sponsoring organization: Society of Professional Journalists. For more information on the court, go to https://sga.sa.ua.edu/elections/candidates-homecoming/.

Close to 300 University of Alabama students are receiving a hands-on educational experience at more than 60 companies and organizations through UA's Cooperative Education Program during fall 2017. 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. The experience enhances the students' employment prospects after graduation. 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 on-the-job experience. Students maintain their full-time student status while at work and have priority registration status each semester through graduation.

MBA students in the Manderson Graduate School of Business at The University of Alabama Culverhouse College of Commerce have returned from the recent 2017 National Black MBA Association/FCA US National Graduate Student Case Competition in Philadelphia as big winners. Beating out 41 teams from some of the country's top business schools, they earned the grand prize of $25,000 in scholarships.

University of Alabama undergraduate student Miller Wilkinson is now contracted with UA's Air Force ROTC detachment. Wilkinson and 19 other UA students were sworn into UA AFROTC on Thursday, Sept. 21 at "Bama Salute," a UA Athletics-sponsored event that honors active duty military members and veterans at various UA sporting events throughout the year. The UA cadets were sworn in at a UA soccer game in front of nearly 700 people, an unusual but celebrated venue and audience, as contracting ceremonies are typically low-key, with family and other cadets and ROTC cadre present.

University of Alabama undergraduate student Zachary Vourlotis is now contracted with UA's Air Force ROTC detachment. Vourlotis and 19 other UA students were sworn into UA AFROTC on Thursday, Sept. 21 at "Bama Salute," a UA Athletics-sponsored event that honors active duty military members and veterans at various UA sporting events throughout the year. The UA cadets were sworn in at a UA soccer game in front of nearly 700 people, an unusual but celebrated venue and audience, as contracting ceremonies are typically low-key, with family and other cadets and ROTC cadre present.

University of Alabama undergraduate student Richard Terry is now contracted with UA's Air Force ROTC detachment. Terry and 19 other UA students were sworn into UA AFROTC on Thursday, Sept. 21 at "Bama Salute," a UA Athletics-sponsored event that honors active duty military members and veterans at various UA sporting events throughout the year. The UA cadets were sworn in at a UA soccer game in front of nearly 700 people, an unusual but celebrated venue and audience, as contracting ceremonies are typically low-key, with family and other cadets and ROTC cadre present.

University of Alabama undergraduate student Austin Spaulding is now contracted with UA's Air Force ROTC detachment. Spaulding and 19 other UA students were sworn into UA AFROTC on Thursday, Sept. 21 at "Bama Salute," a UA Athletics-sponsored event that honors active duty military members and veterans at various UA sporting events throughout the year. The UA cadets were sworn in at a UA soccer game in front of nearly 700 people, an unusual but celebrated venue and audience, as contracting ceremonies are typically low-key, with family and other cadets and ROTC cadre present.

University of Alabama undergraduate student Elijah Sanders is now contracted with UA's Air Force ROTC detachment. Sanders and 19 other UA students were sworn into UA AFROTC on Thursday, Sept. 21 at "Bama Salute," a UA Athletics-sponsored event that honors active duty military members and veterans at various UA sporting events throughout the year. The UA cadets were sworn in at a UA soccer game in front of nearly 700 people, an unusual but celebrated venue and audience, as contracting ceremonies are typically low-key, with family and other cadets and ROTC cadre present.

University of Alabama undergraduate student Gabriel Rye is now contracted with UA's Air Force ROTC detachment. Rye and 19 other UA students were sworn into UA AFROTC on Thursday, Sept. 21 at "Bama Salute," a UA Athletics-sponsored event that honors active duty military members and veterans at various UA sporting events throughout the year. The UA cadets were sworn in at a UA soccer game in front of nearly 700 people, an unusual but celebrated venue and audience, as contracting ceremonies are typically low-key, with family and other cadets and ROTC cadre present.

University of Alabama undergraduate student David Rice is now contracted with UA's Air Force ROTC detachment. Rice and 19 other UA students were sworn into UA AFROTC on Thursday, Sept. 21 at "Bama Salute," a UA Athletics-sponsored event that honors active duty military members and veterans at various UA sporting events throughout the year. The UA cadets were sworn in at a UA soccer game in front of nearly 700 people, an unusual but celebrated venue and audience, as contracting ceremonies are typically low-key, with family and other cadets and ROTC cadre present.

University of Alabama undergraduate student Cal Riley is now contracted with UA's Air Force ROTC detachment. Riley and 19 other UA students were sworn into UA AFROTC on Thursday, Sept. 21 at "Bama Salute," a UA Athletics-sponsored event that honors active duty military members and veterans at various UA sporting events throughout the year. The UA cadets were sworn in at a UA soccer game in front of nearly 700 people, an unusual but celebrated venue and audience, as contracting ceremonies are typically low-key, with family and other cadets and ROTC cadre present.