TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama awarded some 1,000 degrees at fall commencement exercises held Monday, Dec. 17, in Coleman Coliseum on the Tuscaloosa campus.
Dr. Rita Colwell, director of the National Science Foundation, was the featured speaker. Colwell also received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree during the 9 a.m. ceremony.
Having served as director since 1998, Colwell has spearheaded the NSF’s emphases in K-12 science and mathematics education, graduate science and engineering education/training and the increased participation of women and minorities in science and engineering. Under her leadership, the Foundation has received significant budget increases, and its funding recently reached a level of more than $4.5 billion.
Before coming to NSF, Colwell was president of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, where she remains professor of microbiology and biotechnology. She was also a member of the National Science Board from 1984 to 1990. She is a nationally respected scientist and educator and has authored or co-authored 16 books and more than 600 scientific publications. She produced the award-winning film, Invisible Seas, and has served on editorial boards of numerous scientific journals.
With this graduating class, UA has awarded more than 179,000 degrees since its founding in 1831 as the state’s first public university. UA holds commencement ceremonies three times a year.
The following students from the Birmingham area were listed as candidates to receive degrees:
JURIS DOCTOR DEGREE
Birmingham, 35243 – Martin Evan Weinberg.
DOCTORAL DEGREE
Alabaster – Eugene Michel Holder II.
Birmingham, 35213 – Christopher John Crow, Grace Nabors Long, 35242 – Pamela Hall Morton, 35244-Monica Dyer Horn.
MASTER’S DEGREE
Alabaster – Douglas Edward Teller.
Bessemer – Jason M. Williams.
Birmingham, 35212 – Rosemary Gray, 35213 – Allison Rachel Long, Nancy Elna Shugerman, 35215 – Bernadette Latosha Greene, 35222 – Sylvia McAphee, 35226 – Elizabeth Meadows Crabtree, Sue Lockett Lovoy, 35242 – Robert George Hiros, Amy N. Houston, Kaiya Elaine McArdle, Giselle L. Roth, Shannon L. Wilker, 35244 – Craig Hunter Brashier, William Jason Brown, Molly Dobson Stone.
Homewood – Suellen Williams Epps, Larissa Anne Teachworth.
Hoover – Dana M. Kiker, Chung Ngai Wai.
McCalla – Jeanna Watts Dennis.
Mount Olive – Jeremy Paul Henderson.
Pelham – Jennifer Leigh Bruser, Marci Suzanne Edwards.
Sterrett – Hubert Lee Benson III.
Trussville – Stephen Lee Ledford Jr.
Warrior – Jeffrey Lee Davis.
BACHELOR’S DEGREE
Adamsville – James Robert Click, Benjamin Daniel Gibson.
Alabaster – Kevin Eugene Derryberry, Eric Branden Higdon, Tobi Lajoy Marcus, Angela Leslie Sockwell.
Bessemer – Corinna Noelle Argast, Jennifer Lynn Carter, Jennifer Lee Cook, John Brian Hand, Rayna Lashawn Hill, Anita Lynne McDaniel, Steven Bradley Richardson, Gary Todd Wade.
Birmingham, 35203 – Jennifer Elizabeth George, 35205 – Matthew Alexander Collier, Abboud George Madi, 35206 – Tyler Drew Cummings, 35207 – Katresa Ta’Shun Larry, 35208 – Darius Jamal Welch, 35209 – Sarah Darnall Silver, 35210 – Joseph Mark Brown, Brandy Marie Webb, 35211 – Ebony Simone Clark, Jeaneen Nicole Larry, Jorge Danyell Waters, 35213 – Richard Louis Bradford, Barbara Elizabeth Cooper, Tracy Allison Fuller, 35214 – Brian Cordell Gordon, Jennifer Alyssa Reed, Raven Yvonne Seay, 35215 – Berlin Lee Brown, Brian Douglas Duke, Sheba Nefeeshah Pace, Mandy Lea’Anne Rodda, 35216 – Michael Everett Diasio, Jason Brian Morris, Crystal Nicole Phillips, John Gray Russell, 35217 – Chrishula K. Henderson, 35221 – Waymon Waller Jr., 35223 – Katherine Patricia Halter, Scott Lyndale Hunter, Michael David Kassouf, Millie Lamar Miles, Gregory Steven Wingo, 35226 – Crista Nicole Papisan, Joseph Robert Stephens Jr., 35228 – Cassandra Washington, 35235 – Emily Kinnaird Goforth, Ashley Jean Prewitt, 35242 – Wesley David Adcock, Wesley Allen Black, Tiffany Alice Carter, James Louis Enders, Shanna Rae Forbes, Rachel Lynn Graffeo, Carlton Bruce Jenkins, Courtney Nicole Kidd, Amy Nicolle O’Donnell, Kasey Elizabeth Scotch, Elizabeth Bailey Thompson, William Patton Vines, 35243 – Kenneth Brendan Beard, Kristy Sue Collier, Elizabeth Ashlei Cox, Amy Michelle Goins, Nathan Calvert Hyde, Joseph Anthony Larocca, Jeremy Lee Parker, William Allen West, 35244 – Melissa Ann Boody, Mary Maze Collins, Brandon Blake Norberg, Bethani Blair Norris, Jason Matthew Quinn, Broderick Ryan Underwood.
Columbiana – Chad Blane Handley.
Fairfield – Jason Alan Eppenger, Rukeya Lynn McAdory, Otto Wendell Myree.
Fultondale – Brandon Heath Hill, Katonya Sherie Pickett.
Gardendale – John Alan Goolsby, William Daniel Sutphin.
Harpersville – Charles Wooten Drennen.
Helena – Brooke Ellen Wise.
Homewood – Eric Vincent Brown, Lauren Elizabeth Ellis, Rachael Elizabeth Jeff, Scott Laurence Weygand, Amanda Brooke Wilkinson.
Hoover – Melissa May Anderson, Frederic Winslow Armstead, Drayton Hamilton Cosby, Karen Teresa Fincher, Erik Dozier Flick, Jeffrey Alan Henderson, Meghan Marie Rawlings, Dara Elizabeth Stewart, James Thomas Washer Jr.
Hueytown – Matthew David Brown, Kevin Ray Chancellor, Jeff Wade Cooper, Matthew Hunter Cottingham, Chris Allen Horton, Adam McDowell, Lindsey M. Odell, Ronald Frank Payne, Holly Brewer Sager, Wendy Leigh Whitfield, John Zachary Williams.
Leeds – Tiffany Shea Williams.
Maylene – Josef Andrew Webster.
McCalla – Jeffery Brent Abernathy, Tyler David Vann.
Mount Olive – Whitney Janelle Branham.
Pelham – Amanda Billingsley, Stephanie Ann Brush, Renee Elise Burger, Tamara Michelle Fowler, Paula Marie Journey, Benjamin Edward Sawyer.
Pinson – Meredith Ellen Bagby.
Pleasant Grove – Kwenita Chanae Anderson, David Christopher Dow, George Matthew Rainey.
Trussville – Kimberly Paige Brown, Christy Joy Carr, Mark Aaron Correll, Patrick Alan Coyne, Joshua Daniel Hicks, Ladie Laura Knight, Clinton Wilson Mitchell.
Vestavia Hills – Amy Elizabeth Calhoun.
Warrior – Joy Michelle Blodgett, David Anderson Brewer, Wayne Church.
Wilsonville – David Nicolas Weymouth.
Contact
Linda Hill, Office of Media Relations, 205/348-8325, lhill@ur.ua.edu