TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama awarded some 2,250 degrees at spring commencement exercises held Friday, May 17, in Coleman Coliseum on the Tuscaloosa campus.
Outgoing UA President Andrew Sorensen gave the commencement address during two University-wide commencement ceremonies. Sorensen was recently named president of the University of South Carolina and will assume that position in July.
During the ceremonies, acclaimed author and scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters. Gates is the W.E.B. DuBois Professor of the Humanities and chair of Afro-American studies at Harvard University and director of the W.E.B. DuBois Institute for Afro-American Research.
Also, the late Frank M. Johnson Jr. received the Hugo Black Award, posthumously. Johnson, who died in 1999, is remembered for his historic contributions to civil rights issues of the last century while a U.S. District Court justice. The Black Award, named in honor of the late Supreme Court Justice and UA alumnus Hugo Black, recognizes distinguished service to the people of Alabama and the nation and is the highest award given by the University.
With this graduating class, UA has awarded more than 181,000 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
ADAMSVILLE — Rhonda Kay Caviedes
BESSEMER — Patrice Stephenson
BIRMINGHAM, 35209 — Joe Frank Lassiter III
BIRMINGHAM, 35213 — Schuyler Allen Baker II, Enid Elizabeth Dean, Jason Matthew Kirschberg
BIRMINGHAM, 35216 — Warren Dyer Beason, Howard Hube Dodd, Leslie Elizabeth Patton
BIRMINGHAM, 35223 — Robert Gates Hinds, Morgan Webb Jones, John Bates Welsh, Christopher Lynch Yeilding
BIRMINGHAM, 35226 — Brandon Keith Essig, Douglas Blaine Jackson, Michael David Rhodes II
BIRMINGHAM, 35235 — Joel Iverson Gilbert
BIRMINGHAM, 35242 — Daniel Mathis Hurst, Sela Elizabeth Stroud, Rodney B. Waites
BIRMINGHAM, 35243 — Carl Putnam Ketcham, Adam D. Slaughter, Denise Pauline Wiginton
BIRMINGHAM, 35244 — Clayton Michael Ryan
CHELSEA — Melissa Briggs Hutchens, Neal Howard Hutchens
HELENA — Chadwick Stuart Godwin
HOOVER — Amanda Caroline Deberry, Christine Anne Grimes, Laura Mann Jackman, Meegan Benson Nelson, Cynthia L. Propst, Julie Marie Schilleci
INDIAN SPRINGS — Kevin Allen McGovern
MOUNT OLIVE — Alan Keith Bellenger
STERRETT — Jeremy Wilson McIntire
TRUSSVILLE — Christy Lynn O’Callaghan
VESTAVIA HILLS — Summer Michelle Drummonds
DOCTORAL DEGREE
BIRMINGHAM, 35223 — Mary P. Gillis, Bharath S. Vaidyanathan
BIRMINGHAM, 35226 — Jeffrey W. Baldwin, Heather Dawn Willauer
FULTONDALE — Nanci Turner-Shults
TRUSSVILLE — Malissa R. Smitha
WARRIOR — Jane C. Ellis, Kathy Perry Vanfleet
MASTER’S DEGREE
ALABASTER — Kelly Smith Jones
BESSEMER — Mendy Ruth Barnett, Toney Anthony Hunter III
BIRMINGHAM, 35173 — Brandon Michael Aycock
BIRMINGHAM, 35205 — Adam Britton Butler, John Mark Harris, Melinda Renee Mock
BIRMINGHAM, 35209 — Johnny H. Hart Jr., Maurice Jermaine Hobson, Lauren Michelle McKean
BIRMINGHAM, 35210 — Julie Janette Baker, John Harper Cossar
BIRMINGHAM, 35212 — David N. Gillock
BIRMINGHAM, 35213 — Mark Layne Batchelor, Mellisa P. Bunch, Anderson Leigh Glenn, George Chandlar Graham, Elisabeth Bunting Howard, Frank Quarles Lassiter
BIRMINGHAM, 35214 — Genesis Lashalle Wyne
BIRMINGHAM, 35215 — Alicia Rene Black-Williams, Veronica L. Jackson
BIRMINGHAM, 35216 — Lauren Keller Collier, Alan Russell Kirk, John Owen Prescott III, Steven Benjamin Stern, Johnny Mack Wilborn
BIRMINGHAM, 35222 — Rachel C. Blake
BIRMINGHAM, 35223 — Rachel Jill Higey, Lucy Caroline Nichols
BIRMINGHAM, 35226 — Kimberly Louise Millican
BIRMINGHAM, 35234 — Tamaira Grant Collins
BIRMINGHAM, 35235 — Kelli Renee Loggins, Jason Lee Wilson
BIRMINGHAM, 35242 — Deborah Michelle Emanuel, Kaiya Elaine McArdle, Julie Ann Mihalopoulos, Alan Harold Miller, Sarah Katherine Powell
BIRMINGHAM, 35243 — Charles Wittichen Anderson, Emily Bell, John Glenn Carmichael, Karen Margaret Jackson, Enslen Elizabeth Lamberth, Frank Christopher Nix
BIRMINGHAM, 35244 — Deborah Anne Calvert, Donna Knoke Cobb
CALERA — David Burkes Jr.
FAIRFIELD — Sonja R Carson
GARDENDALE — James L. Coln
HELENA — Laura Suzanne Dustin, Elizabeth Colarusso Haynes, Stacy Renee Loftin, Michael Charles Yates
HOOVER — Kristi Mallicote Allen, Kelly Brooks Cotton, Ashley Deshawn Harris, Emily Claire Hershey, Lance T. Yates
IRONDALE — Glenda Jean Jones
McCALLA — Jeffrey Alan Taylor
MOODY — Cherri Talese Pilkington
MULGA — Monica Kaye Jett
PELHAM — Michael Hunter Cox, Jesse Carlton Dover III, Leonard Karl Spencer
PINSON — Jason Merrill Baker
STERRETT — Belinda Ringpfeil
TRUSSVILLE — Brenda Jay Graffeo, Dana Lynn Hettich, Candice A. Palmer, Timothy B. Reeves, Julie Elizabeth Romager
BACHELOR’S DEGREE
ADAMSVILLE — Jasmine Shaunta Bell
ALABASTER — Paul Andrew Floyd, Barry Alan Hicks, Eric Branden Higdon, Jeremy David King, Megan Lucile Laye, Kara Leslie Long, Edward Lee Upchurch II, James F. West
BESSEMER — Kysha Michelle Garrett, Kimberly Latrica Luvert, Jon Nicholas Parsons, Steven Bradley Richardson, Jeffery Dougla Shackelford, Lynn Glasgow Smith
BIRMINGHAM, 35023 — Jill Renee Jackson
BIRMINGHAM, 35128 — Jared Kendall Pugh
BIRMINGHAM, 35204 — Yashica Nicole Hammell
BIRMINGHAM, 35205 — Matthew Alexander Collier, Howard Allen Folts III, Wallace Daniel Weathers
BIRMINGHAM, 35206 — Frederic Winslow Armstead, Shenita Randiel King, Marc Christopher Vance, Neiletta Nicole Wilson
BIRMINGHAM, 35207 — Rachel Chimere Gibson, Katresa Ta’Shun Larry
BIRMINGHAM, 35208 — Tazmine Marie Morton, Shannon Nicole Patterson, Andre Charlton Penick
BIRMINGHAM, 35209 — Sara Ellen Brasfield, Ezekiel Fletcher Jr., Amelia Gail Gladney, Patrick Michael Jackson, Emily Favre Roberts
BIRMINGHAM, 35210 — Maria Lynette Barbee, Lora Elizabeth Blackmon, Angela Lynn Boothe, Raegan Nicole Johnson, Steven Alan Lowery, Bridget Latonia Maynor, Alanna Dee Schoen
BIRMINGHAM, 35211 — Charles Randall Minor
BIRMINGHAM, 35212 — Tamara Lanika Crumb
BIRMINGHAM, 35213 — Ross Delbert Morgan, Elizabeth Yancey Porter, Mary Catherine Rollins, Dennis Ward Rowlen, Elizabeth Brasfield Scott
BIRMINGHAM, 35214 — Jimel Leshun Amerson, Rachelle Lyense Clark, David Kenneth Germany, Jennifer Monique Huggins, Misty Bianca Word, Stefanie Yvette Wright
BIRMINGHAM, 35215 — Lorri Beth Bailey, Barbrette Alicia Baldwin, Berlin Lee Brown, Kathryn Brooke Davidson, Ronni Suzanne Dixon, Keandra Denise Finch, Leslie Michele Koepp, Amber Tennille Martin
BIRMINGHAM, 35216 — Fahim Jaby Akbar, Nolan Thomas Cesnick, Lindsey Clark Collier, John Mitchell Fowler III, Stefanie Leigh Mason, Alyson Montgomery, Melissa Anne Talbert, Shatangi Tameko Ware
BIRMINGHAM, 35217 — Michael Anthony Collins Jr.
BIRMINGHAM, 35218 — Tameka Mashae Martin, Antjuan Tobias Taylor
BIRMINGHAM, 35223 — Nicholas C. Cunningham, Emily Michelle Marlar, Elizabeth Hill Ringland
BIRMINGHAM, 35224 — Quinnetta Raynette White
BIRMINGHAM, 35226 — Frances Emily Battle, Tracy Colleen Carpenter, Lindsay Marie Coker, Sarah Kirk Hayes, Stephen Heath Herron, Leigh Anne Lantrip, Shaun Erich Mazur, Leslie Jean McAbee, Katherine Lynn Norman, Crista Nicole Papisan, Robert Scott Prier, Joseph Robert Stephens Jr., Steven Michael Till, Ashley Michele Vacca
BIRMINGHAM, 35235 — Bryan Lee Bee, Earnest Lee Echols, Lindsey Marie McAlpin, Daniel Adam Wyatt
BIRMINGHAM, 35242 — Karen Ballard Bendall, Jennifer Lauren Gerelds, Bedford Kyle Goodwin IV, Emily Adair Jones, Joshua Daniel Koch, Cori Paige Magee, Earl D. Nichols, Sarah Elizabeth Nordlund, Amy Leah Rynearson, Shelley E. Schifanella, Jordan Michael Seng, Ashley Hope Thomson, Traci Jean Veal, Lawrence Michael Vinyard, Kevin Lynn Weaver, Griffin Lee Wilson, Amber Marie Yeackle
BIRMINGHAM, 35243 — Sharon Leigh Bolt, Stephen Erskine Bolt, Joseph Somerset Borden, Amanda Marie Chaucer, Kristy Sue Collier, Samantha Lynn Culpepper, Jerry Ryan Derieux, Amy Michelle Goins, Christopher Lee Guest, Lauren Marie Krothe, Suzanne Michelle Olcott, Jeremy Lee Parker, Jennifer Lee Shallenberg
BIRMINGHAM, 35244 — Brandon Neil Black, Owen Acton Bradley, Nicole Shea Clemons, Ashley Lynn Deaton, Alison Laurinda Freeman, Peter Julian Hughes, Laura Catherine Mazzone, James Hiram Moore IV, Ashley Michelle Nix, Robert Austin Straub
CHELSEA — Ronald Patrick Johnson, Joshua Thomas McCully
FAIRFIELD — Joy Renee Jemison, Otto Wendell Myree, Tasharra Denise Penny
FULTONDALE — Heather O. Morrow
GARDENDALE — Alison Marie Bradley, Stacy Michelle Dobbs, Amanda Bree Farmer, Ben Harrison Green IV, Timothy Haralson McClendon, Stephen Marshall Owens, William Daniel Sutphin, Stacy Michelle Townes
HELENA — Jennifer Adrianna Alexiou, Elizabeth Leigh Ansley, Micheal Griffith, Brandon Patrick Price, Stephanie Erin Sumners
HOMEWOOD — Stacy Jennifer Adlman, Sarah Elizabeth Brennan, Mary Rachel McCulley, David Scott Nolen, Jason John-Joseph Strauss, William Lance Strickland, Charles Leslie Waites III
HOOVER — Christa Marie Crow, Laurie Elizabeth Deason, Joseph Collin Harris, Joseph Brack Hudson, Kelli Nicol Jackson, Latoya Tyese Lamar, Robert Rush Letson, Rebecca Wiley Mummert, Patrick Edward Natter, Erinn Elizabeth Rafalsky, Leigh Christian Reynolds, Erin Michelle Richardson, Jennifer Parrott Strickland, Owen Matthew Whitaker
HUEYTOWN — Lori Rebecca Cottingham, Jeremy Bryant McDonough, Patrick Russell McPhail, Kristilyn Marche Moore, Melanie Leigh Mosley, Billy Roy Reinhardt, Brandy Michelle Vickers
IRONDALE — Ava Neikia Herndon, Kevin Bryant Jackson, Taneeka Charlise Moultrie
LEEDS — Kurt Daniel Chasteen, Stacey Lee Thomas
MAYLENE — Briana Kelsey Lowe, Josef Andrew Webster
McCALLA — Justin Ladd Hamner, Joel David Huffstutler
MONTEVALLO — John Wendel Simmer
MOODY — Rebecca Lee Hobbie, Daniel Austin McGowin, Cortney Lynn Vick
MORRIS — David Allen Hill
MOUNT OLIVE — Kevin Russ Parker
MOUNTAIN BROOK — Eric Paul Richards
MULGA — Brad Alan Benson
PELHAM — Michael Drew Askew, Alison Elizabeth Bell, Emily Lauren Craft, Brad James Latta, Rebecca Lynn Myers, Jonathan David Rabon, Heather Mariko Ruple, Cherybe Harris Thornton, Wade Michael Watkins, Tyler Farrior Watts
PINSON — Tiffany Layne Hall, Kevin Dewayne Hunter, Kenneth Michael James, Andrea Anne Sims
PLEASANT GROVE — Tiffany Dawn Cornutt, Michael Joseph Stoltz, Meredith Shea Woods
STERRETT — Leah Heather Williams, Delia Michelle Yessick
TARRANT — Sandra Dena Johnson, Malinda Hallman McGill
TRUSSVILLE — Chad Nathan Barnes, Stephanie Suzanne Cusimano, William Michael Dudley, Amanda Leigh Hornsby, David Brandon Minor, David Zachary Smith, Phillip Shannon Weems
VESTAVIA HILLS — James Steven Bigelow, Dana Marie Caldwell, John Matthew Cutcliffe, Melissa Denise McLure, Toney Adell Robinson
Contact
Linda Hill, Office of Media Relations, 205/348-8325, lhill@ur.ua.edu