Alabama Heritage Names New Editor

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama has named Birmingham native Donna L. Cox as editor-in-chief of Alabama Heritage magazine.

Housed in the historic Kilgore House on the UA campus, the award-winning quarterly history magazine has served thousands of loyal readers with its colorful presentation of Alabama culture and history.

As editor, Cox will be in charge of directing editorial, marketing, and administrative personnel as they continue to produce the 16-year-old publication. Cox was named to the post in July to fill the position of Suzanne Wolfe, who retired.

Working in collaboration with the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Alabama Department of Archives and History, Alabama Heritage magazine has gained national recognition, receiving 34 national and regional awards since its first edition in 1986.

Judges from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the largest and most prestigious judge of university publications in North America, have called the magazine “warm and informative.” Upon receiving the 2001 Award of Excellence from CASE, the magazine was said to be “an excellent example of cooperation between two major universities.”

Cox continues this tradition as she enters office as the new editor of the publication. “It’s an honor to carry forward the great work Suzanne Wolfe began,” Cox said. “She created a remarkable legacy.”

Cox began her writing career in 1988 as a technical writer for Computer Sciences Corp., an international Fortune 500 technology corporation. Over the years, she rose to the position of communications director, leading a national team of writers in the development of numerous on-line and print publications. She resigned the position in July to take over as editor Alabama Heritage.

While developing her communications management career, Cox pursued a simultaneous avocation in the field of history, which she describes as her true passion. She teaches history at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is involved with numerous historical organizations, including the Alabama Historical Association, Alabama Preservation Alliance, and Organization of American Historians.

Cox has B.S. degree in health services administration from Auburn University and a M.A. in history from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

She has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Samuel B. Barker Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence in 2000 — UAB’s top honor — and the UAB history department’s top honor, the David Hart White Award in History in 1999.

She authored several articles and book reviews for the Vulcan Historical Review. As its first managing editor, Cox received national recognition for several volumes of the publication.

Cox now looks forward to applying her experience and interests to the future of Alabama Heritage magazine, a publication she has admired for years. “I feel privileged to be a part of this mission,” she stated. “Alabama Heritage is a gift to the state — a real treasure.”