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ANNOUNCEMENT

Due to the need for social distancing, UA  is operating under limited business operations, which includes remote work assignments. While employees in the department of communications are working remotely, they are available to assist members of the media. Reporters are encouraged to contact the sources below or to use our experts directory to find contact information for other subject matter experts.

BEST BETS

UA TO HOLD SPRING AND SUMMER COMMENCEMENT JULY 31 – AUG. 2The University of Alabama will hold joint spring and summer commencement exercises over three days beginning Friday, July 31, at Coleman Coliseum. Nearly 4,000 graduates are expected to receive degrees. Extensive precautions will be taken to meet health and safety standards. To limit the number of people at each event and ensure physical distancing guidelines, media are invited to two of the nine ceremonies taking place throughout the weekend, on Friday, July 31 at 1:30 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 1, at 1:30 p.m. For health and safety reasons, please confirm attendance by noon Friday, July 31, by contacting Shane Dorrill at shane.dorrill@ua.edu.

SEVEN NAMED TO ALABAMA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME Seven individuals will be part of the class of 2020 of the Alabama Business Hall of Fame, established in 1973 to honor those who brought lasting fame to the state through their business contributions. The inductees are: Robert Baron of Huntsville; Cecil Batchelor of Russellville; Dr. Marcus Bendickson of Huntsville; Jay Grinney of Birmingham; Lonnie Johnson of Atlanta, Georgia; Joe Ritch of Huntsville; and Stan Starnes of Birmingham. In the interest of the health and safety of inductees and guests, the induction ceremony is rescheduled to fall 2021. Details of the ceremony will be issued at a later date. For more information contact Zach Thomas, director of marketing and communications, Alabama Business Hall of Fame at rzthomas@culverhouse.ua.edu.

UA DEVELOPS NEW GRADUATE ADMISSIONS SYSTEMApplying for graduate programs at The University of Alabama will be easier for domestic and international students thanks to a new system for managing admissions. The new application is responsive and represents a holistic reimagining of the graduate application process that focuses on web accessibility and simplicity. The new system is available for students applying for the Fall 2021 term and later. Students will be able to access their application from any device, scan documents with their phones and submit a wider range of file types, including mp4 video. The streamlined application form will include autocomplete fields and form logic, reducing time it takes to submit an application. For more information, contact Landon Waid at landon.waid@ua.edu.

CURRENT COMMENT

UA EXPERTS AVAILABLE TO DISCUSS ISSUES AMID CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC  – Faculty at UA are available to discuss aspects of the coronavirus pandemic including topics related to health care, education and the economy. This list will be updated, so check back often for new sources. For assistance with reaching any of these sources or for topics not highlighted, contact Shane Dorrill at shane.dorrill@ua.edu.

NEED A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT ON TOPICS MAKING NEWS? – See our frequently updated experts directory here.

VISIT THE UA NEWS CENTER FOR STORY IDEAS.