Even summertime can’t slow UA’s momentum. This summer has been full of notable stories about ambitious students, breakthrough research and more. Here’s a roundup of the biggest news from May, June and July.
Keeping UA the #ChampionshipSchool
UA student teams (unsurprisingly) have shone this summer, clinching Year Three of the EcoCAR Mobility Challenge and first place in NASA’s Astrobotics Competition. UA’s Model UN team also rose 10 spots in the UN World Division Rankings to become the No. 15 ranked team in the nation.
Driven by their passions and pursuit of excellence, individual students made their mark as well. A total of nine students were awarded Fulbright Awards and Gilman International Scholarships for 2021-2022. A UA freshman placed among the top in a prestigious national math competition, while another released her inspirational, anti-bullying children’s book.
And as the summer winds down, all eyes are turned to Tokyo to cheer on student-athletes competing in the Summer Olympics and Paralympics.
Celebrating the Grit and Innovation of Faculty and Staff
Four UA professors received National Awards for Early Career Research and a UA professor was named a Fulbright Scholar Alumni Ambassador.
Along with recognizing the University’s Everyday Champions, the UA News team was proud to promote award-winning staff members and departments — including UA SafeState for receiving national recognition from OSHA and the Action Card Services Office for winning an award for its marketing campaign.
Exciting Research Breakthroughs and Funding
UA researchers secured external funding to pursue research in improving water access and quality, attracting underrepresented students to nursing, enhancing flood resilience in coastal communities and finding new acute kidney injury treatments. UA also helped fund other campus research projects through the UA CyberSeed Program.
Ground-breaking discoveries were announced this summer as well, including the timing of earth’s first forest fires and clues about innate immunity to viruses.
Highlights from the Arts & UA Museums
Art alumni, faculty and students combined forces to create a show-stopping mural in Tuscaloosa’s newest hotel. Earlier this summer, the Paul W. Bryant Museum joined UA Museums. And people have been enjoying UA Museums’ Saturday in the Park series at Moundville Archaeological Park and the Alabama Museum of Natural History’s Fossil Excursions.