BEST BETS
UA PRESIDENT AMONG 2023 ALABAMA ENGINEERING HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES — University of Alabama President Stuart R. Bell is among six individuals who will be inducted to the state of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame during a ceremony Feb. 25 at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Spa. Founded by a proclamation of the governor, the state of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame honors, preserves and perpetuates the outstanding accomplishments and contributions of individuals, projects and corporations/institutions that brought and continue to bring significant recognition to the state. For more information, contact Deidre Stalnaker, UA Strategic Communications, at deidre.stalnaker@ua.edu.
UADM RAISES MORE THAN $201,000 FOR CHILDREN’S OF ALABAMA — The University of Alabama Dance Marathon raised $201,413 over the past year for Children’s of Alabama. The amount was revealed during the organization’s BAMAthon event Feb. 18, the student-led organization’s annual 13.1-hour dance marathon. Now in its 12th year, UADM has raised more than $2 million for Children’s of Alabama. Current and former patients of Children’s of Alabama, known as “Miracle Kids,” shared their stories of pediatric illness with the more than 1,165 registered Miracle Makers. For more information, contact Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, at bryant.welbourne@ua.edu.
UA PARTICIPATES IN ACHE FREE APP WEEK — The University of Alabama will take part in the Alabama Commission on Higher Education’s Free App Week Feb. 20-24. UA Undergraduate Admissions will offer an application fee waiver to Alabama residents applying to enter as freshmen or transfer students in the summer or fall 2023 semesters. To receive instructions on how to submit an undergraduate application for free, applicants must first submit their contact information on the Undergraduate Admissions’ Free App Week page. For more information, contact Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, at bryant.welbourne@ua.edu.
UA ENGINEERING STUDENT SELECTED FOR PRESTIGIOUS AEROSPACE FELLOWSHIP — Lilly Saub, a University of Alabama junior majoring in aerospace engineering, is one of 47 undergraduate students in the nation selected for the Brooke Owens Fellowship, a nationally acclaimed nonprofit program that awards exceptional women and gender minorities with an internship in the fields of space and aviation. Saub, a native of Omaha, Nebraska, will take part in the program that pairs each fellow with a summer internship at one of the leading aerospace companies, an executive-level mentor who is a senior leader in the aerospace industry and a peer-level mentor from the Brooke Owens Fellowship alumnae network. For more information, contact Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, at bryant.welbourne@ua.edu.
UA TO HOLD SPRING COMMENCEMENT MAY 5-7 — The University of Alabama will hold spring commencement with eight ceremonies May 5-7 at Coleman Coliseum on the UA campus. More information, including live and recorded webcast details, an interactive campus map, parking information, graduate profile stories and fast facts about the 2023 spring class can be found on UA’s commencement website. Commencement information can be heard on UA’s radio station, 92.5 FM. For more information, contact Deidre Stalnaker, UA Strategic Communications, at deidre.stalnaker@ua.edu.
UA NAMED A STUDENT FULBRIGHT TOP PRODUCER — The University of Alabama has been recognized as a Top Producing Institution for Fulbright U.S. Student Awards for the sixth time in eight years. Fifteen UA students received Fulbright Award offers in the 2022-2023 cohort. Fulbright is the most prestigious United States international exchange program, offering opportunities for students, scholars and professionals. The Fulbright Award of the U.S. Department of State offers one-year grants for independent study and research, and for English teaching assistantships overseas. For more information, contact Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, at bryant.welbourne@ua.edu.
UA HOSTING 22ND ANNUAL ALABAMA AUTISM CONFERENCE FEB. 24 — The University of Alabama will be hosting the 22nd Annual Alabama Autism Conference Feb. 24 at the Bryant Conference Center in Tuscaloosa. Attendees can also participate online. Each February, the Alabama Autism Conference presents the latest research regarding the diagnosis and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder. This year’s focus is “Expanded Insights on ASD.” The purpose of the Alabama Autism Conference is to build upon the vision of creating better services for individuals affected by ASD by educating medical professionals, service providers, parents and teachers in addition to developing relationships across the state. For more information, contact Jennifer Brady, UA Strategic Communications, at jennifer.brady@ua.edu.
EVENTS
UA THEATRE AND DANCE PRESENTS ‘TEN BLOCKS ON THE CAMINO REAL’ — The UA Department of Theatre and Dance presents its second theatre production of the new year, “Ten Blocks on the Camino Real.” The production will take the stage Feb. 15-17 and 23-26 in the Marian Gallaway Theatre. Take a journey following the character, Kilroy, as he visits an unidentified mysterious dead-end town inhabited by a cast of reprehensible misfits. Written by Tennessee Williams, this play personifies his greatest fears while giving audiences an intimate look into his deeply troubled mind. For more information, contact Justin Sweeney, marketing manager for UA Theatre and Dance, at jssweeney@crimson.ua.edu.
PUBLIC SKY VIEWING WITH UA PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY — The Astronomy Group within the UA Department of Physics and Astronomy will hold its monthly Public Nights Feb. 23 at Gallalee Hall. RileyAnne Sharpe will provide a talk titled, “A First Look into Multimessenger Astrophysics” at 6:30 p.m. in 227 Gallalee Hall. Observing from the rooftop with Dr. Jeremy Bailin will start at 7 p.m. Admission to Public Nights is free. Events may be cancelled in case of bad weather/cloudy conditions.
TUSCALOOSA INNOVATION COMMUNITY BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION — The 2023 Tuscaloosa Innovation Community Business Plan Competition will take place Feb. 23 at The EDGE from noon to 7 p.m. This business plan competition will feature West Alabama community members as well as students from Shelton State Community College and Stillman College. A grand prize of $10,000 will be awarded and up to $5,000 in funding to be awarded by the Regions Banking Entrepreneurship Award. Other competition awards are sponsored by the Alabama Small Business Development Center and the Alabama Entrepreneurship Institute.
GADSDEN EARLY LEARNING INITIATIVE HOSTS OPEN HOUSE — The First Class Pre-K program of the UA Gadsden Early Learning Initiative is hosting an open house for local families Feb. 24 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The event will allow interested families with young children in Etowah County to tour the program and meet the teachers. The UA Gadsden Center is located at 121 North 1st St., Gadsden, AL 35901.
SATURDAY IN THE PARK: TATTOOING ACROSS CULTURES — Moundville Archaeological Park’s Saturday in the Park series will feature Dr. Christopher Lynn from the UA Anthropology Department and “Inking of Immunity” podcast teaching a class called “Tattooing Across Cultures” Feb. 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Jones Archaeological Museum. Lynn will be giving an overview lecture of his research on the biocultural aspects of tattooing across different cultures, with a focus in modern American, Samoan and prehistoric European cultures. He will then discuss several methods of tattooing with demonstrations of each method. The lecture is free with paid admission to the park.
UA COLLECTING BOOK DONATIONS FOR BLACK BELT SCHOOLS — The UA Center for Economic Development launched the 17th annual Books for the Black Belt campaign Jan. 30 that encourages UA students, faculty, staff and local residents to donate books for K-12 students in the region. UACED strives to help children develop a love of learning and reading by distributing books to students in Alabama’s 13 Black Belt counties. UACED will accept donations of new or gently used classic and award-winning books frequently found on school reading lists for K-12 children until Feb. 24. For more information, contact Erin Hackenmueller, UA Center for Economic Development, at eshackenmueller@ua.edu.
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The University of Alabama strives to remain neutral on public policy issues. Strategic Communications may facilitate interviews or share opinions expressed by faculty, staff, students, or other individuals regarding policy matters. However, those opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the University or its leadership, and do not constitute a statement on behalf of the University unless explicitly designated.