Summertime didn’t stop the news from campus. While you were away, here’s what you may have missed.
From Robots to Roses, Students Rack Up Accolades
- In May, Alabama Astrobotics claimed another first-place win in a national robotic mining competition hosted on campus.
- The wheelchair tennis team brought home its seventh consecutive national championship after defeating Auburn University.
- Three wheelchair basketball student-athletes helped the U.S. secure the bronze medal at an international championship.
- Advertising and PR students in the innovative Minerva program won a national advertising award for their audiobook campaign.
- Three students earned the prestigious Hollings Scholarship.
- And 11 students competed in the statewide Miss Alabama pageant with two students placing in the top five.
Remembering a Pivotal Moment in History
June 11 marked the 60th anniversary of the date Vivian Malone and James Hood walked through the doors of Foster Auditorium to enroll as students at The University of Alabama after Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace unsuccessfully attempted to block their enrollment. The University along with the UA Black Alumni Association marked the occasion with special events. The milestone celebrations will continue throughout the academic year.
The University of Alabama System Resumes Tuition Freeze
The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees will not increase tuition for Alabama residents for the 2023-2024 academic year at any of its institutions. This action reinstates the tuition freeze that was in place for several years for in-state students prior to the 2022-2023 academic year when tuition was increased marginally to account for inflation.
Dr. Hood Becomes VP for Student Life
After serving as the interim vice president for the Division of Student Life, Dr. Steven Hood was named the VP in June. Hood, who joined UA in 2011, has more than 20 years of experience in student affairs and a growing following on Instagram.
On the Right Track?
While excavating part of University Boulevard for a construction project, crews unearthed trolley tracks more than 100 years old. Streetcar service along the thoroughfare first began in the early 1880s and evolved into an electric trolley that operated for several decades. During its years of operation, the four-mile trolley line provided transportation to UA students, faculty and staff moving across campus and the city. The railway offered a special service to campus for sporting events and dances.
Research on the Roll
This summer saw the release of new insights from faculty researchers at The University of Alabama.
- UA researchers were part of an international group that produced an image of the Milky Way using neutrinos, tiny astronomical messengers, for the first time.
- The UA Center for Business and Economic Research released the results of its latest Alabama Business Confidence Index, showing economic outlook is improving among state business leaders.
- A rental market analysis revealed that rent prices across the 14 cities hosting Southeastern Conference institutions rose 8.22% on average over the past year.
- A research team from the College of Community Health Sciences published new findings on an extension of a program proven to improve children’s social skills and reduce impulsive anger and aggression.
- A recently published study links poor time management to poor sleep for college students.