Lois Roth Award
Assistant Professor of Italian Dr. Fabio Battista won the Modern Language Association of America’s Lois Roth Award for a translation of a literary work. Battista, who shares the award with two other scholars, won for his translation of Federico Della Valle’s “The Queen of Scots / La Reina di Scotia,” published by the University of Toronto Press.
Wright Gardner Award
Distinguished University Research Professor with the College of Community Health Sciences Dr. M.N.V. Ravi Kumar is the recipient of the Alabama Academy of Science’s coveted Wright Gardner Award. The Wright Gardner Award was established and named after the great future-looking scientist and educator by the Alabama Academy of Science in 1984 to honor individuals whose work, during residence in Alabama, has been outstanding.
Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Awards
The University of Alabama National Alumni Association recognized four 2024 Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award Recipients this past fall.
The Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award honors exceptional faculty members whose dedication to the teaching and learning process profoundly impacts their students.
Mark Barry, Dr. Sherwood Burns-Nader, Dr. Carol Donovan and Dr. Todd Freeborn are the 2024 recipients.
Barry is an associate professor in the department of advertising and public relations. He leads the creative advertising concentration, Minerva, in the College of Communication and Information Sciences. Barry is dedicated to helping students develop universally applicable creative problem-solving skills by emphasizing a human-first perspective within a practical experiential learning environment.
Burns-Nader is an associate professor in the department of human development and family studies. She is a charter member of the Southeast Association of Child Life Professionals, previously served as its chair and currently leads its Academic and Clinical Work Group.
Donovan is a professor of literacy education in the College of Education where she has taught and developed courses in the department of special education and the department of curriculum and instruction. Donovan also coordinates the UA CALT Dyslexia Therapist program that provides a pathway for national certification at the practitioner and therapist levels for teachers interested in intensive reading instruction.
Freeborn is an associate professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering, where he teaches courses to everyone from first-year undergraduates to senior graduate levels. He is also passionate about introducing students at all levels to research and coordinates multiple programs to provide research experiences to students at UA and internationally.
Schwarzman Scholarship
Capstone International Center Advisor Ishmael Williams won the Schwarzman Scholarship, a major scholarship competition where winners attend Tsinghua University, the top-ranked university in China, known colloquially as the “Harvard of China.” The scholarship’s international advisory board includes people like Condoleeza Rice, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
National Forum Membership
Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Jim Dalton has been approved to serve as a member of the National Academies Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation. The Forum provides a neutral venue for stakeholders in government, academia and industry to highlight critical issues, and inspire action towards improving the system of drug discovery, development and translation. The purpose is to foster dialogue and discussion across sectors and institutions and to illuminate issues but not resolve them.
American Association of Nursing Fellows
Two Capstone College of Nursing faculty members, Dr. Amy Lee and Dr. Kristi Acker, have been inducted as fellows into the 2024 American Association of Nurses. The 2024 Class of Fellows, selected from a competitive pool of applicants, represents a cross-section of nursing’s most dynamic leaders who are making positive change in their systems and communities to champion health and wellness.
Leadership U Advisory Board
Twelve UA faculty and staff members who are UA Leadership U alumni have been chosen to serve on the Leadership U Alumni Advisory Board, which held its inaugural meeting in January. The board will play a vital role in shaping the future of Leadership U alumni plans and providing valuable insight into the evolving landscape of leadership.
The board members are:
- Cresandra Smothers, Division of Connection, Opportunities & Success
- Kevin Nunnally, Advancement
- Dr. Robert Hayes, OTIDE/OAA
- Dr. Roger Sidje, College of Arts and Sciences
- Monica Watts, Division of Strategic Communications
- Dr. Martha Crowther, College of Community Health Sciences
- Dr. Jeannine Lawrence, College of Human Environmental Sciences
- Dr. Matthew Kerch, Student Life
- Dr. Joni Lakin, College of Education
- Dr. Emmett Lodree, Graduate School
- Dr. Adam Farmer, Culverhouse College of Business
- Martha Griffith, President’s Office
Album Release
Associate Professor of Music Dr. Kenneth McGuire released the music album “Classic Singer Songwriters of the 1970s (Volume 1)” in December 2024. It contains 14 instrumental song covers from classic songwriters of the 1970s arranged, performed, recorded, engineered and produced by McGuire.