UA Students, Faculty Earn Prominent Awards in 2021

As several Crimson Tide athletics programs brought home Southeastern Conference and national championships in 2021, a host of UA students and faculty were blazing their own legacy at the Capstone by winning prestigious national and international awards.

UA students earned multiple renowned scholarships and awards through their academic endeavors. Leading the way was Nicholas Hayes who was one of 32 Americans to receive a Rhodes Scholarship, the most prestigious academic award for American college graduates and the oldest award for international study. Hayes will study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom following graduation in May 2022.

Joining Hayes to study in the U.K. will be Jackson Foster and Nathaniel Trost who were among 41 Americans to receive the prestigious Marshall Scholarship. The scholarship funds the opportunity for American students to pursue graduate studies at U.K. institutions.

Students who earned other prominent awards throughout the year include:

• Kathleen McManus was named PRWeeks’ 2021 Outstanding Student.
• The Alabama Forensics Council, UA’s competitive speech team, won two national championships in speech and debate during the virtual Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Tournament.
• Anna Stevenson and Jacob Wall were selected as Goldwater Scholars.
• Ann Williams received a Boren Scholarship for the study of languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad.
• Lindsey Drost, Logan Fenhouse, Michael Fisher, Malik Seals, Matthew “Drake” Southern and Natasha Stevanovich received Fulbright Awards.

UA faculty also had a stellar 2021. Dr. Ravi Kumar was chosen for the Humboldt Research Award, granted annually to no more than 100 internationally leading researchers of all disciplines outside of Germany in recognition of their academic record.

In January, Dr. Krystal Williams was chosen by “Diverse: Issues in Higher Education” magazine as one of the nation’s top 15 emerging scholars under the age of 40. The scholars were selected for making their mark on academia through teaching, research and service.

Faculty who earned other prestigious awards throughout the year include:

• Dr. Steven Jones was named a Fulbright Scholar Alumni Ambassador.
• Drs. Chris Crawford, Adam Hauser, Jason Pienaar and Aijun Song received National Science Foundation CAREER Awards, one of the nation’s most prestigious recognitions of top-performing young scientists.
• The UA Office of Fleet Management received the Fleet Excellence Award, bestowed by the National Conference of State Fleet Administrators, recognizing a member fleet manager or organization that has demonstrated leadership resulting in cost reduction, the creation of new efficiencies, safety enhancements and customer service.
• Dr. Andrew Raffo Dewar and Dr. Leigh Terry received Fulbright Specialist Awards. Dewar was also named the Fulbright Canada Research Chair at York University in Toronto.
• Dr. Stephanie Shelton was honored with the 2021 National Council of Teachers of English LGBTQ+ Advocacy & Leadership Award that recognizes a member of the LGBTQ+ community who has made a significant contribution to NCTE and the development of its professional community.

As 2021 comes to an end, the UA community will continue the pursuit of excellence in the new year that will be sure to provide more legendary results and accolades.