Urban Named 2009-10 Paul W. Bryant Professor of Education at UA

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Dr. Wayne J. Urban, professor and program coordinator in higher education administration and associate director for the education policy center at The University of Alabama, has been named the 2009-10 Paul W. Bryant Endowed Professor in the UA College of Education.

A member of the UA faculty since 2006, Urban’s most recent work has been the publication of his book, “More than Science or Sputnik: The National Defense Education Act of 1958.” Urban earned his bachelor’s degree in history from John Carroll University and both his master’s and doctorate in higher education at Ohio State University.

In the year of his Bryant professorship, Urban will continue his research on a biography of James Bryant Conant, long-time president of Harvard University and an analyst of the American high school in the 1950s and 1960s. Urban will also teach a seminar on Conant in the spring and hopes to involve his students in Conant’s works through the seminar’s research.

“While being the Paul W. Bryant Professor brings recognition to Dr. Urban, his national stature brings recognition to the professorship and college,” said Dr. James McLean, dean of the UA College of Education.

“Robert “Bud” Moore and other friends established The Coach Paul W. Bryant Endowed Professorship to honor the memory of the legendary University of Alabama football coach, Paul William Bryant (affectionately known as Coach Bear Bryant), who inspired many student athletes to pursue a career of teaching and coaching young people, and to promote faculty excellence in the College of Education at The University of Alabama.

Bryant earned his Bachelor of Science degree in health and physical education from the College of Education while he played football for The University of Alabama. When he returned to the University as head coach, he led the Crimson Tide to six national championships, 12 SEC championships, and participated in 24 consecutive bowl games, and, in 1982, he was named the “winningest” coach to date with 315 wins. Moore played on Coach Bryant’s first team at UA.