J. Frank Barefield Jr. College of Arts and Sciences

A student collects fossil samples from a shale outcrop.

Troublesome Trees: Spread of Forests Contributed to Ancient Extinction

Evidence from ancient rocks in North Alabama show the Earth’s first forest spread rapidly, likely contributing to a mass extinction of shallow marine life some 370 million years ago.

First Animal Not What Scientists Have Long Thought

First Animal Not What Scientists Have Long Thought

The last common ancestor of all animal life was more like modern stem cells and not a clump of similar cells, as has long been thought.

Honoring Our Fathers: University Founding Father Henry Tutwiler

Honoring Our Fathers: University Founding Father Henry Tutwiler

UA founding father Henry Tutwiler won the hearts of generations of students with his combination of intellect, grace and empathy.

A rat snake flicks out its forked tongue.

The Venomous Serpents of Alabama’s Summer Days and Nights

Alabama’s 40-50 snake species are now on the loose looking for food and mates during their most active period of the year – spring to early summer.

An actress plays a character who pleads for the life of her brother near the bench the theater company always uses in "Measure for Measure."

Tuscaloosa’s Rude Mechanicals Group Takes ‘Measure’ of Shakespeare

The Rude Mechanicals, Tuscaloosa’s free Shakespeare in the park company, is starting its 17th season with the problem play “Measure for Measure,” directed by Dr. Steve Burch, UA professor of theatre.

UA-Led Clinical Trial Finds No Difference in Tinnitus Treatments

UA-Led Clinical Trial Finds No Difference in Tinnitus Treatments

A long-awaited, rigorous, randomized clinical trial comparing treatments for tinnitus, a perception of ringing in the ears, found no significant difference in patient outcomes between an innovative treatment and the current standard treatment.

A student conducts a magnetometry survey

On the Hunt for the Remnants of Surviving Slave Houses

After conducting surveys on the Magnolia Grove plantation home in Hale County, second-year anthropology graduate student Natalie Mooney may have discovered a pattern to find other slave houses in the Alabama Black Belt region that have been lost to time.

two UA researchers

Grant Allows UA, Invisible Histories to Archive Southern LGBTQ Life

The University of Alabama was awarded a $300,000 grant from one of the largest foundations in the country to archive LGBTQ history in the South. The grant, given by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, will allow the University and its partner, the Invisible Histories Project, to curate collections across the South, starting in Alabama and moving to Mississippi and Georgia.

Students practice taking photos in studio.

Students Sharpen Photo Skills, Learn History for Black Belt Artist Trip

A UA student group will photograph and interview artists who live in the Black Belt as part of a collaborative initiative between the University, the nonprofit Black Belt Treasures Cultural Arts Center and Canon Solutions America.

Dr. Messina will lead UA's College of Arts and Sciences.

Messina Named Dean of UA’s College of Arts & Sciences

Dr. Joseph P. Messina has been named the next dean of The University of Alabama’s College of Arts and Sciences.