Welcome to the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Thank you for taking time to explore our university online.
In reading about UAB's past and present, you will note the phenomenal ascent of this institution, in just four decades, to global renown and, at the same time, the economic and cultural renaissance of Birmingham—from steel town to thriving nexus of research and scholarship, medicine, banking and other service industries.
Well over a century ago, Birmingham was dubbed the “Magic City” due to its booming trade in mining and steel. Today, UAB and this community are a boomtown of a different sort, working a different kind of magic, and mining a resource far more precious in the knowledge economy: Intellectual capital, the talent of faculty and students who come to this campus in increasing numbers to fulfill their dreams.
That exceptional talent has fuelled the exceptional growth of UAB, helping us fulfill our vision as a "first choice in education and health care." For decades, prospective faculty and students from around nation and the globe have flown into Birmingham, toured UAB, and promptly decided to stay. I have to think this is because, once visitors set foot on campus, this university--with its pioneering spirit and tradition, its intensely interdisciplinary culture, its unrivaled research opportunities--invariably speaks for itself. Hopefully, in perusing this site, you will get some sense of those qualities and more.
UAB’s research enterprise attracted more than $490 million in external research funding in 2010 and ranks 31st nationally in federal funding and 20th in funding from the National Institutes of Health (10th among public universities). Our university is among a handful--and the only one in Alabama--listed by Carnegie Foundation in both the highest research tier and the "community engagemenent" classification, an indication of how quickly UAB translates basic research discoveries to the benefit of the community.
Our top-quality clinical care continues earning high marks at the local, state and national level. Among other distinctions, UAB is the only Alabama hospital to be listed for 22 straight years in U.S. News & World Report "Best Hospitals” issue, which ranks only 3 percent of hospitals nationwide.
We are also contributing mightily to the economic health and improved quality of life of our community and state. UAB has an economic impact of $4.6 billion annually on Alabama and is the state’s largest single employer, with over 21,500 dedicated employees and more than 61,000 jobs statewide supported by the university and medical center. The University continues to strengthen its historic partnership with the community, refining its own Strategic Plan and collaborating with the Birmingham Business Alliance on "Blueprint Birmingham," working towards a shared vision for a healthier and more prosperous city and state that thrive in the global, knowledge economy.
As important, UAB is a true "Renaissance" institution, where faculty and students are constantly "breaking through" in the sciences and medicine, engineering, business, education and the arts and humanities.
In our highly collaborative culture, faculty mentors and their students are
- Developing revolutionary treatments and cures for the most devastating human disease
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- Pioneering nanotechnology and engineering new materials for use in everything from dental implants to body armor
- Using satellite imaging to uncover lost cities in the Nile delta and track public health threats worldwide
- Combating cybercrime perpetrated from computers around the globe, partnering with the FBI, CIA and Interpol
- And conducting groundbreaking projects and studying abroad on every continent of the globe, to the ends of the earth in Antarctica.
On this same campus are
- A Mock Trial team and an Ethics Bowl team that have both won national championships
- A Marcel Proust collection that is the 3rd largest on the planet
- Painters, sculptors who exhibit around the nation and the globe
- Actors and directors winning national theatre competitions
- And a pianist and Van Cliburn Award-winner who mentors budding musicians in Alabama's first "All-Steinway" School, one of only 100 in the world.
Drawn to this exciting intersection of science, medicine, and the arts and humanities, is a diverse and talented student body. For three consecutive years, UAB has seen record overall enrollment, climbing to 17,575 in fall 2011. Students are challenged and inspired by innovative, one-of-a-kind academic programs, and they are earning prestigious national and international awards. They garnered an impressive roster of such awards in spring 2011 alone, and in the past three years, have won eight Goldwater Scholarships, seven Fulbrights, five NSF Fellowships, and an NIH-Oxford-Cambridge Scholarship (one of only 15 in the nation, among other honors.
The
se bright students, and the faculty who mentor them, enjoy a vibrant campus life. UAB is listed among the 20% of all U.S. undergraduate institutions in Forbes and The Princeton Review has ranked the university in the top 10 nationally for student diversity for three consecutive years (currently 5th). This campus offers all the benefits and energy of metropolitan Birmingham, coupled with a serene Campus Green featuring congenial outdoor spaces, and state-of-the-art residence halls and academic buildings. You can take a virtual tour of campus here.
I hope you enjoy reading more about our exceptional students and faculty, and this acclaimed university we call home. Better yet, come see for yourself what the “magic” is all about, and perhaps work some magic of your own. We look forward to seeing you around campus.
Carol Z. Garrison
President
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
