In 2022, 22 faculty members published or edited 20 books across the Arts and Humanities, Behavioral and Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences and Mathematics. With scholarship ranging from aging to communication in political campaigns to poetry, faculty authors contributed valuable research, insights, and creative activities to their respective disciplines.

On April 10, 2023, the College hosted an event at the Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts to celebrate the faculty authors and also acknowledge the winners of the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and the 2023 Michel de Montaigne Endowed Prize in the History of Ideas.

Congratulations to the following faculty members for publishing or editing a book in 2022.

Jillian Marie Browning’sJillian Marie Browning photography is not traditional. In fact, when you see their work on display in a gallery, you might not immediately use the word “photography” to describe it. For Browning, the medium can (and should) be shared in new, alternative ways.

“My work is not traditional photography at all,” said Browning, assistant professor of photography in the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Department of Art and Art History. “I like to print a lot on fabric or do sculptural installations… There are different ways for photography as a medium to live — I’m really passionate about that.”

Browning’s passion for photography began in Ocala, Florida, at West Port High School, a magnet school that offers a range of art classes. While at West Port, Browning decided to take photography courses in their junior and senior years, sparking their lifelong interest in the medium. The experience led them to later enroll in a bridge program with Daytona State College and the University of Central Florida. Although the program helped Browning build commercial photography skills, it did not align with their creative vision.

“[The program] was producing [people] that would go out and get jobs being [commercial] photographers,” said Browning. “I was literally two-and-a-half years into that program, and I was like, ‘I don’t really want to do this.’”

While in the program, Browning took an alternative process photography class — a welcome departure from the more traditional courses. Through the class, Browning uncovered new methods, like cyanotypes, they could infuse into their artmaking.

In addition to experimenting with new processes, Browning was also identifying and nurturing new themes within their art.

“My southern heritage and my experiences as a Black femme-presenting person in the South —that’s a very big part of my art practice,” said Browning

Browning completed their undergraduate degree in 2012, then went on to pursue their MFA in Studio Art from Florida State University. After earning their MFA, Browning took a job with the photography department at the University of Florida. For nearly four years, they served as a tech for photography, drawing, and painting classes. In 2021, they applied for a faculty position at UAB and, soon after, visited the campus for the first time.

“When I toured UAB, I really enjoyed how close all the faculty were,” said Browning. “The art program was super impressive. When I was touring, the thesis show was up… and I was like, ‘Oh, this work is really good.’”

After the tour, Browning accepted a position with the department and started teaching in Fall 2021. After a full year at UAB, they have found common connections with their students.

“A lot of the students that I reach here are extremely similar to me… I see myself in them,” said Browning. “I really try to make sure that I give them as many influences as possible… stuff that help will influence their conceptual ideas.”

Beyond the classroom, Browning is engaging with the broader Birmingham community. They have taught workshops with groups like Paperworkers Local and the Ada Long Creative Writing Workshop, and, throughout February 2023, they will display their work at the Vulcan Materials Gallery at the Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA). The show, titled “Figure Grounded,” opened on February 2 and features work from Browning, as well as Amber Quinn, Roscoe Hall, and others.

Browning is also doing work outside of the city of Birmingham. Earlier this month, they curated an exhibition titled “Threshold: Recontextualizing Self-Portraiture” for the Southeast Museum of Photography in Daytona Beach. In a way, it serves as both a homecoming and a celebration of their alternative approach to photography and self-portraiture.

Explore Browning’s work by visiting their website, and learn more about “Figure Grounded” and “Threshold.”

Doug Barrett, associate professor in the Department of Art and Art History, is not afraid to try something new and different. It’s been a recurring theme throughout both his academic and professional journeys, and, so far, it has served him well.

“I was in advertising for 20 years in Orlando, Florida. During the dot-com bubble, when that burst, the company I was working with went out of business,” said Barrett. “I was 42 years old ... and I thought, ‘I probably need to go back to school.’”

It was a pivot that required a certain level of risk-tolerance—and it paid off. Barrett was accepted into the University of Florida’s Design and Visual Communications MFA program, and he quickly found his rhythm within it. While in the program, Barrett sought (and identified) plenty of opportunities to try new things, mostly because he brought 20 years of experience and talent to the program.

“I could pretty much do anything that I wanted to do there. [As a graduate student] I got a lot of experience teaching [at UF], and I co-created this ‘UF in Tokyo’ program where we spent several weeks in Tokyo,” said Barrett. “All of those things built a really powerful portfolio for me.”

After completing his MFA, Barrett accepted a position with UAB’s Department of Art and Art History in 2008. Soon after arriving in Birmingham, Barrett continued to take chances. A strong and impactful example is BLOOM Studio, “a student-run, design studio that focuses on ‘Design for Good’ projects for local non-profits and under-served communities.”

According to Barrett, BLOOM gives students a chance to create deliverables for real clients with real needs. Projects range from creating tourism branding for Bibb County to designing license plates in partnership with the Cahaba River Society and Alabama Audubon.

Regardless of the project, Barrett wants to show his students that their work can make an impact. He also wants them to get outside of their comfort zones.

“If you’re uncomfortable, you’re growing—that’s the thing that I think BLOOM Studio forces students to understand,” said Barrett. “There’s a bigger world out there, and, as a graphic designer, you can help generate economic development or make people’s lives better through design.”

And growing is a major part of Barrett’s evolving career as both a professor and an artist. In 2021, he applied for and received a Mid-Career Pivot Grant through the College of Arts and Sciences. His goal? Purchase and create art with a Risograph (“RISO”) commercial-quality printer.

“I feel like I’ve refreshed my practice. RISO is a hybrid between digital arts and the real world,” said Barrett. “I’m using a RISO process called Grain Touch; it creates a pencil texture. I’m really interested in that sharpness and fuzziness—it creates a lot of atmosphere.”

After receiving the Pivot Grant, Barrett applied for and received a design fellowship from the Alabama State Council on the Arts to further support his new work with the RISO. He’s now exploring a series of pieces that highlight the ways in which both urban and rural cultures intersect in seemingly remote places, such as gas stations and post offices.

“I’m interested in this duality between rural and urban—I think art has a really powerful way of using vernacular imagery to get people to talk about societal issues and to get people to come to terms with what they’re thinking or feeling,” said Barrett.

The results are stunning and dream-like. When viewing his new work, it is difficult to offer any comparisons, which harkens back to his ability to try new things and prompt surprising (and powerful) outcomes.

Dean Kecia M. Thomas with Kim Hazelwood at the UAB Service Awards reception.Twenty-seven College of Arts and Sciences employees who have worked at UAB for 20 years or more were recognized at the UAB Service Awards reception on April 11, 2022. These dedicated colleagues were honored for their number of years of employment at UAB as of December 31, 2021.

The UAB Service Awards are given to active employees beginning at five years of employment and at each five-year milestone. Employees who reach 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45 years of service are invited to a reception on behalf of UAB President Ray L. Watts and presented with a service award pin, certificate, and a gift of gratitude.

This year, Dr. Vithal K. Ghanta, professor in the Department of Biology and co-director of the Undergraduate Immunology Program, was honored for 50 years of service to UAB. Dr. Gregory Pence, professor in the Department of Philosophy and director of the Early Medical School Acceptance Program, was honored for 45 years of service. Congratulations to all our colleagues for their dedication and commitment to the University’s mission and vision.

20-Year Recipients

• Kimberly H. Hazelwood, College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office
• Erin Wright, Art and Art History
• Tanja Matthews, Chemistry
• Dr. Jacqueline Nikles, Chemistry
• Daniel L. Butcher, English
• Dr. Gale M. Temple, English
• Dr. Lourdes M. Sanchez-Lopez, Foreign Languages and Literatures
• Dr. Stephen J. Miller, History
• Dr. John Heith Copes, Criminal Justice
• Dr. Reinhard E. Fambrough, Music
• Dr. Gitendra Uswatte, Psychology

25-Year Recipients

• James R. Grimes, Advising
• Margaret Amsler, Biology
• Leslie C. Hendon, Biology
• Adriana S. Addison, Psychology
• Dr. Karlene K. Ball, Psychology
• Wanda R. Fisher, Psychology
• Pamela Y. Robinson, Psychology

30-Year Recipients

• Dr. Tracy P. Hamilton, Chemistry
• Dr. Kathryn D. Morgan, Criminal Justice and African American Studies
• Kimberly A. Schnormeier, Theatre

35-Year Recipients

• Dr. Edwin W. Cook III, Psychology
• Dr. Edward Taub, Psychology

40-Year Recipients

• Dr. Howard L. Irving, Music
• Dr. Franklin R. Amthor, Psychology

45-Year Recipient

• Dr. Gregory E. Pence, Philosophy

50-Year Recipient

• Dr. Vithal K. Ghanta, Biology

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s (UAB) College of Arts and Science is offering two new minors for undergraduate students.

The Department of Political Science and Public Administration recently launched the Public Management and Policy Minor. According to Rob Blanton, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration (PSPA), “The department’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) program has a long history of providing graduate and professional students some of the necessary skills to succeed in the management of public and nonprofit organizations, two large and vibrant sectors within our economy.” PSPA faculty reflected on the MPA program’s successes and established a clear goal for the new minor: to build some of the same key skills and competencies for undergraduate students. The minor can thus provide a strong foundation for future graduate work in public management or give students valuable skills to help them in their career journeys.

The College is also excited to announce the new Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance Studies Minor. This minor is focused on material, intellectual, sociopolitical, literary, and linguistic approaches to the Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance periods. According to Walter Ward, Ph.D., professor in the Department of History, “Students will learn current theories and methods for working with a range of source materials and objects, from archaeological finds and architecture to historical documents and poetry.” The interdisciplinary program combines the fields of history, literature, archaeology, anthropology, art history, philosophy, cultural studies, economics, and more to understand the premodern world. All courses are taught by faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences.

You can learn more about both programs by visiting the Undergraduate Course Catalog Addenda. Also, for more information about the Public Management and Policy Minor, you can email Dr. Blanton at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information about the Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance Studies Minor, you can contact Dr. Ward (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Dr. Clements (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

When Johnny Edward “Rusty” Bates, M.D., was growing up in Sipsey, Alabama, he viewed his father, a draftsman and engineer, as one of the smartest people he knew.

“My father was an inspiration,” said Bates.

Although his father, Henry E. Bates Jr., was both skillful and knowledgeable, he was limited in his ability to advance in his career due to his academic credentials. According to Bates, “He always felt that not having his degree impeded his ability to move up the ranks.”

Johnny Edward “Rusty” Bates, M.D.For Bates, this observation about his father serves as an enduring source of inspiration, both in his academic journey and his professional career.

While in middle and high school, Bates excelled in mathematics and learned from nurturing teachers who helped him establish a strong foundation in the discipline. As he looked to his future, he decided to pursue a degree in mathematics, while also working full-time. He briefly attended Birmingham-Southern College, then enrolled at Walker College to earn his associate degree.

He envisioned attending the University of Alabama at Birmingham after Walker College, but he faced a financial barrier. “I didn’t come from a wealthy family,” said Bates. Thankfully, he received a generous scholarship, which helped him scale the barrier. That scholarship, which came from a wealthy businessman, set him on a new academic trajectory.

He enrolled at UAB and earned a B.S. in Mathematics and a minor in art history. During his time as an undergraduate at UAB, he saw and appreciated the level of care and excellence his professors brought to the classroom each day.

“I had a great experience with great educators,” said Bates. “They loved teaching. [My professors] took an interest in me as a student. They wrote letters for me when I applied to medical school.”

After completing his undergraduate degree, Bates was accepted into the Heersink School of Medicine. He earned an M.D. in 1982, then completed his residency at University of Texas in Galveston.

Through his studies and training, Bates became deeply interested taking care of populations of patients, rather than focusing on individual patients. He decided he wanted to become a leader in correctional care, so he started his own company, Quality Correctional Healthcare (QCHC).

While Bates studied mathematics and medicine at UAB, he enjoyed solving problems and making decisions that would improve outcomes. Nowadays, he applies those same skills at QCHC. “I’m going to use those techniques to improve our overall services. We’re going to need to find smarter and better ways of doing things,” said Bates.

He has continued his academic journey to support these goals too. He earned a Master of Medical Management for Physicians from Carnegie Mellon University, and, recently, he started taking courses in artificial intelligence and machine learning from the University of Texas at Austin and the Massachusetts Institute for Technology.

Bates still looks back on the scholarship that helped him establish his academic foundation at UAB with gratitude, while also considering the obstacles his father faced. Moving forward, he wants to support future students as they pursue degrees in mathematics and honor his father at the same time. Given these priorities, Bates recently established the Henry E. Bates Jr. Endowed Scholarship in Mathematics, which will benefit undergraduate mathematics students who demonstrate strong academic promise.

“I think everybody who desires an education should be able to get an education,” said Bates. “I want to be able to benefit someone who has that desire but may not have the resources to get the degree.”

Clearly, Bates’s generosity and admiration for his father are reflected in this endowed scholarship in the Department of Mathematics.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Department of Art and Art History (DAAH) is honored to announce a generous donation to the department’s Diversity and Inclusion Scholars Program.

The Windgate Foundation—a private, family foundation based in Little Rock, Arkansas that advances contemporary craft and strengthens visual arts education in the United States—donated the funds to remove financial barriers for underrepresented students studying art and art history at UAB. Specifically, through the donation to the Diversity and Inclusion Scholars Program, four in-state students will receive scholarships that will cover the full cost of their tuition and fees.

Rich Gere, MFA, chair of the department, views the donation as a gamechanger for the students in his department. “As we look to the future with innovation and vision, students are still held back by one of our biggest challenges, funding in higher education. The ability for a student to successfully study in the arts often depends on their ability to secure scholarships and additional aid,” said Gere. “Windgate Foundation funding for scholarships to underrepresented groups will be a cornerstone of student retention and success.”

The DAAH offers two undergraduate degrees: a Bachelor of Arts (with concentrations in Art Studio and Art History) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts. The department, along with the Department of Anthropology, also offers an interdisciplinary Master of Arts in Cultural Heritage Studies. Lastly, DAAH offers a Master of Arts in Art History in conjunction with the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa.

The new scholarships will be offered to students in the 2022-2023 academic year. CAS looks forward to highlighting stories of the future scholarship recipients and continuing to elevate Inclusive Excellence across the College.

From left to right, Shahid Mukhtar, Kecia M. Thomas, Verna Keith, Rich Gere, Lauren Rast, and David Chan. Photo by Nik Layman.There is an ebb and flow to the world that stretches across the centuries. Breakdowns are followed by breakthroughs. Desolation sparks inspiration. Harsh reality is softened by imaginative artistry.  And so, the plague of the 14th century led to the revival of the Renaissance. The flu pandemic of 1918-19 was followed by the Jazz Age of the Roaring Twenties. And the horrors of World War II were replaced by an outpouring of aesthetic creativity and scientific advancement. 

The world stands at the edge of another historic transition, as we emerge slowly from the COVID-19 pandemic. As difficult as the past 18 months have been (and the immediate future still appears to be), this is not unprecedented territory. There have always been challenging events to endure. And yet, the world somehow has always recovered, usually with a big assist from the arts and sciences. 

“The humanities are going to be needed when the pandemic is over,” said David Chan, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy. “One of the things you’re finding nowadays is that people need to find meaning… because it all seems so random. That’s where literature, art, philosophy all come in. They help people cope with change and disasters.” 

“How do you tell a story about all this so it helps [people] find meaning? These are questions that are being addressed in every branch of the humanities, and that’s where [the College of Arts and Sciences] brings something,” said Chan. 

Or as Rich Gere, MFA, professor and chair of the Department of Art and Art History, says, “Historically, if you look at resilience within community, after every major disaster, [society] looks to the arts to bring it back. Right after the first responders, the second responders are artists.” 

It is a daunting task, but one that the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) is ready to handle. In August 2021, Dean Kecia M. Thomas, brought together five members of the College to discuss the challenges of the previous year, and the opportunities that are on the horizon. 

Even this roundtable was affected by the ongoing pandemic, as the late-summer surge in COVID-19 cases led to the scheduled in-person gathering being changed to a Zoom meeting. Still, the participants expressed optimism about the future and acknowledged the way CAS has handled things so far.

From left to right: David Chan, Rich Gere, and Verna Keith

The past year

Thomas took over as dean on Aug. 1, 2020. Not only did it mark a dramatic change in her life after spending the previous 27 years at the University of Georgia, but the move occurred in the midst of the pandemic.

“This has been a really eventful year, and it’s not over,” Thomas said. “I’ve had to learn to give myself a little patience and grace as I’ve learned this new role in this new place in this new city.” 

Of course, life changed for everybody last year in some way, and the key was to adapt to the situation. For CAS faculty, that included suddenly being required to teach students through remote learning. 

“We had to learn the technology very quickly,” said Shahid Mukhtar, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Biology. “CAS Information Technology helped us tremendously.” 

“It actually made us better teachers in the classroom, because now we know how we can effectively communicate with our students even when we’re not present in the same place. And when we come back to campus, we can utilize some of those newly acquired skills.” 

Indeed, the entire interaction between faculty and students has changed since the start of the pandemic. And, in an odd way, being apart actually helped bring both parties closer together. 

“One of the things that I learned was how to talk to students on a different kind of level,” said Verna Keith, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Sociology. “Since I’m the chair, they’re expecting a certain kind of interaction. But when I had to call them at home and check on them during this pandemic because we hadn’t heard from them, it generated a totally different kind of conversation.” 

“I realized that the position of chair when you’re in an office creates one kind of dynamic, but when you’re talking with somebody on the phone it created a different dynamic. They saw me in a different light, so we had a different kind of conversation.” 

This, in turn, created a different kind of relationship. One in which the teachers also depended upon the students for their own grounding. 

“I realized I get a sense of purpose from helping my students,” said Lauren Rast, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Physics. “Teaching them in ways that help their future and their careers. … It’s vital, not just for them but also for my own ability to maintain resilience.” 

From left to right: Shahid Mukhtar, Lauren Rast, and Kecia Thomas

Lessons learned

One aspect of the Zoom experience that Dean Thomas enjoyed was the opportunity to see students and professional colleagues in a more relaxed atmosphere. 

“So many people have apologized during Zoom meetings when a toddler or a cat walked through the background,” Thomas said. “But I love it, because we don’t often get the opportunity to remind each other of our humanity. That we are full, whole people beyond these very limited roles that we occupy. … That we have rich lives outside of work. That’s what I’m going to hold onto coming out of this pandemic.” 

There also were professional positives to emerge from the remote approach. And in time, Gere said many of the early skeptics came to understand and appreciate those benefits. 

“I had people who self-proclaimed that they are not technology people and can’t teach online,” Gere said. “About halfway through the semester last fall they said, ‘Thank you for forcing me to do this.’ … Some faculty thought it was going to be a train wreck of a semester, but they did really well.” 

“One of the things I’ve also noticed is that everybody is always on time to a Zoom meeting. Thirty years in academia, I’ve never seen anything like it.” 

In addition, the acceptance of remote learning has opened up a wider array of guest lecturers. Keith pointed out that it is much easier for somebody to devote 90 minutes of time to talking with a class through a Zoom meeting, as opposed to traveling to Birmingham and speaking in person. 

“Zoom opened up a lot of avenues, because now we can expose our students to people all over the United States and internationally,” Keith said. “People have been generous about accepting engagements on Zoom. We’ve been able to bring some fairly prominent folks to talk to our students, and that’s probably going to continue.” 

Despite the heavier reliance on technology, there remained opportunities to inject a human element into the teaching. Rast said she began opening every remote class by simply asking the students if they were doing OK. 

Students in facemasks paint an outdoor mural at the UAB Solar House.

“If you can humanize yourself, that helps you to connect,” said Rast. “It helps them to learn, but also to feel supported in the learning environment. I definitely plan to continue that.” 

Beyond the pandemic

While the response to COVID-19 dominated 2020, there were other important topics, including issues involving social justice and voting rights.  

“Certainly, health and the pandemic are the biggest things on everyone’s mind,” Thomas said. “But there are also the issues of race and social justice, and what people are calling ‘the national reckoning.’” 

“As we think about health, emerging technologies, and how we engage society—this issue of trying to establish an inclusive community and eradicate the injustices and inequities and disparities—how do the arts and sciences fit in with those [topics]? I think there is space for our disciplines to connect to all those areas.” 

Keith said one element of community engagement already underway in Birmingham is the Live HealthSmart Alabama project, which was the winner of the inaugural UAB Grand Challenge. The goal of the project is to dramatically improve the state of Alabama’s health rankings by the year 2030. 

Initially, the project consists of four demonstration communities, including one on the UAB campus. The UAB Minority Health & Health Disparities Research Center will work with the communities to promote nutrition, physical activity, and preventive wellness. 

“This offers a lot of opportunities for different aspects of CAS to be involved,” Keith said. “Some of us are involved in the research side, but you can also be involved as a faculty member or a student. This is one of those things where we can build community engagement into our classes and also involve students in this worthwhile project.” 

As for the overall social issues, Chan said the pandemic put a spotlight on the ways injustices and inequalities affect communities, providing relevant cases that can be used in coursework. 

“One of my colleagues teaches a class in Family and Philosophy. She deals with issues about families and raising children,” Chan said. “We have students who are working mothers, and they can have problems taking classes. She found that the pandemic gave her examples she could use in class that students could relate to, because they were actually experiencing that in their lives.” 

Career development and more

While one of the primary purposes of higher education is to prepare students for a career, it also is a place where students learn about life itself.  

“I do believe, of course, that our students should be prepared to pursue a career when they graduate. But I also think that our mission is a little bit broader, and we need to serve the whole person,” Thomas said.  

The answer, once again, could involve community engagement. Mukhtar said he would like to see even more programs and workshops that showcase the engagement opportunities CAS has to offer, in order to help students determine the career path that might be best for them. 

“Some kids are first-generation college students. Who can guide them? Where is the information? What are their (career) paths?” Mukhtar said. “We need ... to educate students from the ground up.” 

One area of opportunity is in the field of data management. According to analysis by the Birmingham Business Alliance, data scientist jobs in the Birmingham region have increased by more than 45 percent over the past five years, and these positions on average pay 65 percent more (approximately $26,000 more annually) than jobs not requiring analysis skills. UAB is engaging in this growing field through the Magic City Data Collective, a partnership with the Birmingham Business Alliance and the Birmingham Education Foundation, with funding help through a grant from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. The goal is to bring local students, researchers, and data experts together to work on projects, enabling students to improve their analytics and computational skills. 

“We recruited a really diverse student population, and in an interdisciplinary hands-on way these students were empowered to come up with results that were relevant to the city of Birmingham and will help make data-driven decisions for our community,” said Rast, who serves as the learning manager for the project. “When we have this information and locals are able to use data to make decisions and impact their community, that’s a positive thing we can do at the College of Arts and Sciences. It was my favorite thing that I’ve done all year.” 

Looking ahead

Dean Thomas wrapped up the hour-long discussion by asking each participant for a parting thought. Their messages indicated that despite all the difficulties of the past 18 months (and counting), their outlook remains optimistic, propelled in part by the determination of CAS and UAB as a whole to work together for a better future.  

CHAN: “My message would be to build connections while you’re here, and stay connected after you leave. See what you can build here and then continue the relationships. This isn’t just some phase in a life—it is something that will be with you all your life.” 

RAST: “I’d love to engage with my fellow UAB faculty and staff and students across disciplines in ways that break silos. Because of the diversity of our UAB community and our background interests, there is a lot of opportunity for creativity and ideas that benefit our community.” 

MUKHTAR: “We are a UAB family. And one of the things we learned during this pandemic is that life is so fragile. Today we are together and the next day we are not. We’ve known this, but when you see it firsthand, then you really feel it and it touches you deeply inside. Today at the College of Arts and Sciences, we are closer to each other than we were two years ago. That affects all of us… So my message would be just to be together as a UAB family and be more productive as a member of the family.” 

KEITH: “I’d like to give a shout-out to the entire faculty in CAS… Our faculty are the people who are creative, who make discoveries, who produce knowledge. Rather than just being people who pass knowledge on, they are doing that work themselves. So students who come to UAB are lucky that they’re exposed to that. It’s something that will last them for a lifetime.”

GERE: “I’d like to speak on behalf of my colleagues in theatre and dance and music. Because the last 18 months have been a reminder that the arts help pull everybody together… These are great and strong programs, and they attract top-notch students from Alabama and beyond.”