This is Charles Coleman, of Birmingham, and UAB and the University of Haifa. He’s an Arabic speaker and filmmaker, and, a year later, he’ll be the first male in his family to graduate from college with a four-year degree.

Want to catch up with what's been happening in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures? Read the latest newsletter to get an overview of of student awards and scholarship, study abroad news, and upcoming events!

Mao set his sights on medicine during high school, starting with 500 hours of volunteer work at Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital in Florence, Alabama. At UAB, Mao focused on science. A chemistry major, he also works as a teaching assistant in chemistry labs and recitations.

Two African American Studies students — an alumna and a senior — are participating in their dream internships this summer.

As the recipient of a $5,400 NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes (EAPSI) Award, Elizabeth Bevan will spend 3 months researching sea turtle behavior in Australia. 

With funding from the Susan G. Komen Graduate Training in Disparities Research (GTDR) Grant, Kayla Lewis will continue to research triple negative breast cancer, a highly aggressive form of breast cancer that doesn’t respond well to treatment.

Ryan Roque, an undergraduate Biology major in the UAB Global and Community Leadership Honors Program, plans to use the funding to explore how the growth hormone gene affects the muscular development of zebra-fish.

Students also received 20 Medallion Awards, the highest award given by the Public Relations Council of Alabama, 12 Awards of Excellence and six Awards of Merit.

After graduation, Haley Callahan will pursue her master’s degree in counseling from Northwestern University.

The students were chosen from a pool of 13,000 applicants.

During her undergraduate experience at UAB, her creative design research focused on building awareness about underprivileged communities in the city. She works with Cayenne Creative.

Cowan and Unger will pursue further work in drug discovery as they enter graduate school after commencement in April.

Russell Alexander II will graduate April 29 and begin work with a professional acting company, after performing with Theatre UAB and garnering a national award from the Kennedy Center.

A senior in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Music and the Honors College’s University Honors Program, Kasman, pianist, will graduate April 29, then embark on a tour and graduate school.

The winning entries will be displayed in the Global Eye Exhibition, which opens Friday, April 21, in the new UAB INTO space located in the Sterne Library.

At least 2,015 students will graduate and approximately 1,250 are expected to walk in the spring 2017 commencement ceremonies happening 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 29, at Bartow Arena.

Written, designed, and published by students, MEMORANDUM serves as the official newsletter for UAB’s Professional Writing Program and MA program in Rhetoric & Composition. This issue is full of useful articles on professional writing must-haves, rhetoric and discourse, marketing yourself, and advice from program alumni.

Undergraduate Brandon Schoening is using language learning to help bring safety education to a U.S. company's international plants.

Undergraduate will share discoveries from European Bronze Age dig at 2017 UAB Spring Expo.

The highly-selective program provides fully-paid summer research opportunities for students at some of the country's premier institutions.

The National Science Foundation will provide 30 non-tenured researchers, including assistant professor Cheng-Chien Chen, Ph.D., with fellowships that put them in partnership with other premier research centers, enhancing their ability to work at the frontiers of science and engineering.

A five-year, $20 million award from the National Science Foundation will help universities across Alabama, including the University of Alabama at Birmingham, collaborate to better understand interactions of a key matter that could translate into the development of new technologies in areas ranging from food safety and aerospace to medicine.

Since he graduated with a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Rochester in 2012, Kevin McCain has been on a tear.

Faculty and staff from the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Art and Art History, Department of Music, and Department of Theatre explore their skills locally and abroad.

Dr. Samiksha Raut, Ph.D., was one of two UAB faculty named the winners of its Spring 2017 Faculty Awards. Every year, two faculty members are selected by students and through a vetting process of the professional staff in DSS.

Department of Social Work Associate Professor Lisa Baker, Ph.D., received Quality Matters (QM) recognition for her BSW course, Introduction to Research Methods.

Dr. Saxena and Maliheh Shirvanian of the SPIES research group worked with high school student Summer Vo on security research this past year. Vo won third place at the 2017 Central Alabama Regional Science and Engineering Fair (CARSEF) in the Computer Science and Mathematics category and was awarded the INTEL Excellence in Computer Science Outstanding Achievement.

Renato Camata, Ph.D., associate professor and undergraduate program director in the Department of Physics, has been named as a recipient of a 2017 UAB Outstanding Academic Advising Award.

Faculty and alumni of the Department of Social Work gathered at the Wine Loft in Birmingham for a celebration of their professional and academic accomplishments over the past year.

Sean Murray will begin his role leading the UAB Marching Blazers in May. He comes to UAB from Florida Atlantic University.

Sarah Parcak, Ph.D., archaeologist and associate professor in the UAB College of Arts and Sciences Department of Anthropology, has been named to the World Economic Forum’s community of Young Global Leaders.

A week ago when I stepped off the gangplank of the Antarctic Research and Support Vessel (ARSV) Laurence M. Gould, the ship that had delivered me to the station from Punta Arenas, Chile, I immediately sensed the change...

The UAB College of Arts and Sciences is pleased to again offer campus-wide training to junior faculty planning to apply for a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award.

Lee Meadows, Ph.D., will serve as co-chair for the Alabama State Department of Education Strategic Planning Committee on Science.

GlobalXplorer is a citizen science archaeology platform that's "Indiana Jones meets Google Earth." The platform was created in collaboration with the National Geographic Society and DigitalGlobe.

Nitesh Saxena, Ph.D., associate professor and research director in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences, has been named a recipient of the Dean’s Excellence in Mentorship Award from the UAB Graduate School.

The UAB physics professor will head the Coalition of EPSCoR/IDeA States, which promotes vibrant science and technology in underserved states.

Undergraduate Neuroscience faculty mentor Vladimir Parpura, M.D., Ph.D., has been invited to become a member of the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives. The Dana Alliance is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance public education about the progress and benefits of brain research and to disseminate information on the brain in an understandable and accessible fashion.

“Remembrance II” for alto saxophone and piano will be performed in Athens on Dec. 20, while “Sonata: Folie à Deux” will be performed at the International Saxophone Symposium on Jan. 6.

Sarah Parcak, Ph.D., has been named to the list for her innovations in the area of satellite archaeology.

This is Charles Coleman, of Birmingham, and UAB and the University of Haifa. He’s an Arabic speaker and filmmaker, and, a year later, he’ll be the first male in his family to graduate from college with a four-year degree.

For a few days in September, General Electric will use the ceiling of New York City’s Grand Central Station as a canvas to showcase the impressive accomplishments of women in scientific fields. Among them is Hadiyah-Nicole Green, Ph.D., a UAB alumna who graduated with a master’s degree in physics in 2009 and a doctorate in physics in 2012.

Two African American Studies students — an alumna and a senior — are participating in their dream internships this summer.

The awardees will be honored at a luncheon Friday, June 23, at the UAB National Alumni Society House.

The UAB Arts and Sciences Alumni Chapter hosted an Alumni Night at Regions Field for the UAB vs. Alabama baseball game on Tuesday, March 21, 2017.

Alumni on the front lines of the world's refugee crisis.

The UAB Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program in the Department of Government held their annual MPA Alumni Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, March 1, 2017 at the UAB Alumni House. This event celebrates the outstanding accomplishments of the program’s alumni and students.

Woolley, a 2009 UAB graduate, is the conservation design manager for Birmingham’s Ruffner Mountain nature preserve.

Johnny E. Bates, M.D., a graduate of the Department of Mathematics, is a physician and the CEO and owner of Quality Correctional Health Care, Inc., which provides health care services in correctional settings.

Kourtney Cowart and Michael Shikany, who both graduated in December 2015 with degrees in Communication Studies, were honored with a Midsouth Regional Emmy for their documentary, “Ever Faithful—The Resurrection of UAB Football” at the 31st Annual awards ceremony on January 21, 2017.

Daisy Wong, Ph.D., Robert Maddox, J.D., Christina Richey, Ph.D., Charles Scribner and Marcus Newell were honored at the College of Arts and Sciences' annual Alumni Awards reception on Tuesday, January 24 at the UAB Alumni House.

Congratulations to our 2016 Alumni Award winners. These accomplished individuals represent the values we champion in the College of Arts and Sciences: ethical and moral reasoning, the scientific method, cultural competency, communication, and confidence in the face of complexity.

Steven O'Dell, a graduate of the Department of Justice Sciences' Forensic Science graduate program, is chief of the Forensic Sciences and Evidence Management Division of the Baltimore Police Department.

Social and Behavioral Science for Health Professionals, written by Department of Sociology alumni Brian P. Hinote and Jason Adam Wasserman, has been published by Rowman & Littlefield. The book examines various social and behavioral factors that affect health and illness, with a particular focus on how these phenomena inform clinical practice. You can read more about the book on the publisher's website.

Michael Heaven's biotech business was hatched in a UAB lab, and accelerated by several UAB resources designed to fuel innovation on campus.

UAB communication studies alumnus and Cullman native Trevor Hale is the head of global communications for Infiniti, the Japanese luxury automaker owned by Nissan—the latest stop in a globetrotting career working with some of the world's top automakers.

Alumna Sarah Hicks will travel to the Galapagos Islands in an effort to enhance geographic knowledge in classrooms and local communities.

Wes Calhoun, president of the new Arts and Sciences Alumni Board, sees growth and opportunity ahead for his alma mater and his hometown.

The College of Arts and Sciences is proud to introduce our inaugural alumni board. These outstanding graduates will take the lead on building relationships with our 30,000 alumni—who live right here in our back yard and across the globe.

We’d love to see you on campus at one of these College events! For the complete UAB National Alumni Society schedule of homecoming events, visit the UAB Homecoming website.