The UAB Honors College has selected Mark Bevensee, Ph.D. as its new assistant dean.
Mark Bevensee, Ph.D. joins the UAB Honors College as new assistant dean
Dr. Bevensee joins the Honors College with over 20 years of experience at UAB. He holds multiple academic appointments; he is a professor in the Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology in the School of Medicine, with secondary appointments in the Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences and the Department of Neurobiology. He continues to direct the SOM Renal Module, has co-directed the Master of Science in Biomedical and Health Sciences program, has previously taught in the UAB Honors College’s Science and Technology Honors (STH) program, and serves as the Education and Training Director of the UAB Childhood Cystic Kidney Disease Core Center, which is now affiliated with the UAB Kidney Undergraduate Research Experience (KURE) program. In 2012, he received the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching for the Joint Health Science Departments.
Dr. Bevensee’s achievements include his most recent honor of the Dale J. Benos Award for Educational Excellence with the School of Medicine (2020 Argus Awards). He is also affiliated with the Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, the Comprehensive Diabetes Center, the Center for Biophysical Sciences and Engineering, the Comprehensive Neuroscience Center, the Center for Glial Biology in Medicine, the Civitan International Research Center and the Nephrology Research and Training Center, all at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“I am excited that Dr. Mark Bevensee will be joining the UAB Honors College as our assistant dean,” said Shannon L. Blanton, Ph.D., dean of the UAB Honors College. “His extensive research and teaching expertise in the classroom and in the lab, as well as his experience mentoring and facilitating the development of undergraduate and graduate students, will be a tremendous asset in his new role. Dr. Bevensee will facilitate research and creative activity for our honors students and provide strong leadership for our Science and Technology Honors Program. As a key member of our Honors College leadership team, he will help position the UAB Honors College for continued growth with enhanced student programming and an outstanding honors experience.”
The assistant dean is a new position in the UAB Honors College, where Dr. Bevensee will participate in the Honors College teaching and engagement mission and assist in recruiting and fostering the success of a diverse student body. He will contribute to the intellectual life of the Honors College and the University as an active faculty member and work collaboratively with others to advance student learning.
As assistant dean, Dr. Bevensee will oversee Honors undergraduate research and creative activity across the college. He will also lead one of the UAB Honors College’s specialized programs, our Science and Technology Honors Program (STH), which focuses on preparing scientific leaders of the next generation by engaging students in interdisciplinary classroom, leadership, research, and innovation experiences that culminate in the dissemination of new scientific knowledge.
“I am honored to be selected for this position," said Bevensee. "I look forward to working with Dean Blanton and her team to advance the mission of the Honors College, lead the Science and Technology Honors Program and student zeal for research and innovation, and provide impactful opportunities and experiences that promote the success of students throughout the college community.”
Dr. Bevensee will begin his new role in the Honors College effective June 1.
