A picture by itself can be worth 1000 words, but as the 1st place photo in the Office for Diversity & Inclusions’ photo contest, we wanted to give it a few more.

The winning photo for the first-ever ODI photo contest was taken by Michael Sloane, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Ophthalmology, and Director of the University Honors Program.

The UAB University Honors Program (UHP) is an interdisciplinary arts and science program whose 33-credit hour curriculum replaces a student’s core curriculum, the only such exception in the state of Alabama. Since all undergraduates have to complete the Core, the UHP is open to students of all academic majors.

The picture was taken in March 2018, while a group of students were in Washington, D.C. to present their research at the Southern Regional Honors Council conference, a conference for all honors programs and colleges in the southeast United States.

To make the most of the trip, the group arrived in D.C. a day early. Using the network of UAB alumni, the UHP University Honors Program was able to connect with Senator Doug Jones and his aide to prearrange a tour of the Capitol. As part of the behind-the-scenes look at the Capitol, students took the underground trolley train to the Senate building—where they visited the office of Doug Jones and talked with his staff.

Dr. Sloane reflected, “After the events of January 6th—when the Capitol was stormed—I realized that our group is likely to be one of the last that will get such a close and unfettered look at some of the hallowed areas of the Capitol building such as the Senate floor and gallery, the Senate Office building, etc.” He added, “When I pulled this photo for the contest, I noticed how much it captures diversity at UAB. The UHP, which takes 50 students a year, is probably one of the most diverse undergraduate programs on campus. To see these students visiting the Capitol, the people’s house, made me remember THIS is the real America. This is how one should visit the Capitol – a diverse group of people, seeing and having reverence for, the buildings that belong to them.”

Beyond the gender and ethnic diversity that can be seen in the photo, Dr. Sloane spoke to the variety of interests and personalities as well as the diversity of religious affiliations and political views that the group pictured represents. Many of the students have gone on from their time in the UHP pursuing different disciplines, to attend the UAB School of Medicine. Starting in the back row, from left to right, students and UHP staff pictured include:

Back Row

• Madi March (MSc at Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
• Rusty Rushton (Associate Director, University Honors Program)
• Rebecca Freeman (Project Coordinator, University Honors Program)
• Rahul Gaini (Entered UAB School of Medicine in 2018)
• Amir Ahmed (Entered UAB School of Medicine in 2018)
• Donna Andrews (Program Manager, University Honors Program)
• Rachael Rainey (Entered UAB School of Medicine in 2018)

Front Row

• Sunya Reddy (Starting at UAB School of Medicine in July 2021)
• Hannah Bae (UAB MPH)
• Lakshmi Subramani (Entered UAB School of Medicine in 2018)
• Capri Alex (Starting at Pritzker SOM, Univ. of Chicago in July 2021)
• Jasmin Revanna (Doctoral Program in Neuroscience, UC-San Diego)
• Tyler Huang (current USGA President, future medical student)
• Ala’a Abu-Spetani (Entered UAB School of Medicine in 2018)