UAB Public Relations works with students, faculty, staff and the news media to support the institution’s strategic goals and inform the public. Contact us for more information or to request phone, in-person, e-mail or to use the UAB News Studio for interviews with our experts, including those within the UAB Health System.

Alicia Rohan
Director of External Public Relations
arohan@uab.edu • (205) 975-7515Leads strategy development and implementation for a team of public relations professionals to coordinate external communications for the university and health system, including media relations, emergency communication, social media and special projects.

Savannah Koplon
Public Relations Manager, Traditional University Campus
skoplon@uab.edu • (205) 641-1211Leads external communications for units within the traditional university campus. Koplon and her team proactively reach out to the media to secure media hits telling the story of happenings on campus ranging from the arts to student stories, graduate and undergraduate research and beyond. The team works reactively to ensure appropriate experts are connected with media within their deadline.
Specific beats include: College of Arts and Sciences; Department of Biology; Department of Mathematics; Department of Chemistry; Department of Physics; Department of Anthropology; Bill L. Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship; School of Education; Athletics; Office of the Provost for Student and Faculty Success; Enrollment, Admissions and Financial Aid; Human Resources; Issues Management

Bob Shepard
Public Relations Manager, Health and Medicine
bshep@uab.edu • (205) 934-8934Leads external communications in healthcare, biomedical research and for UAB's six professional schools; Dentistry, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, Optometry and Public Health. Shepard and his team proactively tell the story of UAB health and medicine, including patient stories, innovative research and new therapies, through original content and extensive collaborations with local, national and international media. The team works reactively to ensure appropriate experts are connected with media within their deadline.
Specific beats include: Civitan International Research Center; Center for Clinical and Translational Science; Department of Emergency Medicine; Health System Administration; School of Medicine; Administration; Student News; Education; Department of Neurology; Department of Neurosurgery; Department of Orthopedic Surgery; Reynolds Historical Library; Alabama Museum of the Health Sciences; Lister Hill Library; Acute Care Surgery, Department of Radiation Oncology, Precision Medicine; Informatics Institute

Ted Feeley
Associate Athletics Director for Communication
tfeeley@uab.edu • (205) 934-0730Leads external communications for UAB Athletics.

Jeff Hansen
Research Editor
jeffhans@uab.edu • (205) 209-2355Communicates UAB research discoveries and initiatives from across the university for a variety of audiences.
Specific beats include: biochemistry; cell, developmental and integrated biology; microbiology; molecular genetics; neurobiology; pathology; pharmacology and tocixology; Alabama Drug Discovery Alliance; Bill L. Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Brianna Hoge
Public Relations Specialist
bhoge@uab.edu • (205) 855-9983Supports the external communications teams by posting stories, building media relationships, distributing press releases and providing analytics for media coverage.
Specific beats include: College of Arts and Sciences; psychology

Holly Gainer
Public Relations Specialist
hgainer@uab.edu • (205) 410-8046Specific beats include: Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care; Primary Care; School of Nursing; School of Public Health; Division of Nephrology; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Telemedicine; Department of Pediatrics; Women’s Health

Adam Pope
Public Relations Specialist
arpope@uab.edu • (205) 934-6986Specific beats include: School of Health Professions ; Division of Transplantation; Xenotransplantation;
Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; UAB Callahan Eye Hospital ; Department of Otolaryngology; Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine; Division of Preventive Medicine ; Minority Health Research Center; Division of Infectious Diseases; Division of Urology
Yvonne Taunton
Public Relations Specialist
ytaunton@uab.edu • (205) 934-8931Specific beats include: College of Arts and Sciences; Department of English; Department of History; Department of Philosophy; Department of Criminal Justice; African American Studies Program; Department of Computer Sciences; Department of Political Science and Public Administration; CORD; Department of Social Work; Department of Sociology; School of Engineering; Collat School of Business; Facilities;
Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Beena Thannickal
Communication Director of the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center
beenat@uab.edu • (205) 975-3967Covers stories and media requests within cancer research and patient care. Develops and executes internal communications for the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Shannon Thomason
Public Relations Specialist
thomason@uab.edu • (205) 975-8858Specific beats include: The Arts at UAB; Alys Stephens Center ; AEIVA; ArtPlay ; Arts in Medicine;
Career & Professional Development Services; Veterans Services; Lecture Series; Homecoming; dministrative News; College of Arts and Sciences; Department of Art and Art History; Department of Theatre; Department of Communication Studies; Institute for Human Rights; WBHM; National Alumni Society; Homecoming; The Graduate School; Development