President Ray Watts delivered the annual State of the University address Oct. 30 in the Hill Student Center Alumni Theater. The public event, sponsored by the Faculty Senate, offered the opportunity for the UAB community to hear about UAB’s progress during the past year firsthand and ask questions. Watch the entire presentation above, which includes the question-and-answer session with those in attendance.
Among the successes of the past year Watts highlighted:
- UAB’s No. 1 Young U.S. University and Top 10 Worldwide ranking from the Times Higher Education
- The early success of the “UAB. Powered by will.” marketing campaign, which showcases the determination of the university’s faculty, staff and students
- UAB’s third straight year of record enrollment and several new majors established and new ones to come
- Success of The Graduate School and its 13 programs ranked among the nation’s top 25; research funding successes
- U.S. News & World Report’s 2018-2019 Best Hospitals ranking, which ranked UAB Hospital No. 1 in Alabama, with 10 specialties listed among the nation’s top 50
- Creation of the new Grand Challenge initiative
- Unprecedented accomplishments in athletics, including the football team’s 7-1 start to the 2018 season, which is the best in school history and more.
One of the highlights was also the recognition of the university’s first Emmy® award for “Outstanding Sports-Feature Segment,” which was announced at the 2018 Southeast Regional Emmy® Awards in Atlanta this past summer.