USGA Senate
Be the Student Voice of SHP
The USGA Senate consists of students representing the seven undergraduate schools of UAB. The School of Health Professions currently holds two seats in the Senate.
We need students like YOU to be the voice to inspire, unite, and lead other Blazers on campus. As an active leader in the USGA Senate, you will have the opportunity to work closely with faculty and administration to develop long-lasting changes across UAB. Whether you have a desire to expand your team-building skills, enhance your resume, foster strong relationships with other notable leaders, or increase awareness on a topic you are passionate about; the USGA Senate is the place to start.
Why Run?
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Develop valuable leadership and team building skills.
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Meet notable leaders on campus.
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Create long-lasting, diverse relationships with other Blazers.
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Serve your community as a peer advocate.
Requirements
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Be a first-, second-, or third-year student.
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Attend a virtual information session.
Application Deadline
Students must apply by February 2, 2024. Contact Eleanor Lee at
Attend one of the following information sessions:
- Friday, January 28 at Noon
- Tuesday, February 1 at Noon
Zoom ID: 895 4364 7802
Meet Your Current Senators
- Brent Jackson, Biomedical Sciences
- Anne Liu, Biomedical Sciences
- Snekha Rajasekaran, Biomedical Sciences
- Yesenia Villanueva, Biomedical Sciences
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Brent Jackson
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Anne Liu
Why did you join the Senate?
I joined USGA Senate to advocate for policies and initiatives that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, not just in the School of Health Professions (SHP), but also supporting positive, progressive impacts across all UAB’s campus.
What is your platform?
- Allow a more inclusive environment to connect peers organically and nourishing genuine relationships.
- Bridging gaps between SHP students and faculty.
- Engage directly with feedback from the student body.
- Expand student outreach and engagement through interactive social media opportunities.
- Increase promotion for mental wellbeing support among the student population.
- Limelight and provide accessible resources to address mental burnout of higher education students.
What do you hope to accomplish?
With my time as an SHP Senator, I hope to bring about the voices of our students through voicing mental health and wellness awareness. Additionally, I am committed to working collaboratively with my fellow SHP Senators and peers to address challenges facing our school and our campus community.
What are your plans after graduation?
Currently, I am looking to enroll in a master’s program at UAB to further pursue professional school and my personal career goals!
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Snekha Rajasekaran
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Yesi Villanueva
Why did you join the Senate?
I joined the USGA Senate to become a representative of the SHP student body and to advocate for students’ needs.
What is your platform?
- Promote diversity and inclusivity, specifically of Hispanic/Latine students, within the School of Health Professions through student spotlights.
- Promote an environment where students in all SHP academic programs (Biobehavioral Nutrition and Wellness, Biomedical Sciences, Disability Studies and Rehabilitation Science, and Health Care Management) feel heard and cared for.
- Establish community outreach initiatives for SHP students.
- Create community outreach initiatives for volunteer experience and opportunities to socialize and form relationships.
- Provide more standardized testing resources and tutoring opportunities for students.
What do you hope to accomplish?
I hope to increase engagement between the School of Health Professions and USGA. I also aspire to effectively address the needs of SHP students and implement a more inclusive science tutoring system for SHP students.
What are your plans after graduation?
Take a gap year, teach English abroad in Spain, and then attend medical school!
SHP Blazer Closet
Students saw a need and took action to do something about it. M’Kaila Isom (MSHA Class 57), Mya Buckner (MSHA Class 58) and Rani Thakker (MSHA Class 58) created the School of Health Professions (SHP) Blazer Closet.
The SHP Blazer Closet allows all SHP students and recent alumni to obtain professional attire for career fairs, networking events, internships, interviews, and other career-related occasions. It contains a variety of professional dress options that have been donated by alumni, employees, and friends of SHP.
The professional clothing closet is located inside the SHP Office of Student Services and Advising suite in room SHPB 230F.
Guidelines
- The SHP Blazer Closet is available to all SHP students.
- SHP alumni can use the closet up until one year after graduation.
- Depending on inventory, students may take up to three items or enough items to form one complete outfit (jacket, shirt/blouse, pants, etc.) from the closet per year.
- All items in the closet are free thanks to the generosity of SHP alumni, employees, and friends.
- If you accept items, you must write a thank you letter to a donor who has contributed to the closet.
- To request an appointment to shop in the SHP Blazer Closet,
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 205-934-4194. - Appointments should be booked at least 24 hours before the event for which clothing is needed.
M’Kaila Isom (MSHA Class 57)
“When I first came to the program, I noticed that the student lounge was utilized as a makeshift career closet. Professional clothes were folded in a corner or hung on a rack for anyone in need. However, I knew that there had to be a more accessible way to not only reach our students' program, but within the entire department. I began the process of finding and securing a new closet space with the help of my team. Not long after, bags of clothes and hygienic items were donated to the SHP Blazer Closet, and our drive has been a fast-growing success.”
Miracle League Volunteers
Thank you for volunteering for Miracle League Baseball!
This group is part of a national organization that provides opportunities for all children to play baseball regardless of physical ability. Located in Gardendale (about 15 minutes north of Birmingham), this nearly 16,000 square feet baseball field is designed for athletes of all ages with special needs.
Where and When
- Pate Field at Luman Harris Park (601 Park St, Gardendale, AL 35071)
- Friday, April 5, 2024
- 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
- Register through Blazer Pulse
To prepare yourself for the big day - either watch the video to the right or read below.
Game Day
- Volunteers meet at the main entrance at 5:30 p.m.
- Game one - the Minor League - begins at 6:00 p.m. and consists mostly of athletes starting at the age of five.
- Game two - the Major League - begins at 7:15 p.m. and consists mostly of adults.
- Please plan to stay until 8:00 p.m. so you can help with both games.
Things to Know Before You Go
- You are helping children and adults with disabilities play baseball.
- You will not be playing, but you will be running around the field with your buddy.
- Once you are partnered with a buddy, you will stay with them the entire time.
- Please park farther away from the field - leave the parking spaces near the field open for the participants.
- Most importantly - HAVE FUN!
Working With Your Buddy
Your buddy needs you to help and support their independence. Because each buddy's needs are unique, we've included some tips below to help you make this an amazing experience for both of you.
- Stay with your buddy. If they run all the bases - you run all the bases. ⚾
- Go with the flow. 😎
- If your buddy does not want to stop at first base - then don't - just keep running. 🏃🏽♂️
- If your buddy runs the bases in the reverse order - you run the opposite way with them. 🏃🏿♀️
- Playing in the field is often literally playing in the field. It is okay if the game is secondary. 🏅
- Some buddies need you to hit for them, but others do not. Someone will let you know their preference. 💯
- If your buddy is in a wheelchair, you will need to push them. And you will need to run while pushing. 👩🦽🏃🏿♀️
- Keep your buddy hydrated. Offer water often. 🥤
Thank You!
A sincere thank you again for volunteering for this wonderful event. We look forward to seeing you there. Go Blazers!
Experience the Miracle League
Request a SHP Ambassador
Our ambassadors are permitted to conduct tours, host events, escort visitors, welcome guests, usher guests and other similar duties for official SHP departmental events and activities. Requests should be submitted at least two weeks prior to the event. The SHP Ambassador Program strives to accommodate all requests while respecting the Ambassadors’ academic and co-curricular schedules.
Contact Information
Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholars
At the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarships are awarded to women who express financial need and an interest in pursuing studies in nursing or other health-related professions. Lettie Pate Whitehead scholars, as you will see below, are highly motivated students who have displayed leadership inside and outside of the classroom. Selection is made by the SHP Office of Student Services and Advising.
Savanna Blackmon
Hometown: Cullman, Alabama
Major: Health Care Management (Class of 2019)
“The Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarship has been a stepping stone in my education, helping me to pay for specific classes that will overall help me reach my ultimate goal of being able to care for people and advocate for them and their health needs even when they are unable to do so for themselves. Once I graduate from the University of Alabama at Birmingham this summer term, I will then begin pursing my master’s degree in occupational therapy and research. It is my dream to become an occupational therapist. Using the degree I have obtained from UAB I will have the knowledge necessary to go a step further into my dreams and start occupational therapy clinics that specialize in Orthoses and Prostheses Being a recipient of the Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarship means more to me than a scholarship helping me pay for my classes, it represents another dollar towards my goals and dreams, another dollar toward my mission to help people that are unable to help themselves.”
Emily Patterson
Hometown: Alabaster, Alabama
Major: Health Care Management (Class of 2019)
“Being a recipient of the Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarship is a huge honor because it means that I am a part of a group of young professionals wanting to change healthcare. This scholarship has helped me be able to focus on school instead of my financial situation. I plan to further my education by obtaining a degree in Healthcare Informatics and become a consultant for an EHR vendor.”
Megan Rollins
Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
Major: Health Care Management (Class of 2019)
“I feel so honored to be a recipient of the Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarship. I understand that Ms. Whitehead was a firm believer in education and I feel so thankful to have been blessed by her generous giving. This scholarship has helped me continue my education at UAB by receiving my Bachelor’s in Health Care Management. Receiving this scholarship has helped my parents and I in more ways than one. After graduation, I will be working on my Master’s degree in Health Informatics. However, once I finish that degree next summer, my goal is to work with transplant patients. I plan to stay at UAB which is the home to one of the best transplant centers in the state of Alabama! I would like to express my gratitude again by saying how thankful I am to receive this scholarship.”
Chloe Sapalaran
Hometown: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Major: Health Care Management (Class of 2019) - Health Informatics Fast-Track
“The Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarship is an honor to have received. What this scholarship means to me is dignity and higher education for women who pursue a career in health care. This scholarship has helped me pursue and further my education in health care by allowing me to partake in a dual-degree program which has allowed me to begin graduate school while an undergrad. After graduation, I plan to finish up my master’s in health informatics and find a career in project management or quality analytics.”
Adreonna Summerville
Major: Health Care Management (Class of 2019)
“Being a recipient of this scholarship means so much to me. Having this opportunity to receive a wonderful scholarship to help go towards my college education was amazing! It allowed me to conquer one of my top goals by finishing my Bachelor’s degree and graduating this August. After graduation, I plan to further my education here at UAB as I finish my pre-requisites for dental school and apply to dental school next year.”
Thank you in advance for filling out this form. If you do not receive an email confirmation upon completion, or if you have any problems filling out the form, please contact Kevin Storr at
Find Your SHP Program
The UAB School of Health Professions is the fastest growing school at UAB. We are a student-focused school that works to prepare our graduates to promote, protect, and improve the quality of health and healthcare of all people. Our team of advisors offer curriculum and academic guidance including course selection and scheduling as well as admissions counseling.
Fill out the form below and one of our dedicated advisors will be in touch to assist you.
Office of Student Services and Advising
Our educational services include supplemental instruction and degree tracking, plus, academic coaching and development. Our other services include community outreach, developing career readiness skills and being your campus resources connection.
HRP 101: Experiencing the University Transition
All freshmen declaring a pre-health major - that is any School of Health Professions undergraduate program or pre-SHP with undeclared major - are required to complete a first year experience course during their first fall term. We offer HRP 101 to ease your transition between high school and university experiences and to prepare you for success in health professions majors. The course is three semester hours credit, and is designed to be delivered in a seminar format. Students interact with faculty, advisors, and other students to learn academic skills and personal lifestyle management tactics to make their freshman experience positive and academically rewarding.
Visit us Virtually!
SHP Virtual Tour
Since we can no longer conduct in-person tours, or meet with prospective and admitted students, or just open our doors and show off our state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories - we created a virtual tour for you.
Follow our camera from building to building, room to room, lab to lab and more. See it all from the comfort of your home and the convenience of your phone. Or of course, from wherever you may be on whatever device you prefer.
Why UAB - Doctor of Physical Therapy
Kelly
Kelly, a second-year Doctor of Physical Therapy student, explains why she chose UAB. And she talks about a great thing she found at UAB - something that she wasn't even looking for.
Why SHP - Undergraduate and Research Honors Programs
Aundrea
Aundrea Harrison, an alumna of the School of Health Professions' Undergraduate Research and Honors Programs and Research Technician Certificate awardee, tells you just how the URH programs impacted her as a student and not only prepared her for the next level, but it was a "blessing" that formed who she is today.
Why UAB - Doctor of Physical Therapy Early Acceptance Program
Tara
Tara, a Doctor of Physical Therapy Early Acceptance Program student, talks about the many benefits about securing this position as an undergrad and why it gives her a jump start on her future.
2022 UAB SHP Doctor of Physical Therapy Virtual Tour
Since we cannot easily host in-person tours - we created a virtual tour for you! Dr. Christy (our Program Director) guides you through our labs, lecture rooms, study / gathering areas, her office, etc. View it all from wherever you are, on whatever device you prefer.