In the waning moments of an Australian winter day last July, Alan Franks ended up surrounded by curious kangaroos. Franks, a filmmaker, assistant professor in the Department of Communication Studies and director of the department’s broadcasting program, is attracted to ecosystems in danger and the people fighting to preserve them.

It seems obvious today, but in 2013, the idea of a multi-disciplinary arts in medicine program that was designed to improve patient experiences and outcomes was pretty unusual.

Back in January 2014, excitement was running high ahead of the grand opening of UAB’s Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts.