Commencement
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM Commencement FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2020 AND SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 2020 1 ORDER OF EXERCISES (Friday, August 14, 2020 - 6:00 p.m. Graduate Ceremony) National Anthem ......................................................................... Grace Becher, BA, Music “The Star-Spangled Banner” President’s Message ............................................................................. Ray L. Watts, M.D. President Graduate Dean Message ....................................................................Lori McMahon, Ph.D. Dean, Graduate School Graduate Student Message ..................................................................... Jazmine Benjamin President, Graduate Student Government Association Presentation of Students ............................................................................. Personal Videos Congratulatory Messages ......................................... School Deans and Department Chairs Alumni Message ...................................................................................... Hafiz Chandiwala President, UAB National Alumni Society Closing Remarks ................................................................................ Pamela Benoit, Ph.D. Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost UAB Alma Mater .... UAB Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Dr. Brian Kittredge, Director UAB Gospel Choir, Dr. Reginald Jackson, Director 1 ORDER OF EXERCISES (Saturday, August 15, 2020 – 9:30 a.m. Undergraduate Ceremony) National Anthem ......................................................................... Grace Becher, BA, Music “The Star-Spangled Banner” President’s Message ............................................................................. Ray L. Watts, M.D. President Undergraduate Student Message ...................................................................... Tyler Huang President, Undergraduate Student Government Association Presentation of Students ............................................................................. Personal Videos Congratulatory Messages ......................................... School Deans and Department Chairs Alumni Message ...................................................................................... Hafiz Chandiwala President, UAB National Alumni Society Closing Remarks ................................................................................ Pamela Benoit, Ph.D. Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost UAB Alma Mater .... UAB Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Dr. Brian Kittredge, Director UAB Gospel Choir, Dr. Reginald Jackson, Director 2 The Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama The Honorable Kay Ivey Governor of Alabama President ex officio TRUSTEES (by Congressional District) First District Fifth District Harris V. Morrissette, Mobile Ronald W. Gray, Huntsville* Marietta M. Urquhart, Mobile William B. Sexton, Decatur Second District Sixth District Joseph C. Espy, III, Montgomery Vanessa Leonard, Rockford W. Davis Malone, III, Dothan W. Stancil Starnes, Birmingham Third District Seventh District Kenneth L. Vandervoort, M.D., Anniston Karen Phifer Brooks, Tuscaloosa James W. Wilson, III, Montgomery John H. England, Jr., Tuscaloosa Fourth District Barbara Humphrey, Birmingham Evelyn VanSant Mauldin, Florence Scott M. Phelps, Tuscaloosa TRUSTEES EMERITI Paul W. Bryant, Jr., Tuscaloosa Peter L. Lowe, Huntsville Angus R. Cooper, II, Mobile John J. McMahon, Jr., Birmingham Joseph L. Fine, Montgomery John T. Oliver, Jr., Jasper Sandral Hullett, M.D., Eutaw Joe H. Ritch, Huntsville Andria S. Hurst, Birmingham Cleophus Thomas, Jr., Anniston Finis E. St. John, IV, Cullman John Russell Thomas, Alexander City John D. Johns, Birmingham CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA SYSTEM Finis E. St. John, IV *President pro tempore 3 THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM Senior Administration Ray L. Watts, M.D. Paulette Patterson Dilworth, Ph.D. President Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Pam Benoit, Ph.D. Senior Vice President for William Ferniany, Ph.D. Academic Affairs and Provost CEO, UAB Health System G. Allen Bolton, Jr., MPH, M.B.A. Reid F. Jones Vice President for Financial Affairs CEO, UAB Medicine and Administration John R. Jones, III, Ph.D. Thomas I. Brannan Vice President for Student Affairs Vice President for Development and Alumni Selwyn M. Vickers, M.D., F.A.C.S. Senior Vice President and Dean, Christopher S. Brown, Ph.D. School of Medicine Vice President for Research Bradley Barnes, Ph.D. Jim Bakken Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Interim Chief Communications Officer Curtis A. Carver, Jr., Ph.D. Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer Deans Shannon Blanton, Ph.D. Kasia Gonnerman, M.A., M.L.S. Dean, UAB Honors College Dean, UAB Libraries Andrew J. Butler, MPT, MBA, Ph.D. Kelly K. Nichols, O.D., MPH, Ph.D., FAAO Dean, School of Health Professions Dean, School of Optometry Autumn Tooms Cyprès, Ed.D. Dean, School of Education Kecia M. Thomas, Ph.D. Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Paul C. Erwin, M.D., DrPH Dean, School of Public Health Russell Taichman, D.M.D., DMSc Doreen C. Harper, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN Dean, School of Dentistry Dean, School of Nursing Selwyn M. Vickers, M.D., F.A.C.S. Eric P. Jack, Ph.D. Dean, School of Medicine Dean, Collat School of Business Lori L. McMahon, Ph.D. Jeffrey W. Holmes, M.D., Ph.D. Dean, Graduate School Dean, School of Engineering 4 2020 CAROLINE P. AND CHARLES W. IRELAND PRIZE FOR SCHOLARLY DISTINCTION Dr. Steven N. Austad, Ph.D. Distinguished Professor and Chair Department of Biology College of Arts and Sciences 2019 DISTINGUISHED FACULTY LECTURER Gregg H. Gilbert, DDS, MBA Distinguished Professor and Chair Department of Clinical and Community Sciences School of Dentistry 2019 ELLEN GREGG INGALLS/UAB NATIONAL ALUMNI SOCIETY AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN TEACHING Gustavo R. Heudebert, M.D., M.A.C.P. Professor and Associate Dean School of Medicine 2020 PRESIDENT'S AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING Terri Call, Ph.D., Assistant Professor School of Optometry Renato Camata, Ph.D., Associate Professor College of Arts and Sciences Christopher Edison, M.S., Assistant Professor School of Health Professions Karmie Johnson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor School of Nursing Suzanne Judd, Ph.D., Professor Honors College Roy Koomullil, Ph.D., Associate Professor School of Engineering Randy Kornegay, M.A., Instructor Collat School of Business Robin Lanzi, Ph.D., Professor School of Public Health Tondra Loder-Jackson, Ph.D., Professor School of Education Augusto Robles, DDS. M.S., Associate Professor School of Dentistry Nicholas Van Wagoner, M.D., Associate Professor School of Medicine Janet Yother, Ph.D., Professor Joint Health Sciences 2019 ODESSA WOOLFOLK COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD Monica L. Baskin, Ph.D., Professor School of Medicine 5 THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM Since its inception in 1969, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has earned international renown for its innovative academic programs, groundbreaking research and scholarship, and leading-edge patient care. The university celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019 by surpassing a number of significant milestones. UAB was named the top young university in the United States for the second consecutive year — and among the top 12 worldwide — in the Times Higher Education Young University Rankings. UAB also received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine for the third year. In November, UAB announced a new record total for research funding, with $602 million in research grants and awards received from November 2018 through October 2019. This was a $75 million increase compared with 2018; over the past five years, research funding has grown by more than $154 million. UAB ranks in the top 10 among all public universities in funding from the National Institutes of Health. With 23,000 employees, UAB is the largest single-site employer in the state of Alabama with an annual economic impact of more than $7.1 billion. Due to its growing and increasingly residential campus in the heart of a vibrant and diverse community, the university offers unparalleled opportunities for teaching, research, scholarship, and service. The campus consists of more than 150 buildings spread over 100 city blocks within walking distance of downtown Birmingham. UAB continues to establish innovative academic programs across campus. In the past two years, new bachelor’s degrees have launched in Immunology, Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Medical Sociology and Bioinformatics, along with master’s degree programs in Data Science and Engineering Management. Bachelor’s degrees in Entrepreneurship and Cancer Biology, along with a doctoral program in Neuro-engineering, are in development. The UAB Honors College provides enhanced experiential learning opportunities to more than 2,000 high-ability undergraduates. In the 2020 U.S. News & World Report “Best Graduate Schools” rankings, UAB has 14 programs in the top 25, including a master’s in health administration program that ranks first in the nation. UAB is home to the largest hospital in Alabama and one of the largest public hospitals in the United States. Last year, UAB and Children’s of Alabama treated more patients than ever: more than 1.7 million. UAB also houses the state’s only level 1 adult trauma center and the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute- designated comprehensive cancer center in Alabama. The Comprehensive