UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM Commencement FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2021 AND SATURDAY, MAY 1, 2021 LEGION FIELD BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA TO OUR GUESTS Welcome to the Spring 2021 Commencement of The University of Alabama at Birmingham. The pageantry of today’s ceremony is the culmination and recognition of years of study, preparation, and achievement of our 80th class of graduates. We hope you find the ceremony both meaningful and memorable, as it reflects the combined efforts of the faculty, the staff, and, of course, our students and their families. Commencement begins with the traditional academic procession. The graduates are led into Legion Field by marshals who are faculty members in their respective college and schools. The faculty, headed by a distinguished group of emeriti professors, follow in order of academic rank and seniority. The last group to enter is the platform party led by the UAB Academic Mace (see page 12). For the Friday evening ceremony, the mace is carried by David A. Schneider, Ph.D., professor and vice-chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and associate dean of Graduate Biomedical Sciences. He also serves as chair of the Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Tenure and Promotions Committee and the Teaching Committee. He is a recipient of the 2019 UAB President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and the 2014 UAB Graduate Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentorship. Dr. Schneider’s research includes characterizing trans-acting factors and enzymatic features that control synthesis of ribosomal RNA by RNA polymerase I as well as anti-cancer drug discovery, viral gene expression and cancer cell growth/proliferation. His research lab has maintained continuous, robust extramural support through the year 2026. For the Saturday ceremonies, the mace is carried by Robert M. Centor, M.D., Professor Emeritus in the Division of Internal Medicine in the Department of Medicine in the School of Medicine, the 2020 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer. Dr. Centor served as associate dean and executive director of the Huntsville Regional Medical Campus from 2005-2017. He is one of the world's leading experts on the sore throat. His seminal work on Group A streptococcal infections as a cause of sore throat is known as the Centor score or Centor criteria in practice guidelines and decision aids for diagnostic purposes. Next are Ray L. Watts, M.D., President of The University of Alabama at Birmingham, members of The Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama System, and representatives from The University of Alabama System’s Office. Other persons in the platform party include distinguished guests, as well as UAB senior administration and deans. The audience is asked to stand as the procession enters the arena and to remain standing through the singing of the National Anthem. President Watts closes the ceremony after all degrees have been awarded and the UAB Alma Mater has been sung. The audience is asked to stand and to remain standing for the recessional of the platform party. Family and friends are asked to meet the new alumni outside of Legion Field; they will not be allowed on the field. 2 ORDER OF EXERCISES (Friday, April 30, 2021 - 2:00 p.m. Ceremony) Prelude .................................................................................................. UAB Brass Quintet “Rondeau” (Mouret/King) “Bravura March” (Duble/Holcolmbe) “Grand Valley Fanfare” (Eric Ewazen) “Amparito Roca” (Texidor/Endsley) “The Entertainer” (Joplin/Frackenpohl) “The Klaxon” (Henry Fillmore) “Blue Skies” (Berlin/Jarvis) “Washington Post” (Sousa/Holcombe) “St. Louis Blues” (Handy/Holcombe) Processional .................................................................. “Pomp and Circumstance” (Elgar) (Please stand) Platform Party Processional .................................................. The Alabama Pipes & Drums National Anthem ....................................................................................... Nicholas Mathes “The Star-Spangled Banner” (Remain standing) Welcome .............................................................................................. Ray L. Watts, M.D. (Be seated) President Conferral of Academic Degrees .................................................................. President Watts UAB Alma Mater ...................................................................................... Nicholas Mathes Platform Party Recessional ................................................... The Alabama Pipes & Drums (Remain standing) Postlude ................................................................................................. UAB Brass Quintet “Washington Post” (Sousa/Holcombe) UAB Brass Quintet: Bearer of the Academic Mace: Dr. James Zingara, trumpet David A. Schneider, Ph.D. Dr. Steve Roberts, trumpet James Baker, horn Announcers: Colby Kunkel, trombone Patrick Evans, DM Tom Yan, tuba Jeffrey Warren Reynolds, DMA The Alabama Pipes & Drums: Sign Language Interpreters: Daniel Akin, Pipe Major Elizabeth Spiller Anna Hayes 3 ORDER OF EXERCISES (Saturday, May 1, 2021 - 9:30 a.m. Ceremony) Prelude .................................................................................................. UAB Brass Quintet “Rondeau” (Mouret/King) “Bravura March” (Duble/Holcolmbe) “Grand Valley Fanfare” (Eric Ewazen) “Amparito Roca” (Texidor/Endsley) “The Entertainer” (Joplin/Frackenpohl) “The Klaxon” (Henry Fillmore) “Blue Skies” (Berlin/Jarvis) “Washington Post” (Sousa/Holcombe) “St. Louis Blues” (Handy/Holcombe) Processional .................................................................. “Pomp and Circumstance” (Elgar) (Please stand) Platform Party Processional .................................................. The Alabama Pipes & Drums National Anthem ............................................................................................ Grace Becher “The Star-Spangled Banner” (Remain standing) Welcome .............................................................................................. Ray L. Watts, M.D. (Be seated) President Presentation of the UAB President’s Medal ................................................ President Watts Conferral of Academic Degrees .................................................................. President Watts UAB Alma Mater .......................................................................................... Eric Campbell Platform Party Recessional ................................................... The Alabama Pipes & Drums (Remain standing) Postlude ................................................................................................. UAB Brass Quintet “Washington Post” (Sousa/Holcombe) UAB Brass Quintet: Bearer of the Academic Mace: Dr. James Zingara, trumpet Robert M. Centor, M.D. Dr. Steve Roberts, trumpet James Baker, horn Announcers: Colby Kunkel, trombone Patrick Evans, DM Tom Yan, tuba Alison Chapman, Ph.D. The Alabama Pipes & Drums: Sign Language Interpreters: Daniel Akin, Pipe Major Anna Hayes Elizabeth Spiller 4 ORDER OF EXERCISES (Saturday, May 1, 2021 - 3:30 p.m. Ceremony) Prelude .................................................................................................. UAB Brass Quintet “Rondeau” (Mouret/King) “Bravura March” (Duble/Holcolmbe) “Grand Valley Fanfare” (Eric Ewazen) “Amparito Roca” (Texidor/Endsley) “The Entertainer” (Joplin/Frackenpohl) “The Klaxon” (Henry Fillmore) “Blue Skies” (Berlin/Jarvis) “Washington Post” (Sousa/Holcombe) “St. Louis Blues” (Handy/Holcombe) Processional .................................................................. “Pomp and Circumstance” (Elgar) (Please stand) Platform Party Processional .................................................. The Alabama Pipes & Drums National Anthem .......................................................................................... Lauren Tinsley “The Star-Spangled Banner” (Remain standing) Welcome .............................................................................................. Ray L. Watts, M.D. (Be seated) President Conferral of Academic Degrees .................................................................. President Watts UAB Alma Mater ......................................................................................... Lauren Tinsley Platform Party Recessional ................................................... The Alabama Pipes & Drums (Remain standing) Postlude ................................................................................................. UAB Brass Quintet “Washington Post” (Sousa/Holcombe) UAB Brass Quintet: Bearer of the Academic Mace: Dr. James Zingara, trumpet Robert M. Centor, M.D. Dr. Steve Roberts, trumpet James Baker, horn Announcers: Colby Kunkel, trombone Patrick Evans, DM Tom Yan, tuba Dennis McLernon, MFA The Alabama Pipes & Drums: Sign Language Interpreters: Daniel Akin, Pipe Major Elizabeth Spiller Kenton Myers 5 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 Mike Brock, 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