UAB Honors College Annual Report (2016-2017)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Letter from the Dean

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Honors by the Numbers

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Personalized and Specialized

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Fellowships and Scholarships

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Graduate Outcomes

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Honors Faculty Fellows

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Honors Experiential Learning

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Honors Student Leadership

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Release Notes The Annual Report is published by the Honors College at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Mailing Address: HHB 520 1720 2nd Ave. S Birmingham, AL 35294-1152 Physical Address: Heritage Hall, Room 520 1401 University Blvd.

Birmingham, AL 35294 Contact Information: honorscollege@uab.edu 205-996-7190 www.uab.edu/honors

Follow us on social media: Facebook: /uabhonorscollege Instagram: @honorsuab Twitter: @honorsuab A special thanks to Wallace Golding, Communications and Marketing Intern; Ben McCafferty, Digital Media Intern; and Dr. Ashley Kuntz, Director of Honors Administration.

Some photos in this publication are courtesy of the UAB Offices of Digital Media, Undergraduate Research, and Media Relations. Š 2017 HONORS COLLEGE All Rights Reserved

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From the Desk of Dean Shannon L. Blanton, Ph.D. The 2016-2017 academic year has been tremendous for the UAB Honors College. There were many “firsts” this year, including our Honors Faculty Fellows, Honors Parent Association, spring semester Honors Study Abroad, Honors College Experiential Fellows, and our student-led Honors College Leadership Council’s (HCLC) Professional Development and Peer Mentoring initiatives.

Our college continues to enrich its courses, programs, and services to

support the growing number of highachieving students who choose to make UAB their home. We offered a rich array of honors courses where students explored a broad range of topics and issues, learned from the top faculty in our university, and worked closely with their fellow honors students. Because experiential learning contributes in many important ways to the honors experience, many of our courses have featured service learning, and we have provided opportunities for students to participate in undergraduate research conferences, study abroad, and community engagement. Our honors community continues to thrive with a supportive environment for our students as well as activities that provide many

opportunities to learn and socialize with each other.

This year has seen many successes as our students rose to the challenge to “Set Your World on Fire” – and I know that all the honors faculty and staff agree with me that it has been an absolute delight to have been part of their journey this year.

Warmly,

Shannon L. Blanton, Ph.D. Dean, UAB Honors College

A special thanks to our 2016-2017 donors: Mr. and Mrs. Darius R. Alexander Drs. Elizabeth K. and David B. Allison Ms. Donna Andrews Anonymous Ms. Deedra and Ms. Amy Atkisson Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Aude Dr. Carol Ballinger Mr. and Mrs. Billy R. Barnett Mr. Nicholas M. Bernasconi Drs. Jill M. and Bryan E. Billions Birmingham Math Academy, LLC Drs. Shannon L. and Robert G. Blanton Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Breeding Mr. Matthew H. Cantor Ms. Xuemei Cao and Mr. Jianzhong Liu Ms. Anna Cheng Ms. Kendall R. Chew Ms. Helen T. Conover Dr. Michelle Cook Ms. A. Jill Cooley Mr. and Mrs. William Cox, III Engineering Design Technologies, Inc. Envision Design Plus Engineering, LLC Dr. and Mrs. Frederico Y. Fernandez Ms. Rebecca O. Freeman Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Fuller Dr. Murali K. Gadde Dr. Cristin F. Gavin Dr. and Mrs. Michael H. Geerts Mr. Jordan A. Giddens Dr. David E. Good Dr. and Mrs. Adam A. Gordon Mr. and Mrs. James Gotham Mr. and Mrs. Vikram Gunda Ms. Cassandra A. Gurganus

Ms. Emily Haley Ms. Rachel R. Hammons Ms. Sandra L. Henley Mr. and Mrs. Donald E. Hess Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Higginbotham Mr. and Mrs. David S. Hixson Dr. and Mrs. Stephen K. Holland Ms. Betty J. Huff Dr. Kim Hui Mr. Zachariah M. Ingram Ms. Kellie Isbell and Mr. Mark Ragan Mr. and Mrs. Daniel B. Ivey Mr. and Mrs. Pricha Peter Jane-Akson Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth W. Jenkins Mr. Sagar N. Kaushik Mr. Baris Kesgin Mr. Eric D. Kim Dr. Hyung-Gyoon Kim Mr. Toshiaki Kinugawa Mr. and Mrs. Mark A. Kollman Dr. Ashley F. Kuntz Ms. Carli D. Linton Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Malia Mr. and Mrs. George Mariz Mr. and Mrs. Kent D. McPhail Mr. and Mrs. Timothy T. McWilliams Mr. Daniel A. Mendoza Mr. and Mrs. Vivek Mokashi Dr. Aaron T. Neal Mr. Ikenna Okeke Drs. Cynthia Owsley and Michael Sloane Mr. and Mrs. Frank Palmieri Ms. Kamina J. Perdue Mr. and Mrs. James L. Pittman Mr. and Mrs. Christian Plazas

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph P. Ponthier Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Powell Dr. Christopher K. Power Progress Study Club Protective Life Foundation Dr. Kelly Ray Mr. and Mrs. Scott A. Reuschel Ms. Angela D. Roden Drs. Dana Ross and C. Roger White Dr. and Mrs. Norbert Schormann Sexton Family Charitable Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Smith Mr. and Mrs. Lofton D. Smith Dr. and Mrs. Steven C. Smith Southern Nuclear Operating Company Ms. Uma R. Srivastava Mr. and Mrs. James Stearos Stockham/Ray Foundation Ms. Jan M. Stone Mr. and Mrs. Russel W. Strong Ms. Abbie C. Sumners Mr. Phillip W. Sutton Ms. Mellissa Taylor Thompson Foundation Ms. Tina Tian Dr. Diane Tucker and Mr. Mark Hobson UAB Educational Foundation Dr. Natasha Varma Ms. Mona G. Vashi Ms. Amanda N. Viikinsalo Ms. Virginia Sparks Volker Vulcan Materials Company Foundation Dr. Phillip J. Ward Mr. and Mrs. Marcus M. Weinstein Ms. Sarah K. Worth UAB Honors College // 2016-2017 Annual Report

HONORS

BY THE NUMBERS 4

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An honors education at many universities is one-size-fits-all.

Not so at UAB. The UAB Honors College offers two curricular options: Personalized Path and Specialized Programs. Students in the Personalized Path work with an advisor to create their own trajectory that includes honors seminars, core, and elective courses aligned with their unique interests and goals. The Specialized Programs offer structured curricula for interdisciplinary arts and sciences, science and technology, or global and community leadership. Whichever honors curriculum our students pursue, they benefit from a close-knit community and endless opportunities.

PERSONALIZED AND SPECIALIZED

PERSONALIZED PATH We continue to see tremendous growth in the Personalized Path. What began as a relatively unknown option four years ago is now the curriculum more than 75% of our incoming freshmen are choosing to pursue. To keep pace with this growth, the Honors College has increased the number of freshman honors seminars offered each fall, expanded the availability of honors core and elective courses, offered seminars for returning students in the spring, and provided students the option to earn honors credit in open enrollment courses via a contract with faculty.

This fall, our first-year students had the option of choosing one of 13 honors seminars on topics such as global health, communication, leadership, entrepreneurship, and design thinking.

Dr. Mike Wittman, Chair of the Department of Marketing, Industrial Distribution, and Economics in the Collat School of Business, developed a course creatively entitled “Persuasion: How to Get More of What You Want and Make Others Feel Good About Giving It To You.” Meanwhile, Dean Iwan Alexander and Associate Dean Timothy Wick from the School of

Engineering offered their wildly popular seminar, “Engineering, Innovation, and Design: How to Turn a Series of Mistakes into a Successful Outcome,” for the second consecutive year. In Dr. Ashley Kuntz’s class, honors students studied educational policy while also serving as remote tutors in reading and math for students living in Greensboro, Alabama.

Thanks to the broad support from other Deans and their faculty, students also had the option of taking more than 40 honors sections of core and elective courses. These smaller honors sections allowed students to dive deeper into course material and to build stronger connections with faculty and peers.

Four years after its launch, the Personalized Path is growing stronger each day. Emily Jennings, a neuroscience major and one of the first Personalized Path students, was selected as the Honors College Dean’s Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Student winner. This fall, her journey will continue in the Netherlands as she pursues a master’s degree as a recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship.

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SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS Global and Community Leadership Honors Program

Science and Technology Honors Program

University Honors Program

While maintaining the small, family-like dynamic that is characteristic of GCL, the program has continued to welcome outstanding students, admitting to the program from a pool of both entering freshmen and current honors students.

The GCL leadership council also took the initiative to host a welcome back event, six service projects, six social events, seven academic engagement events, two town halls, and the program’s signature Holidays Around the Globe event.

Now in its 12th year, the Science and Technology Honors Program continues to build a strong community amongst its students and maintains a high standard of excellence. STH has proven to be highly effective in preparing students to participate in research beginning as early as their freshman year.

As the oldest of the UAB Honors College’s specialized programs, UHP students and faculty continue to gather national acclaim for their community involvement, research, and academics. The program continues to be represented well within the Honors College and the university, accounting for a large number of student leadership positions.

GCL’s own Isabella Mak was selected as Miss UAB, two students were named as Fulbright Scholars, and students served as commencement speakers at both fall and spring graduations. Furthermore, students were very involved in the larger leadership of the Honors College, studied abroad, and conducted research inside and outside of their majors.

STH recognized Dr. Aaron Neal, a 2010 graduate of the program who earned his Ph.D. through the NIH OxfordCambridge Program, as its inaugual Distinguished Alumnus.

Additionally, the recently founded “Hydroponics@UAB” team is collaborating with Southern Company and the Southern Research Institute to identify applications of indoor agriculture. Students will work to design and build systems that will contribute to beginning a “farm-to-table” inititative for UAB students, faculty, and staff.

UHP students presented at a number of institutional and national research conferences with 41 presenting at UAB Research Expos, 6 presenting at state and local conferences, 13 presenting at regional conferences, 18 presenting at national conferences, and 10 presenting at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. A total of 3 UHP students were awarded Clinton Scholarships to study in Dubai, and many students received institutional awards for research and service.

COURSE SPOTLIGHT

COURSE SPOTLIGHT

COURSE SPOTLIGHT

GCL students had the opportunity to take a brand new course called Burning Issues this spring. The course was co-taught by Ashley Floyd Kuntz, Ph.D., Director and Assistant Professor, and Suzanne Judd, Ph.D., Assistant Dean and Associate Professor. Together they designed the course to help students discover their “burning issues” and equip them to further explore and engage with these issues. Students worked in teams to research shared issues and presented posters at UAB’s Spring Expo. In lieu of a traditional final exam, students worked with Dr. Kuntz and Dr. Judd to develop a Personal Development Plan of curricular and co-curricular experiences to deepen their understanding of their burning issue.

Students in the program’s sequence of leadership preparation courses continued the tradition of planning and hosting the UAB Regional Science Olympiad tournament.

This year, the tournament featured students from a total of 29 middle and high schools from across Alabama. Students competed in fields including forensics, materials science, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, astronomy, and experimental design.

For more than 30 years, the University Honors Program has offered an interdisciplinary teamtaught seminar for first and second-year students, and they have yet to repeat the same topic twice. This year’s interdisciplinary seminar explored “Signs, Codes, and Symbols” and was taught by faculty from the departments of Art and Art History, Biology, English, Mathematics, and Psychology.

The 103 students in this year’s course had the opportunity to delve into the realm of semiotic studies including the categories of referential association (icon, index, and symbol), human language, and biosemiotics. Additionally, UHP offered 19 seminars on a wide variety of topics ranging from extraterrestrial intelligence to ecotheologies.

As part of his continued dedication to clinical innovation, Joel Berry, Ph.D., an associate director of the program, involved students with the new “Solution Studios” online platform, which connects students with health professionals with whom they work to solve real-world clinical care problems.

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FELLOWSHIPS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

UAB consistently produces competitive candidates for some of the world’s most prestigious fellowship and scholarship programs, thanks in part to the UAB Office of Fellowships. Housed in the UAB Honors College, the Office of Fellowships serves all UAB undergraduates, graduate students, and recent alumni applying for nationally or internationally-competitive fellowships and scholarships. The 2016-2017 academic year marks the third straight for record-breaking fellowship success for UAB students.

Thirty-two UAB students claimed fellowships to support their international study, undergraduate research, and graduate programs. Within this group, 16 students received funding to study abroad in 10 countries on 3 continents.

The Office of Fellowships made funding for international study a top priority this year, resulting in new institutional records of Fulbright Scholarship and Benjamin Gilman Scholarship recipients.

UAB undergraduate and graduate students were also recognized for their scientific prowess. UAB put forward four nominees this year for the most prestigious undergraduate math and science scholarship, the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, and three were selected as winners. Students also secured summer research funding through the Amgen Scholars Program (3), NSF-REU (5), and DAAD-RISE (1). In addition, graduate students received funding from the NIH, NSF, American

Heart Association, National Institutes of Justice, AAUW, and the American Optometric Foundation.

The Office of Fellowships also coordinated a total of 29 outreach events including informational sessions with a Fulbright Program Alumni Ambassador and the UK Consul General to educate UAB students about the Fulbright and Marshall Scholarship programs, respectively. At the 5th Annual Fellowships Luncheon held in April, the office reported that UAB students have received or been named honorable mention for 137 nationally competitive fellowships and scholarships in the last 5 years. 52% of those scholarships were awarded to students from underrepresented backgrounds, and 49% were awarded to females – tangible evidence of UAB’s commitment to providing a world-class education for all its students.

Students discuss their opportunities at one of the fellowship and scholarship information sessions.

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INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS

STEM FELLOWSHIPS

NIH FELLOWSHIPS

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Rebecca Hyde, Boren Scholarship Aaron Getman-Pickering, Clinton Scholarship Farah Jiwani, Clinton Scholarship Madi March, Clinton Scholarship Amanda Rudat, Clinton Scholarship Siddhu Srikakolapu, Clinton Scholarship Stevenson Craig, Benjamin Gilman Scholarship (Cuba) Kenneth Davis, Benjamin Gilman Scholarship (Japan) Laila-Rose Hudson, Benjamin Gilman Scholarship (France) Jane Murphy, Benjamin Gilman Scholarship (France) Kenneth Davis, Freeman ASIA Scholarship (Japan) Anthonia Carter, Fulbright Scholarship (United Kingdom) Charles Coleman, Fulbright Scholarship (Israel) Emily Jennings, Fulbright Scholarship (Netherlands) Brenna Nye, Fulbright Scholarship (Estonia) Brendan Rice, Fulbright Scholarship (Germany) Oluwafolakemi Ogunsina, AAUW International Fellowship Aileena Nelson, DAAD Research Internship in Science and Engineering (Germany)

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Sarah Adkins, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Ajanet Rountree, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Elizabeth Bevan, NSF East Asia & Pacific Summer Institute (Australia) Anna Ablamowicz, American Optometric Foundation Ezell Fellowship Cameron Postnikoff, American Optometric Association Ezell Fellowship Niharika Loomba, Amgen Scholars Program (Stanford University) Jasmin Revanna, Amgen Scholars Program (California Institute of Technology) Cody Savage, Amgen Scholars Program (Washington University in St. Louis) Ben Boros, Goldwater Scholarship Maggie Collier, Goldwater Scholarship Remy Meir, Goldwater Scholarship Ajaya Neupane, National Institute of Justice Graduate Research Fellowship

John Donnelly, Predoctoral Fellowship Morgan Locy, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Predoctoral Fellowship Lindsey Smith, National Institute on Aging Predoctoral Fellowship Katherine Savell, National Institute on Drug Abuse Predoctoral Fellowship Allie Widman, Naitonal Institute on Mental Health Predoctoral Fellowship Ryan Vaden, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stoke Predoctoral Fellowship William Webb, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stoke Predoctoral Fellowship Leanne Holt, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stoke Predoctoral Fellowship Yue Zhang, American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Charles Coleman, HC Specialized – GCL Charles Coleman graduated in April 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in international studies and high distinguished honors in global and community leadership. He will spend the next year in Israel as a Fulbright Scholar, teaching English to students at the College of Sakhnin. Upon his return, Charles will enroll at Dartmouth College’s graduate program in global studies, capitalizing on his passion for thinking globally and acting locally. Charles hopes to use these experiences to build a career with the United States Foreign Service.

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The Honors College helped me realize my potential by emphasizing service, excellence, and leadership.

The experiences it has provided to me have been invaluable to my growth as a scholar, and I am excited to carry forward the values I have learned through my honors curriculum to Israel as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant.

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Beginning in August 2016, the UAB Honors College launched a fellows program intended to promote faculty involvement with honors students, enhance the sense of belonging within the honors community, and provide stimulating academic enrichment opportunities. Interested faculty submitted proposals for the fellowship year and received the approval of both their department chairs and their Deans. A selection committee comprised of honors student leaders selected the four proposals they felt would resonate most with the honors student body. The inaugural cohort of Honors Faculty Fellows included four faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Medicine, and the Collat School of Business.

Fellows were responsible for planning and executing academic programs and community-building experiences. Each faculty member received budgetary support for project-related expenses.

They were also invited to participate in college-wide events, including the Honors New Student Retreat and Honors Graduation Celebration.

Students benefited from regular interaction with exemplary faculty, and faculty enjoyed getting to know students outside of class.

HONORS FACULTY FELLOWS

One of the most satisfying aspects of the Honors Faculty Fellows program was that it brought students and faculty together around shared interests without the pressure of exams and

grades. Students attended sessions because they were genuinely interested in the topics being offered, and faculty encountered an intellectually curious and engaged crowd at each event.

Both faculty and students were motivated by a love for learning, and that motivation sparked insightful and thought-provoking conversations about the nature of deception in politics, the all-too-common feeling of being an imposter, the effects of stress on the brain, and a myriad of other topics.

This year’s Honors Faculty Fellows did a tremendous job, and we can’t wait to see what next year’s cohort of Faculty Fellows has in our store for our students.

Dr. Cristin Gavin assisting new honors freshmen move in during the 2016 Honors Retreat.

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Cristin Gavin, Ph.D.

David Hilton, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology; School of Medicine

Associate Professor, Department of Physics; College of Arts and Sciences

Dr. Gavin had a hunch that honors students shared her love of science-fiction so she offered a sci-fi book club that brought together students from countless disciplines. She also offered yoga and guided meditation opportunities for students and educated them on the science of stress management.

Dr. Hilton invited students to join him for weekly afternoon runs during the fall semester, capitalizing on the Honors College’s sense of community. In the spring semester, he organized a discussion around the topic of Imposter Syndrome and educated students about earth-like planets in extraterrestrial systems.

Being a Fellow was kind of like being a masked

I have used my time as a Faculty Fellow to move

superhero for a day. I was able to step outside of my

outside of my own comfort zone within the

professional roles and explore different content while

Department of Physics to interact with the larger

still pursuing the goal of bringing depth and breadth

community of scholars at UAB. My programs

to student development. Collaborative teaching

allowed me to bring a physics perspective to certain

became collaborative learning, and the line between

problems while also seeing the perspectives of other

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student and faculty was non-existent.

Steve McCornack, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Communication Studies; College of Arts and Sciences

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disciplines.

Josh Robinson, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Marketing, Industrial Distribution, and Economics; Collat School of Business

Dr. McCornack offered a monthly series entitled “Dinner and Deception.” A world-renowned expert in deception studies, he engaged students in intriguing conversations surrounding politics, romantic relationships, and other aspects of daily life.

Dr. Robinson’s series, “An Economist Explains...” included lectures and discussions of topics likely to be found in news headlines, including state lotteries, gun control, the early determinants of skill formation and academic success, and the minimum wage.

This experience has been joyous, meaningful,

As a Fellow, I got to give students a chance to

impactful, and liberating. Honors students are

consider material not because they had to, but rather

brilliant, engaged, and curious, but our interactions

because they wanted to. At the same time, the

are often tightly bounded by the constrained roles of

students were constantly engaging and challenging

“student” and “professor.” This program has allowed

me with new questions and perspectives, which

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us to shatter this fettered box and connect as fellow human beings, sharing a common bond as scholars.

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allowed me to share that joy of discovery, debate, and the pursuit of truth with delightful students.

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The UAB Honors College recognizes the importance of learning through doing. Our students become engaged in experiential learning as early as their freshman year, and we continue to provide opportunities for hands-on learning throughout their college career. Research, service learning, education abroad, student leadership, and internships are just a few ways our students gain practical, real-world skills while simultaneously setting their world on fire.

HONORS EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

RESEARCH Honors College students regularly present their research at regional and national conferences. This year, we were proud to host the University of Alabama System Honors Research Day, which invited students from our sister schools in Tuscaloosa and Huntsville to present their research alongside our own students. The Honors College also coordinated a roadtrip to Memphis for the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). 43 honors students presented at this conference. The annual event welcomed undergraduate students from a total of 417 colleges and universities accross the country who gave a total of 3,269 presentations, making it one of the largest undergraduate research conferences in the country.

Closer to home, Honors College students consistently placed at the UAB EXPOs held each semester. Eight students received first or second

place in the summer expo. In the fall, 43 honors students placed in their respective categories, and 16 more honors students claimed prizes in the spring expo.

The following honors students placed first in their respective categories in one of three UAB EXPOs last year unless otherwise noted:

Sciences • • • • • • • • • • •

Aaron Landis, Behavioral Sciences Abigail Franks, Behavioral Sciences Aidan O’Beirne, Physical Sciences Dishant Shah, Engineering Katrina Hatch, Physical Sciences Megan Richard, Behavioral Sciences Oladele Osisami, Behavioral Sciences Remy Meir, Behavioral Sciences Sam Mabry, Biological Sciences Samantha Thompson, Biological Sciences Sara Harper, Behavioral Sciences

Forty-three honors students participated in NCUR in April 2017.

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Education, Arts, & Humanities • • • • • • • • • • • •

Ben Harvey, Education Cailet Hardtmann-Huckabee, Arts and Humanities Carley Blankenship, Education Joanna Schmidt, Education Joseph Lucker, Education Mira Walker, Education Sara Harper, Education Shayn Bradley, Arts and Humanities Tina Tian, Education Tulsi Patel, Education Xena Stearos, Arts and Humanities Zoey Sexton, Arts and Humanities

Works in Progress • • • • •

Cameron Gordon, Work in Progress James Davis, Work in Progress John Gotham, Work in Progress Juhee Agrawal, Work in Progress Michael Azar, Work in Progress

Other Categories • • •

Bethany Mades, Service Learning Kaustubh Udipi, Oral Presentation Kristin Deneen, Service Learning

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Tina Tian, HC Specialized – STH Tina Tian, a rising junior majoring in neuroscience, performs research focused on understanding the role of intracellular protein sorting pathways in the nervous system. She has played a hand in novel research, such as discovering the regulatory tendencies of certain nucleic acids.

Tina has completed her honors thesis proposal entitled “The Role of USP14 in the Degredation of AggregateProne Proteins” a year early and intends to employ a genetic and pharmacological approach to clarify the question of her thesis.

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Being a part of the Honors College community has afforded me so many opportunities to explore different facets of myself, unlocking my potential to be a leader, a strong student, and a researcher.

All of these things would not have been possible without the continued support of members of the honors faculty and staff.

SERVICE LEARNING AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH Our students are passionate about serving UAB and the Magic City. That’s why the Honors College puts such an emphasis on giving back. Students regularly participate in community service through various avenues, including service learning courses and community outreach.

A large component of the annual Honors College New Student Retreat is a day spent in service to our local neighborhoods and parks. In the heat of late August, students travelled to places such as Glen Iris, Railroad Park, Woodlawn, Avondale, and Five Points South to refresh the neighborhood, ridding it of trash and overgrown foliage. Other students spent their day of service at local non-profits and hospitals such as the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the Ronald McDonald House, and Children’s of Alabama.

These students capitalize on the Honors College’s strong connections with these

Students participate in a day of service as part of the annual Honors College Retreat.

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organizations to help with tasks around their respective locations.

Honors College students regularly volunteer their time to worthy causes beyond the requirements of coursework and retreats. Local non-profits have come to love honors students working with them on projects small and large.

Some of the most popular locations include the Birmingham Humane Society, Birmingham City Schools, Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve, and Oak Mountain State Park.

The Honors College offered a total of 11 service learning courses in the 20162017 academic year that enrolled more than 180 students. Instructors designed these courses to integrate their students into the community while also allowing them to chart their own academic

adventure within the scope of the class.

For example, Dr. Eddie Nabors, an instructor in the Collat School of Business, taught a course entitled “Poverty and Human Capability,” which gave students the opportunity to partner with Impact America’s SaveFirst initiative. Students were educated on the intricacies of tax law and tax preparation and put these skills to the test in the field, helping low-income families prepare and file their annual federal and state taxes at no charge.

Other honors service learning courses were offered in disciplines including literature, public health, filmmaking, and education and benefited from the continued support of the UAB Office of Service Learning.

EDUCATION ABROAD In the last year, our students have traveled to six continents and studied in countries such as Australia, Japan, Costa Rica, Germany, and Norway. This spring, the Honors College launched a new study abroad course, which enrolled 14 students. Dr. Shannon Blanton, Dean and Professor of Political Science, taught an honors seminar on Contemporary Cuba, which included a spring break trip to the country.

The course examined the ever-changing socioeconomic and political climate in the country, introducing students to the historically controversial relationship between the United States and Cuba.

The minute students arrived in Havana, they visited Revolution Square where Fidel Castro and other political figures gave speeches to the Cuban people.

This plaza was also the location of Catholic Masses directed by Pope John Paul II in 1998 and Pope Francis in 2015. Students explored Habana Vieja, or Old Havana, to visit sites including the Castillo del Morro, a Spanish fortress guarding the entrance to

Havana Bay, and the Cathedral de San Cristóbal, which is commonly regarded as one of the most architecturally beautiful churches in North America.

From there, the group traveled to Vedado, the central business district of Havana, to immerse themselves in the most modern area of the city.

Other days were spent discussing the current political and economic climate of the country with guides and speakers, even spending time with professors from the University of Havana. Students also spent time at local museums, including the Literacy Campaign

Museum, the Fine Arts Museum, and the Museum of the Revolution.

The art studios of local artists carried a large part of the group’s itinerary.

Students visited the studio and home of renowned ceramist and painter Jose Fuster, who has had his work exhibited around the globe. The group also had the opportunity to vist the studio of afro-cuban muralist and sculptor Salvador Gonzalez, allowing our students to learn about the art and culture of Cuba and other Caribbean nations first-hand.

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Students in Dr. Shannon Blanton’s course spent Spring Break in Cuba.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Daniel Mendoza, HC Specialized – UHP

Honors student Remy Meir spent the spring 2017 semester studying sustainability in Oslo, Norway.

A Gates Millennium Scholar, Daniel Mendoza has taken advantage of multiple opportunities to study abroad during his tenure at UAB. The summer after his freshman year, Daniel spent a month in Costa Rica intensively studying the Spanish language. As a sophomore, Daniel won the Clinton Scholarship to spend the summer studying at the American University in Dubai. He also enrolled in Dean Blanton’s course on socioeconomic and political change in Cuba, which included a week-long excursion to the Caribbean nation.

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I have been fortunate enough to have many of these opportunities largely thanks to faculty and staff that are determined to see each of their students succeed. The Honors College certainly lives up to its motto of “set your world on fire” by embodying a dedication to each student’s continued success both academically and socially.

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The UAB Honors College seeks to embody the values of belonging, exploring, leading, and daring. These core values drive us to provide unique opportunities for our students to take on leadership roles, whether that’s in a laboratory, an entrepreneurial venture, or a service project. We encourage our students to imagine what’s next and then lead the way.

Our students benefit from a diverse and intricate network of leadership opportunities that allow them to participate in institutional and internal planning, student recruitment, and academic engagement. The individuals who comprise these groups are dedicated to furthering the Honors College’s values by providing a greater sense of camaraderie among students, faculty, and staff both in the classroom and the community.

HONORS STUDENT LEADERSHIP

HONORS COLLEGE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL We know that our accomplished, motivated students are their own best advocates. That’s why our student representatives have come together in the Honors College Leadership Council, or HCLC. They work to foster a sense of community within the Honors College, promote the best interests of the college as a part of the larger university, and raise the profile and visibility of the college by hosting on- and off-campus events. Their work helps our students, and our college as a whole, get the visibility and support they need and deserve. Furthermore, these students are very involved with much of the planning for the college’s future, being included in discussions that are pivotal

to the continued growth and success of the Honors College.

This year, the HCLC organized and executed a total of 18 social and professional development events for honors students, including the second annual Holiday Soiree, which is pictured below.

The council planned a professional development series, which brought administrators from graduate and professional programs at UAB and others, like renowned local attorney Alexander Shunnarah, to speak with honors students about future career options.

Other events focused on enhancing the family-like atmosphere fostered within

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the Honors College. In April 2017, the HCLC hosted the second annual Honors College Spring Ball, bringing students together for a night of music, food, and fun.

HONORS RESIDENT ASSISTANTS We make it our mission to foster an inclusive, close-knit community both inside and outside the classroom. As part of an essential partnership with the Division of Student Affairs, our Honors Resident Assistants play a key role in our community building efforts. They live on the honors floors of the New Freshman Residence Hall, help our honors students navigate collegiate life, and collaborate with our honors advisors to offer fun and informative programs each month. In short, they make sure all of our new students feel at home at UAB and in the Honors College.

This year, our Honors Resident Assistants were hard at work planning and hosting events for our students in the New Freshman Residence Hall. One event mimicked an escape room, where residents had to follow a series of clues to “break out” of their dorm.

They also hosted a series of workshops that exposed the new freshmen to

college life. One in particular focused on “adulting” and shared some life skills with students. Others sought to teach

students how to manage stress and even included a few piñatas for students to “hit their stress away.”

HONORS AMBASSADORS The best representatives of the Honors College are our students, people who are passionate about what the college does and what our students are capable of doing. Our Honors Ambassadors, or HAs, are that kind of passionate. They connect with community members, university administrators and staff, current students, and prospective

students, working to ensure that the Honors College is represented and highly regarded. These student leaders work to recruit students by participating in panels for everyone from parents to high school guidance counselors, taking prospective students to lunch, and welcoming families to honors orientation dinners.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Charlotte Boles, HC Personalized Charlotte Boles graduated in April 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in Public Health. In her time with the Honors College, Charlotte served two years each as an Honors Ambassador and as a member of the Honors College Leadership Council, even spending her senior year as its President. It was in these capacities that she helped lead the Honors College into the future, ensuring its continued success through a passion and dedication seen consistently throughout her undergraduate career.

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I would never have felt as at home at UAB without these leadership opportunities the Honors College so graciously provides its students.

These positions gave me a true support system while helping me find a deeper meaning to my time here, and I am so grateful for what I have learned and experienced thanks to them.

UAB Honors College // 2016-2017 Annual Report

HONORS COLLEGE 1401 University Boulevard, HHB 520 1720 2nd Avenue South Birmingham, AL 35294-1152