FROM THE DEAN CONTINUED

The Department of History hosted Dr. Mikko Saikko, of the University of Helsinki, for a talk “Manly Nations through Nature: Frontier, Wilderness, Hunting, and Class in North America and the Nordic Countries,” and Dr. Sam Perry, of the University of Oklahoma, who spoke on “A House Dividing: Why White Christian Nationalism is Everyone’s Problem.”

The Department of Music provided many faculty and student recitals; band, choir, opera/musical theatre, and orchestra performances; and a variety of master classes presented by guest clinicians.

The Departments of Politics, Justice, Law, and Philosophy (PJLP) and Geoscience collaborated to offer the Interagency Cooperation Field Practicum Education Visit and Symposium to students in Wayne Bergeron’s Interagency Cooperation course in Criminal Justice/SEM and Michael Pretes’ Geopolitics course. Ten students and the two faculty members travelled to Washington DC in November. Students were able to explore interagency cooperation in law enforcement, crisis management, and national security by visiting the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department, the US Department of Energy (Office of Science), the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, and the US Marshals Service. Students also had the opportunity to visit various Washington DC landmarks, memorials, and museums. The UNA Mock Trial Team (PJLP) began its competition season in October, participating in tournaments held by the University of Arkansas and the University of Mississippi. The team, under the leadership of Senior team captains Lovepreet Chopra and Yaslin Perez, represented themselves well against teams from Rhodes College, Millsaps College, Middle Tennessee State University, Missouri State University, and Brandeis University. UNA’s Model UN team, led by Leah Graham, competed in Washington DC in November, where they represented the Republic of Albania in General Plenaries, Security Council, World Health Agency, and United Nations Environmental Assembly. The team passed all of their sponsored resolutions, coordinated several collaborations, and gave rousing speeches as a part of the competition.

Opportunities for Education

Abroad experiences are an important facet of our commitment to providing experiential learning for our students. The department of Foreign Languages led education abroad trips to France (Stephanie Coker and Robert Rausch from the Department of Visual Arts and Design), Germany (Rebecca Linam and the College of Business and Technology), and Spain (Scott Infanger and Claudia Vance). Additionally, department faculty and students participated in semester-long Collaborative Online International Learning projects with University of Lorraine, France (Stephanie Coker’s French class) and the Universidad Marista, Mexico (Claudia Vance's Spanish class).

Community engagement activities included Rebecca Linam’s SPARK for German program classes at the Florence Library, Andrea Nate's simulated clinical encounters in Spanish for her class, interpreting internships at Florence City Schools, and volunteer interpreting at la Clínica Cristiana.

Upcoming trips Education

Abroad trips for Summer 2023 include: (We have had alumni join us for Education Abroad. Let us know if you are interested!)

United Kingdom: Cheryl Price and Brenna Wardell

Spain: Claudia Vance and Alejandra Alvarado-Brizuela

Paris: Stephanie Coker and Robert Rausch

Costa Rica: Lisa Blankinship and

Emily Karl

Italy: Dhrumil Patel, Kendra

McLain, and Laura McKee

Germany and England: Gabriela

Carrasco and Chris Klein

Germany: Rebecca Linam

University Gallery Director, Chiong-Yiao Chen (Visual Arts and Design) facilitated exhibits in the UNA Galleries: Florence

Artists in Practice: A Continued Pursuit showcased 13 local artists; Holding Time featuring works by Kristin Husainy; the Hidden Spaces Exhibition, a collaboration between Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area (Carrie Crawford), UNA Public History Center (Brian DempseyHistory), and photographer, Abraham Rowe. Students in Kristin Husainy’s classes visited several art spaces in Nashville and the Rosenbaum House here in Florence.

The Jeff Eubanks Culinary Arts Management program offered a Chopped Challenge for student chefs and the Fashion Merchandising and Design program held the Shoals Designer Showcase, a student-led fashion show featuring student designs and including works of local designers Billy Reid, AL Chanin, and Su Vichi. This event featured a collaboration with CAM/HEM as the students designed, created, and served the food for the event, as well as a collaboration with students from Northwest Shoals Community College’s Salon & Spa division, who created hair and makeup looks for the fashion show in October.

I hope many of our alumni can visit us and experience the energy and excitement of our outstanding and engaged faculty, staff, and students!

ROAR LIONS!

Dr. Sara Lynn Baird, Dean