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University News
Ashlyn Nichols crowned Miss University of Mobile 2022
Ashlyn Nichols will represent UM throughout 2022 including at the Miss Photo by Abigail Brock Alabama competition in July. A native of Missouri, Nichols discovered UM when she represented her state at the national Distinguished Young Women program in Mobile. “I really love this school,” Nichols says. “The faculty and staff were so sweet. They just welcomed me, and I have been at home ever since.”
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First Female NFL Offi cial Sarah Thomas ’95 Awarded Doctorate
University of Mobile alumna Sarah Bailey Thomas broke glass ceilings to become the Photo by Dan Anderson fi rst female offi cial in the National Football League. She shared lessons learned on that journey during her commencement address to the UM Class of 2021. Thomas was awarded the Doctor of Humane Letters during the outdoor ceremony on campus May 8. The 265 graduates included the fi rst doctoral degrees from the Doctor of Nursing Practice and Doctor of Musical Arts in vocal performance programs. Thomas urged graduates to look upon roadblocks as speed bumps “and the quicker you get over the speed bump, the faster it is in your rearview mirror. When you put that in your rearview mirror, don’t look behind you. Your windshield is so much bigger, and there are so many opportunities in front of you.” Thomas graduated from UM in 1995, having earned a basketball scholarship and Academic All-American honors. She began her football offi ciating career in 1996 when she attended a meeting for aspiring football offi cials with her brother. She became the fi rst full-time female offi cial in NFL history in 2015. On Feb. 7, 2021, she became the fi rst female to offi ciate a Super Bowl, serving as down judge for Super Bowl LV.
Tracey Henry ’02 Named 2021 Boykin Award Honoree
Dr. Tracey Henry, a physician and professor with Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, was awarded the 2021 Samuel Boykin Medal of Excellence. The psychology graduate attended medical school at Georgetown University and earned her Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkin University. Additionally, Henry was named a UM Alumni of the Decade for the 2000s
The Samuel Boykin Medal of Excellence was established in 2019 to honor the life of the late Samuel M. Boykin, the fi rst African American graduate of the University of Mobile. The award recognizes outstanding African American graduates of the Christian university who refl ect the ideals of virtuosity, faith and charity that Boykin exemplifi ed throughout his career, family and community.
TorchLight Extra! Watch the feb.26, 2021 virtual presentation
Treii Pace ’11 Named 2022 Boykin Award Recipient
The 2022 Samuel Boykin Medal of Excellence is awarded to 2011 graduate Treii Pace. The native of Saraland graduated from Satsuma High Photo by Rovy Lopez School and played basketball at the University of Mobile. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Performance and Exercise Science. He was named 2021 Teacher of the Year for Saraland Elementary School and the district, and also coaches the girl’s middle school basketball team. The award will be presented at an Alumni Brunch on March 26. (Read Treii’s UM story on Page 40.)
UM Recognized as a ‘Best Value School’
The University of Mobile again earned top honors from U.S. News & World Report in the 2022 Best Colleges rankings released Sept. 13, 2021. The annual Photo by Trey Taulbee Best Colleges report assess academic quality among regionally accredited colleges and universities throughout the United States. UM was named a Best Value School among regional colleges in 5 the South, based on academic quality and net cost of attendance. UM was the highest ranked regional college in Alabama for veterans, earning #9 Best Regional College in the South for Veterans.
UM also ranked as a Top Performer on Social Mobility at #37 among regional colleges in the South. The category recognizes colleges that are successful at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating economically disadvantaged students who receive federal Pell Grants, which are awarded to students whose adjusted gross family incomes are under $50,000.
#1 Dorms in Alabama, #1 Best College in Mobile
The popular ranking and review site Niche gave the University of Mobile top marks across a variety of categories in its 2022 Best Colleges rankings of public and private universities in Alabama. The site includes data for 4,136 colleges nationwide. Niche ranked colleges throughout the United States in more than 50 categories, then broke those rankings down by state and city.
UM honors include:
• #1 Best College Dorms in Alabama • #1 Best College in the Mobile Area • #2 Safest College Campus in Alabama • #2 Best College Campus in Alabama
Nationally, UM was named:
• #19 Best College Dorms in America • #22 Best College Campuses in America
Former UM President Mike Magnoli ’67 Remembered
University of Mobile flags were lowered to half-staff in honor of the university’s second president, Dr. Michael A. Magnoli, who died May 1, 2021. Magnoli was a member of the first graduating class of Mobile College in 1967 and served as president of his alma mater from 1984 to 1997. Mobile College became the University of Mobile during his tenure. (See Class Notes Page 47.)
Christmas Spectacular returned for its 19th year in November, 6 celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Photo by Rovy Lopez and ringing in the joyous Christmas season for audiences numbering over 10,000 during five performances at Cottage Hill Baptist Church in Mobile. Thousands more watched highlights of “Spec” via local television and satellite stations. From the days of the Boar’s Head Festival with its medieval pageantry in Pharr Gym to today’s Christmas Spectacular, University of Mobile students, faculty and staff have celebrated the season with harmony, humor and reverence. Enjoy Christmas Spectacular this year and in the years to come with DVDs available for purchase. Search “Christmas Spectacular” at universityofmobilestore.com.
Photo by Allie Judkins
New ADN Program Aims to Reduce Nursing Shortages
The School of Nursing announced a new Associate Degree in Nursing program that aims to reduce nursing shortages by preparing students to enter the workforce quickly.
The two-year ADN program will begin August 2022, pending final approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Students will gain hands-on experience in UM’s Center for Excellence in Healthcare Practice. The Center features skills labs and high-fidelity patient simulators to mirror scenarios students will experience in their professional nursing careers. The School of Nursing has agreements with more than 20 health care facilities that offer nursing students the clinical experiences they need to prepare for a career in their field.
For more information, visit umobile.edu/adn or call Enrollment Services at 251.442.2222.
Project Serve 10th Anniversary
The 10th annual Project Serve university-wide day of service was held Oct. 22, 2021. UM students, faculty and staff volunteered at over 30 locations. Projects ranged from cleaning tents for the City Photo by Christian Hilley of Mobile at Copeland-Cox Tennis Center to renovating homes with Habitat for Humanity. Students packed care baskets, assisted with art lessons at the Mobile Museum of Art, cleaned out storage rooms at Saraland Elementary School and tested water quality with Mobile Baykeepers. “When you’re out serving in the community, with friends or someone you just met, it brings a type of joy that is simply indescribable,” says Tucker Hill, a senior majoring in Integrated Marketing Communication. See Project Serve photos at umobile.edu/projectserve.
TorchLight Extra! Watch the Project Serve 10th Anniversary video
2021 Homecoming Queen Crowned
University of Mobile senior Layton Warren was crowned 2021 Homecoming Queen during festivities Oct. 2 at The Jungle soccer fi eld. The early childhood and elementary education major Photo by Chris Sevenish from Freeport, Florida, serves as a Ram Rush leader, resident assistant and captain of the UM spirit squad. Warren says she loves the University of Mobile and everything it stands for. She describes her time at the Christian university as one of the biggest blessings God has given her. “The experience and relationships I have gained here have not only shaped the woman I am today but have also made me want to be a better woman for tomorrow. From Ram Rush events to everyday conversations in the cafeteria, I continually feel known and loved by the faculty, staff and students here on campus,” said Warren.
Center for Christian Calling Receives 19th Century Torah Scroll
A 19th century Hebrew Torah scroll that survived the Holocaust was donated to the Photo by Rovy Lopez University of Mobile Center for Christian Calling. The scroll is one of four presented to Christian institutions in 2021 by Ken and Barbara Larson, founders of the nonprofi t God’s Ancient Library. “This Torah scroll, like others donated by the Larsons, has been deemed to be ‘pasul’ – no longer kosher – and was no longer in use by the synagogue that commissioned it,” said Dr. Doug Wilson, dean of the Center for Christian Calling and professor of biblical studies. The parchment scroll contains the biblical books of Genesis through Deuteronomy and was handwritten by a scribe according to the Ashkenazi Jewish tradition. The scroll is an unpointed consonantal text, meaning it is written with consonants only – no vowels. Lectures and displays will be held on the UM campus for teaching institutions, churches and synagogues, homeschool groups, senior citizen groups and others interested in learning more about the Judeo-Christian heritage and the Scriptural foundation for the Christian faith. To schedule a visit, contact Wilson at 251.442.2267 or dwilson@umobile.edu.
Bowling Joins Athletic Lineup
The University of Mobile is adding men’s and women’s bowling for fall semester 2022, giving one of the largest NAIA athletic programs a total of 21 competitive sports.
“We look forward to the excitement this new sport will bring to our campus and the additional student-athletes that will join us at this special place,” said Dr. Mel Sansom, athletic director and vice president for business and fi nancial aff airs.
MSLC Ranks #2 in Nation
UM’s Master of Science in Leadership and Communication is ranked #2 in the nation out of the top 50 most aff ordable master’s in organizational behavior degree programs by HumanResourcesMBA.net.
The Grace Pilot School of Business program can be taken as either a 1 or 2-year cohort model beginning every fall semester. Courses are off ered in three, 5-week segments per semester that include projects, dialogue, and quizzes.
Career opportunities include leadership positions in for- and nonprofi t industries entrepreneurial startups and small businesses, and project and event management. For information, visit
umobile.edu/schoolofb usiness.
