USA News Archives | Media Relations

After graduating from the University of South Alabama, Rachel Burdine joined the Peace Corp and traveled to Cameroon. Today she works for World Relief as a program officer supporting the organization’s network of offices resettling refugees.

Peace Offering
February 22, 2022

Rachel Burdine, an international studies graduate, always wanted to travel and serve vulnerable populations. She started in the Pe ...

Herbert “Mannie” Pair III, a graphic design graduate of the University of South Alabama, has some of his work exhibited at the Marx Library through the end of the month.

Artist Returns to South
February 18, 2022

A Marx Library exhibit features the folk art and fabric designs of Herbert "Mannie" Pair III, a Mobile artist and galler ...

University of South Alabama Study Abroad students will receive free passports. The free passport project is a collaborative effort between the Office of International Education and the Institute of International Education. Several of them will also be featured on the new podcast “Spilling the Tea on Travel.” Pictured from left: Amiaya Ross, Jacksonville, Ala; Hanna Dudley, Saraland, Ala; Kya Richardson, Hoover, Ala; Eight Mile, Ala; Corian Evans, Eight Mile, Ala; and Abby Sargent, Milton, Fla.

South Students Receive Free Passports to Study Abroad
February 16, 2022

25 students will get opportunities for new experiences as they receive free passports for future Study Abroad educational journeys ...

Deforestation Rises in the Rainforest
February 15, 2022

The research of Dr. Gabriel de Oliveira, published in Science magazine, suggests there has been a dramatic increase in the defores ...

Benjamin Shamback, a professor in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of South Alabama, currently has artwork on display in an exhibit titled “Comfort Food: Still Life Paintings.

South Professor's Artwork on Display in New Orleans
February 10, 2022

Benjamin Shamback, a professor in the Art & Art History department, has artwork on display at the LeMieux Galleries in New Orl ...

Nicole Baranov, a kindergarten teacher at Hutchens Elementary School and South alumna, received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. She is just the eleventh teacher from Mobile County to receive the honor in its 40-year history.

South Alumna Receives a National Award for Teaching
February 10, 2022

Nicole Baranov is named one of 108 winners of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. ...

Dr. Kenneth Hudson, associate professor of sociology and social work at the University of South Alabama, urges students to challenge conventional wisdom using data. “I spend a lot of time looking at numbers, what I call the view from 33,000 feet. ... And there are certain kinds of questions where you have to land the plane, get out and walk around and talk to people.”

'Good Jobs and Bad Jobs'
February 9, 2022

Dr. Kenneth Hudson, an associate professor of sociology and social work at South, studies the dual labor market, income inequality ...

Darlene Lewis, who earned a bachelor's degree and then a master's in school counseling from the University of South Alabama, works with students at Blount High School in Prichard, her hometown.

'This Is My Place'
February 4, 2022

Darlene Lewis turns two education degrees at South into professional success — and personal satisfaction — by guiding ...

The University of South Alabama celebrates the history and heritage of African Americans throughout February with activities, speakers, exhibitions and more. All are open to the public and free of charge. This year's theme is "Better Together."

South Celebrates Black History Month 2022
February 4, 2022

Free events will be held on campus throughout the month of February celebrating African American history and heritage. ...

University of South Alabama journalist-in-residence, Cynthia Tucker will be honored at the Monroeville Literary Festival in March with the 25th Harper Lee award. Given annually to a writer with an Alabama connection, the award is named for Monroeville native and author of the literary classic, '"To Kill A Mockingbird."

Tucker Wins Harper Lee Award
February 1, 2022

Tucker named the 25th Harper Lee Award winner given annually to outstanding writers with connections to the state of Alabama. ...

The Mobile Arts Council has recognized South alumna Amanda Youngblood for her dedication to the arts in education and arts advocacy in the community.

Mobile Arts Council Recognizes South Alumna
January 28, 2022

University of South Alabama alumna, Amanda Youngblood received "The Arty" for her dedication to the arts in education. ...

Mobile County Public Schools have named their 2022 Teachers of the Year. From left; Jaime Bosarge, Bryant High School; William Edmonds, Barton Academy; Kelly Parker, Tanner Williams Elementary School. All three teachers are University of South Alabama alumni.

South Alumni Named Teachers of the Year
January 28, 2022

Three former South students are honored by the Mobile County Public School System after being nominated by their peers. ...

University of South Alabama student volunteers in the Mitchell College of Business will interview clients, prepare tax returns from client provided documentation. They receive internship credit that satisfies the experiential learning requirement toward a bachelor's degree.

Student Volunteers to Prepare Tax Returns
January 28, 2022

Upper-division accounting students taking part in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program providing free tax preparation. ...

Timothy Holden, who earned a degree in electrical engineering at the University of South Alabama, is a contractor at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado.

Space Force Career Launched
January 28, 2022

Timothy Holden served in the Marine Corps and as a police officer before earning his engineering degree at South. His job as a Spa ...

Dr. Elena Pavelescu shows the logic activity she created called "A Game of Cats" that was awarded the third place Rosenthal Prize. Sponsored by the National Museum of Math, the Rosenthal Prize recognizes the most innovative math educators from around the world who are creating engaging, hands-on lesson plans for elementary and middle school students.

National Museum of Mathematics Honors South's Pavelescu
January 24, 2022

Dr. Elena Pavelescu was recently awarded the third place Rosenthal Prize for Innovation and Inspiration in Math Teaching. ...

University of South Alabama doctoral student Kim Pusey says her work in areas of social justice has been fueled by her own upbringing and observations of race and the criminal justice system. “Part of my work, part of the research I do, is in service of trying to make things better for little black and brown kids,” she said.

Studies in Social Justice
January 24, 2022

Kim Pusey chose South for graduate school because of an opportunity to work with at-risk youths. She now plans for it to be her ca ...

Dr. Kern Jackson, director of USA's African American Studies program, co-wrote and co-produced the film "Descendant" premiering January 20-30, 2022 at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT.

South Professor's 'Descendant' Premieres at Sundance Film Festival
January 18, 2022

Dr. Kern Jackson will be recognized for his work on the film featuring the slave ship Clotilda and Africatown community. ...

Brittney Dixon, in front of the Center for Fair Housing in Mobile, says housing choice plays a critical role in equality. “Housing can affect whether you have a grocery store in your neighborhood, or good schools, or even sidewalks,” she said.

Home Front
January 17, 2022

South graduate Brittney Dixon fights discrimination through education and enforcement at the Center for Fair Housing in Mobile. ...

Dr. Amy Upton, assistant professor of school counseling at the University of South Alabama, is a passionate advocate for school counselors. The Alabama School Counselor Association recently honored her for an article titled “School Counseling District Supervisors’ Experiences and Perceptions Regarding School Counselor Preparation for Practice.”

Alabama Counseling Association Recognizes South's Upton
January 13, 2022

USA assistant professor receives the Alabama counseling Association's Individual Publication Award at its annual conference. ...

Former Congressman Jo Bonner, seen here walking into the Administration Building, brings political experience and a personal touch to his role as the fourth president of the University of South Alabama.

Meet Jo Bonner
January 10, 2022

The former congressman brings political experience and a personal touch to his role as the fourth president of the University of S ...

Hanna Bobinger, a first-year medical student at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine has been awarded the $8,500 Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi National Fellowship award.

South Med Student Wins National Award
January 3, 2022

First-year med student Hanna Bobinger is recognized for academic success as well as her research and service contributions. ...

University of South Alabama alumna Dr. Deidra Suwannee Dees, the archive director for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, earned graduate degrees from Cornell and Harvard universities.

Working for Her Tribe
January 3, 2022

A bachelor's degree from South led Dr. Deidra Suwannee Dees to a doctorate from Harvard and the position of tribal archivist ...

Kenneth and Diamond Johnson got married in the chapel at USA Health University Hospital during his recovery after being hit by a pickup truck. Kenneth Johnson, a University police sergeant, has since returned to work. The couple has a 3-month-old daughter, Karis.

Healed for the Holidays
December 22, 2021

Kenneth Johnson, who was struck by a truck in March, will celebrate Christmas at South after recovering from his injuries and retu ...

Dr. Michael Chambers, USA associate vice president of research, has been named to the Alabama Innovation Commission board. The Commission was created in 2020 to develop forward-thinking policy recommendations and ideas to create a more robust, inclusive economy that supports entrepreneurship, innovation and technology.

USA's Chambers Named to Alabama Innovation Corporation Board
December 15, 2021

The Commission's goal is to develop forward-thinking policy recommendations and ideas to create a more robust, inclusive econ ...

University of South Alabama Commencement

'This Is Just the Beginning'
December 11, 2021

Gov. Kay Ivey and USA Health CEO Owen Bailey congratulate South's newest graduates and urge them to use their talents to serv ...

Dr. Christine Ruey Shan Lee traces a figure-eight knot with light outside the Mathematical Sciences and Physics Building at the University of South Alabama. Her research in quantum topology earned a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Tied Up In Knots
December 7, 2021

Dr. Christine Ruey Shan Lee is using a grant from the National Science Foundation to continue her research in knot theory. She als ...

Dr. Jason Strickland, an assistant professor of biology at the University of South Alabama, and senior India Hughes helped identify two new snake species — the Tricolor Snailsucker and the Poppyfield Snailsucker — by sequencing snake DNA.

Long Known to Snails, New Snake Species ID'd
December 7, 2021

A South researcher and his undergraduate research assistant, along with a team of researchers in Mexico, identify two unique snail ...

A World of Good
December 7, 2021

Fellowships from Harvard University Press and the Institute for Advanced Study help Dr. Samuel Baker spend a sabbatical writing a ...

Since 1998, the University and USA Health have raised more than $5.7 million for the United Way of Southwest Alabama through its annual campaign.

USA raises $205,676 for United Way of Southwest Alabama
December 6, 2021

More than 1,700 employees and retirees contributed $205,676 to support the 2021 United Way of Southwest Alabama's annual camp ...

A tutor works with another USA student on the 2nd floor of the Marx Library. A five-year, $2.25 million grant will help Student Academic Success institute a new program dedicated to the "Second Year Experience." The goal is increasing retention rates between year two and year three.

USA Lands $2.25 Million Grant To Help Second Year Students
December 3, 2021

The five-year program will focus on the second year experience to help increase retention rates from year two to year three. ...

Dr. Sean Powers, professor and director of the School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, walks the halls of the school's renovated 20,000-square-foot facility. “We have an international reputation. We want to bring new students to South,” he said.

School of Marine and Environmental Sciences Dedicated
December 2, 2021

New academic and research programs are expected to follow as South increases opportunities for students and faculty. ...

College of Education and Professional Studies students will now have help with the Praxis teacher preparation test thanks to a recent donation from PowerSchool.

PowerSchool Donates to College of Education and Professional Studies
December 2, 2021

The cloud-based software company for K-12 education makes an $80,000 donation to help students in teacher preparation programs. ...

Casey Ferguson, a forward for the South Alabama women's basketball team, has been able to benefit monetarily from her popular social media posts following a rule that allows student-athletes to profit off their name, image or likeness.

FergNation Forward
November 29, 2021

A Tik Tok video of Casey Ferguson boiling crawfish helped make her one of the most popular college sports social media personaliti ...

AT&T Alabama contributed $40,000 to support K-12 STEM Hands-On Learning Lab Activities at USA. From left, front row - Lizbeth Stanton, fiber executive, gulf coast region, AT&T; Chris Pennington, southeast regional sales manager, AT&T; Dr. Harold Pardue, interim dean, School of Computing; C. Wayne Hutchens, state president AT&T Alabama; Nikki Donald, CFITS outreach coordinator, School of Computing; Keith Lynn, systems administrator, School of Computing; back row - Matt Coker, client solutions executive II, state of Alabama, AT&T; Glyn Agnew, regional director AT&T Alabama legislative & external affairs.
Photo credit: Mike Kittrell

AT&T Gives $40K For STEM Outreach Program
November 19, 2021

The School of Computing's K-12 STEM Outreach Program strives to motivate and encourage students to pursue STEM related career ...

Dr. Alvin Willams, interim dean of the Mitchell College of Business, stands in front of the college.

Global Interruption
November 19, 2021

Dr. Alvin Williams describes stress on the global supply chain that is causing shortages and delays during the holiday shopping se ...

Scotty E. Kirkland, a University of South Alabama alumnus, is the coordinator of exhibitions, publications, and programs at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. He will give a lecture about Alabama civil rights history at the Marx Library December 2, 2021.

Marx Library Hosts Alabama Historian Scotty Kirkland
November 17, 2021

USA and Mobile Museum of Art welcomes Alabama historian Scotty Kirkland for a lecture on state and local Civil Rights history. ...

South is the only university in Alabama that offers a four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in studio glass. The glass studio is a state-of-the-art facility for glassblowing, casting and kiln formed glass.

Holiday Art Sale Scheduled
November 17, 2021

Hand-crafted glass ornaments, jewelry, prints and more created by USA students and faculty available for sale December 3rd. ...

Dr. Brandi Kiel Reese has been named an early-career fellow by the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. The fellowship comes with a $76,000 award that Kiel Reese plans to use to support graduate students and provide paid internships for undergraduates.

USA Associate Professor Named Gulf Research Program Fellow
November 17, 2021

Dr. Brandi Kiel Reese becomes the second South faculty member honored by the Gulf Research Program in as many years. ...

Barton Academy Principal Amanda Jones, a University of South Alabama graduate, stands in front of the new magnet school.

Old School, New Start
November 17, 2021

South graduates, including Principal Amanda Jones, are remaking history this fall at Barton Academy. The first public school in Al ...

"The illustration depicts the outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) produced by pathogenic bacteria ("yellow balls”) coming into contact with the plant cell. In his study, Dr. Tuan M. Tran found that OMV insertion into the plant plasma membrane is dependent on membrane nanodomains (regions highly enriched of sterol and phospholipids). This OMV insertion could alter the dynamics of the plasma membrane and also prime plants for better immune defense responses upon infection by pathogens."

Plant Health Research
November 15, 2021

South's Dr. Tuan Minh Tran is the lead author of an article published in the prestigious scientific journal, The Plant Cell. ...

Dr. S. Raj Chaudhury, ILC executive director, far left, along with associate professor Dr. Lisa LaCross, assistant director of faculty development, and Dr. David S. Williams, assistant director of course development at USA, are the recipients of the prestigious Robert J. Menges Award from the Professional and Organizational Development Network.

Innovation in Learning Center Team Recognized with Research Award
November 15, 2021

ILC receives award for Outstanding Research in Educational Development from the Professional and Organizational Development Networ ...

Abritty Abdullah has been named a Phi Kappa Phi Love of Learning award winner. The Honor Society is the nation’s oldest and most selective for all academic disciplines and the Love of Learning Award is one of the most prestigious awards for post-baccalaureate study given by the society.

USA Doctoral Student Recognized with Prestigious National Award
November 11, 2021

Phi Kappa Phi awards Abritty Abdullah, a doctoral student in the College of Education and Professional Studies, its Love of Learni ...

Former Congressman Jo Bonner, who serves as chief of staff to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, was selected as the fourth president of the University of South Alabama. He will be introduced formally at the Board of Trustees' next regular meeting, scheduled for Dec. 2.

Bonner Named President
November 10, 2021

Jo Bonner, chief of staff to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and a former congressman, will become the fourth president to lead the Universi ...

Charbel Mawad is majoring in accounting in the Mitchell College of Business.

Fresh Start
November 9, 2021

Charbel Mawad, a Mobile native and Mitchell Scholar, begins his business education at South with plans for growth and a spot on th ...

Through a combination of donor and institutional support, the South CARES emergency fund has supported students unexpected needs with more than $298,000 since launching in January 2020.

South Awarded $25,000 PATH Grant
November 5, 2021

Funds will be distributed to students in financial need to help cover unexpected costs and allow them to remain enrolled at USA. ...

The University of South Alabama College of Arts and Sciences hosted it’s 40th Annual Dean’s Lecture and Faculty Awards Ceremony November 3, 2021. Seven faculty members were recognized for their achievements. Clockwise from top left: Dr. Sinead Ni` Chadhain; Thu Olsen; Dr. Philip Carr; Dr. Susan McCready; Dr. Kelly Urban; Dr. Jeremiah Henning; and Dr. Brian Whitener.

College of Arts & Sciences Recognizes Outstanding Faculty
November 4, 2021

Seven faculty members recognized for their achievements at the 40th Annual Dean's Lecture and Faculty Awards Ceremony. ...

Kaylyn Cordrey, an exercise science freshman from Delaware, said the injuries she suffered as a tap dancer has led her to consider a career in physical therapy.

Untapped Talent
November 3, 2021

A former tap dancer won a Distinguished Young Women scholarship to South. Now she's studying exercise science with plans to b ...

Stacy Wellborn, a PhD student in the Mitchell College of Business, hosts "Mitchell Moments," a weekly podcast featuring faculty and students about how to best navigate a PhD program.

Podcasting About MCOB's PhD Program
November 2, 2021

"Mitchell Moments" podcast help potential PhD students by offering advice and tips on how to choose and thrive in a Ph.D ...

South and USA Health raised $26,147,447 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, the largest total in its 58-year history. This record comes on the heels of the nearly $161 million raised during the University's 5-year Upward & Onward fundraising campaign.

USA Celebrates Record Fundraising Year
November 1, 2021

Nearly 4,500 donors help achieve a one-year fundraising record and supporting a wide range of USA and USA Health's missions. ...

South and the national "It's On Us" organization will host Sexual Assault Awareness/Consent Education 101, Bystander Education 101, and Survivor Support 101 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 12, at the Student Center Terrace.

USA Offers Sexual Assault Training Sessions
October 29, 2021

South's HEART Project and Title IX office partners with the national nonprofit organization "It's On Us" to ho ...