UAB Briefs: Truman finalist, St. Patty's event, intrepid explorers
Welcome to another installment of UAB Briefs.
In this weekly online feature, we keep track of interesting people and events on campus.
Know people, places and programs on the UAB campus that deserve a mention? Email us at jchambers@starnespublishing.com.
FUTURE LEADER
Erica Webb, a junior from McCalla, is a finalist for a prestigious $30,000 Truman Scholarship, according to a UAB news release.
One of 194 finalists selected from more than 750 students in the United States, Webb is a member of the UAB Honors College Global and Community Leadership Program, is double-majoring in English and political science and is part of the UAB Pre-Law Program.
The Truman Scholarship help support graduate education and professional development for juniors who demonstrate leadership potential and academic achievement and are committed to careers in education, government, public service or the nonprofit sector.
The 2018 Class of Truman Scholars will be announced April 20.
The faculty nominating committee at UAB was impressed by Webb’s “advocacy for women’s rights and commitment to public service,” said Ashley Floyd Kuntz, the university’s director of national and international fellowships and scholarships.
“I aspire to work with the United Nations Population Fund as an international policy adviser, specializing in the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goal of gender equality through sexual and reproductive health care,” Webb said.
And Webb’s has taken inspiration from her upbringing in small-town Alabama.
“I grew up in a rural area with conservative roots,” she said. “I saw an extreme need for reproductive justice. Simply talking about sexual health could cause an uproar. Rather than hold me back, the stigma and lack of access I faced emboldened me to now help meet these needs here and in rural areas across the globe.”
She has volunteered with numerous organizations, including Crisis Center Birmingham and Planned Parenthood. Her many other activities have included student government and the UAB mock trial team.
Webb plans to pursue a law degree from Columbia Law School focusing on international human rights law.
UAB has produced six Truman Scholars and 12 finalists.
TIME TO CELEBRATE
Music fans can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a performance by singer-songwriter Marc Broussard at the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center at UAB on Saturday, March 17, at 8 p.m.
Broussard, who released his debut album, “Momentary Setback,” in 2002, is known for blending rock, soul and R&B with a contemporary feel.
His song “Home” was a radio hit, and his songs have been used in many movies and TV shows.
Tickets are $40. Student tickets are $10.
To buy tickets or get additional information, including discounts available for UAB staff and faculty, call 975-2787 or go to alysstephens.org.
A pre-show party at 6 p.m. will offer free food, free drinks and live music by Michael Warren. This event is free for ASC members. Tickets for non-members are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. For details, call 975-4012.
TO THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD
A team of six marine biology explorers from UAB recently embarked on their annual journey to Antarctica to study the rich ecology of the peninsula’s seafloor communities, as well as the dramatic ecological effects of climate change on marine life there.
The team will be based at Palmer Station for 16 weeks during the 2018 field season.
They have been traveling on research expeditions to Palmer Station for 18 years.
The co-leaders of the expedition are UAB biology professor Chuck Amsler and James McClintock, UAB Polar and Marine Biology Endowed Professor.
“Marine research in Antarctica is both intellectually challenging and physically demanding,” McClintock said. “Our research continues to reveal the potential impacts of rapid climate warming on Antarctic marine organisms, as well as organismal responses to predicted near-future increases in carbon atmospheric dioxide absorbed by seawater, a process known as ocean acidification.”
The other members of the team are Maggie Amsler, a research associate in the Department of Biology; graduate research assistants Michelle Curtis and Sabrina Heiser; and Cecilia Brothers, collaborating researcher and UAB alumna.
The club boasts of such past members as pilot Charles Lindbergh, mountain climber Sir Edmund Hillary and astronaut Neil Armstrong.
The UAB research team will post updates on their work and discoveries a few times each week on the UAB in Antarctica blog.