UAB Briefs: New senior VP, Wells Fargo gifts, a nurse's award
Welcome to another installment of UAB Briefs, in which we keep track of interesting people and events on campus.
Know people, places and programs on the UAB campus that deserve a mention?
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UAB names a new VP
Pam Benoit, currently the executive vice president and provost at Ohio University, has been picked as UAB’s new senior vice president of academic affairs and provost following a national search.
“I am thrilled to be joining the University of Alabama at Birmingham and am eager for the opportunity to lead the academic mission of one of the top 20 federal research institutions in the nation,” Benoit said in a UAB news release May 25.
As chief academic officer of Ohio University since 2009, Benoit has led some significant initiatives, including a conversion from quarters to semesters and the development and implementation of the OHIO Guarantee, a tuition and fee model through which the school is helping students pay for their educations.
Benoit, who has more than 20 years of experience in administration and academics, previously held several leadership positions at the University of Missouri.
The search at UAB was was led by a 22-member committee that included students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni and community leaders.
Benoit’s first day in her new positon will be July 1.
A good place to work, says Forbes
UAB has been recognized in the 2017 Forbes America’s Best Employers report as one of the best places to work in the United States.
The University was ranked No. 69 on the list of America’s Best Large Employers -- companies that employ more than 5,000 people.
UAB placed at No. 5 among the universities that made the list, behind only Miami, Duke, Johns Hopkins and Harvard.
To read the complete report, which uses data taken from a survey of 30,000 U.S. employees, click here
Gifts from Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo recently made two large gifts to UAB, one to the the Collat School of Business and another to UAB Athletics.
The bank donated $250,000 to the Collat School to establish the Wells Fargo Scholars Program, which will grow to support a total of five scholars each year based on merit and financial need.
The grant to the athletic department, for a $150,000, will help pay for the ongoing construction of the new Football Operations Center.
Nurse wins international award
Patricia M. Speck, a professor at the UAB School of Nursing, has become the first nurse to win the Professional Impact Award from End Violence Against Women International, according to a UAB news release.
A board-certified family nurse practitioner and advanced practice forensic nurse, Speck was given the award for 2017 at a recent conference attended by professionals from 12 countries.
The award recognizes professionals whose work significantly influences their community’s response to violence against women.
Speck’s research focuses on the relationship between victimization and health, and she seeks to evaluate system-wide therapeutic interventions to improve victim recovery.
To watch a video about Speck’s work and career, click here.
Piano student finishes first
UAB piano student Mira Walker recently won first place in a prestigious national competition – the National Federation of Music Clubs Student/Collegiate Competition Finals, Piano Division, according to a UAB news release.
She received $3,000 in cash, and her picture will be published in the group’s national magazine.
Walker, from Birmingham, just completed her freshman year. She studies with Yakov Kasman, a professor and artist-in-residence in the Department of Music.
UAB ranks high in NIH dollars
UAB ranked No. 25 in the United States in 2016 funding from the federal National Institutes of Health, according to data obtained from the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research.
Grants to UAB’s six health- and medical-related schools totaled more than $238 million last year.
The School of Medicine had the largest dollar amount, topping $186 million to rank No. 22 in America.
Within the School of Medicine, 15 departments ranked within the top 25 in grant funding, led by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ranked fifth.