UAB Briefs: Making PPE, Blazer Innovation Challenge, ESL honors
In this weekly online feature, we keep track of interesting people and events on the UAB campus.
We also provide updates regarding the university's efforts to cope with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
For the latest updates on UAB’s response to COVID-19 and health information, visit uab.edu/coronavirus.
Helping the frontlines
Dr. Rindi Uhlich, a general research resident in the UAB Department of Surgery, recently partnered with Dr. James Hwang, the director of the UAB Burn Center, and a community group called Bham Face Masks to create and donate over 500 home face masks to frontline health care workers, according to UAB Media Relations.
Uhlich and Hwang coordinated efforts during their time off from work as the department has implemented a rotational schedule to minimize exposure to COVID-19 on the part of healthcare providers.
This new schedule proved to be especially important for Ulrich, since she became ill and tested positive for COVID-19 after her time off began.
Her time off was extended to allow her to recover and return to work without spreading the virus.
However, Uhlich wanted to make use of her time at home to help her fellow frontline healthcare workers.
“I felt hopeless at home and wanted to do something useful, so I decided to start sewing PPE,” Uhlich said in a UAB news release.
Some of her neighbors had started the Bham Face Masks group to create and donate face masks in the Birmingham area.
Uhlich and Hwang assisted in donating over 500 masks of all patterns and fabrics to various Birmingham organizations.
“The Birmingham community’s response has been nothing short of heartwarming and inspirational,” Uhlich said.
“For providers and other frontline workers, it is such a morale boost to know that the community is looking out for us and using their own time to create masks,” Hwang said in the release..
Virtual sharks
UAB student entrepreneurs recently pitched their business ideas and competed for $6,500 in prizes at the fourth annual Blazer Innovation Challenge, according to UAB Media Relations.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was held virtually.
The Blazer Innovation Challenge is hosted by the UAB Collat School of Business and Bill L. Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and sponsored by IberiaBank.
Jessica Watts, an educational studies doctoral candidate, won the $3,500 first prize after pitching her company, House Plant Collective. Watts converted a school bus into a mobile plant store offering pop-up events and workshops. She also responded to social distancing by selling online and expediting the release of her mobile plant store for safe houseplant deliveries.
The $2,000 second prize went to Southeast Seminars, led by Laqueatrece (Lashon) Warren, who is pursuing a nurse educator certificate, Southeast Seminars provides continuing education credits and test preparation for the certified registered nurse anesthetist exam.
William MacGavin, who is an MBA student, and Julia Brown, a recent graduate of the UAB School of Engineering, won the $1,000 third prize for their company, Birmingham Glasscrete, which manufactures prefabricated architectural concrete panels using plastic waste.
The six teams at the Challenge presented their ideas after participating in the Anvil Student Startup Bootcamp, a free, noncredit program that provides the support and training UAB students need to launch their companies.
Dozens of student startups have received funding in the four years the Blazer Innovation Challenge has been held.
IBERIABANK has provided more than $30,000 in funding, and students have received mentorship and coaching from the entrepreneurial faculty at the Collat School.
National recognition
The ESL (English as a Second Language) program in the UAB School of Education has earned an important national distinction from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.
UAB joined 92 other universities in 28 states in being recognized for the quality of its ESL teacher preparation programs, according to UAB Media Relations.
UAB is the only university in Alabama to earn this distinction.
“Our ESL program’s national recognition is of great importance to current and prospective graduate students who wish to learn how to effectively teach English learners in their classrooms,” said Susan Spezzini, the director of UAB’s ESL teacher education program.
The ESL Master of Arts in Education degree prepares teachers to effectively teach students who are in the process of learning English in Alabama’s increasingly diverse schools.
This degree program, now available online, offers three tracks. In the traditional and alternative tracks, teacher candidates earn a master’s degree and are also eligible for state-issued certification to teach ESL in grades pre-K through 12.
“National recognition establishes a strong reputation for our ESL teacher education program,” said Jennifer Ponder, chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
Programs are recognized for their “evidence-based practices for continuous improvement,” Ponder said.