A Message from the President – November 19, 2024
- November 21st, 2024
- in Messages from the President
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,
As we approach Thanksgiving break, I am especially grateful for each of you. Thanksgiving offers us all a moment to pause and reflect on our many blessings and the amazing opportunities we have at The University of Alabama.
As a reminder, the 31st annual Beat Auburn Beat Hunger food drive wraps up on Thursday. This important initiative supports the West Alabama Food Bank, and I encourage you to donate nonperishable food items at campus locations or through the campaign website.
Our recent homecoming featured a 500-drone light show, a joint project by the Divisions of Strategic Communications and Student Life. Supported by our Tuska UAV Design Team, who gained hands-on experience with the vendor, the display brought the night sky to life and added something truly special to this year’s celebration, embodying the spirit of innovation that defines UA.
I am proud to share that UA senior Kate Herndon has been named a Rhodes Scholar, one of the most prestigious academic awards in the world. Kate, a student in our University Honors Program majoring in criminal justice and history, is the 17th Rhodes Scholar in UA history, and UA has more Rhodes Scholars than all other public universities in Alabama combined. Her achievements reflect the dedication, excellence and impact that define our university community.
I’m pleased to congratulate Mike Shelton, who will serve as our new vice provost and chief information officer effective Dec. 1. With over 25 years in information technology, most recently as our deputy chief information officer, Mike brings valuable leadership and vision that will support our academic and research missions.
I’d also like to recognize UA’s ACCESS Virtual Learning program, recently featured as a model national program. By providing high-quality virtual courses to middle and high school students across Alabama — especially in rural areas — UA ACCESS is helping to bridge educational gaps and shape the future of our state’s students, many of whom go on to become our rising legends.
Finally, I want to recognize our cross country teams for their recent achievements at the SEC Championships. The Alabama women’s team, led by Doris Lemngole’s outstanding individual title, claimed its fourth SEC team title. Additionally, the Alabama men’s team recorded a strong second-place finish, marking their third consecutive top-two finish at the conference meet. These achievements reflect the dedication and excellence that define our athletic programs.
I wish you a warm and joyful holiday with family and friends, returning renewed for the rest of your semester.
With Thankfulness,
Stuart R. Bell
President