A Message from the President

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

Welcome to a new decade! It’s so good to have you back with your campus community. I hope your holidays were filled with celebration and special moments.

A new year is always exciting and full of promise. In January, many people spend time reviewing the past while preparing for an exciting future. At The University of Alabama, our future includes you and your unlimited impact. As the semester begins, so do many opportunities for you to gain new knowledge, flourish personally and influence others in a positive way.

Two UA Legends recently achieved notable recognition for their contributions. Marillyn Hewson and Vicki Hollub both earned a place on Forbes 2019 list of the world’s most powerful women. Both businesswomen attribute much of their success to the education, training and support they received while on our campus. A degree from Alabama changes lives, and we’re proud of our students and alumni and remain firmly committed to our mission.

Students, I want to personally invite you to attend the upcoming public presentations that will be held on campus between Jan. 13 and Jan. 23 as we begin the final stages of a national search for our new vice president for student life. It’s an important leadership role, and the selected candidate will work closely with you, the faculty and our staff to foster learning and development and to further develop a strong sense of community at UA. Your attendance will demonstrate your investment in our shared goals as we finalize the selection process. More details are available on the search website.

Tickets go on sale today for two special upcoming campus events. The 2020 Realizing the Dream Legacy Banquet is scheduled for Jan. 17 and will feature award-winning journalist Laura Ling. Then on Jan. 19, I encourage you to attend the Dream Concert in Moody Music Concert Hall showcasing Grammy-nominated gospel artist Jonathan McReynolds. Both events celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and are hosted in part by UA’s Division of Community Affairs. Also, in honor of Dr. King, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office is hosting an MLK Service Day on Jan. 20, and the website will be featuring more events scheduled for later in the month. These are important opportunities for our community to come together to spotlight leadership, peace and unity.

Faculty and staff, I hope you will join me in congratulating Dr. Paul Houghtaling, coordinator of voice and director of opera at UA, for receiving the 2019 Blackmon-Moody Outstanding Professor Award. We are proud of his achievements and the many awards he has received over the course of his career for his commitment to teaching. Through Dr. Houghtaling’s efforts, the University’s Opera Theatre program continues to gain national prominence. The 2019-2020 season resumes with a new work created especially for the UA Opera Theater on Feb. 27, Feb. 28 and March 1 in Bryant-Jordan Hall.

And finally, not only did we celebrate the dawn of 2020 on Jan. 1, but we also applauded the Crimson Tide’s win in the Citrus Bowl. With a 35-16 victory over Michigan, we ended the season with an 11-2 record that marks the 9th consecutive season with 11 wins or more. We are the nation’s most successful bowl team, and most importantly, we played with integrity and grit. I’m proud of how our student-athletes and coaches represented the University so well and look forward to success in our spring sports.

The momentum of the new spring semester has only just begun, and I know 2020 will be another impressive year of impact from the talented students, faculty and staff at The University of Alabama. I’m honored to serve as your president.

Stuart R. Bell
President