Announcements
Announcements
Join librarians from UAB Libraries’ Clinical, Academic and Research Engagement team to learn how to use four key tools available at no cost to faculty, staff and student researchers.
Curious what else is available to bolster your research skills? Researchers also can access nearly 650 more research tools and information databases online at no cost through UAB Libraries.
SimplyAnalytics
Explore demographic, business and geographic data with SimplyAnalytics. Though marketed as a business research tool, this platform can be used for research in any discipline that examines population data, including the social sciences and public health.
By the end of a workshop, you’ll be able to:
- Create a Simply Analytics project
- Identify information sources that meet your needs
- Create interactive maps and data comparison tables
Open workshops (all online):
- Sept. 18, noon-1 p.m. — Introduction to Simply Analytics
EndNote
EndNote is a bibliographic management platform designed to help users collect citations in one place and update them easily and quickly from one style to another.
By the end of a workshop, you’ll be able to:
- Create and organize a library of citations
- Send citations from various databases to EndNote
- Use EndNote to find PDFs of your citations
- Insert and edit EndNote citations in a Word document
Open workshops (all online):
- Sept. 24, noon-1 p.m. — Introduction to EndNote
- Oct. 17, noon-1 p.m. — Introduction to EndNote
- Nov. 13, noon-1 p.m. — Introduction to EndNote
- Dec. 5, noon-1 p.m. — Introduction to EndNote
PubMed
PubMed is one of the most robust medical literature databases, comprising more than 37 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals and online books.
By the end of a workshop, you’ll be able to:
- Build a basic search by developing search concepts
- Use Boolean Operators to connect search concepts
Open workshops (all online):
- Sept. 26, noon-1 p.m. — Introduction to PubMed
- Dec. 3, noon-1 p.m. — Introduction to PubMed
Completed the introductory workshop and want more training? Sign up for the advanced training to learn about automatic term mapping, medical subject headings and how to use field codes.
- Nov. 19, noon-1 p.m. — Advanced Searching in PubMed
CINAHL
CINAHL is an index of English-language and selected other-language journal articles about nursing, allied health, biomedicine and health care.
By the end of a workshop, you’ll be able to:
- Build a basic search by developing search concepts
- Use Boolean Operators to connect search concepts
Open workshops (all online):
- Oct. 22, noon-1 p.m. — Introduction to CINAHL
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Employees and students interested in learning how to use UAB’s 3D printers can sign up for one of 10 upcoming training sessions offered by UAB Libraries this fall.
Employees and students interested in learning how to use UAB’s 3D printers can sign up for one of 10 upcoming training sessions offered by UAB Libraries this fall. Completing a training session is required before users can begin printing their own projects — but at just 1.5 hours long and offered both online and in-person, the rewards far outweigh the relatively small time investment, said Technology Labs Manager Patrick Boggs, who leads the training session.
“3D printing lets users be creative in so many ways,” Boggs said. “Lots of people print for fun — they make game figurines or intricate pots for plants, things like that — but what’s special about printing at UAB is that we’re uniquely placed to help with research and other campus initiatives.
“Folks at UAB have discovered really unique ways to incorporate 3D-printed items into their projects, like making molds for silicone tools used in heart research, or cases for GPS units the football team uses. The options really are endless.”
Get started with 3 easy projects
Want to start 3D printing but not sure what to do first? These projects can help capture your Blazer spirit while giving you practice using the printers.
Bookmark
These small bookmarks are perfect for marking your place in a textbook, magazine or novel.
Keychain & smartphone holder
This keychain does two jobs: Shows off your Blazer spirit while also serving as a phone holder.
Dragon figurine
This dragon figurine makes the perfect desk or shelf décor.
Sign up for a training that works for you
During the training, Blazers are given access to printer queues for both Sterne Library and Lister Hill Library 3D printing via 3DPrinterOS. 3DPrinterOS is a cloud-based system that lets users monitor the ongoing print queue to see when printers are available and check the progress of their jobs; several of the 3D printers managed in 3DPrinterOS have cameras attached so users can watch how their prints are coming along. Users also automatically receive a time-lapse video of their items being printed via email once the objects are complete.
Sessions continue through Nov. 21. Check the Campus Calendar for the rest.
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Academic integrity is a fundamental principle that ensures the credibility and value of educational institutions such as UAB — and the degrees they award. Maintaining academic integrity helps build trust between students, instructors and the larger UAB community, all while ensuring a level playing field for all students.
UAB Libraries’ Academic Integrity research guide, created by Kara Van Abel, academic integrity coordinator, reference librarian and liaison to the Collat School of Business, is a one-stop-shop for all things academic integrity at UAB — including a new Canvas assignment on the subject, available now for embedding into any Canvas shell.
“At its core, academic integrity encourages authentic learning,” Van Abel explained. “True engagement with coursework encourages development of critical-thinking skills and a sense of responsibility, accountability and respect for others’ work — all of which are useful beyond their time at UAB.”
Here are 5 academic integrity resources available through UAB Libraries — you can find each of them in the research guide.
1. Supplemental Academic Integrity Review Assignment, available through Canvas
Accessible in the UAB Canvas Commons, this interactive assignment is available for embedding in any Canvas shell. The assignment guides students in answering questions like, “What is academic integrity, why is it important, and how does academic misconduct affect me?” It also includes interactive scenarios and a quick check for understanding and is intended for instructors looking for more student practice in this area.
2. Discussion guide and questionnaire
This downloadable PDF includes questions for students to discuss as a class or in smaller groups to explore situations and concepts related to academic integrity.
3. Discussion sessions facilitated by UAB Libraries’ academic integrity coordinator
Instructors can request Van Abel to facilitate a 60-minute discussion session with students for any course using this form.
4. AI and Ethics research guide
Supplement discussions of AI and academic integrity using this research guide created by Brooke Becker, media literacy librarian, reference librarian and liaison to the departments of Communication and Political Science and Public Administration.
5. Additional help available for students
UAB offers a variety of resources that can help students avoid academic misconduct, including a comprehensive research guide on citations from UAB Libraries and the University Writing Center, which is located in Sterne Library and is available to help students with any kind of writing at any stage of the writing process. FAQs on academic integrity also are available.
The Academic Integrity research guide also includes a link to the Alleged Academic Misconduct Referral form, available through UAB’s Office of Community Standards and Student Accountability.
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Register for the fall 2024 Business Research Toolkit course to learn business research skills and discover no-cost online resources and subscription databases available through UAB Libraries. Available to all UAB students and employees, the asynchronous Canvas course is self-paced, enabling enrollees to fit it into any busy schedule, and those who complete it will earn a digital badge for use on resumes and LinkedIn. Registration is open now; the course runs Sept. 9-Oct. 27.
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Beginning Aug. 26, UAB Libraries users will be able to place up to 40 active Interlibrary Loan requests at one time, an increase from the previous limit of 25.
The Interlibrary Loan service (ILL) enables users to borrow materials not available in UAB Libraries’ collections from other libraries across the globe. Document Delivery, a related service, sends users electronic copies of articles from UAB Libraries’ print journal collection. Read more online.
Submit an ILL or Document Delivery Request
To submit an ILL or Document Delivery request, please log in to the UAB Libraries Interlibrary Loan System below with your BlazerID and password.
Former Lister Hill Library ILL users may contact the ILL staff at uablibill@uab.edu or (205) 934-6365 to access their LHL ILL transaction histories.
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UAB Libraries’ Reynolds-Finley Historical Library is home to the African American Medical Collection, a physical compendium of historical objects that celebrates pioneering efforts by Black physicians, nurses and other health care professionals.
A selection of items currently is on display in the Reynolds-Finley reading room on the third floor of Lister Hill Library; email pbalch@uab.edu to make an appointment to view.
“Let there be life: the contemporary account of Edna L. Griffin, M. D.,” published in 1947 by Helen Kitchen Branson, is a biography of the first Black female physician of Pasadena, California.
“My world of reality: an autobiography of Hildrus A. Poindexter, M.D., Ph.D., M.S.P.H., Sc.D.,” is a 1973 autobiography penned by Poindexter, who was born in 1901 in western Tennessee and later became chief of Bacteriology, Preventive Medicine and Public Health at Howard University and chief of American Foreign Aid Health Missions to Liberia, Libya, Suriname, Iraq, Sierra Leone and Indochina.
The biography “Doctor Dan: Pioneer in American surgery” by Helen Buckler chronicles the life and experiences of Black surgeon Daniel Hale Williams, M.D., who performed one of the first successful heart surgeries in the United States when, in July 1893, he opened the thoracic cavity to repair a wound to the pericardium by suture before successfully closing the chest; the patient lived for 20 years following the operation. Nicknamed “Doctor Dan,” Williams also founded the first non-segregated hospital in the U.S., Chicago’s Provident Hospital, in 1891. Two articles about Williams also are on display.
Two ledger books kept by Black physician and activist William Worthy detail a busy urban obstetrics practice in early 20th-century Roxbury, a neighborhood of Boston. Worthy’s son, William Worthy Jr., became a well-known civil rights activist.
This copy of the 1874 annual report for Freedman’s Hospital, located near Talladega, Alabama, contains handwritten annotations.
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As part of ongoing facilities updates in or around Mervyn Sterne Library, some areas usually open to patron use may be affected temporarily. Updates include improvements for accessibility, closures for ongoing nearby campus construction, and preparation for planned upgrades to Sterne facilities.
“We are of course working closely with UAB Facilities to minimize any potential impact to students, employees and visitors, and we are grateful for the patience of UAB Libraries’ patrons as we work through these projects,” said Patricia West, assistant dean for User Access in UAB Libraries.
Find more information below on upcoming or ongoing projects.
13th Street South between University Boulevard and Sterne Plaza: Ongoing
The northbound right lane of 13th Street South from University Boulevard to the traffic light adjacent to Sterne Plaza is currently closed for construction of the Science and Engineering Phase II Building. Work is underway to install additional stairs and an accessible ramp to the Sterne Plaza along 13th Street South. The stairs immediately adjacent to Sterne Library connecting 13th to Sterne Plaza will remain open.
13th Street South entrance: Late May/Early June
The Humanities Building and the pedestrian footbridge that connects the Humanities Building to the second floor of Sterne Library will be demolished this summer. Thirteenth Street South from 10th Avenue South to the traffic light adjacent to Sterne Plaza will be closed to through traffic during demolition of the bridge. The first-floor entrance of Sterne Library along 13th Street South also will be closed during demolition of the bridge. Visitors can enter through the building’s north entrance at Sterne Plaza via 14th Street South.
Nonfunctioning Sterne Elevator: Beginning early May
To prepare for installation of new elevators during late summer and early fall, UAB Facilities will remove the left-side elevator from the central elevator bank at Sterne Library, which currently is nonfunctioning. The right-side elevator will remain open for patron use, and the building’s service elevator, located behind the circulation desk on the first floor and the exhibit space on the third floor and reserved primarily for staff use, will remain on standby.
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The first floor of Sterne Library is home to the Café Collection, STEM Café Collection and New Releases collection — each curated by Jaycee Chapman, collection development librarian, to provide patrons easy access to in-demand, noteworthy and new items available through UAB Libraries.
“These collections are always being updated, so there’s always something new for library visitors to find,” said Jaycee Chapman, collection development librarian for UAB Libraries. “Academic libraries often are most known for the reference books used for research projects and class papers, so it’s fun to have these unique collections in a high-traffic area that feature popular topics and authors.”
Not affiliated with UAB professionally or academically? No problem! With an Alabama driver’s license or other proof of residency, anyone can now receive a courtesy card to check out printed materials from UAB Libraries. Learn more.
Get a glimpse into each collection below.
Café Collection
The Café Collection showcases popular literature from well-known authors such as Stephen King, Singrid Nunez and John Grisham, among others. Wait times to check out novels included in the Café Collection can span months at public libraries, Chapman explains — so she recommends always checking the Café Collection to see their current lineup. Don’t have time to make it to Sterne? You can check the collection online.
Current highlights:
- “The Fraud” by Zadie Smith
- “Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror,” edited by Jordan Peele
Café Collection books rotate every six weeks and have a loan period of 28 days with the option for one renewal; they are not a part of UAB Libraries’ permanent collection.
STEM Café Collection
Whether library patrons are searching for books about coding, data analysis, women in science, or ecology and plant intelligence, the STEM Café Collection features nonfiction books across a broad range of academic and scientific topics, each intended for a more general audience.
Current highlights:
- “More than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech” by Meredith Broussard
- “Broken Code: Inside Facebook and the Fight to Expose its Harmful Secrets” by Jeff Horwitz
STEM Café Collection books rotate every six weeks and are not a part of UAB Libraries’ permanent collection. They also have a loan period of 28 days with the option for one renewal.
New Releases
This collection showcases new acquisitions to UAB Libraries’ permanent collections; unlike the Café or STEM Café collections, if you miss it during its inclusion in the New Releases section, you can find it later in the stacks.
Current highlights:
- “Gray Areas: How the Way We Work Perpetuates Racism and What We Can Do to Fix It” by Adia Harvey Wingfield
- “Sister Novelists: The Trailblazing Porter Sisters, Who Paved the Way for Austen and the Brontës” by Devoney Looser
New Releases books rotate periodically depending on new acquisitions to UAB Libraries Collections; loan periods and renewals are determined by patrons’ affiliation with the university.
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Four full-time employees and one student employee received awards during annual employee recognition event “You Are UAB Libraries” March 14 in the Hill Student Center.
Peggy Balch, curator of the Reynolds-Finley Historical Library; Lakonja Billups, user access associate in Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences; Kelly Schiff, digital imaging manager for Digitization and Digital Preservation; and Ja’kayla Stafford, Interlibrary Loan student assistant, received the UAB Libraries Shared Values Award. The awards highlight Libraries employees who exemplify UAB’s four shared values: Care, Act with Integrity, Respect All, and Excel. Luke Menzies, head of Digitization and Digital Preservation, received the UAB Libraries Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award.
Peggy Balch
Curator, Reynolds-Finely Historical Library
Nominators write that Balch “consistently exceeds her regular work duties, demonstrating a remarkable dedication and cheerful attitude, particularly when faced with challenging circumstances.”
One of those challenging circumstances arose when Lister Hill Library flooded in 2023, requiring Balch to work long hours to salvage hundreds of severely damaged books. Nominators note that she took charge without hesitation, “coordinating rescue efforts and utilizing her expertise in material assessment and preservation to address the emergency situation quickly and effectively.”
Nominators also wrote that Balch frequently is called on by colleagues across UAB Libraries and other units to help with preservation issues, and that she is well-respected as a rare books curator both at UAB and among scholars at other institutions.
“No matter the circumstances, Peggy exhibits the spirit of partnership and collegiality and serves as a wonderful role model for all of us,” nominators concluded.
Lakonja Billups
User Access Associate, Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences
Billups is known to go “above and beyond in her work to ensure the highest quality service not just to the students in the Lister Hill Library, but to her colleagues as well,” according to nominators, and consistently exemplifies respectful, collaborative and accountable traits — both peers and student workers seek her out for guidance and support.
Following the retirement of longtime Lister Hill Library supervisor Errica Evans in November 2023, Billups has served as “an invaluable source of help and positivity to her colleagues, stepping up to “support the complicated processes of scheduling the desk, training new student workers, and troubleshooting technology issues,” nominators note.
With Billups’ assistance, the Lister Hill HUB Desk has undergone significant changes, including updating the framework for loan processing and adjustments to scheduling procedures.
“She will put aside anything to make sure you are acquainted with the facilities and all the services we provide and is an example of upstanding customer service with years of experience,” a nominator wrote.
Kelly Schiff
Digital Imaging Manager, Digitization and Digital Preservation
Known for her willingness to support a colleague in need even on short notice, nominators write that Schiff “approaches every task with a smile on her face and is the first one to get her hands dirty if something goes wrong” — such as the infamous 2023 flood in Lister Hill.
She consistently works across departments in UAB Libraries, collaborating with dozens of Libraries colleagues per year, working on projects ranging from fulfilling on-demand digitization requests by Historical Collections, printing large-format posters for numerous entities from Reference to Emerging Technologies, designing UAB Libraries swag for events, acting as event and job talk videographer, and more, nominators say.
Schiff also lends her expertise to Historical Collections by helping install exhibits, supporting classes taught in the Reynolds-Finley Historical Library, and providing expertise on digitization and photography projects.
“UAB Libraries would not be the same without Kelly's contributions and she deserves to be recognized by her colleagues for positive contributions,” a nominator wrote.
Ja’kayla Stafford
Interlibrary Loan Student Assistant
Stafford’s dedication to stewardship and accountability shined through during an effort to identify groups of titles from UAB Libraries’ collections to be moved to the 801 Building for remote storage, nominators write — her work even made it possible for the project to conclude ahead of schedule.
In her daily work, Stafford solves “the many mysteries of ILL” — requests are often not straightforward, and “sometimes there's a need to dig a little to find what is needed to properly fill the request,” a nominator wrote. “Ja’kayla does this with integrity and excellence with little to no assistance.”
Luke Menzies
Head of Digitization and Digital Preservation
When it comes to championing diversity, equity and inclusion, “Luke not only talks the talk, he walks the walk as well,” nominators wrote of Menzies — that he is passionate about the subject is evident upon meeting him, and he strives to share that passion with others.
Beginning with the recruitment process for new employees and carrying into his interactions with colleagues, Menzies is an advocate for UAB Libraries’ core values, nominators continue.
“If you spend any time with any member of Luke’s team, it’s plain to see they are encouraged to find ways to include DEI in their work,” a nominator wrote. “It’s great to have colleagues like Luke that actively share in the work of DEI in any way that he can.”
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With years of service ranging from five to 40, employees from across UAB Libraries will be honored during a come-and-go ceremony 2 p.m. April 10 in the Hill Student Center.
The UAB Service Awards honor employees with five or more years of service to UAB at each five-year milestone.
This year’s honored employees:
- Wanda Stevenson, acquisitions manager — 40 years
- Bruce Seals, HUB desk supervisor — 40 years
- Beverly Harris, user access associate — 35 years (retired March 1)
- Tim Pennycuff, university archivist — 30 years
- Suzanne Brazell, interlibrary loan associate — 25 years
- Monica Pritchett, user access associate — 25 years
- Freda Walker, user access associate — 25 years
- Brooke Becker, media literacy librarian — 20 years
- Patrick Boggs, technology labs manager — 15 years
- Jeanene Skillen, research associate — 15 years
- Dana Hettich, College of Arts and Sciences reference librarian — 15 years
- Jill Deaver, head of Lister Hill Library Department of Clinical, Academic, and Research Engagement — 10 years
- Marliese Thomas, fine arts librarian — 5 years
- Kevin Hebert, associate dean for Technology and Technical Services — 5 years
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UAB Libraries patrons can now use the LibCal Mapping Module to view interactive maps and reserve spaces in Mervyn Sterne Library and Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences.
UAB Libraries patrons can now use the LibCal Mapping Module to view interactive maps and reserve spaces in Mervyn Sterne Library and Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences.
Users can visit libcal.library.uab.edu/maps or use the Maps tile in the Library Mobile app to see currently available, reserved and unavailable single-person study spaces, group study rooms and seminar rooms in UAB Libraries’ facilities. Sterne’s first floor is home to group study rooms and seminar rooms, while its third floor primarily houses single-person study rooms. Lister Hill’s first floor contains both group and single-person study rooms available for booking, with a conference room space available for booking on the second.
“We hope this improves the overall user experience in finding rooms and study spaces easily,” said Danielle Hassan, systems librarian for UAB Libraries.
To see the availability status of a space, users can enter their desired booking time and use the color-coded legend to determine what options are open, then book directly online.
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An 1885 Chandler and Price printing press on display in Sterne Library.Blazers can explore the history of the printing press from around the world to the UAB campus — and see an original 1885 Chandler and Price machine — in “To the Letter: A History of the Printing Press,” an exhibit on display on the third floor of Mervyn Sterne Library.
The Chandler and Price press, a hand-operated press manufactured for the printing of small jobs such as stationery, cards, handbills, brochures and small books, was once used at UAB to teach courses in letterpress printing in the 1970s (visitors can see archival copies of course catalogs describing course costs and materials needed).
Visitors also can see examples of early printed works from Sterne Library’s collections and UAB Historical Collections, such as a leaf from an incomplete 1493 copy of “The Nuremburg Chronical” and a Chinese book printed in 1900.
“Displaying our Chandler and Price press is special for us because it’s not just an important part of American history — it’s also a part of UAB history as well, because it was once used as a teaching tool in the classroom,” said Peggy Balch, curator of the Reynolds-Finley Historical Library, located on the third floor of Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences. “We’re excited to give students, employees and UAB visitors a chance to learn about the history of the craft and see special items from our collections.”
The exhibit also includes a Kelsey 5x8 Excelsior Printing Press, which were manufactured between 1954-1975 and designed to print on tabletops for amateur printers. Both the Kelsey model and larger Chandler and Price press came to UAB more than 50 years ago to be used in the former Book Arts program offered through the UAB Division of Special Studies.
Other exhibit features include displays on the history of the printing press in both the United States and in Alabama, the art and process of printing, a 1917 catalog of type faces, initials and decorative elements available for letterpress printing by the American Typefounders Company, and other materials related to letterpress printing, letterpress-printed pieces, and texts explaining the deeper history of presses and their development over time.
Sterne Library is open 24 hours Monday-Thursday, 12 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday. Hours are altered for spring break March 10-16; visit library.uab.edu/hours for more information.
Get a glimpse at the exhibit below:
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During a Black History Month presentation Feb. 22 titled “UAB Firsts: Celebrating African American Trailblazers,” UAB Libraries’ University Archivist Tim Pennycuff highlighted notable Black figures from university history.
See a selection from his presentation below.
The Afro-American Association, established in 1970 and pictured here in 1972, was established in 1970. Sociology and political science major Prince Chambliss, who graduated in 1971 was the first president. Bracie Watson Jr. (far right), served as president of the Student Government Association in 1971.
Bracie Watson Jr., became the first Black student elected as president of the Student Government Association upon his election in 1971. Watson likely was the first Black student in the state of Alabama elected as president of a student government organization outside of the state’s historically black colleges and universities.
The first Black sorority on UAB’s campus was Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Iota Lambda chapter; the sorority’s charter date was May 12, 1972.
American Civil Rights attorney Arthur Shores, a noted patron of UAB, was granted an honorary degree from the university in 1975 — the first Black individual to receive one from UAB. He is pictured here (second from left) with UAB’s first three presidents: from right, Charles McCallum, D.M.D., M.D.; S. Richardson Hill, M.D.; and Joseph Volker, Ph.D., D.D.S.
In 1975, President Gerald Ford signed a resolution recognizing “Black Awareness Week.” Then, in 1976, following urging from the the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Ford issued a presidential message encouraging Americans to honor accomplishments from Black Americans throughout the month of February. Pictured here is a flyer for Black History Month programming at UAB in 1979; Nikki Giovanni, a notable poet, lecturer and author, was a featured speaker.
Under the direction of Department of History Horace Huntley, Ph.D., UAB formed the African American Studies Program in 1979. Pictured is the program’s information in that year’s course catalogue.
Wanda Hightower, forward for UAB’s women’s basketball team — then called the Lady Blazers — from 1978-82 (far left, bottom row), was the first UAB athlete ever to have a number retired in any sport. She also is the all-time leader for UAB women’s basketball in career points and scoring average, among other achievements.
Aaron Lamar, Ed.D., joined UAB faculty in 1973, and in 1978 was named associate vice president and dean of Student Affairs — the first Black individual named to a senior administrative position at UAB. He received the 1994 President’s Medal and remained at UAB until his retirement in 1998.
James “Jim” White became the third head coach of UAB’s men’s tennis team in 1981, becoming the first Black person named as a Blazer head coach.
On March 26, 1983, Phyllis Pope, a pre-dentistry major from Olympia Field, Illinois, was selected as the first Miss UAB.
UAB first observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day as an institutional holiday in 1993, but events had been held in observation for many years prior, such as the pictured wreath-laying at King’s statue in downtown Birmingham’s Kelly Ingram Park in 1991.
Birmingham-born Vonetta Jeffery Flowers attended UAB from 1992-97, competing as a star track-and-field athlete and serving as team captain all four years. She became one of the most decorated athletes in the program, winning 35 Conference USA titles, being voted most valuable player in the conference six times, and becoming UAB’s first seven-time All-American. Despite not earning a spot on the U.S. Track and Field team for the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics, Flowers was given an opportunity to pursue her Olympic dream in a different way — she tried out and earned a spot on the U.S. bobsled team, quickly rising ito the No. 1 brakewoman’s spot. During the 2022 Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City, Flowers, along with driver Jill Bakken, won the gold medal in the two-women event. Flowers was the first Black woman to win a gold medal in any Winter Olympics. She now is a member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
Louis Dale, Ph.D., was appointed in 2003 as vice president for Equity and Diversity at UAB, becoming the first Black individual to serve as a vice president at UAB.
Deborah Voltz, Ed.D., became dean of the School of Education and Human Sciences in 2011; she was the first Black dean of a school or college at UAB.
Paulette Dilworth, Ph.D., was named vice president for the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at UAB in 2016, becoming the first Black woman vice president at UAB — and the first in the University of Alabama System.
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