Read local, national, and world news that feature faculty, students, and alumni from the College of Arts & Sciences. Most recently, the College is trending in the news for projects related to COVID-19 and the sociocultural atmosphere.
As a College, we will look for new avenues for discussion and learning; we will listen and explore areas that need improvement to help break down barriers and disadvantages in our College. We will do the hard work needed to fight racism and end injustices.
Read local, national, and world news that feature faculty, students, and alumni from the College of Arts & Sciences. Most recently, the College is trending in the news for internal clocks and an update on the Moody Music Building.
Unknown Major, ’32 Born Melvin Allen Israel, he was a student manager for the Crimson Tide’s football and baseball programs before receiving a chance to do play-by-play for UA football games. He earned undergraduate and law degrees from UA before winning an audition to announce in New York for CBS Radio in 1936. Allen broadcast his first World Series in 1938 and joined the Yankees the following year, where he stayed for the next 25 seasons. He was the voice […]
Theatre, ’95 A film and television actor, Emerson is best known for his roles as Harold Finch on the CBS series Person of Interest and William Hinks on The Practice. He also played Benjamin Linus on the serial drama television series Lost, and has worked extensively in theatre and narration. Emerson has won two Primetime Emmy Awards and been nominated for three others. He met his wife, Carrie Preston, also his co-star on Person of Interest, while performing in a […]
English, ’65 Winston Groom graduated from The University of Alabama in 1965 and served in the Army from 1965 to 1969, including a tour of duty in the Vietnam War. Once he returned to the United States, he worked as a reporter for the Washington Star before turning his attention to a career writing novels. His biggest seller, Forrest Gump, was later turned into a movie in 1994, featuring Tom Hanks. The film became a cultural phenomenon and won six […]
Honorary Doctorate, ’91 Nellie Harper Lee, better known by her pen name Harper Lee, was an American novelist widely known for To Kill a Mockingbird, published in 1960. Immediately successful, it won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize and has become a classic of modern American literature. Though Lee had only published this single book, in 2007 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her contribution to literature. She was also known for assisting her close friend Truman Capote in […]
History, ’44 Betsy Plank was known as a public relations pioneer, a champion of PR education and the First Lady of public relations. A 1944 graduate of the University of Alabama, Plank attained national and international stature during a distinguished career in corporate and agency public relations. She achieved multiple firsts for women, winning many top awards in the field. The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Foundation established its first ever scholarship endowment fund in her name. Since then, […]
History, ’85 Joe Scarborough is an American cable news and talk radio host, lawyer, author and former politician. He is the co-host of Morning Joe on MSNBC, and previously hosted Scarborough Country on the same channel. Scarborough served in the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2001 as a Representative from the 1st district of Florida. He was named by Time magazine one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2011. He holds a bachelor’s […]
History, ’57 (Richard) and Speech Communication, ’60 (Annette) The University of Alabama’s interdisciplinary science and engineering complex, Shelby Hall, is named after U.S. Senator Richard Shelby and his wife, Dr. Annette N. Shelby. The $58.2 million building, which was dedicated in 2004, is one of the largest academic buildings on the UA campus. Richard Shelby, Alabama’s senior United States senator, is a graduate of The University of Alabama’s undergraduate and law programs. He was elected to the Senate in 1986 […]