Warhawk Weekly 4-30: Celebrating graduates; GSC championship
AUM celebrating largest graduating class
AUM will celebrate its largest graduating class to date during Spring 2024 Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 4, at the AUM Athletics Complex.
The university will award degrees to 618 students – 300 bachelor’s degrees, 289 master’s degrees, 16 education specialist degrees, seven undergraduate certificates and five doctoral degrees. Nearly 100 graduates will become the first members of their families to earn a college degree. Graduates of University College, the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences and College of Business will be recognized at 10 a.m. The Colleges of Education, Nursing & Health Sciences, and Sciences will honor their graduates at 2 p.m.
If you’re a member of our Spring 2024 graduating class, tell us where your degree will take you. Email the following to [email protected]: Name, color cap-and-gown photo, degree/major, future plans (career, graduate school), hometown and favorite AUM memory.
U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Terrence A. Adams, a 1994 AUM computer information systems alum, will address graduates during both ceremonies. Adams serves as the Deputy Principal Cyber Advisor (DPCA) to the Secretary of Defense and Senior Military Advisor for Cyber Policy. As the DPCA, he serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary on military cyber forces and activities. He is also responsible for assessing and overseeing the implementation of the cyber strategy of the Department of Defense and execution of the cyber posture review of the department on behalf of the Secretary.
Both ceremonies will be viewable by livestream.
Get more information about the commencement ceremonies with the Registrars Office.
Women’s tennis captures first GSC championship
AUM’s 11h-ranked women’s tennis team captured its first Gulf South Conference tournament championship in thrilling fashion on Monday, outlasting 28th-ranked Mississippi College 4-3 in a match that came down to Regina Urbiola earning a third-set win.
The Warhawks, who entered the tournament as the second seed, earned automatic qualification for the NCAA postseason field. NCAA bids will be announced on Monday, May 6.
AUM got off to a good start, earning the doubles point with wins by Estefania Garcia/Ane Ibarra and Ana Villalvazo/Nahia Izco. Garcia and Villalvazo picked up straight sets wins at No. 1 and No. 3 singles before Urbiola’s title-clinching three-set win at the No. 4 singles spot. She outlasted Mississippi College’s Gabrielle Geolier, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.
AUM students earn national honors at Kennedy Center festival
Students Tiara Staples and Chason Marvin (pictured left to right with faculty member Val Winkelman) added to Theatre AUM’s tradition of nationally acclaimed work.
Both students finished among the top four nationally in their respective categories at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) in Washington, D.C.
Staples, a Communication major from Lafayette, Alabama, earned first place in the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) Directing Initiative. Marvin, a senior Communication major from Prattville, finished among the top four in Theatre Journalism & Advocacy.
Each April, the Kennedy Center welcomes outstanding theater students from its eight regions to the national festival, which recognizes student awardees in design, performance, directing, playwriting, stage management, dramaturgy, arts leadership, and theatre criticism. AUM is part of KCACTF Region IV, which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Southern Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
In February, Staples and Marvin each earned first place awards at the 2024 KCACTF Region IV festival in Albany, Georgia, for their work in 2023 Theatre AUM productions.
University recognizes 2024 Chancellor’s Scholars
AUM has selected undergraduate students from each of its colleges for recognition as 2024 Chancellor’s Scholars. The award winners are selected on the basis of outstanding scholarly achievements, as well as demonstrated excellence in leadership and service.
The newly announced Chancellor’s Scholars are:
- Jacob Garrett – Mathematics; College of Sciences
- Prinali Patel – Economics; College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
- Kate Porter – Curriculum, Instruction & Technology; College of Education
- Madelynn Redmond – Medical & Clinical Laboratory Sciences; College of Nursing & Health Sciences
- Victoria Speake – School of Accountancy; College of Business
Other student award-winners included:
Athletics
- Whitley Watwood, Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year
- Seth Buchanan, Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year
- Ane Ibarra, Top Graduating Senior Scholar-Athlete
- AUM Softball, Highest Team GPA Award
Outstanding Students
College of Business
- Victoria Speake, School of Accountancy
- Prinali Patel, Business Administration
- William Douglas, Management Information Systems
College of Education
- Anna Stinson, Counselor, Leadership & Special Education
- Kate Porter, Curriculum, Instruction & Technology
- Avery Dickerson, Kinesiology
College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
- Zameron Boozer, Communication & Theatre
- Donald Lowe, Criminal Justice
- Prinali Patel, Economics
- Sydni Fuqua, English & Philosophy
- Carley Butts, Fine Arts
- Karlee Stoup, Political Science & Public Administration
- Amber Johnson, Sociology, Anthropology & Social Work
College of Nursing & Health Sciences
- Madison Thweatt, School of Nursing
- Allie Darty, Communication Disorders
- Madelynn Redmond, Medical & Clinical Laboratory Sciences
College of Sciences
- Chloe Andress, Biology & Environmental Science
- Morgan Ferguson, Chemistry
- Nathaniel Hughes, Computer Science
- Jacob Garrett, Mathematics
- Gia Martin, Psychology
Baseball, softball prepare for conference tourneys
AUM’s nationally ranked softball and baseball teams will pursue Gulf South Conference tournament championships this week.
The 16th-ranked softball team swept Montevallo last weekend and enters the conference tournament as the No. 2 seed with a 36-11 record (23-7 GSC). The Warhawks will open play on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. against West Alabama at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama.
The No. 21 baseball team, which secured the 25th 30-win season in program history last weekend, enter tournament play as the No. 2 seed and will take on 7th-seeded Shorter on Friday at 1 p.m. at Choccolocco Park.
Exploring poetry and empathy
Alabama’s Poet Laureate and UAB Honors Program Associate Director Ashley Jones will discuss creativity and empathy during an open public session hosted by AUM’s Civil Rights & Civic Virtue Society as part of the May 8-9 “Out of the Box: Workshop on Teaching and Learning.”
Members of the campus community are invited to attend Jones’ presentation, “Imagine Us In Love With The World: How Poetry and Empathy Can Save Us All,” on Wednesday, May 8, at 4:30 p.m. in Goodwyn Hall 109.
Green Zone training available for faculty, staff
AUM’s Veteran & Military Resource Center will offer Green Zone training for faculty and staff on Friday, May 17, from 9-11 a.m. in Goodwyn 116.
The training focuses on increasing awareness of the backgrounds and needs of military-affiliated students. Participants will receive a certificate and a Green Zone sticker for their office.
Fine Arts offers summer workshops for high school students
A grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts has enabled AUM’s Department of Fine Arts to run three free summer workshops for high school students. Each camp is limited to 20 high school students.
The schedule includes:
- Digital Illustration: June 3-7
- Audio/Visual Storytelling: June 10-14
- Photography & Botany: July 22-26
Kappa Delta Pi welcomes new members
The Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) chapter at AUM welcomed 15 new members recently during its Spring 2024 initiation ceremony.
Founded over 100 years ago, KDP is the largest national honor society in education. Nick Bourke serves as KDP’s counselor, while Tami Shelley serves as assistant counselor and Traci Kell holds the title of communication coordinator, KDP Counselor is Dr. Nick Bourke, Assistant Counselor is Dr. Tami Shelley, and Communication Coordinator is Dr. Traci Kell.
Officers include President Lucy Anthony, Vice President Joi ‘a Austin and Secretary Grace Langston.
Stay in the know on campus events
There’s an easy way to keep up with all of the fun events offered on our campus. Enroll in AUM365 and get the 4-1-1 from Curtiss The Warhawk himself. Text curti$$ to 334-398-6025 to receive reminders about upcoming happening.
