USA News Archives | Media Relations

AT&T Boosts Network Speeds for South
November 14, 2022

Wireless network expansion at the University of South Alabama will help give AT&T customers better access to mobile internet. ...

Breaking the cigarette and vaping habit.

USA Health Hosts Great American Smokeout
November 14, 2022

The American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout is Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the SGA ...

University of South Alabama students, from left, Shubhangi Singh, Nicholas Flynn and Destinie Diggs recently presented their research at the 24th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. Singh won the Best Poster Award from the Phi Kappa Phi honor society.

Poster Students
November 10, 2022

At the 24th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, South students shared their projects on everything from hermit crabs to Big D ...

Tailgating at the University of South Alabama

Tailgating and Networking
November 9, 2022

Pre-game parties on College Tailgate Row also serve as career opportunities and casual meeting places for South students and alumn ...

University of South Alabama student Paul Nguyen at a piano at Laidlaw Performing Arts Center on campus.

From West Coast to Gulf Coast
November 4, 2022

Paul Nguyen chose to leave Oregon for South Alabama and a music and engineering path to medicine. #FreshmanFocus ...

Dr. Alma Hoffman, an assistant professor of graphic design, poses with her painting 'Micah 4' which was named by Creative Quarterly as one of the 100 Best Artworks of 2021.

South Art Teacher Wins Prestigious Award
November 3, 2022

South associate professor Alma Hoffmann's painting named as one of the 100 Best Artworks of 2021 by Creative Quarterly. ...

Best-selling novelist Emily St. John Mandel will read from and discuss her genre-bending work on Tuesday, November 15, 2022 as part of The Stokes Center for Creative Writing Visiting Writers’ Series. Mandel is the author of the literary sensation Station Eleven, which was adapted into an HBO Max limited series, and most recently the novel Sea of Tranquility. The reading will take place at the University of South Alabama's Student Center Ballroom at 6:00 p.m. A reception and book signing will follow. Photo courtesy: Sarah Shatz.

Best-Selling Novelist Emily St. John Mandel to Speak at USA
November 2, 2022

Emily St. John Mandel will be the keynote speaker as part of The Stokes Center for Creative Writing Visiting Writers' Series. ...

KC Crusoe, a University of South Alabama student, at the Student Center on campus.

Political Education
October 30, 2022

KC Crusoe, president of the First Year Council, studies political science to prepare for a career in government. #FreshmanFocus ...

The University of South Alabama is one of only four finalists in the nation for the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities 2022 Degree Completion Award. It is given annually to institutions that have made significant strides in student success, particularly among students from underrepresented backgrounds.

APLU Names South Alabama 2022 Degree Completion Award Finalist
October 27, 2022

The award is given annually recognizing institutions making significant strides in student success and graduation rates. ...

The University of South Alabama is expanding its Pathway USA program, opening more doors to opportunity for community colleges students to earn a four-year degree. Pictures from left, Todd Shackett, president Southern Union State Community College, Brad Frick executive vice president, Trenholm State Community College, Craig Pouncey, president Coastal Alabama Community College, Coretta Boykin, president Reid State Technical College, Brock Kelley, president Lurleen B. Wallace Community College and Olivier Charles, president Bishop State Community College.

South Expands its Pathway USA Program
October 24, 2022

"Pathway USA" and a new program "Map Your Path" aims to make transferring from selected community colleges to ...

Graphic with times for Trek Talk.
Monday, Oct. 24, noon – Jag Fitness Trail Station near the Traffic Circle. Prizes and snacks followed by opening remarks at 12:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 26, noon – The second Trek Talk will be held at Geri Moulton Children’s Park near the entrance of the Mitchell Cancer Institute. Opening remarks will begin at 12:20 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 26, 1 p.m. – The third and final Trek Talk will be held at University Hospital, Mastin Patient Care Center Lawn. Opening remarks will begin at 1:10 p.m.

Walk to Wellness: USA Launches Walk Week 2022
October 21, 2022

Three Trek Talks will feature President Jo Bonner. ...

At the University of South Alabama, where she is a freshman, Claudia Allday is studying nursing and travels campus on an electric bicycle.

Fateful Choice
October 21, 2022

Claudia Allday decides to enter nursing after her mother spent three months in the hospital during the COVID pandemic. #FreshmanFo ...

Dr. Kern Jackson, director of the African American Studies Program at the University of South Alabama, served as co-writer and co-producer of “Descendant.”

Folklore Meets Film
October 19, 2022

Dr. Kern Jackson helps bring the story of Africatown to new audiences in "Descendant." ...

The South Alabama Center for Business Analytics, Real Estate and Economic Development (SABRE) is hosting its 2nd Annual Analytics Summit at the MacQueen Alumni Center on the University of South Alabama campus, November 17, 2022, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The summit brings together industry, academia, non-profits, local governments, and emerging talent from the Central Gulf Coast.

South Hosts 2nd Data Analytics Summit
October 18, 2022

The South Alabama Center for Business Analytics, Real Estate and Economic Development will host its 2nd Annual Analytics Summit No ...

Dr. Delaware Arif, associate professor of digital journalism in the Department of Communication in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been elected as the chair of the International Communication Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, the largest organization for academicians and research in this field in the world.

Arif Elected Chair of International Organization
October 17, 2022

Dr. Delaware Arif has been elected chair of the International Communication Division of the Association for Education in Journalis ...

The Multicultural Leadership Center at the University of South Alabama is designed to be a welcoming, engaging, supportive and inclusive environment for students.

Multicultural Leadership Center Celebrates Grand Opening
October 14, 2022

The transformed building is designed to be a welcoming, engaging, supportive and inclusive environment for students. ...

Suhas Patil at the rock wall at the Student Rec Center at the University of South Alabama

Up and Coming
October 14, 2022

Suhas Patil starts pre-med training with EMS classes and the camaraderie of the Honors College. #FreshmanFocus ...

USA College of Education and Professional Studies and the College of Arts and Sciences faculty at South will support a new $1.2 million grant that will help increase the number of k-12 science teachers in rural and urban areas of Mobile County. The principal investigator of the grant is Dr. Katie Guffey McCorrison, assistant professor of science education in the Professional Studies department of leadership; and the co-principal investigators are Dr. Andre Green, professor of science education and associate vice president for Academic Affairs; Dr. David Forbes, professor of chemistry; center, Dr. Justin Sanders, associate professor and department chair of physics; Dr. Tres Stefurak, associate dean in the College of Education and Professional Studies and professor of counseling psychology. Dr. James Van Heneghan, professor of professional studies, will manage the evaluation of the program.

South Awarded NSF Grant to Increase K-12 Science Teachers in Local Schools
October 14, 2022

The $1.2 million grant will help address the shortage of science teachers for grades six through 12 in Mobile County. ...

Dr. Dieudonné Gnammankou, a historian and assistant professor at the Université d’Abomey-Calavi in Benin will serve for one year at South Alabama as a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence. He will connect his work about the slave trade on the West African coast with the stories of the Clotilda and the community groups in Africatown. The Clotilda is the last known ship to bring enslaved Africans to the United States.

South Welcomes Visiting Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence
October 14, 2022

Dr. Dieudonné Gnammankou, an assistant professor at the Université d'Abomey-Calavi will teach in Honors College ...

In a University of South Alabama gallery, Susan Fitzsimmons stands with a series of sculptures, "Sentinels and Guardians," which were inspired by the border wall with Mexico when she was teaching in McAllen, Texas. Two other sculptures by the chair of South's Department of Art and Art History will be featured in a Museum of Modern exhibit that opens this month.

Her MoMA Moment
October 7, 2022

Susan Fitzsimmons, chair of the Department of Art and Art History, returns to New York for a Museum of Modern Art exhibit on the & ...

Trinity LaBorde, a freshman from Long Beach, Mississippi, considered studying music education but gravitated toward art. “Here, I wanted a new start, I wanted to meet new people, I wanted to be the person I couldn’t be in high school.”

Drawn to South
October 3, 2022

An art student from Long Beach, Mississippi, gets a head start on university life with the Jaguar Marching Band, a trip to the bea ...

Nealan Armstrong, who has been named a University of South Alabama Board of Trustees Scholar, is studying computer science and hopes to work in software development or cybersecurity.

Ocean Springs Student Wins Board of Trustees Scholarship
September 30, 2022

Nealan Armstrong was awarded the scholarship given each year to the most academically talented first-year student. "I did not ...

South's 2022 Homecoming festivities begin October 10 with the traditional "Junk the Jungle" and continue all week leading up to the Jags football game against Louisiana-Monroe October 15 at Hancock Whitney Stadium.

South Celebrates Homecoming "HOCO" 2022
September 29, 2022

HOCO '22 will be held on campus October 10-15 and will feature various activities leading up to the Jags football game agains ...

The pumpkin patch sale is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 14, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Glass Art Building. Glass pumpkins will be priced at $20 and up. Purchases can be made via cash, check or credit card.

2022 South Students to Host Glass Pumpkin Patch Fundraiser
September 28, 2022

More than 500 glass pumpkins will go on sale with funds supporting student and public opportunities within the program. ...

Morgan Brobston, a communication student at the University of South Alabama and manager of JagTV, gives a speech at today’s ribbon cutting ceremony for South’s newly renovated television production studio.

South Communication Department Cuts Ribbon on New Studio Set
September 27, 2022

Communication students at the University of South Alabama now have access to a newly renovated television production studio where ...

President Jo Bonner gives his inauguration address at the Mitchell Center on Friday. “The University of South Alabama is poised and ready to become the Flagship of the Gulf Coast,” he told those gathered.

Bonner Inaugurated as Fourth President
September 24, 2022

President Jo Bonner announces a commitment to student recruitment and retention, along with new facilities, at the 'Flagship ...

Bri Wilson, a volleyball player from Alabaster, Alabama, followed her sister's lead in wearing No. 13. I’m not superstitious, but I do like to do everything the same way.”

First Serve
September 21, 2022

Bri Wilson, a volleyball player from Alabaster, Alabama, settles in at South and makes her debut on court for the Jaguars. #Freshm ...

Xha’Nae Morris, a nursing sophomore from Mobile, attends a Second Year Experience event early this semester. Morris also works with first-year students for the Office of Student Academic Success. She’s a ComPAL – Composition Pal – who offers English tutoring.

Second Helping
September 16, 2022

South launches Second Year Experience, a five-year program with academic coaching and mentoring, to give returning Jaguars persona ...

Emilie Berge in her lab at South, has received one of just 12 Zymo Research Impact Initiative grants awarded annually for scientific innovation and potential social impact. Berge received her master's degree in environmental toxicology in May will use the $4000 award to perform transcriptomic analysis of the polyaromatic hydrocarbon degrading bacteria she described in her thesis.

On Track For Success
September 12, 2022

Former South student and track star awarded Zymo Research Impact Initiative grant for her work in environmental toxicology. ...

Fourth President
September 12, 2022

Jo Bonner, whose career in public service includes a decade in Congress and leadership in state government, will be inaugurated on ...

Madison Bomeke works on an engineering team at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas, that offers technical support for F-35 fighter jets. Her experience while a student at the University of South Alabama included internships with Airbus in Mobile and Amazon in Reno, Nevada.

Jet Set
September 2, 2022

Madison Bomeke, a mechanical engineering graduate, started her career supporting F-35 fighter planes for Lockheed Martin in Texas. ...

As part of her job at the National Weather Service outside Atlanta, University of South Alabama graduate Carmen Hernandez launches weather balloons into the air to measure readings including temperature, air pressure and humidity.

Career Forecast
August 29, 2022

Carmen Hernandez has been captivated by the weather ever since she witnessed its power during Hurricane Rita. She majored in meteo ...

“Listening is an Act of Love" is this year's Common Read selection. The voluntary program for the South Alabama community, aims to improve understanding of differences and commonalities across the world while engaging in academic discourse and critical thinking.

One Book, One South, One Community
August 22, 2022

"Listening is an Act of Love" is meant to inspire South students, faculty, staff, and alumni to listen to one another,&q ...

First-year students got a primer on school spirit at Convocation on Monday at the University of South Alabama. Among the lessons: How to properly show your J.

Jaguars Sing — and Shuffle
August 15, 2022

Members of the Class of 2026 cheer, sing and dance at fall Convocation to kick off the academic year. Week of Welcome and Beyond c ...

Dr. Na Gong, front, is leading an artificial intelligence research team in a $6 million National Science Foundation project. Her South colleagues in the program include, left to right, Dr. Clive Woods, Dr. Hulya Kirkici, Dr. Mohamed Shaban and Dr. Jinhui Wang.

The Edge of Artificial Intelligence
August 11, 2022

Dr. Na Gong leads a national team working on a $6 million NSF grant to develop an integrated research infrastructure for Edge AI. ...

Tristen Mullins, chosen graduate student of the year for South's School of Computing in 2022, is beginning her career in cybersecurity at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.

Cybersecurity, Flexibility
August 11, 2022

At Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, Tristen Mullins begins a career in cybersecurity through the Scholarship for Servic ...

Jim Berscheidt has been named vice president for marketing and communications at the University of South Alabama. He will begin his new role Sept. 12.

Jim Berscheidt Named VP, Marketing and Communications
August 9, 2022

A veteran leader in higher education with success in brand awareness, student recruitment and fundraising, Berscheidt will begin S ...

Matthew Hodanbosi, a marine sciences Ph.D. student at the University of South Alabama has been selected as one of 86 John A. Marine Policy Fellows. He will begin his fellowship in February working in Washington D.C. with government officials.

South Ph.D. Student Receives Marine Policy Fellowship
August 4, 2022

Matthew Hodanbosi has been named one of just 86 recipients of the 2023 John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program. ...

Heather Giannini, a 2022 graduate of the University of South Alabama has been selected for one of six $20,000 Marcus L. Urann fellowships by the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. Giannini plans on becoming a physician-scientist.

South Grad Receives Prestigious Urann Fellowship
August 3, 2022

Hannah Giannini is one of only six recipients nationwide to receive the prestigious $20,000 Phi Kappa Phi fellowship. ...

Chris Willhite, a University of South Alabama civil engineering graduate, moved to Huntsville, Alabama, to accept a job with S&ME, an engineering and construction services company.

Building a Future
August 2, 2022

Chris Willhite, a civil engineering graduate from South, starts his career with an engineering company in Huntsville. #MyFirstJob ...

Dr. Emily Bentley, an assistant professor of nursing, will be the project director for Nursing, Recruitment and Education to Expand Access to Culturally Aligned Healthcare. Funded by a $3.6 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, the program is designed to recruit, educate, train and mentor diverse nursing students to become leaders in managing social determinants of health by providing care in several rural communities and underserved areas in Alabama and Mississippi.

$3.6 Million Grant to Support Nursing Mobile Units in Rural, Underserved Communities
July 29, 2022

The initiative will support holistic care by healthcare providers that represent the diversity of the areas they serve. ...

The 80-member Class of 2026 is the largest matriculating medical school class in the history of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine, which welcomed its charter class in 1973.

Whiddon College of Medicine Welcomes Largest Class
July 29, 2022

The 80-member Class of 2026 is greeted with orientation activities ranging from informative to interactive to social. ...

Judge Bill Lewis has been appointed to the University of South Alabama Board of Trustees by Gov. Kay Ivey. Lewis is currently the presiding judge for the 19th Judicial Circuit, serving Autauga, Elmore and Chilton counties. He will serve the remainder of the unexpired term for the state-at-large position previously help by Judge Ken Simon.

Judge Bill Lewis Appointed to USA Board of Trustees
July 28, 2022

Lewis joins a board that recently elected new leadership, including Arlene Mitchell, the first woman to serve as a chair pro tempo ...

The University of South Alabama launched SOAR, short for Strengthening Opportunities for Achievement and Resilience, at the MacQueen Alumni Center July 27, 2022. South is collaborating with the Mobile Public Schools and Mobile Police Department on this 5-year intervention study. Causey, Hankins, Pillans and Washington middle schools are taking part and at the launch, the principals of each middle school chose a balloon that revealed which year their school would receive the intervention.

South Leads Initiative to Curb Youth Violence
July 27, 2022

University researchers will collaborate with the Mobile Police Department and Mobile County Public Schools on a five-year, $3.5 mi ...

Jensen Graddick is a senior human resources specialist for the City of Daphne. She began an internship with the city while a junior in the Mitchell College of Business, then accepted a job even before she graduated. “It all fell into place,” she said.

Internship, Job Offer, Promotion
July 20, 2022

Mitchell College of Business graduate Jensen Graddick turns an internship in human resources into a full-time job and then a new t ...

University of South Alabama faculty and staff from Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions, the department of psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Alabama Head Injury Foundation pose with eleven survivors and caregivers at the 2022 Bright Ideas Traumatic Brain Injury Camp. South students and faculty served on a multidisciplinary team to help survivors with counseling, speech-language pathology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, cooking/nutrition sessions and assessments during a three-day camp.

South Hosts Brain Injury Camp
July 18, 2022

USA faculty and students collaborated with the Alabama Head Injury Foundation to host Bright Ideas Traumatic Brain Injury Camp. ...

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 14, 2022 carrying the JagSat-1 satellite. NASA photo.

JagSat-isfaction
July 15, 2022

South engineering students and faculty cheer the Florida launch of a SpaceX rocket carrying their JagSat-1 satellite that will tra ...

The Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions will feature two new degreed programs beginning in the fall 2022 semester. Radiologic Sciences begins an online-only program for radiologic technicians who hold an associate degree to earn a bachelor's degree. The Department of Biomedical Sciences is starting a new master’s degree program for students who are particularly interested in research.

College of Allied Health Professions Initiates New Programs
July 11, 2022

Two new programs in the Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions will expand both academic and professional opportunit ...

Professor of marine sciences Dr. John Lehrter, on a vessel off the Alabama coast in 2021, is leading a study to arrive at a baseline for water quality along the Alabama Gulf Coast. “At a really fundamental level, this project is about going out, very frequently, and trying to get the pulse of state water quality. Where are the places we have to worry about, and what are the places that have good quality?”

Marine Sciences Professor Wins $3.1 Million Water Quality Grant
July 11, 2022

Dr. John Lehrter and the University of South Alabama School of Marine and Environmental Sciences will lead the three-year study of ...

Micah Mermilliod took this self portrait from on top the Alabama Contemporary Art Center, where he took a job as an assistant curator.

Art Start
June 29, 2022

Micah Mermilliod moves from solo shows to collaborative work as an assistant curator for the Alabama Contemporary Art Center. #MyF ...