The University of Alabama at Birmingham
File:University of Alabama at Birmingham seal.png Seal of The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Established	1936
Type	Public
Endowment	$327,401,397
President	Dr. Carol Z. Garrison
Provost	Dr. Linda Lucas (Interim)
Academic staff	2,044
Students	17,575
Undergraduates	11,128
Postgraduates	6,447
Location	Birmingham, Alabama, USA 33°30′00″N 86°48′27″W / 33.500000°N 86.807500°W / 33.500000; -86.807500
Colors	Forest Green and White with Gold accents
Sports	17 Intercollegiate Sports (NCAA Division I FBS)
Nickname	Blazers
Mascot	Blaze the Dragon
Affiliations	SACS, Great Cities' Universities, NCAA, Conference USA, University of Alabama System
Website	http://www.uab.edu/

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a public university in Birmingham in the U.S. state of Alabama. Developing from an extension center established in 1936, the institution became an autonomous institution in 1969 and is today one of three institutions in the University of Alabama System. UAB offers over 140 programs of study in 12 academic divisions leading to bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degrees in the social and behavioral sciences, the liberal arts, business, education, engineering, and health-related fields such as medicine, dentistry, optometry, nursing, and public health. The school is highly renowned for its medical research and natural sciences programs.

The UAB Health System, one of the largest academic medical centers in the United States, is affiliated with the university. UAB Hospital sponsors residency programs in various medical specialties, including internal medicine, neurology, surgery, radiology, and anesthesiology. UAB Hospital is the only ACS verified Level I trauma center in Alabama, as rated by the American College of Surgeons Trauma Program.^[1]

UAB is the state's largest employer, with more than 18,000 faculty and staff and over 53,000 jobs at the university and in the health system. An estimated 10 percent of the jobs in the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area and 1 in 33 jobs in the state of Alabama are directly or indirectly related to UAB. Overall, the university's overall annual economic impact was estimated to be $4.6 billion annual impact in 2010.^[2][3]

In the Fall of 2011, the University of Alabama at Birmingham enrolled 17,575 students from over 110 countries, including 1,605 freshmen. The university president is Dr. Carol Z. Garrison.

History[link]

In 1936, in response to the rapid growth of the Birmingham metropolitan area and the need for the population to have easy access to a university education, the University of Alabama created a Birmingham Extension Center.^[4] The center initially operated in an old house in downtown Birmingham at 2131 6th Avenue North and enrolled 116 students. In 1945, the newly-created four-year University of Alabama School of Medicine moved from the Tuscaloosa campus to Birmingham and took over management of Jefferson and Hillman hospitals. In the post-war boom, enrollment at the extension center increased steadily; it stood at 1,856 by 1957. The medical center also grew. By 1959, research grants, training grants, and fellowships exceeded $1,000,000, and ground was broken for a new Children's Hospital.

By the 1960s, it grew readily apparent that the extension center was becoming a university in its own right. An engineering building was built close to the medical center in 1962. In 1966, the Extension Center and the School of Medicine were merged into the University of Alabama in Birmingham. An Advisory Board for UAB was created in 1967. In 1969, the legislature created the University of Alabama System and elevated UAB to the status of an autonomous institution within the system, which also included UA (in Tuscaloosa) and the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) in Huntsville. Dr. Joseph Volker was named the first president of UAB.

In the 1970s, the university began a period of rapid growth. Enrollment at the beginning of the decade stood at 6,629, including 2,724 women. To accommodate the growing student population, UAB acquired much land in the [[Southside (Birmingham) Southside]] and began a steady expansion of the physical plant. UAB Mini Park (the predecessor to UAB Green) was dedicated in 1977. The university created an intercollegiate athletic program, joined the NCAA and began fielding teams beginning with golf in 1970 and men's basketball in 1978. The university's name was changed to the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1984.

By 1990, UAB had awarded its 50,000th degree. In 1992, U.S. News and World Report named UAB as the #1 up-and-coming university in the United States. In 1993, UAB's economic impact on the Birmingham region was estimated at more than $1.5 billion per year (the figure would be $2 billion per year by 1998). In 1994, UAB became the first Alabama university to achieve "Research University I" status in the Carnegie Foundation classification.

UAB celebrated its 40th anniversary as an independent university in 2009. When classes began, UAB had the largest enrollment in the school’s 40-year history. Freshman enrollment was up 19% and graduate student enrollment hit its largest number ever. A record 18,047 students enrolled in courses at UAB.

Campus[link]

A fountain in front of Campbell Hall

UAB is located in the Southside neighborhood of downtown Birmingham. Spanning around 83 blocks, the UAB campus blends seamlessly with the urban character of the Southside. The campus is roughly rectangular in shape with University Blvd serving as the main axis of the rectangle and Campus Green serving as the center of the campus.

The campus can be divided into three sections. The medical center occupies most of the campus east of Campus Green. The medical center is the home to the various health science schools and their teaching facilities, including the UAB Health System (UABHS). The medical center overlaps with the larger Birmingham Medical District where, in addition to UABHS, non-UAB affialiated hospitals such as the VA Medical Center Birmingham, Children's Hospital of Alabama and Cooper Green Mercy Hospital are located.

The part of campus from Campus Green west and University Boulevard south is the academic center of the campus, as well as the center of student life on campus. The majority of the university's academic, student life, residential and cultural facilities are located on this part of campus. It is anchored by Campus Green, which was developed between 2000 and 2007 as the centerpiece of the move to convert the school from its traditional commuter school feel into a traditional residential campus.

Students relaxing on Campus Green

Athletics facilities, including Bartow Arena, are located on the far western side of campus. Legion Field, located a few miles west of campus, is the current home of the football team, but planning is underway for an on-campus football stadium adjacent to Bartow Arena.

Since 1969, UAB has undergone extensive growth and is sometimes jokingly referred to as "The University that Ate Birmingham"^{[citation needed]}, and construction projects are common across campus. Current projects that are in planning, recently completed, or under construction include:^[5]

• Shelby Biomedical Research Building
• Southern Bio-Safety Lab Alabama Birmingham
• Alumni Affairs House
• UAB Softball Complex
• Campus Green Project
• Women's and Infants Center ^[6]
• Hazelrig-Salter Radiation Oncology Facility ^[7]

Organization and administration[link]

UAB is an autonomous institution within the University of Alabama System, which is governed by the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama and headed by Chancellor of the University of Alabama. The board is self-nominating and composed of 15 elected members and two ex officio members. The makeup of the Board is dictated by the Constitution of the State of Alabama, and requires that the board be made up of three members from the congressional district that contains the Tuscaloosa campus, and two members from every other congressional district in Alabama. Board members are elected by the Board and are confirmed by the Alabama State Senate. Board members may serve three consecutive six-year terms.^[9]

The President of the University of Alabama at Birmingham is the principal executive officer of the university and is appointed by the chancellor with approval of the Board of Trustees. The president reports directly to the chancellor, and is responsible for the daily operations of the university. The president also acts as chairman of the board of the UAB Health System.^[10] The sixth and current president of UAB is Carol Garrison, who has served since 2002.^[11]

Colleges[link]

UAB is composed of 1 college, 9 schools, the Graduate School, and the Division of General Studies. Together, these divisions offer 51 bachelor's degree programs, 46 master's degree programs, and 36 doctoral programs.

Prior to 2010, the schools of Arts and Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Natural Science and Mathematics, and Education were separate, degree-granting units within the university. The schools were merged into a single college (the first at UAB): the College of Arts and Sciences, with Education retaining its identity as a distinct unit within the new college. University leaders cited efficiency, curricula, and more opportunity for interdisciplinary research and cooperation for the restructuring.^[12]

Endowment[link]

UAB's endowment stood at just over $325 million in 2009.^[13]

In 1999, the university launched a capital campaign with a goal of $250 million. When it ended in 2003, the UAB Capital Campaign had raised over $388.7 million.

Academics[link]

UAB is a large, four-year primarily residential research university.^[14] UAB has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools since 1970, according to the U.S. Department of Education.^[15] Undergraduates comprise a majority of the total university enrollment. Part-time and transfer student comprise a sizable portion of the undergraduate student body. The undergraduate instructional program provided a balance between professional programs of study and the liberal arts (meaning the number of degrees awards in the two areas were similar), and there a high level of co-existence between the graduate and undergraduate programs (meaning that the majority of undergraduate program had graduate degree program counterparts). The university has a "very high level" of research activity and has a graduate instructional program heavily emphasizing doctorates in STEM fields as well as health and veterinary sciences professional programs. UAB is only one of 108 universities (and the only one of two in Alabama) with the "very high level" research rating in the nation.^[16]

The academic calendar is based on the semester system, which divides the academic year, lasting from mid-August to early May, into two 15-week semesters (fall and spring) and the summer. The fall semester ends in early December and the spring term beings in early January. The summer, which lasts from mid-May to August, is divided into a number of sessions: a 12-week session, a 3-week "mini-semester" in May, a nine-week session in June and July, and two four-week sessions in June and July, respectively.^[17] The schools of medicine and dentistry follow an academic calendar beginning in July and ending in late May/early June.^[18][19]

In academic year 2009-2010, UAB awarded a total 1,942 bachelor's degrees and post-bachelor certificates; 1,339 master's degrees, educational specialist degrees, and post-master's certificates; 229 research doctorates; and 171 professional doctorates.^[20]

Student Profile[link]

In fall 2011, the UAB student body consisted of 11,128 undergraduates, 4,019 graduate students and 2,428 professional doctoral students from all 67 Alabama counties, all 50 states and more than 110 foreign countries.^[20] 28.7% of students were enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences (excluding Education), 10.6% in Education, 11.5% in Business, 1.5% in Dentistry, 6.7% in Engineering, 11.0% in Health Professions, 2.4% in Joint Health Sciences, 3.5% in Medicine, 10.3% in Nursing, 1.1% in Optometry, 2.0% in Public Health, while 10.7% were undecided.^[8]

Of the undergraduate student body, 43% are from Jefferson County, 17.5% are from other counties in the Birmingham metropolitan area (specifically Blount, Shelby, St. Clair and Walker counties. 31% come from the rest of Alabama, 6.5% from the rest of the United States, while international students comprise 1.9%. The male-to-female ratio among undergraduates is 0.7:1. Reflecting one of the core reasons for UAB's founding, a large percentage of undergraduates are from non-traditional demographics. One quarter of undergraduates are part-time students, and 23% are above the age of 25. (The average undergraduate is 23 years old.)^[8]

The average entering freshman ACT score for the Class of 2013 is 24.3 with a 3.5 high school GPA. Average undergraduate class size of 31 students. Since 2000, UAB has produced 7 Fulbright Scholars, 6 Phi Kappa Phi Fellows, 8 Goldwater Scholars, 5 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Fellows, 6 Truman Scholars, 1 Marshall Scholar, and 2 Rhodes Scholars.

In addition to the undergraduate curriculum, the Graduate School at UAB has experienced significant growth. In the past 3 years, graduate enrollment is up 19.5%. There has also been a 30 point increase in the mean GRE score of applicants with an average GRE Verbal score of 530 and Quantitative score of 690.^[23]

Faculty and Staff[link]

UAB has 18,619 employees, including 2,244 faculty.^[8] 91.3% of the faculty at UAB hold an academic or professional doctorate. Eight faculty members from UAB have been elected to the National Institute of Medicine.^[24] The student-faculty ratio at UAB is 18:1.

Library[link]

UAB has two libraries: the Mervyn H. Sterne Library and Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences. Sterne Library holds 1,700,000 million print volumes while Hill Library holds just under 350,000.^[8]

Rankings[link]

The 2011 US News & World Report Top United States Universities and Colleges ranks UAB overall as the 143rd best national university.^[29]

UAB ranks among Top-20 nationally in federal research and development funding and 1st in the state of Alabama, receiving more funding than all other Alabama universities combined. UAB received over $416 million in external grants and contracts in fiscal 2007–2008.^[20]

As of 2009, UAB is 4th in the Southeast for NIH research funding behind only Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Vanderbilt University.^[30]

In the Taiwanese Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers in World Universities, UAB ranked 94th in the world in 2011.^[31]

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is nationally ranked among Top-20 in total federal research funding and key areas of health sciences receiving more than $433 million dollars in funding.^[32] The Scientist magazine recently ranked UAB No. 24 on its Top 40 “Best Places to Work as a Postdoctoral Fellow” list, up from its No. 56 ranking in 2008.^[33] In the 2010 Princeton Review College Rankings, UAB is listed as one of the "Best Southeastern Colleges" and one of the top 371 colleges/universities in the US. In addition, out of the 371 Best College Rankings, UAB was ranked #3 in race/class interaction, #11 for happiest students, and #14 for best athletic facilities.^[34] In the 2011 US News and World Report, UAB is listed as a "more selective" institution and 151st overall (public or private) among 572 universities in USA.^[35] In 2009, the Scientist Magazine ranked UAB as 5th in the Top 15 U.S. Academic Institutions and up from 47th in 2007.^[36]

UAB School of Nursing

In the most recent ranking of graduate programs by the US News & World Report, several UAB programs in the health and natural sciences were highly ranked. The School of Medicine is ranked 30th in the research category and 10th in the primary care category. Four medical specialties at UAB are ranked in the top 20 nationally by the magazine: AIDS, 6th; geriatrics, 12th; rural medicine, 15th; and internal medicine 20th. The School of Nursing is ranked 21st. Programs within the nursing school ranked highly as well: nurse practitioner (adult) program, 10th; nursing service administration program, 10th; nurse practitioner (family) program, 12th. The School of Public Health ranks 16th.

In graduate science programs, UAB ranked 34th in biological science,^[37] 123rd in chemistry,^[38] 111th in mathematics,^[39] and 133rd in physics.^[40]

In the School of Health Professions, the Master of Science in Health Administration program is currently ranked 5th, the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program is ranked 17th, the Doctor of Physical Therapy program is ranked 29th, the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program is ranked 25th and is one of only two programs in the nation that has a surgical focus. The School of Health Professions is #1 in the nation in research funding from the National Institutes of Health and holds the record for 26 consecutive years in either first or second place. The UAB Medical Scientist Training Program has been continuously funded by the National Institute of Health since 1992. According to NRC rankings, Department of Biostatistics is ranked 55th among all Statistics and Biostatistics departments in the nation. The Section on Statistical Genetics (SSG) in the Department of Biostatistics in the School of Public Health is "one of the largest" in United States.^[41]

UAB Business-Engineering Complex

The UAB School of Business was ranked 7th in metropolitan state business schools by US News and World Report in 2004 and is accredited by AACSB International. The UAB MBA program is recognized by The Princeton Review in its 2010 edition of "Best 296 Business Schools" as one of the best in the nation.^[42] The UAB accounting program graduates first-time pass rates on the CPA exam that are 30% higher than the national average.^{[citation needed]} During the past 11 years, a UAB graduate has achieved the highest score in Alabama on the CPA Exam 9 times.^[43] UAB School of Business finance graduates pass the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam at a rate 20% higher than the national average.^{[citation needed]}

The biomedical engineering program is ranked 40th in the nation by US News and is the only biomedical engineering program in the state. A UAB School of Engineering student has been named by the ASPE (Alabama Society of Professional Engineers) as the state of Alabama's Outstanding Undergraduate Student of the Year from 2004–2009 and 9 of the past 12 years.^[44]

Student life[link]

Hill University Center

There are over 150+ student organizations on the UAB campus.

The UAB Model Arab League team is among the best government model teams in the nation with over five years of expansion and award winning achievement including multiple "outstanding delegation" awards. The UAB Mock Trial team is consistently among the nation's best as a perennial Top 25 program. The program enjoyed its greatest success in 2006, when the team won the national title in the Silver Division defeating the defending national champions of Harvard University.

Recreation Center[link]

UAB Recreation Center

Opened in 2005, the UAB Recreation Center serves the students, faculty, and alumni of UAB as well as the surrounding Birmingham community. The 150,000 square feet (14,000 m²) covers three floors: housing four basketball/volleyball courts, five racquetball courts (one of which can be converted to squash and four for wallyball), four aerobics studios, 18,000 square feet (1,700 m²) of weight and cardio-fitness areas, game room, KidsZone, aquatics center with both lap and leisure components, CenterCourt gym used for indoor soccer, floor hockey and badminton, juice bar, indoor track, and a climbing wall. The center includes free weights, court sports, swimming pools, group fitness classes, nutrition education, fitness areas, and a climbing wall.

Housing[link]

70% of the entering UAB freshman Class of 2011 are living in campus housing.

UAB has five residence halls on campus. Blazer Hall opened in Fall 2006 and is a new 753-bed freshman residence hall located adjacent to the Commons on the Green. Blount Hall serves upperclassmen, Camp Hall serves freshmen only, Denman Hall serves seniors only, and Rast Hall serves upperclassmen.

Greek life[link]

Seventeen Greek Letter Organization (GLOs) are currently active on campus, with one additional in process of colonizing. Three governing bodies oversee the operations of university-sanctioned GLOs. These bodies act as umbrella organizations over the member GLOs. Among the differences between the governing bodies, the most important distinction are recruitment process and policies.

The Interfraternity Council (IFC) governs men's GLOs (also known as fraternities). Current members are ΔΣΦ, ΛΧΑ, TKE and ΠKΦ.

The Panhellenic Council (NPC) governs women's GLOs (also known as sororities). Alpha Gamma Delta (colonized at UAB in 1978), Alpha Omicron Pi (1987), Alpha Xi Delta (1996) and Delta Gamma (1991).

The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) governs historically black GLOs. Currently-active member fraternities are Alpha Phi Alpha (Iota Nu chapter, founded at UAB in 1974), Kappa Alpha Psi (Kappa Kappa chapter, 1980), Omega Psi Phi (Kappa Delta chapter, 1972) and Phi Beta Sigma (Eta Epsilon chapter). Currently-active member sororities are Alpha Kappa Alpha (Iota Phi chapter, 1975), Delta Sigma Theta (Iota Lambda chapter, 1972), Sigma Gamma Rho (Xi Mu chapter, 1996) and Zeta Phi Beta (Gamma Theta chapter, 1990).

Student Media[link]

Kaleidoscope is the official student newspaper of The University of Alabama at Birmingham. Started in 1967, the weekly 8,000 circulation paper is a broadsheet published on Tuesdays during Fall, Spring and Summer semesters. The student editorial staff of the newspaper is led by the editor, elected twice per year by the Board of Student Media. The Kaleidoscope online is updated weekly.

Aura Literary Arts Review is a twice-yearly student magazine featuring fiction, creative non-fiction, art, photography, poetry and reviews. It was awarded the highest honor in student media, the Pacemaker from ACP, in 2006.

Intramurals[link]

The school also has an intramural program that runs year-round. Students and staff compete for league trophies in sports such as basketball, bowling, flag football, golf, soccer, softball, ultimate frisbee, and volleyball, or play to win special tournaments in billiards, racquetball, tennis, and other sports.

Honors programs[link]

University Honors Program[link]

The University Honors Program (UHP) is UAB’s core liberal arts honors program. This program provides students with a variety of interdisciplinary courses that are designed to be more challenging, innovative, and personal than normal courses. The program only accepts a maximum of 50 students per year that represent a diverse range of majors and disciplines in order to create a unique and cultivating learning environment.

This program does not have any minimum requirements for admission. Applicants are considered if they demonstrate particular academic or creative talent and after having a personal interview.

The University Honors Program represents a unique program. The interdisciplinary fall course consists of a 9 hour block (equivalent to three classes) taken the fall of freshman and sophomore years. These classes have an overarching theme such as "Bottom Up, Top Down," "The Anatomy of Desire," and "Paradigm Shifts" and are team taught by at least five faculty members from varying disciplines. These courses have in the past featured faculty from psychology, literature, visual arts, physics, Egyptology, and applied neuroscience just to name a few. This class combines freshman and sophomores together in a small learning environment allowing them to explore curiosities and form friendships across age groups. The remaining portion of the honors curriculum is made of 5 seminars. These are also very diverse in subject and are taught in small class sizes of approximately 15.

UAB Spencer Honors House

Science and Technology Honors Program[link]

The Science and Technology Honors Program, otherwise known as Sci-Tech Honors or STHP, is UAB’s research based honors program. This program prepares students for research careers and graduate school by connecting them with labs and mentors in their undergraduate years.

The first two years of the program focus primarily on teaching the methodologies and techniques used in scientific research, while the last two years are spent on developing the student’s Honors Thesis, consisting of an individual research project and report that will be submitted for publication.

The program also encourages collaboration amongst students and boasts its tight-knit learning community, which is facilitated by numerous program meetings, activities, and summer retreats. In order to promote these ideas, the program only accepts a maximum of 50 students each year. The minimum requirements for application are a 3.5 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and an ACT or SAT score at or above the 90th percentile in math and science. However, all applications are individually reviewed and there is no definite cut-off based on ACT or SAT scores.

Experiential Learning Scholars Program[link]

ELSP is a new program on the UAB campus, started in the fall of 2009. The program is based around learning through experiences based on the students future goals. The program has only a few required courses allowing many different majors to be in this honors program. Like most of the other honors programs it has no definite cut-off for ACT requirements. All students accepted into ELSP must maintain a 3.0 GPA to graduate with honors.

Global and Community Leadership Honors Program[link]

The Global Community and Leadership Honors Program (GCL Honors) is composed of students interested in community and global issues. Students in this program are commonly study foreign languages, culture, and international studies. The program is designed to facilitate student interest in being leaders in their community and in the world and to help them explore the issues facing the world today and apply them to their own goals. This program provides specialized curriculum and incorporates Study Away/Study Abroad programs into its required courses.

Early Medical School Acceptance Program[link]

The Early Medical School Acceptance Program (EMSAP) is the most competitive honors program available at UAB. EMSAP serves as a magnet for academically superior high-school seniors, attracting them to UAB’s undergraduate programs by offering guaranteed acceptance into the School of Medicine, Dentistry, or Optometry, after completion of their undergraduate degree at UAB.

EMSAP is a combination of three separate programs: the Early Medical School Acceptance Program (EMSAP), the Early Dental School Acceptance Program (EDSAP), and the Early Optometry School Acceptance Program (EOSAP). Currently, EMSAP accepts only 10 students per year into its program while EDSAP and EOSAP, both of which are new programs starting Fall 2008, are anticipated to accept only 1–2 students each per year.

The minimum requirements for application are a 3.5 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and at least a 30 ACT or 1320 SAT (out of 1600). However, the average ACT score of those accepted ranges from 32 to 36. The minimum academic requirements for remaining in good standing are a 3.5 GPA in natural science and math courses and a 3.6 GPA overall. Should a student’s GPA drop below these minimums, the student is placed on probation and has one year to bring their GPA back up to the minimum, or be expelled from the program. In addition, EMSAP students must achieve a minimum score of 28 on the MCAT examination before their matriculation into the School of Medicine, while EDSAP and EOSAP students must make at least average scores on the DAT and OAT.

The program is currently mentored by Gregory Pence, a renowned bioethicist and both an undergraduate and medical school professor.

Health System[link]

The UAB Health System (UABHS) is a partnership between UAB and the University of Alabama Health Services Foundation (UAHSF), a private not-for-profit medical practice made up of the faculty of the UAB School of Medicine. UABHS is governed by a board of directors which has representatives of UAHSF, the University of Alabama Board of Trustees, and UAB administrators. The UAB president is the ex officio chairperson of the UAB Health System. The CEO of the UABHS reports directly to the UAB Health System board and is appointed by the chairman of the board.

UAB Hospital is the central institution of UABHS. It was formed as University Hospital in 1945 from the merger of Jefferson Hospital and Hillman Hospital, two private hospitals in the Southside of Birmingham acquired by the University of Alabama Board of Trustees. University Hospital was created to serve as the primary teaching hospital for the School of Medicine.

The other major institutions of UABHS include:

• Kirklin Clinic, the outpatient clinic of UAB Hospital
• Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital, founded independently as the Eye Foundation Hospital in 1963 and merged into UABHS in 1973,^[45]
• UAB Women and Infants Center
• UAB Highlands. Formerly HealthSouth's flagship medical center in the Southside, UABHS acquired it in 2006. Highlands now serves as an acute care hospital (there is no emergency room). In 2010, UABHS announced plans to merge Highlands completely into UAB Hospital.
• Spain Rehabilitation Center
• UAB Health Centers, clinics operated and staffed by UABHS located throughout central Alabama
• Viva Health, a health maintenance organization (HMO) which is a subsidiary of Triton Health Systems, a limited liability corporation based in Birmingham and owned by the UABHS

In addition UABHS manages, but does not operate, Medical West in Bessemer and Baptist Health in Montgomery. UABHS also has affiliations with the Birmingham VA Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Alabama, and Huntsville Hospital in Huntsville.

Athletics[link]

UAB Blazers Men's Basketball vs. Tulsa at Bartow Arena

UAB's athletic teams are known as the Blazers. The school athletic colors are forest green and old gold ^[46] athletic teams at UAB. The school is one of the 12 ember institutions of Conference USA and participates in Division I of the NCAA. The UAB football team, which competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision, is led by Garrick McGee and plays its home games at 71,594-seat Legion Field. The men's basketball team, coached by Mike Davis, plays in 8,508-seat Bartow Arena.

Blaze The Dragon, Outside of Bartow Arena

The school started its intercollegiate athletic program in 1978.^[8] The program was inaugurated with men's basketball by Gene Bartow, who was John Wooden's successor at UCLA. Bartow left UCLA after several exceptional seasons (52–9 over three seasons, including a berth in the Final Four in 1976) to head up the founding of the first UAB men's basketball team. He served as the school's first head basketball coach and athletic director for 18 years. Bartow led UAB to the NIT in the program's second year of existence, and followed that with seven straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including trips to the Sweet 16 in 1981 and the Elite Eight in 1982. Bartow retired from coaching in 1996 and,in 1997, UAB renamed its basketball venue from UAB Arena to Bartow Arena in his honor. In 30 years UAB has made 13 NCAA appearances, three Sweet Sixteen appearances and an Elite Eight appearance, and has had 27 winning seasons, 19 of which were 20+ wins seasons.

In addition to football and basketball, UAB also has programs in men's sports for baseball, golf, soccer, and tennis. Women's sports programs include softball, basketball, golf, soccer, tennis, track and field (indoor and outdoor), cross country, rifle and volleyball. On November 11, 2010 UAB announced the addition of sand volleyball and bowling beginning with the 2011-2012 academic year.^[47]

Professional golfer Graeme McDowell (winner of the 2010 U.S. Open) played on the UAB golf team from 1998 - 2002.^[48]

Future On-Campus Stadium[link]

The current football home field, Legion Field, has multiple structural, repair, and upgrade issues leading to the AHSAA football state championships to abandon the site and move to separate facilities in 2010.^[49][50] Since the early 2000s (decade), UAB has considered building a new 45,000 seat stadium on campus to replace the aging, city-owned, and off-campus Legion Field. A preliminary study for an on-campus facility began in November 2009. System approval of the structure could come as early as February 2011. As of November 2011, the University of Alabama education system denied the on-campus stadium. This occurred with controversy as there was not a board meeting to discuss the matter.

Fight song[link]

The Fight Song for UAB is the "UAB Fight Song". It sometimes is also known as the "WIN FOR UAB". The lyrics for the song are:

At UAB in Birmingham
All Hail our players bold
We are the mighty Blazers
Who wear the Green and Gold (Fight, Fight, Fight)
Tonight let's light the Golden Flame
For Blazer victory
Go Blazers! Go Blazers!
Win for UAB!
WIN FOR UAB!

Notable Alumni and Faculty[link]

As of 2009, there are over 100,000 graduates of UAB. The UAB National Alumni Society includes 59 chapters across the United States.

References[link]

External links[link]

• UAB Main Page
• UAB Health System
• UABsports.com: The Official Athletic Site of the UAB Blazers

Etienne Sabino

Ohio State Buckeyes — No. 6
Linebacker	Junior
Major: Business Administration
Date of birth: c. 1990 (age 21–22)
Place of birth: Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	Weight: 242 lb (110 kg)
Career history
High school: M. M. Krop High School, Miami, Florida
College(s): Ohio State University (2008–present)
Career highlights and awards
2007 High School All-American (EA Sports)
Stats at ESPN.com

Etienne Sabino is an American football linebacker. He currently attends the Ohio State University in his junior year. Sabino is considered one of the best outside linebackers in his class.^[1]

High school career[link]

Sabino attended Dr. Michael M. Krop High School in Miami, Florida, where was recorded 146 tackles, seven sacks, five forced fumbles, and one interception as a senior. He received first team all-Florida and all-Dade County honors in 2007. Sabino finished his junior season with 131 tackles and eight sacks.

He participated in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and earned a All-American selection by EA Sports. Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Sabino was ranked the No. 1 inside linebacker prospect in the nation.^[2] He chose Ohio State over Florida and USC.

College career[link]

As a true freshman, Sabino backed up three-time All-American James Laurinaitis in 2008. He returned a blocked punt 20 yards for a touchdown against Purdue. Sabino, alongside senior Austin Spitler, competed for the middle linebacker spot that became vacant following Laurinaitis' graduation.^[3] Sabino redshirted his junior year and is slated to start during the 2011 season.^{[citation needed]}

References[link]

External links[link]

• Ohio State Buckeyes bio

Urban Frank Meyer, III (born July 10, 1964) is an American football coach and former player. He is the current head football coach at The Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011. Meyer has previously served as the head football coach at Bowling Green State University from 2001 to 2002, at the University of Utah from 2003 to 2004, and at the University of Florida from 2005 until his retirement at the end of the 2010 season.^[1] He coached the Florida Gators to two BCS National Championship Game victories, during the 2006 and 2008 seasons. Meyer's winning percentage through the conclusion of the 2009 season (.842) was the highest among all active coaches with a minimum of five full seasons at a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program.^[2] He is a native of Ohio and an alumnus of the University of Cincinnati, where he played college football. During 2011, he worked as a college football analyst for the television sports network ESPN.

Coaching career[link]

In 2004, Meyer was recognized as the college football "coach of the year" at the University of Utah by both sportswriters (Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year) and television commentators (Home Depot Coach of the Year Award).^[3] He has twenty years of college coaching experience, including nine as a head coach.^[3] His overall record as a head coach through the end of the 2009 season is 96–18, and he is 49–14 in conference play.^[4] His winning percentage (.842) through the end of 2009 season ranks first nationally among active college football head coaches.^[5]

Meyer is a devout Roman Catholic^[6][7] and on several occasions has referred to the head coaching position at the University of Notre Dame as his "dream job," leading to speculation that he would someday wish to coach there. However, according to a July 2009 newspaper report, Meyer insisted he would never leave Florida for Notre Dame.^[8] And when the employment status of Irish coach Charlie Weis came into question in November 2009, Meyer held a press conference to dispel rumors linking him to the possible opening, stating that he would remain at Florida for "as long as they'll have me."^[9] The University of Cincinnati's Brian Kelly was eventually hired for the job.

On December 26, 2009, Meyer announced he would resign following the team's bowl game against Cincinnati, citing health concerns.^[10] However, the following day Meyer announced that he would instead take an indefinite leave of absence,^[11] and he resumed his coaching duties in time for the beginning of the Gators' spring practice on March 17, 2010.^[12]

Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley announced Meyer's resignation as the Gators head football coach on December 8, 2010, but stated that Meyer would remain as the head coach through the Gators' appearance in the Outback Bowl on January 1, 2011.^[1]

On November 28, 2011 Meyer accepted the head coach position at the Ohio State University.

Early coaching career[link]

After playing as a defensive back for the University of Cincinnati, Meyer spent one season interning as a defensive back coach at Saint Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1985 under the mentorship of legendary St. Xavier head coach Steve Rasso, where he met members of the Ohio State coaching staff.^[13] His first collegiate coaching position was a two-year stint as a graduate assistant at Ohio State under head coach Earle Bruce.^[3] He then spent the next thirteen years as an assistant—two at Illinois State, six at Colorado State, and five at Notre Dame.^[3] In 1990, while still the linebacker coach at Illinois State, he called Toledo head coach Nick Saban to see if a position was available on his staff. Saban, however, never returned the call.^[14] In 2001, Meyer took his first head coaching job at Bowling Green.^[4] In his first season there, he engineered one of the greatest turnarounds in the NCAA football history, going 8–3 and capping off the season with a 56–21 victory over Bowling Green's rival, the University of Toledo Rockets.^[15] He also earned Mid-American Conference coach of the year honors. The next year, Bowling Green finished with a 9–3 record.^[15] After a 17–6 overall record, Meyer left for the University of Utah.^[16]

Utah[link]

After two seasons at Bowling Green, he took the job at Utah in 2003.^[17] In his first year there, Meyer was named the Mountain West Conference's Coach of the Year with a 10–2 record, the best ever for a coach's first season at Utah.^[17] He also earned honors as The Sporting News National Coach of the Year, the first Utes coach to do so.^[18] Meyer's success can be attributed to his unique offensive system, which is an offshoot of Bill Walsh's West Coast Offense, relying on short pass routes.^[19] Meyer's base offense spreads three receivers and puts the quarterback in shotgun formation.^[20] Then, he introduces motion in the backfield and turns it into an option attack, adding elements of the traditional run-oriented option offense.^[20]

In 2004, Meyer led the undefeated Utes to a Bowl Championship Series bid, something that had not been done by a team from a non-automatically qualifying BCS conference since the formation of the BCS in 1998.^[21] He remained at Utah long enough to coach the team to a Fiesta Bowl win over Pittsburgh,^[4] capping off the Utes' first perfect season (12–0) since 1930.^[22]

Florida[link]

In the wake of his accomplishments at Utah, both the University of Florida and the University of Notre Dame vied for his services.^[23] Meyer chose to become Florida's head coach for the 2005 season, signing a seven-year contract worth $14 million.^[23] He later signed a six-year contract extension with the Gators on June 7, 2007; the extended contract paid an average of $3.25 million per year.^[24] On August 3, 2009, Meyer received another contract extension that made him the SEC's highest paid coach during the 2009 season; his 2009 extension is worth $24 million over six years.^[25] At the time of the latest contract extension, Meyer was the third highest paid college football coach, behind only Pete Carroll and Charlie Weis.^[26]

Meyer has been criticized by some commentators because 30 of his players were arrested during his nearly six years as the Gators' coach.^[27] The seriousness of the charges varied widely, from minor offenses such as possession of alcohol by a minor to the charge of possession of a concealed weapon, and many of the charges were ultimately dismissed.^[27] Meyer's punishments also varied with the severity of the charges, with some players never missing game time and others being kicked off the team.^[27][28]

In September 2010, after Gator receiver Chris Rainey was arrested for sending a threatening text message to a former girlfriend, Meyer stated that he was "real upset about that. After a while, enough's enough. If there's something that we can improve on, we're certainly looking into that. It's like if our graduation rate stinks then we gotta improve that. If there's other issues in a program, that's our job to get it better. It's people making stupid mistakes, that's something we gotta correct."^[29]

2005 season[link]

In 2005, his first season at Florida, Meyer's Gators team finished the season 9–3 (5–3 in the Southeastern Conference). The season included an undefeated record at home and a bowl victory against Iowa in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida. The Gators would have faced LSU in the SEC Championship Game,^[30] but they lost to South Carolina and former Florida coach Steve Spurrier in the SEC regular season finale.

2006 season[link]

In 2006, Meyer coached the Gators to a 13–1 (8–1 in the SEC) record, with the one loss coming to the Auburn Tigers. After clinching the SEC East, the Gators won the SEC Championship Game on December 2 over Arkansas by a score of 38–28. The Gators defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes, 41–14, in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game to win the national championship.^[31] It was the first BCS bowl berth for the Gators since the Orange Bowl that capped off the 2001 campaign,^[32] and Florida's first national championship appearance and victory since winning the 1997 Sugar Bowl.^[31]

Meyer has been known for winning big games. In addition to his 5–1 record in bowl games (as of 2008) at Florida, Meyer has an 11–1 record (through the end of 2008) against three of the Gators' biggest opponents—Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida State—and a 14–2 home record.

2007 season[link]

The Gators managed a 9–3 regular season record in 2007, including blowout wins over rivals Tennessee and FSU but once again losing to Auburn. During his tenure at the University of Florida, Coach Meyer never defeated Auburn. ^[33] Quarterback Tim Tebow also became Coach Meyer's first Heisman Trophy winner. The team led the conference in scoring,^[34] but struggles on defense made it difficult for the Gators to reach a BCS bowl game.^[35] The Gators lost the Capital One Bowl to Michigan 41–35 on January 1, 2008.^[33] Meyer served as a pre-game and halftime analyst for the 2008 BCS National Championship Game.

2008 season[link]

In 2008, Meyer led the Gators to a 13–1 overall record and the BCS National Championship over Oklahoma, including wins over six ranked teams. The team's lone defeat came at the hands of Mississippi on September 27, 2008, a game in which Florida led in time of possession and passing yards, but turned the ball over three times. Eleven of the Gators' twelve wins in the 2008 regular season were by 20 points or more. On December 6, 2008, Meyer led the Gators to a 31–20 victory over then No. 1 ranked Alabama in the SEC title game. Leading in time of possession, rushing yards, and passing yards, the Gators would come from behind after a third quarter deficit to score two touchdowns and hold Alabama scoreless in the fourth quarter. The victory would vault Florida to No. 1 in the Associated Press Poll, No. 2 in the USA Today Coaches' Poll, and No. 2 in the BCS rankings, setting up a showdown against Oklahoma in the BCS Championship Game on January 8, 2009, at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida. The Gators won 24–14, securing their second national championship under Meyer.

2009 season[link]

In 2009, Meyer's Gators began the season ranked No. 1 by the largest margin in the history of the AP preseason poll. Though the team struggled on offense at times and quarterback Tim Tebow suffered a scary concussion in a September victory over Kentucky, Florida finished the regular season 12–0 and still ranked No. 1. The winning streak ended in the SEC Championship Game, when they lost 32–13 to Alabama.

Florida was selected to play the undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats in the 2010 Sugar Bowl. The Gators won 51–24 to finish the season with a 13-1 record for the second consecutive year.

Leave of absence[link]

In the early morning of December 6, 2009, soon after returning home following his team's loss in the 2009 SEC Championship Game, Meyer was quietly admitted into a Gainesville hospital suffering from chest pains and dehydration. He was released later in the day, and the incident was not announced to the public at the time.^[36]

On December 26, after discussions with his family, Meyer revealed his medical scare and announced that he would resign as Florida's head coach due to health and family concerns following his team's New Years Day Sugar Bowl appearance .^[10] Meyer stated: "I have ignored my health for years, but recent developments have forced me to re-evaluate my priorities of faith and family." He also said: "I'm proud to be a part of the Gainesville community and the Gator Nation and I plan to remain in Gainesville and involved with the University of Florida."^[36] Meyer admitted that he had suffered frequent chest pains (later discovered to be caused by esophageal spasms) and occasional severe headaches due to an arachnoid cyst for years, and that they were related to stress.^[37]

On December 27, Meyer announced that he would take an indefinite leave of absence instead of resigning. He was unsure if he would return for the 2010 season but stated that, "I do in my gut believe that will happen."^[38] Offensive coordinator Steve Addazio would serve as the interim coach in Meyer's absence.

On January 1, 2010, Meyer coached the Gators in their 51–24 Sugar Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats. In a post-game interview, Meyer again suggested that he would return to coach the Gators at some point by saying: "I plan on being the coach of the Gators."^[39]

Meyer took significant time off from his coaching duties after the bowl game in an attempt to improve his personal health.^[40] While he did stay in touch with potential new players during the busy recruiting season, Meyer did much less traveling to visit recruits than usual.^[41][42] Nevertheless, the Gators still signed the consensus No. 1 recruiting class in the nation in February.^{[43][44][45][46]}

On March 17, 2010, Meyer returned full-time to his position for the start of the Gators' spring practice and continued in that role into the 2010 season.^[47]

2010 season[link]

With his victory over Kentucky on September 25, 2010, Urban Meyer achieved his 100th career win as a coach. With that win, his record was at 100–18 over the course of 10 seasons. He became the sixth fastest NCAA coach to reach that record, following Gil Dobie (108 games), George Woodruff (109 games), Bud Wilkinson (111 games), Fielding Yost (114 games), and Knute Rockne (117 games). He was also the second-fastest to reach 100 wins since Wilkinson in 1945.^[48]

Despite reaching this milestone, the season was a difficult one for the Gators, and their 7–5 regular season record was the worst in Meyer's tenure at Florida. On December 8, 2010, Meyer again announced his retirement from coaching for much the same reasons he mentioned in December 2009: his family and his health.^[49][50]

Urban Meyer's last game as Florida's coach was a 37–24 win over Penn State in the 2011 Outback Bowl on January 1, 2011.

ESPN career[link]

After resigning as the head football coach of the Florida Gators, Meyer worked as a college football commentator and analyst for the American television sports network ESPN.

Ohio State[link]

On November 23, 2011, The Plain Dealer reported that Meyer would become the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes.^[51] Meyer denied the report publicly.^[52] Meyer then asked ESPN to be taken off assignment during the weekend of the Ohio State–Michigan game, adding more to the speculations that he might be named the next head coach of Ohio State.^{[53] [54]} On November 28, WBNS Columbus, confirmed that Meyer had accepted the job as Ohio State's head football coach, and was introduced as head coach later that night.^[55] The school said Meyer would receive a six-year contract that pays $4 million annually, plus another $2.4 million total in "retention payments." ^[56]

2012 season[link]

Spread offense[link]

Meyer is widely considered one of the most accomplished practitioners of the spread offense. When Meyer got his first head coaching position at Bowling Green, he took trips to visit John L. Smith and Scott Linehan at Louisville, Randy Walker and Kevin Wilson at Northwestern, Bill Snyder at Kansas State, Joe Tiller and Jim Chaney at Purdue, and Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia, all of whom ran some version of the spread offense^[20]

Meyer's teams at Bowling Green, Utah, and Florida all ran the spread, chiefly utilizing a run-first variation most similar to Rich Rodriguez's formerly at West Virginia with tweaks to fit the offensive personnel (for example, Meyer's first two years at Florida skewed toward a drop-back passing attack led by Chris Leak, while Alex Smith and Tim Tebow led an option run-based spread).^[20] Using this offense, he has won two BCS titles, has become the first coach to lead a non-BCS conference team (Utah) to a BCS bowl,^[57] has coached a Heisman trophy winner (Tim Tebow),^[58] and has graduated a player who became a number one overall pick in the NFL draft (Alex Smith).^[59]

Personal life[link]

Meyer was born on July 10, 1964 in Toledo, Ohio,^[3][60][61] and grew up in Ashtabula, Ohio.^[62][63] He graduated from Ashtabula's Saint John High School in 1982.^[64] Meyer was also selected in the 13th round, as a shortstop, by the Atlanta Braves in the 1982 Major League Baseball Draft.^[3] Meyer spent two seasons playing minor league baseball in the Braves organization.^[17] He concurrently played defensive back at the University of Cincinnati before earning his bachelor's degree in psychology in 1986.^[3] During his undergraduate studies, Meyer also became a brother of the Sigma Chi Fraternity (Zeta Psi Chapter), and met his future wife at Sigma Chi's Derby Days philanthropy event.^[65]

Meyer went on to earn his master's degree in sports administration at The Ohio State University in 1988.^[3]

Meyer married Shelley Mather Meyer in 1986.^[3] The Meyers have three children: Nicole ("Nicki"), Gisela ("Gigi") and Nathan ("Nate").^[3] His two daughters currently play Division I volleyball: Nicki plays for Georgia Tech^[66] and Gigi plays for Florida Gulf Coast.^[67] He is a practicing Roman Catholic.^[68]

Philanthropy[link]

In October 2008, coach Urban Meyer and University of Florida head basketball coach Billy Donovan were named co-chairmen of an effort to raise $50 million to support the Florida Opportunity Scholars Program.^[69][70] This scholarship was designed for first-generation students that have unique needs and financial challenges.^[71] The Florida Opportunity Scholars Program was created by President Bernie Machen in 2006, and is intended to increase the opportunities for academically prepared first-generation students.^[72]

In December 2008, Meyer and Utah football head coach Kyle Whittingham were the first people to donate money to the Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin Family Scholarship, an endowed scholarship which will benefit the Utah football program.^[73][74]

Head coaching record[link]

Urban Meyer at the White House after winning the 2008 National Championship.