USA News Archives | Media Relations

Dr. Thomas Rich, associate professor of pharmacology, left, and Dr. Silas Leavesley, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, are co-founders of SpectraCyte, a previous Alabama Launchpad award winner.

South to Host Alabama Launchpad
April 20, 2017

USA, along with the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, will welcome innovative startups April 27 in downtown Mobile. ...

Each year, South graduate and artist Ricky Trione visits classes in the College of Education. A lesson quickly emerges: If a blind man can create boldly colored, vibrant paintings, and sit on the floor of a classroom teaching kindergarteners how to do the same, then teachers can use art to communicate with almost anyone.

In Darkness, Colors Shine Bright
April 14, 2017

South graduate Ricky Trione's medium was pen and ink. When he lost his sight, Trione thought he'd lost art, too. ...

Dr. Steve Lim, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the College of Medicine, said he hopes his research will advance current atherosclerosis therapies from preventative to treatable.

$1.5 Million Grant to South Professor
April 13, 2017

Dr. Steve Lim's research is on cell signaling that contributes to atherosclerosis, a chronic vascular inflammatory disease. ...

DayZero team members headed to the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition finals include, from left, Nathan Herron; Ryan Creel; Tristen Higginbotham; Garrett Smith; DeMarcus Williams; Chris Patrick; Dr. Todd Andel, professor of computer science; Thanh Nguyen and William Holder.

South Heads to National Cyber Defense Finals
April 12, 2017

Members of DayZero advance after winning the top slot in the Southeast Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition. ...

Anthony Richardson has been in business for 28 years. While his grass-cutting services account for the lion’s share of his annual revenue, Richadson said the work is seasonal, leaving a four-month winter lull that has forced him to diversify his offerings.

South Launches Minority Business Accelerator
April 10, 2017

The program is made possible with a $25,000 grant from PNC Bank and the involvement of a consortium of community partners. ...

Introducing the newly elected 2017-2018 University of South Alabama SGA officers: From left, Kevin Aria, treasurer; Taylor Davis, chief justice; Carl A.Thomas, president; Elizabeth Hernandez, vice president; and Joshua Robertson, attorney general.

SGA Officers Elected For 2017-18
April 7, 2017

Carl A. Thomas, 21, has been selected as president; Elizabeth Hernandez, 20, will be next year's vice president. ...

Ben is a very impressive researcher who does an excellent job of managing his time between classes, research, student leadership and tutoring," says Dr. Kevin West, associate professor of chemical engineering, here with chemical engineering junior and Goldwater Scholar Ben Siu.

Stop What You're Doing and Be Awesome
April 7, 2017

Chemical engineering major Benjamin Siu takes his mentor's advice, and is awarded a Goldwater Scholarship along the way. ...

Rachel Chandebise, portrayed by Sadie Bell Freeman, greets husband Victor, portrayed by Kip Hayes, during rehearsals for 'A Flea in Her Ear.'

Comic Romp Closes Theatre USA Season
April 4, 2017

Theatre USA will present the classic farce, 'A Flea in Her Ear,' April 14-22. Tickets are on sale. ...

Congratulating Dr. Keith Blackwell, second from left, on his award from CSX were Andrew Murray, instructor of meteorology and Coastal Weather Research Center hurricane specialist; Dr. Andre Wierzbicki, dean of arts and sciences; Pete McCarty, director of the Coastal Weather Research Center; Dr. Bill Williams, director emeritus; and Dr. Sytske Kimball, chair of meteorology.

Transportation Giant Honors South Meteorologist
April 4, 2017

CSX Corp. recognizes Dr. Keith Blackwell for his Hurricane Matthew forecasting through the Coastal Weather Research Center. ...

Senior Madison Tuttle and graduate student Robert “Bobby” Faulk each is the recipient of prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

Honors Senior, Graduate Earn NSF Fellowships
April 3, 2017

Madison Tuttle and Bobby Faulk are among eight South students to receive the prestigious scholarship award since 2011. ...

rows of students facing front of classroom - some with laptops open

Education Has a New Name at South
March 30, 2017

The College of Education, celebrating 50 years, is expanding under the name College of Education and Professional Studies. ...

Sophomore Anisa Heilman, whose parents are deaf, has co-authored a bill under consideration in the Alabama legislature addressing deaf and hard of hearing language opportunities for children.

Seeking Change, Student Co-Authors Legislation
March 30, 2017

Strategic communications major Anisa Heilman collaborates on a state bill addressing opportunities for deaf children. ...

Margaret Murray Sullivan, chosen as South's Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations, has served in numerous leadership positions with the University. She was instrumental in the conception of a cancer institute at USA and spearheaded the Mitchell Cancer Institute feasibility study in 2000.

VP Picked for Development, Alumni
March 29, 2017

Margaret Murray Sullivan steps in as the University advances its ambitious $150 million Upward & Onward fundraising campaign. ...

Dr. Madhuri Mulekar, professor and chair of mathematics and statistics, is the recipient of a nearly $7,000 Clare Boothe Luce Scholarship that will provide full tuition, accommodations, meals and travel for her to attend a two-week leadership institute.

Mulekar Selected to Attend Leadership Institute
March 27, 2017

Dr. Madhuri Mulekar, professor and chair of mathematics and statistics, received a scholarship for the two-week program. ...

Benjamin Pelham, who is taking courses at South through PASSAGE USA, works part-time in the Registrar’s Office.

'College Is Possible,' No Limits to Learning
March 24, 2017

Through social and academic preparation, PASSAGE USA is offering the intellectually disabled a path to employment. ...

Britt Named to World Languages Board
March 24, 2017

Senior instructor Kristy Britt was elected to the board of directors of the Alabama World Languages Association. ...

Video: What South Means to You
March 23, 2017

One year after the "We Are South" brand launch, South students share their voices to finish the rally cry "We Are . ...

Jake Magnin, instructor for South’s first drone certification course, discusses technical aspects of the federal drone certification test with students.

He Takes South Classes, Then Leads One
March 22, 2017

Jake Magnin got a degree in psychology, before flying planes, before enrolling in engineering, before leading a drone course. ...

Dr. Daniel Cameron will be among the honorees recognized at the American Cancer Society’s Black-Out Ball on March 31 in Fairhope.

An Oncologist with an Engineering Degree
March 21, 2017

Dr. Daniel Cameron had a wife and three children when he left his job as an aerospace engineer. Now he fights cancer at MCI. ...

Dr. Krista Harrell, IFC adviser, second row, fourth from left, and Brendon Garrity, IFC president, second row, fifth from left, received second place among a record number of teams in the Student-Adviser category at the recent Southeastern Interfraternity Conference.

IFC President, Adviser Place in Competition
March 21, 2017

Brendon Garrity and Dr. Krista Harrell earn recognition in the Leadership Academy Case Study competition. ...

Dr. James Hevia, professor of history at the University of Chicago, will speak about environmental degradation at South's annual Mahan Lecture.

Mahan Lecture Focus: Environmental Degradation
March 21, 2017

Dr. James Hevia, professor of history, University of Chicago, will speak March 23. The event is free and open to the public. ...

“Don’t create a false environment for your plants,” said Gary Carley, South's landscaping manager. Dig a hole, plant and be confident.

Want Your Yard to Look Like Ours?
March 16, 2017

South's chief landscaper, Gary Carley, offers seven springtime tips for getting your garden in order. No green thumb required ...

University of South Alabama alumna Vanessa Reyner started her agency, VMR, at a breakfast table. Her business has since expanded, combining a trio of talents, ideas and personalities at a downtown Mobile office.

A Business Begun at the Breakfast Table
March 15, 2017

South graduate Vanessa Reyner started small, but soon expanded her 'purpose-driven' marketing agency to meet client need ...

South Alabama students, from left, Anesha Lee, Ebony Johnson and Meghan Sergeant presented papers in the Health Sciences section of the Alabama Academy of Science competition. Sergeant won first place and Johnson won second place. The AAS held its 94th annual meeting on South's campus, attended by more than 250 scientific experts, science faculty and teachers, and college and high school students.

South Students Get Top Science Awards
March 13, 2017

The awards were given for paper and poster presentations at the 94th annual meeting of the Alabama Academy of Science. ...

Leigh Delaney-Tucker, senior instructor of biology and life sciences, and Dr. Cris Hollingsworth, associate professor of English, bottom photo, are two of 10 faculty members who were selected to participate in the Active Learning Initiative pilot project to increase student performance in the classroom and online.

Redesigned Courses Promote Active Learning
March 9, 2017

South's Active Learning Initiative is in the second year of a pilot program: 'This process has improved student outcomes ...

Mechell Daniel, No. 16, plays professional volleyball for OrPo in Finland. At South, the geography major from England made the all-conference team each of her four years with the Jaguars.

'She Just Has That Presence'
March 8, 2017

She's quick, athletic and 6-foot-3. And at South, she had 1,511 kills. Meet Mechell Daniel, Finnish pro volleyball player. ...

As chief operating officer, Owen Bailey is responsible for the management and operation of the University of South Alabama hospitals and outpatient centers.

Bailey Named CEO of USA Health
March 7, 2017

The veteran health care leader served as COO of the University's academic health care system since March 2016. ...

Katherine Free, 17, of Hoover, takes Russian classes from her home in Hoover. “With Russian, you have to put in the effort to speak out loud in order to perfect your accent," she said. Photo courtesy of Phil Free.

Lessons from Across the World, Across the State
March 3, 2017

Seventeen-year-old Hoover ballerina, who took the stage this month in Birmingham, perfects her Russian online at South. ...

Dr. Sanjeev K Srivastava, an instructor in the Health Disparities in Cancer Research Program at the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute, is the director of cell biology and genetics for Tatva Biosciences, which has a lab in USA's Coastal Innovation Hub. One of Tatva's primary technologies is the development of sun protection creme that uses silver nanoparticles in an effort to block and repair DNA damaged by sun radiation.

South Advancing 'Innovation Ecosystem'
March 2, 2017

Two words — innovation and entrepreneurship — have made a prominent entrance into the local lexicon in recent years. ...

Hospitality, Tourism Leaders to Focus on Workforce
March 1, 2017

The University of South Alabama's Hospitality & Tourism Workforce Summit will be held March 5-6. ...

Coach Joey Choron, a 2002 business administration and management graduate of the University of South Alabama, is one of South's strength and conditioning coaches. People who want to pursue his field should have passion and patience, he said.

Jags to Jobs: Coach Joey Charon
February 24, 2017

South Coach Joey Charon talks about working for his alma mater, a typical day at the office and how to reach your fitness goals. ...

Avoiding Money Pitfalls in College
February 24, 2017

Seven ways for students to find sound financial footing. Prepare for your car to break down and for retirement. ...

University of South Alabama students traveled to Montgomery on Thursday to show support for public higher education.

Jags Rally Support for Higher Education
February 23, 2017

Students, faculty and staff join others in Montgomery to highlight the importance of investment in public higher education. ...

In spring 2014, student enrollment in chemistry was 2,152. This semester, 350 more students are enrolled. New labs will help meet increased demand.

Perfect Chemistry: New Labs for Freshmen
February 17, 2017

A $3.5 million renovation at the newly named Science Laboratory Building doubles the capacity for in-demand classes. ...

South to Open New Housing Options
February 17, 2017

To meet growing demand, construction is underway on a 375-bed, four-story residence hall that is set to open fall 2018. ...

South Launches "Global USA" Program
February 10, 2017

The new office will consolidate services for international students and provide new opportunities to create global engagement. ...

The Rev. Joji Reddy Lingaredd's research on plant extracts could lead to identifying herbal medicines as alternative cancer treatments. His research at MCI is designed to lay the groundwork for future collaboraiton.

Outreach Through Works, Not Words
February 10, 2017

The Rev. Joji Reddy Lingareddy's plans for a life of preaching led him to an unexpected place: USA Mitchell Cancer Institute. ...

The V-Day Committee and USA Student Affairs are raising awareness and funds through “V-Day: Until the Violence Stops” with two special events. The proceeds raised will go to support the Rape Crisis Center of Mobile.

V-Day Events to Raise Awareness, Support
February 9, 2017

South will join a global movement aimed at ending violence against women and girls with events set for Feb. 27-28. ...

Drew Yates' College of Engineering degree from USA has become his ticket to see the world. Here, he's taking in the sights of Shanghai, China, where he and his co-workers from Prism Systems, Inc., were developing software for a theme park.

Grad's Job: Chinese Theme Park Tester
February 8, 2017

'I think I want to try that,' Drew Yates '14 said of engineering. Now he's testing software systems for thrill ...

Ravi Rajendra is a senior biology major from Montgomery.

SGA Past President Wins Future Leader Award
February 8, 2017

Ravi Rajendra received the recognition from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. ...

Internationally recognized archaeologist Dr. Robert Kelly of the University of Wyoming will speak at USA on Feb. 22.

Leading Archaeologist to Discuss Our 'Fifth Beginning'
February 8, 2017

Internationally recognized archaeologist Dr. Robert Kelly of the University of Wyoming will speak at South on Feb. 22. ...

This sculpture on the campus of Spring Hill College honors U.S. Army soldier Stephen E. Karopczyc, a member of the Class of 1965, who was killed in Vietnam. The memorial is one of many spotlighted in the 'War and Remembrance on the Alabama Gulf Coast' on display at South's Marx Library.

Living in a 'Landscape of Commemoration'
February 7, 2017

The 'War and Remembrance' exhibit, at South's Marx Library through Feb. 28, highlights memorials across Coastal Ala ...

South theatre students Aryn Carr, Malcolm Hayden and Kaylee Pulliam rehearse for Theatre USA’s production of 'The Fabulous Fable Factory,' which will run Feb. 10-18 at the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center..

'Fabulous Fables' in Footlights at Theatre USA
February 3, 2017

'The Fabulous Fable Factory' runs Feb. 10-18 at the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center on South's campus. ...

Dr. Sandra Stenson, professor of chemistry, worked at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as a research scientist after earning her doctorate.

A Lot Goes Into Such a Little Pill
February 2, 2017

So how do drug makers cram your meds into that small space? It's complex, and not cheap, says Professor Dr. Sandra Stenson. ...

The annual Soul Food Luncheon, sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, kicked off a month of events celebrating Black History Month.

First Course: Soul Food Luncheon
February 1, 2017

A month of events celebrating the culture and contributions of African Americans kicks off with food and friendship. ...

The University of South Alabama joins community partners to announce a 75,000 Degrees Initiative to meet the needs of the region's growing workforce. From left are Bob Charlebois, USA transfer coordinator; Dr. Peggy Bradford, Lumina Foundation; Lynne Chronister, USA vice president for research and economic development; Dr. Tony Waldrop, USA president; Carolyn R. Akers, CEO of the Mobile Area Education Foundation; Chandra Scott, director of strategic outcomes, Mobile Area Education Foundation; and Dr. Andrea Kent, dean of the USA College of Education.

USA Joins 75,000 Degrees Initiative
January 31, 2017

Effort seeks to increase the number of residents with post-secondary degrees and credentials to meet a growing workforce. ...

Dr. Jeremiah Newell is a 2008 graduate of the College of Education and the chief operating officer for the Mobile Area Education Foundation.

From Shoe Salesman to the Ivy League
January 31, 2017

Dr. Jeremiah Newell earned his undergrad at South before heading to Harvard. This year the College of Education turns 50. ...

Twin brothers Daniel, left, and Caleb Butler were among several hundred South volunteers at the this year's Project Homeless Connect. Volunteers served and supported nearly 300 homeless individuals.

A Chance Encounter, a Changed Outlook
January 30, 2017

Twin brothers volunteer at Project Homeless Connect after meeting a former neighbor. "I thought, 'I could be homeless.&# ...

Recipients of internal funding grants for TeamUSA projects are, from left, Dr. Zoya Khan, associate professor of Spanish; Kimberly Jordan, MSN, RN, instructor of adult health nursing; Colleen Lynch, MSN, RN, CNL, instructor of adult health nursing; Dr. Phil Carr, Chief Calvin McGhee Endowed Professor of Native American Studies and professor of anthropology; Dr. Debra Swanzy, RN, assistant professor of adult health nursing; and Dr. Elizabeth Allison, assistant professor of leadership and teacher education. Not pictured: Dr. Theresa Wright, RN, vice chair and associate professor of adult health nursing.

Seven Faculty Members Receive TeamUSA Awards
January 27, 2017

Faculty members will use internal grants for projects enhancing South's team-based learning program, TeamUSA. ...

University of South Alabama Collegiate 100 members attend the 31st Annual 100 Black Men National Conference held recently in New Orleans. From left are Cornelius Madison, senior mechanical engineering major from Montgomery; Broderick Morrissette, junior information technology major from Prichard; Dr. Michael Mitchell, vice president for student affairs and adviser of Collegiate 100; Myles Payton, sophomore communication major from Montgomery; and Adreun Malone, senior professional health sciences major from Memphis, Tenn.

'Prepping for Success:' The Collegiate 100
January 26, 2017

Members of South's Collegiate 100 recently served as delegates at the 100 Black Men National Conference in New Orleans. ...