UAB President and alumna Carol Garrison has had an extraordinary view of her alma mater. She took her first full-time job in UAB Hospital, during the university's formative years in the 1970s, then earned her master's degree from UAB. When she returned to campus in fall 2002, as UAB's sixth president, the young, dynamic institution had evolved into a world-renowned research university and medical center.
A Montclair, New Jersey native, Dr. Garrison earned her bachelor's (1974) and Ph.D. in epidemiology (1982) from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She was a faculty member, department chair, dean and provost at the University of South Carolina (1982-1997). She joined the University of Louisville as provost in 1997 and was appointed interim president there in early 2002.
As president of UAB, Dr. Garrison also chairs the board of the UAB Health System, which includes UAB Hospital, The Kirklin Clinic, and other of UAB's nationally-ranked patient care facilities.
During Dr. Garrison's tenure, the institution has enjoyed remarkable growth and development. Recent years have seen the opening of state-of-the-art facilities such as the North Pavilion of UAB Hospital and the Shelby Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building, as well as the burgeoning Campus Green along University Boulevard.
The growth of the physical campus and academic programs has been guided by UAB's Strategic Plan. Developed with campus-wide participation in 2003, the Strategic Plan has led to the recruitment of internationally known faculty and physicians, and the creation of innovative new curricula and honors programs for undergraduates. In fall 2009, UAB saw its largest enrollment ever, and is again ranked among the top 15% of all U.S. universities in The Princeton Review (3rd in diverse student population and 11th in student satisfaction).
Now in her eighth year as president, Dr. Garrison continues working in partnership with the campus and the community towards an extraordinary vision for UAB and for Birmingham.