Welcome to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Thank you for taking the time to explore our university online.
In reading about UAB's past and present, you will note the phenomenal ascent of this institution, in less than four decades, to global prominence.
This young university has experienced exceptional growth fuelled by exceptional talent; over the years, esteemed faculty from around the globe have flown into Birmingham, toured UAB, and promptly decided to stay. I have to think this is because, recruiting efforts aside, once these visitors set foot on campus, this university - with its pioneering spirit and tradition, its intensely interdisciplinary culture, its unrivaled opportunities for faculty and students - invariably speaks for itself. Hopefully, in perusing this site, you will get some sense of those qualities and more.
UAB is a world-renowned research university and medical center, ranked 27th nationally in federal research funding. It is, in keeping with its vision, a "first choice in education and health care."
It is Birmingham's economic engine, with an impact exceeding $3 billion annually, and Alabama's largest employer, with nearly 19,000 dedicated employees working and excelling together in an inclusive, supportive environment.
As important, UAB is a true "Renaissance" institution.
In our highly collaborative culture, researchers are
- Developing revolutionary treatments and cures for the most devastating human diseases;
- Using satellite imaging to uncover lost cities in the Nile delta and track public health threats worldwide;
- Innovating the next generation of lighter, stronger body armor for our military troops in the field; and
- Conducting leading-edge research from Cameroon to Bangladesh to the depths of Antarctic waters.
On this same campus are
- Painters and sculptors who exhibit around the nation and the globe;
- A French professor who is an international authority on the works of writer Marcel Proust;
- A mock trial team ranked third in the nation last year;
- Actors and directors winning national theatre competitions; and
- A pianist and Van Cliburn Award-winner who mentors budding musicians in Alabama's first "All-Steinway" School, one of only 72 such schools in the world.
Drawn to this exciting nexus of science, medicine, and the arts and humanities, is a diverse and talented student body that continues to produce Phi Kappa Phi and NSF fellows, USA Today Academic Team members, and Rhodes, Truman, and Goldwater Scholars. UAB had three student Fulbright Scholars just in the past year, and in fall 2007 welcomed the most academically prepared freshman class in its history.
These bright students, and the faculty who mentor them, enjoy a vibrant campus life at UAB. This university offers all the benefits and energy of metropolitan Birmingham, coupled with a growing Campus Green featuring congenial outdoor spaces, state-of-the-art residence halls and academic buildings, and in summer 2008, a new amphitheatre for open-air concerts.
I hope you enjoy reading more about our exceptional students and faculty, and this acclaimed campus we call home. Better yet, come to UAB and see for yourself all that this university has to offer. We look forward to seeing you around campus.
Carol Z. Garrison
President
The University of Alabama at Birmingham