USA News Archives | Media Relations

The University of South Alabama was one of only five universities in the United States to participate in a pilot exchange program through the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. From left, Ilza de Oliveira Feitosa Passos and Jéssica Campêlo de Sá visited Mobile for two months, and South students Eric Anderson and Dale Pate in turn will travel to Brazil.

'The Benefit of Keeping an Open Mind'
May 14, 2018

Two students prepare to head to South America in exchange program; South one of five universities picked to participate. ...

Dr. Roma Hanks, professor and chair of sociology, anthropology and social work, recently received the Heart of Gold Volunteer Award from the United Way of Southwest Alabama. She is joined by Dr. Tony Waldrop, USA president.

Hanks Honored for Community Service
May 11, 2018

Dr. Roma Hanks is recognized for improving health and wellness education for seniors and connecting students to internships. ...

Dr. Dhananjay Tambe, second from left, an assistant professor in mechanical engineering and pharmacology, worked with engineering students, from left, Cassandra Chapman, Brandon Stokley and Quentin Morris to develop the "Tighten It" smart drill prototype. Chapman and Stokely graduated Saturday.

Developing a Smarter Surgical Drill
May 10, 2018

USA engineering students built a prototype drill with a torque that is just right. In the process, they too learned to pivot. ...

Jennifer Oveson attended the University of South Alabama part-time and overcame obstacles due to spina bifida to earn her bachelor's degree. "Giving up is not an option," her parents told her.

13 Years Later, a Well-Earned Degree
May 10, 2018

With family and perseverance, Jennifer Oveson reaches her goal and creates a support group to help others do the same. ...

Dr. Tyler Sexton, who completed his residency at the University of South Alabama and is now chair of pediatrics at a Mississippi hospital, spoke to graduates about overcoming obstacles. Sexton was born with cerebral palsy.

'Commit to the Journey, Not to the Outcome'
May 6, 2018

South graduates urged to overcome obstacles and 'forever chase your dreams;' 2,200 recognized during Spring Commencement ...

At 18 years old, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Rodin will be the youngest person ever to receive a degree from USA's Mitchell College of Business.

19-year-old to Receive Business Degree
May 1, 2018

Elizabeth Rodin says South and the Mitchell College of Business offered 'a private school education at a public price.' ...

Shaniqua Hammock is considering pursing a master’s degree in forensic psychology after graduating Magna Cum Laude during Saturday's Spring Commencement.

Love at First Psych, and Some Guidance
May 1, 2018

Shaniqua Hammock developed a fascination of the mind in a psychology class; a mentor helped her pursue that passion. ...

Thanh Nguyen has worked for two years as an intern at Sandia National Laboratories, where he has a job lined up after receiving his master's degree.

Born in Vietnam, He'll Protect the United States
May 1, 2018

The multilingual Thanh Nguyen will head to California for a six-figure job working in the 'moving landscape' of cyber se ...

Dr. Tyler Sexton, who overcame a childhood diagnosis of cerebral palsy, and Bettye R. Maye, an educator, civil rights activist and longtime University of South Alabama Board of Trustees member, will address USA graduates during Spring Commencement ceremonies.

South Ready For Spring Commencement
May 1, 2018

Dr. Tyler Sexton, a USA-trained pediatrician with cerebral palsy, and longtime educator Bettye R. Maye to speak to graduates. ...

USA Common Read/Common World Selects 'Just Mercy'
April 27, 2018

Bryan Stevenson, author of 'Just Mercy,' is the co-founder of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery. ...

Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Dr. Michael Mitchell, right center, presents the 2018 Dean's Cup award to University of South Alabama Greek organizations for outstanding service and leadership. From left are Carson Davidenko, president of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity; Madison Rutledge, president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; and Brooke Qualkenbush, 2016-2017 president of Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity.

Greek Organizations Recognized
April 26, 2018

South honored sorority and fraternity members for outstanding service, leadership and academic achievement. ...

Karli Sanford, who has worked as a student in promotions for South Athletics, is set to take a sales job with the Phoenix Suns. “What I really loved about talking with the people out there with the Phoenix Suns is that they preach on family. At South, we’re all a big family, too.”

At 5'2½'', She's Headed to the NBA
April 26, 2018

While other people are watching the big game, senior Karli Sanford watches the fans. Now she's got a job with the Phoenix Sun ...

Mobile’s Abraham A. Mitchell, owner of the Mitchell Brothers company, has been named as a Beta Gamma Sigma 2018 Business Achievement Award winner at the AACSB International Conference and Annual Meeting.

Mitchell Recognized for Business Achievements
April 25, 2018

South benefactor Abraham A. Mitchell is named as a Beta Gamma Sigma 2018 Business Achievement Award winner. ...

The University of South Alabama men’s tennis team dominated singles to take the Sun Belt Conference Championship.

Men's Tennis Takes Sun Belt Championship
April 24, 2018

The Jags dominated singles against the Georgia State Panthers to win their first conference championship in 10 years. ...

Nursing student Carole Aomo, performs CPR on a simulated human patient with the assistance of nursing and physician assistant students during a real-time mass casualty drill at the University of South Alabama.

Actors as Victims, Manikins as Patients
April 20, 2018

Nursing and allied health students experience controlled chaos during a drill ending in the soon-to-be expanded simulation lab. ...

University of South Alabama senior design project team members, from left, Ali Alshehri, Martin Aquirre, Jacob Franklin and Emily Robertson review their redevelopment plans for Stewart Park. Theirs was one of four teams of South engineering students whose senior design project was to redesign components of selected city properties in Mobile.

Planning the Rebirth of a City Park
April 17, 2018

Four teams of 17 engineering seniors design projects that could breathe new life into city spaces, including Stewart Park. ...

Dr. Claire Cage, assistant professor of history, was the only Alabama recipient when the NEH recently announced the awards. She will travel to France where she will do research for a book on the history of forensic, or legal, medicine during the early 19th century.

For Early Autopsies, a Trip to France
April 16, 2018

South's Dr. Claire Cage receives a National Endowment for the Humanities stipend to study 19th century forensics. ...

Natalia Trejo, right, received first place in the 2018 High School Public Speaking Contest. Gabriel Robertson, center, came in second, followed by Beata Casiday.

USA Sponsors High School Public Speaking Contest
April 16, 2018

Natalia Trejo of Murphy High School took first place, followed by Gabriel Robertson and Beata Casiday. ...

Dr. Gayle Davidson-Shivers, professor of instructional design and development in the College of Education and Professional Studies, collaborated on the second edition of 'Web-Based Learning: Design, Implementation and Evaluation.'

Professor Co-Authors Web-Based Learning Book
April 16, 2018

Dr. Gayle Davidson-Shivers collaborated on the second edition of 'Web-Based Learning: Design, Implementation and Evaluation.& ...

Dr. David Meola, the Fanny and Bert Meisler Professor of Jewish Studies, holds the journal “Der Jude,” created by Dr. Gabriel Riesser and published in the 1830s to advance Jewish emancipation throughout the German states.

Minor Added in Jewish and Holocaust Studies
April 12, 2018

A new minor in Jewish and Holocaust Studies will be offered beginning this fall in the College of Arts and Sciences. ...

Beverly Kellen, director of operations for the USA Student Health Center, holds a recent edition of the Journal of American College Health featuring USA's Student Health Center.

Student Health Center Spotlighted
April 12, 2018

The health center recently was published on the cover of the Journal of American College Health. ...

USA students, from left, Michael Tanner, Thomas Jefferson Deen IV and Parker McGee prepare for Theatre USA’s production of Shakespeare’s “Pericles,” which opens Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Theatre USA Season Closes With 'Pericles'
April 11, 2018

One of Shakespeare's final plays will close USA's season with its premiere performance on Friday, April 13. ...

Dr. Rodney Rocconi, oncologist at the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute, evaluated 29 patients with a genetically engineered vaccine made from tumor cells acquired from each patient. The results indicate targeted immunotherapy not only improves outcomes for patients battling recurrent ovarian cancer but incorporating the approach sooner could substantially extend survival.

Promising Results in Ovarian Cancer Vaccine
April 6, 2018

Lead researcher and South oncologist Dr. Rodney Rocconi used targeted immunotherapy in recurrent cancer patients. ...

South computing students, from left, Luke Madison, Kane Hollingsworth, Chase Helms, Brett Graves and Seth Benson will compete in the third annual Department of Energy Cyber Defense Competition.

South Students Compete in National Cyber Defense Competition
April 6, 2018

Computing students will face off with students from other universities in the annual Department of Energy-sponsored competition. ...

South recently elected next year's Student Government Association officers. They are, from left, Jordan Griffin, chief justice; Shaun Holloway, vice president; Grace Newcombe, president; Broderick Morrissette, attorney general; Caleb Santa Cruz, treasurer; and Breanna Healy, student at large.

New Student Government Leaders Elected
April 6, 2018

Grace Newcombe, 21, a junior political science major from Huntsville, Ala., will be the next president. ...

Brittney Highland completed a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates fellowship in Africa. "I got to see a part of the world I never thought I would get to see, and I made friends from another country.”

When Opportunity Holds for Political Unrest
April 3, 2018

Brittney Highland's all-expenses-paid anthropology expedition to Africa was postponed, but well worth the wait. ...

USA Writer-in-Residence Frye Gaillard, right, is filmed by Preston Sullivan in Chattanooga, Tenn., for the documentary "Journey to the Wilderness." Photo courtesy of Mike Letcher.

South Writer's Book Made Into Documentary
April 2, 2018

The film 'Journey to the Wilderness,' based on Writer-in-Residence Frye Gaillard's book, debuted April 5 at the Mar ...

Science writer Elizabeth Kolbert is the author of “The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History,” which won the 2015 Pulitzer Price in general nonfiction. Photo: Nicholas Whitman

Pulitzer Prize Winner to Visit South
March 28, 2018

Science writer Elizabeth Kolbert, who won the award in general nonfiction for her book about mass extinction, will speak April 4. ...

The University of South Alabama community banded together to show that they are #SouthProud during the inaugural USA Giving Day on Thursday, March 22. During the 24-hour fundraising initiative, a total of $364,368 was raised from 957 donors to support Student Success, Excellence in Health Care, USA Athletics and the MacQueen Alumni Center.

$364,368 Raised During USA Giving Day
March 23, 2018

Gifts from the inaugural event will support student success, USA Health, athletics and the MacQueen Alumni Center. ...

The Jaguar Cricket Club finished second in the nation at the American College Cricket National Championships.

Jaguar Cricket Club Finishes Second
March 23, 2018

The Jaguar Cricket Club defeated Yale, Harvard, Texas A&M and others before falling in the title game to Rutgers. ...

Christopher Powell, accompanist with the Mobile Opera, and Dr. Laura Moore, USA associate professor of music and director of Choral Activities, lead singers from three groups in a Wednesday rehearsal before this weekend's performance with the Mobile Symphony Orchestra.

USA Concert Choir to Perform with MSO
March 21, 2018

South singers and other vocal groups will join the Mobile Symphony Orchestra for an anniversary performance, March 24-25. ...

Russians remember the political and economic turmoil in the 1990s and see President Vladimir Putin as the man who restored stability to their daily lives. His succession plans will clarify whether he is a charismatic strong man or a democratically elected leader with authentic support.

What to Watch After a Putin Victory
March 20, 2018

Russian President Vladimir Putin easily won re-election. Here are five complex issues to follow, according to two USA faculty. ...

South Counts Down to 24-Hour Giving Day
March 19, 2018

Donors will have the opportunity March 22 to give to student success, health care, athletics and the MacQueen Alumni Center. ...

Peyton Posey, a University of South Alabama junior who has been named Alabama's civil engineering student of the year, will begin a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship at USA focused on hurricanes and coastal engineering.

Meet State's Top Civil Engineering Student
March 16, 2018

Peyton Posey: Alabama's civil engineering student of the year, community volunteer, honor society inductee and mom. ...

The University of South Alabama on Thursday dedicated the Jag Fitness Trail, a 1.5 mile path that includes three exercise stations.

South Opens Jag Fitness Trail
March 15, 2018

The 8-foot wide, 1.5 mile crushed stone path includes three exercise stations for stretching and strength training. ...

During his tenure at South, Joshua Cogswell’s development team has raised more than $17 million for the University, including $8.4 million for undergraduate scholarships.

Cogswell Named Associate VP for University Development
March 15, 2018

Joshua Cogswell served as the director of university development for the past five years. ...

Dr. Lesley Gregoricka, assistant professor of anthropology, enlists the help of students when she does forensic recovery for local law enforcement. Bottom photo: Gregoricka works a case with the Mobile Police Department where remains were found. The body was of a homeless person who died of natural causes.

Closing Cases by Unearthing the Past
March 13, 2018

Dr. Lesley Gregoricka and her students offer forensics expertise when law enforcement discovers human remains. ...

Dr. Jingshan Huang, left, professor of computer sciences, and Dr. Glen Borchert, an assistant professor of pharmacology and biology, are two USA researchers working in the field of informatics. The two have collaborated on projects.

Making Sense of Big Data
March 12, 2018

USA researchers mine data with targeted questions to develop real-world applications and solve complex problems. ...

Dr. Peter Wood, professor of music, said he's been able to take the lessons he's learned by playing the trumpet he built and help students as they practice to become better musicians.

The Call of His Own Trumpet
March 12, 2018

Dr. Peter Wood, professor of music, built his own trumpet with a hammer and sheet metal. It's made him a better musician. ...

Natalie Fox, who earned three degrees at the University of South Alabama, is director of nursing for USA Physicians Group. “I’m excited to be working for an organization like USA that’s really committed to our community and improving the health of the people who live in Mobile."

Finding Her Home at South
March 8, 2018

Dr. Natalie Fox earned three degrees at USA, where today she sees patients and leads nursing operations at USA Physicians Group. ...

Following break-out sessions, students and faculty attending Democracy Day walked to Moulton Tower and Alumni Plaza, where they debriefed and wrapped up discussions.

South Holds Democracy Day Teach-in
March 6, 2018

More than 300 USA students swapped ideas and solutions at the 2018 We Are South: Democracy Day. ...

Herbert A. Meisler has donated $5 million to expand the USA Medical Center’s Trauma Center, which will be renamed the Fanny R. Meisler Trauma Center. Here, the couple stands in front of Meisler Hall shortly after its construction.

Meisler Gifts $5 Million for Trauma Center
March 2, 2018

Capacity at the USA Medical Center facility will more than double, and it will be renamed the Fanny R. Meisler Trauma Center. ...

Recognized at the 14th annual Distinguished Alumni and Service Awards gala were, from left, Stephen Erwin Clements, ’78; Dr. Joseph I. Molyneux, ’70; Dr. Thomas M. Miller, ’77, MD ’81; Thomas Joe Purvis, ’74; and Christopher C. Melton, ’81.

Alumni Honored for Notable Achievements
March 1, 2018

At its awards gala, the USA National Alumni Association celebrated five alumni who are making a difference in their communities. ...

Antonio Carter, an anthropology major, has been selected as an IDEAS scholar by the American Association of Physical Anthropologists.

Anthropology Major Named IDEAS Scholar
February 26, 2018

Antonia Carter was selected as an IDEAS Scholar by the American Association of Physical Anthropologists. ...

Dr. Kyre Lahtinen, assistant professor of finance at the University of South Alabama’s Mitchell College of Business, is the faculty advisor to the Jaguar Investment Fund, South's student-managed investment fund.

Six Investing Tips for a Turbulent Market
February 21, 2018

Want to know how to time the market? Don't bother trying, says South's Dr. Kyre Lahtinen, who instead advocates consiste ...

The library opened in its own building on Sept. 15, 1968, and an extensive addition and renovation was completed in March 2003. It was designated the Marx Library in 2013.

University Libraries Celebrate 50 Years
February 20, 2018

South's libraries begin a year-long celebration that will showcase their resources, future plans and five decades of service. ...

Tilly, left, played by Emily Ericson, and Agnes, played by Abigail St. John, perform in the Theatre USA production of 'She Kills Monsters.'

Theatre USA to Present 'She Kills Monsters'
February 16, 2018

The contemporary comedy will run from Feb. 16 to Feb. 24. Tickets are available. ...

Dr. Krista Harrell is the associate dean of students and Title IX coordinator at the University of South Alabama.

Associate Dean Named to International Board
February 14, 2018

Dr. Krista Harrell will represent South on the Association of College Unions International. ...

Dr. Martin Parsons is the founder and former director of the Research Centre for Evacuee and War Child Studies at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom.

Expert to Discuss War Effects on Children
February 14, 2018

Dr. Martin Parsons will speak Feb. 20 as a guest of the USA Center for the Study of War and Memory. ...

Erick Wricklund, right, a junior music major at the University of South Alabama, plays under the direction of Doc Severinsen, the longtime 'Tonight Show' bandleader. "The man is a legend," Wricklund said. "I learned a lot from it."

Learning From a Music Legend
February 12, 2018

South students and other young musicians are critiqued by longtime 'Tonight Show' bandleader Doc Severinsen. ...