January 16, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics is honoring three of its outstanding alumni and the accomplishments of its student scholars at its 2008 Scholarship and Awards Luncheon, noon Thursday, Jan. 24, at the Alys Stephens Center on the UAB campus, 1200 10th Ave. S.

The three alumni honorees, accomplished in their respective fields, are John W. Gibson, the principal scientist for pharmaceutical research and development and general manager of Birmingham, Ala., Operations for DURECT Corp.; Debbie Jo Severin, vice president of marketing for Covad Communications in San Jose, Calif.; and Janet Yother, Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology in the UAB Department of Microbiology.

Gibson received his Bachelor of Science in chemistry at UAB in 1974 with a minor in mathematics. He went on to receive his Master of Science from UAB in organic chemistry in 1977. DURECT Corp. is an emerging specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development of pharmaceutical systems based on its proprietary drug delivery platform technologies to treat chronic debilitating diseases and enable biotechnology products.

Debbie Jo Severin received her Bachelor of Science in 1981 and her Master of Science in 1983, both from the UAB Department of Mathematics. Covad Communications is a leading nationwide provider of broadband voice and data communications for small and medium businesses and a key supplier of high-speed Internet access for competitive voice providers and Internet services providers.

Janet Yother received her Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1980. She is a Professor of Microbiology in the UAB Department of Microbiology. She attended UAB and the University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences at Memphis for doctoral work (Ph.D., Microbiology, 1985) and returned to UAB for postdoctoral studies concerning the genetics of the human respiratory pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. Currently, her work focuses on the genetics, biochemistry and pathogenesis of Streptococcus pneumoniae, the leading cause of pneumonia, middle ear infections and an important contributor to bacterial meningitis. Yother has served as a consultant for numerous pharmaceutical research corporations.

For more information on the event or to make reservations, contact Mary Balfour Van Zandt, UAB School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, 205-934-2290 or mvanzandt@uab.edu.