Posted on November 1, 2004 at 2:30 p.m.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Thomas Alexander has been named to the newly created position of special assistant to the UAB vice president for student affairs for diversity issues. He will retain his current title and the responsibilities of director of student programs and leadership.

Alexander has oversight of the Black Student Awareness Committee, Multicultural Program development, alcohol and drug awareness programs and other student leadership initiatives. In his new role, he also will implement, supervise and market a diversity hotline for UAB students, which will serve as a mechanism for reporting issues related to diversity to the Division of Student Affairs for review. He also will work with Louis Dale, Ph.D., vice president equity and diversity, and become a member of the Diversity Committee chaired by Dale.

“The creation of this position is part of UAB’s continuing commitment to provide communication between our students and the administration, and to ensure an environment where the particular ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, gender and faith of every member of the student body are valued and embraced,” said UAB President Carol Z. Garrison.

Alexander, a Birmingham native and a 1989 graduate of UAB, said he is excited about his new role, which will give students a specific person they can call on any issue related to diversity.

“There are times when students want to talk to someone who is dedicated to the issues of diversity, they want a point person” Alexander said. “In this new role, I can contact academic and other units on campus about issues students have raised. This entrée into all areas of the campus means faster review and resolution for everyone.”

New opportunities to take advantage of UAB’s diversity also will be created, he said.

“There is a rich diversity on campus that includes not only students, but faculty and staff,” Alexander said. “Coming together helps us all understand that it’s a broad world out there, and that other cultures — whether they are from across the world or from another part of this country — are worth learning about and learning from.”

Alexander joined the UAB in 2000 as director of student programs and leadership. Previously, he held positions of increasing responsibility at the University of Florida, including, assistant dean for student services, director of the Office of Recruitment and Outreach and executive director of the Florida Fund for Minority Teachers Inc. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history and African-American studies at UAB. He earned his Master’s in Student Personnel Services from the University of South Carolina.

“Thomas Alexander has been a tremendous asset to our student affairs staff, and I am very pleased that he has agreed to expand his duties,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Virginia Gauld. “We are proud of our diverse student body, and we want to do everything we can to make sure their voice is heard and that the university community continues to be innovative in our interactions with all of our students.”

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Image Size: 1,200 pixels by 1,800 pixels (4.0" by 6.0") Resolution: 300 dpi Format: JPEG (RGB) File Size: 1,603 KB Download Now! Caption: Thomas Alexander (pictured) has been named to the newly created position of special assistant to the UAB vice president for student affairs for diversity issues.