Posted on July 1, 2004 at 10:12 a.m.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — University of Alabama at Birmingham, (UAB) Associate Professor Emeritus Stephen S. Underwood, Ed.D., has been named to the Civil Air Patrol’s Crown Circle for Aerospace Education Leadership.

Underwood was inducted into the Crown Circle this spring during the 2004 National Congress on Aviation and Space Education in Atlanta. Established in 1979, membership in the Crown Circle is one of the nation’s most prestigious honors bestowed worldwide in the field of aerospace education. This year’s National Congress, now in its 37th year, presented the best practices in aviation and space education to teachers throughout the nation.

During his career, Underwood developed an aerospace education course for undergraduate and graduate students in education. He has shown thousands of teachers in training how to spark their students’ interest in science and aerospace.

Underwood joined the UAB School of Education’s faculty in 1969. He was project director of the Alabama Hands-on Activity Science Program at UAB from 1993-2003 and is now a consultant to the program. He has presented more than 700 workshops and seminars for teachers throughout Alabama.

The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) and the U.S. Air Force host the National Congress and its Crown Circle awards. CAP is the official Air Force auxiliary and is a nonprofit organization with almost 62,000 members nationwide. CAP members promote aerospace education and serve as mentors to children participating in CAP cadet programs.