May 6, 2009

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has received a $5 million cash gift from an anonymous donor to be used for scholarships for women and minorities ($4 million) and for strategic initiatives ($1 million).

Of UAB’s 17,000 students, some 59 percent are women, and 37 percent are minorities. The Princeton Review ranked UAB fourth in the nation for campus social and ethnic diversity, as well as interaction between students of different backgrounds.

The anonymous gift is similar to others that universities have announced recently.

“We are so appreciative of this level of generosity, and thankful to receive such a large gift from an anonymous benefactor,” said UAB President Carol Z. Garrison. “It will make a significant and enduring impact on the university and our students.”

The $1 million portion of the gift will be used to support key institutional priorities and initiatives that emerge from ongoing campuswide discussions related to planning for the future of UAB’s academic, research and health care enterprise. The scholarships will be tied to these priorities as well.

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