Editor's Note: The information published in this story is accurate at the time of publication. Always refer to uab.edu/uabunited for UAB's current guidelines and recommendations relating to COVID-19.
Each year, UAB’s official photographers capture tens of thousands of images as they document the incredible variety of events and personalities in our community. Here are some of our favorite photos of some of the most dramatic months in UAB history.
Images of the Year
Reporter staff picked their favorite photos of the year and asked University Relations photographers to do the same.
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The University Hall front yard features a bioswale, a sustainable, natural solution to storm water management designed to concentrate and convey stormwater runoff while removing debris and pollution. See more scenic photos from spring. April 2020 LEXI COON / University Relations
"UAB is always changing and our photographers capture views most people are unlikely to see otherwise. I love how this bioswale runoff system, seen at water level, could easily be somewhere on the Cahaba rather than the middle of the Campus Green." — Matt Windsor, senior writer, University Relations -
Assistant Professor Stacey Holloway combined silicone molds of her own body with doorstops, rubber bands, an old record player and more to create whimsical prosthetic devices that mimic physical connections in the early days of social distancing. Read more. April 2020 ANDREA MABRY / University Relations
"This image from the early days of social distancing and quarantine shows, for me, the ability to be creative despite isolation. I also like how it demonstrates the place of art during a medical crisis as an outlet for expression and method of comfort." — Haley Herfurth, writer, internal communications -
Designed and created by Branko Medenica and donated by Ken Jackson on Blazer Pride Plaza, this statue of Blaze stood out against an April sunset. April 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
"A majestic and formidable force arising in the darkness. It’s a perfect metaphor for UAB in 2020." — Linda Gunter, manager, internal communications -
White clouds and blue sky reflect in the windows of Callahan Eye Hospital. April 2020 LEXI COON / University Relations
From the photographer:
"Normally when we notice Callahan Eye Hospital, it's from University Boulevard and because of the mural "Complex Vision." When I was on my way to another photoshoot one day in the spring, though, I saw the perfect reflection of the sky in the building and stopped to take a quick photo - it was a nice reminder to stop and see the simple beauty in the things around you, and I enjoy how the building blends with the sky." -
Moving boxes lined the street in front of Camp Hall as movers work inside to pack residents' belongings in April. UAB Housing undertook this huge project to enable students to return safely to campus and pick up their belongings after students were told they would not be returning to campus after spring break. April 2020 ANDREA MABRY / University Relations
From the photographer:
"In the early days of the pandemic, we walked and rode around campus a lot, making photos of the emptiness. This scene was one of the only times I stumbled upon something big happening. The irony that this "something" was a ton of empty boxes on an empty campus struck me." -
A machine laser cuts PPE face shield headbands, designed by Justin Koch and the UAB School of Engineering, from a sheet of acrylic plastic at the Alabama Power Technology Applications Center. April 2020 LEXI COON / University Relations
From the photographer:
"Shortly after news was breaking about limited PPE supplies, members of UAB Engineering started working to create face shields to distribute to frontline workers. By following the process from proposal to creation to delivery, I was able to see the amount of teamwork and effort individuals were putting in to help keep our health care workers safe. This was part of the process of creating the headbands. I really enjoy both the simplicity of the photo and the point of view, as it's not something that the normal public would see." -
Robin Ennis, associate professor of curriculum studies, posed for a picture while working from home with her triplet sons in May. Working from home has presented many UAB faculty, staff and students with unique challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. May 2020 ANDREA MABRY / University Relations
From the photographer:
"During the beginning of the pandemic, I traveled to the homes of several members of the UAB family to capture life working and studying from home. Dr. Ennis stood out to me because of her rambunctious triplet boys she shares an office with. They sure are cute, and I'm sure it was a handful working with them around!" -
A student in UAB garb rode an electric scooter across campus. August 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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Blazers painted a mural in North Titusville during Into the Streets. Read more about Into the Streets. October 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
Leading by example
Senior leadership navigated UAB and the Birmingham community through uncharted waters this year, from demonstrating the ease of COVID-19 testing to sharing pertinent information during press conferences.
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As campus closed, members of the University Relations team work with senior leaders and medical experts to compile and disseminate information on the COVID-19 outbreak and its projected consequences for the UAB community and the city, county, state and nation. Learn more about their work. March 2020
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Doctors, nurses and administrators gathered virtually and in person in the UAB Hospital COVID-19 Command Center in North Pavilion to coordinate a response to an emerging pandemic that threatened to overwhelm available resources. April 2020 LEXI COON / University Relations
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Jeanne Marrazzo, Ph.D., professor and director in the Division of Infectious Diseases, spoke at an April 2020 COVID-19 news conference, the first of many appearances on state and national news outlets to provide expert commentary. April 2020 ANDREA MABRY / University Relations
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In April, UAB senior leaders began hosting virtual town halls to share the latest developments in the ever-evolving pandemic and, crucially, to answer questions from students, parents, staff and faculty. More than a dozen were held between April and November. October 2020
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UAB President Ray Watts participated in sentinel testing to demonstrate the quick and easy process. See a video and read more about sentinel testing. October 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
Working together
Blazers banded together to keep moving forward during limited and modified business operations.
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Jan Clendenon, an American Sign Language interpreter for UAB’s press conferences, provided critical information to members of our deaf community in their native language. Read more about their work. April 2020 ANDREA MABRY / University Relations
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Bill Mayfield, emergency preparedness manager for UAB Medicine, and son Matt Mayfield work together to ensure UAB is as ready as possible for any new developments in the COVID-19 pandemic. The younger Mayfield, who worked as an emergency preparedness intern in the command center, graduated UAB in May with a bachelor’s in public health. Read more about the Mayfields. April 2020 LEXI COON / University Relations
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At the outset of the pandemic, a small team of employees from the UAB School of Dentistry continued operating on campus, providing emergency dental services to patients in need — many of whom would present at local emergency departments without their services. Read more. April 2020
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Ed Ramsey, computer system administrator for UAB IT Desktop Services, who celebrated 30 years of service to UAB this year, reports to his office at the Administration Building nearly every day, even during limited business operations. His work maintaining mobile devices and UAB’s TechTools program ensures that employees have the equipment they need, whether they are on campus or working remotely. Read more about IT’s work. May 2020
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Jimmy Branch, maintenance supervisor (left), and Chip Cooley, a general mechanic on Branch’s team, and other members of UAB Hospital Maintenance have been hard at work keeping hospital facilities in working order despite altered operations due to the coronavirus pandemic. Learn more. May 2020
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Clinicians in UAB Hospital’s Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) — a team comprising physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, respiratory therapists and pharmacists — are no strangers to caring for patients with critical medical conditions. When COVID-19 spread to Alabama, the MICU became UAB’s COVID care unit. Read more about their work. June 2020
Staying safe
Innovation and dedication were the name of the game this year as we donned face masks and other PPE to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
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Faculty and students from the School of Engineering create face shields for immediate use by medical personnel at UAB Hospital, one of several home-grown efforts to combat the PPE shortage and innovate the technology. Learn more. April 2020
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PPE face masks hang from clips while awaiting UV light sterilization for N95 face mask reprocessing in UAB Hospital’s New Hillman Building. UAB implemented a three-phase, FDA-approved decontamination strategy that enabled the hospital to reuse increasingly scarce facemasks up to 10 times. Read more. April 2020 ANDREA MABRY / University Relations
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Kareshar Payne, environmental services specialist in UAB Hospital, wears PPE and uses disinfecting and cleaning wipes during a post-discharge terminal cleaning of a hospital room. Learn about other ways UAB kept patients safe during COVID-19. May 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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The signs are everywhere: "Face masks are a requirement on the campus of UAB. Mask Up, Blazers. #UABUNITED." In or outside campus buildings, Blazers are reminded of pandemic safety precautions. Read more about UAB United. June 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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Blazer Express bus driver Kevin Flowers uses an EvaClean Protexus Electrostatic Sprayer to sanitize a UAB bus, spraying the solution on all surfaces, especially high-touch areas. Read more about the sanitization process. August 2020 LEXI COON / University Relations
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Buttons that read “#UABUNITED – I WEAR MY MASK FOR YOU” and instructions on how to wear and clean cloth face masks were provided at the drive-thru mask distribution station in Express Lot No. 4. Employees and students were provided two free masks before the fall semester began. August 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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Students study while sitting in socially distanced chairs in the lobby of the Collat School of Business. See how UAB transformed classroom spaces for social distancing. September 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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Students take a selfie at a social distance during the COVID-19 pandemic. September 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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Local businesses pledged to promote mask-wearing, social distancing, crowd control and other proven safety strategies to help keep students and other patrons safe from infection. Read more. November 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
Testing on campus
Sentinel, entry and community testing all took place on campus, from the northeast edge near the Administration Building to the southwest corner at UAB Hospital-Highlands.
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A UAB Police officer directs traffic at a downtown COVID-19 testing site sponsored by UAB Medicine and the Jefferson County Department of Health. Read more about the testing site. March 2020 ANDREA MABRY / University Relations
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A student self-administered a nasal swab as part of GuideSafe testing, the statewide COVID-19 testing program that helped 200,000 students enroll in Alabama colleges and universities in the fall. Read more about GuideSafe. July 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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GuideSafe testing at UAB took place at Bartow Arena. Read more about GuideSafe. July 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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A medical professional places a container that includes genetic material extracted from a nasal swab in a microcentrifuge tube rack as part of the GuideSafe testing. Pooled testing, UAB-developed and -produced test kits and hardworking staff made it possible to run more than 10,000 tests per day. July 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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Workers at the UAB Hospital-Highlands COVID-19 drive-thru testing site wore scrubs and other PPE such as gowns, head covers, gloves, face masks and face shields. Read more about the Highlands testing site. September 2020 ANDREA MABRY / University Relations
Caring for patients
Despite challenges faced by health care workers, UAB clinicians continued to provide quality care.
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Ashita Tolwani, M.D., aka the Citrate Queen, has changed the practice of continuous renal replacement therapy, also known as 24-hour dialysis, with the special anticoagulant she developed. CRRT therapy became even more important during the pandemic because people hospitalized with COVID-19 are at significant risk of acute kidney injury. See how she is funding other innovations with the proceeds from hers. February 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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UAB Hospital’s Chief Nursing Officer Terri Poe received letters and notes of support from children of the Birmingham area thanking hospital workers. She reads some of them in this video. April 2020 LEXI COON / University Relations
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Medical professionals donned face masks and shields while working in UAB Hospital. April 2020 AMANDA CHAMBERS
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The pandemic has stressed and stretched the limits for health care providers. Kevin Lee, M.D., a resident in radiation oncology, studies a notebook while sitting in the Limbaugh Family Park of Hope in front of the Women and Infants Center. May 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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Augusto Robles, DDS, associate professor of general dentistry, performs a dental examination during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more. August 2020 LEXI COON / University Relations
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Anany Iyer, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, and another health care worker watched Lisa Weinhold, a musician with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, perform a concert via a telehealth cart. Learn more about Arts in Medicine during COVID-19. October 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
Making discoveries
Researchers worked overtime to find answers to questions about COVID-19, studying and testing new medications, drug-repurposing opportunities and continuing longtime work on SARS viruses and antibody cross-reactivity.
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In their labs, microbiologists Troy Randall, Ph.D., Frances Lund, Ph.D., and their teams have created novel tests to study antibody cross-reactivity and other crucial questions in a project supported through UAB’s urgent COVID-19 research fund. Learn more about Lund's work. May 2020 LEXI COON / University Relations
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Alabamians had early access to Remdesivir and other potentially life-saving treatments for COVID-19 through UAB. Why? The same reasons that clinical trials activity at UAB has more than doubled in the past five years. Read more. May 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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This is not his first pandemic. Virologist Kevin Harrod, Ph.D., is UAB's resident expert on SARS viruses. His lab is handling biological validation for innovative drug-repurposing studies supported by the School of Medicine’s urgent COVID-19 research fund. Read more about Harrod’s work. May 2020 LEXI COON / University Relations
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While most of the world has done its best to stay as far as possible from SARS-CoV-2, a select group of researchers moved closer. That includes these dedicated scientists from the Steyn Lab at UAB, who volunteered to spend their workdays and nights to accelerate virus research in the early days of the pandemic. Their voluntary participation provided a lifeline of help to both the safety and the research efforts. June 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
Learning lessons
Learning lessons
Online learning presented new challenges for faculty and students alike, but Blazers thrived during remote and hybrid instruction.
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Before you could say spring break is over, students transitioned to remote instruction in spring. April 2020 LEXI COON / University Relations
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During remote learning, doctoral candidates quickly shifted to defend their theses virtually via Zoom. During spring commencement, also held virtually, the UAB Graduate School conferred the university’s highest degrees on 98 students from 16 states and eight countries representing 28 disciplines. April 2020 LEXI COON / University Relations
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Within the hybrid learning format, students in a Collat School of Business classroom wore UAB-branded face masks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the fall semester. September 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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Christy Lemak, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Health Services Administration, wears one of the transparent face shields given to all teaching faculty at the beginning of the fall semester. Learn more about the technology that helped Lemak and other faculty teach simultaneously online and in-person in this article. September 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
Serving the community
During a time of extraordinary need, Blazers stepped up to the plate, providing meals, working in the community and more.
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Blazer Kitchen, UAB’s on-campus food bank, continued to feed employees, students and patients during limited campus operations by distributing pre-packed bags of food via drive-thru at two locations, Medical Towers and the Hill Student Center. April 2020 ANDREA MABRY / University Relations
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During Homecoming Week’s Blazer Spirit Food and Toiletries Drive, students donated items to benefit Blazer Kitchen. September 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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COVID-19 couldn’t stop 80-plus students and employees from volunteering during UAB’s annual Into the Streets; Blazers invested a combined 168 hours of their time and effort, some of it painting a mural in North Titusville. Read more about Into the Streets. October 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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COVID-19 couldn’t stop 80-plus students and employees from volunteering during UAB’s annual Into the Streets; Blazers invested a combined 168 hours of their time and effort, some of it clearing bamboo in the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Read more about Into the Streets. October 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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The Student Affairs Little Blazer Wishes program supported 90 UAB students with children this season, up from 35 students in 2019. “I feel so proud to be a Blazer,” a recipient said. “I know that my university is truly there for me.” Read more about Little Blazer Wishes. December 2020
Historic moments
In a year of unprecedented moments, some extraordinary ones stood out.
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From left, Birmingham City Schools Superintendent Lisa Herring, Ed.D., UAB President Ray Watts, City of Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and President and CEO of United Way of Central Alabama Drew Langloh gathered for a press conference in January to announce UAB is the first academic partner to support the Birmingham Promise scholarship. Birmingham City School graduates now have an opportunity to attend the university with a one-to-one tuition scholarship match. Meet one of the first recipients to enroll during the fall semester. January 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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Health care workers watch from the helipad of UAB Hospital during a Alabama National Guard flyover saluting health care workers, first responders, essential employees and others working during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was one of several events to celebrate Health Care Heroes. May 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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Selwyn Vickers, M.D., senior vice president for UAB Medicine, and other physicians kneeled with medical students — White Coats for Black Lives — on the Campus Green. They joined colleagues across the country to observe a moment of silent reflection and commit to improve the health and safety of people of color after protests erupted nationally following the death of George Floyd while in police custody. June 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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On Dec. 15, UAB received 10,725 COVID-19 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. With this shipment, UAB will vaccinate 7,507 hospital personnel throughout Jefferson County, 1,609 clinical personnel and 1,609 Emergency Medical Services personnel from the seven-county region. Read more about the arrival. December 2020 LEXI COON / University Relations
Continuing to grow
From renovations to new construction, new spaces are transforming UAB’s campus.
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The flowering Yoshino cherry tree, also known as the Japanese flowering cherry or cherry blossom, is one of UAB’s most beautiful features during spring. Campus is home to hundreds of these trees, many of them situated on the Campus Green. This year, UAB’s perennial Tree Campus honors extended to include the medical center. March 2020 ANDREA MABRY / University Relations
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Aptly named the Townhouse Park for the landmark building it replaced, UAB’s newest green space provides benches and tables for employees and students to grab a bite, study or take a breather. See how the space was razed and raised in photo and video. May 2020 LEXI COON / University Relations
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One of the most recognizable campus features, the three windows of the Spencer Honors House have watched over UAB throughout its five decades. Now re-installed after painstaking restoration, their beauty will be enjoyed by new generations of Blazers for years to come. Peer into the past and get a glimpse of the artisan at work. June 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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COVID-19 safety precautions at Gold Hall, formerly named New Freshman Residence Hall, include a plastic barrier shield at the front reception desk. All buildings received distancing makeovers before students returned to campus in the fall. August 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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A new fleet of Blazer Express buses arrived on campus — sporting a kneeling function to assist passengers with limited mobility, propane tanks to make them more energy-efficient and a new bright-green, Blazer-fied look. See more photos. September 2020 ANDREA MABRY / University Relations
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Formerly the Business and Engineering Complex, the newly renamed Education and Engineering Complex is the newest home for UAB’s School of Education. Education moved into the renovated space formerly occupied by the Collat School of Business just in time for the fall semester. Read more about how campus is transforming. October 2020 ANDREA MABRY / University Relations
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McCallum Basic Sciences Building has undergone interior and exterior renovations in recent months. Updates to research labs on the eighth and ninth floors were completed in March, and exterior renovations give the 37-year-old building a more modern look. A facelift for the facades on floors 2-7 is underway. Read more about how campus is transforming. October 2020 LEXI COON / University Relations
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Three laser-cut, stainless steel towers with programmed LED lighting featuring art patterns displaying chalkboard-style math equations and the view through a microscope comprise the latest art installation on a campus that takes pride in its outdoor sculptures. Learn more about the legacy that inspired this installation. December 2020 ANDREA MABRY / University Relations
Memorable shots
Some photos just make you proud to be a UAB Blazer.
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Designed and painted by Department of Art and Art History students Isadore “Izzy” Looney and Hannah Slatsky, as part of the spring Bloom Studio course taught by Assistant Professor of Drawing and Bookmaking Doug Baulos, a new sustainability-themed mural is on a shipping container that houses the neighborhood’s microgrid and features colorful animals and plant life. See more photos. July 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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Evidence of the #UABUNITED campaign was everywhere to be found, even on a carved pumpkin on the front porch of the ArtPlay House during the Halloween season. Read more about UAB United. October 2020 STEVE WOOD / University Relations
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The statue of UAB’s first president, Joseph Volker, by Frank Varga was fitted with a face mask in a lighthearted moment during the COVID-19 pandemic. October 2020 ANDREA MABRY / University Relations
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Murphy, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, plays in a pile of brown fall leaves in the UAB Mini Park. November 2020 ANDREA MABRY / University Relations
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An ivory anatomical mannequin, once used to teach medical students, is now housed in the Alabama Museum of Health Sciences in Lister Hill Library. December 2020 ANDREA MABRY / University Relations
Journey through time in “Fifty Years of Dreams and Discoveries,” a 200-page pictorial book that chronicles UAB’s rise from a nascent university in 1969 to a leading doctoral research university.
