In the Know

Mica Harrell, M.A., director of Wellness Promotion in the division of Student Affairs, recommends that anyone who’s in the dating pool, whether student or employee, first familiarize themselves with what a healthy relationship looks like.

Significant updates to the Genomic Data Sharing Policy will take effect Jan. 25. The change affects new and renewed requests for data access from 20 NIH-supported data repositories. Learn more about how this affects UAB researchers in this article.

My Health Rewards, the UAB Employee Wellness incentive program that rewards participants for healthy behaviors, launched this month with a new look, new platform and more point-earning opportunities.

Attend a town hall at the Alumni House at 10 a.m. March 19, 2025, for an important update on UAB’s Research Strategic Initiative: Growth with Purpose.

Developed as part of UAB’s Forging Ahead strategic plan and informed by the Campus Engagement Survey, the values — Collaborate, Act with integrity, Respect all and Excel — should “influence the decisions we make, the way we work and how we treat others,” said President Ray Watts.

Amy Chatham, Ph.D., has been named executive director of the expanded center. “These offices are here to help faculty and are laser-focused on providing the tools, training and service that enable UAB’s teachers to be the most effective,” said Scott Phillips, Ph.D., vice provost for Innovative Teaching and Academic Engagement.

The $1 million project to install the university’s first bulk dry heat sterilizer was made possible through a grant from the NIH and internal investments as part of the Research Strategic Initiative: Growth with Purpose. Dry heat sterilization is more efficient and saves power and water.

Each year, UAB’s official photographers capture tens of thousands of images as they document the incredible variety of events and personalities that make up our community. Here are some of our favorite photos from the past 12 months.

Mark your calendars for these major events on campus coming in the first half of 2025.

Take note: To protect occupants and meet fire and building codes, furniture and equipment may not be used or stored in hallways. Need an exception? How do you dispose of unneeded equipment? Read on.

Meet two UAB employees who are recent graduates of the master’s program in the School of Health Professions, along with the program’s leaders. Grads with health physics training are “in really high demand,” said program director Emily Caffrey, Ph.D.

The UAB's Cutest Pet 2024 contest attracted nearly 400 entries from employees across campus. Meet the winner, Bunny, a two-year-old longhair tabby, and her owner, Jenny Duckworth, an academic advisor in the Vulcan Materials Academic Success Center.

Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT pose all kinds of questions for the future of writing instruction. Meagan Malone, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of English, has launched a website and blog called Composing in the Age of GenAI to share ideas and resources and spark conversations with others in the field.

Nearly 1,500 t-shirts and 750 hats with UAB’s new logo were distributed at the Brand Launch Party on Nov. 14 at the UAB Bookstore. See photos and a list of winners of UAB-branded water bottles.

Exam week can be a high-stress time on campus. As the semester comes to a close, classes get harder and assignments become more complex. It can be tempting to let homework pile up as you prioritize fun activities, thinking you have plenty of time to study. But what if that thought shifted to how could you optimize your study time to set yourself up for success?

About half of the estimated 15.5 million American adults who have ADHD were diagnosed during adulthood. UAB’s Rachel Fargason, M.D., who has specialized in adult ADHD for three decades, explains how she diagnoses the condition, why COVID triggered people to seek help, and why treatment is remarkably effective and life-changing.

Learn more about the seven 2024 awardees, which received pledges for more than $12 million over three years. The SIF backs cross-campus projects — designed and led by UAB faculty and staff — that align with the university’s strategic plan, Forging Ahead.

UAB Printing and Mailing recently installed a new state-of-the-art color offset digital press. While the print shop has been serving the UAB community for decades, this new press not only provides a quicker turnaround time for print jobs, its technology allows for enhanced precision of inks and color matches.

A partnership among UAB Sustainability, UAB Energy Management and the Collat School of Business allowed the school to save 40 percent on its monthly utility bills in July 2024 and unlock ongoing reductions in energy use.

The AWARE Disability Management Program is celebrating Veterans Day all month long with events and programs to honor the armed forces and give back to those who served.

This month, UAB Employee Wellness is spotlighting the impact pets have on our mental health — including those experiencing seasonal mood shifts — by bringing back its UAB’s Cutest Pet Contest. UAB employees are invited to submit pictures of pets now through Nov. 14.

Six working groups have been meeting to address infrastructure opportunities that will help UAB expand its research impact and expenditures through the Research Strategic Initiative: Growth with Purpose. Read more about how the groups were selected, their progress and next steps.

A focus on applying sociology to practical work projects, cutting-edge data analysis and supportive faculty make this one of the nation’s top online graduate programs in the field. In this article, faculty explain what sets it apart and two UAB employees/alumni share how they are using its lessons in their work.

UAB’s annual open enrollment for benefits will be held Oct. 18-Nov. 4. Eligible employees can choose among dental, vision and health insurance plans plus voluntary plan options and tax-deferred spending accounts for health and dependent care for 2025.

Find a tucked-away outdoor space closest to you and take a moment for mindfulness or enjoy the cool air with colleagues.

Specialized test-prep courses can be effective, but they are expensive and not covered by student loans. Samantha Giordano-Mooga, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the School of Health Professions, has created a for-credit class that includes test prep and other support.

Hundreds of UAB employees met for lunch and conversation at the annual Staff Picnic on Oct. 4. Here are some of our favorite photos from the event.

Eligible employees of UAB, UAB Hospital and UAB Hospital Management LLC may choose voluntary benefits during the annual open enrollment Oct. 18- Nov. 4. These programs are voluntary and paid for by employees and can be canceled at any time.

The Standard Insurance Company is offering a true open enrollment for 2025 Voluntary Employee Life and Voluntary Spouse Life insurance elections during UAB’s annual open enrollment Oct. 18- Nov. 4.

Twenty-five participants from across the country and the world traveled to Birmingham for a weeklong program on the use of implementation research concepts and methods to address health inequities in global health research and practice at scale.