UAB Student Affairs has exceptional staff members who serve our campus with professionalism, kindness, and integrity. Each month, an employee who exemplifies the Blazer Way is honored based on a pool of nominations presented to the Professional Development Committee. The March Employee of the Month is Samantha Wadsworth, UAB’s ADA Investigator/Faculty Advisor for Disability Support Services. Wadsworth work ethic and commitment to Student Affairs’ mission make her one to be celebrated.

What nominators said about Samantha Wadsworth:

Sam joined the DSS team in June of 2024 as the ADA Investigator/Faculty Advisor. While she is just short of being in the position for a year, she has already far exceeded expectations as she continues to grow and develop this position.

As part of her role, Sam is responsible for faculty outreach and advisement when it comes to serving our students with disabilities. It is through her leadership that she taken the DSS faculty and staff education plan to new heights. Her creativity and innovated ways of training development has increased faculty and staff engagement. DSS has seen a significant increase in the amount of training and workshop requests come from the UAB community. For example, she has expanded compliance outreach efforts to areas outside of the traditional stakeholders to include UAB Police Department.

In addition to leading campus education efforts, Sam oversees the ADA investigative process in the office. In the event of an ADA complaint, Sam is responsible for investigating claims of potential discrimination based on disability. As one can imagine, this critical task can often be tedious, very time sensitive, and involves heightened emotions from all parties. Sam has the unique ability to establish a strong non-biased rapport with both complainant and responding parties. She maintains a strong sense of professionalism throughout the investigative process to ensure a fair, equitable experience for all involved.

Sam has continued to demonstrate a strong commitment to ensuring access for students with disabilities through her proactive and innovative training efforts as well as through thorough, balanced investigative processes. Her excellence and commitment to integrity and equity make her the perfect candidate for the Student Affairs Employee of the Month.