UA OCTA Award Winners Announced at Annual Fall Faculty and Staff Meeting

by Laura Medders

The four recipients of The University of Alabama National Alumni Association’s 2001 Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award (OCTA) were announced at the recent fall faculty and staff meeting. The awards are the University’s highest honor for excellence in teaching.

Established in 1976, the OCTA recognizes dedication to the teaching profession and the positive impact professors have on their students. The 2001 winners are Dr. Silas C. Blackstock, associate professor of chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences; Cornelius Carter, associate professor of dance in the College of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Wythe W. Holt Jr., University Research Professor of Law in the School of Law; and Dr. Amilcar Shabazz, assistant professor of American studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Silas C. Blackstock joined the chemistry department in 1996. He received his bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin. He also did postdoctoral work at the University of Houston and at Yale University. Blackstock heads a National Science Foundation funded research program in which undergraduates, graduates and postdoctoral fellows participate. His research focuses on crystal engineering and the preparation of molecules for control of electron transport and magnetism in organic materials.

Cornelius Carter earned his bachelor’s degree at Webster University and his master’s degree at the University of Hawaii. He joined the faculty of the UA department of theatre and dance in 1992 and teaches several UA courses, including Introduction to Dance Style, Jazz, Modern, and Choreography. He also teaches and choreographs dance throughout the country. Twenty-eight of his choreographed works have been produced and performed by professional companies or other university companies, including Harvard University, Tulane University, the American Dance Festival, American Ballet Theatre and Bates College.

Dr. Wythe Holt joined the law school in 1966 and became University Research Professor in 1987. Holt received his bachelor’s from Amherst College and his J.D. and doctorate from the University of Virginia. He was a Fellow in Law and Humanities at Harvard Law School. Nationally known for his research on the origins of the federal courts, his research and publications as a legal historian have focused primarily on the history of our national court system and the history of U.S. labor law. He has also taught in other UA departments.

Dr. Amilcar Shabazz, the first director of the University’s African American Studies Program, joined the faculty in 1997 after a year as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Houston, where he earned his doctorate. Shabazz received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and his master’s from Lamar University. He is currently finishing a book titled "Saving the Race and Advancing the Cause of Democracy: African Americans and the Struggle for Access and Equity in Higher Education." Shabazz teaches a variety of classes, including African American Religion and Culture, Drugs and American Society: A Cultural History, and Black Masculinity and the American Dream.

The UA National Alumni Association, which gives the annual OCTA awards, is made up of more than 30,000 active alumni and friends of the University, organized into more than 100 local chapters nationwide. Member contributions account for more than $2 million per year in academic scholarships.

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