Meet Our Students

THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA GRADUATE SCHOOL
Meet Our Graduate Students 2003


Liliana Loofbourow Creative Writing	“I have always been interested in the phenomenon of linguistic cross-fertilization, how one language enriches the other. I look forward to a future in writing, and, while a graduate student here at The University of Alabama, I hope to make my first steps toward a future as a college professor.” Liliana Loofbourow , UA Master’s Student in Creative Writing and Graduate Council Fellow .
Aimee Edison Mass Communication	“My doctoral studies at UA will give me a better understanding of theories that explain how communication works and provide increased knowledge and tools that I can use to test new theories and reexamine old theories.” Aimee Edison, UA Ph.D. Student in Mass Communication and Graduate Council Fellow.
Zenobia Harris Communication Studies	“I believe that a UA graduate degree in communication studies will help me to accomplish my goal of influencing people to become educated and passionate about their own viewpoints. After I obtain my master’s degree, I plan to continue with a Ph.D., which will allow me to become an educator and teach students about culture and diversity in the media.” Zenobia Harris, UA Master’s Student in Communication Studies, Ph.D. Student in Mass Communication, and Future Faculty Fellow:
Shaoyi Wang Industrial Engineering	“In my graduate studies at the University of Alabama, I hope to draw on my previous research and work background as a foundation for learning more advanced concepts of operations research. I am particularly interested in research about optimization algorithms and improving the performance of complex systems.” Shaoyi Wang, UA Master’s Student in Industrial Engineering and Graduate Council Fellow
Jonathan Newby Aerospace Engineering	“After my undergraduate studies and internship with a missile systems development company, I am pursuing my UA graduate degree in aerospace engineering to help me better understand my field and become competent in my future career.” Jonathan Newby, UA Master’s Student in Aerospace Engineering and Graduate Council Fellow
Kim Cross Journalism	“What I expect to take away from my graduate studies at The University of Alabama is not only an advanced degree, but also the skills, experience, and confidence necessary to continue a meaningful career in journalism.” Kim Cross, UA Master’s Student in Journalism and Graduate Council Research and Creative Activity Fellow
Michael Mansfield History	“My doctoral education at The University of Alabama will allow me to conduct important research about the struggle of African Americans to retain some measure of control over their lives in the Jim Crow South.” Michael Mansfield, UA Ph.D. Student in History and Graduate Council Research and Creative Activity Fellow
David Arrington Chemistry	“After my undergraduate studies, I knew there was still more that I wanted to know about chemistry. My graduate study at UA has helped me to strengthen myself in terms of discipline and practical research skills. I plan to become a professor of chemistry, in order to inspire others as I myself was inspired.” David Arrington, UA Ph.D. Student in Chemistry, Alabama Commission on Higher Education/Southern Regional Education Board Doctoral Scholar, and UA Graduate Council Research and Creative Activity Fellow

NEW MINORITY FELLOWSHIPS AWARDS

The University of Alabama Graduate School recently awarded four fellowships to graduate students through programs designed to increase and retain the number of minorities in college or university faculty positions, with a special emphasis on graduate students who plan to become faculty members at colleges and universities in Alabama. With the four new fellowship recipients, UA currently has over 35 graduate students on campus who are participants in the minority fellowship programs. Over 90 graduate students have participated in the programs in the last 15 years.

Future Faculty Fellowships

Zenobia Harris, of San Angelo, TX; Latronia Lovell of Clayton, AL; and Rosianna Gray of Tuscaloosa, AL received Future Faculty Fellowships, one of the UA Graduate School's most successful fellowship programs. Based on departmental nominations, the program provides stipends and tuition scholarships for minority graduate students who plan to become college or university professors.

Zenobia Harris is in the UA master’s degree program in Communication Studies and will continue her graduate studies in UA’s Ph.D. program in Mass Communication. She received her bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication-Broadcasting from West Texas A&M University in 2003, where she was a McNair Scholar and general manager of KWTS-FM. Harris was the 2003 individual events national champion of the American Forensics Association. Latronia Lovell is in the UA master’s degree program in Computer Science and received her bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from UA in 2003. Rosianna Gray is in UA’s Ph.D. program in Biological Sciences and is specializing in molecular biology. She has received an academic honors award from the UA Black Faculty-Staff Association. Gray received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from Stillman College in 2001, where she was an LSAMPS Scholar, MARC Scholar, and NIH Scholar.

Joint Faculty Development Fellowship

Kimberly Nixon, of Mobile, AL and a current faculty member at Tuskegee University, was awarded the Joint Minority Faculty Development Fellowship. Implemented in 1989, this program is for active college teachers in Alabama who do not have a terminal degree in their field of instruction. Faculty members receiving this fellowship receive support from both their home institution and a stipend and scholarship from The University of Alabama Graduate School. Nixon is in UA’s Ph.D. program in Social Work. She received her bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Tuskegee University in 1988 and her master’s degree in Social Work from UA in 2002.

Graduate School | University of Alabama | 09/02/2004