UAB Memories

In 2014, UAB's football, bowling and rifle teams were disbanded. In this episode of Memories, former player Tristan Henderson, as well as former managers Maggie Tucker and Bre Bruce, recall the the events of the weeks and months that surrounded that consequential decision.

In the mid 80's, UAB's campus was divided into two halves: the medical side, and the university side. UAB Sociology professor Dr. Mark LaGory sought to bridge that gap, and these Memories tell the story of his plan to create a faculty senate that could make it happen.

Birmingham has historically been an epicenter for civil right and urban issues, and UAB's Center for Urban Affairs played no small part in that history. In these Memories, Dr. Bob Corley, Rosie O'Beirne and Jan Hoffman discuss their time at the Center, and how they helped tell and preserve the stories of Birmingham's citizens.

UAB's soccer program was started to fill a need for the athletics department, but it soon turned into to a national force. In these Memories, UAB Soccer alums Bob Norman, Ronan O'Beirne, and Roger Clark discuss the early days of the program and how it's changed over the years.

UAB's campus in 2020 looks completely different to the one that opened in 1969. In this episode of UAB Memories, former UAB students and employees share their recollections of how and why UAB's campus has changed so dramatically over the decades.

Shakima Wilson was a track star at UAB, but not even world-class speed could keep her husband, Steven, from trying to pursue her. In our final relationships episode, the Wilsons show how perseverance and teamwork make for a marriage that's ready to face any challenge that comes their way.

Dr. Juanzetta Flowers' relationship with UAB spans over five decades, back to before UAB even existed by itself. She's been a pioneer in the nurse practitioner field, an advocate for their scope of practice, and an inspiration for anyone who wants to make a difference in their profession.

Dating back to even before 1969, UAB Hospital has been setting the standard for medical care and innovation. In this episode of Memories, we look at three stories of doctors, patients, and family members who've all had their lives impacted, and in many cases saved, within its walls.

When Dr. Angela Stowe and Allison Solomon began working in the same office in 2005, there's no way they could have envisioned the incredible relationship they'd for. This episode of Memories covers a relationship that spans a decade and a half, endured through multiple job changes, and is still as strong as ever.

UAB's schools and colleges are all unique in their own ways, but they have one thing in common: they have deans. In this episode of Memories, Deans Dr. Lori McMahon (UAB Graduate School) and Dr. Kelly Nichols (UAB School of Optometry) give a behind-the-scenes look at the daily duties and delights of "deaning".

You're never too young to change the world. In this episode of Memories, UAB's Dr. Michael Saag recounts the story of how the need for AIDS research in the 1990s led to the creation of the 1917 Clinic, a facility completely devoted to researching and treating the virus.

Sristi Das and Callie Walls might not have expected to spend their senior year living under the same roof. They come from completely different backgrounds, but through their college experience at UAB, that's exactly what ended up happening.

This Memory seems like it was plucked from the pages of a novel. Kerry and Norah Madden-Lunsford's story of swapping Southern California for Central Alabama has all of the highs, lows, and hijinks that you might expect from UAB's Director of Creative Writing.

UAB's Abigail Franks was named a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship in 2019, but her journey to one of the most prestigious scholarships in the world began in small-town Alabama. Hers is a story of persistence, patience, and perspective, and embodies the underdog spirit that has come to define UAB.

In 2020, it's hard to imagine a world without UAB. But there was a time when the idea of a large-scale university in the middle of Birmingham seemed crazy, and to the people at the first few years of classes at UAB, it was. In this episode of Memories, we hear from people who spent their college years at the rough-and-tumble, rapidly growing UAB of the early 70's.

February is an important time of year at UAB. In this special episode of Memories, we celebrate Black History Month by highlighting the vital contributions of UAB's black students and employees, both for themselves and those who would come after.

Two programs, two strikingly similar names. In this episode of Memories, we relive the coronations (and nerves) of two recipients of UAB's most prestigious of titles: Ms. and Miss UAB.

In this special Valetine's Day episode of UAB Memories, we're falling in love all over again. UAB grads Emily and Taylor Stanley have seen their relationship be shaped and grown by their time at UAB. From traveling to watch the Blazers in the NCAA Tournament, to trying to get Blaze to come to their wedding, these two are truly a UAB couple.

Every university has its own set of traditions. One of UAB's most unique and most celebrated pastimes comes every year during homecoming week: the Gurney Derby. It's a spectacle all its own, and we chronicled the journey of a team determined to take home the title.

As UAB's original D-1 sport, and a perennial tournament contender, the basketball team has introduced the university to countless numbers of people around the country over the years. This episode of UAB Memories revisits the origins of the program, including its recruitment of Gene Bartow, and several other moments that have made Blazer basketball an athletic institution.

It was such a big deal that we couldn't fit it into one episode. In this special edition of UAB memories, UAB social media manager Katie Turpen narrates a second installment of memories about Snowmageddon.

By time she retired from the army in 2014, only seven women had ever been ranked higher. In this episode of UAB memories, we sit down with UAB's own two-star general, Lee Price.

Former UAB running back Darrin Reaves considers himself an artist, no matter what his canvas is. Whether it's the football field, drawing his own tattoos, working with a charitable organization, or getting his engineering degree, you can be sure that the East Side Beast has a plan to make it all look good.

Do you remember where you were when Snowmageddon came? January 2014 brought one of the craziest weather events in recent memory, and left dozens of UAB employees and students stranded with no way to get home. This episode recalls some the ups and downs of the UAB family stuck in the bleak midwinter.

Through hours and hours of memories, one of the most frequent themes is the relationships, partnerships, and even marriages that have formed over the years. In this episode, we present two stories of couples who've made lifelong memories together during their time at UAB.

UAB's Meagan Butler and Amber Anderson both work as career counselors, and love coming up with creative ways to better serve their students. So when both of their students came to them for help with clothes for interviews, they started a program that still hasn't stopped growing.

How much is a lifetime full of connection to a university worth? Birmingham businessman and UAB alum Ken Jackson is living proof that having your name on something is about much more than just giving money.

The memories in this episode belong to Dr. Linda Lucas and Dr. Jack Lemons who each arrived at the university before it was much more than a hospital and a few buildings. In this episode they reminisce together about their first years on campus, their family of colleagues and their legacy.

For this episode, we've got memories unlike any others we've shared so far (and not just because Will's mom is in it). The St. Clair sisters got to experience UAB at a time when it was just beginning to hit its stride, and have some immensely entertaining stories to tell from it.

UAB is a family of more than 20,000 employees, and in this episode, we hear memories from two of its members. Freda Lewis and Tim McMinn have both spent the majority of their careers at the university, and have collected a strong bunch of memories along the way.

In this marvelous musical episode, we sit down with Dr. Kevin Turner, the founding director of the highly-esteemed UAB Gospel Choir. Dr. Turner recalls the early days of the choir, and how he and many others helped turn it into one of UAB's most recognizable exports.

No matter how big or small, every one of the dozens of programs that UAB offers has a story. Whether it's an academic major, a club, or a sports team, people have worked long and hard for it to come to fruition. In this episode, we tell three stories of passionate people who made their vision a reality.

UAB's faculty and staff come from all over the place, but that didn't happen all at once. It took people who were willing to take a chance on a new school in the middle of Birmingham, even if it meant traveling a few hundred (or thousand) miles.

It's no secret that UAB's medical school is a big deal. And people come from all over the country and the world to study medicine at UAB. But not everyone who starts out studying to become a doctor finishes up as one. And over UAB's 50 years, many people have found that even if medicine doesn't work out, UAB still has a lot to offer.

Jane Lucas and Kim Wellborn have been executive assistants for several of UAB's presidents. And in being the first points of contact for the president's office, they've picked up some amazing experiences along the way.

UAB alumna and employee Davina Nielsen shares her memories from both her time as an au pair as well as her study abroad in Spain. And like a lot of people, it was everything she wanted, and nothing like she expected.

UAB has been an incredibly important part of Janice Ward's life. From her time as a student and single mother, to her career as a UAB employee, UAB has always been a welcoming and supportive influence. And when her son tragically passed away, the support she received from UAB meant that much more.