University of North Alabama – Shoals Insider

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA UNVEILING HISTORICAL MARKER

Staff — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 12:42:02 +0000

WENDELL W. GUNN ENTERING UNA IN 1963

The University of North Alabama will unveil a historical marker recognizing the significant impact that African-Americans have had on the development of the institution since its founding as LaGrange College in 1830. The marker acknowledges the role of enslaved persons who constructed and worked at the institution, the integration of Florence State College in 1963 by Wendell W. Gunn, and the barriers broken by other African-American students in all areas of campus life.

“The courage shown by Dr. Gunn opened up this campus to factions of the community who were not legally allowed to advance themselves through enrollment in Alabama’s higher education system,” said UNA President Dr. Ken Kitts. “This historical plaque will reside in a prominent place on our campus and will herald a proud time of positive change in our history.”

The campus community and the public are invited to the Performance Center of the Guillot University Center at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, February 24. Light refreshments will be served along with remarks by University President Ken Kitts, Chief Enrollment Officer and Assistant to the President for Diversity Ron Patterson, and Director of the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area Dr. Carrie Barske Crawford. Attendees will then be asked to walk from the Guillot Center to the unveiling of the historical marker on Cramer Way just to the east of Bibb Graves Hall.

The event is sponsored by UNA’s Office of Enrollment Management. It is offered without charge and is open to the public.

UNA and IFDC Team up for Partnership

Staff — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 16:10:35 +0000

FLORENCE – Officials with the University of North Alabama and the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) announced that the two entities will be teaming up to form a partnership.

The partnership between UNA and IFDC will be a collaboration on a range of issues, including education and human capacity building; the sharing of technical knowledge, market information and professional contacts; and work on proposals related to client or donor-funded activities. All of which may pertain to the local community and world-wide.

“UNA’s collaboration with a respected organization like IFDC can only serve to strengthen our community and open new pathways for benefitting our service region,” said UNA President Ken Kitts. “By formalizing our long-standing partnership with IFDC, we hope to increase both the breadth and the depth of the work our two organizations can accomplish together.”

In order to accomplish these goals, UNA will establish an internship initiative with IFDC to include programs in the UNA College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education and Human Sciences, Anderson College of Nursing and Universities Libraries.

“We’re happy to officially partner with the University of North Alabama,” said Dr. J. Scott Angle, president and CEO of IFDC. “Forging partnerships is a large part of what we do — whether between farmers and private companies in Africa or between our research staff and universities.

“While we’ve been working together with UNA and sharing expertise for many years, it’s great to have an official relationship with such an exciting organization. We’re looking forward to ensuring the continued growth of our staff and university students through this partnership,” he said.

UNA’s partnership with IFDC is slated to last five years, but may be extended by both parties.

The IFDC was created in 1974 to help in the quest for global food security, with emphasis on the developing countries in the tropics and subtropics. IFDC is incorporated in the state of Alabama as a non-profit organization and designated by U.S. presidential decree as a public international organization (PIO). IFDC’s mission is to facilitate the sustainable improvement of agricultural productivity through the development and transfer of effective and environmentally sound plant-nutrient technology and agricultural marketing expertise.

University of North Alabama Getting Ready for Miss UNA Pageant

Staff — Fri, 26 Jan 2018 00:57:33 +0000

FLORENCE, Ala. – A bevy of contestants will once again take the stage for the University of North Alabama 2018 Miss UNA Scholarship Pageant.

The pageant will take place Jan. 27, 2018, at 5 p.m., in Norton Auditorium on the UNA campus.

The event will be hosted by the current Miss UNA, Victoria Roose, and the current Miss Alabama, Jessica Procter.

Nine contestants are seeking the title of Miss UNA this year, but only one can win!

Tickets are available for $12 online at www.una.edu/missuna, or $15 at the door.

For more information: www.una.edu/missuna.

UNA HONORS THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED BOTH PAST AND PRESENT

Staff — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 20:19:41 +0000

FLORENCE – The University of North Alabama is set to honor those who have served the country both past and present. UNA’s annual Veteran’s Day Commemoration Ceremony will take place Friday, Nov. 10, 2017, at 11:00 a.m., at the UNA Memorial Amphitheater (Wesleyan Hall Auditorium in case of inclement weather).

Each year, the event is co-sponsored by the UNA Student Government Association, the UNA Military and Veteran Alliance, honors students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community Veterans from all branches of the military and uniformed services.

Retired Lt. Col. Rick Cobb ’87, of the Florence Lauderdale Emergency Management Agency will be the featured speaker for the ceremony which will also include performances from the Pride of Dixie band and the University Chorale. The entire Shoals community is invited to attend.

“Given the uncertainty in our world today, with constantly emerging and ever-increasing threats, it is important that as a nation we pause to remember and honor the less than one percent of our nation’s citizens who serve to defend it,” said retired Lt. Col. Dr. Wayne P. Bergeron, chair of the UNA Veterans Day Committee and assistant professor of Criminal Justice and Security and Emergency Management at UNA. “This event is simply about remembering and recognizing the sacrifice of those great Americans among us.”

UNA has a long history and affiliation with military service having commissioned 1,183 Second Lieutenants from the Army ROTC program. Additionally, UNA students, alumni, faculty, and staff have served in every U.S. conflict and in all branches of the military since the U.S. Civil War.

For information about the UNA Veteran’s Day Commemoration Ceremony or the UNA Military and Veteran Alliance: Wayne P. Bergeron at wpbergeron@una.edu.

By Dr. Wayne P. Bergeron

Lions set to play West Florida this Saturday at 4:00 pm

Staff — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 13:20:41 +0000

FLORENCE — The University of North Alabama continues its pursuit of a possible 2017 Gulf South Conference football crown when the Lions travel to Pensacola, Fla., Saturday to take on West Florida at Blue Wahoos Stadium at 4 p.m. (Central).

North Alabama, 4-4 overall, is the four-time defending GSC champion and is part of a four-team race for the 2017 title. West Alabama is control of its own destiny at 6-1 in league play, with UNA, Valdosta State and West Georgia all at 4-2. West Alabama would need to lose at Valdosta State this Saturday and UNA would need to win its final two GSC games against West Florida and Mississippi College to earn a share of a title.

“Our players understand what’s at stake and what they are still playing for a possible conference championship,” said UNA head coach Chris Willis. “Getting up and ready to play won’ be a problem. We just have to execute what we do against a good football team and limit our mistakes. We also still have a lot of people who are questionable from an injury stand-point and some we won’t know about until game time.”

UNA enters the game with West Florida boasting one of the premier defenses in the NCAA Division II, particularly against the pass. UNA is second in the nation in interceptions with 17, fifth in total turnovers gained (24), seventh for fewest passin yards allowed (1,222), third for fewest passing yards allowed per completion (9.70), eighth in pass efficieny defense (93.63), 13th in total defense (283.9) and 19th in scoring defense (17.3). North Alabama’s defense has only allowed four passing touchdowns all season and has not allowed a single passing TD in its last three games.

West Florida counters with a passing offense led by freshman quarterback Mike Beaudry who is 26th in Division II with 254.3 passing yards per game. The UNA defense has already faced three of the top passing quarterbacks in the NCAA Division II this season. Texas A&M-Commerce quarterback Luis Perez leads Division II with an average of 331 passing yards per game – but he threw for just 179 against UNA, was picked off three times and Commerce did not score a touchdown in the game. West Alabama’s Harry Satterwhite is ranked 22nd nationally at 257.8 passing yards per game. UNA held him to 181 passing yards. Central Washington’s Reilly Hennesey averages 215.8 passing yards per game but picked up just 128 against UNA and was intercepted twice.

“West Florida is a very good football team and one that is well coached with a good up-and-coming quarterback,” Willis said. “Not only do you have to be aware of the quarterback but they also have a strong group of receivers. Their defense is also way ahead of where it was last year. They are strong up front and get after your quarterback.”

This will be the first trip for a UNA football team to Pensacola, Fla., and will be just the second meeting between North Alabama and West Florida, with the Argonauts having just begun their program in 2016. UNA dominated the only previous meeting, 51-3, last year in Florence. UNA gained 528 yards of total offense and held UWF to just 172 yards. The Lions led 34-3 after one quarter and 48-3 at the half.

After a 4-1 start, West Florida has lost two of its last three games and stands at 5-3. The Argonauts had their second game of the year against Midwestern State canceled due to the threat of hurricanes.

UNA has faced the toughest schedule in Division II this season, according to the latest NCAA statistics, with an opponents winning percentage of .682. All four teams that have defeated the Lions this season are currently ranked in the Division II Top 25 with Central Washington seventh, Texas A&M-Commerce ninth, West Alabama 23rd and West Georgia 25th.

UNA senior receiver Dre Hall needs one catch against Wst Florida to break the all-time NCAA Division II record for catches in consecutive games at 45. He has caught at least one pass in every game that he has played at UNA and is in a three-way tie for the current record at 44.

UNA Extends Helping Hand to Victims of Hurricanes

Staff — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 15:18:50 +0000

FLORENCE, Ala. – In addition to the funds raised by the Student Government Association, the University of North Alabama is now offering additional help to victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

Officials with UNA recently announced a series of changes they’ll be enacting in response to the storms. Those changes include a waiving of the application fee for the fall 2018 semester for any students affected. In addition, UNA will also waive the out-of-state tuition for students entering in the 2018-2019 academic year.

Officials say students can qualify for these changes if they reside or have legal guardians employed in an area that was deemed a federal disaster area.

Julie Taylor, UNA director of Admissions, said this is just another small thing the University is doing to try to help.

“These storms were catastrophic in many areas,” said Taylor. “And while we know there are many other concerns on the minds of people in those areas, we also know that some of those affected were students who were gearing up for college. We hope these few changes we’ve enacted might give them one less thing to worry about, so they can focus on recovery,” she said.

Students interested in finding out more information regarding this can contact the UNA Office of Admissions at 256-765-4608 or https://www.una.edu/admissions/index.html

By Bryan Rachal

UNA set to play at Shorter on Saturday at high noon

Staff — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 13:51:27 +0000

ROME, Ga. — After snapping a two-game losing skid with a 30-7 Homecoming win over Florida Tech last Saturday, the University of North Alabama hopes to continue to get its 2017 season back on track with a Gulf South Conference road game at Shorter on October 14.

UNA enters the game, set for a noon Central kickoff, with a 2-3 overall record and a 2-2 GSC mark. Shorter is 0-6 overall and 0-4 in the GSC.

The Lions have completely dominated the series to this point. UNA is 5-0 all-time against Shorter and has outscored the Hawks 201-14 in the five previous meetings. UNA’s five wins over Shorter have been by scores of 41-0, 41-0, 45-7, 28-7 and 45-0.

UNA can’t take anything for granted against the Hawks, according to head coach Chris Willis, and must be ready for a challenge Saturday.

“We have to continue to improve offensively in not turning the ball over and pass protection, and we have to cut down on penalties,” Willis said. “We have been hurting ourselves and that’s something we need to continue to correct. Shorter is definitely a team that we have to be focused on.”

Both UNA and Shorter have been struggling offensively this season. UNA is ranked 151st in total offense in Division II out of 168 schools. The Lions are ranked 126th in rushing offense and 137th in passing offense. Shorter is 164th in total offense, 166th in rushing offense and 128th in passing offense. Shorter’s 11.0 points per game ranks 166th and UNA is 117th at 21.4.

UNA’s 134 yards of total offense against Florida Tech was the lowest by a UNA team in 70 games, dating back to a 5-0 loss to Valdosta State on October 14, 2010 when the Lions picked up just 101 yards. But despite the low offensive output last week, UNA did not turn the ball over and posted a 30-7 win.

On the defensive side, UNA is ranked 10th in Division II in interceptions with 11 – including four last Saturday against Florida Tech.

On special teams, UNA junior kicker Chandler Carrera has made his last six straight field goal attempts after going 0-for-3 in the Lions’ season-opener and freshman punt returner Dwain Smith is averaging 24.2 yards per return on his five attempts this season, including a 52-yarder against Florida Tech.

Source: University Athletic Dept.

UNA to Host Alabama Council for the Social Studies’ Fall Conference

Staff — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 11:51:28 +0000

FLORENCE, Ala. – The University of North Alabama campus will be the setting for the Alabama Council for the Social Studies’ fall conference, October 13.

The conference will feature a day of social studies professional development offered by leading social studies organizations and educators, including representatives from the Alabama Archives and Bicentennial Commission.

According to Dr. Lamont Maddox, UNA associate professor of Secondary Education, the conference will feature several sessions throughout the day, with six workshops per session. The focus of each workshop will be on one of the following strands: Early Childhood/Elementary; Geography/Middle School; American History/College and Career Readiness; Technology/World History; and Government/Economics/Civics.

“This is the first year the conference is being held in Florence,” Maddox said. “Needless to say we’re excited to show off our campus and provide a forum for social studies professionals to share their ideas! We hope to have the conference again in 2018, before it moves to another part of the state,” he said.

Maddox said the conference has typically been held in Birmingham at Samford University.

Dr. Jada Kohlmeier of Auburn University will be the featured keynote speaker. Kohlmeier is a distinguished social studies researcher and teacher educator. In addition, several exhibitors from education nonprofit organizations, corporations, and other groups will be on hand as well.

The Alabama Council for the Social Studies is the state level professional organization for social studies educators. It is affiliated with the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). Mrs. Tama Nunnelley, a social studies teacher at Guntersville Middle School, is the current president of the organization.

For more information on the Alabama Council for the Social Studies: https://www.alcss.org/

For more information on Social Studies at UNA: https://www.una.edu/education/index.html

SOCCER LIONS GET THIRD STRAIGHT WIN

Staff — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 05:37:47 +0000

FLORENCE, Ala. — Shelby Wall scored in the 12th minute and the University of North Alabama women’s soccer team rolled on to a 4-1 Gulf South Conference win over Union at the UNA Soccer Complex.

With the win, UNA improved to 3-1 overall and is 2-0 in Gulf South Conference play. Union falls to 0-3 overall and 0-2 in the GSC.

Wall’s third goal of the season gave the Lions the early lead at the 11:56 mark and UNA would never trail. Beatriz Fernandes assisted on the first goal of the day and UNA made it 2-0 at 21:28 when Margarida Sousa netted her second goal of the year. Kristen Sinden put the ball in play off a corner kick and Haley Yarber headed the ball to Sousa for the goal.

Union’s Shelby High scored unassisted at the 23:23 mark to cut UNA’s lead to 2-1 at intermission. Wall scored her second goal of the day and fourth of the season in the 57th minute off a free kick that she blasted around the wall into the lower right corner of the net.

UNA’s final goal came off another Sinden corner kick at the 69:40 mark when Haley Yarber netted her first goal of the season.

North Alabama was out-shot 11 to 10 by Union in the match.

UNA goalkeeper Shelby Thornton recorded three saves.

The Lions play at Auburn-Montgomery on Friday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.

Barrett named LaGrange Eminent Scholar

Staff — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 00:26:38 +0000

Doug Barrett Ph.D.

FLORENCE, Ala.- University of North Alabama College of Business Dean Gregory Carnes is pleased to announce that Dr. J. Doug Barrett has been appointed as the LaGrange Eminent Scholar of Business. Barrett will continue to serve as the Department Chair of Economics and Finance and as the Director of the Institute for Innovation and Economic Development.

“Dr. Barrett is one of the most respected faculty members on campus,” said Carnes. “His extraordinary service to both the University and the community, as well as his commitment to teaching and research certainly makes this honor an appropriate form of recognition.”

Barrett received a Ph.D. in Statistics with a minor in Management Science from the University of Alabama in 1995. Since 1997 he has served as a UNA faculty member, primarily teaching Quantitative Methods. Barrett has completed many economic impact studies for clients such as the University of North Alabama, City of Florence, Huntsville Housing Authority, and RegionalCare Hospital Partners.

Barrett has been published in over 60 scholarly journals and has presented at over 45 academic conferences. In 2017, he received the Outstanding COB Service Award and the Outstanding University Service Award. His leadership of the College of Business’ Institute for Innovation and Economic Development enhances the economic well-being of the region by assisting businesses, government and community organizations with technical support using the assets of the Institute and its partners.

The LaGrange Eminent Scholar position is an endowed chair that was funded by several generous supporters of the College of Business. Barrett exemplifies the characteristics of a true scholar that is associated with the position. His appointment is effective August 1, 2017.