University of Alabama in Huntsville
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| Established | January 1950 |
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| Type | Public University |
| President | Dr. Frank Franz |
| Faculty | 445 |
| Students | 7,100 |
| Undergraduates | 5,500 |
| Postgraduates | 1,600 |
| Location | Huntsville, Alabama, USA |
| Campus | Urban |
| Website | www.uah.edu |
The University of Alabama in Huntsville is a state-supported, public, coeducational university, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master's and doctoral degrees. The university is organized in five colleges: business, engineering, liberal arts, nursing and science.
UAH is renowned for its engineering and science programs, such as astrophysics and atmospheric science. Scientists at UAH managed the first "commercial," non-government rocket programs (Consort and Joust) in the U.S. The first "high-temperature" superconductor was discovered at UAH and the first U.S. experiment flown aboard the Soviet Mir space station came from UAH.
UAH is a Space Grant university, and has a history of cooperation with both NASA at the nearby Marshall Space Flight Center, and the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal. In conjunction with helping NASA reach its goals, UAH makes NASA's research and technology available to all of Alabama's colleges and universities. The National Space Science and Technology Center is on the UAH campus.
UAH is an independent member of the University of Alabama System, which also has campuses in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa.
The university enrollment is approximately 7,200, and has a distributed ratio of 49:51, women to men. Incoming freshmen have an average score of 25 on the ACT, which is one of the best among Alabama's public universities.
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[edit] History
The genesis for a publicly funded institution of higher education in Huntsville was many years in the making. Begun in January 1950 as an extension of the University of Alabama and known as the University of Alabama Huntsville Center, classes were first taught at West Huntsville High School. UAH's first undergraduate degrees were awarded in May 1968 as part of the spring commencement ceremony at The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, (although a "cap and gown" ceremony was held in Huntsville).
One year later, the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees voted to make UAH an independent and autonomous campus. Dr. Benjamin Graves, then president of Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi was tapped as UAH's first president in 1970. He returned to faculty status in 1979 and retired in 1989.The first degree awarded for work completed entirely on the UAH campus was awarded to Julian Palmore in 1964. Mr. Palmore was at the time a United States Navy ensign assigned to NASA's Research Projects Division. The first official on-campus graduation ceremony at UAH was in June 1970. The first woman to earn a Ph.D. from UAH was Virginia Kobler in 1979, in Industrial Engineering.
UAH's second president, Dr. John Wright was Vice Chancellor of the West Virginia University and began his service in 1979. Wright stepped down in 1988 and Dr. Louis Padulo became UAH's third president.
Huntsville leader Joseph Moquin took over the UAH presidency on an interim basis in 1990. Dr. Frank Franz, who was then provost at West Virginia University, was chosen as UAH's fourth president. His wife, Dr. Judy Franz, accompanied him and was granted full professorship in the physics faculty. Her renown in the scientific community was reaffirmed when she was elected president of the American Physical Society. Franz has announced that he plans to resign as president at the end of the 2006-07 academic year. [1]
[edit] Academics
UAH offers 58 degree-granting programs that meet the highest standards of excellence, including 28 bachelor's degree programs, 18 Masters' degree programs, and 12 Ph.D. programs through its five colleges: Administrative Science, Engineering, Liberal Arts, Nursing, and Science.
At least eight departments or programs also hold accreditation from professional associations, including the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technolology, the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business, the American Chemical Society, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board, and the National Association of Schools of Music.
[edit] Sports
UAH is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and fields 13 varsity teams at the Division II level and one (ice hockey) in Division I.
Its ice hockey team won the NCAA Division II national championship in 1996 and 1998 and now competes in Division I as a member of College Hockey America. UAH houses the only NCAA ice hockey program south of the Mason-Dixon Line. In 2012, UAH will host the NCAA Hockey Frozen Four championship finals, which will play at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida. UAH was selected as host of the "Frozen Four", as being the closest collegiate hockey program to Florida.
Basketball and hockey games are regularly scheduled as part of alumni returning for homecoming, and carpets are rolled out on the rink between periods for the homecoming court walk.
UAH also sponsors soccer (men's and women's), women's volleyball, cross country (men's and women's), basketball (men's and women's), tennis (men's and women's), men's baseball and women's softball at the Division II level as a member of the Gulf South Conference. UAH competes in track and field (men's and women's) as an independent member of Division II.
[edit] Fight Song
We Are Chargers
We are the Chargers who wear blue and white,
We have the courage and the strength to fight.
Shout the battle cry U.A.H.!
Show pride in our blue and white.
[edit] Other activities
UAH is internationally renowned for its award-winning concrete canoe construction competition team, and is the current recordholder with five national titles in 2001, 1998, 1996, 1994, and 1993. The National Concrete Canoe Competition is sponsored annually by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
[edit] Notable alumni
- Jan Davis, astronaut
- John S. Hendricks, founder and chairman, Discovery Communications
- Jim Hudson, founder, Research Genetics, Hudson-Alpha Institute for Biotechnology
- Stephen Zelnak, CEO/chairman, Martin-Marietta Materials
[edit] External links
- University of Alabama in Huntsville
- Brief history of UAH
- UAH's business college
- University of Alabama System
- National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program
- http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/apollo11/index.html
| College Hockey America |
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| Men's Division: Alabama Huntsville • Bemidji State • Niagara • Robert Morris • Wayne State Women's Division: Mercyhurst • Niagara • Robert Morris • Wayne State |
| Gulf South Conference |
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| Western Division: Arkansas Monticello • Arkansas Tech • Christian Brothers • Delta State • Harding • Henderson State • Ouachita Baptist • Southern Arkansas Eastern Division: Alabama Huntsville • Montevallo • North Alabama • Valdosta State • West Alabama • West Florida • West Georgia |
| Public Colleges and Universities in Alabama |
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| Alabama • Alabama A&M • Alabama State • Auburn • Auburn-Montgomery • Jacksonville State • Montevallo • North Alabama • South Alabama • Troy • UAB • UAH • West Alabama |
Categories: Incomplete lists | Gulf South Conference | Space-grant universities | University of Alabama System | Universities and colleges in Alabama | Landmarks in Alabama | Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area | National Association of Schools of Music | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools | Educational institutions established in 1950
