University of Alabama updates

[Packer16]

Over the last couple of years, UA has been renovating older space and purchasing specialized equipment for targeting and recruiting certain faculty. These are the "Big Dog" faculty that other up-and-coming junior faculty around the Nation, plus graduate students, want to work with and develop their careers. This is just an example of the groundwork that is being laid to really accelerate research productivity on campus. It is great to see the excitement in the people who have worked so hard to make this possible. They are the unsung heros. ROLL STEM ROLL!!!

https://news.ua.edu/2025/08/uas-ami-conn...ODckbzEkZzAkdDE3NTU4OTE3OTYkajUxJGwwJGgw

[Packer16]

UA leads partnerships with industry and universities.

https://alabamanewscenter.com/2025/08/27...tri-state-economic-development-alliance/

[chadinhsv]

Originally Posted by Packer16

UA leads partnerships with industry and universities.

https://alabamanewscenter.com/2025/08/27...tri-state-economic-development-alliance/

Great find Packer. I love how humble we/President Mohler are compared to the other presidents where it's all about me, me, me. For example:

President Mohler:
“MAGNET is a game-changing opportunity for Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi to lead in transforming vehicle and battery manufacturing,” said UA President Peter J. Mohler. “By uniting the research strengths of our universities with industry and government support, we’re driving innovation, workforce development and economic growth across the region.”

UGA President:
“With our campuswide e-mobility initiative, UGA continues to expand its capacity to impact our state and region through electric vehicle research and outreach aimed at boosting economic and workforce development.

Miss St President:
“Mississippi State University is a national leader in mobility systems research and development and widely recognized for our collaborative culture and many successful partnerships,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum.

Nothing wrong with anything they said, but it's one of those things like you don't have to say where you went, your actions speak for you and who you represent.

[Packer16]

Everybody I've talked to is blown away by how nice he is. He has published in the very top medical journals (Nature, Nature of Medicine, etc.) There are great scientists who have never been able to get a paper published in one of these. He has multiple papers published in these journals. So, he definitely brings the clout. And, to be so cooperative bodes well to be the leader of the collaboration. I look forward to seeing this move forward.

Also, I've heard this looks to be another record-breaking freshmen class. RTR

[Packer16]

FYI. A word about the High Performance Computer Center that is currrently under construction next to McFarland Blvd., behind the Nursing School building. The computer power that it brings to the University of Alabama is light years ahead of where we are now (and, we are not in a bad position, now). For example, the entire University currently runs on what can be contained in a single server rack. The new facility will have 150 server racks. This will be, by far the highest capacity and speed of not only any facility in the state of Alabama, but, the Region. This is the reason we can be the leader in the tri-state collaboration, mentioned above. The impact on future research and leading Program Project grants cannot be understated. Russell Mumper, supported by Senator Shelby, got the idea funding ball rolling and "meemaw Ivey's puppet masters" threw more funding into the pot to make the project a "Landmark" move for UA and the State. I can't say enough how important this facility will be to the upward trajectory and the "go to" facility for future research in "all" areas. $96 million well spent. RTR

[atlanta68]

Originally Posted by Rouillard75

Packer16, I joined skyscraperpage.com just for the purpose of letting you know how your posts, particularly to atlanta68, come across. You bring to mind a middle school “mean girl.” You have been condescending, arrogant, small-minded, and petty toward another poster simply because he has expressed legitimate concerns over the direction of the University. You have denigrated his educational and career achievements, and it appears that you have virtually stalked him and are possibly obsessed over him. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that you’ve actually driven by his home or his place of work. I have, not once, seen Atlanta react in kind. Your posts reflect poorly on yourself and bring reproach upon the University. You need to grow up and act like a man.

I appreciate your kind support. I know Packer loves UA too, we just disagree on what is best for UA long term. I wish he would see that I love UA too and genuinely want a respectful, but frank discussion among UA alumni. Just look at how passionate our UA football fans get after a disappointing game. I am disappointed too! But I can not understand how folks can demand coaches be fired but not UA administrators for letting UA's academic rank slide so far.

[atlanta68]

Originally Posted by SpawnOfVulcan

There's a reason I stopped coming around this thread. The quarrel between the two of them is exhausting. At least we haven't heard any racially tinged comments by atlanta in a while...

The only "racially tinged" comments I have made are that I think UA admin is afraid to raise admission standards in part due to the media outrage that would take place if it did and Black freshman enrollment declined. I don't see how that is hateful or controversial at all given the data. I don't want a decline in Black freshman enrollment, but I value selectivity over "diversity," and know that UA could find other ways to preserve AA enrollment without having to keep standards so low.

I want to also talk about my concerns for UA after the embarrassing loss to FSU. I love Bama football as much as anyone, but clearly, UA's football reputation is suffering and may not recover any time soon. In fact, UA simply does not have the $$$$$ to compete with most big name programs in the NIL wars. Yet UA's marketing focuses heavily on its football rep, especially with that phrase, "Where Legends Are Made!."

Will UA continue to attract the large numbers of applications for admission if it both keeps admission standards low, AND consistently fails to replicate its past football success? I hope those of you who love UA as much as I do will think about this, and consider asking UA admin to raise admission standards. We simply can NOT count on continued football success to attract large freshman classes. I think DeBoer COULD turn it around, but the consensus seems to be that it is not likely. Do we really want to be stuck with mediocre reputations in both academics AND football? If Clemson can have both high academic standards AND still a love for football, why can't we? One thing is clear, Clemson has not been dependent on football success to stay higher in the academic rankings.

[atlanta68]

Originally Posted by Packer16

FYI. A word about the High Performance Computer Center that is currrently under construction next to McFarland Blvd., behind the Nursing School building. The computer power that it brings to the University of Alabama is light years ahead of where we are now (and, we are not in a bad position, now). For example, the entire University currently runs on what can be contained in a single server rack. The new facility will have 150 server racks. This will be, by far the highest capacity and speed of not only any facility in the state of Alabama, but, the Region. This is the reason we can be the leader in the tri-state collaboration, mentioned above. The impact on future research and leading Program Project grants cannot be understated. Russell Mumper, supported by Senator Shelby, got the idea funding ball rolling and "meemaw Ivey's puppet masters" threw more funding into the pot to make the project a "Landmark" move for UA and the State. I can't say enough how important this facility will be to the upward trajectory and the "go to" facility for future research in "all" areas. $96 million well spent. RTR

UA facilities have been on par with its competitors for a while now and ARE getting even better, so I am hopeful that UA will reach its full potential, and I am glad to see your posts highlighting these positive advancements.

[Packer16]

Census is complete. Second largest Freshmen Class in UA history (8,127). and, tied for record number of students from Alabama. I'll let everything else get reported by the University and the media before I comment. RTR

[atlanta68]

Originally Posted by Packer16

Census is complete. Second largest Freshmen Class in UA history (8,127). and, tied for record number of students from Alabama. I'll let everything else get reported by the University and the media before I comment. RTR

Here is a link to the data: https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiN...NDBiNC1hNGU4LWNlNDMzZjNmYmNhNyIsImMiOjN9

At this link, you will also see that the mean ACT has remained the same at 27.3 (keep in mind that 26% of applicants did NOT submit an ACT nor an SAT score in 2024), so I remain disappointed that even with those surely lower scores not included, the mean is still stagnating). On the other hand, the number of National Merit Scholars increased significantly from 264 to 362. So perhaps UA is continuing to attract a very high number of elite students, AND lower-tier students.



I see that acceptance percentage is down a little, which is good, but it is still way too high for such a popular school. https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiN...NDBiNC1hNGU4LWNlNDMzZjNmYmNhNyIsImMiOjN9

As for total enrollment, it has reached its highest number yet, at 42,360. See here for more info about that: https://oira.ua.edu/d/sites/all/files/reports25/Enrollment_at_a_glance_stres_202540.pdf as well as here https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiZ...NDBiNC1hNGU4LWNlNDMzZjNmYmNhNyIsImMiOjN9


Auburn is also still growing, with an anticipated Fall enrollment of over 35,000. Looks like AU has been forced by UA to choose the growth model too, or else lose out in state budgeting. Auburn folks have bragged for years that they have capped enrollment, but it is just not true, and like UA, AU has fallen in the academic rankings, just not quite as far.
https://www.google.com/search?q=auburn+u...DsIHBzAuMTAuMTHIB0A&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

[TheCapstone]

https://news.ua.edu/2025/09/ua-real-estate-program-named-for-birmingham-area-developer/

This is huge

 The real estate program at The University of Alabama Culverhouse College of Business has a new name thanks to one family’s generosity.

The Rance M. Sanders Real Estate Program, which includes an all-new undergraduate major and an existing minor, has been named in recognition of a discretionary $5 million gift from UA alumni Rance M. Sanders and Angie L. Sanders of Vestavia Hills.

Over the last five years, Culverhouse has experienced a 300% increase in students pursuing a real estate minor. Students in the new major will learn to develop, purchase, sell, lease, appraise and manage real estate. The Sanders’ gift will expand experiential learning opportunities that enhance their skill sets through real-world applications, creating funding allocations for:

Students and advisors to participate in real estate-focused case competitions annually
Students to participate in Live-Work-Play opportunities annually
Students and an advisor to attend conferences annually

[TheCapstone]

Sanders actually spoke at an event way back when I was in Operations Management. A number of us went to listen to him talk. Great family. Very informative discussions.

[Packer16]

https://news.ua.edu/2025/09/uas-record-e...in-state-investment-academic-excellence/

Another year of growth in numbers and quality at The University of Alabama. The National Merit Scholars number (362) is #1 in the Nation among Public Universities, a mark UA has met several times in the last decade. The growth in the Graduate School is only beginning to gain momentum. Expect, with some serious research faculty hires, that grad student numbers to really start taking off.

The University of Alabama is thriving, and has been for well over a decade. The rest of the colleges in this State, and most in the Nation, wish they were in the position that UA has created. The interest from around the Nation and from within the State is at an all-time high. We have recruiters all over the country who are doing a great job getting the word out about UA and, it shows. We had people from Wisconsin attend our tailgate this weekend. They had toured the campus the day earlier and talked to people in a couple of the academic departments. Every single one of them were very impressed by the University and raved about what they had found out about the University through their own research. They were a very friendly and fun group.

I’ve talked to a lot of influential people at UA over the last couple of weeks and I’ve asked a lot of questions. There is no time in my life that I have felt better about The University of Alabama’s future than I do now. The University of Alabama has a legacy of outstanding alums who contribute to our great University. They are the winners, like Mr. Sanders and his wife, contributing to the success of The University of Alabama’s mission to develop even more winners. They are contributing to UA by their actions and their wallets. I’ve been amazed at how many great alums have stepped up for UA during this campaign (which still has one more year remaining). I don’t think there is any doubt that $2 billion will be surpassed. Quite an accomplishment in an uncertain economy. RTR

[Packer16]

I was fortune enough to speak with James Kennemer this weekend. He is another winner alum who is responsible for starting the Kennemer Center for Innovation and Social Impact, within the Honors College at UA. I look forward to and have enjoyed the "Kennemer Connections" Newsletter that is released every month and follows student "ideas" being put to practical use. He is working to expand the program, so, look for some more good news in the near future. You can get the Newsletter for free by subscribing at the bottom of this page.

https://honors.ua.edu/kennemer-center/

[chadinhsv]

Originally Posted by TheCapstone

https://news.ua.edu/2025/09/ua-real-estate-program-named-for-birmingham-area-developer/

This is huge

It's great to see our alumni contributing so much over the past few years. Makes you feel good about the quality of education at UA. I still have reservations about the focus on real estate at any University but maybe the program will produce a bunch of commercial real estate leaders that we can be proud of.

[chadinhsv]

Originally Posted by Packer16

https://news.ua.edu/2025/09/uas-record-e...in-state-investment-academic-excellence/

Another year of growth in numbers and quality at The University of Alabama. The National Merit Scholars number (362) is #1 in the Nation among Public Universities, a mark UA has met several times in the last decade. The growth in the Graduate School is only beginning to gain momentum. Expect, with some serious research faculty hires, that grad student numbers to really start taking off.

The University of Alabama is thriving, and has been for well over a decade. The rest of the colleges in this State, and most in the Nation, wish they were in the position that UA has created. The interest from around the Nation and from within the State is at an all-time high. We have recruiters all over the country who are doing a great job getting the word out about UA and, it shows. We had people from Wisconsin attend our tailgate this weekend. They had toured the campus the day earlier and talked to people in a couple of the academic departments. Every single one of them were very impressed by the University and raved about what they had found out about the University through their own research. They were a very friendly and fun group.

I’ve talked to a lot of influential people at UA over the last couple of weeks and I’ve asked a lot of questions. There is no time in my life that I have felt better about The University of Alabama’s future than I do now. The University of Alabama has a legacy of outstanding alums who contribute to our great University. They are the winners, like Mr. Sanders and his wife, contributing to the success of The University of Alabama’s mission to develop even more winners. They are contributing to UA by their actions and their wallets. I’ve been amazed at how many great alums have stepped up for UA during this campaign (which still has one more year remaining). I don’t think there is any doubt that $2 billion will be surpassed. Quite an accomplishment in an uncertain economy. RTR

I'm excited about the continuous growth of the graduate school. I would like to see the University cap the enrollment as it's hard to get around Tuscaloosa with so many students, but happy that we are still shown as a desirable University to attend even with our bread and butter sales force (Football team) kind of reverting back to the mean.

Another bit of good news is our new President stopped by the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering here in Huntsville. That is good news for me because Huntsville has a ton of STEM students that will be good for UA to recruit more. UA has lost touch on recruiting this city so hopefully this is the way forward with the new President.

[Packer16]

Chad, great to hear about President Mohler up in Huntsvegas. The guy is smart and has a lot of energy. It's going to be interesting to watch his leadership going forward. I know he wants to continue and intensify the University's mission of providing resources to help each student succeed. It is a great time to be a student at UA.

[atlanta68]

https://www.al.com/news/2025/09/should-u...d-growth-school-president-weighs-in.html


Hallelujah! Finally! A UA leader shows concern about the enrollment growth! Mohler says UA may need to limit continued growth. Very impressed and hopeful after reading this! I imagine Mohler was shocked to see how many lower tier students are admitted and shares my concerns. He expressed concerns for further growth damaging UA's culture, which I share, but I find it hard to believe a man of his academic stature is comfortable with our lax admissions policy.

By the way, I hope someone will go help correct some misinformation about UA on a forum called SECRAnts: https://www.secrant.com/rant/alabama-sports/alabama-enrollment-hits-42360-students/120224408/ There continues to be a notion among our alumni and fanbase that UA gives preference to out of state students. I would post to correct the false notions, but I have never been able to register with my gmail account for some reason.

[chadinhsv]

Originally Posted by atlanta68

https://www.al.com/news/2025/09/should-u...d-growth-school-president-weighs-in.html


Hallelujah! Finally! A UA leader shows concern about the enrollment growth! Mohler says UA may need to limit continued growth. Very impressed and hopeful after reading this! I imagine Mohler was shocked to see how many lower tier students are admitted and shares my concerns. He expressed concerns for further growth damaging UA's culture, which I share, but I find it hard to believe a man of his academic stature is comfortable with our lax admissions policy.

By the way, I hope someone will go help correct some misinformation about UA on a forum called SECRAnts: https://www.secrant.com/rant/alabama-sports/alabama-enrollment-hits-42360-students/120224408/ There continues to be a notion among our alumni and fanbase that UA gives preference to out of state students. I would post to correct the false notions, but I have never been able to register with my gmail account for some reason.

There is a post or two debunking that myth with clear evidence and links to counter their statement. It's up to them to actually read it and come to a conclusion. UA has put a big focus on in-state recruitment over the last 3 or 4 years and it's starting to pay off

[ttownfeen]

I spy in on YikYak, and from what i'm seeing from current students, there is a severe lack of both residential and commuter parking, dining facilities, and library space. What is UA going to do to make this right?