Annual Founders’ Day activities were held Thursday, Oct. 10, to commemorate the University’s 128-year history of service to education in the state of Alabama and its alumni. Students, faculty, staff, alumni and family came together to celebrate the “hope, strength and resilience” of the institution and its community.
The day’s events began with the morning convocation featuring a keynote message, awards presentations to several members of the University faculty, staff and alumni, and the investiture of the senior class. In this tradition, the senior class is welcomed into the Community of Scholars by donning their graduation robes for the first time.
“The hopes of our forebearers are stewards, our faculty and staff,” said President Stewart to the audience. “The institution is born from strength of determination and sustained by administrators and faculty who have faithfully served the students for 128 years. Resiliency and adaptation though are hallmarks of our institution’s success and sustenance. Seniors, it is your resiliency that brings you here today.”
Judge Adrienne Moffett Powell was this year’s keynote speaker. Powell, who earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in pre-law from UM in 2003, serves as a circuit court judge in Jefferson County’s Domestic Relations Division.
The Birmingham native shared her story of growing up in the low-income neighborhood of Ensley, detailing the hard work and dedication it took for her to make it through college, law school and the bar exam to get to the career she has today. She referred to herself as “Exhibit A,” the evidence that the senior class could overcome anything with hope, strength and resilience.
“I’m your proof that you can persevere through difficult situations,” she said. “Hope is maintaining a positive perspective in those very moments. Know that resilience and hope build strength, and these three qualities will make you unstoppable.”
Powell expressed her appreciation for her years at UM, calling it her home away from home and telling the seniors that they already have the keys to success because they are graduating from, in her opinion, one of the top universities in the world.
“I pray that today I gave you hope, showed you resilience and demonstrated strength,” she said. “And from this day forward, when you experience hardships, adversities or rejection, you no longer identify them as obstacles, but you call them challenges. And you simply say to yourself, with much confidence, ‘challenge accepted.’”
After her address, President Stewart presented Powell with the President’s Award in honor of her work as a distinguished public servant.
As part of Founders’ Day tradition, several faculty and staff members were honored for their achievements and work to better the University:
- Dr. Rosa Stoops, professor of French and Spanish, was honored as the 2024 University Scholar.
- Dr. Leonor Vázquez-Gónzalez, professor of Spanish, received the Dr. Jermaine B. Mitchell Faculty Service Award.
- Jay Evans, adjunct instructor of music, received the Adjunct Faculty Teaching Award.
- Pamela Smith, IT coordinator and asset specialist with IS&T, received the inaugural Johnny D. Holsombeck Shine Award, which recognizes a UM staff member’s dedication and service to the students, their colleagues and citizens of the greater community.
The ceremony also recognized this year’s recipients of the UM National Alumni Association awards, who were honored at the UMNAA Awards Dinner later that night.
Harman Hall Renovation Dedication
A reception was held in Harman Hall courtyard for the unveiling of the renovations that the building has undergone in recent years. Home to the Department of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Computer Science, Harman now features completely renovated laboratories, updated classrooms and new equipment.
“It’s pretty impressive to see the transformation that has taken place here in Harman Hall,” said Dr. Brett Noerager, department chair and professor of biology. “We have a safe environment for our students and our faculty, first and foremost. Now that we’ve got these updated facilities and equipment, our students are getting the top-notch education and laboratory experience that makes them competitive for the workforce or graduate professional programs.”
Before guests headed inside to tour the new spaces, Noerager thanked donors for their investment in the building, recognized staff members for their ongoing help and support and commended the department’s faculty and students for their patience with the lengthy project.
“They’d show up and their classes were moved from one location to another for various reasons, and they were just really resilient and patient with us,” he said. “If I had a stack of merit badges, I would give one out to every single member of this department for resilience, perseverance, cooperativity and patience.”
Montevallo History Talk
Later in the afternoon, guests made their way to the Pat Scales Special Collections Room in Carmichael Library for
a presentation on Montevallo’s historical legacy. Professor Carey W. Heatherly, archive and special collections librarian, recounted the history of the University and the city of Montevallo dating back to the mid-1800s, focusing on buildings on campus and throughout town and how they’ve changed over time.
Following the talk, guests were able to purchase copies of “Montevallo: Past and Present,” written by Heatherly and Dr. Clark Hultquist, UM professor of history. The book is primarily made up of selected images from the University’s Anna Crawford Milner Archives and Special Collections paired with present- day photographs of the same locations and buildings.
“Clark and I continue to be amazed and remain appreciative of the support we receive from colleagues across campus,” Heatherly said. “These events inevitably create networking opportunities and information exchanges that allow people like us to slowly add bits and pieces to the canon of campus and community lore.”
