Alumni News

David K. Akridge, chief information officer for the Mobile County Public School System, said support from faculty, determination and a music scholarship led to his degree in computer and information sciences from the University of South Alabama.

An Eye for Coding, A Voice for a Scholarship
October 19, 2020

New technology in the 80s intrigued David Akridge, a chief of information officer who sang his way through college. ...

Kayla Brown's devotion to service and giving back to her community has carried over from her time at South to her new career in the medical field.

Making a Career of Helping Others
October 1, 2020

2020 graduate Kayla Brown remains connected to South by starting her career at USA Health's Franklin Medical Center in Loxley. ...

2020 USA Faculty Excellence Award Winners. Top row, L-R: Dr. Christy West, Angela O'Neal. Bottom row, L-R: Dr. Natalie Gassman, Dr. Joseph Hair, Dr. Lesley Gregoricka.

USA National Alumni Association Recognizes Outstanding Faculty, Young Alumnus
September 11, 2020

Five USA faculty members were recognized for their achievements as well as one outstanding young alumnus honored for 2020. ...

The USA-United Way campaign leadership team.

United Way Honors USA for Giving
September 2, 2020

The United Way of Southwest Alabama will honor USA for its devotion to volunteerism and winning a Heart of Gold award. ...

William DeMouy called the principal at Grand Bay Middle School the day he saw the job opening for a teacher. He interviewed the next morning. “I was thrilled. I was like, ‘Let’s do it. Let’s go for it.’”

A Second Bachelor's, A Second Start
August 4, 2020

#MyFirstJob: William DeMouy finds his place in the classroom as the geography and civics teacher embarks on a new career. ...

Serena Thidasongsavanh works as a nurse in the emergency department at USA Health University Hospital. Compared with other academic medical centers in the United States, the University Hospital emergency department handles some of the most complex and challenging cases requiring the highest level of care.

Hitting the Ground Running - Serena Thidasongsavanh
July 28, 2020

#MyFirstJob: Comfortable shoes and a fast pace keep Serena Thidasongsavanh on her toes as a hospital emergency room nurse. ...

Jennifer Conrad, left, a University of South Alabama graduate, and Lauren Kapeluck own ellenJAY, a boutique bakery in Midtown Mobile. The two have taken part in South's Real Advice Mentoring Program, RAMP, for help with business planning and growth strategy.

More Than Cookie-Cutter Advice
July 21, 2020

A South mentoring program offers entrepreneurs, like those at ellenJAY bakery, tailored guidance to help their businesses rise. ...

Gaelyn Angus-Barker, who graduated from the University of South Alabama with a degree in mechanical engineering, is in a two-year program at General Motors that includes four six-month rotations in different positions.

Engineer Rolls to General Motors
July 21, 2020

#MyFirstJob: After graduating in May, Gaelyn Angus-Barker heads north for job with the automobile industry in downtown Detroit. ...

Carlos Moore, a municipal judge and attorney in Mississippi, is the first president of the USA Black Alumni Society.

With Changing Views, a New Banner
July 14, 2020

South alumnus Carlos Moore took the Mississippi flag down in his courtroom three years ago. Now, the state has followed suit. ...

Courtney McKeand, whose portfolio is thick with science fiction and fantasy characters, landed a freelance contract after graduating from the University of South Alabama. “I’m thrilled to have found work so quickly and in my field,” she said.

Artist Lives Dream in Fantasy World
July 14, 2020

#MyFirstJob: Courtney McKeand overcame multiple sclerosis to earn art degree at South and land freelance job in science fiction. ...

Adam Gautier earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer and information sciences at the University of South Alabama. Before finishing school in May, he was chosen graduate student of the year for the School of Computing.

Computer Security Career Takes Off
July 7, 2020

#MyFirstJob: Adam Gautier's degree took him to Huntsville, where he's found challenges, camaraderie and comical space references. ...

Dr. Cameron Chick, who earned a doctorate at the University of South Alabama, is a clinical audiologist at the Georgia Hearing Institute.

Audiologist Hears Call as Dr. Chick
June 30, 2020

#MyFirstJob: Cameron Chick turned a South education and a Macon internship into a job at the Georgia Hearing Institute. ...

Mansa El played on the USA women's basketball team from 2010-2013. She now coaches boys basketball in Texas. “Having a hand in preparing them for life, that’s a pretty good feeling,” she said.

Challenging Players, and Expectations
June 24, 2020

Former Jag Mansa El is a rarity in basketball — a female coach of a boys team. She prepares her players for the game, and life. ...

Martavious Hails, a spring 2020 computer science graduate, works on a NASA team that uses satellite information to improve short-term weather forecasting.

South, then North and to Space
June 22, 2020

#MyFirstJob: Martavious Hails joined a NASA team in Huntsville that uses satellite imagery to improve weather forecasting. ...

Amara Baltimore, a spring graduate of the Mitchell College of Business, is just 22 years old, but she’s already conducting audits and interviewing taxpayers in her first job with the Alabama Department of Revenue.

The Nonconfrontational, Sympathetic Auditor
June 15, 2020

#MyFirstJob: With a $10 backdrop, Amara Baltimore looks for thousands in lost revenue for the state of Alabama. ...

Caleb Santa Cruz, a communication studies graduate, works as a youth pastor at Summit Church, which is constructing a new church building in Foley.

A Career, and a Church, Under Construction
June 9, 2020

#MyFirstJob: Caleb Santa Cruz, a communication studies graduate, heads back home to begin a job as a youth pastor. ...

Dr. Miranda Byrne-Steele, at her iRepertoire lab in Huntsville, leads a team of team of researchers exploring coronavirus therapies. “It’s taken years and years of experience and technology development, and we’re applying it in a rapid way,” she said.

South Alumna Explores COVID-19 Therapies
June 3, 2020

Chemistry graduate Dr. Miranda Byrne-Steele leads a team of researchers working on therapies at a Huntsville biotechnology firm. ...

Bryant Baldwin plans to continue his research in biomechanical engineering at the University of South Alabama after spring commencement. “I want to complete the project we’ve been working on,” he says.

'Completionist' Finds Way to Engineering
May 9, 2020

Bryant Baldwin is a problem solver. At South, he discovered a solution to his varying interests: mechanical engineering. ...

Jack Stover, a summer graduate completing a double major in international business and Spanish, has kept an active schedule during his time at the University of South Alabama. “My extracurricular activities have been just as important to me as my academic work,” he says.

Not Enough Hours in the Day
May 9, 2020

Double major in business and Spanish. Fraternity president. Internships and study abroad. Jack Stover has been busy. ...

Mary Catherine Cazalas conducted research as a graduate assistant in the Swallowing Disorders Initiative Lab in the Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions. She won the College’s Dean’s Award for her academic and research work.

Dean's Award, Discipline, Determination
May 9, 2020

Mary Catherine Cazalas's pursuit of a graduate degree in speech pathology brought her back to 'the best city in the world.' ...

Dr. Nycole Oliver, a two-time graduate of the University of South Alabama College of Nursing, practices at Baptist Health Family Clinic in Fort Smith, Ark., and helps staff her town’s coronavirus testing site.

Among Her Roles, Deliverer of COVID-19 Results
May 6, 2020

USA nursing graduate Dr. Nycole Oliver is an instructor, advocate and COVID-19 tester. She also calls patients with the results. ...

The University of South Alabama will hold a virtual, online commencement ceremony on May 9 to honor spring and summer degree candidates.

South to Hold Virtual Commencement
May 1, 2020

The awarding of the degrees will take place 11 a.m., May 9. The ceremony will stream on the homepage and social media. ...

Barry Coleman, who endowed a scholarship in grandmother's name, becoming one the youngest major gift donors to the College of Nursing, earlier this semester met the scholarship's first recipient, Jennifer Dowling.

'He Simply Will Not Accept Failure'
April 27, 2020

Barry Coleman endows scholarship in grandmother's name, becoming one the youngest major gift donors to the College of Nursing. ...

John Ding, who earned a master's in business administration from the University of South Alabama's Mitchell College of Business, is an aircraft engineer at Airbus and part of a team making medical masks for USA Health using 3D printers. Photo courtesy of Airbus.

Airbus, South Team Up on Medical Masks
April 20, 2020

Airbus, working with the University and USA Health, has put its 3D printers to work manufacturing masks for hospitals and clinics. ...

Sarah Crass is a University of South Alabama graduate and chief of staff at Medical Teams International, which has international experience with viruses including Ebola. "So we know how to do isolation, patient care and hygiene education. We’re trying to figure this out, serve where we can.”

Pivoting to Address a Pandemic
April 17, 2020

South alumna Sarah Crass helps lead Medical Teams International, addressing COVID-19 challenges in the U.S. and abroad. ...

Alumni News Archive

An Eye for Coding, A Voice for a Scholarship October 19, 2020

Making a Career of Helping Others October 1, 2020

USA National Alumni Association Recognizes Outstanding Faculty, Young Alumnus September 11, 2020

United Way Honors USA for Giving September 2, 2020

A Second Bachelor's, A Second Start August 4, 2020

Hitting the Ground Running - Serena Thidasongsavanh July 28, 2020

More Than Cookie-Cutter Advice July 21, 2020

Engineer Rolls to General Motors July 21, 2020

With Changing Views, a New Banner July 14, 2020

Artist Lives Dream in Fantasy World July 14, 2020

Computer Security Career Takes Off July 7, 2020

Audiologist Hears Call as Dr. Chick June 30, 2020

Challenging Players, and Expectations June 24, 2020

South, then North and to Space June 22, 2020

The Nonconfrontational, Sympathetic Auditor June 15, 2020

A Career, and a Church, Under Construction June 9, 2020

South Alumna Explores COVID-19 Therapies June 3, 2020

'Completionist' Finds Way to Engineering May 9, 2020

Not Enough Hours in the Day May 9, 2020

Dean's Award, Discipline, Determination May 9, 2020

Among Her Roles, Deliverer of COVID-19 Results May 6, 2020

South to Hold Virtual Commencement May 1, 2020

'He Simply Will Not Accept Failure' April 27, 2020

Airbus, South Team Up on Medical Masks April 20, 2020

Pivoting to Address a Pandemic April 17, 2020