True Grit

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Posted on January 8, 2026 by Alumni

Alumni

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At the University of South Alabama, we believe in working harder and smarter.

Our University and the city we call home have both had to earn everything we’ve gained. That has made us both all the stronger. Mobile, with its rich culture and economic vibrancy, has always drawn people who wanted something better and were willing to work hard to get it. That was true of the defense workers who poured into the city to help win World War II — and is still true of today’s engineers and other skilled employees in shipbuilding and aerospace, among other industries.

It also describes the eager young people who flooded onto campus this fall as part of the largest freshman class in South’s history, helping us achieve a third straight year of enrollment growth.

Pursuing a college degree — turning your dreams into your future — takes effort and perseverance. Just ask our ROTC students, veterans and other military-affiliated Jaguars. Or the students and alumni of the Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions, celebrating its 50th anniversary this fall.

Or star wide receiver Devin Voisin, returning this fall for his NCAA record-tying seventh consecutive football season. Our coaches stuck with him through frustrating injuries, and he has returned their loyalty.

Consider, too, the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine. Nearly a decade of tenacious groundwork paid off when the college opened in January 1973. This September, medical students and members of our administration and Board of Trustees signed the final structural beam of a new, state-of-the-art College of Medicine building.

When it opens in January 2027, the facility will allow for expanded class sizes. That means more caregivers and researchers — more hope and healing. For infants fighting for survival at USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital. For adults in chronically underserved areas. For all.

Just as our faculty members challenge students to stretch their capabilities in pursuit of their desired paths, so too does our University challenge itself to expand its ambitions. We have embarked on a new path in one of our core missions: research (the others being teaching and healthcare).

We are committing the necessary resources to move toward R1 classification, the top tier for research institutions (a step above our current classification of R2). We do so seeking not status but rather an improved quality of life for our community and our world.

Others already recognize our expertise in many areas — for example, oyster biology and restoration. Oyster reefs once protected shorelines all along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Helping oysters rebuild those natural breakwaters will benefit millions of homeowners, businesses and vacationers.
Success never comes easy, and having to put in a little extra effort along our journey allows us to celebrate the diligence and determination that carried us triumphantly to the good times. After all, it takes an irritant — a bit of grit — for an oyster to make a pearl.

Go Jags!

Jo Bonner
President

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