Academic and Research Initiatives

Since 2003, USA’s cardiorespiratory care program has provided care to several thousand uninsured people with COPD, asthma, tobacco abuse and obstructive sleep apnea at Victory Health Partners clinic. In addition, USA offers asthma education programs for middle school children at Semmes Middle School and Pillans Middle School.

The University’s Emergency Medical Services department has provided CPR/First Aid training for high school and middle school teachers and students, as well as training for Mobile Fire and Rescue Department staff who need advanced emergency care updates and remediation. The EMS department, along with the Alabama Gulf EMS System, is providing 270 Stop the Bleed kits to schools in the region free of charge, at a value of nearly $5,000.

Students from the Department of Occupational Therapy spent an afternoon helping children at a Mobile shelter avoid the pain and injury that can come from heavy backpacks and bags. Students, parents and community members learned safety tips to stay protected from back pain throughout life.

The USA Speech and Hearing Center provides specialized services to the citizens of Mobile and the surrounding communities that are not otherwise available in the immediate service area, including advanced diagnostic procedures, interventions and support for patients across the lifespan. The USA Speech and Hearing Center is the only clinic between New Orleans and Pensacola offering services to patients with cochlear implants.

The Occupational Therapy program offers Home Fit, a workshop for senior citizens on how to incorporate adaptable, safe, and easy-to-use design principles to make their home more livable. Nearly 60 workshops were conducted at area churches and senior centers within Baldwin and Mobile counties. At the Connie Hudson Senior Center, faculty and students put on the Car Fit event, which educates seniors on how to adjust their vehicle for maximum safety and comfort when driving. This 
event will be expanded to additional locations next year.

The College of Arts & Sciences houses the following research centers that produce work that impacts Mobile and the surrounding communities: (1) The Center for Archaeological Studies; (2) The Center for Generational Studies; (3) The Coastal Weather Research Center; (4) The Center for Hurricane Intensification and Landfall Investigation; (5) The USA Polling Group; (6) The USA Center for Public Policy; (7) The Gulf Coast Behavioral Health and Resiliency Center; (8) The Coastal Resource 
and Resiliency Center; (9) The Center for the Study of War and Memory; (10) The Pheromone Center; and (11) The Center for Environmental Resiliency.

The Department of Chemistry hosted a chemistry seminar series for high school students and science workshops for K-12 students. The department hosted students from three high schools (Baker, Citronelle and Theodore) so that these students could experience a day in college and learn about academic opportunities.

Events sponsored by USA’s Stokes Center for Creative Writing are free and open to the public. Recently the Center offered a presentation by Pulitzer-Prize winning author Elizabeth Colbert. The audience for this event included people from communities on both sides of the bay. The Center also hosts readings and lectures at off-campus locations that are more accessible to community members.

All events sponsored by the Center for the Study of War and Memory are free and open to the public. The recent symposium “My Lai and Moral Injury” attracted a number of community members to campus, and the Center’s traveling exhibit, “War and Remembrance on the Alabama Gulf Coast,” is currently on display at USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park.

The Department of English sponsors the Independent Music Collective, which brings American roots musicians to Mobile each year. The Department of History hosts two major public lectures each year. The Jack Stallworth Lecture in History focuses on southern U.S. history, while the Howard Mahan Lecture in History is delivered annually by historians from top U.S. universities.

The Department of Marine Sciences supports the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, a project of the Mobile Jaycees. The rodeo is the largest fishing tournament in the world. Founded in 1929, the fishing rodeo now attracts over 3,000 anglers and 75,000 spectators.

The Department of Mathematics & Statistics hosts the Mobile Math Circle, a weekly gathering of high school and middle school students designed for students who enjoy math and working on problems that are outside the regular school curriculum. The department hosts the Mobile Math Teachers Circle, through which local mathematics teachers meet with professional mathematicians to enhance reasoning and problem-solving skills. The department also sponsors
the Girls in Math Club, the objective of which is to promote interest in mathematics among middle school girls.

The honor society Phi Sigma Iota of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literature annually holds a Foreign Languages Essay Contest for Mobile-area high schools and hosts language proficiency workshops for area high school language teachers.

The Department of Music regularly hosts numerous public events throughout Mobile, including the free annual holiday concert. The USA Concert Choir performs with the Mobile Symphony Orchestra, while the Jaguar Marching Band marches in Mardi Gras parades. The department’s music business internships provide help to the Mobile Opera, Mobile Symphony, Mobile Arts Council, local recording and production studios, and local radio stations.

The Department of Physics offers the Tuesday Evening Physics Program, presenting a variety of topics in physics to local high school students each Tuesday evening for six weeks in October and November. The department hosts the annual physics teacher/student workshop for teachers.

Faculty members and students in the Department of Political Science & Criminal Justice work with a variety of local organizations, including the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, the Strickland Youth Center, Mobile County Drug Court, and the City of Mobile Planning Department. The department sponsors the annual Wilters Lecture each fall. This year’s lecture will be delivered by Michael Gerhardt, Samuel Ashe Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of North 
Carolina School of Law in Chapel Hill.

The Psychological Clinic in the Department of Psychology sees hundreds of patients each year, with more than 5,000 scheduled appointments. Faculty in the department also work with the Mobile Police Department to create therapy groups for youth at risk of involvement with the justice system.

The Gulf Coast Behavioral Health and Resiliency Center facilitates wellness and integrated healthcare for local residents. The Center provides training and educational programs, and enables mental/behavioral health services for adults, children and families located in Mobile and Baldwin counties.

Faculty in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work coordinate the Mobile Juvenile Court Collaborative, in which USA students work with organizations that serve youthful offenders and at-risk youth, including Strickland Youth Center, DHR, St. Mary’s Home and The Nest. The department also consults with the Health Disparities Research Group, supporting projects and activities intended to improve health equity across the Gulf Coast region. The department will have 
23 senior level social work interns in community agencies in Mobile in Fall 2018. They will provide social work services at many community agencies to assist with the needs of oppressed and marginalized populations in our area.

Faculty at USA’s Archaeology Museum and the Center for Archaeological Studies are conducting Cultural Resource Investigations for the Interstate 10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project and hold a Public Volunteer Archaeological Lab Day each Tuesday.

USA Professor Lesley Gregoricka works as a forensic anthropology consultant with the Mobile Police, assisting with skeletal identifications and forensic recoveries. She also runs forensic workshops for GEMS (Girls Exploring Math and Science), an annual event which seeks to promote interest in STEM careers among middle school aged girls, many of whom come from underrepresented groups.

USA Professor Roma Hanks serves on the board of the Alabama Contemporary Art Center and is currently working with ACAC on the Raise 251 installation that will highlight a photovoice project conducted in the communities that have the highest health disparities in Mobile. ACAC will invite policy makers to visit the installation and discuss the community-produced images. As co-director of the Community Engagement Core of the USA Center for Health Communities, Hanks also is responsible for a multi-year intergenerational Community Health Advocate program that serves the zip codes in Mobile that have the highest health disparities.

USA Professor Ken Hudson serves on the board of directors for Housing First, which manages the HUD grants for continuum of care that provides services to homeless people in Mobile County. Students from his research methods courses serve as volunteers for the Art Soup Fund Raiser, which supports services for the homeless and other community organizations in Mobile. Hudson also assisted the Bay Area Women’s Coalition in conducting a housing survey/needs assessment in the 
Trinity Gardens community. Based on the results of the survey the BAWC, in collaboration with the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church, is planning to implement a program to repair housing for senior citizens in the Trinity Gardens community.

The USA Department of Theatre and Dance produces four plays/musicals per season, open to all, with a total of 24 productions. The department has two additional performances (one fall, one spring) aimed exclusively at area high school students. This fall, the department is presenting its first High School One-Act Playwriting Contest; three chosen playwrights from across the state will have their plays read and receive a cash award.

The Department of Visual Arts has faculty members who work closely with citizens and organizations in Mobile through offering public workshops and demonstrations. One faculty member participated in a community event to create decorated tiles for Medal of Honor Park in West Mobile.

College of Arts & Sciences faculty members provide guest lectures to community groups such as the Unitarian Fellowship of Mobile and Fairhope, the Ben May Public Library in Mobile, the Mobile Christian-Jewish Dialogue, the Museum of Mobile and the Mobile area Rotary Club.

Accounting students participate in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program of the Internal Revenue Service. USA partners with SaveFirst, an initiative of Impact America, to help low income, elderly and disabled people file tax returns free of charge. From 2013 through 2017, 224 students completed almost 2,000 tax returns, yielding families over $3,250,000 in refunds and saving them over $600,000 in preparation fees.

The Society for Human Resource Management student chapter participated in the 1,000 Books in 100 Days Workforce Readiness Initiative; the chapter collected children’s books that were distributed to the local Boys and Girls Club. SHRM members also participated in a service learning project for the Senior Community Service Employment Program in Mobile.

The Minority Business Accelerator was awarded to USA’s Melton Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation; an MCEI advisory board committee oversees recruiting and selection. Minority entrepreneurs (or company teams of 1-3 persons) interested in growing their business are selected to participate in this eight-week entrepreneurial training series.

The Melton Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce co-sponsored the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA) at the Alabama School of Math and Science. During the eight-month program, students from the Alabama School of Math and Science learned about ideation, business planning and lean canvas processes to generate ideas for new businesses.

The Melton Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation sponsors the Build a Bridge program, a year-long entrepreneurship and business management education program for Williamson High School students. Students develop presentation, leadership, teamwork, networking, and financial management skills that are useful in obtaining a variety of professional and career goals.

The Mitchell College of Business hosted 75 young adults for the Summer Youth Employment Internship Program for Mobile County young adults. The program responds to the need for more summer employment opportunities for young adults in our local community.

USA’s Center for Real Estate and Economic Development (CREED) provides a wide array of services to the Mobile community, including an economic impact analysis for Alabama Power of proposed pipeline and associated infrastructure investments and operations in Southwest Alabama, needs assessment and strategic planning for Boys and Girls Club of Mobile, a comprehensive review of BayFest’s economic impact for the City of Mobile; an economic impact analysis of Mobile Tennis Center and many others. CREED offered the Smart Personal Finance Series seminars open to all students from USA, University of Mobile and Spring Hill College.

Management faculty participated in formalized and curricula-based business-training programs for Airbus (lead engineers), USA Health Care System, SSAB (steel mini-mill), the Alabama Banking School and J. L. Bedsole Scholars Program (a scholarship organization for needs-based students). These programs were all multiple-day activities that included leadership training, negotiation, communication, finance and decision-making strategies.

Mitchell College of Business student organizations completed marketing projects for Relay for Life and for the local Humane Society, provide 2,000 to 3,000 pounds of food each November to the Bay Area Food Bank, provide tutoring services to students who are taking accounting courses, volunteer at the local Ronald McDonald House and the American Cancer Society Chili Cook-off, and volunteer with Mobile BayFest.

The College of Education and Professional Studies is one of the largest teacher preparation programs on the Gulf Coast, with more than 85% of educators in the greater Mobile area having at least one degree or teaching credential from the College.

The College of Education and Professional Studies received The Future Starts With Us award from the Mobile County Public School System. The award recognized the efforts the College makes in collaborating with the school district for teacher preparation and many other special programs.

The College of Education and Professional Studies Literacy Center provides opportunities for tutoring and literacy camps for children in Mobile and surrounding areas. The College’s South Alabama Research and In-Service Center facilitates professional development for teachers in the Mobile County Public School System, and its Alabama Math Science Technology Initiative facilitates math, science and technology professional development for elementary and middle schools and provides materials needed to teach hands-on math and science.

USA’s Noyce Pathway to Science and Noyce Pathway to Math programs recruit and prepare middle and high school science teachers, fund the cost of obtaining the teaching credential, provide intense mentoring and support throughout the program and into in-service years and offer opportunities for ongoing professional development.

The College of Education and Professional Studies Diversity Council committed to work with the juvenile court system and the Mobile County Public School System to adopt a local middle school. With Williamson Preparatory Academy students as the focus, the partnership is building a long-term commitment from stakeholders to coordinate USA assistance with existing school resources. WPA high school student ambassadors were hosted on the USA campus with a tour of the campus and lunch with faculty and staff.

College of Educational and Professional Studies faculty provided professional development for teachers in grades 3-5 in Baldwin and Mobile counties, focusing on developing math concepts for struggling students.

Each semester, at least 100 students from the College of Education and Professional Studies are in area classrooms as part of their teaching training requirements. These students provide valuable assistance to teachers in these classrooms and impact students as well.

 

USA College of Engineering faculty and students, with capstone design projects, provide engineering analysis and design for many municipal projects. Recent examples include stormwater management and upgrade of Stotts Park, redevelopment of Stewart Road Park, stormwater management and erosion control at Azalea City Golf Course, and redevelopment of Helen Woods Park.

College of Engineering graduates (and student interns) are employed at all major engineering and manufacturing firms in Mobile: Austal, Airbus, Evonik, SSAB, BASF, Hargrove Engineers + Constructors, Thompson Engineering, Volkert Engineering and many others. The success of these firms depends on USA engineering graduates.

The College of Engineering has shared traffic cameras with the City of Mobile traffic engineering department for the Tiger Grant Project “One Mobile: Reconnecting People, Work and Play through Complete Streets.” Students also helped with obtaining data related to pedestrian counts and pedestrian studies along the Broad Street Corridor.

The College of Engineering performed foundation testing/research applicable to the Mobile River Bridge, as well as vibration analysis to protect historic Mobile structures downtown during pile driving for the bridge. The College regularly offers continuing education lectures for local engineers, assisting them with keeping current in best practices and satisfying their requirements for licensing.

The College of Medicine’s Student-Run Free Clinic offers free medical treatment and advice to people in underserved and vulnerable populations.

 

USA College of Nursing faculty are involved in multiple projects that positively impact the health of the citizens of Mobile. A few examples of these activities are: the MCI GYN Cancer Survivorship, which provides care to gynecological cancer survivors have completed active treatment at MCI, a support group for new mothers at USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital to positively influence breastfeeding adoption and continuation rates, infant CPR and prenatal education (labor and delivery preparation) for patients, concussion education through an innovative computer program and neurocognitive testing, and asthma education at Palmer Pillans Middle School.

The College of Nursing partners with the Lighthouse Academy daycare in Prichard, and has implemented educational interventions with parents to help them establish healthy sleep patterns in their children.

The College of Nursing partnered with the City of Prichard Housing Authority on an ongoing basis to help them with identifying ways to educate residents on health topics. The meetings focus on strategic and innovative ways to promote health with the residents of this community.

USA faculty from the College of Nursing, School of Computing and Center for Healthy Communities partnered with the City of Prichard Housing Authority to focus on health education at a STEM camp. The faculty provided health education on a variety of subjects.

 

USA’s School of Computing’s K-12 Math, Science, and Computing Initiative Project is intended to increase the pool of qualified high school graduates in the area from which to recruit undergraduate students. The School also offers hands-on Learning Lab activities” during student field trips from local schools to the USA campus. Approximately 3,400 local students each year participate in the field trips, computing camps and partner school summer camps, resulting in nearly 14,000 hours of computing activities and instruction each year. The School offers a summer cyber security camp for students and teachers at the K-12 level. This program helps students understand safe online behaviors, raises interest in cyber security careers and improves teaching methods for cyber security workforce careers.

The School of Computing maintains several teams of student interns with local businesses such as Pilot Catastrophe Services, Mobile County, nFina, etc. These internships provide an affordable service to local businesses while giving students on-site experience.

USA’s Center for Continuing Education provides training in many workforce areas, including legal aspects of supervision for Mobile Personnel Board; safety and emergency response training for the City of Mobile, Alabama State Docks and chemical plants in the region; and mental health first aid and crisis intervention team training for law enforcement. The Center helps organizations meet their productivity and performance goals through courses ranging from computer applications to
management to public safety and proper handling of hazardous materials. The Center will develop or facilitate custom courses/workshops for organizations and businesses upon request.

The Center for Continuing Education provides individuals seeking a new career with multiple career preparation programs in face-to-face and online formats, including the Paralegal Studies and Medical Billing and Coding programs.

The “Odyssey USA: An Adventure in Learning” program is a community of learners who share the love of learning. Odyssey members design their own classes based on the interests and intellectual curiosity of the group. Classes are challenging and thought-provoking with mind- stretching activities on a wide variety of topics. Additional activities include quarterly luncheon lectures, film series and field trips.

USA’s University Libraries support excellence in healthcare and improve patient outcomes through programs highlighting information resources for at-risk populations. Librarians train hospital patients and family members in using freely available National Library of Medicine information and share X-Plain videos, provided in both English and Spanish. Health information sessions are provided in the Ronald McDonald Family Room, in the USS Hope unit and in the USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital NICU department.

Through leadership on the USA Health & Wellness Services at Project Homeless Connect, biomedical librarians connect homeless populations with community resources. As part of the project, USA faculty and students provide health assessments and referrals to community health agencies on site. A biomedical librarian manages the data collected from Health & Wellness Services to facilitate continuous quality improvement and research projects for the benefit of this vulnerable population.

Biomedical librarians serve on the Child Day Care Association Board; the Mobile United Health Task Force; the board of the USA Student-Run Free Clinic, whose purpose is to enhance wellness in underserved and vulnerable populations of Mobile; and on the Gulf States Health Policy Center Community Coalition, which unites individuals, organizations and service providers to increase community resilience and improve health through collaboration and building capacity for policy 
change. The coalition developed an educational brief for the Mobile County School Board with recommendations for mental health awareness training and resources for teachers.

University librarians participate in school career fairs, and work with area high schools’ International Baccalaureate programs. They provide information literacy instruction to students in Mobile and Baldwin County enrolled in college prep courses organized by the Vocational Rehabilitation Service coordinator and administered by the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. Sessions prepare students with special needs for college life and contribute to their success in learning.

USA’s McCall Rare Book and Manuscript Library holds 1.2 million photographs of Mobile and the Gulf Coast region, making these available to researchers, families, individuals, historic preservation professionals, local businesses, as well as the national press and publishing companies.

USA library holdings include the library of the Gulf Coast Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education, available to the public and for use by educators; and the Agnes Tennenbaum Holocaust Collection, which preserves archival materials donated by Mobile-area Holocaust survivors and their families.

University Libraries highlight local history, diverse populations and regional culture through collections, exhibits and programs open to the public featuring local artists and speakers. Recent programs included Clotilda descendants, Mobile area Holocaust survivors, and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. University Libraries hosts the annual Helen Keller touring exhibit, secures grants for cultural programs, including the “Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys” grant from the 
American Library Association; and the “Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle” grant from NEH and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. University Libraries worked with the History Museum of Mobile and faculty from the African American Studies program to provide programs on campus and at the museum.

USA librarians present workshops and training sessions throughout the community, including “Labor-Related Government Information and Business Resources at USA Libraries” for the Mobile County Personnel Board, “Behind on Bills? Balancing your Budget” for the nurses at Mercy Life, “Social Media Resources for Older Adults” for Legacy Leadership Community Grant program, “Historical Hunt Basics” for Faulkner University, English 1302 class, “Pay Yourself First” Mobile Public Library Community Workshop; “Money Matters” Mobile Public Library Community Workshop; “Historical Hunt Basics” for Mobile Public Library staff, Ben May Main Library; “Library of Congress Basics” for Mobile Public Library staff, Ben May Main Library; “Library of Congress Advanced” for Mobile Public Library staff, Ben May Main Library; “General Government 
Documents Information” for Mobile Public Library staff, Ben May Main Library; “Diabetes Awareness” for Poarch Band of Creek Indians, “Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resources” for Poarch Band of Creek Indians; “Hearing and Vision Loss” for Poarch Band of Creek Indians, and “Stroke Awareness: Free Resources to Keep You Informed” for the community at Satsuma Public Library.