Category: Montevallo Today

By Lindsay Schluntz  Olivia Eldridge developed her vision for the future the first time she set foot on Montevallo’s campus. The small class sizes, generous scholarships and chances to work with faculty members on undergraduate research projects were major factors in her decision to attend UM. She attributes part of the success of her journey at… Continue reading Chemistry Major Olivia Eldridge ’20 Finds Chemistry with UM

By Emily Reed Each day holds something different for Dr. Jennifer “JiJi” Davis ’99 M.Ed. ’01, as she keeps her eye on the future by preparing tomorrow’s educators to achieve success wherever life takes them after college. In her 11th year of teaching at UM, Davis works to build partnerships between the University and Montevallo… Continue reading Dr. JiJi Davis Connects a Community of Educators

Montevallo’s students and young alumni have a vision for the future and are already taking actions to ensure it’s a bright one. Whether preparing the next generation of leaders in a middle school classroom or preparing for a successful career on Broadway, the students and young alumni are setting the bar for success. And no… Continue reading The faces of success

During this year’s Homecoming celebration, the UM National Alumni Association honored alumni for their outstanding contributions to the greater education community. The honorees received their awards in front of a full house in Anna Irvin Dining Hall during the Feb. 8 Recognition Luncheon. Ricardo Conte received the Nathalie Molton Gibbons Young Achiever’s Award. Conte, an… Continue reading Ricardo Conte receives UM Young Achiever’s Award

By Emily Reed   When Kacie Kilpatrick graduated from the University in 2009, she started attending alumni activities immediately. “I wanted to be involved as an alum, and give back to my University that had already given me so much,” Kilpatrick said. “We [alumni] have a lot of really fun events, such as a College Night… Continue reading Meet the New Junior Alumni Board President

​By Waid Jones ‘20  Esports is rapidly gaining recognition as a sport. Internationally, players and teams have earned millions of dollars and have garnered the notice of major athletics brands such as Nike and Adidas.   Esports is short for electronic sports and serves as a broad term to describe any video game played competitively. These games are typically played… Continue reading UM’s new esports team the first of its kind in the state

By Lindsay Schluntz  When Alexis Perez ’21 transferred to UM from Bevel State Community College last year to pursue a social work major, she admits that she felt a little lost at first. “I attended new student orientation all by myself and really didn’t know what I was doing.”  This experience isn’t unique to Perez. She… Continue reading Perez paves the way for future students

By Dr. Bruce Finklea ’07  A map of Alabama’s multiple habitat zones colored in various shades of blue filled the screen in the Harman 104 biology lab while Dr. Jill Wicknick, associate professor of biology, led a group of students — a mixture of biology and art majors — in a discussion about bird migration patterns in the state.   She drew their attention to the boundary between the coastal plains region and… Continue reading Co-taught classes tie into University’s philosophy

While Steve McDaniels ’74 discussed the decision he and his wife, Donna, made to fund the installation of a professional interview room in the University’s Stephens College of Business, his eyes were alight with pride.   “I chose to give back because that’s what my family does,” Steve said. “My family is very strong in its… Continue reading McDaniels’ legacy leading to success for Stephens College of Business grads

By Chris Megginson ’05 When members of the University’s inaugural swim team took their mark and dove into the water at the Sewanee Invitational in Tennessee in October 2019, it marked the realization of a dream conceived half a century ago.   Fifty years after the first reported discussions of adding competitive swimming at Montevallo, the UM… Continue reading UM Swim Team dives into competition