The Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of North Alabama is celebrating Respiratory Care Week today through Oct. 26 with two unique events scheduled to take place on campus.

The Special Committee on Live Lions is seeking input from the campus and community related to the continuation of the live lion tradition at the University of North Alabama.

This Saturday, the University of North Alabama Marching Band, the Marching Pride of North Alabama, was selected to perform in the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®, representing the State of Alabama. This will mark the first Parade appearance by the UNA Marching Band. The Marching Pride of North Alabama will join the holiday march to the call of “Let’s Have a Parade™,” the iconic phrase that has signaled the start of every Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade since 1924.

A group of faculty researchers in the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions has created a video abstract for an article published recently in Nurse Educator, a highly esteemed and peer-reviewed journal.

The Town and Gown Task Force, comprised of members from the University of North Alabama and the City of Florence, have developed a unique initiative in advance of Small Business Saturday on Nov. 30. The initiative will spotlight and support local small businesses, with a particular focus on those founded and/or owned by UNA alumni.

The University of North Alabama is one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to the Great Colleges to Work For program. It is the fifth time UNA has appeared in the results and the first time it has won honors in each of the program categories.

Dr. Eric Kirkman, Director of Kilby Laboratory School, has been selected by the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools (CLAS) to serve on the CLAS Board of Directors. Dr. Kirkman was chosen by the Alabama Association of Elementary School Administrators to join this group of educational leaders dedicated to advancing excellence in leadership and promoting positive change in Alabama schools.

In a special ceremony that took place Thursday, Sept. 12 in Collier Library on the University of North Alabama campus, citizens of the Cherokee Nation, including Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., along with those from the UNA community, were on hand to unveil a mural in honor of North Alabama’s First Peoples, including Cherokees.

Kilby Laboratory School, operated by the University of North Alabama, recently celebrated a unique milestone when the faculty and staff at the school, the only laboratory school in Alabama, were recognized for more than 50 years of excellence and accreditation by COGNIA. COGNIA is a global accreditation organization for educational institutions. In its 119-year history, COGNIA has served more than 40,000 institutions, working to provide insight and support that lead to improvement and excellence in teaching, learning, and leadership for schools.

The Big Deal, the largest of the events to take place during Mane Month at the University of North Alabama, is set for Thursday, Aug. 22, from 6-8 p.m. at North Court and Irvine streets in downtown Florence.