More than two dozen graduates were honored as part of the University of North Alabama spring commencement ceremonies that took place May 9 and 10. The Turris Fidelis Key was presented to two graduating seniors; while 23 students received the Keller Key award.

Hannah Hagood, a senior majoring in finance from Lewisburg, Tenn., at the University of North Alabama, has been awarded a Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Award. CLS partners with universities and nonprofits around the globe to provide cohorts of U.S. students an opportunity to study the language and culture in a country/location where the target language is commonly spoken.

University of North Alabama Alumnus Harry Smith has established The Center for Servant Leadership and Ethics at his alma mater, the purpose of which is to encourage, empower, and equip others to be servant leaders and to conduct all of their affairs, both personally and professionally, in an ethical manner.

The Willingham, a publication of the University of North Alabama History Graduate Student Association (HGSA), will launch its second edition May 1; the theme of the journal is “Turning Points in History: People, Ideas, and Events,” which showcases the work of several graduate students from around the globe.

The Mane Room Music Festival, set for April 22-24 in the Mane Room, is a three-night music event featuring a songwriting competition, battle of the bands, and a Muscle Shoals song review. The festival is a collaboration between the Department of Entertainment Industry within the School of the Arts at the University of North Alabama, along with MEISA and Phi Mu Alpha, both Registered Student Organizations.

Dr. Meghan Merciers, Associate Dean of the University of North Alabama School of the Arts in the College of Arts, Sciences and Engineering, has released her second studio album. The recording is also the first publication of Merciers’ research on the works of Jewish-American composer Dr. Peter Temko through Onyx Lane Records and distributed by Naxos, made possible in part by funding earned from the George Merida Huckaba Endowed Professorship in the College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineer in 2023.

Kilby Laboratory School, on the University of North Alabama campus, had a top finish at the Alabama VEX IQ Championship, competing against 52 of the best teams from across the state. The exceptional skill, creativity, and teamwork demonstrated by the Kilby team earned the members a number of prestigious awards as well as a spot in the World IQ Championship in Dallas in May.

Student Counseling Services, part of the Health and Well-Being collective at the University of North Alabama, has partnered with Active Minds to host Send Silence Packing, an exhibit that has traveled the country to end the silence that surrounds mental health and suicide and connect the campus community with resources for support and action.

Innovate Alabama has announced its third round of designees of the Innovate Alabama Network, and the University of North Alabama has been named as the recipient of two awards that total almost $800,000 through the Network Designation Grant and Project Grant programs.

The Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of North Alabama will have Leo’s Feel Good Fest on Thursday, March 20, from 4-7 p.m. at Harrison Hall.