The Shoals Symphony at the University of North Alabama will open the 2026-2027 season Saturday, Aug. 22, with Shoals music legend and Alabama Hall of Fame member Lenny LeBlanc. He will be performing some of his most-loved songs, including “Falling” and “Above All” and be joined on stage by special guests, including Gary Baker.
The Shine On, Gold Comprehensive Campaign to raise $100 million for the University of North Alabama has announced it has exceeded its goal and continues to fundraise until the official conclusion at the end of September. With six weeks remaining in the campaign, the goal has been met and exceed at $104,353,440 raised.
The University of North Alabama has been named as a new member to the FirstGen Forward Network Class of 2026. To be selected as a FirstGen Forward Network Member, UNA has displayed a demonstrated commitment to improving experiences and advancing success for first-generation college students.
The University of North Alabama has announced this year’s Homecoming Award winners for this year’s celebration, the first to take place at Bank Independent Stadium scheduled for Oct. 23-24. The winners will be recognized at the Homecoming Celebration set to take place in the Victory Club Level of the Stadium.
Summer commencement at the University of North Alabama is set for Friday, July 31, with two ceremonies at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in Norton Auditorium. Dr. Melissa DeFoor, Associate Professor of Nursing and the 2026 Phi Kappa Phi Eleanor Gaunder Excellence in Teaching Award recipient, will serve as the speaker for both ceremonies.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) has secured $6.6 million in federal funding the University of North Alabama to support critical campus infrastructure improvements and strengthen educational opportunities for students pursuing careers in engineering and industrial professions. The majority of the funding – $5.6 million – is dedicated to Pine Street safety enhancements, while the remaining $1 million is for the UNA Department of Engineering and Industrial Professions.
Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) has announced that $2 million in the FY27 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations have been allocated for safety upgrades along the Pine Street corridor at the University of North Alabama.
The University of North Alabama has launched a new brand and campaign as part of a larger mission to share UNA’s unique appeal as it embarks on its third century of providing high-quality education. The announcement of the new brand was accompanied by the release of a new short film – "Grow Your World" designed to appeal to individuals of all ages, from first generation students to adult learners seeking to expand their skills for the workforce.
The University of North Alabama is celebrating America’s 250th with campus displays of patriotic flags and red, white, and blue bunting as well as a special exhibit on the story of America at Collier Library.
Walter “Rusty” Trapp has been named a recipient of the Robert L. Potts University of North Alabama Foundation Leadership Award. Established in 2020, the Potts Leadership Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions of time, talent, and/or treasure to UNA, the UNA Foundation, and/or the community.
Dr. Martin Hebel, music composition and theory faculty member at the University of North Alabama, has won Second Prize in the Alexander Zemlinsky Prize for Chamber Music Composition for his piano trio Ashfall.
Teacher candidates in the University of North Alabama’s Spencer College of Education and Human Sciences achieved a 100 percent first-time pass rate on the Education Teacher Performance Assessment, or edTPA, for the 2025-2026 academic year. All 152 candidates in the College exceeded the Alabama State Department of Education’s required score on their first attempt, demonstrating their readiness to enter the classroom and serve students across a range of teaching fields.
Jadra Gann, a Secondary Education major at the University of North Alabama from Hamilton, has been named a U.S. Student Fulbright recipient from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Gann is the 16th student recipient at UNA since 2017.
Students in the Accelerated Nursing Program who have been interviewed and selected by sponsoring hospitals have signed their Apprenticeship Agreements. These individuals represent the second cohort in the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of North Alabama to take this exciting next step in their healthcare careers.
Dr. Ansley Quiros, a Professor in the Department of History at the University of North Alabama, has received a grant from the Louisville Institute through its Grants for Researchers program for the 2026-2027 academic year. Dr. Quiros, a historian of race and religion in the modern United States, received $55,000 for her work on her second monograph, Committed: Charles and Shirley Sherrod as a Model for Civil Rights Activism.
Two University of North Alabama Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions faculty, Dr. Melissa DeFoor and Dr. Amanda Hitt, alongside JoAnne Silbert-Flagg, have authored The Maternal & Child Health Nursing: Care of the Childbearing & Childrearing Family, 10th Edition, set to publish in June by Wolters Kluwer. This widely recognized textbook provides a comprehensive, family-centered approach to maternal and pediatric nursing care.
The Kilby Laboratory School Robotics Team, known as the “Load and Link Lions,” won the Energy Award in their division at the 2026 VEX Robotics World Championship in St. Louis, Mo. Kilby bested 81 other teams as a result of their energy, sportsmanship, and positive interactions with other teams and fans.
Two dozen graduates were honored as part of the six University of North Alabama commencement ceremonies that took place May 8 and 9. The Turris Fidelis Key was presented to two graduating seniors, while 22 students received the Keller Key award.
University of North Alabama students Hayden Blakely and Sam Hathcock took first place with a $10,000 prize to move their mobile fishing tournament app, CastOff, forward as part of this year’s Singing River Trail Launch Tank Competition.
Every student in the Fall 2025 cohort from the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions Bachelor of Science in Nursing program has completed their rigorous national licensure examination with an unprecedented 100 percent first-time pass rate.
