Author: Lewis Bruce

Five Ukrainian athletes spoke at an emotional press conference on Sunday about their experiences competing at The World Games, staying in Birmingham and suffering in the wake of the war taking place in their home country. The conference started with a solemn address from Mayor Randall Woodfin. “I stand before you in solidarity and support for Ukraine,” Woodfin said to the athletes and their teams. The mayor, who was sporting a Ukrainian shirt to match those that the athletes were wearing, congratulated the athletes on their success on the field and made note of the exceptional ovation they received at…

Dr. Selwyn Vickers, senior vice president of medicine and dean of the School of Medicine at UAB, announced Monday that he will be leaving his current position to become president and CEO of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). Since being appointed dean in 2013, Vickers has become a leading figure in Alabama’s medical community. He was at the forefront of UAB’s COVID-19 response and has led the hospital to unprecedented levels of success. “Dr. Vickers is an extraordinary surgeon-scientist with a proven track record of success in leading complex academic medical centers, building innovative academic and research programs,  and…

In a heartfelt message posted to Twitter on the morning of June 24, UAB’s legendary head football coach Bill Clark announced that he will be retiring on August 1. Describing the choice as “the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make,” Clark named increasingly debilitating back issues as the primary cause for this development. “Having undergone a previous back surgery, extensive physical therapy, shots and chiropractic therapy, I have exhausted all of my options. Due to the extreme physical demands placed on a head coach, it is clear to me. It’s time to pass the torch and try and get…

It’s been one week since a shooter took the lives of three attendants of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church’s “Boomers Potluck” in Vestavia Hills. Funeral services for Bart Rainey, Sarah Yeager and Jane Pounds took place Wednesday and Thursday, and in the days since their passing, a renewed conversation has been sparked in Birmingham concerning gun violence and the dramatic effects it’s having on communities around the country. UAB students are among the many Birmingham residents asking for answers, including how this could have been prevented. “I feel like it was a preventable accident,” said Caleb Hill, a junior at UAB.…

UAB Director of Athletics Mark Ingram and President Ray L. Watts announced Wednesday that UAB will officially join the American Athletic Conference on July 1, 2023. This follows an October announcement from Watts of UAB’s intention to join the AAC following the university’s departure from Conference USA. “We have made the most of every opportunity in recent years to propel UAB Athletics to new heights, and joining the AAC is an incredible opportunity to build on all we have accomplished in a big way,” said Ingram. “We’ve worked hard to make great progress that put us in this position, and…

In a relatively short meeting this Tuesday, the Birmingham City Council approved a change to citywide zoning regulations that will incentivize the reuse of historic buildings throughout the city in the interest of preserving Birmingham’s historic architectural character. The change, referred to as an Adaptive Reuse Incentive Overlay (ARI), will create incentives for landowners to reuse Birmingham’s historic buildings rather than demolish them and build new ones in their place. “The intent of this ARI is to implement the framework plans by facilitating the conversion of older, economically distressed, historically significant buildings to apartments, live-work units or mixed-use developments,” said…

UAB has countless incredible Black alumni. Here are some Blazer grads from each of our schools to show that there is no shortage of talent in any discipline at our school. College of Arts and Sciences Ashley M. Jones graduated from UAB in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in English. Jones currently holds the prestigious position of Poet Laureate of Alabama, a role she has occupied since 2021 and will continue to occupy until her term expires in 2026. She has also earned numerous awards, including the Lena-Miles Wever Todd Prize for Poetry, the Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Award and…

Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci” exudes the opulence and style that the Gucci name has become so synonymous with, but it struggles to tell an engaging story over its lengthy two-hour, 38-minute run time. Moments of real talent in design, directing and acting are stretched thin over this movie that feels too big to support its own weight. “House of Gucci” is an experience that will leave those fascinated by the story behind one of the world’s biggest fashion brands, but sadly nothing more. The film follows Patrizia Gucci, née Reggiani (Lady Gaga) and her husband, Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), through the ’70s and ’80s as they navigate the difficult politics surrounding their…

Bloomberg Philanthropies has awarded the Birmingham Promise a total of $1.8 million for its apprenticeship program, according to an announcement that Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin made at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

Chloé Zhao’s “Eternals” clearly has so much it wants to say, and yet it says so little — but at this point, that feels expected from Marvel’s almost 15-year-old saga.