The University of Alabama

03/23/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/23/2026 07:18

UA Preview — March 23-29, 2026

BEST BETS

Bamalytics Powers Men's Basketball Run to Sweet 16

Bamalytics is the science behind how Crimson Tide men's basketball student-athletes and coaches use data to perfect their performance on the court.

Why This Matters: Riley Arnold, a senior sport management student featured in this year's Where Legends Are Made campaign, explains how that data is collected and then used as another coaching tool. "Our Blue Collar stats show even deeper data," Arnold said. "And what I've been specializing in is watching everyone who's on the floor at any given time and collecting that data. The coaches are then able to use that real-time information to coach the players even during the game."

For more information, contact Alex House at [email protected].

Capstone Leadership Academy Cultivates Leadership Skills

The University of Alabama hosted nearly 150 high school sophomores from around the state March 8-9 for a two-day program designed to cultivate leadership skills with an emphasis on values, vision and voice.

Why This Matters: Capstone Leadership Academy is a free empowerment program that provides high school sophomores opportunities to learn and apply leadership skills while meeting like-minded students from across the state. Established by the Capstone Council, CLA is sponsored by the UA Office of the President.

For more information, contact Bryant Welbourne at [email protected].

State's Engineering Hall of Fame Welcomes New Class

The State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame inducted six individuals and honored one corporation and one engineering project during a ceremony Feb. 28 at the Bryant Conference Center in Tuscaloosa.

Why This Matters: The following join the 237 who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since its founding in 1987: Eric Edwards, Keith Jones, Jonathan Pettus, Barry Pike, Lloyd Pitts and Chris Singer. Integrated Solutions for Systems Inc., an employee-owned engineering firm headquartered in Huntsville, and Project Recycled Oil Saves Energy, a project focused on the safe recovery of motor oil in Alabama, were also honored.

For more information, contact Alex House at [email protected].

UA Launches New Interdisciplinary Brain Health Evaluation Program

UA has launched a new interdisciplinary brain health evaluation program housed in the Institute for Social Science Research in the J. Frank Barefield Jr. College of Arts and Sciences.

Why This Matters: Comprehensive Post-Acute Specialty Services, or COMPASS, supports individuals across Alabama who continue to experience behavioral, cognitive, neurological or functional challenges after a concussion or traumatic brain injury.

For more information, contact Alex House at [email protected].

UA Miracle Sets Fundraising Record

UA Miracle, the University's largest student-led organization, set a fundraising record by collecting $394,178 over the past year to support pediatric care at Children's of Alabama in Birmingham.

Why This Matters: The record-setting amount was revealed following the group's annual BAMAthon event Feb. 28 at the UA Student Center. The 11-hour dance marathon celebrates the patients and families served by Children's of Alabama while raising funds for pediatric health care, research and family support services.

For more information, contact Bryant Welbourne at [email protected].

UA's AMP and Power Center Integrates Honeywell Technology

The Alabama Mobility and Power Center will integrate Honeywell's AI-powered Battery Manufacturing Excellence Platform in its battery research lab.

Why This Matters: The battery manufacturing automation platform optimizes operations by improving cell yields and expediting facility startups for battery manufacturers at any scale. This collaboration will allow the lab to train the next generation of engineers and battery professionals nationwide.

For more information, contact Alex House at [email protected].

UA Reboots Exchange Program

Fifteen first-year students are the first cohort of the Alabama-Esslingen-Mercedes Exchange, a continuation of a long-running exchange program in automotive engineering.

Why This Matters: The AEMX program for Global Leaders is a cooperative effort between UA, the German university Hochschule Esslingen and Mercedes-Benz US International.

For more information, contact Alex House at [email protected].

Sports Media Scholar Wins UA's SEC Faculty Achievement Award

Dr. Andrew Billings, a leading voice in the study of sports media, has been selected as UA's recipient of the 2026 Southeastern Conference Faculty Achievement Award.

Why This Matters: The annual SEC Faculty Achievement Awards recognize individuals whose work advances knowledge, elevates their universities and reflects the highest standards of excellence across the SEC.

EVENTS

Dance Alabama! Spring Show

March 26-28; English Building

Books in Bloom

March 28; Tuscaloosa Public Library

STEM Storytime

March 28; Tuscaloosa Public Library

40th Annual Sakura Festival & Haiku Contest

March 28; Snow Hinton Park Pavilion

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The University of Alabama strives to remain neutral on public policy issues. Strategic Communications may facilitate interviews or share opinions expressed by faculty, staff, students, or other individuals regarding policy matters. However, those opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the University or its leadership, and do not constitute a statement on behalf of the University unless explicitly designated.

The University of Alabama published this content on March 23, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 23, 2026 at 13:18 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]