Florence Area Residents Among UA Graduates

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama awarded some 1,400 degrees at winter commencement ceremonies held Monday, Dec. 15, in Coleman Coliseum on the Tuscaloosa campus.

Dr. Douglas E. Jones, UA professor emeritus of geology and curator of invertebrate paleontology at the Alabama Museum of Natural History, was the featured speaker. Jones also received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree during the event.

Jones, a 1952 UA alumnus, began his teaching career at UA in 1958. In addition to teaching and research activities during his long tenure, Jones served as department head, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, dean of University Libraries, vice president for academic affairs, and executive director of the UA Museums.

With this graduating class, UA has awarded more than 187,000 degrees since its founding in 1831 as the state’s first public university. UA holds commencement ceremonies three times a year.

The following students from the Forence area were listed as candidates to receive degrees:

JURIS DOCTOR DEGREE

WATERLOO — Billy Gene Tune

DOCTORAL DEGREE

HILLSBORO — Lucy S. Cohen

MASTER’S DEGREE

ATHENS — Jamie James Polk

FLORENCE — Cathey Elizabeth Cook

MOULTON — Lori Katherine Knight

MUSCLE SHOALS — Morgan O’Neal Gargis

ROGERSVILLE — Tammara Eileen Barrell

TUSCUMBIA — Sara Katherine Wright

BACHELOR’S DEGREE

ATHENS — Kristina Lynne Hendrix, Martin Tyler McGuire, Nicholas Lawson Shores, Justin David Smith, Jennifer Lou Yarbrough

ELKMONT — Mary Lynne Whitt

FLORENCE — Kevin A. Abston, Lora Allyn Barfield, Benji Heath Duncan, Joshua Hunter Gann, Blake William Lary, Stephen Christoper Myrick

KILLEN — Alison Lee Nesbitt, Andrew Howard Pettus, Lakeisha Lee Phillips

LEIGHTON — Andrew Logan McGee

LESTER — Christopher Thomas Carter

LEXINGTON — Andrew Daniel Mitchell

MOULTON — Richard Tidwell Littrell, Ravin Ivie Roberson

MUSCLE SHOALS — Bradley Roberts Horton, Wesley Douglas Sherer

RED BAY — Samantha Carroll Hellums, Christy Sabrina Sparks

RUSSELLVILLE — Jennifer Brooke Colglazier, Andrea Marie Fowler, Stephanie L Mitchell, James Harold Webb Jr.

SHEFFIELD — David Brian Gurley, Andrew Justin Machtolff, William Dean Morton

TUSCUMBIA — Phillip Loring Banks, James Patrick Malone Jr.