FLORENCE – More than 750 University of North Alabama students will graduate in fall commencement ceremonies Friday and Saturday.
Joe Campbell, chief legal officer for the Huntsville Hospital System and a 1977 UNA graduate, will provide Friday’s address.
Alvin Briggs, Alabama High School Athletic Association executive director and a 1993 and 1996 UNA graduate, will provide the address Saturday.
“Commencement is a special time for our students, their families, and friends,” said UNA President Dr. Ken Kitts. “Both of our speakers will share their insights as professionals and experts in their fields, and, as graduates of the institution themselves, showcase what a UNA degree can do to advance a career to the highest levels.”
While at UNA, Campbell was the sports editor for the Diorama yearbook and co-editor and executive editor of the Flor-Ala newspaper. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. Currently, Campbell’s professional associations are with the United States Supreme Court, the Alabama State Bar Association, the American Health Lawyers Association, and the Huntsville-Madison County Bar Association.
Campbell serves as the Chair of the Nominations Committee for the University of North Alabama Foundation and is a member of the Professional Advisory Council for the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology.
Briggs has served as the executive director of the Alabama High School Athletic Association since July 2021; he has been on the AHSAA executive staff since 2011. Briggs was director of the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association from 2011-18 and associate executive director from 2018-21.
Briggs had an outstanding collegiate career as a defensive back at Auburn University from 1983-87, and he was a member of the Dallas Cowboys from 1988-89 until injuries ended his NFL career. Briggs was part of the UNA football coaching staff from 1993-01.
Just before their commencement Friday, students in the College of Education and Human Sciences will participate in the first-ever Teacher Candidate Pinning Ceremony. This ceremony is a way of recognizing those who are graduating and moving into their roles as teachers in schools across the state and region.
“We are committed to our teacher candidates,” said Dr. Katie Kinney, dean of the college. “Many of the teachers in our area were prepared for the profession here at UNA, and even after they have graduated, we continue to invest in their professional development and into their schools. Through the work of our faculty and local teachers, we collaborate to pour into future teacher candidates.
“Strong partnerships are critical in preparing teachers.”
As part of the ceremony, eligible graduates will take an oath and receive their pin. Designed by graduate students from the college who also planned the ceremony, the pins and oath are symbolic and were created with the commitments and ideals of the teaching profession in mind.
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