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She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms

Directed by: Amy Guerin

Agnes is just a typical high school girl, living that typical high school life--cheerleading, school, boyfriend, nerdy younger sister--until her sister dies in a car crash. Now with her sister's friends and their favorite D&D quest at her side, Agnes undertakes her own quest to recover her sister's lost soul, kill some monsters, and make it to the other side of grief. Written especially for presentation online, She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms is a funny, dance battle-filled, exploration of family, loss, and the bonds of friendship.

Presented by the UAH Theatre Program

SHE KILLS MONSTERS PROGRAM

Val Roberts, Part-time Instructor Studio Art.

Photo Credit UAH Art, Art History & Design

It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of our colleague and dear friend Val Roberts. Val was taken from us by the Corona Virus on January 3rd after a brief hospital stay. Although Val taught her first class at UAH in 1998, she began teaching regularly in 2012 and took on more classes after she retired from the Huntsville City Schools.

Val was a gifted teacher who cared deeply for her students—and they all loved her too. Her dedication to our foundations students helped them with their transition into art students and college life overall. Under her tutelage, students learned technical and creative skills that served them throughout their time at UAH and throughout their careers in the arts. She was also instrumental in the development of our Art Education BA track. She believed so strongly in the importance of art education that she was willing to contribute many hours (unpaid) to make sure we could offer the degree to our students. She was glad to share her extensive experience working in the public schools with our budding educators, ensuring that her legacy will encompass future students and the many whose lives she touched.

As a colleague, she served as a mentor to new faculty members. Part-time drawing and painting instructor Daniel Reidy said this of her:
"Val was so kind to me the minute I walked in the door. In the first week, maybe the first day, she offered me her prepared drawing exercises and any help she could give me adjusting to a new school. I happened to be playing the Clash, and Joe Strummer was among her musical mandatories. Boom- fast friends. The warmth she showed me that first term with UAH solidified the notion that I had landed in the right spot. She cared so thoroughly for the advancement of the kids during her time with them. At home, when my wife and I would share stories of how the day went, I would refer to Val as my "punk rock girlfriend." I will miss her dearly."

Vinny Argentina described her as a "genuine, lovely person with a lot of grit and a great sense of humor. I always found it particularly remarkable that she was able to find the humor in even the most difficult of her circumstance."

Foundations and Painting instructor Aynslee Moon said, "So many times I would just pop into Val's office, and we would follow any conversational rabbit hole, and laugh, how we would laugh. I remember how she loved music, I mean really loved it, deep in her soul. She was such a great teacher; she treated her students with patience, dignity, and compassion. I know this because I heard it said of her anytime her name came up amongst students. She was not just a fellow teacher; she was a fellow artist. I remember the last time we all gathered for figure drawing in my garage studio, right before this horrible, evil virus began making its appearance. We all talked, laughed, vented about politics and society, drank wine, and drew Iris. She was so talented, especially at drawing people and their beautiful form and soulful essence. If I had known that figure drawing session was the last time I would see her and her warm, gentle, happy smile, I would have hugged for a long, long time. But it still wouldn't have been long enough."
All of her friends and colleague her at UAH will miss her every day.

We were so lucky to have her as part of our department.

– The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, will celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Thursday, Jan. 14 from 2-4 p.m.

Violet Edwards, an alumna of The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, has been elected to the Madison County Commission as the Commissioner for District 6.

John O’Brien (‘14, History) and his book.

Photo Credit Michael Mercier

John O’Brien’s (‘14 History) new book Notorious Antebellum North Alabama (True Crime)describes the lawlessness of North Alabama before the Civil War. The book consists of several short stories and when compared to most history books, the publication tells the story of the often unexamined communities during this historical period. 

O’Brien spent 5 years researching these often untold stories through court cases. The era saw courts filled with defendants who spanned the socioeconomic gamut--farmers, merchants and politicians.

“In the book you will hear stories about liquor, kidnapping, prostitution, and divorces,” says O’Brien. 

One of the more interesting and complex chapters of the book tells the story of the divorce between a young woman and her lawyer husband. The young woman had a torrid affair with a traveling actor that led the court case documentation to be filled with love letters and dream sequences.  

The topic of divorces during this time period became an interesting focus on O’Brien’s research at UAH and a significant portion of the book. 

“When I was at UAH, I was doing a bunch of research on the history of divorce for an independent study with Professor Christine Sears. I examined 73 divorce cases from North Alabama prior to the civil war and I kept stumbling on all these interesting and random cases.”

One of the cases became an inspiration for a chapter in his book. It tells the story of a man who tore apart another man’s log cabin with his bare hands. The interesting stories within the court cases led to research papers and a personal blog. The publishing company Arcadia, after reviewing his blog and research, reached out to O’Brien about creating the book. It was after 3 years of continued research and writing that the book was published. 

O’Brien completed his research at the Madison County Courthouse. 

“In Madison county we've never had a courthouse fire or an archive fire. We are also the second oldest county in the state after Washington county, and so we have an unbroken line of court and county records that stretch all the way back to like 1810.” 

The enthusiasm from local volunteers and historians contributes to a vast county archive and special collections. 

Notorious Antebellum North Alabama (True Crime) is on sale now. The book also contains illustrations from UAH Aluma Sha-Meika Smith (‘16 Art). 

O’Brien hopes to continue publishing historical narratives and credits his faculty in the UAH History Department for helping guide his research and interest in public history.  

“Pretty much everyone that I encountered in the History Department at UAH is amazing. They really believe in their students.”  He shared his appreciation for the late Dr. James Isbell and his work with Dr. Andrew Dunar and Dr. Christine Sears. 

For more information on our Department of History, please contact history@uah.edu

When it comes to military use of autonomous systems, transparency about them, perceived usefulness and perception of ease of use all contribute to acceptance and adoption by personnel, according to new research at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of the University of Alabama System.

Catherine Oelberg (‘20 BFA Graphic Design)

Photo Credit Catherine Oelberg

The College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences is pleased to announce the top undergraduate scholar for Fall 2020 is Catherine (Katie) Oelberg. Katie will be graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design this fall.

Katie is an outstanding student in every course she takes, as is evident in her 4.0 GPA. When you visit her artist site, you will see her web design, user experience, product design, branding, and marketing expertise. She is also a skilled photographer and studio artist, particularly in the printmaking area

During her time here at UAH, Katie has been the vice-president of the Kappa Pi Art Honor Society and a board member of the Huntsville Young Professionals. 

Katie is an excellent representative of our university, college, and department in the Huntsville business community. She is well-deserving of this honor.

In her studio, design, and art historical courses, Katie has exemplified the notion of an outstanding student. She is curious and analytical, always balancing heady concepts with pragmatics. What's more, she is consistently a leader in discussions and projects. Most recently, alongside her class teammates, Katie spearheaded the website design and development for this year's Huntsville Science Festival, which allowed for this event to be fully online. On behalf of the faculty and the department, we are delighted that Katie has been selected as the top CAHS student.

Congratulations Catherine Oelberg! For questions about the College of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences and our Department of Art, Art History & Design, please contact cahs@uah.edu. 

VISIT KATIE’S ARTIST SITE

UAH History Department alumna, Dr. Whitney Snow

Photo Credit Dr. Whitney Snow

UAH History Department alumna, Dr. Whitney Snow, has published a new book. Dr. Snow earned her BA ('06) and MA ('08) in history from UAH and her Ph.D. from Mississippi State University. Currently, she is an Associate Professor at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Her latest book, The Civil War Diaries of Cassie Fennell: A Young Confederate Woman in North Alabama, 1859-1865 (University of Tennessee Press, 2020) looks at the diaries of Catherine (Cassie) Fennell, a Guntersville, Alabama native who was nineteen at the Civil War's outbreak. Her diaries open at the female academy in Washington, D.C., and discuss her civilian experiences in the Alabama and Tennessee Valley.

Fennell was well off, well educated, and well-placed in society. Her diaries offer one of the few contemporary records of north Alabama during this period. Insightful and engrossing, The Civil War Diaries of Cassie Fennell is a compelling portrait of a privileged young woman who suffered devastating losses for her ardent support of a Confederate nation.

The History Department wishes to congratulate Dr. Whitney Snow on her publication. 

For questions, contact:

Christine E. Sears, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of History

history@uah.edu 

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, announced that Toyin Ojih Odutola has won the 2020 Alumni of Achievement Award for Outstanding Young Alumni. The selection was made by the Board of Directors of The UAH Alumni Association to recognize alumni for their outstanding accomplishments in their career.

Dr. Dylan Baun, an assistant professor in the Department of History in The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, has published a new book. Winning Lebanon: Youth Politics, Populism, and the Production of Sectarian Violence, 1920–1958 is published by Cambridge University Press.