The Alabama Credit Union (ACU) donation establishes UAH College of Business Professorship in Entrepreneurship. (l-r) Steve Swofford, ACU CEO; June Landrum, ACU COO; Gladys Jones, ACU Vice Chairman and Board Member; Dr. Darren Dawson, UAH President; Dr. Christine Curtis, UAH Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs; Dr. Jason Greene, Dean UAH COB; Dr. Fan Tseng, Chair, Department of Management, Marketing and Information Systems at UAH COB; Mallie Hale, UAH Vice President for University Advancement/Executive Director of UAH Foundation; Dr. Wafa Orman, Associate Dean, UAH COB.
Michael Mercier | UAH
Alabama Credit Union (ACU) has donated $100,000 to The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, as a commitment to establish the Alabama Credit Union Professorship in Entrepreneurship in the College of Business (COB).
This professorship will be selected by the dean of the college along with the provost. The College of Business will use the professorship to recognize one or more faculty who focus on the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation or business strategy.
"We are thrilled that the Alabama Credit Union's gift touches all three pillars of our mission – fueling innovation, sparking ideas and launching careers," says the Dean of the COB, Dr. Jason Greene. "For our college, this professorship is immensely meaningful, as it provides support for our faculty’s research, course and curriculum innovation and student and community engagement activities. This, in turn, will expand the college’s reputation and capabilities in the fields of entrepreneurship, business innovation and business strategy."
The professorship will support faculty research, course or curriculum innovation, as well as student and community engagement activities that expand the college’s reputation and capabilities in these fields. The named professorship will be in place for four years, and selected faculty members will be recognized as Alabama Credit Union Professors of Entrepreneurship.
"We are proud to have been instrumental in improving the financial lives of UAH members, and in supporting various activities and priorities on the campus," says Alabama Credit Union Chief Executive Officer Steve Swofford. "The establishment of the Alabama Credit Union Professorship in Entrepreneurship is just the latest example of our support for UAH and those affiliated with it."
Under the terms of the gift agreement, an initial $25,000 commitment will be used to establish the professorship beginning with the 2021-2022 academic year. The remaining annual installments of $25,000 each will continue to support the ACU Professorship through the end of the 2024-2025 academic year.
Establishing this professorship within the College of Business helps UAH continue to attract and retain top talent within the university. It also allows students to learn from, and work side-by-side with, some of the most talented scholars in the field in which they specialize.
"Alabama Credit Union has served the UAH community for 50 years and has occupied the current branch on the campus since 1992," Swofford notes. "Over that period, the credit union has provided faculty, staff, students and alumni the finest in cost-effective financial services, delivered with a personal approach that is becoming rare in today’s marketplace."
Alabama Credit Union totals $1.2 billion in assets, serving 102,000 members from 33 locations across Alabama, with headquarters in Tuscaloosa. To enhance convenience for its customers, ACU now has three offices in and around Huntsville, with a fourth under construction on County Line Road in Madison.
