College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering Dean Dr. Sara Lynn Baird, left; and Dr. Pat Sanders, professor and Chair of the Department of Communication, right, accept the $50,000 Endowed Scholarship Award from Sharon Tinsley, Alabama Broadcasters Association President.

UNA’s Department of Communication Receives Award from Alabama Broadcasters Association

May. 19, 2022



Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392

FLORENCE, AL – The Department of Communication at the University of North Alabama has received a $50,000 Endowed Scholarship Award from the Alabama Broadcasters Association (ABA) that will assist students who are pursuing a degree in journalism and communication arts.

 “The Department of Communication is very appreciative to have been selected as a recipient for the Alabama Broadcasters Association Endowed Scholarship Award,” said Dr. Pat Sanders, professor and Chair of the Department. “These types of funds are vitally important to small-to-midsized programs. The monies will be used as an incentive to not only draw new students to the program but to ensure the successful advancement of current students.”

The ABA presented the gift to Dr. Sanders and Dr. Sara Lynn Baird, Dean of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering, in a presentation on campus. UNA was one of two Alabama institutions of higher education to receive the Endowed Scholarship Award. 

“The Alabama Broadcasters Association decided a few years ago that we could make a lasting impact on broadcast education and the future of our industry through scholarship endowments at Alabama colleges and universities which offer related programs,” said Sharon Tinsley, ABA President. “Our organization wishes to inspire students to pursue careers in radio and television and, hopefully, to remain in Alabama where we have a robust broadcast community. The University of North Alabama Department of Communication has an excellent program and graduates well-trained educated young broadcasters. It is our pleasure to support their efforts with this endowment. Their reputation in higher education and the increased ability to provide scholarships will ensure that the Department continues to grow.” 

The Department of Communication houses journalism, speech, student publications, and digital media as well as radio and television. The ABA scholarship award will benefit students throughout the Department, according to Baird.

“This (gift) will allow the department to offer significant scholarships to our outstanding students who are majoring in the department’s curricula and preparing to enter careers in broadcasting and journalism,” she said. “This gift dramatically expands the amount of support that we will be able to offer our students.”

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: una.edu and una.edu/unaworks/.