College News

Two University of Alabama students have been awarded the prestigious Derek Hughes/ National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices, Ltd. (NAPSLO) Educational Foundation scholarships.

The scholarships provide grants of $5,000 per year. To qualify, students must be enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate degree program, majoring in actuarial science, business, economics, finance, insurance, management, risk management, or statistics. Majors must be related to a career in insurance.

Aldrich Callins, of Birmingham, Ala., has attended college abroad in the United Kingdom, Japan, Botswana, and Australia. He also received a NAPSLO scholarship this past summer, which provided training in a surplus lines agency and company and will take him to the NAPSLO annual conference. Aldrich is a board member of the Alabama Insurance Society, a member of Epsilon Honorary Chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma, and a leader in several campus initiatives.

The second student, Kate McCulloch, a senior Woodstock, Ga., is a director of the Alabama Insurance Society, where she has exercised leadership responsibilities for the past two years, as well as being a member of Epsilon Honorary Chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma. In addition, she is active in her sorority and other campus activities.

The National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices, Ltd. (NAPSLO), is a national trade association representing the $30 billion specialized segment of the property and casualty insurance industry known as surplus lines. This segment provides insurance coverage for high-risk people and businesses. It is also the segment of the industry known for cutting-edge innovation through the creation of new types of insurance coverage. According to NAPSLO, this initiative is designed to educate, inform and create a higher level of interest in the profession, particularly among students with majors in liberal arts, business, finance and technology.

James H. “Jim” Miller III, a 1971 graduate of the Culverhouse College Commerce, has been named president and chief executive officer of Southern Nuclear Operating Company.

Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO David M. Ratcliffe made the announcement.

Miller, who formerly served as senior vice president, compliance officer, and general counsel at Georgia Power, will assume the additional role as chairman of Southern Nuclear when J. Barnie Beasley retires Oct. 1.

“Nuclear energy will play an increasingly important role in meeting the growing electricity needs of our customers,” said Ratcliffe. “Jim has been in leadership roles in a variety of key areas across the Southern Company system including Southern Nuclear, and I am confident that this experience will be pivotal not only in sustaining the superior performance of our existing nuclear fleet but also in guiding the company through its nuclear expansion.”

Miller joined Southern Company in 1994 as corporate counsel for Southern Nuclear after achieving partner status with the Birmingham, Ala.-based law firm of Balch and Bingham. Since then, he has held roles of increasing responsibility, including senior vice president, external affairs, Alabama Power, and senior vice president, Birmingham Division, Alabama Power.

Additionally, Miller served as senior vice president, general counsel and assistant secretary for Southern Company Generation and Southern Power where he had responsibility for legal issues surrounding the wholesale generation business, as well as external issues relating to the operations of the power plants.

Miller has been involved in many community activities, including board membership of the Lakeshore Foundation, a non-profit organization that trains people with disabilities in athletic endeavors. He also serves on the board of Fidelity Southern Corporation, Fidelity Bank as well as the United Way and Farrah Law Society.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Alabama in 1971, Miller spent three years in the U.S. Navy and later reached the rank of lieutenant commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Alabama in 1977, and is a graduate of the Advanced Management program at England’s Oxford University and the Nuclear Reactor Technology course at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Southern Nuclear, a subsidiary of Southern Company, operates Plant Vogtle’s two existing nuclear power units for the plant owners. Southern Nuclear also operates the Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant near Baxley, Ga., and the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant near Dothan, Ala.

The Manderson Graduate School of Business at The University of Alabama enrolled its largest full-time M.B.A. class ever this fall, with 78 students enrolling in the Class of 2010.

“Our mission in the M.B.A. program is to increase the value of the degree with every passing day,” says Susan West, assistant dean for the Manderson Graduate School of Business and Director of MBA Programs. “As we continue to attract the best and the brightest, in order to gain more national attention our strategy has been to grow in terms of the size of the program. As we grow, we have also attracted more out-of-state and out-of-region students, which can lead to a multiplier effect – when they graduate, these students typically want to return to the region from which they came. By going back to these areas, it helps in our brand awareness and effectiveness on a broader basis geographically.”

West said the students in the class of 2010 hail from nine countries and 29 different undergraduate institutions, and will bring a wealth of diversity, work experience, and academic excellence to the Manderson M.B.A. program .

West said growth typically comes at the expense of quality, but that hasn’t been the case with the M.B.A. program. In fact, quality has increased, according to West. “GMAT average, GPA, average work experience, and minority/international representation all increased with the Class of 2010,” she said. “As we grow in quantity, it is obvious why we would strive to demand equal growth in quality. The better our students, the more competitive we can be on a national basis, which again reflects what we are trying to accomplish in building our brand.”

A larger class size can also mean better job opportunities for students. Angelia Knight, Coordinator of Career Services for Manderson, said, “Recruiters tend to visit schools with larger M.B.A. classes because of the larger talent pool. More students mean more opportunities to fill multiple positions from a single visit. Companies are feeling the impact of gas prices, so the concept of ‘one-stop shopping’ is very appealing.”

Prospective students can contact Blake Bedsole, the manager of admissions and student services for Manderson, at bbedsole@cba.ua.edu or 205/348-9122 to ask questions or to schedule an on-campus visit. Prospective students are also encouraged to visit http://www.MandersonMBA.com for more information.

Five of the state’s leading business and civic leaders will be
inducted into the Alabama Business Hall of Fame Friday, Oct. 10 at a
black-tie dinner at the Bryant Conference Center on The University of
Alabama campus.

This year marks the 35rd anniversary of the Hall of Fame, sponsored by
the board of visitors of UA’s Culverhouse College of Commerce and
Business Administration. The five inductees exemplify hard work and
determination as well as a commitment to excellence and the betterment
of their community.

More than 125 prominent business leaders have been inducted into the
business hall of fame, and their likenesses are embossed on plaques
that line the walls of the Hall of Fame Room in Bidgood Hall on the
University campus.

The 2008 inductees are Dr. Derrill Crowe of Birmingham; Nimrod T.
Frazer of Montgomery; James R. Hudson of Huntsville; Benjamin Russell
of Alexander City; and James Thomas Stephens of Birmingham.

Will Brooke, executive vice president and corporate secretary for
Harbert Management Corp. and chairman of the Culverhouse College of
Commerce board of visitors, said the inductees have shown a strong
commitment to public service, to the betterment of their communities,
and to principles of free enterprise.

“Each of these individuals has acted with conviction and determination
to make their communities better places to live,” Brooke said.

Reznick Group PC, a national accounting firm, has pledged $125,000 to The University of Alabama in support of the Culverhouse College of Commerce and its Culverhouse School of Accountancy. Ranked among the top 20 public accounting firms in the nation, Reznick Group employs approximately 1,500 people. The firm maintains 10 offices nationwide, including a full-service office in Birmingham.

The Reznick Group Endowed Support Fund for Faculty Excellence will be used to attract and retain a faculty member in the School of Accountancy who will coordinate the master of accountancy program. “In today’s business climate, a master of accountancy degree is almost essential to an accountant’s success,” said Dr. Mary Stone, director of the Culverhouse School of Accountancy. “The Reznick Group Endowed Support Fund for Faculty Excellence will allow the School of Accountancy to continue to provide students the academically rigorous course of study needed for success in today’s competitive business environment.”

UA’s master of accountancy degree program is a fifth-year professional program and is designed to provide students with a greater breadth and depth of understanding of accounting and business than is possible in an undergraduate program. The program prepares students for careers as professional accountants in financial institutions, government, industry, nonprofit organizations, and public practice. Graduates are prepared to research various databases related to troublesome accounting problems and to exercise judgment in making accounting-related decisions by drawing on their integrated, comprehensive body of accounting knowledge.

“We are very excited about being a financial partner with The University of Alabama,” said Eddie Lusk, principal in Reznick Group’s Atlanta office and a UA alumnus. “For several years now we have recruited from the nationally recognized School of Accountancy and have greatly benefited from the talented professionals it produces. We are proud to be a part of the bright future of the University.”

About Reznick Group
A national leader in accounting, tax and business advisory services, Reznick Group is ranked among the top 20 public accounting firms in the United States, serving clients in a broad spectrum of industries. Founded in 1977, Reznick Group maintains 10 offices nationwide - in Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Baltimore; Bethesda, Md., Birmingham; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Los Angeles; Sacramento, Calif., and Tysons Corner, Va. Reznick Group is a Certified Public Accounting Firm and a Professional Corporation. For more information, please visit www.reznickgroup.com.