Board committee approves namings and gift acknowledgments across UA, UAB and UAH; UA campaign passes $1.7 billion

Committee members on April 4 approved naming resolutions and gift acknowledgments from all three system campuses and commended fundraising progress.

President Clif Bell (presented as "Doctor Bell" in committee materials) reported fundraising milestones for the University of Alabama’s Rising Tide campaign, saying the campaign reached $1.7 billion toward a $1.8 billion goal and had crossed the 95% mark as of the meeting. The committee then considered naming resolutions, endowments and donor acknowledgments for UA, UAB and UAH.

At UA, the materials proposed namings in the Capstone College of Nursing and Mary Hill Austin Hall and revisions to 26 endowments. UAB presented a resolution accepting gifts and pledges supporting the new Francis and Miller Glory Hall (the new home of the UAB School of Engineering) and establishing multiple endowments; committee materials referenced a multi-million-dollar commitment recognized in renaming the UAB Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics to the Killian Center in acknowledgment of approximately $5,000,000 in family commitments. UAH highlighted gifts including a Killpoint Professorship in Family Wealth, a gift from Bryant Bank, and the naming of the Dr. Louis B. Warner AI Machine Learning Lab (a $143,000 gift referenced in committee remarks).

Committee actions The committee voted unanimously to recommend approval of the naming and gift resolutions for all three campuses; the full board later approved the recommendations during the plenary session.

Speakers - President Bell — President, University of Alabama (presented fundraising totals and naming resolutions for UA). - Dr. Watts — President, UAB (presented UAB gift resolutions and endowments). - Dr. Carr — President, UAH (presented UAH gift acknowledgments including the Dr. Louis B. Warner AI Machine Learning Lab naming).

Clarifying details - UA Rising Tide campaign status: Reported as $1.7 billion raised toward a $1.8 billion goal and crossing the 95% mark. - UAB naming: Committee materials noted a $5,000,000 family commitment connected with renaming a UAB center (Killian Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics). - UAH gift: Dr. Louis B. Warner and spouse gave $143,000 to name the AI machine learning lab in Raymond B. Jones Engineering Building (materials presented by Dr. Carr).

Provenance - transcript_segments: [{"block_id":"5573.0747","local_start":0,"local_end":120,"evidence_excerpt":"Good morning Chairman Simon, Chancellor Trent, and distinguished members of the board... To approve namings in the Capstone College of Nursing building and the Mary Hill Austin Hall, and also approving or revising 26 endowments..."},{"block_id":"5808.4897","local_start":0,"local_end":160,"evidence_excerpt":"Thank you, Chair Simon and members of the committee. I recommend acknowledgment and appreciation of the gifts contained in the board book... naming of the doctor Louis b Warner AI machine learning lab... $143,000 to name the AI machine learning lab."}]

Topics - {"name":"donations-and-namings","justification":"Committee approved multiple naming resolutions and gift acknowledgments across UA, UAB and UAH; campaign totals reported.","scoring":{"topic_relevance":1.00,"depth_score":0.60,"opinionatedness":0.01,"controversy":0.05,"civic_salience":0.40,"impactfulness":0.45,"geo_relevance":1.00}}

Ending The committee recommended the naming resolutions and gift acknowledgments to the full board, which approved the committee’s recommendations later in the meeting. Trustees praised campus fundraising momentum and voted to accept the gifts and establish the named positions and spaces described in the materials.