UAB wins trustee approval for multiple namings, endowments and center closures; dental biomaterials certificate planned

The Board of Trustees approved several administrative actions and information items from the University of Alabama at Birmingham on Nov. 7, including naming and endowment changes and the planned closure of three centers following recent viability reviews.

Senior Vice Chancellor Tanjaneer Johnson reported UAB requested approval to rename an endowed professorship in epilepsy research, recommend Dr. Jerzy Zaflarski as the first holder, approve the posthumous appointment of Dr. Leticia Elopre, and establish additional endowed professorships and shareholders. UAB also requested closure of three centers (UAB Pulmonary Injury and Repair Center, UAB Microbiome Center in the medical school, and the Center for Health Informatics for Patient Safety Quality); officials told trustees no donor funds, students or personnel would be negatively impacted and remaining activities would be moved to other units.

UAB additionally presented an information item proposing a 15‑credit graduate certificate in dental biomaterials to be delivered primarily online with optional one- to two‑week in‑person research experiences at the UAB School of Dentistry; the certificate is planned for implementation in summer 2026.

Action taken: The committee moved, seconded and voted to approve the UAB administrative items. Some items—such as the posthumous appointment—were noted with institutional recognition and memorial remarks; the transcript includes the dates associated with Dr. Elopre’s death but no additional personnel or fiscal details were read into the record.

Follow up: Detailed implementation plans, budgets or staffing changes for the center closures were summarized in the committee materials but not recited in the public remarks; UAB officials indicated activity migration to other units and assurance that donors, students and staff would not be negatively affected.