UNA Receives first ever Endowment Fund from Bank Independent

Historically, public universities in Alabama are often the backbone of community development. Whether in Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, or Mobile, public universities in Alabama have always had a central role in the growth of their surrounding communities, as well as the state as a whole.  Florence and the Shoals area are no exception to this historical precedent.  […]

NASA and Drake State Partner to Provide Free STEM Bootcamps for Underrepresented Students

Thanks to a multi-year grant from NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP), middle and high school students can now enroll in free bootcamps at Drake State Community & Technical College. The MUREP grant supports minority-serving institutions working to increase the number of racially or ethnically underrepresented and female students in science and engineering […]

Student Loan Payment Moratorium & its Extension: Providing Much Needed Relief

As student loan debt statistics indicate, the cost of attending college comes with a hefty price tag for Americans. Since the pandemic hit, it’s also greatly affected many people’s ability to make monthly payments on their student loans. Among the Class of 2019, 69% of college students took out student loans, graduating with an average […]

Huntsville Educational and Community Leader Appointed to APC Board of Directors

Last week, Drake State President Dr. Patricia Sims was appointed by the Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives, Mac McCutcheon, to the Alabama Partnership for Children (APC) Board of Directors.  Dr. Sims’ career in education paints an image that perfectly qualifies her for the newest post.  Since 2018, Dr. Sims served as the fourth […]

U.S. Space & Rocket’s LIFT Academy: Preparing Young Adults for the Future

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) recently hosted its inaugural Leadership, Inspiration, Focus and Teamwork (LIFT) Academy at Space Camp®. The LIFT Academy was developed to assist young adults by providing them with the tools needed for success in college, careers, and life.  It was a three-day program filled with leadership development, teamwork building, […]

The University of Alabama in Huntsville PTAC Welcomes Two New Advisors

The UAH Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) recently announced the addition of two new Senior PTAC Advisors, Kris McBride and Marc Jacobson. Ms. McBride brings over 30 years of management and technical experience in system development, software development, delivery of engineering services, and training product development supporting the US […]

HudsonAlpha’s Aims for Collaboration, Increasing Workforce Diversity, and Reducing Fertilizer Use

There’s nothing quite like a pandemic to shake up the best laid research plans. In late 2018, researchers at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, in collaboration with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) were awarded a $3.9 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study nitrogen efficiency in sorghum.  Sorghum is a grain with […]

Drake State and University of North Alabama Sign Learning Agreement

Drake State Community and Technical College graduates now have new educational options thanks to a partnership agreement signed with the University of North Alabama on Dec. 13.  Effective immediately, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the two schools will benefit all Drake State graduates seeking to complete their bachelor’s degrees at UNA by enabling […]

Leidos Donates $1M Toward Huntsville Cyber School

It is the only public magnet high school in the nation to integrate cyber technology and engineering into all its academic disciplines. Thanks to a $1 million donation from Leidos, the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering is getting an academic and residential facility to support Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education.  Leidos […]

Drake State Program Helps Build Up Construction Labor Pool

Huntsville might be big now, but we’re only going to get bigger. Which bears the question: Who will build it all? As the most-populous city in Alabama, growth has been exponential in the Rocket City. Everywhere, as far as the eye can see in Madison County, it’s an endless sea of red clay, ubiquitously peppered […]