The Emerging Scholar Award
The Emerging Scholar Award recognizes a student who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, community engagement, collaborative leadership potential, and ethical and empathetic citizenship within the UA Honors College community. The award recipient exemplifies excellence in academic and extracurricular pursuits while embodying ethical leadership and empathy.
2025 Recipient: Phanuelle Manuel
Phanuelle Manuel is a freshman computer science major, minoring in mathematics and the Randall Research Scholars Program. She is a student in the STEM Path to the MBA Program and is very involved on campus as well. She is an Ambassador for the College of Engineering and the Honors College.
Read more
She is also the vice president of the Girls Who Code club, a National Center for Women in IT (NCWIT) Campus Representative, and a member of UA Girls Staters. Phanuelle is very passionate about research and the Honors College at UA and is very honored to receive this award.
The Critical and Creative Thinker Award
The Critical and Creative Thinker Award celebrates an individual who has demonstrated exceptional critical thinking skills, innovative problem-solving abilities, and the capacity to synthesize diverse perspectives to address complex issues within the UA Honors College community. The recipient of this award exhibits a unique combination of analytical reasoning, creativity, and thought leadership.
2025 Recipient: Jesse Park
Jesse is a dual AMP and admitted MBA student studying mechanical engineering at UA. A member of the Engineering Entrepreneurship Program, he has competed in various pitch competitions within Alabama. He is also the President of UA's chapter of Tikkun Olam Makers, which focuses on designing open-source, low-cost solutions for people with disabilities. Jesse organized the first-ever TOM Pitch-a-thon at UA. Jesse is also a Randall Research Scholar in The Davami Research Group.
Read more
His current areas of focus span additively manufactured tensegrity structures and nanomechanical surface characterizations of treated materials. A recipient of the College of Engineering Outstanding Freshman Award and the Mechanical Engineering Student of the Year award, Jesse utilizes his ambassador roles in both the Honors College and College of Engineering to show prospective students why UA is the place "Where Legends are Made." Outside of academics, Jesse is a member of the UA Jazz Ensemble and HallyUA Kpop Dance Team.
The Ethical and Empathetic Citizen Award
The Ethical and Empathetic Citizen Award celebrates an individual who embodies the core values of the UA Honors College through their commitment to ethics, empathy, community engagement, and dedication to peers. The recipient of this award demonstrates exceptional moral leadership and serves as a role model for integrity and empathy within the Honors College community and beyond.
2025 Recipient: Caleb Buell
Caleb Buell is a senior and the Honors College Assembly president for the 2024-2025 school year. He is from Kingsport, Tennessee and is a chemistry major in both the Blount Scholars Program and the Randall Research Scholars Program.
Read more
On campus, he serves as the president of the chemistry honors society Gamma Sigma Epsilon, the assistant team lead for Serving Bama at the West Alabama Food Bank, and an undergraduate researcher in the Papish Group studying anti-cancerous Ruthenium-Ligand complexes. Caleb has a passion for both science and service, which he seeks to utilize in his future medical career.
The Collaborative and Inclusive Leader Award
The Collaborative and Inclusive Leader Award recognizes an individual who embodies inclusive leadership qualities and actively fosters collaboration within the UA Honors College community. The recipient of this award demonstrates a commitment to creating an inclusive environment where all voices are valued and respected.
2025 Recipient: Chandni Bhat
Chandni Bhat (she/her) is a senior chemistry and mathematics major in the Randall Research Scholars Program from Kingsport, Tennessee. On campus, she serves as the vice president of the chemistry honors society Gamma Sigma Epsilon, the treasurer of the XXXI Women Honors Society, the secretary for the Bollywood dance group, Nach Basanti, and an undergraduate researcher in the Papish Group studying anti-cancerous Ruthenium-Ligand complexes.
Read more
Chandni spent the 2024 summer at the Helmhotlz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) Research Center in Germany under the Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE) Germany scholarship, where she synthesized Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA)-directed radio conjugates that are used in targeted alpha therapy for prostate cancer under Dr. Constantin Mamat. In her spare time, she enjoys dancing, pickleball and henna art.
The Staff Excellence Award
The Staff Excellence Award recognizes an individual who consistently demonstrates exceptional dedication and contributes significantly to the mission and values of the UA Honors College. The recipient of this award exemplifies the highest standards of professionalism and ethical conduct while actively supporting the College’s goals and objectives.
2025 Recipient: Jane Batson
Jane Batson is the program coordinator for the Randall Research Scholars Program (RRSP) and is the Honors College technology coordinator. She graduated summa cum laude from UA’s New College in 1980 with a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a depth study in computer engineering with concentrations in business and psychology.
She is an alumna of the Computer-Based Honors Program (now RRSP). After graduation, Mrs. Batson worked in Atlanta in both business and engineering systems analysis and finally as a research scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute.
Read more
In 1984, she returned to Tuscaloosa and UA serving as the CBH freshman instructor until 1990. From 1990 until 2004, she was a full-time mother and actively involved in her community and church in various leadership roles.
In 2004, Mrs. Batson returned to UA. As a member of the Honors College staff, she has served for 21 years as the CBH/RRS program coordinator and Honors College technology coordinator where she is responsible for directing the RRS research lab and the Honors College computer lab. At various times her role in the Honors College has included budget coordinator, scholarship manager and alumni database coordinator.
In 2021, Mrs. Batson received the Penny Allen award for her contributions to the quality of student life at the Capstone. In 2023, she was recognized as one of 18 compliance champions by UA’s Ethics and Compliance Department. In Spring 2025, she was inducted into XXXI Honor Society.
She is married to Dr. Robert Batson, who is a professor of engineering, and they have two children who are alumni of UA and the Honors College.
The Professor of the Year Award
The Professor of the Year Award recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates exceptional commitment, leadership, ethical conduct, and impact within the UA Honors College community. The recipient of this award exhibits outstanding dedication to their students, upholds the highest ethical standards, and receives recognition from their peers for their positive influence and contributions.
2025 Recipient: Dr. Anne Franklin Lamar
Dr. Anne Franklin Lamar was born and raised in the Mississippi Delta. She attended Mississippi University for Women, graduating summa cum laude with a B.A. in English. At the W, she was a member of the Ina E. Gordy Honors College, Mortar Board, and Phi Kappa Phi. She earned her master’s and Ph.D. in English from The University of Alabama and began teaching for Honors College in her last years of graduate work.
She joined the Honors College faculty fulltime in 2018 and was named the Honors Year One Director in 2019. As director, she has developed and implemented the first-year curriculum for the University Honors Program and also coordinates and leads Honors Action. Dean Sippial has appointed her as Interim University Honors Program Director for Spring 2026.
Read more
Her teaching and research interests include the first-year experience, community engaged learning, literature of the American South, and women’s primary texts, including non-traditional texts such as diaries, quilts, cookbooks and gardens. She is a co-editor of the second edition of Foundation and Engaged Scholarship.
Dr. Lamar is a studio potter and member of a local clay cooperative, exhibiting her work solo and with the group at local and regional art festivals. She recently served as the Primary Humanities Scholar for the Kentuck Art Center’s 2024 Exhibition Season.
The Volunteer Service Award
The Volunteer Service Award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to the UA Honors College through their dedicated service, diverse forms of support, commitment to enhancement, and impactful engagement. The recipient of this award demonstrates exemplary dedication to the Honors College community and contributes to its growth and success through their volunteer efforts.
2025 Recipient: Dr. Allen Yeilding
Dr. Allen Yeilding graduated cum laude with a B.S. from UA in 1978 and received his M.D. from UAB in 1982. He is currently a managing partner with Hematology & Oncology Associates of Alabama and has been the Principal Investigator for more than 50 clinical trials. He was honored with the Physician’s Recognition Award in 1990 and was president of the Alabama Society of Clinical Oncology in 1991.
His dedication to education at The University of Alabama is exemplified with the establishment of the Allen L. Yeilding Endowment Support Fund. He has recently established the Dr. Allen L. Yeilding Prestigious Scholarships and Fellowships Support fund to support Honors College students who are competing for the world’s most prestigious undergraduate awards.
Read more
Yeilding serves on the UA President’s Cabinet and is the chairperson of the Honors College Board of Visitors where he has served since 2004. He was the Alabama State Mid-Amateur golf champion in 1991 and was the recipient of the 2024 Paul W. Bryant Alumni-Athlete Award.
He was also appointed by UA President, Dr. Stuart Bell, to The University of Alabama Capital Campaign cabinet.
Yeilding has had 750 Honors pre-med students shadow him over the past 25 years and has written letters of recommendation for the majority.
He serves as a board member for the Friends of Rickwood, who hosted the unprecedented major league baseball game last June between the Giants and Cardinals along with Fox and MLB, recognizing the oldest ballpark in America and honoring the contribution to baseball by the Negro Baseball League.
The Alumnus of the Year Award
The Alumnus of the Year Award honors an individual who exemplifies the values and achievements of the UA Honors College through their outstanding accomplishments, contributions, and impact in their respective field. The recipient of this award reflects the highest standards of excellence and serves as a role model for current and future members of the Honors College community.
2025 Recipient: John Baschab
John Baschab is co-founder and general partner at Scout Energy Partners (established 2011), the co-founder of Impact Innovations Group (established 1999 and transacted in 2005), and the author of four titles published by John Wiley & Sons, including The Executives Guide to Information Technology and Outperform: Inside the Investment Strategies of Billion Dollar Endowments.
Baschab is a 1991 magna cum laude graduate of The University of Alabama Culverhouse College of Business, majoring in Management Information Systems. He was part of the 1987 inaugural class of the University Honors Program, now the Honors College. While at Alabama he was selected by faculty as outstanding MIS senior in his major, as well as received the Charles L. Seebeck for the outstanding student in CBH (now Randall Research Scholars).
Read more
Post-graduation, he worked at Intergraph Corporation in Huntsville, Alabama as a financial software analyst. He received his MBA in 1996 from the University of Chicago, graduating with honors and received the Dean’s Award of Distinction for the top five program students excelling in academics and service.
Afterwards he worked for management consulting firm Booz Allen & Hamilton, advising consumer-oriented firms on technology strategy. Baschab was an adjunct professor in the Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University from 2003-2009 and was selected as Outstanding Undergraduate Faculty in 2008. He served on the Distinguished Advisory Council for the Engineering Management, Information and Systems department at SMU. He is a member of the Dallas Gold Chapter of the Young President’s Organization and the Dallas Wildcat Committee.
His wife, Mary, is a 1991 UA grad in MIS; his daughter, Emily, is a 2023 UA graduate in mathematics; and his son, Will, is a current UA student majoring in mechanical engineering and German. Baschab serves on the Honors College and Culverhouse College of Business Board of Visitors.
