Career Focus from Howard College of Arts and Sciences at Samford University

Undaunted by COVID-19, Student Journalists Earn Top Regional Honors

Samford University journalism and mass communication students earned honors across a range of categories in Southeast Journalism Conference (SEJC) competition in March. Their work was among 370 entries from 27 schools.

Samford Students Win Gold Addy Award for Firehouse Ministries Project

Under the supervision of professor Dan Haun, the students created a complete ad campaign for the Stop, Drop and Run 5k Virtual Run event in December. The project helped raise $8,000 to support Firehouse Ministries programs

Bottcher Named Goldwater Scholar

Junior chemistry and biochemistry double-major Sydney Bottcher has earned a 2020-2021 Goldwater Scholarship, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honors.

Mentoring, Internship, Service Create Path To Law School for Arts & Sciences Graduate

Graduating political science major Hannah Maynor will head into an unexpectedly transformed world of graduate education this December, but with confidence that she is prepared to meet its challenges.

Samford PRSSA Chapter Honored for Innovative Remote Learning Project

The honor recognizes the chapter’s work as a founding member of the new PRSSA Reimagined project, which provides virtual public relations learning, networking and professional development in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Owens Selected for White House Historical Association Slavery Project

Samford French, Global and Cultural Studies and University Fellows alumna Mia Owens ’19 has earned a prestigious two-year fellowship to research and develop interpretive material about the history and legacy of slavery throughout Washington, D.C., and research and write for The White House Historical Association’s Slavery in the President’s Neighborhood initiative.

Remote Summer Research Helps Refine Career Interests

Computer science student Logan Casperson completed a National Science Foundation-sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the University of North Texas (UNT) this summer. COVID-19 complicated things, but Casperson was able to participate in the career-building experience remotely.

Graffeo Combines Religion, English to Prepare for Law Career

Graduating senior Carol Graffeo is interested in the relationship between law and religion in the U.S., so she combined Samford majors in English and religion on the road to one of the nation’s most prestigious law schools.

Mentoring, Research Were Essential for Chemistry Graduates

Three outstanding chemistry and biochemistry students in the class of 2020 highlighted the importance of mentoring in a department that emphasizes faculty-led research.

Opened to Exploration, Overby Created Her Own Niche

Waiting out the pandemic, Sarah Overby prepared a research article for publication, sought a way to help with local COVID-19 testing, and remained hopeful that she would be soon return to studies in Oxford and Valencia. She learned, long ago, to look over the horizon, past the strangeness and fear of new experiences.

Psychology Alumnus Thrives as Neuro-Oncology PA

Samford psychology alumnus Young-Bin Song '09 became a physician assistant at Alvord Brain Tumor Center at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Computer Science Students Work At Forefront of Technological Revolution

When computer science professor Greg Kawell secured a grant to purchase four new virtual reality units, he asked the Samford community for project ideas. The response was overwhelming, and Kawell’s computer science students worked across disciplines to develop VR projects throughout the university.

Samford STEM Scholar Prepares to Fight Growing Cybersecurity Threat

A summer research experience immersed Burks in cutting-edge exploration of remote sensing and cybersecurity. The latter was of special interest, and helped him and his research partners develop a way to train computer networks to mitigate malware attacks.

Parks Explores Faith, Work, Community in Memphis Fellows Program

Samford JMC and English alumna Anne Davis Parks ’19 is participating in the Memphis Fellows Program, a 9-month post-graduate experience focused on faith, work and community. Organized by Second Presbyterian Church, the program emphasizes community service to help recent graduates reflect on how their faith informs the way they think about work, culture, friendships and experiences.

Samford Computer Science Students Hack Their Way to the Top

Students in Samford University’s Department of Math and Computer Science make impressive strides in developing competitive career skills. Samford teams including students Gabriela Hoefer and Anisha Nizar Ali earned five awards in a year at multiple computer science competitions and professional conferences.

Samford History Student Applies Skills in D.C. Internship

Samford University history major Katie Krulak took advantage of an exceptional study opportunity to complete an internship in the archives department at the United States National Arboretum this summer.

Mentors Open Doors to Unexpected Careers

Forrest Courtney came to Samford with thoughts of a career in law. Although he was a lifeguard, a career in the ocean would have seemed far-fetched. He didn’t like to wade past his waist on family visits to the beach. “I saw Jaws way too early,” he joked. Now the geography major is a certified professional diver and researcher with an impressive record of coral reef preservation.

Odom Chosen for Global Institute for Human Rights

Sadie Odom is the first Samford student to be selected for the immersive course of study that introduces participants to a rigorous study of human rights theory, helps them explore current and pressing human rights issues and introduces them to the ways human rights advocacy might intersect with their career aspirations.