Published on September 17, 2021 by Sean Flynt  
Anthony Overton
Anthony Overton

Samford University professor Anthony Overton, chair of the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, has been appointed to The Alabama Public Charter School Commission.

Overton became involved with a charter school while a professor at Alabama A&M University in Huntsville before joining Samford’s faculty in 2017. A colleague recently asked if he would be willing to serve on the state commission, and Overton was elected for a two-year term this summer.

The Alabama Public Charter School Commission reviews and approves applications for official charter school status under the Alabama School Choice and Student Opportunity Act, which provides for public charter schools as a part of the public education system of the state of Alabama. There are currently ten active or approved charter schools in the state.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.