New president aims to make UAH "indispensable"
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Donald Leo started as UAH president June 1. Photo: Derek Lacey/Axios
Donald Leo is four months into his role as president of the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and he's rolling up his sleeves.
Why it matters: UAH is a critical part of Huntsville's education, research and economic development ecosystem.
Driving the news: As Huntsville grows and attracts companies like Eli Lilly, UAH and other institutions face mounting pressure to develop a workforce that can meet the region's needs.
- "That's good pressure," Leo told Axios. "I'd rather be in a community that's putting that type of pressure on us to grow and to support the community's growth than a community that might not be in that situation. … I relish that pressure."
Catch up quick: Leo took over from Charles Karr in June and has since been meeting with campus and community leaders and identifying ways to strengthen partnerships and raise the university's national profile.
What they're saying: "I want us to be indispensable to the success of the North Alabama region," he said, emphasizing the need for the university to increase its visibility and value to the community.
- "Serving Huntsville means we're serving the nation," Leo told Axios. "Because the nation needs Huntsville to thrive and be successful, and we're an integral part of this community's success."
The latest: Leo has been filling up his to-do list, detailed in his Oct. 7 inaugural address, "Building Our Future Together."
- High on that list is regaining the university's Research 1 status within three to five years. UAH lost the designation years ago when the requirements changed.
- To help achieve that goal, Leo announced that UAH will commit resources to match funding for up to 50 doctoral research assistantships supported by new external funding.
Zoom in: Leo also wants to create a revenue-sharing program for departments that bring in new revenue to the institution. Faculty who take on extra responsibilities should benefit from that work, he said.
By the numbers: Enrollment is up for the first time in six years, with first-year enrollment up 5% and graduate enrollment up 4.8%, bringing the total to about 8,500 students.
- About 70% of UAH graduates stay in Alabama. Ten years after graduation, their average annual earnings are $96,156.
Zoom out: UAH also has brick-and-mortar plans, including the Exploration Plaza project, which will extend the campus across Sparkman Drive.
- The university has around $360 million in infrastructure projects in the works on campus and is getting ready to open the Raymond B. Jones Engineering Building.
- "A lot of what we're talking about is how do we evolve our infrastructure so the student experience is the one that brings students here and retains them," Leo said.
The bottom line: "What's exciting to me is just the depth of that quality, as an institution, that we have to build upon," Leo told Axios. "We need to grow to support this growing community."