FLORENCE, Ala. – The finalists for the University Economic Development Association (UEDA) 2016 Awards of Excellence were announced last week and the University of North Alabama has made the list.
Each year, universities and organizations across North America submit nominations for innovative programs that focus on developing economic prosperity in their communities and beyond. UNA’s Shoals Shift, developed in the College of Business, was among the 20 programs selected by a panel of university and economic development professionals.
Dr. Greg Carnes, UNA College of Business dean
“We’re thrilled to be selected as a finalist,” said Dr. Greg Carnes, UNA College of Business dean. “We pride ourselves on offering our students the full experience, and being named a UEDA finalist is just another example of that. We know that our students will compete well, but it’s also important for them to see the impact they can have on their community or region, even as students,” he said.
The UEDA awards are designed to help accelerate these programs by recognizing cutting edge initiatives, and to promote their adoption by other universities and communities. Program categories include: Innovation, Talent, and Place, as well as the intersections of these three categories.
The Finalists will be judged during the UEDA’s Annual Summit (#UEDASummit), which takes place Oct. 16-19, 2016, in Roanoke, Virginia. Criteria for judging include initiative replicability, scalability, sustainability, impact, and originality.
The University of North Alabama was a finalist in the Innovation + Talent section of the awards. A full list of finalists can be found here: http://universityeda.org/
“For the past several years, UEDA has encouraged higher education institutions to think more comprehensively about how economic development and engagement activities connect to each other and to an institution’s core mission activities,” said Tim Hindes, UEDA executive director. “These finalists represent model programs driving regional growth in their perspective regions.”
The theme for this year’s summit is “It Takes a Region: Talent + Innovation + Place.” The agenda includes such topics as The Power of Community Partnerships in Funding Workforce Development Initiatives; A Holistic View of Higher Education’s Role in Community Engagement and Economic Development; A Holistic View of Higher Education’s Role in Community Engagement and Economic Development; Merging Dynamic Interests of Universities and Communities; and much more.
For more information on the UEDA: http://universityeda.org/
For more information on the UNA College of Business: https://www.una.edu/business/
Media Release/UNA/Bryan Rachal, University Communications
