Tag Archives: UAB

What if Birmingham had a goose that laid golden eggs?

Golden egg. drawing by Adam Stermer
Golden egg. drawing by Adam Stermer

By David Sher

Ever wonder what it would be like to have a goose that laid golden eggs?

You would feed that magic bird to get more and more golden eggs.

Currently, our Birmingham region is struggling to set a direction for our economic future. Continue reading What if Birmingham had a goose that laid golden eggs?

UAB Health System’s new CEO’s vision for Birmingham and Alabama

Dr. Selwyn Vickers
Dr. Selwyn Vickers

Today’s guest columnist is Dr. Selwyn Vickers.

Growing up in Alabama has always been a significant point of pride for me.

Throughout my training years at Johns Hopkins Medicine and my seven years as chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Minnesota, I knew I would find my way back here. Continue reading UAB Health System’s new CEO’s vision for Birmingham and Alabama

UAB President Watts had a rough 2014—what’s happened since?

Dr. Ray Watts
Dr. Ray Watts

On December 4, 2014, I did something I had never done before and have never had to do again.

On that day, as publisher of ComebackTown, I published a column which I naively titled, “UAB lucky to have Ray Watts as President.”

Two days earlier Dr. Watts had announced the cancellation of UAB Blazer football.

The response was immediate, ugly, and personal. Continue reading UAB President Watts had a rough 2014—what’s happened since?

My life doesn’t revolve around Alabama and Auburn football

Adam Stermer

Today’s guest columnist is Adam Stermer.

I moved to Alabama in High School.

I was immediately struck by the natural beauty of the state, and having spent most of my short lifetime relocating often, I was excited and nervous to begin learning about my new home.

Meeting people and making new friends was a reality I was familiar with, but it’s never easy. While there were expected differences from places I’d lived in the past, one experience stands out. Continue reading My life doesn’t revolve around Alabama and Auburn football

Huntsville is never going to be Alabama’s largest city

Tom Cosby
Tom Cosby

Today’s guest columnist is Tom Cosby.

There is a steady drumbeat in the clickbait news of how Huntsville is poised to overtake Birmingham as the state’s largest city.

While shocking in a man-bites-dog context, it is only true in the narrowest of contexts, that of comparing populations within a single municipality’s border. Continue reading Huntsville is never going to be Alabama’s largest city

Beacon of hope shines brighter than ever on Birmingham

Sanjay Singh

Today’s guest columnist is Sanjay Singh.

Dora and I moved to Birmingham in 1993. I was a newly minted Ph.D. from University of Georgia, where I met Dr. Khris McAllister, former Chair of the Management Department of Collat School of Business. He invited me for an interview in the fall of 1992. Continue reading Beacon of hope shines brighter than ever on Birmingham

Birmingham healthcare to look a lot different

Will Ferniany, Chief Executive Officer of UAB Health System
Will Ferniany, Chief Executive Officer of UAB Health System

Today’s guest columnist is Will Ferniany.

If you’d like to be a guest columnist, please click here.

Health care plays a major role in the Birmingham economy and touches every one of us. With 14 hospitals in the metropolitan area, 12 ambulatory surgery centers in Jefferson County, and hundreds of physicians’ offices, there are more than 63,000 people directly employed in medical/surgical health care in our area. Continue reading Birmingham healthcare to look a lot different

An epiphany about Birmingham’s economic future

Lightning
An epiphany about Birmingham’s economic future

A savvy business friend made an observation about Birmingham’s economic future that really got my attention.

But before I disclose what he said, please review a list of Birmingham’s largest companies to determine what you think they all have in common. Continue reading An epiphany about Birmingham’s economic future