Accolades

UA Ranked in Top 10 Percent by U.S. News

The University is again ranked among the top 50 public universities in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report’s annual rankings for 2008. UA is ranked 42nd among public national universities and 91st among all universities, both public and private.

UA ranks in the top 10 percent among universities included in the rankings. U.S. News ranks more than 1,400 universities nationwide, including about 500 public institutions.

“While we are always pleased when external rankings acknowledge Alabama’s flagship university, our record applications and growth are even stronger indicators that students are finding academic quality at The University of Alabama,” said UA President Robert E. Witt. “Our focus is on growth with quality, being the university of choice for the best and brightest students, and ensuring that every student’s educational needs are met.”

UA has consistently been ranked among the top 50 public universities for the last several years. For a complete report, contact U.S. News and World Report.

Schnee Appointed to AICPA Tax Shelter Task Force

Dr. Edward Schnee, professor of accounting, has been appointed to the Tax Division’s Tax Shelter Task Force, a group formed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Schnee is one of two new members appointed to the standing task force, and his appointment comes at a time when Congress is looking at ways to restrict the use of offshore tax havens and abusive tax shelters to inappropriately avoid federal taxation.

“The task force is charged with looking at how the AICPA wants to respond to the proposed legislation on tax shelters and the codification of the economic substance doctrine,” Schnee said.

The economic substance doctrine says that a transaction must have a meaningful economic purpose or present risk to the investor to be legitimate. The question of whether to codify, or make into law, an economic substance law is at the center of controversy over legislative efforts to take care of the abusive tax shelter law.

Schnee is the Culverhouse Professor of Accounting and director of the Master of Tax Accounting Program. His articles have been published in leading tax journals, including Tax Adviser, Journal of Accountancy, Journal of Taxation, Journal of the American Taxation Association, Trusts & Estates, and CPA Journal, among others.

He is the editor of the American Taxation Association’s Journal of Legal Tax Research and a past president of the American Taxation Association. Schnee is active in the AICPA, having served on or chaired several committees and task forces.

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants is the national professional association of CPAs with about 330,000 members, including CPAs in business and industry, public practice, government and education. It sets ethical standards for the profession and U.S. auditing standards for audits of private companies, federal, state and local governments, and non-profit organizations.

Burkhalter Recognized for Customer Service

Darlene Burkhalter, administrative assistant and office manager for civil and environmental engineering, was honored as recipient of the Crimson Spirit Award for Academic Affairs.

Burkhalter, chosen for this award for her exemplary customer service skills, was described by her nominator as an “out of the box” thinker and problem solver when it comes to serving students and others.

Described by co-workers as someone with a strong desire to help others, Burkhalter strives to develop this trait in others by encouraging them to look at the variety of ways something can be responded to, resolved, or improved to serve others, rather than why something can’t be done.

As stated by one employee, “If I were an employer I would be looking for someone like Darlene!”

The Crimson Spirit Award serves to recognize staff members who make an extraordinary contribution to the University community. For more information and nomination forms visit the human resources Web site at http://hr.ua.edu/empl_rel/index.htm or contact HR Development at 348-9700.

Schroeder Honored for Shipwreck Analysis

TThe National Oceanographic Partnership Program honored Dr. William Schroeder, a professor emeritus of biological sciences in UA’s marine science program, and his shipwreck research colleagues with its Award for Excellence in Partnering. The award was presented to representatives of the research team who analyzed World War II shipwrecks at a meeting of the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology in Washington, D.C..

Schroeder, who was stationed at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab for 34 years, earlier participated in the Deep Wrecks Project, a collaboration of federal agencies, private companies and universities. That project was designed to provide historical, archaeological and biological insight regarding multiple ships that were sunk by Hitler’s U-boat activities in the Gulf of Mexico during World War II.

The biological aspect of the study showed that manmade artifacts can function as artificial reefs in deepwater. The project has far-reaching ramifications for deepwater oil and gas exploration and production, as its research results show that platforms in the Gulf of Mexico can and do serve as artificial reefs. Archaeologically, the study is one of the most comprehensive deepwater shipwreck investigations ever conducted.