Dr. Christopher Grant ’90, professor and chair of political science at Mercer University, received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to Ukraine from the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Grant will use the award to conduct research and lecture at Kyiv Mohela Academy on the emergence of civil society in the former Soviet space. Having received a Fulbright award to the former Soviet Republic of Moldova in 2006, he has previously conducted research in Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan on the development of tolerant coexistence between peoples in deeply divided nations of the former Soviet Union.

Kim Hawthorne ’90 stared in her last episodes of “Greenleaf,” which aired its series finale on OWN in early August. Hawthorne joined the cast of “Greenleaf” in 2016 and played Kerissa Greenleaf for five seasons. After graduating from BSC, she began her career at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, later moving to New York City and performing on Broadway. Hawthorne appeared in multiple daytime soap operas and prime time dramas and, in 2000, joined the regular cast of CBC Television police drama, “Da Vinci's Inquest.”

Brig. Gen. David Tabor ’92 has recently taken command of Special Operations Command, Europe in Stuttgart, Germany. In this role, Tabor is responsible for all special operations activities throughout the European continent. He and his family arrived in Stuttgart after two years in Fayetteville, N.C., where he served as Assistant Commanding General at Joint Special Operations Command.

Greg King ’96  is 2020 campaign chair for the United Way of Central Alabama. This year’s theme is “Hope Happens,” and the annual campaign will help United Way services and agencies immediately support the Birmingham community during the pandemic. King, an executive with IBERIABANK, has worked with the UWCA in many different capacities, including serving on the board of Pathways, a United Way agency that combats women and children’s homelessness, the United Way Visiting Allocation Teams, the United Way Community Impact Board, and the United Way Board.

LaKisha Cargill ’00 wrote about her experience at BSC in a Reckon Women newsletter article titled “Why I don’t regret going to a predominantly white college.” Cargill discusses the burdens, motivations, and opportunities she had as a student and why she thrived in the environment. A Birmingham creative, she posts her writing at sizablechic.com.

Dr. Ray Knorr ’00 will open his Birmingham chiropractic office, Motivity Chiropractic, this fall. Knorr has nearly eight years of experience in the field. Since participating in soccer and tennis throughout his college years at BSC, he became well-acquainted with the rigor and injuries of training and developed a passion for chiropractic work.

Paul Ebert ’03 has been appointed as the new President of Franchising for Two Maids & A Mop at their headquarters in Birmingham. Ebert worked previously as CFO, overseeing the residential cleaning franchise’s financial strategy since 2019. As president, he is responsible for leading franchise-focused initiatives and overseeing Two Maids & A Mop’s development, while also identifying acquisition and merger opportunities and improving company operational procedures, policies, and standards.

Matthew Evan Taylor ’03, assistant professor of music at Middlebury College in Vermont, recently released “Say Their Names,” a seven-track digital album, and was featured in a Middlebury Magazine story. Taylor recorded the album at home over the last few months and wrote tracks that responded to daily news, particularly the death of George Floyd and protests around the country. He is donating all profits from the album to causes fighting against racism.

Dr. Elizabeth Yost ’05 was awarded tenure in spring 2020 at Washington College in Chestertown, Md. Yost is now an associate professor of sociology, director of the Pre-Medical Program, and director of the public health minor.

Claire King Hardesty ’00 and Andy Hardesty were married on Oct. 26, 2019 in Birmingham.

EffieLeigh Ruth on August 3, 2020, to Meredith Cheney Phillips ’09 and David Phillips. EffieLeigh joins big sister Ziva AdaGrace.

Angelina Giovino Cascio ’51 of Birmingham on Aug. 5, 2020. Cascio studied psychology and biology as a BSC student. She worked for UAB in the Department of Biology and, during her retirement, continued serving others with her many deeds of kindness.

James G. Lambert, Jr. ’51 of Birmingham on Aug. 16, 2020. Lambert joined the Air Force before receiving his degree from BSC. In 1954, he married his college sweetheart, the late Ann Bairnsfather Lambert ’54. His professional career began at Remington Rand before moving to Merrill Lynch. He retired in 1991 and had the opportunity to travel the world. Lambert served for more than 50 years in many capacities for the Shades Valley Optimist Club (now Over the Mountain Optimist Club) and volunteered at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, where he became a Master Gardener.

Dr. Ibrahim “Abe” Fawal ’54 of Birmingham on Aug. 21, 2020. Born in Ramallah, Palestine, Fawal immigrated to the United States in 1951 and began studying theatre at BSC. He went on to receive his Master of Arts in film from UCLA and then served as the “Jordanian” first assistant director on the classic film, “Lawrence of Arabia.” In the 1970s, Fawal founded Interlock Film Studio, the first film studio in Alabama, where he produced several award-winning documentaries. For more than 25 years, he taught writing, film, and literature at BSC and UAB. He was also co-founder of the Birmingham International Educational Film Festival and past chairman and 26-year advisory board member of BSC’s Writing Today Conference. As one of his proudest professional achievements, he became a published novelist with “On the Hills of God,” which won the PEN Oakland Award for Excellence in Literature, and its sequel, “The Disinherited,” both serving as tributes to his homeland. Fawal earned his doctorate at age 63 from the University of Oxford’s St. Cross College, examining Arab culture through the work of Egyptian filmmaker, Youssef Chahine. He was a member of Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church. Many of Fawal’s family members also graduated from BSC, including his daughters, Gina Fawal Jaber ’86, Freeda Fawal-Farah ’89, and Rima Fawal Hartman ’90, and cousins Hala J. Fawal ’70, Joseph Adel Fawal ’73, Aziz David Fawal ’86, Dunia Fawal Ritchey ’89, Alexander Fawal ’16 and Hannah Fawal ’19.

Jane Harpole Grabowski ’57 of Atlanta, Ga., on Aug. 8, 2020. Grabowski embarked on a 30-year career in education after graduating from BSC with a degree in English. “Mrs. G,” as she was affectionately known by her students, influenced the lives of children, parents, and teachers alike. Her long career stretched from teaching positions at Hapeville High School, the Dekalb Writing Center, and Vanderlyn Elementary School to principal positions at Hambrick Elementary School and Fernbank Elementary School. Grabowski’s leadership and commitment were recognized in 2005 with the Georgia PTA Outstanding Principal Award. Her commitment to the community also included many leadership roles with the Alpha Delta Kappa International Organization for Women Educators, the Dekalb History Center Board of Directors, the Assistance League of Atlanta, and the PTA at her children’s schools. She formed life-long friendships wherever she went, and was always the first one to lend a hand to those who needed it.

Walter Abbott ’59 of Lynn Haven, Fla., on Aug. 15, 2020. Abbott served in the U.S. Army specializing in cryptology, from which he was honorably discharged before attending BSC. He graduated from the LSU School of Banking in 1969 and worked in banking in Birmingham, Huntsville, and Panama City for 40 years. After retiring, Abbott volunteered at Springfield Library. He was an avid reader and was happy working in libraries both throughout college and during retirement. He loved above all his family and enjoyed reading, gardening, cooking, traveling, and baseball (as an avid Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Rays fan.) He also served as Boy Scout Master with his sons in Lynn Haven and was active with his three boys’ baseball for many years.

Lee Headley Holt ’62 of Birmingham on Aug. 15, 2020. After living in New Orleans for four years, Holt moved back to Birmingham. She dedicated her time to giving back to the church, including needlepointing the altar kneelers at All Saints Episcopal Church. She was a member of the Service Guild of Birmingham and the Vestavia Hills Garden Club, raising funds to move the Sibyl Temple to a site atop Shades Mountain for all to enjoy. More recently, Holt was a volunteer at St. Vincent’s Hospital and arranged the altar flowers at The Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Vestavia Hills. She loved tending to her garden, watching Alabama football, and laughing with her many friends. Her daughter, Katherine Holt Antonello ’86, and her son, Ira H. Holt, Jr. MPPM ’91, also attended BSC.

Benton Theodore Lankford ’62 of Birmingham on Aug. 10, 2020. Lankford was president of USCO Power Equipment. He enjoyed politics, working in his yard, traveling, and sailing the world. He was a gifted craftsman and devoted husband, father, and grandfather. Lankford was a member of All Saints Episcopal Church, Mountain Brook Club, and St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club.

Mildred “Elaine” Peacock Palmer ’67 of Pleasant Grove, Ala., on July 1, 2020. Palmer’s appreciation for music began while singing in the choir at a young age as a member of the Episcopal Church of the Advent in Birmingham. As a BSC student, she majored in elementary education, joined Alpha Chi Omega sorority, and worked at the Birmingham News, where her father was Circulation Manager. Her teaching career started in Birmingham City Schools. Palmer assisted in numerous church activities during the years she raised her four children, and she later taught first grade at Swift School Elementary in Bon Secour, Ala. She went on to teach at Foley Elementary until her retirement.

Dr. Paula Cromwell Cosper ’69 of Birmingham on Aug. 6, 2020. After graduating from BSC, Cosper obtained her Ph.D. in medical genetics from the UAB Department of Physiology in 1974. She served as head of the Prenatal Diagnostic Laboratory in UAB’s Department of Human Genetics from 1976 to 2008. She was an active member of Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church.

David Benjamin Weber of Queen Creek, Ariz., on Aug. 4, 2020. Weber was a professional oboist, repair person, oboe reed maker, and former instructor at BSC. For his senior year of high school, he became one of the first oboe students at the newly-founded North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, N.C. In 1966, he was accepted as a full scholarship student of John de Lancie – successor of legendary Marcel Tabuteau and an inspiration for Weber – at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. He later joined the Atlanta Symphony and the Birmingham Symphony (now the Alabama Symphony) with his wife, flutist Vendla Koljonen Weber. While in Birmingham, he taught at colleges in the area, including BSC. His reed making skills and artistry were obvious at an early age, and he was always willing to share his knowledge with his students and colleagues, leading to his business, “Weber Reeds,” and workshops around the country.