UNA’s Spring Commencement Set for May 10, 11

Apr. 30, 2024

Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@tootsierocha.com, 256.765.4392

FLORENCE, AL – Spring commencement ceremonies at the University of North Alabama are set for Friday and Saturday, May 10-11, at Norton Auditorium.
 
Cody Gross, the head football coach at Athens High School and quarterback for the UNA Lions from 1992-1995 as part of the Division II National Championship teams, will provide the addresses for both Friday ceremonies. Bill Poole, Director of the Alabama Department of Finance, will serve as the speaker for the three Saturday ceremonies.
 
“Commencement is an opportunity for our students to celebrate their academic achievements, knowing their UNA education has set them up for success in today’s global economy,” said UNA President Dr. Ken Kitts. “Our speakers are part of this special occasion, and their unique perspectives will only serve to enhance the event for our graduates and others who attend.”
 
Poole was appointed Finance Director for the State of Alabama almost three years ago, in August of 2021. As Alabama’s chief financial officer, he serves as an advisor to the Governor as well as the Legislature in all financial matters and is charged with promoting and protecting the financial interests of Alabama. Prior to his role as the State Finance Director, Poole served for 11 years in the Alabama House of Representatives. Poole is a graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law, and he lives in Tuscaloosa.
 
In addition to being on the NCAA Division II National Championship teams in 1993, 1994, and 1995, Gross ranks second in UNA history for most career touchdowns at 40. He has the career record for most rushing yards by a UNA quarterback with 1,930 yards, and he was selected first-team All-American and as Gulf South Conference Player of the Year in 1995 and was awarded the GSC Commisioner’s Trophy in 1995. Gross is a two-time UNA graduate who is moving into his ninth year as an educator and coach at Athens High School.

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: tootsierocha.com and tootsierocha.com/unaworks/.