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University of Alabama at Birmingham (also known as UAB) is an public, coeducational university located in Birmingham, Alabama. The university is part of the three-member University of Alabama System, which also includes the main University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa and the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). UAB's history began with the relocation of the University of Alabama School of Medicine from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham in 1955. Because of the rapid growth of Birmingham, it was deemed necessary that an extension program for students who had difficulties which prevented them from studying in Tuscaloosa was needed. UAB became an autonomous campus in 1969. UAB currently has an enrollment of approximately 16,000 students. The school's president is Carol Garrison.
UAB offers programs of study leading to bachelor's, master's, doctoral and professional degrees in various fields, including liberal arts, business, education, engineering, health-related fields (such as medicine, dentistry and nursing) and public health. The school is highly renowned for its medical research and natural sciences programs. UAB received over $390 million in federal grants during the past fiscal year for research purposes. This places the school as one of the larger research institutions in the Southeast.
UAB's green-and-gold-swathed athletics teams are nicknamed the Blazers. UAB is a member of Conference USA and participates in Division I of the NCAA. UAB's athletic programs are relatively young. As such, the school has often had to struggle to earn recognition nationally (and even in the state). Specifically, its football team struggles within Alabama to climb out of the shadows cast by the state's premier football programs, the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide and Auburn University's Tigers. Watson Brown coaches the football team, which plays at 83,901-seat Legion Field. The school's men's basketball team, led by "hell ball" disciple Mike Anderson, plays in 8,508-seat Bartow Arena. While the football team entered post-season play only recently (2004 Hawaii Bowl), the men's basketball program has long had a history of playing in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. In 2004, the school gained national attention when it upset the University of Kentucky Wildcats in the second round of the tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight.
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