A busy spring and summer of interviews and campus tours led to the College hiring seven new department chairs, all of whom took their positions just before the start of the fall term. These talented administrators and scholars, who hail from a myriad of institutions and backgrounds, will bring fresh perspectives and strong leadership to their respective departments. We welcome them to UAB!

Dr. Julian Arribas

Chair of the Department of World Languages and Literatures. Dr. Arribas received his B.S. in Psychology from Universidad Pontificia in Salamanca, Spain. He received his Ph.D in 1993 from the University of Michigan. Since 2010, he served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Creighton University. He also was an Associate Professor in the Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures at Ohio Wesleyan University.

Dr. Alison Chapman

Chair of the Department of English. Dr. Chapman received her B.A. in English from Davidson College and received her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. She was previously chair of the University’s Writing Task Force, as well as coordinator for the faculty lecture series at Donaldson Correctional Facility. She joined the UAB faculty as an Assistant Professor in 2000.

Dr. Richard Dluhy

Chair of the Department of Chemistry. Dr. Dluhy completed his B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Connecticut in 1976, then worked as a research scientist at Hoffman-LaRoche and as a chemist at GAF Corporation before returning to academics to receive his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Rutgers University in 1983. Since 1990, Dr. Dluhy was at the University of Georgia, where he was a professor, associate head and graduate coordinator for the Department of Chemistry, and Director of the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center. He is also the co-founder of Argent Diagnostics, Inc.

Dr. Patrick Evans

Chair of the Department of Music. Born and raised in Birmingham, Evans completed his bachelor’s degree at the University of Montevallo and received his Doctor of Music at Florida State University. Since 2013, he served as Director of Admissions for the DePauw School of Music, while also working at the Yale University Institute of Sacred Music and the Yale Divinity School.

Dr. Ilias Perakis

Chair of the Department of Physics. Dr. Perakis received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1986 from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, and went on to receive his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is currently a Fellow of the Optical Society of America and was the recipient of an NSF CAREER Award. His goal is to lead the Department of Physics to become an internationally recognized center of excellence in non-equilibrium advanced materials.

Dr. Jeffery Walker

Chair of the Department of Justice Sciences. Dr. Walker received his B.S. in Personnel Management and Computer Science from the University of Arkansas, as well as his M.A. in Criminal Justice from the University of Arkansas, Little Rock. He received his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University in 1992. He is also the past President of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. He held multiple positions at the University of Arkansas Little Rock, working with the Department of Health Policy and Management as well as coordinator of the doctoral and graduate programs in the Department of Criminal Justice.

Dr. Yuliang Zheng 

Chair of the Department of Computer Science. Since 2001, Dr. Zheng was a professor in the Department of Software and Information Systems at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. He is the inventor of the “signcryption” algorithm, which has become a ISO International Standard for Data Security. His work has taken him across the world from Australia to Tokyo, engaging as both director of world renowned programs as well as a resource for university students.