The UAB SUCCESS Initiative has named its third-quarter Student SUCCESS Champion awardees: Jennifer Griffin, Director for Student Involvement & Leadership, and the School of Nursing Student SUCCESS Champions Team.
The award was created to recognize exceptional commitment to student support and success. The recognition is open to both teams and individuals who go above and beyond in supporting student achievement.
Griffin was nominated for her unwavering dedication to student engagement and her leadership in enhancing advising practices across the university. Her colleagues praised her for fostering a culture of care, collaboration, and innovation.
Griffin led the adoption of the Engage platform, which tracks student engagement across events, service opportunities, and more. She supported the creation of the First Blazers mentoring program for first-generation students and helped to charter Alpha Alpha Alpha, a first-generation honorary society.
As co-chair of UAB’s FirstGen Forward Network participation, she has advanced systemic support for first-generation college students. Her collaboration with Student Counseling Services and Wellness Promotions introduced wellness-focused advising for over 100 student leaders, improving retention and holistic development.
Griffin also helped expand Blazers@BHM, the university’s pre-semester onboarding experience, increasing participation by 123% through strategic partnerships and academic integration—demonstrating her visionary leadership and deep commitment to student success.
The School of Nursing (SON) SUCCESS Team was honored for its holistic and proactive approach to student support. The UAB School of Nursing’s Student Success Champions (SSC) team, founded in 2021 under the leadership of Jennie Alspach, DNP, has made a transformative impact on student retention and academic success.
Initially formed to address attrition rates in undergraduate and prelicensure programs, the team began with individualized support and expanded to include wellness-focused group sessions. Today, the four-member team— Jennie Alspach, DNP; Rachael Bruce, DNP; Jessica Bumpus, PhD; Laketa Huddleston-Pettiway, PhD– brings together expertise in nursing, education, coaching, and academic advisement.
The SON SSC Team’s efforts have led to dramatic improvements in student outcomes, reducing attrition rates in BSN and AMNP programs from nearly 20% to under 2% and 3%, respectively, with even greater gains among underrepresented students.
Their approach includes early academic assessments, individualized coaching, wellness workshops, peer tutoring, and proactive interventions, all integrated into a Canvas-based support system.
The SSC team also collaborates across departments, contributes to university-wide initiatives, and mentors students through high-touch engagement. Many nominators noted that their work is a model for others desiring to make an impact on their programs and students.
One nominator wrote, “the culture of encouragement and accountability cultivated by the Student Success Program is, in my view, one of the defining strengths of the UAB School of Nursing. Their tireless commitment has directly contributed to student retention, confidence, and success—my own included. I am deeply grateful for their impact, and I am confident that future students will continue to benefit from their unwavering dedication.”
The Student SUCCESS Champion Award, launched in 2025, celebrates faculty and staff who go above and beyond to support student success at UAB. Nominations are accepted quarterly, and honorees are selected based on their contributions to student engagement, retention, and achievement.
Fourth quarter nominations must be submitted by December 1, 2025.