The Department of Biology hosted their Spring 2016 Awards Ceremony and Luncheon at the UAB Alumni House on Monday, April 11, 2016. This event is hosted bi-annually and celebrates the accomplishments of the department's best and brightest students. This year the department awarded an inaugural Distinguished Alumnus Award, which is given to an alum for their exemplary leadership and remarkable professional achievement. This year’s inaugural award was presented to Peter Hardin, J.D. 

Peter received his undergraduate degree in 1993 and went on to receive his JD from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 1998. Currently, Peter is an attorney at Sirote & Permutt where he regularly represents companies in connection with both public and private securities offerings, mergers, acquisitions and financings, as well as businesses in all stages of development that are engaged in a wide variety of industries, such as pharmaceutical, biotechnology, telecommunications, software, computer hardware, Internet, health care and banking industries.

Peter is an active volunteer for Saint Anne’s Home, the oldest women’s residential facility in the South for women overcoming addiction. Peter served as President of the Board of Directors of Saint Anne’s Home in 2015. Peter met his wife Lynn Beasley Hardin while studying at UAB, and they currently reside in Hoover, Alabama.