Alison and Karen Chapman.The Chapman family has long believed that education transforms lives, and they are particularly committed to students who struggle with the costs of higher education. To help provide these students with a path to an undergraduate degree, Alison Chapman, Ph.D., and her mother, Karen Chapman, have established the Chapman Family Endowed Scholarship in the Department of English. The endowment will serve as a lasting tribute to the Chapman family, including Alison’s late father, Lee Barton Chapman, M.D.

A native of Birmingham, Alison Chapman joined UAB in 2000 where she currently serves as professor and chair of the Department of English. Alison graduated magna cum laude from Davidson College and earned her Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in English Renaissance literature, including Shakespeare and Milton. She is known for her vibrant and accessible teaching, and she especially enjoys working with students on their writing skills.

Alison’s father, Lee Barton Chapman, was a graduate of the UAB Heersink School of Medicine and went on to become a beloved Birmingham-area surgeon. He was delighted to have his daughter join the UAB faculty and to watch the university become an ever more robust center of undergraduate learning. A lifetime intellectual and reader, Lee thought of himself as a ‘closet English major’ and usually had a stack of classic works on his bedside. He spent many of his vacations volunteering in medical clinics in developing countries, and, in his retirement, he was a tireless literacy tutor. Though Lee passed away in 2008, the family says he would be honored to support UAB students as they achieve their goal of earning a bachelor’s degree.

Scholarship support ensures that students can set aside their financial concerns as they focus on their studies, empowering them to make a difference in their careers and communities. Generous gifts to the Chapman Family Endowed Scholarship will not only assist students who might not otherwise be able to attend UAB, but also pay tribute to the university that has been an important part of the Chapmans’ lives.

Give to the Chapman Family Endowed Scholarship.