Kevin Jiang of Mountain Brook and Deepa Etikala of Madison were named Mr. and Ms. UAB 2012 during the University of Alabama at Birmingham Homecoming game festivities Oct. 6, 2012, at Legion Field.
The winners each receive a $2,500 scholarship and will represent UAB. First alternates Tushar Ramesh and Karla Khodanian, both of Madison, also will receive a $1,000 scholarship.
The Mr. and Ms. UAB Scholarship Competition is sponsored by the UAB National Alumni Society. The 31-year-old program recognizes outstanding students who have demonstrated scholastic achievement, leadership, campus and community involvement, and overall enthusiasm for UAB.
Jiang, a junior, is majoring in molecular biology and philosophy. He was named National Most Outstanding New Member for Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, is secretary for Pi Kappa Phi, is a member of UAB’s Ethics Bowl team and a call volunteer at the Birmingham Crisis Center. He is the son of Wei Jiang and Liu Zhiyong.
Etikala, a junior majoring in neuroscience, is a member of the University Honors Program. She is a member of the leadership team for the UAB TrailBlazers, a UAB International Mentor and a volunteer with the Birmingham Crisis Center. She is the daughter of Sandya and Devender Etikala.
Ramesh, a junior, is majoring in biomedical engineering. He is a UAB Presidential Scholarship recipient, Supplemental Instruction leader, president of the Biomedical Engineering Society Student Chapter and volunteer with Evercare Hospice. He is the son of Gopal and Anu Ramesh.
Khodanian is a junior majoring in communication studies with a specialization in public relations. She was awarded the Golden Excellence Academic Scholarship. Khodanian is committee chair for Student Life’s Blaze Productions and webmaster for UAB’s PRCA/PRSSA’s executive board. She also planned UAB’s first Blazing on the Green fall concert. She is the daughter of Gary and Fay Khodanian.
The other finalists are:
- Timothy Alexander of Center Point, junior, criminal justice and communications major
- Hannah Bowers of Madison, junior, Spanish and biology major
- Clarissa Deal of Montgomery, junior, chemistry major
- Aditi Jani of Pelham, junior, molecular biology major
- Ali Massoud of Cairo, Egypt, sophomore, English and French major
- Dhruv Patel of Decatur, junior, biomedical engineering major