New Engineering and Computing Scholarships Announced

The University of South Alabama will have two new full-tuition undergraduate scholarships in engineering and computing in honor of former Alabama Senator Richard Shelby and his wife Dr. Annette Shelby.

The Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation raised $250,000 to establish the Senator Richard Shelby and Dr. Annette Shelby Endowed scholarship in engineering and computing. The gift qualifies for matching funds from the Mitchell-Moulton Scholarship Initiative, bringing the total amount to $500,000. Recipients will be known as Shelby Scholars.

 “One of Senator Shelby’s lasting legacies for this entire region was to invest in a College of Engineering and School of Computing that would allow us to have world-class facilities,” said Jo Bonner, USA president. “These scholarships will now allow for a student in each of those disciplines an opportunity to attend the University of South Alabama tuition-free.”

The scholarships will be available to full-time freshmen students from the state of Alabama majoring in engineering or computing. Applicants must have a 3.0 grade point average or converted equivalent, as well as a 30 or greater score on their ACT or converted SAT. The scholarships are renewable in subsequent years if recipients maintain a 3.0 GPA.

Sen. Shelby represented Alabamians in the State Senate and U.S. Congress for 52 years, including as chair of four committees in the U.S. Senate: Appropriations, Rules and Administration, Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and the Select Committee on Intelligence. He also chaired the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. In 2019, he became the longest-serving U.S. Senator in Alabama history. 

“When I think of individuals who have contributed to the success of Mobile, at the top of the list is Senator Richard Shelby,” said Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson. “Being able to offer these Shelby Scholarships is just another way to express our appreciation for all he has done.”

Dr. Shelby is an accomplished professor specializing in management communication and was the first tenured female professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Most recently, Dr. Shelby was appointed to the advisory committee for the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Both Sen. Shelby and Dr. Shelby have dedicated their lives to public service and advocated for improving STEM education across Alabama. 

South’s College of Engineering and School of Computing are housed in Shelby Hall, a 155,000 square foot facility built primarily with federal grants secured through the efforts of the senator.

Mobile honored Sen. Shelby on Friday, December 9, 2022, with the dedication of Shelby Point to honor his many achievements and contributions to the city. Shelby Point is located just outside of the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center overlooking Mobile’s industrial ship channel.

A bust in the image of Sen. Shelby marks the location. The bust was funded by donations from nearly 70 businesses and organizations who donated in Sen. Shelby’s honor. The donations also funded the two new scholarships at South.