Blackburn Institute

Four Student Fellows Named to USA Today’s All-USA College Academic Team

September 10, 2008

Seven University of Alabama students were named to USA Today’s 2008 All-USA College Academic Team comprised of sixty members nationwide. Of those seven students, four are Blackburn Institute Student Fellows. Dana Lewis and Jackson Switzer were named to the Second Team, and Alex Flachsbart and Adam Harbison were named to the Third Team.

Dana Lewis is a sophomore from Huntsville, Alabama majoring in Public Health Communications and Public Relations. Lewis was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes at age fourteen. Since then she has been dedicated to diabetes advocacy. “I have worked it on local-level fundraising, lobbying on Capitol Hill and international work for a United Nations resolution in diabetes,” Lewis said. Lewis also worked with Bama Dining to assure that nutritional information was posted in on-campus dining facilities. Upon graduation, Lewis plans to pursue a master’s degree in Public Health and work in Public Health Communication.

Jackson Switzer is a senior from Gulfport, Mississippi majoring in Biochemistry. Switzer’s research focuses on the energetics of chemical weapons and how they decompose in the atmosphere. He believes it is his patriotic duty to find new ways to both detect and defend against weapons of mass destruction. “I’ve always been interested in chemistry and national affairs, so I wanted to tie the two together, and contribute to the science community and gain a basic understanding of chemical weapons should they appear as they have in the past,” Switzer said. Switzer’s post-college plans are not finalized; he will either go straight to work or go to grad school.

Alex Flachsbart is a junior from Concord, California majoring in Political Science and Economics. Flachsbart founded BamaBike, a program implemented this semester which allows students to rent bikes on campus as a push for “green” transportation. These bikes can be picked up or dropped off at various locations around campus. “Through the implementation of the BamaBike program, I am making a tangible difference in the lives of the constituency to which I am most directly accountable: my fellow students,” Flachsbart said. Flachsbart plans to work in Public Policy after graduation.

Adam Harbison graduated in December 2007 with a degree in Healthcare Management. Harbison created a tobacco toolkit with the American Cancer Society. This toolkit included media guides, tips, and sample tactics. The toolkit was approved by the American Cancer Society, and in September 2007, Harbison distributed the toolkits to over two hundred people at the National Collegiate Leadership Summit. “I believe the toolkit meets my primary goal: to simplify and strengthen this advocacy effort so that all CAC members, regardless of their experience or knowledge, can mount powerful smoke-free campaigns,” Harbison said. Harbison is currently working in Washington, D.C. as a Truman Fellow.

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