Story: Lisa Sollie

Dr. R.T. Floyd, director of the University of West Alabama’s Athletic Training & Sports Medicine Center and associate dean of the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance, has received the 2026 American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award.

Floyd has served the University for 45 years and was instrumental in establishing its athletic training program. Due in large part to his efforts, UWA was the first public university in the state to receive approval for both a bachelor’s program in athletic training and a master’s program. This year marks the 40th anniversary of UWA’s Athletic Training & Sports Medicine Center which was established in December 1986.

Since 1982, The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) and the AOSSM have presented the award annually to an outstanding NATA Hall of Fame member whose professional accomplishments have improved the quality of professional practice in athletic training.

Story: Lisa Sollie | Photo: Cody Ingram

After nearly 25 years of teaching mathematics at the University of West Alabama, Kim Giles has earned one of the institution’s highest honors for classroom instruction.

During UWA’s spring commencement exercises held May 7-8, Giles received the 2026 William E. Gilbert Award for Outstanding Teaching, the honor awarded annually by the student body in recognition of excellence in undergraduate classroom instruction.

After graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree in industrial engineering, Giles eventually returned to her hometown of Livingston, where she found her calling in the classroom.

“It’s such a huge honor to have been nominated and recognized this way,” Giles said. “I’m very thankful and grateful that I get to go to work every day, and not feel like it’s a job, but something I was meant to do.”

Beyond her classroom responsibilities, Giles also serves as the College of Natural Science and Mathematics coordinator and liaison for the UWA Teach program, the STEM education initiative launched by the University in 2023. This program gives STEM majors an opportunity to explore teaching as a career path to see if it’s right for them.

“I’m the connection between NSM and the College of Education,” Giles explained. “I not only look out for NSM students who are in UWA Teach, but if I have a math or science student who I think would be a good fit for the program, I encourage them to pursue it. I’d rather students find out early if teaching isn’t for them rather than when they’re finishing up their degree.”

Outside the classroom, Giles volunteers with the Wesley Foundation alongside director Elizabeth Stone.

“I’m there every Monday and Thursday evenings when they have Bible studies, helping feed the students and fellowship with them,” she said.  “It’s one of my greatest joys each week.”

Though Giles once considered retiring after reaching the 25-year milestone, she now says she has no plans to step away from the work she loves.

“God put me here for a reason—to teach and encourage my students every day,” Giles said. “I always tell them, ‘You got this, and you got to believe.’ I’m happy, and I enjoy my work, so until the day comes that I don’t enjoy it anymore, I’m going to keep showing up and doing what He called me to do.”

As the recipient of the Gilbert Award, Giles will serve as macebearer and lead the faculty processional at the University’s commencement exercises in August, December, and again next May.

Story: Lisa Sollie | Photo: Jordan Reese Lay

While college is often seen as a time for academic growth, Parker Woodham views his four years at the University of West Alabama a bit differently. Beyond lectures and exams, he describes his time at UWA as a period of personal transformation, one marked by self-discovery and growth that makes him proud.

An exercise science major and former preferred walk-on for the football team, Woodham stepped away from the program after his sophomore year. In doing so, he said his faith was renewed and he began an internship with the strength and conditioning program, where he worked with freshman football players.

Woodham’s interest in exercise science began in high school, where the all-state football player realized there was a gap between what he knew and how to apply it.

“I came from a 1A school. We didn’t have trainers or anyone working with us in the weight room. I understood the value of strength and conditioning—that exercise is medicine—but I didn’t have the knowledge or science to back it up. Being able to communicate that to someone effectively is something I gained through my exercise science classes at UWA.”

For Woodham, the field also carries personal significance: his family.

His parents had him as teenagers, continuing a pattern from the previous generation.  That family history, along with concerns with their long-term health, became a driving force behind his passion for exercise science.

“I could have found this information another way,” he said, “but UWA and this program are the reason I know what I know and why I’m as confident as I am. Seeing a change in my parents’ health helped me realize I can make an impact on others.”

Woodham is already seeing that impact through his internship.

“The freshman football players listen to my advice and trust me, and that’s reassuring,” he said. “I’ve built several connections with the students in the program that continue today, even with guys who have transferred.”

A first-generation college student, Woodham said he never fully envisioned what his college journey would look like. But once he arrived on campus and realized earning a degree was within reach, he committed to making it happen.

“I did really poorly academically my freshman year,” he said. “That was a wakeup call. I thought I had it all together, but I was wrong. The freedom and free time did a number on me, and I had to learn how to manage it. It also taught me to appreciate things I didn’t even realize I had back home. I decided I was going to be successful and be a good role model for my two younger sisters.”

Reflecting on his experience after being awarded his diploma May 8, Woodham said his time at UWA has been defined by growth. Finding his path, building relationships and discovering a career he’s passionate about have given him a renewed sense of purpose.

Next, Woodham plans to pursue a position as a personal trainer while working toward his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification. But for him, the goal goes beyond a career.

He wants to keep making an impact at home—helping ensure his parents and grandparents are there for the milestones ahead, from his future marriage to raising a family of his own.