Story: Lisa Sollie | Photo: Cody Ingram

Writing a dissertation requires hours of independent research and a passion for the subject being studied. For Autumn Blalock, that passion paid off when her dissertation, “The Impact of the Alabama Literacy Act on Third-Grade Reading Proficiency in Rural and Non-Rural Alabama School Districts,” earned her the University of West Alabama’s Distinguished Dissertation Award for the Spring 2026 commencement cycle, along with a job offer.

One of Blalock’s most meaningful findings from examining statewide data from 2021 through 2025 was that rural students demonstrated substantial growth in reading proficiency, challenging some of the assumptions often associated with rural education. She said the research reinforced for her that, with the right systems, support and instructional practices, students in rural communities can achieve at high levels.

For Blalock, receiving the Distinguished Dissertation Award was an honor that was deeply personal to her.

“I have spent my career as an educator believing that every child deserves the opportunity to become a strong, confident reader, and my doctoral research allowed me to explore that belief through a research lens,” she said.

The opportunity to continue that work with the Alabama Reading Initiative is especially meaningful to Blalock, and she is excited to bring together her experiences as a classroom teacher, researcher, and now reading specialist to support educators across Alabama.

“For me, the work is more than legislation, data, or assessment scores,” Blalock said. “It is about building the capacity of teachers and creating the conditions necessary for all of Alabama’s children to become successful readers.”

UWA’s Distinguished Dissertation Award recognizes outstanding scholarly work produced by doctoral candidates who have made significant contributions to their field of study, demonstrating exceptional research, originality and academic excellence.

At summer commencement exercises held in August, Isabellah “Bellah” Machen of Morris, Alabama, received the University of West Alabama’s top graduating student award.

Presented by the Provost during an August 14 ceremony, the Ralph M. Lyon Award for Academic Excellence is given to the student having the most outstanding scholastic record among all students receiving baccalaureate degrees at UWA since the preceding commencement. The award is named in honor of Dr. Ralph M. Lyon, a longtime professor, and administrator at the University.

Machen is a member of UWA’s women’s basketball team and earned a bachelor’s degree in sports management comprehensive.

Story: Lisa Sollie | Photo: Cody Ingram

Four years ago, Lane Westrope’s family began raising bucking bulls for a rodeo company. That venture eventually sparked his interest in agriculture and business, leading him to the University of West Alabama, where he became the first to earn a bachelor of business administration with an emphasis in during summer commencement exercises Aug. 14.

Business, particularly agri-business, wasn’t always the plan.

After high school, Westrope intended to be a nurse. That changed after he watched a video of a surgical procedure.

“I couldn’t handle seeing other people bleed,” he said, laughing. “I’d grown up hunting, skinning deer, and had more nicks and cuts than I could count, but watching someone else bleed?  That’s a completely different story. I won’t be the one to come to for help in that type of situation—I’ll be running the other way!”

With a new career path in mind, Westrope began exploring options that would allow him to build on the agricultural background he already knew well.

Rodeo has long been part of Westrope’s family. As a child, he rode steers and calves while his twin sister and younger sister competed in barrel racing. His father, a four-time state bull riding champion, never pushed him to follow in his footsteps, but it was almost inevitable that Westrope would eventually climb onto the back of a bucking bull. At 16, he began riding bulls competitively and continued competing while attending community college in Mississippi.

That combination of agriculture, business, and rodeo eventually led Westrope to UWA, where he transferred to study business with an agri-business emphasis and continue competing on the University’s .

Balancing rodeo with his coursework wasn’t always easy. Frequent travel for competitions occasionally meant missing class, but Westrope said his professors understood the demands of collegiate rodeo and worked with him to ensure he stayed on track academically.

Earning good grades has always been important to the honors graduate, but so has learning as much as he could from his coursework, especially in his management and agri-business classes.

“Organizational management and strategic management taught me how to run a business—everything from choosing materials at the best price to working with employees and having professional conversations,” Westrope said. “I realized it doesn’t just matter how much you know about your product, whether that’s bucking bulls, cattle, or soybeans. Running a successful business requires so much more.”

Agri-business courses such as farm management, rodeo management, and agri-business management reinforced the business principles—lessons that are already paying off.

This summer, Westrope began working as a farm manager in Louisiana, where he is putting those skills into practice while overseeing the day-to-day operations of the owner’s hay business.

“The classes gave me a better understanding of how to make sound business decisions,” he said.

The program’s emphasis on hands-on learning also prepared him for the job.

In his farm management class, students managed a hypothetical farm, deciding how many acres to operate, whether to raise crops or cattle, and even where in Alabama to locate their operation.

“It wasn’t just theory,” Westrope said. “We put the concepts we were learning into practice.”

Another assignment challenged students to trace a product from farm to table, giving Westrope a new appreciation for the economics and science behind cattle production.

“I’m working for a guy right now that can put 250-300 pounds on calves in about 90 days,” Westrope said. “He’s got the science down for how much to feed, the percentages of what’s in the feed, and it’s amazing. It makes a huge difference to your business when you know what you’re doing.”

Westrope hopes to continue building a career that combines his passion for the agricultural industry with the business skills he developed at the University.

Though he’s already applying his degree as a farm manager in Louisiana, Westrope isn’t finished learning. This fall, he’ll begin pursuing his MBA online at UWA.

“As to what happens next? I’m still looking at my options. But I’m in a pretty good place right now and that’s good enough for me,” Westrope noted. “My plan is to continue to work full time while earning my degree. I also have one more year to compete on the rodeo team.”