Carmel McNicholas-Bevensee Her Science Lessons Have an English Accent By Jeff Hansen Carmel McNicholas-Bevensee grew up in Manchester, England, the world’s first industrial city. Her dad was a carpenter and joiner from Ballyglass in County Mayo, Ireland, and her mum grew up in nearby Greyfield. Both of her parents were upbeat people, and that family attitude kept … [Read more...]

Yakov Kasman Russian Native Puts Down Roots in Vestavia Hills By Shannon Thomason No one was more surprised than Yakov Kasman when he realized Alabama had become home. Originally from Orel, a city near Moscow, Russia, the professor of piano and artist-in-residence at the University of Alabama at Birmingham came to the state by way of Huntsville. He and his wife, … [Read more...]

Beena and Victor Thannickal Indian Couple Likes Brook Highlands’ Neighborliness By Jeff Hansen Beena Thannickal came to the U.S. from the state of Kerala, India, at age 5. Her father was studying engineering in Hartford, Conn., and the rest of the family was finally able to join him. She had no American clothes until the Central Baptist Church and her school … [Read more...]

Jie “Sophie” Zhang and Shia Kent International Family Feels at Home in Homewood By Jeff Hansen Jie “Sophie” Zhang and her husband, Shia Kent, moved to Homewood’s Mayfair neighborhood one year ago, when they finally left what they call “the UAB bubble.” They had entered the bubble as graduate students at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2005. Like many of … [Read more...]