Will Bradley
Long before Deborah Oberkor stepped foot on The University of Alabama’s campus, she knew that the state’s flagship institution was a perfect fit.
Oberkor, a native of Montgomery, Alabama, had learned about the Capstone from family, faculty and members of her community.
Her journey to campus began with the Annual Alabama Federation of French Clubs Convention hosted in The University of Alabama Student Center, then continued with her brothers, John and Paul, matriculating to the UA College of Engineering.
While unsure of her own major, Deborah was inspired by her brothers’ experiences with faculty and learning in UA labs.
“My brothers made a point to say that engineering is very flexible; you do not have to be just an engineer,” she said. “I took inspiration from that.”
Deborah chose to follow her brothers to the Capstone and has since seized great opportunities on campus. She is enrolled in the STEM/CREATE Path to the MBA program.
“I’ve learned from our world-class faculty in top-flight classrooms and laboratories, such as the chemical engineering operations lab in the Tom Bevill building,” Deborah said. “The incredible learning experiences in these settings are foundational for me to blaze a new trail for women in STEM.”
As a dual minority in the engineering program, Deborah said she’s experienced a fostered community when asking for assistance.
“It creates an immediate community with people that you see and a deeper avenue to ask for help,” she said. “In the networking sense, people are willing to talk, especially people in minority groups, because they went through the same experience.”
Deborah credits her mentor, Harold Wright, for motivating her to test different opportunities within the academic and professional communities. She is the first Black president of the Alabama Panhellenic Association and served as the Chief Advisor to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, a role in the UA Student Government Association.
“He always took the time to talk to me directly and helped me with my presentation and communications skills,” she said. “He was encouraging when I started my path in SGA as well as the Alabama Panhellenic Association. He has been an important part of my college experience.”
Alongside the presidential scholarship, Deborah also receives the Joseph and Pugh Cunningham Endowed Scholarship for high-achieving students, and the James Henry Patterson Endowed Scholarship, an endowed scholarship for full-time engineering students.
Deborah will intern with PricewaterhouseCoopers in its Technology Consulting division in Dallas, Texas this summer before completing her MBA in spring 2025.
The Rising Tide 2.0 Capital Campaign will continue to enhance facilities across campus to support exceptional students like Oberkor as they continue to develop as leaders and scholars.
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