TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Nicholas De Leon, a University of Alabama junior majoring in metallurgical and materials engineering from Coral Springs, Fla., was awarded the J. Keith Brimacombe Presidential Scholarship from The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society.

This is the highest award given to an undergraduate student by The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, known as TMS. The organization recognizes only one student annually.

The scholarship consists of a $5,000 cash award and a $1,000 travel stipend to attend the 2008 TMS Annual Meeting. Selection for the scholarship is based on outstanding academic accomplishments and leadership.

In addition to this honor, De Leon is a National Hispanic Scholar and Presidential Scholar.

In 1837, The University of Alabama became one of the first five universities in the nation to offer engineering classes. Today, UA’s fully accredited College of Engineering has about 1,900 students and nearly 100 faculty. In the last seven years, students in the College have been named USA Today All-USA College Academic Team members, Goldwater scholars, Hollings scholars and Portz scholars.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of a planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state’s economy, is in keeping with UA’s vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state’s flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.