Sid J. Trant appointed as Chancellor of the University of Alabama System

The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees has appointed Sid J. Trant as chancellor, entrusting him with the leadership of the state’s most influential higher education and health care enterprise.

Trant, who has served as interim chancellor for the past ten months, now assumes the permanent role, guiding the UA System’s three world-class research universities and its nationally recognized health system into the future.

With an operating budget of nearly $7 billion and an annual economic impact of $18.6 billion, the UA System plays a critical role in advancing education and health care in Alabama.

“Sid Trant has demonstrated exceptional leadership over the past several months, proving his ability to advance the University of Alabama System’s mission while strengthening its foundation for future success,” said Trustee Karen P. Brooks, who led the chancellor search.

“His intricate understanding of the UA System combined with his proven experience and passion for higher education and health care make him uniquely qualified to lead the UA System into the future. He is a tested and trusted leader who will ensure the UA System continues to thrive and reach new heights.”

Trant’s tenure as interim chancellor has been marked by significant milestones for the UA System, including the acquisition of Ascension St. Vincent’s Health System in central Alabama to sustain patients’ access to high-quality health care. He has also reinforced the System’s commitment to student success and bolstered institutional neutrality, ensuring UA System campuses remain neutral platforms for academic freedom and scholarly debate.

“It is an incredible honor to serve as chancellor of the University of Alabama System,” said Trant. “I am deeply committed to the University of Alabama System’s mission of improving the lives of Alabamians and all those we serve through teaching, research and service. I am grateful to the Board of Trustees for entrusting me with this responsibility, and I look forward to working with our institutional leaders and all members of the UA System community to build upon our momentum and achieve even greater success.”

Trant was the UA System’s general counsel and senior vice chancellor for several years before serving as interim chancellor. In addition to leading the Office of Counsel, he played a pivotal role in shaping policies, navigating institutional matters and supporting record-breaking growth in research, enrollment and economic impact as a key member of the UA System’s senior leadership team.

“Sid Trant is a leader of unparalleled integrity and expertise, with the ability to navigate both the opportunities and challenges facing higher education and health care today with clarity and purpose,” said Board of Trustees President Pro Tempore Scott Phelps.

“His steady leadership and strategic approach have already strengthened the University of Alabama System, and he has a clear dedication to the success of our universities and health system and to those we serve. The Board is confident that the UA System will continue to expand its impact and set new standards of excellence under his leadership.”

Before he joined the UA System in 2017, Trant worked for 30 years at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, where he was an accomplished attorney, practice group chair, hiring partner and a member of the firm’s executive committee. Prior to his time at the Bradley firm, Trant served as a legislative assistant to Senator Howell Heflin in Washington, D.C., and was a judicial clerk for the Honorable Sam C. Pointer Jr. He is a member of several distinguished professional organizations and chairs the Freshwater Land Trust Board of Directors.

A first-generation college student, he graduated summa cum laude from The University of Alabama in 1983 as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his juris doctorate in 1986 from Georgetown University Law Center, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif – an honor society comprised of the top ten percent of the graduating class – and graduated magna cum laude.

Trant resides in Tuscaloosa with his wife, Angel. They have two adult children, Allie and Adam – both UA graduates – and three grandchildren.

Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.