October 2025 marked the 10th anniversary of the UAB Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, which became the 26th department in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine in October 2015. Starting with just two faculty members in the surgery department in 1982, the department has grown into a destination for top-tier care in Alabama and the surrounding areas, boasting nearly two dozen faculty members and countless success stories.
The department's rich history dates back to 1982, when the Division of Otolaryngology was formed within the Department of Surgery at UAB. James J. Hicks, M.D., and Julius N. “Buddy” Hicks, M.D., were the first two faculty members under this division, and James Hicks became the first director of the division.
Dr. Julius Hicks (center)Beginnings under the Hicks brothers
James Hicks’ influence on otolaryngology at UAB dates back farther than 1982, however. James Hicks was born in Washington, D.C., in 1920, and spent his early years in Enterprise, Alabama. He received his undergraduate degree from Emory in 1940 and graduated with his medical degree from Tulane in 1944. He participated in a surgical internship at Southern Pacific Hospital and completed training in otolaryngology at Jefferson Hillman Hospital at UAB. Following time in the armed forces and the completion of his residency training, James Hicks became director of the otolaryngology residency program in 1960. He would then serve as the first full-time director of the Division of Otolaryngology, appointed by Arnold G. Diethelm, M.D., in 1982.
Julius Hicks followed James Hicks as the second director of the Division of Otolaryngology. Julius Hicks was born in Enterprise, Alabama, in 1929. He received his undergraduate degree from Duke University in 1949 and graduated from medical school at Duke in 1953. He completed an internship and residency at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston. In 1982, Julius Hicks officially joined the faculty at UAB in the Department of Surgery. Julius Hicks became the director of the Division of Otolaryngology when it was established within the Department of Surgery in 1985. He held this position until 1992 and remained an active emeritus professor until his death in 2009.
Dr. Glenn Peters (right)Growth under Dr. Glenn Peters
Glenn E. Peters, M.D., became the subsequent director of the Division of Otolaryngology. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1954, Peters received his undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University in 1976. He came to UAB in 1980 for an otolaryngology residency after completing medical school at Louisiana State University. Peters trained under the Hicks brothers and entered a clinical faculty position immediately following residency. After a year, he left for a fellowship in head and neck oncologic surgery at Johns Hopkins University from 1986 to 1987. Peters returned to UAB in 1987 and was appointed director of the Division of Otolaryngology in 1992.
At the time Peters rejoined the faculty, he recalls that there were three faculty members in the division: James Riley, M.D., Julius Hicks, M.D., and himself. Thomas Eby, M.D., was hired next as a fourth faculty member.
“At that point, Dr. Riley left,” Peters said. “So that left me and Dr. Eby because Dr. Hicks, at that time, had started cutting back on his practice.”
Peters began an aggressive hiring campaign to build up the faculty, with names like Art Cox, M.D., FACS, Elliot Morgan, M.D., Michael Sillers, M.D., FACS, Brian Wiatrak, M.D., FAAP, FACS, and William Carroll, M.D., coming on board.
“All of these people were hired probably within a three-to-five-year period,” Peters said.
Peters served as division director for 20 years, stepping down in 2012 – three years before the division became a department in 2015.
Following Peters, Eben L. Rosenthal, M.D. led the Division of Otolaryngology.
“He was the one that was largely responsible for pushing us to department status,” Peters said.
ENT ResidentsFrom division to department
Rosenthal received his undergraduate degree from Haverford College in 1988 and his medical degree from the University of Michigan in 1994. He completed his internship and residency at the University of Michigan and his fellowship at Oregon Health Sciences University. Joining the UAB faculty in 2001, Rosenthal became notable for his strides in research and his remarkable skills as a microvascular surgeon. He attracted talent from across the country, including faculty, residents, and researchers. In addition, he took numerous leadership roles, including being appointed Julius N. Hicks Endowed Professor in September 2006 and the John S. Odess Professor and Division Director-Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery in 2012.
Rosenthal stepped down as director in July 2015, the same year the Division of Otolaryngology officially became the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery with Carroll serving as interim chair. Carroll would accept the role as the first chair of the department in 2017.
Carroll received his degree from the Medical College of Georgia in 1984. He then completed an internship in general surgery at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in 1986 and his residency in otolaryngology at the University of Michigan in 1990, continuing as a faculty member until 1994. Carroll joined the UAB faculty in 1996 as an associate professor interested in head and neck oncology. Under his leadership, the head and neck oncology program grew to become a national leader in surgical volume. In addition, under Carroll’s leadership, the UAB Head and Neck Oncology Fellowship reopened in 2010.
During his time, Carroll notes that many who came before forged the success within the Division.
“A lot of the growth was due to the people who came before me,” Carroll stated.
He added that upon his arrival, he witnessed the success of several directors.
“Peters was the director upon my arrival and recruited me to the department. There was much growth in that season,” Carroll stated. “It's really under Rosenthal’s guidance that the groundwork was laid to transition from being in a division of the Department of Surgery into being in Government within the university”.
Carroll recalls the people and culture of the department being particularly memorable during his tenure.
“They were excellent clinicians and surgeons but also excellent human beings who cared a lot about what they were doing,” Carroll said.
2024 Resident Research Day and Hicks LectureFrom a rich past to a promising future
Justin Turner, M.D., Ph.D., joined the UAB Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in May of 2024 with a vision of continued growth and excellence in the field.
Turner noted that over the past 16 months, the department has added several new providers, expanded its care locations, and ranked among the best in the specialty according to U.S News and World Report.
“We have an outstanding culture where the contributions of every individual are highly valued,” Turner expressed. “We take pride in being a balanced program that focuses on all aspects of academic medicine.”