Sid J. Trant
Chancellor, the University of Alabama System
As chief executive of Alabama’s largest public employer and largest higher education enterprise, Trant is a strong advocate for education’s ability to change lives and passionate about increasing access to learning opportunities. He’s a native of the state and a first-generation college graduate, having finished summa cum laude in 1983 at the University of Alabama (UA), where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Trant earned a J.D. in 1986 from Georgetown University Law Center, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and graduated magna cum laude. Early in his career, he was a legislative assistant to Alabama Sen. Howell Heflin in Washington, D.C., and a judicial clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Sam C. Pointer Jr. – experiences that continue to inspire and guide him today.
The UA System is comprised of three dynamic research universities: UA, UAB, and the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Trant serves as the principal liaison between the Board of Trustees and the UA System’s component institutions, working closely with the university presidents and the UAB Health System CEO to implement policies set forth by the board while supporting the multi-faceted missions of the system’s institutions. His team-oriented leadership helps empower the system’s institutions to provide exceptional educational, research, and patient care experiences.
Before being appointed chancellor in February 2025, Trant served as interim chancellor for 10 months. Prior to that, he spent over six years as general counsel and senior vice chancellor, representing and working closely with the Board of Trustees and the system’s institutions in all legal matters, as well as leading its Office of Counsel.
Trant has been an invaluable member of the UA System’s executive team throughout a period of tremendous growth. During his tenure, the system’s economic impact surpassed $18.6 billion, research and development expenditures grew to over $1 billion, and student applications increased by 50%. The UA System educates and graduates more students than any university in the state.
Before joining the UA System in September 2017, Trant was a partner at Birmingham law firm Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP for 30 years. While steadfastly serving his clients, he also worked in various roles inside the firm, including practice group chair, hiring partner, and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee.
Trant is a member of several distinguished professional organizations and chairs the Freshwater Land Trust Board of Directors. He currently resides in Tuscaloosa, Ala., with his wife, Angel. They have two adult children and four grandchildren.