UA researchers’ gene work could block Parkinson’s
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 10
…In a paper published Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, UA researchers outline what has been called the largest functional analysis of genes ever reported, a process that has led to testing of the most promising gene that could, if stimulated by drug therapy, protect against the disease…Although UA biology professors Guy and Kim Caldwell, have received several grants to study some aspect of the disease, Guy Caldwell said the latest paper is the lab’s most significant contribution…
Opinion: UA discovery may change theories
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 10
A discovery by astronomers at the University of Alabama may be ‘inconvenient’ to the prevailing understanding of the cosmos, but it provides a timely reminder about the scientific method. Professors Gene Byrd and Ron Buta found that a spiral galaxy that twists in a direction opposite to the direction of other spiral galaxies. Their initial findings were met with skepticism, so they returned to their studies for further confirmation. They have re-confirmed their findings, which were presented this week at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Austin, Texas…
UA sophomore awarded biology prize for research
Crimson White – Jan. 10
…Kyle Lee, a sophomore majoring in biological sciences, is the third student to receive the prize and one of only four winners selected across the nation…
U Alabama Mines Data to Boost Enrollment, Retention
CampusTechnology.com – Jan. 10
First-year enrollment at the University of Alabama is up 40 percent, at least in part because the school is using a sophisticated data analysis product to gauge which students to target in enrollment and retention campaigns. The positive numbers–which also include an increase in student retention from 82 percent to 85 percent–are the result of a combination of efforts, according to Cali Davis, associate director of data analysis and specialized recruitment at UA…
UA replaces WebCT system
Crimson White – Jan. 10
…UA officials made the decision to transition from WebCT to a new instructional technology called eLearning. Last semester, the University implemented WebCT and eLearning, while this semester marks the first solely using eLearning…
The Sabans give it back
Crimson White – Jan. 10
The records in the Nick’s Kids checkbook read like a tour of Tuscaloosa and Alabama as Terry Saban flips through them. The UA SPIRIT Scholarship fund at the University. Eagle’s Wings of Tuscaloosa. Birmingham Children’s Hospital. The RISE School in Tuscaloosa. United Way of Alabama. Donations can range from a thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, and all of the money comes from Nick’s Kids. Alabama head football coach Nick Saban and his wife Terry established Nick’s Kids as the fund they use to donate money to Alabama charities, hospitals and organizations…