UA license plate gets new design
Crimson White – March 25
…Pat Whetstone, UA’s director of alumni affairs, said funds from the tags cost about $50 more than regular tags and go towards undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships. “Student leaders, alumni leaders and student organizations helped us cut it down to two designs, which the state put onto metal so they were actual tags,” Whetstone said. “The last test was putting them on the back of a car, and one was clearly the better choice. [The other design] was cute, but it just didn’t work as a tag.”…
Everybody’s All A-Twitter
CBS 42 – March 23
… One communications expert says it’s all about the interactivity. “It’s all about engagement, media want to engage with their audiences, businesses want to engage with their customers, so Twitter allows that to happen,” says UA Journalism professor, Dr. George Daniels.
State income grows; recession slows national gains
Tuscaloosa News – March 25
…Sam Addy, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama, said the recession appears to be bottoming out based on slowing unemployment levels, but that the first quarter of this year will still show a slowing of income growth. ‘As we said at the West Alabama [economic] summit [in January], we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,’ he said…
Facebook dangerous to privacy, job offers
Crimson White – March 25
…Photos not only document your fun times, but also the places you’ve been and people with whom you associate. These are clues that others can easily piece together to find you,” according to a report issued by Vivian Wright, associate professor of instructional technology.” “Privacy is something that is often compromised when students divulge valuable information, such as phone numbers or addresses, on their Facebook accounts.”
” Being an open book puts you at risk of sharing a little too much, according to the report.”…“Employers do look at Facebook,” said Gayle Howell, a consultant with the Career Center. “A couple of years ago, there was discussion if it was ethical for employers to look at [potential employee’s] Facebook pages and other networking sites. We’re not even having that discussion anymore; it’s just so prevalent.”” ” In the current job market, students have to be mindful about their Facebook profiles, she said.”…
Bruno’s could close stores if no buyer is found
Tuscaloosa News – March 25
…Kristy Reynolds, the Bruno associate professor of marketing at the University of Alabama, said it is difficult to predict which supermarket chains, if any, are interested in Bruno’s. In Tuscaloosa, Wal-Mart and Publix are strong with a good market share, she said. But Bruno’s has some things that its competition does not have, like a larger selection of wines and beers. That gives it a customer base that might be attractive to a buyer. If Bruno’s owns its stores here, a buyer also might be more interested in the real estate than the business, Reynolds said. But she noted that even in down times, buyers can be found if the price is right. ‘Even in a recession, people still have to buy food. They might go down a notch and not eat out at a restaurant, but they still have to eat,’ Reynolds said…
Governor Riley signs film incentive bill
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – March 24
…Nisa Miranda works at the University of Alabama Center for Economic Development and she’s been working on the movie incentives bill for almost three years…