UA brings doctoral degree to Florence
Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 8
The University of Alabama will offer a doctorate degree at the University of North Alabama, joining a handful of UA programs offered on other campuses. Bringing the doctorate of educational administration to Florence should meet a demand in north Alabama, Charles Nash, vice chancellor of academic affairs for the University of Alabama System, told trustees in a meeting last week…Tuscaloosa and UA’s Gadsden Graduate Center are the closest doctoral programs in the field of study to Florence. The program is meant for students who have their educational specialist degree in educational administration from UNA. “Accessibility in northwest Alabama to the quality doctoral program offered by the University of Alabama would fill a void within the service area we two share as state institutions of higher education,” wrote William Cale, UNA president, in a letter to UA President Robert Witt…Outside the UA System, UA offers a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in southwest Alabama through Troy’s Dothan campus and Wallace Community College, Bonner said. UA’s School of Social Work offers a master’s degree in Mobile and Montgomery along with the first year of the master’s degree at a university in Hong Kong.
Crimson White – Feb. 8
Festival gives high school musicians taste of UA life
Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 6
…The 25th annual Alabama Honor Band Festival. Hundreds of high school students from around the country are gathered at UA for the festival, which began Thursday and ends Sunday. The festival recognizes exceptional high school musicians for their achievements — they must earn their way to the event — and also gives them a taste of student life at the university. Kenneth Ozzello, UA director of bands, said the festival is not only a special event for the musicians it honors, but also for UA bands. “This is our most important recruitment of the year,” Ozzello said. “You could probably go down and ask the members of the Million Dollar Band if they had been in Honor Band and probably 75 percent of them would say ‘Yes.’ ” Over the course of the weekend, students audition for scholarships and attend clinics for their instruments led by UA faculty and students as well as prestigious guest conductors. “We’re advertising what we do well here at the university,” he said. Ozzello said the experience of the Honor Band Festival can be career-altering for many students and that it improves their entire high school band. “Some students come from programs that aren’t as big as others and the opportunity to play in this gifted of an ensemble is big,” he said. “Also, what they learn here they bring back to their home programs and that helps those programs.”
Spring II courses available to enroll
Crimson White – Feb. 8
Students with a slim course schedule can take advantage of the new Spring II semester option accessible on the MyBama Web site. Spring II enables students to enroll in courses that last for 10 weeks, starting Feb. 15 and ending at the close of the semester…Rebecca Pow, associate dean of the college of continuing studies, said Spring II is a great opportunity for students who may have dropped a course and fell below full-time enrollment. In addition, Pow said enrollment in Spring II has increased from last fall, when its pilot program was introduced. “We have right around 150 students enrolled in Spring II, whereas in the fall we had about 80, and there are still several days left to enroll with more courses to be added,” Pow said…
Rants and Raves
Montgomery Advertiser – Feb. 6
RAVE: For a film produced by students at the University of Alabama about the challenges faced by returning military veterans. The documentary film, “Searching for Normal,” is being recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The film features four veterans discussing life after tours in Iraq. The VA has posted a link to the film on its Facebook page.
FOX6 (Birmingham) – Feb. 5
Emission & Power Solutions Announces Collaboration With The University of Alabama
PR Newswire – Feb. 8
Emission & Power Solutions…announced today that it has licensed the patent pending Vapor Emissions System developed by Dr. Marcus Ashford at The University of Alabama (“UA”). The Company is beginning a research and development collaboration with UA in order to commercialize the product. The Vapor Emissions System will be commercialized as an effective emissions-reduction device for all liquid-fueled passenger vehicles, including automobiles and light-duty trucks…Dr. Rick Swatloski from the Office for Technology Transfer at The University of Alabama commented, “Dr. Marcus Ashford and The University of Alabama’s Office for Technology Transfer are pleased to partner with EPS to commercialize an on board vapor recovery system for internal combustion engines developed at the University. EPS has a proven track record of securing investment for business and product development. We are excited about working with EPS to further develop this technology and transition it into a commercial product for the public’s benefit.” Dr. Ashford is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering within UA’s College of Engineering.
Research and Creative Activity Conference offers cash prize
Crimson White – Feb. 8
The University is holding its annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Conference on April 15 at the Bryant Conference Center, according to a UA news release. All undergraduate students are invited to present their research or creative activity to gain presentation experience and possibly win a cash prize, the release said. Students showcase their work by delivering a 10-minute oral presentation to judges or by making a poster board regarding their project, said Richard Mocarski, coordinator for research communications and special projects in the UA Office for Sponsored Programs. “The work at this conference is diverse, from the arts (music, writing, sculpture, theater, etc.) to the hard sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, etc.) to engineering, education, business and anything else you can think of,” Mocarski wrote in an email…
UA Theatre brings Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale” to UA
Crimson White – Feb. 8
…William Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale,” as adapted by director Guy Fauchon and the theater department, will premiere Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Allen Bales Theater. “I think this is probably one of the best adaptations of Shakespeare that I’ve ever read or seen,” said Brad Lee, a junior majoring in business management and theatre who is the assistant director of the play…
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Feb. 5
Campus Movie Fest attracts student directors
Crimson White – Feb. 5
…Campus Movie Fest culminated Thursday night in a “Red Carpet Finale,” which showcased 21 five-minute films produced by UA students…Nick Mahone, a senior majoring in telecommunications and film, has made several student films, including “Insight,” “Synthia,” “My Apparition” and a documentary on the UA theatre department’s production of “The Wild Party.”…
UA and Kansas students exchange poetry, ideas
Crimson White – Feb. 5
Twelve students from UA and the University of Kansas participated in a poetry and community exchange where they not only experienced new writings, but new cultures. Joseph Wood, an English department lecturer and creator of the exchange, said he wanted to show undergraduate students that they weren’t alone in writing…