Former UA president Andrew Sorensen dies at 72
Tuscaloosa News – April 18
Former University of Alabama President Andrew Sorensen died Sunday. He was 72. Sorensen joined the administration at Ohio State University in September to become senior vice president for development, president of the Ohio State University Foundation and special assistant to the president for advancement… Before OSU, Sorensen was president of the University of South Carolina for six years. He left Tuscaloosa for USC in July 2002. UA’s 25th president, Sorensen served from 1996 to 2002. “Dr. Andrew Sorensen’s presidency was a time of significant achievement for our system and this state,” said UA System Chancellor Malcolm Portera. “We were saddened to learn of his sudden death, and we extend deepest condolences to his beloved wife Donna and their family, who were such a vibrant part of this community.” Under Sorensen, UA gained recognition as one of the top 50 public institutions in the country in an annual list published by U.S. News & World Report. Federal money for grants and contracts more than doubled during his six years. Also, citations of work done by UA’s faculty quadrupled. He also began offering computers to National Merit Finalists who enrolled at UA, and began the Blount Undergraduate Initiative, dedicating the Blount Living Learning Center in 2000…
Birmingham News – April 18
Charleston (S.C.) Post Courier – April 18
Columbia (S.C.) State – April 18
Gainesville (Fla.) Sun – April 18
Charlotte (N.C.) Observer – April 18
Anderson (S.C.) Independent-Mail – April 18
Orangeburg (S.C.) Times and Democrat – April 18
WSAV-TV (Savannah) – April 17
WSPA-CBS (Greenville, NC) – April 17
WYCW-CW (Greenville, NC) – April 17
WBRC-FOX (Birmingham) – April 17
WIAT- CBS (Birmingham) – April 17
WIS-NBC (Columbia, SC) – April 17
WOLO-ABC (Columbia, SC) – April 17
WAFF-NBC (Huntsville) – April 17
Hundreds attend Culture Fest in Holt, Alabama
Tuscaloosa News – April 18
Community members, students and local politicians made their way to Holt High school on Sunday for the third annual Culture Fest on Sunday afternoon. Attendees said they enjoyed entertainment, art and music that included selections from “American Idol” winners Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks, both Birmingham natives. Brice Miller, assistant director of Crossroads Community Center, said this event is more than one day of celebrating culture. “This day is to showcase the potential of the Holt community,” he said. “It is about bringing together differences and operating as one community.” The event is designed to attract a diverse range of people, Miller said. The free event drew hundreds of people throughout the day and attractions included face painting, custom automobiles on display and a variety of bands…Samory Pruitt, vice president of community affairs for the University of Alabama, said the idea of Culture Fest grew from a model program from the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce called “Culture Builds.”
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – April 17
UA students rise to challenge of taking play on the road
Tuscaloosa News – April 17
As any water spreads to fill its banks, so the “Big River” flowed up and out into the Montgomery Performing Arts Center. The University of Alabama Department of Theatre and Dance built and rehearsed the musical, based on Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” in Tuscaloosa during the past several weeks…
UA gymnastics team wins NCAA championship
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – April 16
WHNT-CBS, Huntsville – April 17
ESPN.com – April 17
Congratulations are in order for the women’s gymnastics team at the University of Alabama, now officially the NCAA National champions! They took the national title yesterday, beating out defending champion UCLA in the event in Cleveland. This is the Crimson Tide’s fifth crown and its first since 2002.
A-Day attendance sets record
Crimson White – April 18
…this year’s A-Day game saw a record 92,310 fans filling Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday… According to the Capstone Report, this is the third time in five seasons the Tide has drawn more than 91,000 fans for an A-Day game. The UA crowd is ranked third in the history of the Southeastern Conference. Ohio State set the national record in 2009 when the Buckeyes’ attracted nearly 96,000 fans for their spring practice game.
Nick Saban statue unveiled
The bronzed Nick Saban now stands along the Walk of Champions, next to the likes of Gene Stallings, Paul Bryant, and Wallace Wade.
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – April 16
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – April 16
WFTS-ABC (Tampa) – April 16
San Francisco Chronicle – April 18 (Associated Press)
West Virginia Metro News – April 17
Jaxnewsonline.com – April 18
PensacolaNewsJournal.com – April 18
Alabama historian says North, South saw each Civil War victory as God’s favor
Birmingham News – April 16
When the Civil War began 150 years ago this week, preachers in both the North and the South helped beat the drums of war, preaching sermons interpreting how God would reward the righteous and punish the opposing side. Award-winning University of Alabama historian George C. Rable, author of “God’s Almost Chosen Peoples: A Religious History of the Civil War,” calls the bloody period from 1861 to 1865 a holy war…
Engineering students present projects
WAAY-ABC (Huntsville) – April 15
Today the students presented their projects. All the students are electrical and computer engineering majors. They are engaging in hands-on workshops. The students are from Auburn, Mississippi State, Missouri University of Science and Technology, North Carolina A & T, the University of Alabama and UA-Huntsville…
Teams reach for the sky at NASA Student Launch Initiative
Huntsville Times – April 18
One team was composed of 16 female students from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa…
NASA Student Launch Initiative (photo)
Huntsville Times – April 17
…The University of Alabama’s all-girl team carry their rocket to the launch pad.
Data From NASA’s Sky-Mapping Telescope Released
EdgeBoston.com – April 18 (Associated Press)
NASA has released a trove of data from its sky-mapping mission, allowing scientists and anyone with access to the Internet to peruse millions of galaxies, stars, asteroids and other hard-to-see objects…University of Alabama astronomer William Keel already started mining the database for quasars – compact, bright objects powered by super-massive black holes. “If I see a galaxy with highly ionized gas clouds in its outskirts and no infrared evidence of a hidden quasar, that’s a sign that the quasar has essentially shut down in the last 30,000 to 50,000 years,” Keel said…
New Orleans NOLA Live – April 17
Dr. Mark Feldman Discusses SIDS
MSNBC – April 16
SIDS is the sudden death of an infant below the age of 1 where a very thorough investigation fails to explain why the death occurred. Dr. Mark Feldman is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Alabama…
Opinion: UA needs nuclear power
Youngstown (Ohio) Vindicator – April 18
… But no one wants to build reactors using designs that predate the moon landing. Andrew Morriss holds the D. Paul Jones Jr. & Charlene A. Jones Chair in Law & Professor of Business at the University of Alabama.
Registration open for lifecasting workshop
Gadsden Times – April 17
… The workshop is a complement to “Dimensions Variable,” a new exhibit of mixed-media sculpture featuring a variety of three-dimensional work from students at the University of Alabama. Artwork from 18 graduate and undergraduate students will be displayed until May 27 at Walnut Gallery.
3rd Graders Send “Flat Stanleys” All Over the State
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – April 17
Dylan Metcalf is a big Alabama fan, and he sent his flat Dylan to his favorite place. Each year the team captains leave hand and foot impressions in the concrete. “Flat Dylan was all over the University of Alabama. He had his picture taken with the statue of Coach Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant.”