Ex-UA professor now Libya’s prime minister: Former colleagues remember his ‘powerful aura’
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 2
Before Monday, Abdurrahim El-Keib was known in Tuscaloosa as a former professor at the University of Alabama who had taught at the school for 20 years. Now, he’s known to the world as Libya’s new prime minister. From 1985 to 2005, El-Keib taught power systems electrical and computer engineering at UA. Many of his former colleagues and students say they’re shocked by El-Keib’s election to lead a country in transition. “I would have been shocked no matter who it was,” said Tim Haskew, head of UA’s engineering department who worked with El-Keib for 14 years.
Birmingham News – Nov. 2
Time magazine – Nov. 1
Reuters – Nov. 1
CNN – Nov. 1
N14N-Cable (Raleigh, NC) – Nov. 1
KSL-AM Radio (Salt Lake City) – Nov. 1
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Nov. 1
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – Nov. 1
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Nov. 1
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Nov. 1
WKRG (Mobile) – Nov. 1
WPMI (Mobile) – Nov. 1
WSFA (Montgomery) – Nov. 1
Taylor Swift Calls Alpharetta College Student Her Hero
Patch.com – Nov. 1
Taylor Swift has a hero, and he’s an Alpharetta, GA, college student who started his own charity to help victims of tornadoes that swept through Alabama and Georgia on April 27. James O’Dwyer was honored in the 2011 HALO Awards, being presented on nick@nite Sunday, Nov. 6, at 8 p.m. O’Dwyer was a college freshman at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL on April 27 when a devastating tornado formed in Alabama. The university was closed, and students sent home when they could make it. But by the time he was back in Alpharetta, O’Dwyer knew he wanted to do something to get aid back to the victims left behind. So within a few days he and his mother had people dropping off supplies, and the family van went back to Tuscaloosa with supplies. Then atractor-trailer was provided, and the donations continued to grow.
Alabama Reach provides support for students
Crimson White – Nov. 2
Faculty members and students have been working since last fall to create a program to help students who have been involved in foster care, are emancipated or are wards of the state. The program, Alabama Reach, has a goal to provide support for these students while they are at the University. Lowell Davis, assistant dean of students and assistant to the vice provost, created the program. Davis, along with Karen Baynes-Dunning, a professor in the College of Human Environmental Sciences, has worked to find funding and support for the growing program. So far, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, created by Jim Casey, the founder of UPS, has awarded Alabama Reach with a grant to create a new initiative to find host families for the program’s students to connect with.
Bama Buddies builds bears for children
Crimson White – Nov. 2
Looking for some Christmas karma? Try stuffing a bear. The third annual Bama Buddies campaign, a community service project hosted by the Source, lets students build stuffed animals for needy kids in Tuscaloosa. David Phelps, who heads this year’s Buddies campaign, said the program gives organizations a service opportunity while fostering cooperation between isolated groups. But, of course, it all comes down to the kids.
Beat Auburn Beat Hunger plans upcoming events
Crimson White – Nov. 2
UA’s Beat Auburn Beat Hunger is drawing to a close and has organized several major events to boost donations and meet its goal of 250,000 pounds of donated food, said Wahnee Sherman, director of UA’s Community Service Center.
Artist discusses work, ‘possession of images’
Crimson White – Nov. 2
The Sarah Moody Gallery in Garland Hall is showing a selection of work by Fred Stonehouse, an artist whose artwork has been shown in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Rome, Italy, and in “Juxtapose” and “Art in America” magazines. The artist now teaches at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Stonehouse spoke to Alabama students and teachers at a lecture last week about his artwork, which he has been making for more than sixty years. He has had 160 solo exhibitions.
‘Relief at Rounders’ to raise money with music
Crimson White – Nov. 2
Several genres of music will be represented at Rounders tonight for the student-organized “Relief at Rounders” concert, including country, rock and hip-hop. Every performer, with the exception of Wynt Earley, is a UA student. Bo Latham, hip-hop artist and one of tonight’s performers, helped organized the concert as part of a class project.
Big flock of flights expected in Tuscaloosa for Alabama-LSU
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 2
Tuscaloosa Regional Airport expects a record number of flights this weekend as private aircraft, corporate jets and even some charter flights bring in visitors for the Alabama-LSU gridiron showdown Saturday night. “It will be a madhouse,” said Angie Gilliland at Dixie Air, one of the airport’s two fixed base operators — private companies that service and park aircraft. At Bama Air, the airport’s other fixed base operator, the phone has been ringing off the hook this week as pilots make arrangements to fly in for what promises to be the biggest game of the regular college football season
UA prepared for 140,000 fans for Saturday’s game
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Nov. 1
The University of Alabama is no stranger to large tailgates and thousands of out of towners, but Saturday’s game may be a new record for the university. Therefore Tuscaloosa officials are ready for the Tigers. An estimated 140,000 people will descend on Bryant Denny Stadium this Saturday for what’s being touted as the game of the year.
Gov. Robert Bentley and Gov. Bobby Jindal place bets on LSU-Alabama game
Mobile Press-Register – Nov. 2
Gov. Robert Bentley and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal have a friendly wager riding on the outcome of Saturday’s much-balleyhooed matchup between top-ranked LSU and the second-ranked University of Alabama. Bentley, a Tuscaloosa native and UA graduate, is betting a mammoth sandwich at Rama Jama’s – a favorite hometown restaurant – against Jindal’s offer of a Louisiana seafood dinner.