UA’s MIS program No. 16 in BusinessWeek rankings
Al.com – Oct. 30
The Management Information Systems program at the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Commerce is ranked No. 16 out of 124 programs at both public and private universities, according to a BusinessWeek survey of students. Overall, the business school came in at No. 80 among all universities and No. 35 among public universities. “Information, supported by technology and innovation, is the driving force in today’s economy,” said Dr. J. Michael Hardin, dean of the Culverhouse College of Commerce at UA, according to a release “Information alone is not enough. Business must have strategies to use information the correct way, to make it accessible to those who need it, and to guarantee its security.” As part of their ranking of the nation’s undergraduate business programs, Bloomberg Businessweek annually surveys more than 85,000 students at more than 100 business schools and asks them to rate their program’s performance in 14 academic disciplines ranging from entrepreneurship and ethics to marketing and sustainability. This is the first year UA’s management information systems category has been included in the BusinessWeek rankings.
Michael Connelly accepts second annual Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction at ceremony
ABA Journal – Oct. 30
Michael Connelly was a highly successful author long before he started writing about lawyers. His 1998 novel Blood Work was named one of the best books of that year by the Los Angeles Times before it became a Clint Eastwood movie. And by the time he introduced Mickey Haller in The Lincoln Lawyer, he’d already produced 11 of his 17 police procedurals starring the fictional detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch. “I’d always intended to write a legal thriller. I was really drawn to that genre, but I’m not a lawyer. And, honestly, I was kind of intimidated by it,” Connelly says. He is intimidated no more. In September, Connelly received the second annual Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction for The Fifth Witness, his fourth Haller novel. The prize is sponsored by the University of Alabama Law School and the ABA Journal.
Philosopher to speak on science of consciousness
Crimson White – Oct. 30
Frank Jackson, a world-renowned philosopher and expert in the philosophy of the mind, will be presenting a lecture titled “The Problem of Consciousness Revisited” Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in Room 205 of Smith Hall. Jackson, a distinguished professor of philosophy at Australian National University and a visiting professor at Princeton University, will focus on whether science can explain consciousness. In his thought experiment, “The Mary Case,” Jackson proposed that if a scientist who understood all the underlying scientific concepts of the color red were raised in a world of only black and white, she would learn something when actually exposed to red. “Qualitative experiences associated with consciousness, such as ‘What it’s like to see red’ cannot be explained by scientific facts alone,” said Spencer Carter, a graduate student studying applied statistics. “But if science can explain all physical things, then it means consciousness must have some non-physical component.” However, Jackson found a flaw in his theory and changed his mind in 1998. He now believe science can, in fact, explain consciousness. The work was groundbreaking in the field of philosophy of the mind and continues to be debated today. “Dr. Jackson framed the issue in a way that no one else has before,” said Torin Alter, professor of philosophy. “Hearing Jackson speak would be like hearing E.L. Wilson speak on biology.”
‘Forrest Gump’ author returns to UA, compares writing to football
Crimson White – Oct. 30
“Forrest Gump” author Winston Groom’s life of writing has proven to be very much like a box of chocolates him, though he pointed out that phrase is actually only from the movie adaptation of the book. “I got so many boxes of chocolate after the movie came out,” Groom said. “It’s a good thing I like chocolates.” After working as a reporter for the Washington Star and publishing 17 books of various genres, Groom returned to his University of Alabama alma mater on Monday to speak to students in the Ferguson Center. “The first thing I learned at UA was winning,” Groom said. “It is a tradition here.” Groom said the idea for “Forrest Gump” began with a story his father told him. “In the neighborhood, there was a young man who, by the vernacular of the day, was retarded,” Groom said. “The kids teased him, and they threw rocks and sticks at him. Then one day his mother bought him a piano and people started to hear this beautiful music coming from the home. The kid had learned to play the piano.” It is a phenomenon called idiot savant syndrome, in which a mentally disabled person displays pockets of brilliance.
Alabama’s economy continues its slow recovery
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 30
Alabama’s economy is continuing a slow recovery and its performance for the year will be an improvement over 2011, according to a fourth quarter forecast from the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama. But most of the economic progress this year occurred in the first half of the year, said Ahmad Ijaz, an economist at CBER. During the second half, the recovery has slowed, he said. Exports continue to be a source of strength for the state’s economy with shipments up 15.9 percent to $10.1 billion for the first half of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011. Transportation equipment exports, in particular, climbed more than 31 percent. But during second half of the year, exports have not kept pace. There’s been a drop in exports and businesses are putting off new spending during the second half of the year, which has affected the state and tempered the economic recovery, Ijaz said. Those factors are likely to continue through the rest of year, he said.
Al.com – Oct. 30
UA professor says Sandy’s impact could have been worse
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – Oct. 30
According to Dr. Jason Senkbeil, an assistant professor and director of the Environmental Science department at the University of Alabama, the impact of Tropical Storm Sandy wasn’t as bad as it could have been. The professor also compared some of the impact Sandy had on the east coast to what Tuscaloosa experienced April 27, 2011.
Dobson backs Moore in state chief justice race
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 30
As the Alabama chief justice race heads to the Nov. 6 finish line, candidates Roy Moore and Robert Vance Jr. are touting key endorsements. Moore, a Republican and former chief justice, on Monday announced the endorsement of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, a leading evangelical…Retired University of Alabama political science professor William Stewart said in an email that “most Christian conservatives are very much aware of whom James Dobson is and would certainly expect him to support Moore, the candidate they previously backed so strongly in the March primary.”
Gadsden Times – Oct. 30
Holiday offers a time for treats
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 30
University of Alabama sororities on Monday helped start Halloween week, but trick-or-treaters will have more opportunities for fun today and Wednesday. Trick-or-treaters are invited to the UA soccer stadium from 6:30-8:30 p.m. today for the 10th annual Alabama athletics department’s Halloween Extravaganza. The free event, which is open to children 13 and younger and their families, is sponsored by the University of Alabama Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Each UA athletic team will host different games and activities.
Al.com – Oct. 30
Event to focus on role of bystanders in violence
Crimson White – Oct. 30
In conjunction with Dating and Domestic Violence Awareness Month, The University of Alabama Women’s Resource Center’s Student Leadership Council is hosting “Bystanding Love: The Story of Yeardley Love & Bystander Involvement” at 5 p.m. Tuesday in 311 Carmichael Hall Rotunda, said Jessi Hitchins, assistant director of the WRC. “Events such as this one help raise awareness about issues such as Dating and Domestic Violence and empower the audience to take action against the violence,” Zoe Storey, director of the SLC, said… The event is named for Yeardley Love, who was found dead inside her Charlottesville, Va., apartment in May 2010, a victim of domestic violence.
Event helps people make potentially life-saving bone marrow donations
Gadsden Times – Oct. 30
It was just a sinus infection, or so he thought. Little did Gary Lloyd know the intense migraines he had been waking up with every morning were a sign of something worse. Diagnosed with a rare blood cancer in August, the 28-year-old found himself fighting for his life, never imagining his very existence would depend on the compassion of a complete stranger. “It was shocking, devastating, and I was extremely angry,” said Lloyd, a producer/director at the Center for Public Television/Radio at the University of Alabama. “I was too young for something like this to happen.” … Community members will be able to take the first step in becoming a future donor Wednesday during a Be The Match donor registry drive at the University of Alabama. Donors must be between the ages of 18 and 44, willing to donate to any patient in need and meet certain health guidelines. The process takes about five minutes, and involves signing a consent form and a cheek swab.
Alabama professor visits Gnu’s Room for talk on ‘In Cold Blood’
Auburn Plainsman – Oct. 29
The Gnu’s Room was the scene for a talk given by Ralph Voss Friday, Oct. 19, on his most recent book, “Truman Capote and the Legacy of ‘In Cold Blood.’” Voss is a professor emeritus of English at the University of Alabama and is also the author of “The Strains of Triumph: A Life of William Inge” and “Elements of Practical Writing.” Voss was 16 years old when Herbert Clutter, Herbert’s wife, and two of their children were brutally murdered in Holcomb, Kan., only a short distance from Voss’ hometown of Plainview. Bob Carlton of The Birmingham News reported Voss’ reaction to the brutal murders. “I remember very vividly that, up until that time, my parents had never locked the doors at night,” Voss told Carlton in The Birmingham News article. This crime captured the attention of the state and nation. These brutal murders eventually led to the publication of Truman Capote’s book, “In Cold Blood.”
Out-of-state students find home in new club The ’49′
Crimson White – Oct. 30
With out-of-state student enrollment on the rise, a new student organization was recently formed with the goal of helping new out-of-state students to acclimate themselves to life here at The University of Alabama. The “49” plans to organize several initiatives to help streamline the adjustment of out-of-state students to life at the Capstone. “The ‘49’ was formed in October 2011 as a student organization designed to reduce the number of out-of-state students that choose to leave the University after failing to fully adjust to life on campus,” Douglas Fair, a founding member of the group, said. “Our mission is to help out-of-state students become acclimated to life on campus through community involvement and social events throughout the school year.” The programs and initiatives to be put into motion by The “49” will be drafted and approved by an independent planning committee referred to as The Assembly. Comprised of two students from each state represented at the University, The Assembly will meet twice a month in order to brainstorm and vote on new ideas. Each state is currently represented within The Assembly with the exception of Maine and Utah.
Alabama Greek Missions to visit Nicaragua for relief trip
Crimson White – Oct. 30
As soon as finals are over, 35 students from Alabama Greek Missions will board a flight to Nicaragua from Dec. 16-23. The group will be staying in Trapichito, an isolated village with a population of about 200. “We will start our days with building a new home for a family that has been sponsored by Delta Zeta, Pi Beta Phi and Phi Mu,” Valerie Rodriguez, the president of Alabama Greek Missions, said. “We will spend our afternoons playing with the local children doing arts, crafts and games.” Margaret Coats, vice president of Alabama Greek Missions, said she is amazed what one organization can do to completely change the hearts and minds of the people down in Nicaragua. Rodriguez and Coats founded Alabama Greek Missions in 2010 and traveled to Costa Rica for their first mission trip with a similar group from Louisiana State University. “While we may have faced some challenges through the process, knowing that all of our hard work will result in a lasting impact in their communities and families is what keeps us going,” Rodriguez said. Over the years, Coats said the mission trips make her more appreciative of the resources she has in the United States. “It’s a good opportunity for people to do something tangible instead of just writing checks,” Coats said. “You get your hands dirty while also seeing other parts of the world.”