UA Preview

MONDAY, OCT. 29 – SUNDAY, NOV. 4, 2012

BEST BETS

GHOSTS AND GOBLINS – The UA Panhellenic Association, National Pan-Hellenic Council and the United Greek Council will host Sorority Row Trick-or-Treat on Monday, Oct. 29, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Area children are invited to dress in Halloween costumes and visit the lawns of the campus sorority houses on Magnolia and Colonial Drives for candy and treats. Harris Hall will also be participating and there will also be tents along the new sorority road with candy and treats. Members of the sororities will be dressed in Halloween costumes to pass out candy to the children. Contacts are Maggie Gray, 256/345-3797, mcgray1@crimson.ua.edu and Olivia Hanceri, 251/554-7195, ohanceri@gmail.com, Alabama Panhellenic Association.

BOLSTERING PHYSICS EDUCATION –UA recently received a $1.6 million grant from the National Science Foundation to boost physics education in high schools throughout the state. As part of Alliance for Physics Excellence, a partnership with Alabama A&M University, UA will provide training to current physics teachers and get more physics teachers into schools through stipends and grants at UA. According to Dr. Dennis Sunal, science education professor at UA, Alabama is sorely lacking for physics teachers. “The research shows that innovative programs like this actually do produce a greater number of students going into STEM careers in college,” Sunal said. “Physics education in this state is at a very low level. There’s a shortage of teachers, so not all high schools teach it anymore. The ones that do will need an upgrade. It’s the first state-wide, secondary school project that the state has received (for physics education). It’s a discipline that’s really in trouble now. Colleges and universities are even finding it difficult to find students for STEM disciplines.” Contact: David Miller, media relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.

EXPANDING COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION – Continuing efforts to introduce computer science to high school students, a $1 million grant was awarded to UA to train teachers in a new computer science course and future College Board AP exam. The grant from the National Science Foundation to Dr. Jeff Gray, associate professor of computer science in the UA College of Engineering, builds upon his work with the College Board to craft a new Advanced Placement computer science course designed to increase secondary and post-secondary educational interest in computer science and improve collegiate preparation for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, majors. For more information contact Adam Jones at 205/348-6444 or acjones12@eng.ua.edu.

CURRENT COMMENT

HURRICANE SANDY – Dr. Jason C. Senkbeil, assistant professor of geography, is available to answer questions about Hurricane Sandy, hurricane preparedness and the impact on the storm in the Northeast. You can contact him at jasonsenkbeil@gmail.com or 205/348-4942.

POLITICAL WISDOM – As the presidential campaigns roll toward Nov. 6, UA professors are available to add their insights and expertise to stories about politics. Follow this link to a list of potential sources on the political campaign. Contact: Richard LeComte, media relations, rllecomte@ur.ua.edu, 205/348-3782.

EVENTS

ALABAMA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME INDUCTION – Five business leaders will be inducted into the Alabama Business Hall of Fame on Thursday, Nov. 1 at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center in Birmingham. The reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the induction ceremony and dinner at 7 p.m. The 2012 inductees are Richard Anthony of Birmingham, chairman of the board of Synovus; John A. Caddell of Montgomery, chairman of the board of Caddell Construction Co.; T. Michael Goodrich of Birmingham, former chairman and chief executive officer of BE&K; James S. Holbrook Jr., of Birmingham, chairman and chief executive officer of Sterne Agee Group, Inc., and Dr. Grace E. Pilot of Mobile, chairwoman of the board of Pilot Catastrophe Services, Inc. For more information, contact Bill Gerdes, UA media relations, begerdes@cba.ua.edu , 205/348-8318.

BEAT AUBURN BEAT HUNGER BLOOD DRIVE – The UA Community Service Center, Student Government Association and American Red Cross are hosting a fundraising blood drive event to benefit Beat Auburn Beat Hunger Tuesday, Oct. 30, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. in the Ferguson Center Ballroom. For every pint of blood collected, Sam’s Club will donate one canned good to the BABH food drive. Contact is Andres Mendieta of the CSC at 925/550-0213 or beatauburnbeathunger@gmail.com.

LOOKING AHEAD

LEARNING FROM FAILURE – Dr. Henry Petroski, professor, author and a leading expert on engineering failures throughout history, will visit The University of Alabama campus Nov. 7, capping his visit with a public lecture in the Ferguson Center. His visit and lecture are presented by the directors of the College of Engineering’s research centers. For more information contact Adam Jones, 205/348/6444 or acjones12@eng.ua.edu.