Students turn out for CNN anchor Don Lemon
Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 22
Don Lemon, CNN’s weekend evening news host, spoke to a large audience on Thursday night in the University of Alabama’s Ferguson Center about optimism, ambition and diversity, and shared personal stories from his recent book “Transparent.” The speech was part of the university’s year-long “Through the Doors” series, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of UA in 1963. Lemon began by applauding the university for its diversity since the days of Vivian Malone and James Hood, who broke the color barrier at Alabama. “It all started with two people who said, ‘I’m going to do it,’ ” Lemon said. “Look at what they did for you.” The focus of Lemon’s speech centered on “living with the threat of failure,” fears that he said he had been living with his entire life. “How many people are afraid of being judged?” Lemon asked the audience.
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Feb. 22
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Feb. 22
UA holds rural health conference
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – Feb. 21
A Mississippi pastor who banned fried chicken from his church four years ago is continuing to preach a message of healthy living. Michael Minor brought that message to the 14th annual Rural Health Conference at the University of Alabama. The conference focuses on fighting obesity in rural communities. Minor has worked with first lady Michelle Obama on her “Let’s Move” initiative. He says there has been no fried chicken or sugary drinks at his church since 2009. And it’s paid off Minor says … some members have lost as much as 40 pounds each.
UA students, faculty win media awards
Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 21
Students and faculty from the University of Alabama’s telecommunication and film department won seven awards in the Broadcast Education Association’s Festival of Media Arts. The awards will be presented at the association’s convention in April. The winners are: Best of Festival, teacher/student co-production: Dwight Cammeron, instructor, and student Shelby Hadden of Franklin, Tenn., for “April’s Hero.” Award of Excellence: Rachel Raimist, assistant professor, and students Branna Burns of Anniston and Greg Kubik of Glenview, Ill., for “Art to Life.”
Researchers characterize algae parasite that impacts on algae biofuel
Green Car Congress – Feb. 22
As part of an ongoing effort to improve commercial scale algae biofuel production, a group of scientists, led by crude oil producer Sapphire Energy, Inc., completed a collaborative study which identified the morphology, ultrastructure, and life history of A. protococcarum, one of the most difficult to manage algae parasites. Their paper appears in the online journal PLoS ONE. Algal biofuels production, although theoretically attractive, faces a number of economic challenges—in particular, producing algae cost effectively at an agricultural scale. ALthough open ponds have been extensively studied and are considered to be the lowest cost and most scalable technologies for the production of algae, one of the challenges those systems face is contamination by algal predators and fast growing heterotrophs. Parasitic attacks can be devastating, destroying mass algae cultures in days. Unless contamination can be controlled, the researchers note, it is unlikely that open ponds will ever reach their potential in the production of algae for biofuel…This article was prepared in collaboration by Robert C. McBride, Ph.D., Salvador Lopez, MSc, Craig Behnke, Ph.D., and Philip A. Lee, Ph.D., of Sapphire Energy; Peter M. Letcher, Ph.D., and Martha J. Powell, Ph.D., of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alabama; and Robert Schmieder, Ph.D., of the Department of Computer Science and Computational Science Research Center at San Diego State University.
COLUMN: Students shouldn’t wait to develop leadership skills
PRWeek – Feb. 22
I found myself agreeing out loud with a Harvard Business Review blog by Jack Zenger, who shared an interesting twist on the question: With all that’s spent on leadership development, why don’t we have better leaders? Zenger says one reason is we wait too long to develop leadership skills. Drawing from comprehensive data, Zenger found that 42 is the average age at which individuals receive leadership training. Less than 10% under the age of 30 are provided it. Yet, the average age of supervisors in the data set was 33. Bottom line: a lot of supervisors are practicing leadership without benefit of training or development. Zenger’s alarmed by this and so am I. However, there’s no need to wait to be “given” leadership training. We tell our students who aspire to leadership not to wait, but to go get some. And there are at least two ways to do so. First, take advantage of opportunity structures – university and community clubs, groups, nonprofits, and professional associations such as the Public Relations Student Society of America or Public Relations Society of America. (Bruce Berger, Ph.D. is Reese Phifer Professor of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Alabama and a member of the board of The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations. Previously he was VP of PR at Whirlpool. His column focuses on PR students, young professionals, and education. He can be reached at berger@apr.ua.edu.)
Alabama’s Moundville announces ancient stone tool Knap-In March 8-9
Al.com – Feb. 21
The University of Alabama’s Moudville Archaeological Park will host a Knap-In to teach you more about ancient stone tools March 8-9. Professional craftsmen demonstrate how to make arrowheads, spear points and other stone tools from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. They will also demonstrate flintknapping as well as the creation of bows and arrows. The craftsmen at Moundville will be vending raw materials which will include antler and leather. If your children are over the age of 12, they can get hands on with the pros and learn to make a stone point. Ancient hunting and fishing equipment as well as Choctaw crafts like basket making and bead work will also be demonstrated and displayed.
THEATER REVIEW: This is an ‘Othello’ that everyone will ‘get’
Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 22
Productions of “Othello” typically fit certain descriptors: Harrowing. Dark. Disturbing. Chilling. How they’re not as often described: Lovely. Musical. Danceable. The latter fit within the realm of the University of Alabama’s new production of “Othello,” cut, carved and assembled by director Seth Panitch to also encompass the former, in a lean interpretation that, remarkably, seems to flex all the muscle with no obstructing bloat. While we’re throwing around the adjectives, add in thrilling, as in “Doth not thy blood thrill at it?,” which Falstaff asks Hal, elsewhere in the canon. Panitch’s productions move fluidly and rarely pause, but this tragedy, trimmed from William Shakespeare’s original 3,300-some lines, finds moments to let air in, to allow for belief in love, however fleeting, and in truth and friendship, however soon lost.
UA and DCH team up for nurse residency program
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Feb. 21
DCH Regional Medical Center and The University of Alabama are teaming up to help new nurses starting their careers in Tuscaloosa. Participants in the nurse residency program help the transition from the classroom to the first day in the intensive care unit. Organizers say this residency program which helps a couple dozen new nurses helps increase nurse retention and some in the program say it has worked wonders.
UA helps foster students to be successful
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Feb. 21
Alabama Reach is a support program for former and current foster youth and other students who lack family support on the University of Alabama campus. This program is just one way they are reaching out to help these students be successful. Maurice Foster is a senior at the University of Alabama but grew up in the foster care system starting in fourth grade. Foster received a scholarship to UA and soon after became a part of the Alabama Reach program. Program coordinator Jameka Hartley says this is the exact purpose of the program; now they’re reaching out to faculty and staff on campus to give them the resources and skills they need to help foster students.
Union University to host 300 student journalists this week for Southeast Journalism Conference
Jackson Sun (Tenn.) – Feb. 21
More than 300 student journalists, media communicators and their advisers from around the South will gather at Union University today through Saturday to hear award-winning media professionals discuss media in the 21st century at the 2013 Southeast Journalism Conference. Students will represent 25 universities in seven states, including such schools as Vanderbilt University, Auburn University, Samford University, Louisiana Tech University and the universities of Alabama, Mississippi, Memphis and West Florida, according to a news release … At a banquet Friday evening, University of Alabama faculty will reveal “The Best of the South” awards, denoting the best college newspaper, best student writers and best student photographers in the South.