UA Researchers, Scholars to Present Work at Academy Conference April 23

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – University of Alabama faculty will present their work on a variety of research and scholarly topics at the College of Arts and Sciences 2013 Academy Conference, Tuesday, April 23, from 1-4:30 p.m. in the Birmingham Room of the Bryant Conference Center on the UA campus.

The presentations focus on research that has received funding from the UA College of Arts and Sciences Academy on Research and Creative Activity. The academy awards some $100,000 annually to provide seed or support funds for promising research. Any College of Arts and Sciences faculty member may apply for the funding. Awards are made by the academy’s panel of faculty, who represent the College’s three divisions of sciences and mathematics, fine and performing arts and humanities, and social sciences. The conference acquaints faculty with academy projects to encourage dialogue and development of future proposals.

The conference is free and open to the public. Faculty and their presentations are:

1:00-1:15 p.m.
Faythe Freese, School of Music
The Freese Collection

1:20-1:35 p.m.
Christopher Lynn, Department of Anthropology
The Behavioral Ecology of Religion and Infectious Disease in Costa Rica: An Exploratory Study of the Parasite-Driven Wedge

1:40-1:55, p.m.
Julia Cherry, Department of Biological Sciences, and Justin Hart, Department of Geography
Changes in Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function Associated with Succession in Beaver-formed Wetlands of the U.S. Coastal Plain

2:00-2:15 p.m.
Geoffrey Tick, Department of Geological Sciences
Assessing the extent of pharmaceutical compounds in the water supplies of Birmingham Alabama: Groundwater, Surface-water, Wastewater, and Drinking Water

2:20-2:55 p.m.
Diane Boyd Schultz, School of Music
Love, laughter, and song: Works for flute and voice

2:40-2:55 p.m.
John Blitz, Department of Anthropology
Instrumental neutron activation analysis of prehistoric pottery from the Moundville Site, Alabama

3:00-3:15 p.m.
Jeffrey Lozier, Department of Biological Sciences
Comparative conservation genomics of stable and declining bumble bees in Eastern North America

3:20-3:35 p.m.
Edward Tang, Department of American Studies
Teach your children well: the postwar literature of Yoshiko Uchida

3:40-3:55 p.m.
Greg Szulczewski, Department of Chemistry
Development of polymeric thin films for thermoelectric applications

4:00-4:15 p.m.
Angela Barber and Rachel Saffo, Department of Communicative Disorders
The effects of peer mediated play intervention on the social communication skills of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The College of Arts and Sciences is the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the USA Today Academic All American Team.