University of Alabama Studies Impact of 2011 Tornado on Foreclosures
Insurance Journal – Oct. 22
A University of Alabama study has found that the April 2011 tornado didn’t severely impact home foreclosures in the Tuscaloosa area. Sociologist Bronwen Lichtenstein says researchers noted a slight decrease in foreclosures after the tornado. She and associate professor Joseph Weber studied foreclosures in the tornado zone two years before the disaster and two years afterward…Lichtenstein says data shows that people in wealthy and middle class areas were able to rebuild, mostly with the help of insurance. However, reconstruction efforts were more scant in poorer areas and in neighborhoods with a higher concentration of renters.
WPMI-NBC (Mobile) – Oct. 22
University provides business, commerce
Crimson White – Oct. 22
Ahmad Ijaz, director of economic forecasting at Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration’s Center for Business and Economic Research, said the University strengthens the city, which in turn invests in things the University needs. “It’s one of the major parts [of the economy],” Ijaz said. “They have to provide infrastructure for all of these students. You have to maintain roads [and] you have to maintain security…Even though it’s not a direct impact, it does cost them money to provide services to University.” The 2011-2012 Economic Impacts of The University of Alabama report, co-authored by Ijaz and director and research economist at CBER Sam Addy, values the University’s impact on the Tuscaloosa metro area at $1.6 billion and 10,609 jobs. The report calls the University an “excellent investment opportunity for the state” and “essential to the economic development of the metro area, the state and the nation.” “The University’s influence on the growth of the area is tremendous,” Addy said. “What the University offers is rather unique in terms of the fact that it’s not a production … its focus is on human capital development.”
Leading Alabama Nurse Educator Marsha Howell Adams Takes Helm as President of National League for Nursing
IT Business – Oct. 21
The NLN announced the results of its annual Board of Governors (BOG) elections at its 2013 Education Summit on September 20. Marsha Howell Adams, PhD, RN, CNE, ANEF, the senior associate dean of academic programs at the University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing in Tuscaloosa, assumed the NLN presidency, the anticipated conclusion to her service these past two years as president-elect. Dr. Adams will serve as the Leagues president until 2015
Ecologist Whit Gibbons to bring live animals to Bryant Conference Center
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 22
Ecologist and author Whit Gibbons will speak from noon-1:30 p.m. today during the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s “Under the Covers” class at the Bryant Conference Center, 240 Paul W. Bryant Drive. Gibbons wrote “Their Blood Runs Cold: Adventures with Reptiles and Amphibians,” and his column, Ecoviews, is published each Sunday in The Tuscaloosa News. Gibbons grew up in Tuscaloosa and he said he spent his childhood collecting snakes, lizards, salamanders and other critters, then turned his love of the outdoors into a career as a research ecologist. He will bring live animals to the class. Participants are welcome to bring a brown bag lunch. For more information, call 205-348-6482.
Wheelchair tennis team looks to raise interest on campus
Crimson White – Oct. 22
Mackenzie Soldan plays for The University of Alabama’s women’s wheelchair basketball team, but she is also the top Paralympic tennis player in the United States, having competed in the 2012 Paralympics in London. Soldan started the idea to bring a wheelchair tennis team to the University’s growing list of adapted athletics after practicing with coach Miles Thompson to prepare for her competitions. “We just started hitting the ball, keeping her skills sharpened and through that some other people within the basketball team showed an interest in the sport,” Thompson said. “Dr. [Brent] Hardin came up with the idea to start a team since he saw us working hard.” Hardin, the director of adapted athletics, added wheelchair tennis as one of the five sports offered on campus last year. “When we started to look to expand, we did some research on what would be the easiest for us to expand with where we could start small and grow,” Hardin said. “We felt like wheelchair tennis was a real smart move for us.”
Bama Laughs puts on clips, hours of laughs
Crimson White – Oct. 22
Last night the Ferguson Theater was filled with laughter as six-second Vine clips and user submitted short films graced the screen at Bama Laughs. Bama Laughs, which was co-sponsored by University Programs and the department of human nutrition and hospitality management, allowed University of Alabama students to submit their own short videos for a chance to win scholarships…After the show, students voted on the video they enjoyed the most. The contestant who won the six-second Vine clip portion was awarded a $50 scholarship, while students who won one of the two short film portions received $300 scholarships.
Campus trees commemorate legacies, history
Crimson White – Oct. 22
At the University of Alabama, several trees offer more than shade; they offer a story. Dating back to before the University’s inception in 1831, the dedicated trees on campus tell varied stories of heroism and integrity. Generally, under the sponsorship of familial or organizational connections, trees in certain areas of campus are memorials to the lives of those lost. Although the exact number of all previously dedicated trees is uncertain, a recent survey conducted by the University of Alabama Facilities and Grounds Operation sought to define the history surrounding the trees with greater clarity. “During this survey, we made every effort to try and locate any plaque or stone that might indicate a tree was planted in dedication for someone in the past,” said Duane Lamb, assistant vice president of University Facilities and Grounds Operations. A combination of natural elements and time affected the surveying process. “Many plaques or stones were missing, damaged or illegible,” Lamb said. Despite the loss of tangible markers, 71 identifiable, privately sponsored trees remain, including their legacy and history. In addition to these 71 trees, another section of trees exists as a memorial solely for Tuscaloosa County natives killed in World War I. These large water oaks line the edges of University Boulevard, representing local heroism dating back to the early 20th century.