Honors week awards student achievements
Crimson White – April 2
The University of Alabama continues into the third day of Honors Week on Wednesday with festivities focused on achievements of students and faculty throughout campus. “The purpose of Honors Week is to have an intentional time out of the calendar to recognize the truly gifted and amazing members of the UA community,” said Kirk Walter, assistant director of the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership. A major highlight of the week is the highly anticipated “Tapping on the Mound” ceremony, a decades-old tradition in which senior University honor societies induct new members. The ceremony customarily takes place on the Mound at the west side of the Quad. Representatives from the Blue Key National Honor Society, Omicron Delta Kappa, the Anderson Society and the Mortar Board will “tap” chosen individuals from a large pool of applicants for admittance into their societies.
Univ. of Alabama holds town hall meeting to discuss Affordable Care Act
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – April 1
A town hall-style meeting was held at the University of Alabama Tuesday to separate fact from fiction surrounding the Affordable Care Act. Leaders in Alabama’s health industry, including the CEO of DCH Health Services, helped answer questions. A second town hall meeting will be held Monday, April 7 at 6:30 p.m. The topic is “How to Restore Trust in Government” and will have a similar theme of separating fact from fiction.
UA law review to host symposium on civil rights
Crimson White – April 2
In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Alabama Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Law Review, a publication based out of the School of Law, will host a symposium Fridayto discuss race and gender inequity. DJ Harris, editor-in-chief of the Review, said the act was a huge piece of legislation with far-reaching impact. “The symposium is in many ways a retrospective,” he said. “We’re looking at where were we then, where are we now, where is the law moving in these places?” The keynote speaker will be Dorothy Brown, vice provost and professor of law at Emory University. Other speakers will be arriving from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, the University of Chicago, Georgetown University, the University of Pittsburgh, Duke University and Wake Forest University.
Plank Center honors PR founder and UA alumna
Crimson White – April 2
When Tuscaloosa native Betsy Plank graduated from The University of Alabama in 1944, the public relations field did not exist. By the time of her death in 2010, Plank was known by professionals and students alike as the “first lady” of public relations, a now internationally recognized industry. She is remembered for her leadership and personality, and at The University of Alabama for her 2005 endowment of the The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations. The Plank Center, in collaboration with Capstone Agency, will host the first national #BetsyDay celebration Thursday in honor of what would be Plank’s 90th birthday. Myreete Wolford, a senior majoring in public relations and the Capstone Agency account executive to The Plank Center, said the event is open to people of all professions nationwide. Its goal is to encourage leadership and effective communication. Wolford said she believes Plank’s quoted advice can benefit students and professionals in any field. “A cool thing about Betsy Plank is that everything she put out there was not just focused on PR,” Wolford said. “Business people and even engineers can read one of her quotes and get something from it.” The celebration will begin with an exhibit of Plank’s legacy held in the Reese Phifer Hall rotunda from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday.
Study of californium borate could lead to new technologies for radioactive waste storage and nuclear fuel recycling
Green Car Congress – April 2
The element californium (Cf, atomic number 98) is the heaviest element existing on Earth. Scientists have thought that Cf chemistry was dominated by ionic interactions. Now, a large scale, international study led by Florida State University Professor Thomas Albrecht-Schmitt has shown that Californium can bond covalently to borate. The new study of the synthetic, structural, spectroscopic and quantum chemical properties of a californium borate found that the element has “amazing” abilities to bond and separate other materials, and that it is extremely resistant to radiation damage. Albrecht-Schmitt said that the discoveries could help scientists build new storage containers for radioactive waste, plus help separate radioactive fuel, aiding in its recycling. A paper on the study is published in the journal Nature Chemistry … David A. Dixon, professor of chemistry at the University of Alabama, and his graduate student, Ted Garner, provided the calculations and theory on why the californium could bond in such unique ways, while scientists at Argonne National Laboratory helped correlate the theory with the experiments.
Deadline to sign-up for Affordable Healthcare Act Passes
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – April 1
The deadline to sign up for Obamacare has come and gone, leaving many Alabamians with unanswered questions. WVUA’s Jennifer Edwards joins us with more … There are many concerns about what happens next for someone that misses the March 31st deadline for 2014. Health experts say most will be paying a penalty but there are a few exceptions. Open enrollment on the marketplace website is over for 2014. Dr. Lea Yerby with the University of Alabama medical school says, if you did not apply for affordable health care through the marketplace before the deadline there are still a few options …you could find your own private plan through a private insurance company. Also, you would still be eligible if you had a major life change; for example, if you get married or have a baby or lose your job then you would still qualify to purchase through the exchange.
National League for Nursing Publishes Official NLN Guide to the Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) Exam; Linda Caputi, EdD, MSN, CNE, ANEF Is Editor and Contributor
ABC 25 (Waco, Texas) – April 2
The National League for Nursing broke new ground in 2005 when it initiated the Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) program to recognize excellence and innovation. To this day, the NLN CNE credential is the only official stamp of excellence in the advanced specialty role of the academic nurse educator. More than 4,000 nurse educators in all 50 states now hold the CNE credential, and the program continues to enjoy a high level of re-certification. To support applicants preparation for the rigor of the exam, the CNE program has provided the CNE Candidate Handbook, self-assessment exams, and an ongoing series of continuing education workshops. Now, to supplement these resources, comes The Official NLN Guide to the Certified Nurse EducatorCM (CNE) Exam, a user-friendly, yet scholarly publication that will hereafter serve as the definitive guide for faculty pursuing the CNE credential and an essential text for all nurse educators across the spectrum of higher education … Added NLN president Marsha Howell Adams, PhD, RN, CNE, ANEF, senior associate dean of academic programs and professor at the Capstone College of Nursing at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa: As an advocate of life-long learning and academic progression, the NLN has long encouraged nurse educators to add the CNE credential. Now, the Official NLN Guide offers them the tools to proudly and publicly proclaim mastery of this advanced specialty role in nursing education.
Parenting Assistance Line gives advice
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – April 1
Parenting can be a tough job. It can also be stressful. But there are steps parents can take to keep their cool instead of taking it out on their children. The University of Alabama’s parenting assistance line offers these words of advice: put your hands in your pockets or behind your back. Doing this will keep you from using them to threaten or hit your child. Also, take a deep breath, and count to 10. And, give everybody a timeout. That includes yourself. This gives everyone a few minutes to calm down. If you need someone to talk to, pick up the phone and call. The number is 1-866-962-3030.
UA Honor society focuses on health education in Holt
Crimson White – April 2
The national honor society Eta Sigma Gamma is hoping to make a difference in the health of Holt, Ala., residents. The University of Alabama’s Delta Xi chapter of the organization provides opportunities to students interested in health education to apply classroom knowledge in impactful ways. “Students are able to apply their classroom material to real life scenarios, all in a genuine effort to provide health education and promotion service activities to those in need,” chapter president Jamie Schumacker said. Schumacker said Holt, was an easy choice considering its struggle to recover from the April 27, 2011 tornado and economic strife. Located only five miles from campus, Schumacker decided it was the perfect place to take the society’s efforts. The honor society has been involved with the Holt Community Partnership since 2012. The non-profit organization seeks to help the area bounce back through education, advocacy and community-wide events.
AIMS connects students with major companies
Crimson White – April 2
Students interested in pursuing a career in information sciences and information management can develop their skills and gain exposure to major companies through the Alabama Information Management Society. AIMS is The University of Alabama’s organization for students in the MIS program and any other students, undergraduate- or graduate-level, that are interested in pursuing careers in information management. “The Alabama Information Management Society’s purpose is educating its members on opportunities within the field of IT, as well as providing an idea for areas of professional development while still in college to help them land their dream job,” Joshua Douglas, president of AIMS, said. Douglas said more than 400 students are members of the organization that acts as an umbrella for several more specific MIS groups including Women in Information Technology, an LGBT group and the Capstone Minority Information System Society, among others.