TUESDAY, SEPT. 2 – SUNDAY, SEPT. 7, 2014
BEST BETS
VISIT UA’S ‘CLEANEST’ ROOM TODAY – Want to see the cleanest room on campus? It’s also one of the coolest. Join us today (Sept. 2) between 10 a.m. and noon for the re-location of UA’s Microfabrication Facility to its new home within the North Engineering Research Center. Using the laboratory’s equipment, UA researchers create tiny structures needed for certain research applications such as solar cells, semiconductor chips, computer disk drives, advanced memory and various nanosensors and detectors. Clean rooms are environments in which airborne particles are controlled to specified limits. Without such controls, clothing debris, such as lint or fibers, human hair or even skin flakes, could interfere with the precise coating practices involved in the manufacturing processes or create, for example, defects in miniature circuits produced in the lab. NOTE: Before entering the clean room, all researchers and any guests, (including reporters, photographers and videographers) will be required to don provided clean room garments, including shoe covers. Print and online reporters may contact Chris Bryant in media relations, 205/348-8323 or cbryant@ur.ua.edu for more details. Broadcast reporters may contact Shane Dorrill, 205/348-8319 or sdorrill@ur.ua.edu.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CYBER INSTITUTE NAMED – Reginald D. Hyde, former deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security in the U.S. Department of Defense, has been named executive director of the Cyber Institute at UA. Hyde, who retired from government last year, will head the new institute which will facilitate interdisciplinary research and educational programs related to cyber security and cyber-related technologies like Big Data, Digital Forensics and Embedded Systems. At the Department of Defense, Hyde was the civilian equivalent of a three-star general. He was responsible for a vast portfolio that included oversight and policy guidance for core areas of the Defense Intelligence Enterprise (the uniformed service components and agencies that make up Military Intelligence.) Watch for a news release with more details, or contact Chris Bryant in media relations, 205/348-8323 or cbryant@ur.ua.edu.
SLEEPY STUDENT STRESSED BY JOBS – About 60 percent of college students get insufficient sleep and, in a new study conducted by a UA researcher, the students cite job stress and a lack of time as the primary reasons. Dr. Adam Knowlden, assistant professor in UA’s department of health science, said students in the study also indicate they were more concerned with short-term consequences of insufficient sleep then they were long-term. Long-term links have previously been made, Knowlden said, between poor sleep and diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity. The study will publish in a forthcoming issue of Family & Community Health, an academic journal. Knowlden may be reached at 205/348-1625 or aknowlden@ches.ua.edu. For assistance, contact Chris Bryant in media relations, 205/348-8323 or cbryant@ur.ua.edu.
UA SOCIAL WORK STUDENT WINS NATIONAL LEADERSHIP AWARD – Ning Tang, a doctoral student in UA’s School of Social Work, has been named the winner of the 2014 Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work Student Award for Leadership and Services for her efforts to enhance mutual understanding and cooperation between Chinese and American social workers. Among her efforts, Tang established the International Association of Chinese Social Workers, a non-profit professional global network for social workers of Chinese descent. Over 400 Chinese social workers have become members. Since her arrival in the United States four years ago, Tang’s research has helped social work students in China learn about social work education in the U.S. Contact: David Miller, UA Media Relations, 205/348-0825, dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu
UA EXPERT TIPS
UA MATTERS: TAILGATING ESSENTIALS – WHAT NOT TO FORGET – With the Crimson Tide’s first home football of the season just days away, The University of Alabama’s Ashley Clayton offers tips to make your gameday tailgating experience more enjoyable, http://uanews.ua.edu/2014/09/ua-matters-tailgating-essentials-what-not-to-forget/. Clayton is UA’s alumni events and tour coordinator and plans the official Tailgatin’ with the Tide events. Contact UA Media Relations, 205/348-5320.
UA MATTERS: OPTIMIZING YOUR ENERGY THROUGHOUT THE WORKDAY – As more and more Americans work long hours, it is no surprise that individuals are looking for ways to improve energy, feel better and perform at their best – both at work and at home. Researchers have noted that fatigue in the United States workforce is a common symptom with reported prevalence ranging from 7 percent to 45 percent. Employees with lower energy and signs of fatigue are significantly more likely to miss work and experience long-term work absence than workers without fatigue. The University of Alabama’s Dr. Rebecca Kelly, director of health promotion and wellness. offers a daily guide on how to boost energy during the workday, http://uanews.ua.edu/2014/08/ua-matters-optimizing-your-energy-throughout-the-workday/. Contact UA Media Relations, 205/348-5320.
CURRENT COMMENT
THINK BEFORE YOU STORE DATA IN ‘THE CLOUD” – University of Alabama criminal ‘justice professor Dr. Diana Dolliver said the massive breach of iCloud photos that resulted in celebrities’ nude photos leaking across the internet this weekend is the result of carelessness and the inherent risk of storing documents “in the cloud.” “You can have your smart phone opt out of this option, but many do not either know how to do it or choose not to,” Dolliver said. “Additionally, the demand for more storage space for pictures and video has surpassed our cybersecurity capabilities. The ‘cloud’ houses all of our data on large servers throughout the country that are constantly vulnerable to external attacks such as this one.” The best way to avoid becoming a victim of such an attack is to think twice before taking that picture with your mobile device,” Dolliver added. For media inquiries, contact David Miller, UA media relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu or Dr. Diana Dolliver, assistant professor of criminal justice, at 205/348-2062 or dldolliver@as.ua.edu.