MONDAY, NOV. 3 – SUNDAY, NOV. 9, 2014
CURRENT COMMENT
UA’S GUIDE TO WHAT TO WATCH FOR IN 2014 MIDTERM ELECTIONS – The GOP has a chance to control both houses of Congress in the 2014 midterm elections, and the race boils down to a very few key Senate races. Dr. George Hawley, assistant professor of political science, breaks down the GOP’s chances and what it could mean for the 2016 presidential races as well in UA’s guide to the midterm elections, http://uanews.ua.edu/2014/10/uas-guide-to-what-to-watch-for-in-2014-midterm-elections/. Hawley will be available for comment both before and after Tuesday’s elections. Contact Hawley directly at ghawley@ua.edu or, for assistance, contact Bobby Mathews in UA Media Relations, 205/348-4956 or bwmathews1@ur.ua.edu.
UA POLI-SCI PROF ON WHETHER HUBBARD INDICTMENT WILL AFFECT GOVERNOR’S RACE: “Even with Hubbard’s indictment, Bentley is probably safe. Very few red states are less likely than Alabama to see a resurgence of the Democratic Party in the near future. I can only think of a few states more dominated by the GOP …” — Dr. George Hawley, assistant professor of political science. For more information, contact him at ghawley@ua.edu or contact Bobby Mathews in UA Media Relations, 205/348-4956 or bwmathews1@ur.ua.edu
RESEARCH
UA STUDENTS SELECTED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEST – A team of University of Alabama students were selected for a national competition held by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. The students from the UA College of Engineering will explore a new method of disinfecting water. Contact: Adam Jones, UA Engineering Media Relations, 205/348-6444 or acjones12@eng.ua.edu.
UA RESEARCHER DISCOVERS LINKS BETWEEN ARTHRITIC PAIN, DEPRESSION AND SLEEP – Dr. Patricia Parmelee, director for the Center for Mental Health & Aging at The University of Alabama, has discovered links between high levels of pain and symptoms of depression exacerbated by a combination of sleep disturbances due to pain. Parmelee’s four-year study of 367 people in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania showed participants with greater symptoms of depression had experienced more pain and worsened sleep problems. Additionally, the study showed, a combination of sleep disturbance and high pain at baseline led to much greater depression. Parmelee also found that sleep disturbance alone at baseline predicted functional decline over the one-year period. For more information, contact David Miller, UA Media Relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.
UA EXPERT TIPS
UA MATTERS: HELPING YOUR LOVED ONE STOP SMOKING – Almost 500,000 American smokers die each year, and smoking-related illnesses cost nearly $300 billion a year. The University of Alabama’s Dr. Alice March, assistant dean for graduate programs and an associate professor in the Capstone College of Nursing, says you can be a key part of smoking cessation for someone you care about. She offers some suggestions for you to help your loved one with tobacco addiction in this week’s UA Matters. Contact: UA Media Relations, 205/348-5320
UA MATTERS: HOW TO HELP THOSE TAKING CARE OF SICK LOVED ONES – As of 2012, almost half of all U.S. adults had one or more chronic illnesses, and approximately 34 million individuals care for someone with a chronic illness or disability, according to published research. It is difficult at times to know how to “care” for the caregivers. The University of Alabama’s Dr. Amy Beasley, assistant professor in the Capstone College of Nursing, offers some helpful tips to help reduce strain from caregivers in this UA Matters. Contact: UA Media Relations, 205/348-5320
EVENTS
MEDAL OF HONOR EXHIBIT – UA has been selected by the Saluting America Foundation as the nation’s first university to host the Medal of Honor Exhibit of Valor from Friday, Nov. 7, through Saturday, Dec. 1, in the Ferguson Center’s Grand Hall. The Medal of Honor Exhibit of Valor is a traveling exhibition that features some 155 “Portraits of Valor” of the nation’s most honored heroes. The exibit also features rarely seen Medals of Honor representing three military service branches and personal citations describing combat actions. Contact: Alex Karagas, assistant director, UA Veteran and Military Affairs, 205/348-0983, karag001@sa.ua.edu.
UA SET TO HOST SECOND YEAR OF 3MT COMPETITION – UA graduate students get a chance to show off their research and presentation skills in the second iteration of Three Minute Thesis, and this time the stakes are even higher. Camera crews from Alabama Public Television will record the 3MT semifinals, which are at 1 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Ferguson Center Theater, as well as the finals at 6 p.m. Nov. 18 in room 159 at Russell Hall. Cameras are also following some individual presenters in order to tell their stories as they prepare to compete. “The 3MT competition is an amazing opportunity, especially this year since it will be televised, for graduate students to share their cutting-edge research with the larger campus, our community, and now the region,” said Dr. Cori Perdue, director of graduate student, graduate faculty and student-parent programs for the UA Graduate School. Contact Bobby Mathews, UA Media Relations, 205/348-4956 or bwmathews1@ur.ua.edu
NIELSEN TO DISCUSS DISABILITY IN AMERICAN HISTORY AT UA’S GLADNEY LECTURE – Dr. Kim Nielsen knows American history is made up of disparate voices, but some of those voices are often overlooked. Nielsen, a professor at the University of Toledo, works to include those voices and viewpoints in UA’s 2014 Rose Gladney Lecture for Justice and Social Change Nov. 3 at 5:30 p.m. in room 205 of Smith Hall. Nielsen addresses “Disability and the American Story,” showing viewpoints and voices rarely investigated by historians. Her latest book, “A Disability History of the United States,” has been hailed as “groundbreaking” and “marvelous” by critics. In her work, Nielsen excavates the long-buried history of physical difference in America and shows how disability has been a significant factor in the formation of democratic values. Contact Bobby Mathews, UA Media Relations, 205/348-4956 or bwmathews1@ur.ua.edu
UA’S SONIC FRONTIERS PRESENTS TRANSCONTINENTAL CONCERT — The University of Alabama’s Sonic Frontiers concert series presents its first transcontinental, telematic concert Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 8:30 p.m in the Moody Music recital hall. The Norwegian-French quartet Dans les arbres will perform at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs simultaneously with the Dewar/Feeney/Hopson Trio at UA, connected via high-speed Internet2. Telematic concerts unite artists over the web in real-time, creating new forms of collaborative art and conjoining multiple communities. This concert is jointly presented by Sonic Frontiers, the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs music department, and the Peak FreQuency Creative Arts Collective. Contact Bobby Mathews, UA Media Relations, 205/348-4956 or bwmathews1@ur.ua.edu
DANCE ALABAMA! RETURNS NOV. 4-7 – The University of Alabama’s department of theatre and dance displays its budding choreographers’ talents in the fall concert of Dance Alabama! in Morgan Auditorium from Tuesday, Nov. 4 through Friday, Nov. 7. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and at 5:30 p.m. Friday. Dance Alabama! is composed entirely of student-choreographed pieces. Performances include an assortment of dance styles such as jazz, tap, ballet, modern and some mixed media pieces. Contact Bobby Mathews, UA Media Relations, 205/348-4956 or bwmathews1@ur.ua.edu.
UA HOSTS ACADEMIC OFFICERS OF NATIONAL CONSORTIUM – A college career can be about exploration, about setting no limits other than one’s own. That spirit of innovation is showcased when The University of Alabama’s New College hosts the academic officers of the Consortium for Innovative Environments in Learning Nov. 6-8 in room 202 of Lloyd Hall. CIEL is a national consortium of New College-like institutions. “CIEL is an organization of institutions with similar missions and practices to New College,” said Dr. Natalie Adams, director of New College. “Our goal as a consortium is to be public advocates for innovative, alternative practices in higher education and to collaborate on projects that advance innovative, experimental learning opportunities.” Contact Bobby Mathews, UA Media Relations, 205/348-4956 or bwmathews1@ur.ua.edu
MUSEUM OFFERS PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN – The UA Museum of Natural History offers programs for children this week: Museum Monday, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. today (Nov. 3) is an afterschool program for kindergarten through second-graders. Explorer Wednesday, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, is an after-school program for third- through fifth-graders. Growing Up Wild Preschool Morning, from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, Nov. 7, allows caregivers and their preschooler a chance to explore a variety of activities in the museum. Registration is required; to register, parents may phone the museum at 205/348-7550 or email museum.programs@ua.edu.
LOOKING AHEAD
UA THEATRE & DANCE PRESENTS ‘MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG’ – The University of Alabama’s department of theatre and dance presents a week-long run of the musical, “Merrily We Roll Along,” in the Allen Bales Theatre beginning Nov. 10. Based on the play by George Kaufman and Moss Hart, the musical follows the protagonist, Frank, and tells the story of his life from starving artist to well-known movie composer. The story is told in reverse, so the audience starts their journey at the end of the original play. While the show is about friendship, director Matt Davis, a third year Master of Fine Arts candidate, takes it one step farther. “By introducing the audience to Frank, who has become incredibly successful in his professional life, we are immediately forced to consider whether it is all worth it,” Davis said. Contact Bobby Mathews, UA Media Relations, 205/348-4956 or bwmathews1@ur.ua.edu.
COUCH TO 5K – UA’s fifth annual Crimson Couch to 5K/10K event will be 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16. The course starts and ends in the parking area just west of UA’s Outdoor Pool Complex on Campus Drive East. Open to the community, the event is run by the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness and includes live entertainment, a Kid’s Dash and a 5K/10K course suitable for runners and walkers. The event also is sponsored by University Recreation and the University Medical Center. On-site registration will begin at 12:30 p.m. with children’s activities, Big Al and Crimson Couch photo opportunities. The Kid’s Dash at 1 p.m. will be followed by a group warm-up at 1.30 p.m. 10K runners will start at 1:45 p.m., followed by 5K runners-walkers at 2 p.m. Refreshments, health vendors and door prizes will be available before the event and at the finish line. Contact: Richard LeComte, UA Media Relations, rllecomte@ur.ua.edu, 205/348-3782