MONDAY, NOV. 10 – SUNDAY, NOV. 16, 2014
BEST BETS
STUDENT BLOGS ABOUT ROLE IN U.N. CLIMATE-CHANGE CONFERENCE – The American Chemical Society selected eight students nationwide, including a UA senior, as representatives to attend the upcoming United Nations climate-change conference in Lima, Peru. Catherine King, a Huntsville native studying chemical engineering and chemistry at UA, is scheduled to attend the first week of the Dec. 1-12 conference where representatives from more than 190 nations will gather to forge an international climate change agreement. King’s role will include interviewing world leaders and blogging about the talks she will attend in an attempt to prompt others to take additional interest in climate change. King and her fellow students’ writings are posting at www.studentsonclimatechange.com/. Watch for an upcoming news release. Contact King directly at caking2@crimson.ua.edu or contact Chris Bryant, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8323 or cbryant@ur.ua.edu for assistance.
UA PROFESSOR DEVELOPING WEARABLE DEVICE TO TRACK DIET – Dr. Edward Sazonov, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at The University of Alabama, was awarded a $1.8 million grant from the NIH to further development of a sensor worn around the ear that would automatically track diet, giving medical professionals and consumers accurate information that can be missed with self-reporting. Contact: Adam Jones, UA Engineering Media Relations, 205/348-6444 or acjones12@eng.ua.edu.
CURRENT COMMENT
‘SILK ROAD 2’ TAKEDOWN YIELDS HODGEPODGE OF ITEMS FOR SALE – International law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and Europol took down the Silk Road 2 and arrested its alleged operator, Blake Benthall, in San Francisco. A year after the Silk Road 2, a “deep web” network for trading and user anonymity, came online promising to revive the Dark Web drug trade following its predecessor’s seizure by the FBI, the sequel has suffered the same fate. Dr. Diana Dolliver, assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of Alabama, recently completed a study of Silk Road 2 on the Tor Network prior to its takedown, in which drug trafficking and other nefarious activities were taking place. Dolliver said more hallucinogens and stimulants were sold than cannabis. She presented details of that study at the SECURE 2014 XVIII Conference on Telecommunications and IT Security in Poland in late October. “While Silk Road 2 carried on the name and reputation of its predecessor, the new site sold not only illicit substances, but customers could also purchase data dumps (think Home Depot personal data) counterfeit apparel, Facebook photos and electronic ‘how to’ manuals,” Dolliver said. For more information, contact David Miller, UA Media Relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu or Dr. Dolliver at 205/348-2062 or DLDolliver@ua.edu.
UA EXPERT TIPS
UA MATTERS: PREVENTING DIABETES – Approximately 434,000 Alabamians have diabetes, one of the top 10 causes of death in the state. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to heart disease, stroke, vision loss, kidney damage and, in some cases, loss of a limb. The University of Alabama’s Dr. Joseph Fritz, assistant professor in the department of family medicine in the College of Community Health Sciences, provides some simple precautions that, if followed, can prevent or delay this deadly disease in this week’s UA Matters. Contact: UA Media Relations, 205/348-5320
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 UA Matters. Contact: UA Media Relations, 205/348-5320
EVENTS
UA HOSTS HEALTH CARE JOURNALIST, AUTHOR FOR COMMUNITY TALK — T.R. Reid, a Washington Post journalist and author of the best-selling book “The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care,” will give a community talk at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Tuscaloosa River Market. Hosted by UA’s College of Community Health Sciences, College of Communication and Information Sciences and Culverhouse College of Commerce, the talk is free and open to the public. Reid will be available for interviews earlier in the day. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 808/640-5912 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu
UA APPAREL DESIGN STUDENTS SHOWCASE FINAL COLLECTION IN RUNWAY SHOW — University of Alabama apparel design students will have an opportunity to showcase who they are as a designer during the sixth annual Fashion for Life. The event began as a way for senior apparel design students in the College of Human Environmental Sciences to showcase a final collection. The design showcase will take place at 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, at the Ferguson Center ballroom; doors open at 4:30 p.m. Armbands are now available for $5. All proceeds will benefit Arts n’ Autism. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 808/640-5912, kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
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 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.
COLOR WAR – UA’s Caring for Camo student organization will host a color war event to support deployed soldiers from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, at the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity house on campus. Admission to the Color me Camo event is $5 and it is open to the public. All of the proceeds will fund the packing and sending of care packages to soldiers stationed around the world. The color war will involve students tossing colored powders at one another. Participants can also write letters to soldiers overseas and compete in challenges for prizes from marine wildlife artist Guy Harvey, who is sponsoring the event. UA Caring for Camo is a student organization focused on supporting the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces with letters and care packages. Contact: Richard LeComte, UA Media Relations, rllecomte@ur.ua.edu, 205/348-3782.
BEAUTY PRODUCT ENTREPRENEUR TO SPEAK AT CULVERHOUSE COLLEGE OF COMMERCE – Jennifer Walsh, founder of the Pride & Glory beauty brand, will present on ‘Entrepreneurship in A Changing Environment’ Thursday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. in 249 Bidgood Hall as part of the Culverhouse College of Commerce Connections. Contact: Edith Parten, UA Culverhouse College of Commerce Media Relations, 204/348-8318 or eparten@culverhouse.ua.edu
LEADING CHILDREN’S ADVOCATE TO SPEAK AT UA – Melanie Bridgeforth, executive director of VOICES for Alabama’s Children, will deliver, “VOICES for Alabama Children: Priorities for Change,” Nov. 17 at The University of Alabama. The lecture will begin at noon in Room 104 of Little Hall. The lecture is part of the School of Social Work’s Colloquium Series that brings speakers to campus to share expertise with UA faculty, staff, students and guests. Contact: David Miller, UA Media Relations, 205/348-0825, dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu
HOMECOMING WEEK – Homecoming Week launches Sunday, Nov. 16, with the 25th Annual Roll Tide Run beginning on Capstone Drive on campus. The run begins with signups at 3 p.m., and the race begins at 4:15 p.m. The Homecoming Queen election will be Tuesday, Nov. 18. The Choreography Competition will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, at Coleman Coliseum. The Pep Rally featuring the bonfire will be at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21. The Homecoming Parade will be Saturday, Nov. 22, before the Alabama-Western Carolina football game; time is to be announced. For more information, go to http://homecoming.ua.edu/ and click on “Click to view the 2014 Red Book.” Contact: Richard LeComte, UA Media Relations, rllecomte@ur.ua.edu, 205/348-3782
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” beginning Nov. 10 in the Allen Bales Theatre. Based on the play by George Kaufman and Moss Hart, the musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim 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 at 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
LOOKING AHEAD
UA’S ‘DISCOVERING ALABAMA’ CELEBRATES 30TH YEAR WITH NEW DOCUMENTARY — Emmy Award-winning series “Discovering Alabama” has announced its new three-part documentary sequence on “Alabama’s Coastal Paradise” to begin airing on Alabama Public Television (APT) on Nov. 25. The new programs were developed to share the rest of the coastal story, enhancing positive public awareness of the multi-faceted significance of the state’s coastal region beyond the unflattering and lingering attention that resulted from the 2010 oil spill. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 808/640-5912 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu