MONDAY, NOV. 24 – SUNDAY, NOV. 30, 2014
BEST BETS
BEAT AUBURN, BEAT HUNGER WEIGH-IN CEREMONY – Media are invited to the official weigh-in ceremony and final announcement of the winner of the annual Beat Auburn, Beat Hunger food drive at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25, at the West Alabama Food Bank, 3160 McFarland Blvd., in Northport. The event will coincide with a weigh-in and announcement at the same time at the Food Bank of East Alabama in Auburn for the Beat Bama, Beat Hunger drive. The winner of the competing food drives will be announced. UA’s Center for Sustainable Service & Volunteerism coordinates the drive. Started in 1994, Beat Auburn, Beat Hunger has helped collect more than 2 million pounds of food. Contact: Richard LeComte, media relations, rllecomte@ur.ua.edu, 205/348-3782.
THANKSGIVING WEEK BRINGS DRIVING DANGERS – Automobile crashes caused by deer, alcohol and bad weather are more common during the week of Thanksgiving than the rest of the year, according to a recent study of traffic data by The University of Alabama Center for Advanced Public Safety. Contact: Adam Jones, UA Engineering Media Relations, 205/348-6444 or acjones12@eng.ua.edu
UA’S ‘DISCOVERING ALABAMA’ CELEBRATING 30 YEARS, ANNOUNCES NEW DOCUMENTARIES – The University of Alabama’s Emmy Award-winning series “Discovering Alabama” announces its new three-part documentary sequence on “Alabama’s Coastal Paradise” will begin airing on Alabama Public Television on Tuesday, 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, kkeaton@ur.ua.edu or Dr. Doug Phillips, series creator, producer and host, 205/348-2039, info@discoveringalabama.org
WADE NAMED DIRECTOR OF NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY – Veteran economic developer Neal Wade has joined UA’s Research and Economic Development team as director of the new Economic Development Academy. A new addition to the Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development, Wade’s appointment is effective immediately. In an October address to faculty and staff, UA President Judy Bonner outlined the importance of extending the vice president for research’s role to include economic development as a driving force for student, faculty, community and state-wide engagement. For more information or to request an interview with Wade, contact Chris Bryant. UA Media Relations, at 205/348-8323 or cbryant@ur.ua.edu.
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/. 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.
UA EXPERT TIPS
UA MATTERS: IMPORTANCE OF ADEQUATE SLEEP – Catching the appropriate number of z’s each night is important. The University of Alabama’s Dr. Adam Knowlden, assistant professor of health science in the College of Human Environmental Sciences, offers insight into the importance of sleep and a few tips to help you rest well and awaken refreshed in this week’s UA Matters. Contact: UA Media Relations, 205/348-5320
UA MATTERS: PREVENTING CYBERCRIME — Recent hacks of debit card transactions and financial information at Home Depot and Target have resulted in more than $200 million in losses. Unfortunately, anyone who has access to the Internet is at risk of becoming the victim of cybercrime. The University of Alabama’s Dr. Diana Dolliver, assistant professor of criminal justice, shares some steps people can take to safeguard their financial information and prevent themselves from becoming a victim of cybercrime in UA Matters. Contact: UA Media Relations, 205/348-5320