MONDAY, DEC. 15 – SUNDAY, DEC. 21, 2014
BEST BETS
EDUCATED GUESSES 2015 – For the 34th consecutive year, UA’s Office of Media Relations will offer predictions from faculty experts for the coming year. Watch for the list of predictions for 2015 later this week.
STUDENT, TUSCALOOSA NATIVE SPONSORING DAY AT COMMUNITY SOUP BOWL – Tawanna Samuel didn’t know how much money it would cost to sponsor her first day at the Community Soup Bowl on 23rd Avenue in September. She didn’t care, even after spending more than $500 to provide up to two meals in a day for community members. “The cost isn’t that big of a deal when you see so many people benefit,” she says. “The toughest thing is getting volunteers to help prepare and serve good.” Area churches typically sponsor and help staff the Soup Bowl throughout the week but are unable on the weekends, Samuel says. The social work graduate student and foster parent will host her second Soup Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 20 and is keen to attract volunteers. “They’re extremely short-handed on weekends, particularly in the fall,” Samuel says. Contact: David Miller, UA Media Relations, 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.
STRESSED BY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING? THROW ANOTHER ‘REAL’ LOG ON THE FIRE “Chestnuts roasting on an open-fire/ Blood pressure dropping safely low …” Ok, so maybe that’s not exactly how Nat King Cole sang it in “The Christmas Song,” but he would have been on the right track to do so, according to a UA anthropology professor’s research. In a three-year, lab-based study, Dr. Christopher Lynn isolated the sensory aspects of fire to study its influence on blood pressure relative to a variety of simulated conditions, including a Yule fire DVD with no sound, or a Yule fire DVD with sound, a blank computer screen, and a static upside down picture of a fire. He found significant decreases in blood pressure associated with more naturalistic conditions and longer exposure durations. On the other hand, fire without sound and the upside down picture of a fire seemed to agitate subjects and increase stress. Results from the study published recently in Evolutionary Psychology. For more information, contact Chris Bryant in media relations, 205/348-8323 or cbryant@ur.ua.edu. Contact Lynn directly at 205/348-4162, cdlynn@ua.edu
UA PROFESSOR AMONG THOSE TABBED FOR WRITERS HALL OF FAME – Twelve Alabama writers, including novelists, poets and authors of creative nonfiction, were named to the inaugural class of the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame. Contact: Bobby Mathews, UA Media Relations, 205/348-4956 or bwmathews1@ur.ua.edu
UA EXPERT TIPS
UA MATTERS: UNEARTHING YOUR FAMILY ROOTS – There is a resurgence of interest in family history, in part because of Public Broadcasting Service’s “Finding Your Roots” and The Learning Channel’s “Who Do You Think You Are?” — not to mention the frequency of ads from Ancestry.com. UA’s Mary Bess Paluzzi, associate dean for special collections with UA Libraries, offers simple steps to help you begin building your family history. Contact: UA Media Relations, 205/348-5320.
UA MATTERS: WHAT KINDS OF FOOD DO LOCAL FOOD BANKS REALLY NEED? – In the past year, the West Alabama Food Bank and its cooperating partners distributed 1.22 million pounds of food. This included 95,373 emergency food boxes and 133,215 meals, serving approximately 98,000 Alabamians in nine counties. During the holiday season, when many people contribute to food banks, UA’s Dr. Jennifer Kenney, assistant professor of social work, provides tips on the kinds of food local hungry families and individuals really need in this UA Matters. Contact: UA Media Relations, 205/348-5320
CURRENT COMMENT
SOURCE AVAILABLE TO DISCUSS IMPACT OF EARLY EDUCATION – Research shows that children who attend high quality pre-K programs perform better in school and throughout life. With Gov. Robert Bentley’s recent announcement that the state was awarded $17.5 million in a federal grant to expand its pre-K program, there will be more open discussion about the availability of such programs in the state. In addition, there will be an increased need for qualified teachers to staff these programs. UA’s Dr. Laura Bloom is available Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss what UA’s department of human development and family studies has done to provide high-quality early childhood education teachers. Contact: Dr. Laura Bloom, 205/348-8149 or bloom@ches.ua.edu. For assistance, contact Kim Eaton at kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
PROTECT YOUR MONEY WHILE SHOPPING ONLINE – Each year, the FBI estimates the financial cost of cybercrimes to total more than $781 million, impacting millions of people around the world. Recent hacks of debit card transactions and financial information at Home Depot and Target have resulted in more than $200 million in losses. Dr. Diana Dolliver, assistant professor of criminal justice at UA, said online shoppers need to be all the more vigilant during the holiday shopping season. “Limit the number of online payments you make, and limit the number of websites that store your credit or debit card information,” Dolliver says. “ … Using open wifi networks gives bad guys an easy way to capture your information during online transactions.” Contact: David Miller, UA media relations, 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu; Dr. Diana Dolliver, assistant professor, UA department of criminal justice, 205/348-2062 or dldolliver@ua.edu.