UA students prepare to pitch business at Alabama Launchpad competition
Birmingham Business Journal – Jan. 22
Three undergraduate students from the University of Alabama are preparing to pitch their business model against other entrepreneurs in the Alabama Launchpad Startups Competition this week. Chris Bailey, a junior mechanical engineering major; Natalie Anderson, a senior chemical engineering major; and Andrew Talbert, a junior focusing on computer science and mathematics will be presenting the business model behind Conductive Chemistry, a company that is a result of research from two UA professors and two graduate students out of UA’s Center for Materials for Information Technology. The company has invented a new material called NanoCOT that has many of the electrical properties of platinum, but is half the cost to produce. NanoCot is composed of carbon, oxygen and titanium and nanostructured to allow for customization and increased surface area.
SAS to donate software to new University of Alabama analytics lab
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 22
SAS, a major software provider in business analytics, has agreed to donate software to a new business analytics lab at the University of Alabama’s business school. The 1,500-square-foot lab is being built at Bidgood Hall and is expected to open later this year. The donation will include SAS software for visual analytics, visual statistics and office analytics. “Your partnership will assure students who graduate from the University of Alabama will have hands-on opportunities to solve real world problems,” said UA President Judy Bonner, who attended a partnership signing ceremony at the Culverhouse College of Commerce. Jerry L. Oglesby, SAS senior director for global academic and certification programs, said his company partnered with UA to train students for the growing field of analytics. “The need around world is very strong for people with analytic skills,” he said.
Small early morning quake hits in Greene County
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 22
A small earthquake has rattled western Alabama for the third time in as many months. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that a magnitude 2.7 earthquake occurred about 10 miles southeast of Aliceville around 4 a.m. Thursday. No damage is being reported. Small quakes occurred nearby in November and December in neighboring Greene County. Univeristy of Alabama assistant professor Samantha Hansen said multiple earthquakes are often a sign of stress in a system. Though human activity can cause earthquakes, Hansen said she believes it is unlikely to be the cause in West Alabama, which is included in the New Madrid Seismic Zone.
Alabama unemployment rate falls with work force
Montgomery Advertiser – Jan. 23
Alabama’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.7 percent in December as a shrinking labor force outpaced job losses, according to preliminary data released Friday by the state. There were fewer jobs statewide than in November but the number of people who left the labor force and were no longer counted as unemployed rose even more, sending the rate down to its lowest level in more than six years. That was still slightly higher than the December national average of 5.6 percent … At a statewide economic summit last week, analyst Ahmad Ijaz warned not to read too much into monthly unemployment figures because they can be skewed by shifts in the labor force and the addition of low-paying jobs. He pointed to recent gains in the leisure and hospitality industry as an example. “That’s not just the Alabama story, that’s the nation,” said Ijaz, the director of economic forecasting for the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama.
Druid City Garden Project seeks new school to grow program
Al.com – Jan. 22
Tuscaloosa’s Druid City Garden Project will grow its program at a new school this fall, and they’re calling for Tuscaloosa County schools to submit applications for consideration. The program — which teaches science, math and entrepreneurship lessons at on-site gardens — currently operates at five area elementary schools, the Tuscaloosa Juvenile detention center and partners with two University of Alabama classes. “We believe that education should be fun,” says Lindsay Turner, Druid City Garden Project’s Executive Director, in a release. “We believe that students should use living, breathing laboratories to learn critical science and math lessons. That is why we are excited to expand our successful Gardens 2 Schools program to a new school site.” DCGP partners with schools for a two-year “Initial Project,” where they work to install the garden and train educators in curriculum. After the initial phase, DCGP provides transitional support but the school takes over the bulk of the project.
Miami ranked ‘most efficient’ university
Dayton Journal-News (Ohio) – Jan. 22
A recent report ranks Miami University as the nation’s “most efficient” university, saying it scores high on academic achievement while spending less than other universities to do so. This is the third year U.S. News and World Report has compiled the ranking, and Miami has placed in the top three each year — rising from number three in 2012, to number two in 2013 to number one in 2014, said university spokeswoman Claire Wagner. … In the most efficient ranking for national universities, Miami topped Florida State University in second place and the University of Alabama in third place.
LOCAL Q&A: Sarah Ferguson, Ferguson and the Copper Dogs
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 21
Sarah Ferguson is a local musician and University of Alabama student studying journalism with a minor in psychology. She also works as a bartender at Druid City Brewing Company. Q: What’s the name of your band? A: Ferguson and the Copper Dogs, and I’m the singer, rhythm guitarist and songwriter. Q: How did the band get started? A: Well, Dan (Walker) and I have been playing music together for about four years now. It started with the two of us just playing acoustic guitars in a living room, just messing around and seeing what we came up with. It’s always been easy for us to work together, so over time, we’ve written a pretty fair amount of songs. As far as the actual formation of the band, it basically just came together through open-mic nights that Dan and I played together over the years.