Study: Business confidence down in Birmingham from Q1
Birmingham Business Journal – April 21
The confidence of business leaders in Birmingham saw a decline in the second quarter of 2015, following the latest round of analysis from the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama. The center’s quarterly Alabama Business Confidence Index, or ABCI, fell 4.3 points to 53.8 in the second quarter for the Birmingham-Hoover metro area, which is down 3.2 points from a year ago. However, the metro has been in positive territory since Q4 2012. Birmingham’s sales index confidence sits at an optimistic 58.5, but still lost 2.6 points from the last quarter. Despite the decline, 24 percent of the experts included on the index panel predict sales to remain constant or increase from the last quarter.
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – April 21
Lack of attention, self-control predict dangerous texting behaviors
Science Blog – April 21
Texting while driving or walking can be dangerous, but people still engage in the behavior without thinking. A new study suggests that individuals can resist the lure of dangerous texting if they become mindful of their surroundings, have the self-control to focus on one task and not have it as an automatic behavior. This behavior, described as “automaticity,” is the limited conscious attention or awareness of one’s behavior, the researchers said. “Our study underlines the importance of considering the automaticity of a specific technology behavior in combination with self-regulating personality traits,” said Elliot Panek, the study’s lead author and former University of Michigan researcher who now works at the University of Alabama. Texting presents a high risk to drivers and pedestrians because cell phones—especially multi-use smartphones—offer users many options to occupy their time and many cognitive triggers that cue their use automatically, oftentimes with little awareness of what they are doing.
Culverhouse online degree ranked nationally
Crimson White – April 22
When Jennifer Humber began advising 35 long-distance business students in 2006, she never imagined the growth the program would undergo. Now the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration’s online Bachelor of Business program has over 1,000 students, and just received its first national ranking by BestColleges.com as the third best online
business program in the U.S. Humber, the director of Online Student Services for the C&BA, coordinated the online program since it became official in 2008. Not only has the number of students grown in the past nine years, but the online Bachelor of Business program has higher retention rates than most other online degree programs, she said. The program has a close to equal number of in-state and out-of-state students, including students from seven different countries. Humber said the age range of participants spans from 19 to 65, and many of them work full time, have families or are not able to physically be
on campus.
UA professor receives gender studies award
Crimson White – April 22
Jason Black is known to his students as compassionate mentor, advisor and teacher. Nearly all of Black’s classes touch on the topic of gender reform, and he advises master’s theses and doctoral dissertations involving a wide spectrum of gender-related studies. This year, Black is the first male to receive the Gender Scholar of the Year Award, presented by the Southern States
Communication Association. Black, associate professor of communication studies and affiliate professor of gender and race studies, said it is an honor to be the recipient of this award because it is an organic award that comes from his peers rather than through a competition. He said it’s honoring to have his colleagues recognize the work he has done throughout his career and
recognize him individually. Black said two of his three books have contributed to his winning the Gender Scholar of the Year Award. One of the criteria of the award is to have work published in the area of gender studies. He said he believes the book that stands out the most as it relates to the award is “An Archive of Hope: Harvey Milk’s Speeches and Writings,” published in 2013.
Mental Matters: Students struggle with mental health, balance
Crimson White – April 22
According to Patrick Corrigan of The University of Chicago, mental illness affects patients with “a double-edged sword.” Not only do those afflicted with mental illness battle the effects of their disease, but they’re also faced with a social stigma born of a society that believes the truly mentally ill are locked away in asylums or completely untethered from reality. Mental illness is for the different, according to this stigma – something that happens to others, far away from here. In reality, mental illness afflicts members of society from all walks of life – far from something only “different” students struggle with. College students everywhere battle with various forms of mental illness including depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and attention-deficit hyperactive disorder, just to name a few. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2012, there were an estimated 9.6 million adults aged 18 or older in the U.S. with various forms of serious mental illness … Fortunately for UA students, there is help. The UA Counseling Center provides students a safe haven where they can discuss issues they may be facing related to emotional or physical health. The counseling center offers screening and evaluation, individual counseling, psychological assessments and other services to students. The Counseling Center is able to provide up to 15 counseling sessions per academic year at $15 a session and can be completely confidential, if the student so chooses.
Miss UA to participate in All About Kids Festival
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – April 21
With Chlld Abuse Prevention month coming to an end soon, Tuscaloosa leaders want to make sure it finishes off strong, and they’re planning to make that happen this weekend. The “All About Kids” Festival is this Saturday at Munny Sokol Park. Special guests will include Miss Alabama, Miss University of Alabama and Miss Stillman. Fun activities for kids like face painting, bounce houses and a kids’ workshop presented by Home Depot will take place.