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MONDAY, JULY 27  – SUNDAY, AUG. 2, 2015

BEST BETS

UA TO HOLD SUMMER COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES AUG. 1 – UA will hold summer commencement Saturday at Coleman Coliseum. The ceremony begins at 9 a.m. Undergraduates and graduate students from all colleges and schools on campus will participate in the lone session of the day. For more information, contact David Miller, UA media relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.

MUSEUM ART DAY CAMP HELD THIS WEEK – Science meets art during the UA Alabama Museum of Natural History’s half-day Art Day Camp. This week, rising third- through fifth-graders will study a variety of different art mediums — sculpture, watercolor, photography, recycled art and collage. Students will spend a portion of the day studying their environment and observing the area around them. They will then use what they have learned as inspiration for their art work. Students will also learn about different artists and commonly used techniques. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.

RESEARCHERS EXPLORE IMAGINATIVE PLAY’S LINKS TO CHILDREN’S MEMORY, ATTENTION – A UA psychology professor hopes to determine the best ways to measure impacts children’s imaginative play has on things like memory and attention. The research has important implications for children’s school readiness. The Imagination Institute recently awarded Dr. Ansley Gilpin, UA assistant professor of psychology, a research grant for a 2-year study involving 750 children between 3 and 5. Gilpin and others recently completed a preliminary study of imaginative plan with more than 100 children in the Tuscaloosa area. For more information, contact David Miller in UA media relations at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu. Contact Gilpin directly at 205/348-9903 or agilpin@ua.edu.

ENGINEERING CAMP HELD THIS WEEK – The Student Introduction to Engineering, or SITE, program is a summer camp designed specifically for rising juniors and seniors in high school. More than 25 years old, the SITE program is three, week-long sessions this summer with about 150 students attending. SITE students live in residence halls and engage in team exercises. They attend mini-courses in mathematics, engineering, computer science and English. As part of the camp, students participate in a design competition, and this week students will design simple machines such as catapults to throw objects. The contest begins in 1059 South Engineering Research Center Thursday at 3:45 p.m. For more information, contact Adam Jones, UA engineering media relations, at 205/348-6444 or acjones12@eng.ua.edu.

UA EXPERT TIPS

UA MATTERS: KEEPING A HANDLE ON GIFT GIVING TO CHILDREN — It is certainly not difficult getting caught up in the excitement of gift giving to your children. Just seeing the glee on their faces as they open that new toy seems to make the credit card bill more than worth it. But, when does it become too much? UA’s Tammy Morrow and Amy Walker share a philosophy making the rounds the past few years that is a practical way to help pare down the excess in gift giving in this week’s UA Matters. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.

UA MATTERS: KEEPING THE YOUNG, YOUNG AT HEART SAFE FROM SUN — Older citizens, the very young, those with certain recent illnesses and some pets are more susceptible to heat injury than others because of reduced cooling capabilities and lowered tolerance. UA’s Dr. Phil Bishop offers a few tips on how to protect these groups from the hot summer sun. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.