MONDAY, SEPT. 21, 2015 – SUNDAY, SEPT. 27, 2015
BEST BETS
UA PART OF NATIONAL STEM INITIATIVE – UA is a founding member in a national effort to support minority women and girls interested in STEM fields, the White House recently announced. The National Academic STEM Collaborative is a consortium of 19 institutions of higher education and nonprofit partners committed to identify and scale effective evidence-based strategies to improve STEM diversity in the nation’s colleges and universities with a special focus on women and girls of color from under-represented communities. For more information, contact Adam Jones, engineering public relations, at 205/348-6444 or acjones12@eng.ua.edu or Chris Bryant, in media relations, 205/348-8323 or cbryant@advance.ua.edu.
TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE THIS WEEK – Come view a total lunar eclipse through UA’s telescopes atop Gallalee Hall 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27. Hosted by Drs. Ron Buta, William Keel and Preethi Nair, professors in UA’s physics and astronomy department, the event is free and one in a series of public nights. Viewing the eclipse is contingent upon the weather. For more information, contact Buta or Keel directly at rbuta@ua.edu, 205/348-3792 or keel@ua.edu. For assistance, contact Richard LeComte, 205/348-3782 or rllecomte@ur.ua.edu.
RESEARCHERS STUDY HOW TO MAKE LONGER, MORE DURABLE BRIDGE SUPPORTS – Engineering researchers at UA are testing massive concrete girders on campus to find ways for bridges to span longer distances without support underneath. For more information, contact Adam Jones, engineering media relations, at 205/348-6444 or acjones12@eng.ua.edu. Contact researcher Dr. Wei Song directly at wsong@eng.ua.edu.
UA TO PARTNER WITH COUNTY SCHOOLS IN MATH PROJECT – UA’s College of Education was recently awarded a $1 million grant from the Math-Science Partnership through the United States Department of Education to implement three years of professional development sessions for math and special education teachers and to monitor student achievement in schools in the Tuscaloosa area. The project is designed to increase content knowledge of K-12 faculty, particularly special education teachers, and decrease the mathematics achievement gap of special education students. For more information, contact David Miller, UA Media Relations, 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu or Dr. Jeremy Zelkowski, assistant professor, secondary math education, at 205/348-9499 or jzelkowski@bamaed.ua.edu.
EVENTS
ALUMNUS HONORED WITH JOHN F. KENNEDY PROFILES IN COURAGE AWARD — The family of Carl Elliot, Sr. will accept the John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage Award in his honor Friday, Sept. 25, at 11 a.m. in the Pearce Foyer at the Amelia Gorgas Library. Elliot is being honored for his work championing educational equality during his career as an attorney and as a congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives. Contact Bobby Mathews, UA Media Relations, 205/348-4956 or bwmathews1@ur.ua.edu
CURRENT COMMENT
COMPUTER SCIENCE AS IMPORTANT TO TEACH AS DISSECTING FROGS — Dr. Jeff Gray, professor of computer science at UA, is available to talk about a recent announcement to expand computer science curriculum in New York City, which comes after a similar announcement in Arkansas. Gray is recognized around the country for his work in computer science education. “Computer science as a foundational core is as important to learn now as any physical or life science, yet computer science is not taught in the overwhelming majority of schools. There’s as much need for students to know the details of how their personal communications are encrypted over the Internet as there is to know how to dissect a frog,” Gray said. For more information, contact Dr. Jeff Gray at gray@cs.ua.edu, or Adam Jones, engineering media relations, at 205/348-6444 or acjones12@eng.ua.edu.
FED MAY RAISE RATES IN DECEMBER OR EARLY 2016 — “We anticipated that the Fed would not raise interest rates in September; however, they will most likely not take any other action on rates at least till December or perhaps even next year,” said Ahmad Ijaz, economic forecasting director, Culverhouse College Commerce’s Center for Business and Economic Development. Contat Edith Parten, UA Media Relations, eparten@culverhouse.ua.edu
PROFESSORS PREDICT NEXT GOP CANDIDATE TO DROP OUT – “I suspect that the next candidate to drop out will come from the second tier of candidates who participated in the first debate,” said Dr. Richard Fording, chair of UA’s political science department. “Of those, Rick Santorum is just about at the bottom of the fundraising race and based on the most recent campaign finance report has practically no money left. It is going to be hard for him to raise money from the position he is in now.” However, Dr. Nichole Bauer disagrees: “Bobby Jindal or George Pataki–they have little name recognition, no money, and are not even registering on the polls,” Bauer said. “Santorum will hang on to at least the Iowa caucus, which he won in 2012.” And Dr. George Hawley has a slightly different take: “Lindsey Graham is the candidate who should drop out next,” Hawley said. “His numbers are terrible, even in his home state, and his single-issue candidacy is based on an issue most Americans find incredibly unappealing: sending ground troops back to Iraq. I don’t think he will be the next to drop, however. My guess is that George Pataki or Jim Gilmore will be the next to drop.” For more UA insights to the GOP debates or the primary races, contact Bobby Mathews at bwmathews1@ur.ua.edu or 205/348-4956.
BENEFITS OF FLU SHOT OUTWEIGH SMALL RISKS — Getting a flu shot is the first and most important step in protecting against this serious illness, according to Dr. Richard Friend, chair of Family Medicine and director of the Family Medicine Residency at the UA College of Community Health Sciences. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone aged 6 months and older get a flu shot annually. Vaccinations are needed each year because flu viruses are constantly changing. Getting vaccinated is particularly important for people who are risk of developing serious complications. Contact: Friend directly at 205/348-1370 or rdfriend@cchs.ua.edu. For assistance, contact Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
UA EXPERT TIPS
UA MATTERS: DECIPHERING BETWEEN EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL HUNGER — Being in tune with our body’s natural hunger and fullness cues are the keys to healthy weight management. Unfortunately, our signals for hunger can be triggered for a variety of reasons, including emotional hunger cues. UA’s Sheena Quizon Gregg offers four ways to tell the difference between emotional and physical hunger in this week’s UA Matters. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
UA MATTERS: ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS — Childhood mental health awareness has increased in recent years, but the majority of children and adolescents with mental health issues remain undiagnosed and untreated. UA’s Dr. Matthew Jarrett offers advice for recognizing and treating anxiety and depression in children and adolescents. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
LOOKING AHEAD
NETWORKING EVENT SCHEDULED IN CELEBRATION OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH – UA’s School of Social Work will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a day of events Sept. 28 at Little Hall on campus. The School will hold a morning session where information about local and regional agencies geared toward helping Hispanic families will be available. The annual colloquium occurs at noon with a lunch and a Q and A with guest speakers Josh Medina and Vanessa Stevens of the Birmingham-based Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama to follow. The day will conclude with a reception celebrating Hispanic cuisine and culture. The event is free and open to the Tuscaloosa community. For more information, contact David Miller, UA Media Relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.
FEINBERG TO VISIT SCHOOL OF LAW — UA’s School of Law will host Distinguished Visiting Lecturer Kenneth Feinberg at noon Tuesday, Sept. 29, in the Bedsole Moot Courtroom 140. The lecture is free and open to the public. Feinberg is an expert in mediation and alternative dispute resolution. He has handled financial claims for major crises and disasters. He has served as the special master for TARP Executive Compensation, the Federal Sept. 11 Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 and as the administrator of the Gulf Coast Claims Facility in 2010 for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Details: Contact Monique Fields, manager of communications, UA School of Law, 205/348-5195, mfields@law.ua.edu or Richard LeComte, media relations, rllecomte@ur.ua.edu, 205/348-3782.
NEW BUSINESS ANALYTICS LAB OPENS — UA’s Culverhouse College of Commerce is holding a Grand Opening event for its Business Analytics Lab on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 3:30 p.m. in 250 Bidgood Hall. A ribbon cutting takes place at 3:30 with analytics demonstrations from 3:30 – 5:15 p.m. Corporate partners Lockheed Martin, SAS, and Healthcare Business Solutions will be on hand for the event. For more information, contact Edith Parten, eparten@culverhouse.ua.edu, 205/348-8318
CYBERSECURITY COMMUNITY FORUM SET FOR OCT. 1 – October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and the UA’s criminal justice department will kick off the month with a community forum on cyber security in room 328 of Lloyd Hall. The panel begins at 6 p.m. Barry Matson, state prosecutor with the Alabama Computer Forensic Laboratories; Ashley Ewing, information security officer, UA Office of Information Technology; and Dr. Diana Dolliver, assistant professor of criminal justice at UA, will serve as panelists. For more information, contact David Miller, UA Media Relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu. Contact Dolliver directly at 205/348-2062 or dldolliver@ua.edu.