New business lab open in UA’s Culverhouse
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 14
The University of Alabama administrators and their corporate partners predict UA’s new business analytics lab will offer students a valuable experience in a growing field and companies a resource to help explore the ever-growing trove of available digital data. “We want it to be a win-win. We want students to learn from the experiential learning by working on them. We want the company to win by solving the problem,” said Brian Gray, interim dean The Culverhouse College of Commerce. The administrators and executives gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the new lab in Bidgood Hall on Wednesday afternoon. The grand opening was in conjunction with the two-day 2015 Business Analytics Symposium that begins today. The new lab is a partnership between UA, Healthcare Business Solutions, Lockheed Martin and software provider SAS. It will serve as a research center for data analytics, the science of studying large volumes of data to discover meaningful patterns.
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Oct. 14
Tuscaloosa residential median sales price up 4 percent over last year
Al.com – Oct. 14
September median sales prices for Tuscaloosa area homes has been on the rise since 2012, according to data from the Tuscaloosa Association of Realtors. This was also up 10.3 percent from the five-year average from 2010-2014. TAR reported this month the median sales price for Tuscaloosa last month was $161,250, up 4 percent over September 2014 ($154,900). The median sales price did drop 3.9 percent from the previous month, which is right in line with historical data that indicates a dip of 3 percent typically occurs from August to September. (Bryan Davis is the Research/Media Coordinator for the Alabama Center for Real Estate housed within the Culverhouse College of Commerce at the University of Alabama. He can be reached at 205-348-5416 or at bkdavis@culverhouse.ua.edu.)
Scientists Have Long Debated Whether Dinosaurs Were Endotherms or Ectotherms
Info Zone – Oct. 14
Were dinosaurs fast, aggressive hunters like those in the movie “Jurassic World”? Or did they have lower metabolic rates that made them more like today’s alligators and crocodiles? For 150 years, scientists have debated the nature of dinosaurs’ body temperatures and how they influenced activity levels. Research by National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded scientists indicates that some dinosaurs had the capacity to elevate their body temperatures using heat sources in the environment, such as the sun. The researchers also believe the animals were probably more active than modern-day alligators and crocodiles, which can be energetic, but only for brief spurts … Co-authors of the journal paper are also with the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa; Germany’s University of Mainz; Columbia University; California State University, Fullerton; California State University, Los Angeles; Orcas Island Historical Museum; CONICET, Argentina; Boise State University; University of Utah; and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Space Daily – Oct. 14
Free legal clinic will be held Thursday
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 14
The Alabama State Bar Volunteer Lawyers Program, in cooperation with the Tuscaloosa County Bar Association, the University of Alabama School of Law and Legal Services Alabama, will host a free legal clinic today for low-income residents of Tuscaloosa County coping with civil legal challenges. The clinic lawyers are experienced in various areas of the law and will be available to answer questions in the areas of divorce/custody/visitation, landlord/tenant issues, wills and estates, debts/bankruptcy/foreclosure and domestic violence. The clinic will be held from 3-5:30 p.m. at the Tuscaloosa County Public Library, 1801 Jack Warner Parkway.
UA to host sales and marketing career fair
Crimson White – Oct. 15
Connect 2015, the sales & marketing career fair, will occure Wednesday., Oct. 14, from noon to 3:30 p.m. in the Ferguson Center Ballroom. Around 50 local, regional and national companies will be at the event, including Belk, AT&T and American Airlines, said Jordan Tucker, the Digital Outreach Manager for the UA sales program. Each of the companies have one to three available positions, in either full-time jobs or internships, Tucker said. Tucker said many of the companies in attendance only come to The University of Alabama because they like the personalized experience they receive. “They’re definitely really excited to recruit UA students,” Tucker said.
Alabama Homecoming Parade
Tuscaloosa News (gallery) – Oct. 10
10-10-15 MFB vs Arkansas WVUA’s Lynn Brooks and Terry Saban host the homecoming parade on Saturday Oct. 10 2015.
Art in the Park
Tuscaloosa News (gallery) – Oct. 11
The University of Alabama’s Creative Campus organization hosted its second annual “Art in the Park” on Sunday, Oct. 11 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Local families and children came to Snow Hinton park and enjoyed activities ranging from arts and crafts to dance lessons.
Alabama Credit Union presents $1,000 scholarship to UA freshman
Credit Union Insight – Oct. 15
Alabama Credit Union awarded Jake Christenbury a $1,000 scholarship on Tuesday, October 13. As has become a summer tradition, thousands of future UA students attend Bama Bound, the freshman orientation on campus. Alabama Credit Union gave all UA attendees a chance to win the annual $1,000 scholarship when they signed up for an account. Tiffany Shanklin, an employee of Alabama Credit Union at the Ferguson Center branch, introduced Jake to Alabama Credit Union, where he opened savings and checking accounts during Bama Bound. Jake is a student originally from Memphis, Tennessee and is excited to continue his education at The University of Alabama. “Serving University students is an important part of Alabama Credit Union’s mission and a responsibility that the credit union takes very seriously,” says Alabama Credit Union President, Steve Swofford, “Our association with the University gives us the opportunity to help the students get off to a good start in their academic careers. We’re pleased to award Jake with this scholarship and look forward to his future successes.”
University Programs to host pumpkin design contest
Crimson White – Oct. 15
Put your vegetable carving skills to the test at the pumpkin design contest from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Ferguson Plaza for an evening of pumpkins and prizes. Prizes are to be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Judges will rank pumpkins on the basis of “creativity and originality of design, craftsmanship, precision, and level of difficulty,” said Department of University Program’s Bonikka Ashley. “Entries will be voted on by members of the UA community,” Ashley said. “We will be offering gift cards to Cobb Theatres for contest winners.” Participants are required to be a student at The University of Alabama and are to register online at upua.tix.com. Registration is free.
Author Sofia Samatar draws inspiration from reading
Crimson White – Oct. 15
Sofia Samatar likes to read. An award-winning author, poet and essayist, Samatar credits her love of reading as what inspired her to become a writer. “Reading. It’s still what makes me write,” Samatar said. Samatar, author of the award-winning novel “A Stranger in Olondria,” is visiting the University of Alabama on Friday, Oct. 16, as part of the Bankhead Visiting Writer series, which invites writers from across the globe to the University of Alabama to read their work and lead a workshop for students. This workshop is designed to give creative writing students the opportunity to master their creative writing skills under the mentorship of a published author; however, it’s open to the public, said Maggie Smith, the Bankhead Visiting Writer event coordinator and creative writing graduate student.