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ANNOUNCEMENT

Department of communications employees continue to work mostly remotely, but they are readily available to assist members of the media. Reporters are encouraged to contact the sources below, to use our experts directory to find contact information for other subject matter experts and to visit the UA News Center.

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CHANGES COMING TO GAME DAY The game day experience at UA and Bryant-Denny Stadium will be different this season in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some changes include no tailgating, parking lots opening three hours prior to kick off, and spectators being required to wear face coverings. Stadium capacity is reduced to about 20% to allow social distancing among fans. Watch for a news release with more details.

MOUNDVILLE NATIVE AMERICAN FESTIVAL GOES VIRTUAL UA’s Moundville Archaeological Park will conduct the 32nd  annual Moundville Native American Festival online Oct. 5-10. The virtual experience will include Native American performers, demonstrators and living history teachers. Online content will teach and celebrate Native American culture through interactive experiences, livestreams and prerecorded videos. The virtual festival will take place on the Moundville Archaeological Park website. Watch for a news release with more information,or contact Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, at bryant.welbourne@ua.edu

UA LIBRARIES HOST SIXTH ANNUAL DIGITORIUM University of Alabama Libraries and the Alabama Digital Humanities Center are hosting the sixth annual Digitorium conference on Oct. 1-3. Digitorium encourages people who work on digital projects around the world to engage with other practitioners on digital research, methods and pedagogy, according UA Libraries. Though Digitorium was founded to showcase the field of digital humanities, it does not exclude other disciplines. The three-day conference will be virtual this year and cost $25 per person. For more information, contact Jamon Smith at jamon.smith@ua.edu.

UA EXPANDS, STRENGTHENS RESEARCH CAPABILITIES WITH NEW MRI A new MRI scanner at The University of Alabama paves the way for researchers to expand the boundaries of knowledge of the human brain, bringing benefits to the core educational mission of campus. A $1.7 million major research instrumentation grant from the National Science Foundation will assist in purchasing a state-of-the-art MRI that will encourage interdisciplinary collaborations and allow for leaps in neuroscience research at UA. For more information, contact Adam Jones at adam.jones@ua.edu

BEAT AUBURN BEAT HUNGER LAUNCHES 2020 FOOD AND FUND DRIVE – Beat Auburn Beat Hunger, The University of Alabama’s annual food and fund drive in competition with Auburn University, kicks off Thursday, Oct. 1 and runs through Nov. 20; results will be announced Nov. 21. The drive will look different this year due to COVID-19, with the on-campus drive focusing solely on collecting funds. Food barrels will still be located throughout the city. All donations benefit the West Alabama Food Bank. Over 7 million pounds of food has been collected since the drive started in 1994. Up-to-date information can be found @ua_babh on Instagram and Twitter. For more information, contact Melissa Parker in UA communications at melissa.parker@ua.edu.

RISE TO HOLD ANNUAL FUNDRAISER VIRTUALLY ON 46TH ANNIVERSARY – The University of Alabama’s RISE Center will hold its annual CHIP in for RISE silent auction fundraiser virtually Oct. 1-2 in conjunction with the school’s 46th birthday. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s CHIP in for RISE event will be conducted virtually, but still includes favorite items like UA athletic memorabilia, golf packages and original works of art from local artists and the children of RISE. The auction opens on the morning of Oct. 1 and closes Oct. 2 at 10 p.m. Visit chip20.givesmart.com or text CHIP20 to 76278 to participate. Auction items can be viewed at NorthRiver Yacht Club Oct. 1 and 2, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. each day.

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