UA Preview

BEST BETS

UA STUDENT RECEIVES BOREN SCHOLARSHIP TO STUDY IN TAIWAN  – UA student Ann Williams, of Montgomery, has received a Boren Scholarship to study Mandarin in Taiwan. Boren Scholarships, an initiative of the National Security Education Program, provide funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate students to study less commonly taught language in such regions as Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Boren Scholarship recipients represent a vital pool of highly motivated individuals who wish to work in the federal national security arena.  For more information, contact Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, at bryant.welbourne@ua.edu

IN FLY MODEL, GENETIC RESPONSES TO VIRUS BY OLD FLIES PROVE DEADLY – In a study at The University of Alabama, aging fruit flies died faster than younger flies from a viral infection because of different genetic responses, lowering the older flies’ tolerance to the infection. The flies in the study, both young and old, were monitored for survival after being given a lethal dose of an RNA virus. The defense mechanism to resist the virus through limiting viral replication was about the same in both young and old flies, but the older flies died faster because there could not withstand the virus’s effects as well. For more information, contact Adam Jones, UA communications, at 205-348-4328 or adam.jones@ua.edu

UA LAUNCHES TALENT DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE FOR YOUNG STUDENTSUA’s Gifted Education and Talent Development Office recently launched a new program to better support families of students capable of high levels of achievement. The Talent Identification and Development Alliance for Learners Program, or TIDALua, will allow students in grades 3-8 to have their current academic capabilities assessed virtually from home in order to support their talent development and place them in the appropriate academic environment to nurture their academic skillset. TIDALua launches UA as a leader in talent development in the region as well as nationally with the goal of supporting talented youth and their families, connecting them to appropriate programs and services at UA, and contributing to the well-being and development of the state. For more information, contact Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, at bryant.welbourne@ua.edu

CURRENT COMMENT

EVEN WITH RECENT FUNDING CHANGES, ALABAMA HAS INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS – Legislative foresight by Alabama lawmakers in enacting the Rebuild Alabama Act reformulated the gas tax and addressed both the contribution of the infrastructure serving electric vehicles, and ensured that local governments could expand and participate in improving their road networks. The act helped funding for infrastructure needs weather the pandemic, so far, but needs remain, said Steven Polunsky, director of the Alabama Transportation Policy Research Center. “Even in normal times, taking into account technological advances and shifts in commuting patterns,  the economic and societal needs for resilient transportation infrastructure far exceed the ability to provide, and that’s before considering new pressures from the rapid expansion of e-commerce, supply chain shortages, extreme weather events, and equity issues,” he said. For more information, contact Steve Polunsky at polunsky@ua.edu

NEED A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT ON TOPICS MAKING NEWS? – See our frequently updated experts directory here.

VISIT THE UA NEWS CENTER FOR STORY IDEAS.