BEST BETS
UADM RAISES MORE THAN $252,000 FOR CHILDREN’S MIRACLE NETWORK — The University of Alabama Dance Marathon raised $252,001 for Children’s of Alabama during its latest annual fundraising efforts. The amount was revealed during the organization’s BAMAthon event Feb. 19, the group’s annual 12-hour dance marathon. Current and former patients of Children’s of Alabama, known as “Miracle Kids,” provided video messages sharing their stories of pediatric illness with the more than 1,200 registered Miracle Makers. For more information, contact Ashley McGrath at aemcgrath@crimson.ua.edu.
SCHOOL LIBRARIANS ENCOURAGED TO APPLY FOR BOOK BONANZA — The School of Library and Information Studies is kicking off its annual Book Bonanza for the Black Belt (and Beyond) program, which will award new books to at least five public school libraries in Alabama’s Black Belt region and two school libraries in an economically deprived area of the state. School librarians in the Black Belt and other economically disadvantaged areas of the state are encouraged to apply by downloading the application and emailing it with the subject line “Book Bonanza.” Applications can also be faxed to 205-348-3746. The deadline to apply is Feb. 28. For more information, contact Morgan Gay, College of Communication and Information Sciences, at mbgay@ua.edu.
UA TO SIGN PARTNERSHIP TO MAKE JOB SITE SAFER — The UA SafeState Occupational Safety and Health Consultation Program will sign a partnership with the OSHA Area Office in Birmingham and Brasfield & Gorrie General Contractors for the new UAB MedWest project being built in McCalla. The signing will take place Wednesday, Mar. 2, at 11 a.m. at 4501 Bell Hill Road, Bessemer. The partnership will establish a job site safety team, consisting of all the primary contractors who work at the site, whose responsibility will be to develop an understanding and awareness that all accidents are preventable and unnecessary. For more information, watch for a news release or contact Don Elswick, executive director of UA SafeState at ddelswick@ua.edu.
UA CENTER TO ADDRESS SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AND HEALTH EQUITY — The University of Alabama will be home to a new research center dedicated to the prevention, treatment and management of substance use disorders. The Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama System approved the Center for Substance Use Research and Related Conditions to focus across the lifespan of conditions to include integrated behavioral health, mental health and more. Housed in the Capstone College of Nursing and in collaboration with the Alabama Life Research Institute, the mission of the CSURRC is to promote the health and well-being of individuals and communities affected by substance use disorders in Alabama and beyond through innovative, state-of-the-science and culturally responsive research that reduces health disparities, improves health equity and addresses social determinants of health. For more information, contact Adam Jones, UA Strategic Communications, at adam.jones@ua.edu.
EVENTS
TATTOO AND BODY ART APPRECIATION PANEL — The UA Women and Gender Resource Center and the College of Arts Diversity Committee will present a panel discussion to deconstruct the negative stigmas associated with tattoos and body modification on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 5 p.m. in the Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center. Two UA faculty members will be joined by two Birmingham tattoo artists to discuss the historical context, cultural significance and embraced identity of tattooing. For more information, contact Devon Longstreet, Women and Gender Resource Center, at djlongstreet@ua.edu.
UA FACULTY MEMBERS PRESENT ARTWORK — UA studio art faculty will exhibit their ongoing research in art during the 2022 Faculty Biennial Exhibition. The exhibition is open to the public Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Sarah Moody Gallery of Art at 700 Capstone Dr., on the UA campus. For more information, contact Bill Dooley, director of the Sarah Moody Gallery of Art, at wtdooley@ua.edu.
UA COLLECTING BOOK DONATIONS FOR SCHOOLS IN THE BLACK BELT — The UA Center for Economic Development, or UACED, has launched the 16th annual Books for the Alabama Black Belt campaign that encourages UA students, faculty, staff and residents to donate K-12 books for students in the region. UACED will accept donations of new or gently used classic and award-winning books frequently found on school reading lists for K-12 children until Feb. 25. For more information, contact Sally Brown, UACED, at sally.brown@ua.edu.
CURRENT COMMENT
Y2K IS COMING BACK IN FASHION — Although we’re still in the midst of winter weather, retailers are already stocked up on spring fashion merchandise, according to Babs Davis, an instructor in UA’s department of clothing, textiles and interior design. Davis says to watch for fashion trends from the early 2000s to make a comeback this spring. “Yes, it has been 20 years since the early 2000s! Enough time has passed that it is time for trends from the era to make a comeback,” Davis said. “Some of the trends we’ll see coming back are chunky platform shoes, slip dresses, and low-rise jeans with camisole tops.” Davis also believes that bright, bold colors, especially greens and pinks will be the trend, not just with clothing, but also with shoes, handbags and other accessories. But Davis also said, “You don’t have to dress in the latest trends to be fashionable. Fashion is a form of self-expression and we live in a time when many people dress in what makes them most comfortable and confident — which is always in style!” For more information, contact Davis at bdavis@ches.ua.edu.
TREAT YOURSELF TO A HEALTHIER HEART — February is American Heart Health month. When it comes to eating for health and wellness, mixed messages abound. “Let’s be clear, dietary nitrates in vegetables provide the fuel for heart health and longevity,” said Dr. Kristi-Crowe White, associate professor and chair of the department of human nutrition and hospitality management at The University of Alabama. “These bioactive compounds are abundant in green leafy vegetables such as spinach and arugula, along with celery, beets, radishes, and rhubarb. Vegetable sources of dietary nitrates promote optimum blood vessel dilation or expansion. As blood vessels become stiff with age, dietary nitrates combat both age- and lifestyle-associated changes in cardiovascular health.” For more information, contact Crowe-White at kcrowe@ches.ua.edu.
HOW DOES ONE MAKE A SMOOTH, MEANINGFUL TRANSITION INTO RETIREMENT? — During his retirement announcement after 22 years in the NFL, Tom Brady hinted that he may need counseling to help with the transition to retirement. So why would someone need retirement counseling? “Retirement is a major life transition,” said Dr. John Burkhardt, associate professor with UA’s department of psychiatry and behavioral medicine. “Retirement counseling can increase a retiree’s awareness of their attitudes, values and behaviors that could affect their retirement transition. The new retiree also faces new challenges with role confusion as they seek a new identity away from their professional persona; coping with the loss of work/life structure, having a purpose or value away from home and work-related friendships; and the task of creating a retirement/life structure with new life goals. These challenges lead us to the popular concept that ‘to have a successful retirement, one needs to retire to something.’ This general notion of activity versus inactivity is generally considered a protective behavior against negative factors associated with a poor retirement transition highlighted by mood changes like depression, physical and cognitive decline, and losing the meaning in one’s life. To schedule an interview, contact Burkhardt at jeburkhardt@ua.edu.
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The University of Alabama strives to remain neutral on public policy issues. Strategic Communications may facilitate interviews or share opinions expressed by faculty, staff, students, or other individuals regarding policy matters. However, those opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the University or its leadership, and do not constitute a statement on behalf of the University unless explicitly designated.