BEST BETS
UA LAUNCHES SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR LOCAL SWORN OFFICERS, CHILDREN — In recognition of the valiant efforts of sworn officers who provide duties on and adjacent to The University of Alabama campus benefitting faculty, staff, students and visitors, the University has created the Sworn Officer Scholarship Program for Tuscaloosa area officers and their children. The program will offer scholarships of up to $2,500 each academic year to selected students who are sworn officers or the children of sworn officers of the Tuscaloosa Police Department, Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue, Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, Northport Police Department and Northport Fire Rescue beginning with incoming freshmen in fall 2023. For more information, contact Deidre Stalnaker, UA Strategic Communications, at deidre.stalnaker@ua.edu.
UA SELECTED FOR FIRST GANDHI-KING SCHOLARLY EXCHANGE INITIATIVE — UA has received an award to implement the first Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, partnering with Alabama A&M University in the new program. The Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative aims to inspire and develop a group of 20 aspiring young civic leaders from India and the United States to work together to advance civil rights, social justice and inclusion locally, nationally and internationally by exploring the histories and legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The program is part of the Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Act, championed by the late Congressman John Lewis and passed by Congress in 2020. For more information, contact Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, at bryant.welbourne@ua.edu.
UA MOUNDVILLE ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK ADDS AUTOMATED GATE, MOUNDVILLE RESIDENTS PASS — The UA Moundville Archaeological Park will add a new automated gate at the park’s entrance July 11 to help improve the safety and security of patrons. In addition, the park will introduce the Moundville Residents Pass which includes free admission to the park, excluding certain events, and a unique code to use at the automated gate when entering the park. For more information, contact Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, at bryant.welbourne@ua.edu.
UA TO HOLD SUMMER COMMENCEMENT — The University of Alabama will hold a summer commencement ceremony Saturday, Aug. 6, at 9 a.m. at Coleman Coliseum. Around 1,000 degree candidates from all colleges and schools are expected to be in attendance. For more information, contact Shane Dorrill, UA Strategic Communications, at shane.dorrill@ua.edu.
CURRENT COMMENT
HIGH TEMPERATURES CAN QUICKLY CAUSE DEHYDRATION — “Dehydration, the loss of fluid from the body, is impacted by activity intensity relative to temperature, humidity, wind speed, and direct or indirect sunlight,” said Dr. Jeri Zemke, assistant professor with the UA College of Human Environmental Sciences. “Additionally, if an individual begins their activity in a partially dehydrated state, it will take less time for their body to begin displaying physical impairments brought on by dehydration. Some of those symptoms include headache, muscle cramping, nausea/vomiting, general weakness and dizziness. Treatment includes moving the person to a shaded or air-conditioned area, providing fluids, removal of excessive clothing, and cooling with fans, ice towels or ice bags. Dehydration may be prevented by beginning exercise in a hydrated state, performing activities during cooler hours of the day or in the shade, having access to unlimited fluid intake, and frequent breaks in the shade. An easy way to access your hydration status is to monitor the color of your urine. Urine the color of lemonade, or lighter, indicates you are in a hydrated state, while urine darker than lemonade suggests you are either dehydrated, or moving toward a dehydrated state. Also, thirst is a very poor indicator of dehydration. If you wait until you are thirsty to drink fluids, you are probably already dehydrated.” To schedule an interview, contact Zemke at jzemke@ches.ua.edu.
ECONOMY STILL HAS MOMENTUM AS SLOWDOWN LOOMS — At some points, higher interest rates combined with price inflation and high personal and corporate debt will take a toll on consumer and business spending, bringing an economic slowdown, said Ahmad Ijaz, economist and executive director of the UA Center for Business and Economic Research. “There is still a lot of momentum in the economy, but we will definitely start seeing a slowdown maybe in the second half or early next year,” Ijaz said. A clearer picture will be available once second quarter economic data near the end of July, he said. To schedule an interview, contact Ijaz at aijaz@cba.ua.edu.
EVENTS
CELEBRATION OF FIRST IMAGES FROM THE WEBB TELESCOPE — Faculty members from the UA Department of Physics and Astronomy will hold a discussion Tuesday, July 12, at 7 p.m. in 227 Galalee Hall on the UA campus to celebrate the first images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, or Webb for short. The experts will discuss the telescope, the first images and what we can expect in the future as Webb provides deeper views into the universe. Weather permitting, attendees will also be able to observe the sky with UA’s 16″ telescope atop Gallalee Hall. For more information, contact Jeremy Bailin, associate professor of astronomy, at jbailin@ua.edu.
MOUNDVILLE HOSTS SATURDAY IN THE PARK — The UA Moundville Archaeological Park will host Saturday in the Park, a series of demonstrations and presentations related to Native Americans, archaeology, natural history, sustainable gardening and more, throughout the summer. The July 23 event will feature ancient tools and weapons with Bill Skinner. Saturday in the Park activities are free with paid admission to the park. For more information, contact Lindsey Gordon, UA Moundville Archaeological Park, at fgordon@aalan.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.
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.