BEST BETS
UA VITAL TEAM TO HOST CONFERENCE ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH — The University of Alabama will hold a conference on emerging trends in behavioral health Aug. 25-26 at the Bryant Conference Center. Jointly hosted by the VitAL initiative in the UA School of Social Work and the Alabama Department of Mental Health, the conference includes in-person and virtual options for attendees and will focus on the connection between behaviors and their impact on individuals. Strategies for engagement and treatment will also be discussed. For more information, contact Adam Jones, UA Strategic Communications, at adam.jones@ua.edu.
UA STUDIES HOW BODY COMPOSITION, SLEEP AFFECT CHRONIC DISEASES — Dr. Adam Knowlden, associate professor of health science, was awarded a National Institutes of Health grant to develop a comprehensive body composition-sleep model that will lay the foundation for further research into the prevention and treatment of body composition and sleep-related cardiometabolic disease risk factors. Knowlden’s study will investigate the relationship between body composition and sleep duration while considering the participant’s gender, body composition and socioecological factors. The one-week study will include an in-lab component to collect cardiovascular and metabolic data, and an in-home sleep study and assessment. For more information, contact Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, at bryant.welbourne@ua.edu.
NEW DIRECTOR TO FORM PARTNERSHIPS THAT SUPPORT INDUSTRY, BOOST UA — A new role at The University of Alabama is charged with creating transformational partnerships that combine outcomes from impactful research with the critical technology and workforce needs of industry. Dr. Patrick Mendez has been tapped as the director of strategic research partnerships and consortiums. He began Aug. 1. Mendez brings more than a decade of experience in project management and empowering organizations through long-term, innovative and scalable solutions while influencing research strategy. For more information, contact Adam Jones, UA Strategic Communications, at adam.jones@ua.edu.
EVENTS
STUDENTS TO TAKE PART IN RIPPLE EFFECT — Hundreds of University of Alabama students will serve the Tuscaloosa community during the annual Ripple Effect — a day of community service prior to the start of the fall semester. Students will begin working at 9 a.m. at the West Alabama Food Bank, Temporary Emergency Services, the Benjamin Barnes YMCA and The House Tuscaloosa. For more information, contact Courtney Thomas, senior director for the Center for Service and Leadership, at courtney.thomas@ua.edu.
OLLI TO HOST OPEN HOUSES — The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, or OLLI, will host open house events in August for adults over the age of 50 to learn about the program. The Birmingham open house will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 15, at Riverchase United Methodist Church, and the Gadsden open house will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18, at the UA Gadsden Center. For more information, contact Ashley Chambers, director of OLLI, at ashley.chambers@ua.edu.
SEAN OF THE SOUTH TO SPEAK AT OLLI DAY — The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at The University of Alabama will host OLLI Day, featuring author Sean Dietrich, better known as Sean of the South, Monday, Aug. 22, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bryant Conference Center on the UA campus. The event, which includes lunch, a one-year membership to OLLI and a chance to meet Dietrich, is $50 for the public and free for 2022-2023 OLLI members. To register for OLLI Day, visit the OLLI website. For more information, contact Ashley Chambers, director of OLLI, at ashley.chambers@ua.edu.
UA VEHICLE AUCTION — Looking for a used vehicle? The University of Alabama has a variety of used vehicles available for sale through an online auction. The public may bid on vehicles through Fleet Management’s used vehicle auction site.
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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.