BEST BETS
UA WAIVES APPLICATION FEE THIS WEEK — The University of Alabama is again waiving application fees for domestic and international undergraduate, graduate and online prospective students from Oct. 16-20. During Free App Week, UA aims to empower prospective students by removing the financial barriers that may keep them from applying for admission. For more information, contact Jennifer Brady, UA Strategic Communications, at jennifer.brady@ua.edu.
ALABAMA SMALL BUSINESS EXPERT RECEIVES NATIONAL HONOR — Emily Moore, a member of the Alabama Small Business Development Center at UA, received national recognition for leadership in helping small businesses start and grow. Moore was selected by the America’s SBDC national association as the winner of its Top 40 Under 40 designation from among small business advisors across the country. Forty individuals were selected for their exceptional business acumen, innovative thinking and commitment to driving growth and success.
VITAL PART OF NEW EFFORT FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION — A substantial effort in suicide prevention across the state will be led by a partnership between UA and the Alabama Department of Mental Health. UA’s VitAL program and ADMH received support from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to implement Project Zero Suicide in Alabama. The Zero Suicide framework is designed to proactively address suicide by emphasizing prevention and early intervention within healthcare facilities. For more information, contact Adam Jones, UA Strategic Communications, at adam.jones@ua.edu.
UA EXPANDS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR RURAL ALABAMA YOUTH — UA is confronting the shortage of behavioral health services for youth in rural Alabama with more than $3.7 million in federal funding. UA’s College of Human Environmental Sciences and the Center for Substance Use Research and Related Conditions in the Capstone College of Nursing are leading the program supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration. Awards from HRSA’s Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health support the establishment and expansion of sustainable behavioral health care services for children and adolescents aged 5-17 years who live in rural communities, and to prevent substance misuse. For more information, contact Adam Jones, UA Strategic Communications, at adam.jones@ua.edu.
UA REACHING RURAL AREAS TO IMPROVE CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH — UA is spearheading an effort to reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease in West Alabama. With $6 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spread out over the next five years, UA faculty, staff and students will work with local health care providers to implement programs and resources designed to reduce risk factors for heart attacks, strokes and other issues stemming from poor cardiovascular health. The work will focus on nine counties around the University that include rural and underserved areas of the state. For more information, contact Adam Jones, UA Strategic Communications, at adam.jones@ua.edu.
CURRENT COMMENT
DEFEATING HAMAS REQUIRES ADDRESSING HUMANITARIAN ISSUES OF PALESTINIANS — Dr. Daniel Levine, the Aaron Aronov Chair of Judaic Studies at UA and professor of political science, is available to talk about many aspects of the latest conflict in Israel. Levine studies international relations, political philosophy and theory, Middle Eastern politics, and Israeli-Palestine relations. Levine said the underlying plight of the Palestinians living in Gaza must be addressed for the conflict to resolve in the long-term. “One can dislike Hamas and still understand the people it purports to represent are human beings,” he said. “On one level, everyone knows that, yet, on another level, very little has been done to address the basic problems here, which are big, hard, and demand considerable political will. That said, they are not difficult to understand. Anyone who thinks Hamas can be ‘defeated’ without addressing those problems is probably selling snake oil.” To schedule an interview, contact Levine is at daniel.j.levine@ua.edu.
MILLENIALS MORE OPEN TO SIGNING PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENTS — According to a recent Harris Poll survey conducted for Axios, 50% of U.S. adults said they at least somewhat supported the use of prenuptial agreements, although about only 1 in 5 married couples have one. The study also found that 47% of millennial respondents who are engaged or have been married said they entered a prenup. “Divorce rates increased in the last half of the 20th century before stabilizing,” said Dr. Robert Laird, chair of the department of human development and family studies. “Age at first marriage and women’s participation in the paid workforce also changed dramatically in the last half of the 20th century. Millennials who grew up with older parents either experienced divorce in their families, or had friends with divorced parents, and were likely to see both parents working outside the home. Millennials are no less hopeful when they approach marriage, but they are more realistic. Based on their lived experience, they know that divorce occurs, and the financial and other challenges that follow.” To schedule an interview, contact Laird at rlaird@ches.ua.edu.
EVENTS
ALABAMA REPERTORY DANCE THEATRE — The UA department of theatre and dance is proud to present the Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre Oct. 17-20 in the dance theatre of the English Building. The department’s first dance of the academic year will consist of five choreographed pieces created by guest artists and UA dance faculty. The annual concert gives students the opportunity to immerse themselves in a professional dance atmosphere.
WAR IN UKRAINE: LESSONS FOR THE CZECH REPUBLIC AND EUROPE — Dr. Martin Nekola will provide a lecture titled, “War in Ukraine: Lessons for the Czech Republic and Europe,” Oct. 18 at 6 p.m. in the Camelia Room of Gorgas Library. Nekola is an historian and political scientist from Prague, Czech Republic. He is a member of Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies, Czechoslovak Studies Association and Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International. He’s authored more than 400 articles and 24 books, including “Czech New York” (2021) and “Czechs in the Northwest” (2022). The lecture is free and open to the public.
FALL INTO AUTUMN — The Mildred Westervelt Warner Transportation Museum is excited to welcome the community to the free Fall into Autumn event Oct. 22 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Attendees will enjoy autumn-inspired activities, refreshments, decorations, pumpkin-themed games, candy corn hole and the chance to paint a pumpkin to take home. Costumes are welcome but not required.
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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.