UA faculty on mercury in fish,
Tuscaloosa News – July 24
…’I’d be really surprised if they found a lot of mercury in the fish of Lake Tuscaloosa,’ said Ronald Hood, a professor emeritus of biology at the University of Alabama and environmental consultant. ‘The guidelines tend to err on the side of caution.’…’Mercury is everywhere,’ said Milt Ward, an associate professor of biology at UA. ‘There has been continued uncertainty as to what a dangerous level is. ‘Ward participated in a study that collected large-mouth bass from Lake Tuscaloosa from 2000 to 2003 and tested them for mercury. ‘We did not see large amounts of mercury then,’ he said. Ward said it is possible that the area’s recent droughts and below average rainfalls could be contributing to higher levels of naturally-occurring mercury that finds it way into Lake Tuscaloosa’s fish population…
Alabama, Clemson to receive nearly $2 million for opening game
Birmingham News – July 24
The University of Alabama and Clemson University are each expected to receive a payout of just less than $2 million for their season-opening game, according to contracts obtained Wednesday by The Birmingham News. When the teams play Aug. 30 in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome and on ABC Sports, they will split $3,832,060, the anticipated profits for the game. That equals roughly $1.9 million per team. According to the contracts – obtained using a public records request – beer will also be available at the concessions stands. Sales will be cut off at halftime. Besides the money it will bring in, UA coach Nick Saban is a fan of big-time, nonconference games for a variety of reasons. “It’s a great opportunity for us,” Saban said this winter, when the deal was struck. “It’s great for national exposure and recruiting. It’s always interesting for the fans, and I think this will be an outstanding venue.” Last season, when Alabama played Florida State in a similar game in Jacksonville, it also earned roughly $2 million. The 2008 game has already sold out 67,805 tickets, a number that does not include 4,016 suites controlled by the Georgia Dome…
Opinion: Soul food cookbook gifts appreciated
Tuscaloosa News – July 24
Gathering the inspiration and research for editorials can be tedious. Not in this case, however, which called for lunch at Maggie’s Diner. Pleasantly satiated with a plate of corn bread, collard greens, okra and fried squash, we are ready to sing the praises of soul food. The University of Alabama beat us to the punch. The W.S. Hoole Special Collection Library at UA has recognized the importance of this under-appreciated cultural tradition by gathering one of the world’s largest collections of African American cookbooks, including some of the very earliest surviving soul food cookbooks….As the UA library works to increase its collection, it welcomes donations from the public. It might be worth a look in your own kitchen to see if you have a book of recipes handed down through the generations that can help preserve and enrich this home-grown art form.
Senate money goes to new parking deck
Crimson White – July 24
Sen. Richard Shelby’s appropriations will have a significant effect on the campus if they make it through the Senate Appropriations Committee. As reported in The Crimson White last week, a portion of the appropriations, $4 million, will be set aside for a new parking deck that is being constructed on campus. The new parking deck will be beneath the Ridgecrest South residence hall near Blount Hall and Paty Hall. As of now, it is set to be completed in August 2009. It will provide about 950 new parking places for resident and commuter parking zones on three floors. The commuter parking zones will be rezoned with this addition. There will also be a place for visitor and public parking…”We definitely have a need for more parking on campus,” said Tim Leopard, assistant vice president for design and construction at the University of Alabama. “We eliminated a lot of spaces on campus as part of our master plan this year. This will reduce vehicular traffic on campus and promote the transit system and walking….
UA reaches fundraising goal for 2009
Crimson White – July 24
As the price of tuition continues to rise at Alabama, students can be confident that UA administrators are working to provide more scholarship opportunities to help with the costs. As of July 21 the University had raised $512 million for the “Our Students, Our Future” capital campaign. This exceeds the goal of $500 million with 11 months still left in the campaign…”This campaign’s success is a result of our focused intensity on campaign goals and a shared vision for the University’s future,” Witt said in a release. “With today’s economy, scholarship support becomes even more critical in our ability to honor that commitment. We’re going to continue our momentum as we move into the last year of the campaign.”…
UA hosts annual chemistry program
Crimson White – July 24
For 25 years the summer Research Experience for Undergrads has brought chemistry college students across the country to the UA campus…The men responsible are John Vincent, professor of chemistry who specializes in bioinorganic chemistry, and Stephen Woski, associate professor of chemistry. “The program is funded by the National Science Foundation, and I am the principle investigator,” Vincent said. “Dr. Woski is the co-principle investigator…Asked about the overall objective of their project, Woski said: “The idea is to bring students from schools with no or very limited graduate programs in chemistry together to work on undergraduate research projects for 10 weeks during the summer…
UA dean develops spray for plants’ cold tolerance
Crimson White – July 24
Plant growers both small and industrially large may soon have better results and new options thanks in part to UA Graduate School Dean David Francko. A spray dubbed Freeze-Pruf, co-developed by Francko, increases a plant’s tolerance for cold temperatures. Francko began research on the product while at Miami University and finished at the University. “It’s like moving the plant in your home garden or commercial nursery about 200 miles south,” Francko said…