UA business school gets good marks
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 25
The economy may be down, but business is booming at the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration, which recently received high rankings from three national publications. Entrepreneur Magazine, in its latest issue, ranked Culverhouse No. 20 nationally for its entrepreneurship program. BusinessWeek magazine ranked two specialty programs offered by Culverhouse among the top 15 nationally. The school’s operations management program ranked No. 12, followed by the corporate strategy program at No. 14. The Princeton Review named the Manderson Graduate School of Business third in the nation for “Best Campus Facilities” in the organization’s latest ranking, released last week…
Crimson White – Oct. 27
Study: Media treat Ferraro, Palin the same
United Press International – Oct. 27
Former vice presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro doesn’t have much in common with GOP nominee Sarah Palin — except media coverage, a researcher says. Dr. Janis Edwards, director of “the Palin Watch” at The University of Alabama, says 24 years and a gulf of ideology separates the first two women who ran on a major party ticket. However, Edwards says the way the media talk about Palin and Ferraro hasn’t changed — newspapers around North America have used similar media frames to describe these very different women, who made vice-presidential runs at different times for different parties.
Both candidacies were framed around questions about their experience, whether their selection was a political stunt and the notion that their selection was a gamble, Edwards said. “Both Palin and Ferraro were discussed in terms of their questionable experience, perhaps because both were relative unknowns on the national stage — unlike many vice presidential nominees, neither of the women had participated in the presidential primaries,” Edwards said in a statement. Both Palin and Ferraro were discussed as token stunts to appease particular voting demographics and both choices were referred to as a political gamble — as opposed to a positive, bold stroke, Edwards said.
Price tag for Hyundai work stoppage could be millions
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 26
The impact on central Alabama’s economy from Hyundai’s decision to stop its production line for 11 days this year will likely be in the millions of dollars, according to an economist and an auto industry expert. The ripple effects from the shutdown will be widespread though, and workers at suppliers and related industries may not be as prepared to absorb the lost days as those at Hyundai itself, said David Miller, a professor of manufacturing management at the University of Alabama…Miller said the impact likely will be less for workers who are more distant from Hyundai in the supply chain. “It will probably be in direct proportion for first-tier suppliers,” he said. “With second-tier suppliers, the chances are they have multiple customers, so the effects are dissipated.”…Miller suggested some auto workers may begin having second thoughts about the career. “Employees are going to suffer,” he said. “A number of employees may start looking for more stable situations.”…
Business teachers in Alabama universities using hard economic times as real lessons
Birmingham News – Oct. 25
…Benton Gup, chair of banking at the University of Alabama, has used the credit crisis to explain how corporations are valued and illustrate the role of banks…Gup said one reason is the worldwide nature of the crisis, affecting markets in Europe and Asia and showing up in places as unexpected as Iceland, whose biggest banks collapsed. “A number of unrelated events came together to form a perfect fire,” Gup said…Tom Downs, an associate professor of finance at UA, said he tries to start his introductory finance class with a 10-minute discussion of current events. But he tries to fit the crisis in only where it would normally enter into the discussion…
Temporary businesses turn a profit during the holidays
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 26
…Kristy Reynolds, Bruno professor of marketing at the University of Alabama, said those time constraints, however, are often the greatest advantage temporary stores have over their year-round competitors. With only a short time to buy and no guarantee that a desired item will be available even a day later, she said, consumers are more inclined to make purchases they would otherwise put off or never make at all. ‘It creates a little bit of a sense of urgency among consumers,’ Reynolds said. ‘You know [the shop is] not going to be open for an extended period of time.’…
Economic pinch hits hunters
Birmingham News – Oct. 26
… A hunting economic impact study conducted by the University of Alabama several years ago showed that 45 of Alabama’s 67 counties receive a major economic impact from deer hunting. In many rural areas in Alabama, the deer-hunting season is the lifeblood of those communities in the fall…
A living tribute
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 26
Dottie Kelso…University of Alabama assistant women’s basketball coach and former high school teacher, who died suddenly after suffering a brain aneurysm in her office in 1993…members of the Political Science Student Association to plant a tree there in her honor…The tree has since tripled in size, and the plaque placed at its base describes the beloved coach and teacher UA lost in 1993. But it’s far from the only memorial tree on campus, and administrators say it’s also far from the perfect way to honor family and friends. ‘We plant trees that are sturdy enough that they should make it,’ Pam Parker, vice president for student advancement, said Monday. ‘And it’s a wonderful way to honor someone…
Learning … naturally
Florence Times-Daily – Oct. 26
…We need them seeing plants in Alabama,” said Sherry Nichols, an associate professor of science education at the University of Alabama…
Grant will help teens take drug-free message to peers
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 26
PRIDE of Tuscaloosa hopes to spread its drug-free message through a new campaign called Tuscaloosa Teens Team Together. The nonprofit group was recently awarded a three-year, $445,000 grant by the U.S. Department of Education to form a partnership with the University of Alabama and the Tuscaloosa County School System. Schools that will benefit from the grant include Holt, Brookwood, Hillcrest, Northside and Tuscaloosa County high schools…PRIDE will organize the events at the schools. The University of Alabama’s Social Science Research Department will evaluate the results…
MIT philosophy professor speaks tonight
Crimson White – Oct. 27
…Stephen Yablo, professor of philosophy at MIT. As part of the UA philosophy department’s second annual Philosophy Today Speaker Series — which held its first lecture earlier this month, given by Rutgers professor Doug Husak. Yablo will present two lectures at the University on Tuesday. The first, titled “Carnap’s Paradox,” will take place at 3:30 p.m. in 354 ten Hoor…
College News
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 27
The University of Alabama College of Continuing Studies honored the following students with the Bernard Osher Foundation Re-entry Scholarship Program. The Osher Foundation provides 20 tuition-based scholarships to qualified individuals. The recipients received The Bernard Osher Foundation Reentry Scholarship on July 28 after meeting the requirements for eligibility…Recipients are: Buhl: Marianne E. McCray. Coker: Traci L. Fowler. Northport: Mathew S. Rucker, April J. Sewell, Melissa M. Sudduth and Crystal M. Traweek. Oneonta: Benjamin L. Pierce. Tuscaloosa: Laura F. Amster, Alyson L. Lawrence, Mark R. Lent, John W. Mills, Ashley A. Parrish and Melissa F. Strahan…