UA program gives free books to Black Belt school libraries
AL.com – Dec. 13
The University of Alabama’s School of Library and Information Studies will give more than $7,000 in free books this month to libraries at schools in Alabama’s Black Belt region. The annual SLIS Book Bonanza for the Black Belt program, established in 2009, will provide books for J.E. Terry Elementary School and Shiloh Elementary School and Sixth Grade Academy in Plantersville, Mount Olive Primary School and Mount Olive Intermediate School in Fort Mitchell, Carver Middle School in Eutaw, Francis Marion High School in Marion, Sunshine School in Newbern and Southside High School in Selma.
$7M Awarded for hydrogen storage technology
EVworld.com – Dec. 13
The U.S. Department of Energy today announced more than $7 million to fund four projects in California, Washington and Oregon to advance hydrogen storage technologies to be used in fuel cell electric vehicles. The 3-year projects will help lower the costs and increase the performance of hydrogen storage systems by developing innovative materials and advanced tanks for efficient and safe transportation. . . . The University of Oregon, along with The University of Alabama, DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Protonex Technology Corporation, will develop and test promising new materials for hydrogen storage. The proposed chemical hydrogen storage materials could enable liquid refueling, and regeneration of the hydrogen storage material, within temperature and pressure ranges suitable for both onboard mobile and stationary fuel cell applications.
Birmingham employment: 13% in metro area to hire in early 2012
Birmingham News – Dec. 13
Hiring across the nation early next year is expected to hit the strongest level in three years, but the picture is not as encouraging for Alabama or the Birmingham area, according to a Manpower Inc. survey being released today. About 14 percent of U.S. employers interviewed for Manpower’s Employment Outlook Survey plan to increase staffing during the first quarter while 5 percent expect to cut back. That, according to the staffing firm, leaves a net employment outlook of 9 percent, the best performance since the third quarter of 2008. . . . Ahmad Ijaz, an economist for the University of Alabama’s Center for Business and Economic Research, said Alabama won’t really have a clearer picture of whether its labor market is improving until early January when seasonal holiday jobs end.
UA students help raise money for tornado relief with T-shirts
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Dec. 13
Two University of Alabama students are lending a helping hand in Tuscaloosa tornado relief. Freshmen Michael Thomas and Andrew Sprissa were in high school when the April 27 tornado hit in Tuscaloosa. Now they are helping with recovery efforts in west Alabama by selling T-shirts they designed. They have sold 1,000 shirts and raised nearly $5,000 .The money from the shirts will be donated to the American Red Cross, west Alabama chapter.
‘Half-Pint Heroes’ help blood drive
Greenville (AL.) Advocate – Dec. 13
Linda Rogers has been taking care of students as a nurse at Greenville Middle School since 1993. She never dreamed that one day her students would be taking care of her. . . . The “Gift of Life” blood drive was held Thursday at Greenville Middle School and the drive was able to collect 43 units of blood…To help with the drive, Rogers’ daughter, Casey, a student at the University of Alabama and a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority came with a few sorority sisters to donate.
My pas de deux with diabetes: The triumphant story of a diabetic ballerina
SweetLife.com – Dec. 13
This afternoon I (Catherine Vancak) visited my local pharmacy to pick up some Apidra for my insulin pump. As I waited amidst the Christmas decorations listening to festive music, I couldn’t help but notice the shelves and shelves of diabetes related gadgets, gizmos, and glucose tablets. I think we all feel nostalgic around Christmastime but I am feeling extra nostalgic because this time last year my life changed forever. I was finishing my classes for my degree in dance at the University of Alabama, rehearsing for one of my favorite performances, drinking bottles and bottles of Gatorade and making many trips to the bathroom. It was the beginning of my dance with diabetes. For more about Catherine visit her blog, A Diabetic Ballerina.