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MONDAY, JAN. 28 – SUNDAY, FEB. 3, 2013

BEST BETS

STUDENT TEAM SPONSORS EVENT FOR TORNADO-AFFECTED SCHOOLS –The University of Alabama Advertising Team is getting out its brushes for Ferg Fest on Wednesday, Jan. 30, and Thursday, Jan. 31, in the Ferguson Center Plaza from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The event will feature three stations, with the third offering a chance to paint various classroom items donated by Tuscaloosa businesses like Habitat ReStore. Once painted, the items will be delivered to Tuscaloosa city schools affected by the April 2011 tornado. All members of the UA community are invited to Ferg Fest. Ad Team returns to the National Student Advertising Competition this year with Glidden paint as its client after placing second in the national competition in 2012. For any questions, contact Lis García, NSAC Director of Public Relations, at 610-261-0583, or Misty Mathews, communications specialist, 205/348-6416 or mmathews@ua.edu.

UA NAMED TILLMAN MILITARY SCHOLARS UNIVERSITY PARTNER – The Pat Tillman Foundation has named UA as one of three new University Partners in support of the Tillman Military Scholars program, which provides educational scholarships for veteran and active service members and their spouses. UA, George Washington University and the University of Washington have been selected as Tillman Military Scholar University Partners for the 2013-2014 academic year, bringing the total number of partner institutions to 16. Information about the scholarship can be found at  http://vets.ua.edu/scholarships.cfm, and the application can be found at http://www.pattillmanfoundation.org/tillman-military-scholars/apply/. Applications are due by Feb. 15. For more information, go to http://uanews.ua.edu/2013/01/pat-tillman-foundation-names-ua-a-new-tillman-military-scholar-university-partner/ or contact David Blair, UA director of veteran and military affairs, at 205/348-0983 or drblair1@sa.ua.edu.

CURRENT COMMENT

POVERTY AWARENESS MONTH – January is “Poverty Awareness Month.” In the state of Alabama – third poorest state in the country – one in four children lives in poverty. A connection exists between poverty and child maltreatment.  “Statistically, as a child, if my parents are poor, I’m much more likely to get abused or neglected. The child may not have enough or the right foods to eat, might not be able to play sports because of cost, or even have a parent read to them. It may not seem like a big deal, but it piles up and has a long-lasting effect on society,” said Dr. Debra Nelson-Gardell, a specialist in childhood emotional trauma and family social work. Nelson-Gardell, also board chairwoman for Tuscaloosa’s One Place, is available to comment on the challenges children in poverty face and the effects on society. For more information, contact David Miller, 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.

EVENTS

NOTED GENETICIST, UA ALUMNUS TO DISCUSS PATHOBIOLOGY IN ALLELE LECTURE – Dr. Richard Myers, president and director of the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and an alumnus of The University of Alabama, will present an Alabama Lectures on Life’s Evolution Lecture, “Large-scale Genomic Analyses to Study Biology and Pathobiology,” Tuesday, Jan. 29 at 7:30 p.m. in the Biology Building Auditorium. Myers’ research is focused on human genetics and genomics and has led to the identification of genes involved in inherited diseases. His lab uses genomics tools and genetics to understand how genes interacting with the environment contribute to human diseases and other traits. While on campus, Myers will also give a talk as part of UA’s Honors College Book Club Series. Myers will present, “A Genetic Journey: From HeLa Cells to the Genome Revolution,” on Monday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. in Room 38 Lloyd Hall. Both lectures are free and open to the public. Contacts: ALLELE lecture – Dr. John Yoder, 205/348-1814, jhyoder@as.ua.edu or Kelli Wright, communications specialist, 205/348-8539, khwright@as.ua.edu; Honors College event – Tonya Nelson, Honors College, tonya.nelson@ua.edu.

ESPN’S RECE DAVIS TO SPEAK – ESPN announcer and University of Alabama alumnus Rece Davis will speak at the Ferguson Center Theater from 11 a.m.-noon on Jan. 31. Davis will be speak as part of The University of Alabama Program in Sports Communication’s guest lecturer series and will give a short talk followed by a question-answer time. The event is free and open to the public with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. For further information about media availability, contact Misty Mathews, 205/348-6416 or mmathews@ua.edu or Dr. Andrew Billings, APSC Director, 205/348-8658 or acbillings@ua.edu. For more information on the APSC, visit www.sportscom.ua.edu.