University of Alabama’s business school dean has plans to improve college and community
Tuscaloosa News – May 26
J. Michael Hardin is an ordained Baptist minister with a mathematics-related Ph.D., but his forte is business. He doesn’t run a company, but he leads an organization that turns out the men and women who will. Hardin, 57, succeeded Barry Mason as dean of the University of Alabama’s business school two years ago. He had been an associate dean under Mason, who headed UA’s Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration for almost 23 years and also served as an interim president for UA for almost a year. During Mason’s tenure, the business school enrollment and faculty increased and new facilities were added. Culverhouse’s faculty and students also got involved in projects off campus. When he stepped down as dean, Mason was lauded for his work in improving Alabama and Tuscaloosa’s business environment. Whoever succeeded him had a tough act to follow. Hardin had worked closely with Mason since 2001, first as associate dean for research and then as senior associate dean, a sort of chief operating office who was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the business school.
Alabama high school students lagging behind in computer programming education
WSFA-NBC (Montgomery) – May 27
University of Alabama computer science professor Jeff Gray says our state still has a way to go. Right now, few schools in Alabama offer an AP computer science class, which is the only type of computer science course available in our state. Payton Walker took the class and exam when he was in the 10th grade. Now, as a senior at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, he says his life would have been much different without computer science. But Gray realizes that the way Walker learned to code, in a language called Java, can be overwhelming. That’s why with the help of a $1 million dollar grant he is working to bring a more user friendly AP exam to Alabama high schools.
Help pick the best legal novel of the year: Vote for one of three Harper Lee Prize finalists
ABA Journal – May 28
Three clients—a homeless Iraq war veteran, an aging Cuban musician and the troubled son of an assistant district attorney—are the focal points of three novels selected as finalists for the 2013 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. The three finalists were announced Tuesday by the ABA Journal and the University of Alabama Law School, co-sponsors of the Harper Lee Prize. They are: David Ellis for The Wrong Man; Paul Goldstein for Havana Requiem; and William Landay for Defending Jacob. You can help choose the winner by voting for your favorite in the poll accompanying this post. Voting is open through June 30. The winner will be announced July 16. The prize, a signed copy of Harper Lee’s iconic novel To Kill A Mockingbird, will be awarded Sept. 19 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., during a ceremony held in conjunction with the Library of Congress National Book Festival.
Hundreds gather for Memorial Day program at Veterans Memorial Park in Tuscaloosa (photos)
Al.com – May 27
Hundreds turned out to honor those who served in the U.S. military at the Tuscaloosa County Park & Recreation Authority’s Veterans Memorial Committee’s annual Memorial Day program at Veterans Memorial Park in Tuscaloosa early Monday morning…Col. Duane A. Lamb, who retired from active duty in the Air Force six years ago, addressed the crowd at the park. Lamb read numbers of Americans killed in action during wars in the nation’s history, emphasizing the loss of those who served during World War II. Lamb also read excerpts from President Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address,” noting he thought it was the finest speech ever delivered by an American president. Lamb, a University of Alabama alumnus, now serves as assistant vice president of facilities and grounds at UA. He also serves as the advisor to the UA student Campus Veterans Association. He lives in Tuscaloosa with his wife, Kimberly, and their three children.
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – May 27
People are losing their ability to unplug
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – May 27
Doctors say our brains need down time to recharge and encourage creativity. Most people admit they wish they could disconnect more often. But say professional and social demands are simply too high and that people expect responses immediately … this woman says she hardly ever puts hers down. In fact, it was in her hand as she was crossing the street. “I’m still a student at the University of Alabama, and there’s a lot of clubs and I’m doing internships, and I’m always scared I’m going to miss the next big announcement.” According to a Google survey, 80 percent of smartphone users never leave home without their device. And it’s affecting our work habits too causing many people to work after hours and on the weekends.