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MONDAY, JUNE 17 – SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 2013

BEST BETS

‘ALCESTIS ASCENDING’ – Seth Panitch, associate professor of theatre at UA, will take his play “Alcestis Ascending” on the road this summer to New York City, Havana and Alabama as part of his participation in creative research with the actors and dancers from UA and the Cuban El Instituto Superior de Arte .The exercise in creative research is part of UA’s College of Arts and Sciences Alabama-Cuba Initiative. “Alcestis Ascending” will be performed at the Harold Clurman Theatre on Theatre Row in New York City from Tuesday, July 9, to Sunday, July 21. Thereafter, the play will run for two weeks in Havana for the grand opening of the Raquel Revuelta Theatre. In addition, the play will preview at 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 1, through Friday, July 5, at the Allen Bales Theatre on the UA campus. For more details, contact Panitch, spanitch@ua.edu, 205/348-3845.

UA RESEARCHERS AGAIN STUDYING TORNADO DAMAGE – UA is the lead on a research grant to study the damage left by the tornado that struck Moore, Okla., May 20. Hit by strong tornadoes before, the recent tragic tornado provides an important research opportunity to document any advancement in building practice of wood-frame homes in tornado-prone areas. Researchers from several different institutions traveled to Moore at the end of May to inspect the damage as part of the National Science Foundation Rapid Response Grant for Exploratory Research. For more information, contact Adam Jones, UA media relations, 205/348-6444 or acjones12@eng.ua.edu; or Dr. Andrew Graettinger, associate professor in civil, construction and environmental engineering, at 205/348-1707 or andrewg@eng.ua.edu.

CURRENT COMMENT

UA CHILD-CARE EXPERT OFFERS KINDERGARTEN PREPARATION GUIDANCE – The first day of kindergarten can provoke feelings of anxiety and fear in both children and their parents, but there are numerous ways to help make the transition one of excitement and joy rather than trepidation. Children might feel anxious about moving on to kindergarten because they are worried they will not know anyone, they might not like their teacher, they might get lost in a new building or they will not know how to do the work. One University of Alabama child-care professional offers suggestions on how to ease that anxiety for both children and their parents. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu, Robin Hollingsworth, director of the Child Development Research Center’s children’s program at UA, 205/348-0589, rhollingsworth@ches.ua.edu, or Kelly Avery, curriculum specialist with the Children’s Program, 205/348-8964, kavery@ches.ua.edu.

CAMPS AND ACTIVITIES

School’s out for the summer, but camps and educational opportunities for children, teens and even their teachers are definitely in at UA:

STUDENTS EXPLORE NATURE, ART AT DAY CAMP – The Alabama Museum of Natural History is offering for the first time an Art Day Camp for 3^rd through 5^th graders this week (June 17-21). Participants will explore a new nature theme every day and create art around that theme. They will take nature hikes across campus and visit the Engineering Department’s 3-D printing lab. Discovering Alabama producer and young adult book author, Roger Reid, will make a guest appearance to guide students through the media arts. Participants will have a chance to paint, sculpt, photograph and turn recycling materials into works of art. The camp runs from 8 a.m. to noon at the Museum of Natural History in Smith Hall on the UA. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.

GIFTED STUDENTS TO TAKE PART IN UNIQUE WORKSHOPS – UA’s annual Summer Enrichment Workshop begins continues through June 28 at Matthews Elementary with 160 children who’ve recently completed grades K-8 – mostly from Tuscaloosa and Tuscaloosa County – taking part in a wide array of classes aimed to enhance critical thinking and problem solving skills. Students will dissect insects, recreate the causes of the Titanic disaster, record and predict weather patterns, and take part in dozens of other classes for an hour and 45 minutes each day. “We teach the mechanics of critical thought,” said Dr. Kevin Besnoy, assistant director of SEW and assistant professor of gifted education. “The kids all have high intellectual capabilities, but we teach them how to be critical consumers of information. We prepare them for the future by teaching them to come up with novel solutions, then disseminate that info as to how they suggest solving those problems.” For more information, contact David Miller, UA media relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.

RURAL HEALTH SCHOLARS PROGRAM ENCOURAGES HIGH SCHOOLERS – Twenty-five rising high school seniors from rural communities across the state are learning what it takes to be a physician in a rural area during the UA College of Community Health Sciences Rural Health Scholars Program. The five-week camp, which runs through June 27, features seminars, college courses, field trips to rural clinics and hospitals, tours of various facilities and more. The program’s goal is to inspire students with an interest in medical school to pursue that dream and then return to their communities to practice. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.