In the spotlight
PE Magazine (National Society of Professional Engineers) – May 2013
Students in the University of Alabama’s College of Engineering take a unique approach to dispelling the stereotype that engineers are dry and boring wallflowers by taking the stage. Since 2007, a student-led theater troupe called COE Does ART (The College of Engineering Does Amateur Radical Theater) has been both entertaining and challenging the minds of audiences. Most recently, the troupe performed All the Great Books Abridged by the Reduced Shakespeare Company, lampooning more than 80 classic works of literature. “I think it’s fair to say that we want the college of engineering, and the university as a whole, to understand that engineers can be, and are, funny, creative, outgoing, and just as entertaining as anyone out there,” said mechanical engineering sophomore Jonathon Whitesell, president of the group.
College First summer camp held at UA
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – June 17
Dozens of high school students are getting a jump on college-level course work at the University of Alabama. Seventy-five students are participating in the “College First” summer camp. It’s open to rising juniors and seniors who will be taking advanced placement courses in the fall. They’re getting tutored in biology, chemistry and other classes for the next two weeks. Tutors say kids who take AP level courses are better-prepared to succeed in college.
Gadsden’s McCord is First Runner-up in Miss USA/ Gadsden
WEAC 24 TV (Gadsden) – June 18
A 23-year old Gadsden native represented the state of Alabama last night as Miss Alabama in the annual Miss USA pageant in Las Vegas. Mary Margaret McCord, who is a graduate student at the University of Alabama, was named as the first runner-up with the Miss USA title going to Miss Connecticut, Erin Brady. McCord was named Miss Alabama USA back in December. McCord’s appearance on the pageant was closely followed by local friends and family on facebook and twitter and was one of the hottest topics trending in the state last night.
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – June 18
WKRG-CBS (Mobile) – June 18
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – June 18
Increased muscle mass in the elderly achieved by dietary supplement
Medical News Today – June 18
A supplemental beverage used to treat muscle-wasting may help boost muscle mass among the elderly, according to a new study. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society’s 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco. The supplemental beverage, called Juven®, contains three amino acids, including arginine. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, and are required for cell growth and repair. The amino acid arginine is especially important because it increases growth-hormone production, which causes the body to produce a critical protein called insulin-like growth factor 1, or IGF-1. This protein promotes growth and development and, as its name suggests, is similar in structure to the hormone insulin…”The amino acid cocktail of the dietary supplement Juven® appears to hold promise for increasing lean body in healthy older adults,” said study lead author Amy C. Ellis, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. “However, more research is needed to determine the cause-and-effect relationship and the mechanisms by which the amino acids in Juven® may favorably affect body composition of healthy, older adults.”
Making the Most of B-School
Bloomberg BusinessWeek – June 18
Two years in one’s life, which is the typical length of a full-time MBA program, go by pretty quickly. How do you find time for attending classes, networking, finding a dream job, eating and sleeping, and metaphorically finding yourself without missing out on anything? It’s a question that many successful B-school applicants are pondering as they prepare for the start of their MBA programs in the fall. Here is advice on how to make the most of those two precious years: Even though finding a job is of the utmost importance to most MBA students, they still have to learn the skills necessary to keep that job and do it well. This means that learning in the classroom should be a top priority. Procrastinating is not an option if you want to get the most out of the lessons, says Christy Evans, a 2012 graduate of University of Alabama’s Manderson Graduate School of Business. “You have to dedicate enough time to allow yourself to fully understand a concept so that you can apply it long after the mid-term,” she adds. “There is no point in getting an MBA if you are not going to retain the information and apply it to your future career.”
WSSU part of $5M grant to boost diversity in computer fields
Greensboro-Winston Salem Business Journal – June 18
Winston-Salem State University will take part in a new Institute for African-American Mentoring in Computer Science, funded by a $5 million grant to Clemson University. The National Science Foundation is funding the effort, which will create a national resource for programs that use mentoring as a strategy to increase the number of African-Americans in computing fields. Dr. Elva Jones, who is chair of the computer science department at WSSU, is the co-primary investigator on the project. The goal is to increase the number of underrepresented groups earning computer science doctoral degrees and in research careers. Other partners include the University of Alabama, Auburn University and Carnegie Mellon University.
Muscle Shoals senior elected Boys State governor
Florence Times Daily – June 18
Reid Ruggles, a 17-year-old upcoming senior at Muscle Shoals High, has been named American Legion Boys State governor. Ruggles attended the Boys State program last week at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and was voted governor, while Jimmy Pritchett of Austin High School in Decatur was chosen lieutenant governor. Both will receive a $12,000 college scholarship. The American Legion has held the program since 1935. High school juniors are selected by local American Legion Posts to attend the program with practical training regarding city, county and state government.
Al.com – June 17