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MONDAY, JULY 22 – SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2013

BEST BETS

UA ARCHAEOLOGISTS DISCOVERING RARE GLIMPSE INTO PREHISTORIC TIMES – UA archaeologists have discovered evidence of occupations that date back 10,000 years ago during an archaeological investigation of the Hewitt-Trussville Stadium site in Trussville. A media availability day will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, July 24, at the site, located at the corner of Trussville-Clay Road and Service Road (5381 Trussville-Clay Road, Trussville). Video and photo opportunities include UA archaeologists and Trussville students working on site, and there will be interview opportunities with project director Joel Watkins, OAR Director Matt Gage and other workers and volunteers. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.

UA’S RISE GRADUATION CELEBRATES A FATHER’S LOVE FOR HIS SON – Jerry Lee moved his family to Tuscaloosa about four years ago just so his son Jonathan, who has Down syndrome, could attend UA’s RISE program. The RISE program, a part of the UA College of Human Environmental Sciences, serves children with disabilities and their typically developing peers, from ages 8 weeks to 5 years. Rather than stay in Huntsville while working during the week, Lee began the daily commute from Tuscaloosa; he didn’t want to miss those special nighttime memories. Jonathan is one of 18 students who will graduate at RISE’s annual commencement ceremony at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 25, at the Stallings Center on the UA campus. Dress rehearsal for the RISE graduation ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 25, at the Stallings Center. RISE parents, including Jerry Lee, and Martha Cook, RISE director, will be available for interviews during that time. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.

WHAT DID YOU DO WITH YOUR SUMMER VACATION? If any of the eight high-school students participating in the UA MINT Center’s internship program are assigned to write about this time-tested topic when school resumes, they’ll have very small answers. That’s because they worked full-time research internship jobs this summer, earning $2,000 and carrying out research projects in nanoscience and engineering. Nanoscience researchers frequently measure things in nanometers. That’s about 7,000 times smaller than a red blood cell. The UA Center for Materials for Information Technology, known as MINT, uses such measurements in focusing on materials and processes needed for information storage. The Center’s competitive program invites high school sophomore and juniors to apply each year. For more information on the program, which concludes Aug. 2 with a research poster session, contact Dr. Timothy Mewes, chair of the MINT education/outreach committee, tmewes@ua.edu or 205/348-9187. For assistance, contact Chris Bryant, UA media relations, at 205/348-8323 or cbryant@ur.ua.edu.

UA ENGINEERING CAMP HELD THIS WEEK – The Student Introduction to Engineering, or SITE, program is a summer camp designed specifically for rising juniors and seniors in high school. More than 25 years old, SITE expanded to three week-long sessions this summer with about 150 students attending. SITE students live in residence halls and engage in team exercises. They attend mini-courses in mathematics, engineering, computer science and English. As part of the camp, students participate in a design competition, and this week students will design lightweight airplanes and see which team’s plane can fly the farthest. Students will launch the planes in the area between Shelby Hall and the South Engineering Research Center Thursday at 3 p.m. For more information, contact Adam Jones, UA engineering media relations, at 205/348-6444 or acjones12@eng.ua.edu.

UA ADAPTED ATHLETICS ADDS NATION’S FIRST COLLEGIATE GOLF PROGRAM – The University of Alabama’s Adapted Athletics program, home to five national championships in women’s and men’s basketball, added its fifth sport this summer with the nation’s first collegiate golf program. The team, coached by former wheelchair basketball standout and current assistant coach Ford Burttram, will begin play during the fall 2013 semester. The team has three players – all of whom compete for the UA wheelchair basketball program – and will play in select Amputee Golf Association events. The genesis of the program will also bring firsts for the sport, as Burttram is working with a wheelchair manufacturer to design a chair that allows the range of movement to strike a golf ball effectively. Burttram is hopeful the sport will attract a diverse range of adapted athletes, from war veterans who are amputees to student-athletes who have paralysis. For more information, contact David Miller, UA media relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.

SANDERSON SHARES LIFE STORY AT CONFERENCE IN VIRGIN ISLANDS – UA social work student Michaela Sanderson’s childhood experience reads like a movie script: her older sister died when she was young; her parents struggled with drug addiction; and her mother attempted suicide in front of her children. It’s enough to send a young girl into depression and off the road she envisioned traveling on as an adult. As a foster child, Sanderson endured many hardships, but as a rising junior and community volunteer, she shares her story to inspire others. Recently, at the “Surviving and Thriving” retreat at Necker Island (Virgin Islands), Sanderson was one of six students who shared their stories with international industry and philanthropic leaders. Sanderson, a member of Alabama Reach – UA’s student support group for foster children – was selected after a round of three essays. She said she was proud to be an ambassador for the state and the university and the contacts made at the conference will help future charitable efforts. For more information, contact David Miller, UA media relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.

NO ELECTRICITY AND A DEAD PHONE? START-UP COMPANY SEEKS TO DEVELOP WIRELESS CHARGING – A UA start-up company that recently learned it will advance to the finals in a state-wide business competition will spend the next two months obtaining additional customer feedback and honing its presentation of the potential technology that would enable users to recharge their cell phones wirelessly. Judges selected the UA business, e-Electricity, and four other start-up companies to advance to the Sept. 26 Alabama Launchpad Start-Up Competition finals. The teams are all in “proof-of-concept” phases and are competing for up to $100,000 in prize money to further develop their technologies. For more information, see this news release or contact Chris Bryant, UA media relations, at 205/348-8323 or cbryant@ur.ua.edu.        

EVENTS

TROMBONE WORKSHOP – UA’s School of Music will play host to the Alessi Seminar from Saturday, July 27, to Saturday, Aug. 3, at the Moody Music Building. The event features concerts, workshops and seminars. Joseph Alessi, principal trombonist with the New York Philharmonic, is the host for the event. Concerts are free and open to the public in the Concert Hall in Moody Music Building. The Joseph Alessi Solo Recital will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 27. Quartet Night will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1. The Participant Solo Recital will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2. The Trombone Choir Concert will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3. Contact: Richard LeComte, UA media relations, rllecomte@ur.ua.edu, 205/348-3782.