University of Alabama thesis contest to begin this fall
Tuscaloosa News – Aug. 29
The University of Alabama plans to begin participating this fall in Three Minute Thesis, a competition challenging graduate students to make brief presentations about their research and its significance for general audiences. The 3MT competition, developed by the University of Queensland in 2008, is designed to help students present their work in compelling displays that anyone can understand, a skill David Francko, UA graduate school dean and associate provost, says will help UA graduates market themselves as they search for jobs or funding. For students, it’s a chance to practice talking about their research with an audience from outside their comfort zone. “You have to be able to talk to, not just specialists, but generally intelligent people in a very short time frame to convince them that what you are doing is important,” Francko said. “That is one of the real take-home lessons.”
Alabama professor creates carbon-capturing system
Madison Press (Ohio) – Aug. 28
A Colorado company has licensed a method of capturing carbon dioxide pioneered by a University of Alabama assistant professor, with the hope of developing the method as a more energy-efficient way of reducing emissions at fossil-fuel power plants. ION Engineering in Boulder, Colo., has licensed a carbon-capture process using imidazole solutions, or solvents, developed by Jason Bara, an assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at UA. The clean energy company funded Bara’s early work on a more energy-efficient solution through a sponsored research agreement, according to CEO Buz Brown. Bara started working with solvents and carbon capture as a doctoral student at the University of Colorado at Boulder, but said he did not begin working with imidazole, a commercially available organic compound, until after arriving at Alabama in 2010.
Phys.org – Aug. 28
Environmental Leader – Aug. 28
Montgomery Advertiser – Aug. 28
Camp 1831 inaugural run deemed successful
Crimson White – Aug. 29
This summer, many incoming freshmen’s first steps into The University of Alabama community took place more than 65 miles from campus. In addition to the University’s regular schedule of Bama Bound summer orientation sessions for freshmen and transfer students, First Year Experience organized the inaugural Camp 1831 program, two separate three-day auxiliary orientation retreats held at Camp McDowell in Nauvoo, Ala. Litsa Orban, assistant director of First Year Experience, said the new program was tasked with facilitating “a unique experience for first-year students to begin developing the groundwork of how they want to spend their time on campus as a UA student,” a mission she feels Camp 1831 successfully accomplished.
Denny Chimes plays “Celebrating Achievement” in honor of 50th Anniversary of March on Washington
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Aug. 28
At the University of Alabama, Denny Chimes played the song, “Celebrating Achievement” in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.
University of Alabama’s gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson coming to UA Alumni meeting
Brewton Standard – Aug. 28
The University of Alabama women’s gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson will be the guest speaker at the 2013 Escambia County University of Alabama Alumni and Friends annual meeting and membership drive. The meeting will be held Tuesday, September 10 at the Country Club of Brewton.
Gadsden Confessions: Inside the world of anonymous online admissions
Al.com – Aug. 28
Have you got a secret? Etowah County is home to several anonymous confession sites on Facebook – with Gadsden Confessions, Etowah County Confessions and Black Etowah Confessions, among others. On some of the sites, admissions are left anonymously via a Google account, with the messages then posted by the sites’ administrators…Randall Huffaker is an instructor at the University of Alabama who studies social media, and is the president of Alchemist Branding, a consulting firm. He says digital confession sites are easy to start on Facebook because the nature of the social media site allows people to quickly set up groups within the network that can’t be traced back to them easily.
The Best States for Entrepreneurs
Yahoo! Finance – Aug. 27
Two hundred and twenty-five years after the U.S. Constitution was ratified, the push and pull of states’ rights is still fought over by politicians. But Washington’s dysfunction is an entrepreneur’s gain. By letting each state define its own business regulations, taxes and policies, the founding fathers created a competitive marketplace for industries of all sizes looking to put down roots … 2. Alabama: 2. Alabama With government agencies willing to help entrepreneurs navigate regulatory hurdles, Alabama scored the No. 2 overall ranking for small-business friendliness…The E3 program (economy, energy and environment) was formed to attract auto manufacturers and suppliers who are looking for higher profits through efficient, less wasteful processes…This past spring, Alabama doubled down on car manufacturing, joining the Automotive Accelerator Alliance, a group of Southern states working to identify and commercialize technologies for future cars. The program, which operates at several locations, including the University of Alabama, opens up an entirely new avenue for entrepreneurship, thanks to financial backing, established vehicle factories and a skilled automotive work force from which business owners can draw.