UA students to display talents in Dance Alabama!
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 4
About 40 University of Alabama students will show off their creative talents this week when they dance in a completely student choreographed, performed and designed production. The event, Dance Alabama!, is held each semester and has been named as one of UA’s “Top 10 Things to See before You Graduate.” It started in 1999, but has evolved and gotten even better over time, said Cornelius Carter, professor and director of the dance program. “I’ve seen many Dance Alabama! performances get better and more surprising,” Carter said. “Students are developing stronger work and voices.”
University of Alabama to host conference for women in science
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 3
The University of Alabama’s Women in STEM Experience initiative will host its second Pathways to Success conference on Nov. 16 at Shelby Hall on campus. Presenters will discuss topics on career, education and lifestyle issues for women in STEM fields and careers, according to a release from UA. The conference, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., will offer support, encouragement and education to students majoring in science, technology, engineering and math-related fields. The keynote speaker will be Mary Lou Soffa, the Owens R. Cheatham professor of computer sciences at the University of Virginia.
One year later
Crimson White – Nov. 4
A year ago this month on Nov. 1, 2012, Judy Bonner clutched a small box with freshly printed business cards marking her official new title. Now, the first and only female president in The University of Alabama’s 182-year history reflects on the 365 days spent in the position of president so far. After a unanimous vote from the UA Board of Trustees, Bonner was elected as the 38th president of the University, taking over the position from Guy Bailey who resigned two days prior … On Oct. 15, Bonner announced that 23 minority women, including 14 black women, had accepted bids into the traditionally all-white Panhellenic sorority system. “I am so proud of everything that has been accomplished since formal requirement ended in August,” she said. “The sorority presidents and the sorority members were clearly ready to increase the diversity of their chapters.” With an ever-changing campus, Bonner said she is used to long hours, but not many positions could fully prepare her for the time commitment necessary for the role of president at the University. “The role of president is really a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week job – the hours are long, but it’s exciting because the University is making so much progress,” Bonner said.
University of Alabama hydrogeology teacher to be honored
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 3
A University of Alabama professor of hydrogeology is scheduled to receive an award from the National Ground Water Association for his contributions to the science of groundwater. Chunmiao Zheng will receive the 2013 M. King Hubbert Award, according to a release from UA. Zheng’s achievements in groundwater science include the development of a contaminant transport model that has become an industry standard. Zheng is scheduled to receive the award in December at the nonprofit’s 2013 Groundwater Expo and annual meeting in Nashville, Tenn.
Too much tech? New guidelines released for kids’ use of tech, social media
Montgomery Advertiser – Nov. 4
… A new policy from the American Academy of Pediatrics is aimed at all kids, including those who use smartphones, computers and other Internet-connected devices. It expands the academy’s longstanding recommendations on banning televisions from children’s and teens’ bedrooms and limiting entertainment screen time to no more than two hours daily … Other than sedentary activity that would be correlated with screen time, the policy also is trying to limit children’s exposure to media advertisements for different types of less nutritious foods such as “junk food,” said Sheena Gregg, president of the Alabama Obesity Task Force and assistant director of the department of health promotion and wellness at the University of Alabama. What Gregg finds with the college population is if they do not have behaviors instilled in them from their childhood, they won’t have it when they leave the house for college. It is important to instill habits into teens now, she said.
One more thing teens hate: Facebook
Market Watch – Nov. 4
As Facebook FB -1.77% acknowledged on the company’s third-quarter conference call on Wednesday, the most popular social network on the planet is losing its luster among the kids in America … The reason is complex and not easily solved, says Kristy Reynolds, professor of marketing at the University of Alabama: “Facebook is just not as cool with teens anymore.”
News insurance center focuses on outreach, research options
Crimson White – Nov. 4
The University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration is set to expand after Gov. Robert Bentley signed an executive order creating the Alabama Center for Insurance Information and Research. Bentley signed the order Oct. 23 in light of recommendations from commissions he created to investigate insurance needs in a state that has recently had to manage the risks of natural disasters. The proposal for the center, which was co- written in part by UA professors Harris Schlesinger and William Rabel, lists four areas of focus for ACIIR: “education and outreach,” “research and repository of information,” “facilitate and collaboration among agencies and stakeholders” and “foster leadership and engagement by academic institutions and students.” “We’re going to be judged on deliverables,” said Schlesinger, a UA professor of finance and the Frank Park Samford chair of insurance, said.
Lecture series to spotlight local history, campus architecture
Crimson White – Nov. 4
The architectural history of The University of Alabama, ranging from the steeples of Clark Hall to the antebellum Gorgas House, will be among the topics discussed by Robert Mellown, associate professor of art history emeritus, during his lecture Nov. 7. Mellown’s lecture will be the first of five lectures in a series spotlighting authors who focus on local history and topics relevant to Tuscaloosa residents. UA Libraries and the Alabama chapter of Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Library of Congress, have partnered to host the lecture series. J.D. Wilson, sales and marketing director of the UA Press, has been reaching out to magazines, social media and newspapers from all over the state to promote the series. “The goal is not specifically to highlight authors from Alabama, though we might focus on things relevant to the people of Tuscaloosa, or the county, or the state,” Wilson said. “The goal of this series is to create opportunities for the University community and the people of Tuscaloosa to interact face to face with authors.”
Fundraisers planned for student awaiting bone marrow transplant
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 3
Friends and family of University of Alabama student Ashley Roberts are hoping to help her get through an upcoming bone marrow transplant by raising money to cover costs associated with the procedure. Cathy
GUEST COLUMN: Going abroad and out of comfort zone helps reveal what’s important, and what’s not
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 3
For many years, I traveled quite a bit in my job as an historian of Latin America. I flew mostly on a north-south axis into Latin America. I went into places like Santiago (Chile), Lima, Guayaquil, San José (Costa Rica), Panama City, Veracruz, Santo Domingo and others that leave me tired today just to think of traveling to. But, whether landing in Mérida, Yucatan — a jet hop across the Gulf of Mexico from New Orleans — or the airport of La Paz, Bolivia, a breathless 12,000 feet high on a plateau of the Andes Mountains of South America, I detached myself from things back home. I plunged into my work, making myself at home, whether with an aunt in her small apartment in Santiago in the summer of 1974 or in the Catholic La Salle brothers’ retreat in Managua, Nicaragua, in 2004. I learned that I missed little by not keeping up with news from home. (Larry Clayton is a retired professor of history at the University of Alabama.)
National FFA Officers Chosen at National Convention
Indiana Ag Connection – Nov. 4
Students from Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, Iowa, West Virginia and Oregon have been elected by delegates from throughout the U.S. to serve on the 2013-14 National FFA Officer team. Brian Walsh of Virginia, an agribusiness major at Virginia Tech, was elected president. Mitch Baker of Tennessee, an agricultural communications major at University of Tennessee, will serve as secretary. Steven Brockshus of Iowa, an agricultural education and global resource systems major at Iowa State University, was elected Central Region vice president and Jackson Harris of Alabama, a community development major at the University of Alabama, will serve as Southern Region vice president.
Being a Parent While in School
Parents and Kids Magazine – Nov. 1
Whether you are just beginning your college education, halfway finished with your degree, or working on an additional degree, attending school while trying to raise children can sometimes be overwhelming. With so much already on your plate as a parent, it can be hard to juggle all the responsibilities and prioritize your time to the advantage of you and your children. These are some tips that will help you manage and succeed as a parent student … (Katy Whitten Davidson lives in Columbus, MS with her new baby boy Zooey-James. She is an English/Creative Writing major at the University of Alabama where she plans to graduate next May.)
Lecture to focus on consumer behavior
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 3
A Canadian evolutionary economist and marketing professor is scheduled to give a free lecture on consumer behavior and evolution at the University of Alabama on Thursday. Gad Saad of Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, will speak as part of the 2013-2014 Allele Lecture series at 7:30 p.m. in the Biology Building Auditorium, according to a release from UA. Saad’s lecture is titled “The Consuming Instinct: What Juicy Burgers, Ferraris, Pornography and Gift Giving Reveal About Human Nature.” The Allele lectures are coordinated by the Evolution Working Group at UA.