Research could improve methods of recycling nuclear fuel
Tuscaloosa News – March 26
Research involving molecules of a radioactive rare earth metal by a team of chemists, including a professor and graduate student at the University of Alabama, could point the way to improved methods of recycling nuclear reactor fuel and reducing radioactive waste. The research effort, led by Florida State University professor Thomas Albrecht-Schmitt, is discussed in the paper “Unusual Structure, Bonding, and Properties in a Californium Borate,” which was published in the journal “Nature Chemistry.” The paper was published online on March 23 and will be in the April print edition. Californium is a radioactive rare earth metal, a member of the actinide family along with uranium and plutonium. Albrecht-Schmitt and 18 co-authors from nine institutes and universities studied the bonds Californium forms using experiments with borate. “We want to understand how the molecules are put together,” said co-author David Dixon, a computational chemist and the Robert Ramsay Chair in UA’s department of chemistry. … The experiments, using about 5 milligrams of californium, were conducted at FSU. … The data from the experiments at FSU was interpreted by other experts. The information was then given to computational theoreticians including Dixon and his graduate student Ted Garner who united expert interpretations and the experimental data and explained the phenomena that had been observed … Dixon said he used computers to model the molecules and interpret data.
Yahoo! News (U.K. and Ireland) – March 26
Red Orbit – March 25
Phys.org – March 23
Tuscaloosa biotech company could be on verge of finding a cure, treatment for fibromyalgia
Tuscaloosa News – March 22
More than a decade of medical-related research by a Tuscaloosa surgeon has led to the start of new biotech company, possibly a new industry in Tuscaloosa and maybe a cure for a painful medical condition. Dr. William “Skip” Pridgen has done research on fibromyalgia for about 15 years while working full-time in his surgical practice, Tuscaloosa Surgical Associates PC. His research has led to a possible new drug and treatment that might someday provide a cure for fibromyalgia. It also led to the creation of Innovative Med Concepts, a biotech company that hopes to someday bring the medical discoveries to the marketplace. … Pridgen and Carol Duffy, who has a doctorate in virology and is an assistant professor in biological sciences at the University of Alabama, have developed a drug and treatment they believe might cure the problem. … Pridgen recently brought in Rick Burch as Innovative Med Concepts’ president. Pridgen is the company’s chief executive officer. Duffy and UA also have an ownership interest in the company. … Burch is a Birmingham native and UA graduate who worked in the pharmaceutical industry for more than three decades. … Burch also serves on the executive committee of UA’s business school and is a member of the UA President’s Cabinet.
Bidsters of Tuscaloosa gets share of $135K in Alabama Launchpad Start-Up Competition finale
Tuscaloosa News – March 22
The Economic Development Partnership of Alabama Foundation said Friday that Bidsters of Tuscaloosa was among the five startup teams that received a share of $135,000 in funding during the Alabama Launchpad Start-Up Competition Finale. The money was awarded to the teams based on a decision by a five-judge panel composed of entrepreneurs, investors and corporate stakeholders. Bidsters, based in Tuscaloosa and is affiliated with the University of Alabama, was awarded $16,000. Bidsters is an online interactive database that allows workers to communicate on project bids.
University of Alabama to recognize outstanding students, faculty durng annual Honors Week
Al.com – March 31
University of Alabama students and faculty with outstanding achievements in scholarship and service will be honored throughout this week as UA celebrates its annual Honors Week. The week, which includes the inauguration of the next Student Government Association, culminates with the traditional Tapping on the Mound, where University honoraries Omicron Delta Kappa, Mortar Board, Blue Key National Honor Society and Anderson Society will induct members. Individual colleges and departments will host receptions and ceremonies honoring their highest achievers as well.
University of Alabama to host 350 schoolkids at annual robotics competition Saturday
Al.com – March 31
Robots will be taking over the University of Alabama campus this weekend as more than 350 schoolkids converge to compete in the Alabama Robotics Competition. The fourth annual competition, hosted by UA’s College of Engineering, will welcome students from the third to twelfth grades. According to a UA release, each student will bring their own robot, already assembled, to then be tested in three obstacle courses of varying difficulty. Points are scored by how the robot maneuvers obstacles, and the time it takes them to complete a course is used as the tiebreaker. Jeff Gray, an associate computer science professor, said the robotics competition is essentially a programming contest, and the robots are autonomously-controlled. “Points are scored in this competition based on the clever solutions of student programs, rather than the skill of a teammate with a remote control,” Gray said in the release.
Steppenwolf, Kansas members to perform at Alabama’s 10th annual Arty Party fundraiser
Al.com – March 25
Members from John Kay & Steppenwolf and Kansas will perform at the 10th annual Arty Party fundraiser hosted by the Leadership Board in the University of Alabama’s College of Arts and Sciences. Auction items will include guitars autographed and played in concert by Lynyrd Skynyrd and the John Kay and Steppenwolf band, a drum head autographed by singer John Legend and custom-made items used in concert and signed by members of the band Kansas. The event, “A Magic Carpet Ride,” will take place Friday, April 4 at 6 p.m. at The Pavilion at Cypress Inn on the Black Warrior River. All proceeds will benefit UA’s School of Music. Michael Wilk, the keyboardist with the band John Kay and Steppenwolf, will perform at the event, with special guest appearances by Kansas’s Phil Ehart and David Ragsdale. The event will also include a live and silent auction of items donated by Alabama businesses and individuals. … For more information and a complete list of auction items, visit the UA College of Arts and Sciences Arty Party website at www.artyparty.as.ua.edu. To purchase tickets or make a donation to the fundraiser, call (205) 348-7007.
Birmingham Fashion Week releases list of 12 Emerging Designer semifinalists for 2014
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – March 26
Birmingham Fashion Week announced Wednesday the 12 semifinalists for its 2014 “Emerging Designer” competition. According to a release, the dozen applicants selected are college and post-graduate students from across Alabama who submitted fashion designs for a chance to see their work come to life on a “nationally recognized runway” next month. Birmingham Fashion Week has dedicated one night of its 5-day event specifically for the up-and-coming designers. Contestants will put their designs on display the night of April 22, which is one day after the event kicks off. … On the final day of fashion week, Apr. 26, the field of semifinalists will be trimmed to a select number of finalists, who will then compete in a “finale runway show” for a shot at the title. The winner will be guaranteed a spot in next year’s show and take home a $1,000 scholarship. Emerging Designer Semi-Finalists: Ragan Creel, University of Alabama (Hometown: Meridian, MS) Elle Darby, University of Alabama (Hometown: Florence, AL) … Mallory Hardiman, University of Alabama (Hometown: Columbia, TN) Courtney King, University of Alabama (Hometown: Columbus, GA) … Nikki Manuel, University of Alabama (Hometown: Birmingham, AL) Megan Mitton, University of Alabama (Hometown: Shreveport, LA) Elahe Saeidi, University of Alabama (Hometown: Tuscaloosa, AL) … Emily Waters, University of Alabama (Hometown: Southside, AL)
Atlanta Hedge Fund Challenge selects finalists
Atlanta Business Chronicle – March 27
The second annual Atlanta Hedge Fund Challenge has chosen its finalists. The winner of the 2014 Atlanta Hedge Fund Challenge will be announced tonight at the Georgia State University Executive Education Center. Teams of three students from Georgia Tech, The University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Emory University, Kennesaw State University, The University of Alabama, Auburn University, Duke University and Vanderbilt University pitched alternative investment ideas to SEHFA, the CFA Society of Atlanta and a panel of five judges, who are managers from Atlanta area hedge funds and investment firms but only six teams will move to the second round.
‘Outed’ CIA spy Valerie Plame to speak, screen documentary at University of Alabama
Al.com – March 28
Valerie Plame, the former CIA spy whose cover was infamously burned by Bush White House official Lewis “Scooter” Libby, will speak at the University of Alabama Monday, March 31. Plame will share her CIA experiences with the UA community before a screening of “Countdown to Zero”, a documentary about the dangers of nuclear proliferation which is narrates, according to a UA release.
Tuscaloosa News – March 21
Daily Journal (Franklin, Ind.) – March 26
WDEF News 12 (Chattanooga) – March 26
Slash Pine Poetry Festival to feature readings, literary trivia in Tuscaloosa
Al.com – March 27
The University of Alabama’s annual Slash Pine Poetry Festival will feature more than two dozen writers Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12, at the University of Alabama and locations around Tuscaloosa. Founded in 2009, the Slash Pine Press is housed in UA’s English department and produces chapbooks of poetry and mixed-genre work. “The festival mirrors most closely what we do at our press and in our internship program: foster and promote the work of rising writers at all levels, from those who are engaged in undergraduate creative writing programs to those published by nationally significant presses,” said Patti White, director of Slash Pine Press, in a UA release. Five events, scattered throughout town during the weekend, are free and open to the public.
Hobby Lobby and religious rights: An Alabama law professor weighs in
Al.com – March 25
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments in two high-profile, related cases, one involving national retailer Hobby Lobby and the other involving Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. At issue is whether corporations should be able to opt out of having to include free coverage for contraceptive services in their health insurance plans because of the religious beliefs of their owners. Rulings are expected to be handed down in June. For a bit more explanation, we reached out to Paul Horwitz, the Gordon Rosen professor of law at the University of Alabama School of Law. Horwitz teaches law and religion, constitutional law and legal profession. AL.com: Some interest groups are saying the outcome will set the tone for the next 100 years of church-state jurisprudence. Is this so? Horwitz: It’s always dangerous to think in such a long time frame. I would never talk about law in terms of the next century. Moreover, this is still primarily a statutory case, not a constitutional case, although it has obvious constitutional undertones. But it is certainly arguably the most important church-state case the Court has taken in some time, and that in a period in which it has recently taken or decided some very important religion cases. A major debate in American law, and American society too, is how to balance the conflict between liberty and equality, between universal nondiscrimination and full equal access to public and private services on the one hand, and individual rights of conscientious refusal on the other. There is also a long-standing conflict between the free exercise of religion and the non-establishment of religion. These cases raise these issues very starkly.
Tuscaloosa County, state unemployment rates rise in February
Tuscaloosa News – March 28
The unemployment rate rose in February across West Alabama and most of the rest of Alabama, in part because more people began looking for jobs. The state’s official unemployment rate increased from 6.1 to 6.4 percent, according to figures released Friday by the Alabama Department of Labor. Tuscaloosa County’s jobless rate rose from 6.4 to 6.7 percent. … Imad Ijaz, director of economic forecasting at the University of Alabama Center for Business and Economic Research, said he believes two factors caused unemployment to rise last month. “One was an increase in the labor force,” he said. “As always in a gradually recovering economy, more people enter the labor force in anticipation of finding a job, therefore the unemployment rate continues to move up as more discouraged workers enter the labor force since unemployment rate is a lagging indicator. “The second reason for an increase in unemployment rate was job losses seen in the federal government and local education. In my opinion this could be weather related depending on when the survey was conducted. “But overall the job growth looked encouraging as the state added 16,300 jobs over the past 12 months, and almost all sectors of the economy added jobs.”
THE PORT RAIL: ‘Justice’ is no reason to dumb down SATs
Tuscaloosa News – March 30
Social justice” has a nice ring to it. In fact, just about any word joined to “justice” tends to have a comforting sound. “Racial justice,” “Justice for all,” “We want justice!” They resonate with the American public. So does “equality.” Let’s put them together. We’re for “equal justice for all.” Who can argue with that principle? “All men are created equal,” wrote Thomas Jefferson, although not all are created equal, as in “the same.” … Recently, the College Board issued new standards for its iconic college admissions exam, the Standard Achievement Test, or SAT. If one reads through the changes — eliminating the essay, eliminating penalties for guessing, eliminating old, long words not in common usage, simplifying the mathematics — one has to come to the inevitable conclusion that the exam has been made easier. … Larry Clayton is a retired professor of history at the University of Alabama.
GUEST COLUMN: Kennedy didn’t back down on world stage
Tuscaloosa News – March 22
This is about a president, a Democrat by the way. However, I suggest that he was not acting as a Democrat or a Republican, but as an American who drew a line in the sand and told the Russians in 1962, “If you cross it there will be consequences.” … The Soviet premier, Nikita Khrushchev, had sensed that Kennedy would push the button if the U.S. did not have its way in Cuba. That’s how one president acted on the world stage. He had his defects and detractors, and he made some mistakes, but he also knew how to act as a president. Larry Clayton is a retired professor of history at the University of Alabama.
“Increase” in Childhood Autism No Cause for Alarm: Experts
National Geographic Daily News – March 28
Kiemel Lamb sings to students in March 2011 as part of a University of Alabama program, one of the only ones in the country, that utilizes music therapy to treat children with autism.
LOCAL Q&A: Bebe Barefoot Lloyd
Tuscaloosa News (The Tusk) – March 26
This week we chatted with Bebe Barefoot Lloyd, a professor, writer and supporter of the arts who hand-makes decorative collages, has a flair for vintage clothes and loves all things leopard print. Q: Who are you? A: I am Bebe Barefoot Lloyd. I teach, write, and make things. I also collect and sell vintage clothing and accessories. I’ve been teaching writing and writing-based courses for more than 20 years. … I’ve been teaching at the University of Alabama since 1998. I currently teach creativity and a class on fashion and culture in New College, and I teach writing-based seminars for the Blount Undergraduate Initiative.
Student entrepreneurs get startup money
Tuscaloosa News – March 23
What does it take to start a business? For one young entrepreneur, it’s a tablet and a table. Seeing a need in the community and coming up with a plan to fulfill it helps, too. That’s what Christian Giggie, 15, discovered this school year in the Young Entrepreneurs Academy or YEA!, an after-school program that fosters entrepreneurship in middle and high school students. Last week, he and five other high school students in the Tuscaloosa YEA! made their pitches for a new business or nonprofit to a panel of experts. … This was the second school year for Tuscaloosa YEA! Students in the program spend three hours Monday evenings during the school year learning how to be an entrepreneur. The classes are held at the University of Alabama. The enrollment fee is $400.
Around Town: March 31
Tuscaloosa News – March 31
Thursday … Authors@Gorgas Speaker Series: Noon-1 p.m.. Phil Beidler, author of “Cuba in History, Literature, and the Arts” is the guest speaker in Room 205 at Gorgas Library on the UA campus. Free.
DON NOBLE: Richmond’s short stories a surprising series
Tuscaloosa News – March 22
A native of Mobile, Michelle Richmond began her career with a volume of stories, “The Girl in the Fall-Away Dress,” which won the Associated Writing Programs prize for short fiction in 2000. Now, after three novels, … she is back with another book of stories. The UA Press imprint FC2 is a series featuring “artistically adventurous, non-traditional” fiction, and the 11 stories in “Hum” are just that.
Cheatham accepted to UA Early College
Hartselle Enquirer – March 26
The University of Alabama UA Early College program recently accepted Madelyn Cheatham from Hartselle High School. UA Early College students are high school students from across the United States who earn college credit online, and are eligible for the UA Summer Residential/Honors Ready Experience. The highly motivated students may earn up to 30 hours of college credit from The University of Alabama, and still enter UA eligible for freshmen scholarships
Made in Mobile: International teaching model set to go online
Al.com – March 27
Talents Unlimited, a made-in-Mobile teaching program designed to enhance students’ critical and creative thinking, is going virtual next month with an online training course, including videos. Talents Unlimited began in Mobile about 40 years ago, said Lynn Huey, the program’s coordinator for the past eight years. In the early 1970s, a team of Mobile teachers, along with Calvin Taylor and Carol Schlichter of the University of Alabama, conducted the research over three years and came up with a model for teaching decision-making skills to students as part of a regular classroom routine. Now, Talents Unlimited is an internationally recognized teaching program, and operates as a nonprofit within the Mobile County school system, with an annual budget of about $89,000, Huey said.