MONDAY, SEPT. 15 – SUNDAY, SEPT. 21, 2014
BEST BETS
WHY FOOTBALL MATTERS: AUTHOR TO PRESENT LECTURE FRIDAY – Does football matter? It’s a question author and acclaimed essayist Dr. Mark Edmundson will try to answer as he discusses his newest book, “Why Football Matters: My Education in the Game,” in a lecture Friday, Sept. 19 at 3 p.m. in the Ferguson Center Theater. The event will be followed by a book signing and reception. Edmundson was recently featured on PBS’s “NewsHour” talking about “Why Football Matters” and authored a commentary on the subject in the Los Angeles Times, which was widely syndicated. Edmundson will be available for interviews Friday, Sept. 19 from 10-11:30 a.m. in the Summersell Room on the second floor of ten Hoor Hall on the UA campus. To reserve an interview time, contact Stephanie Kirkland at 205/348-8539.
DEFICIENCY IN FAT-LIKE MOLECULE LINKED TO NEURON DEGENERATION – A type of lipid that naturally declines in the aging brain impacts – within laboratory models used to study Parkinson’s disease – a protein associated with the disease, according to a study co-authored by UA researchers. The study, which recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, focuses on lipids, fat-like molecules that naturally occur in organisms, and their potential roles in a complex process that leads to the death of neurons that produce dopamine. When dopamine-producing neurons malfunction or die, this leads to the symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease. “This gets right to the heart of understanding, possibly, the mechanism by which one form of lipid is impacting the process of neuron degeneration,” said Dr. Guy Caldwell, UA professor of biological sciences and one of the study’s co-authors. The study, led by researchers at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, focused on phosphatidylethanolamine, a lipid known as PE. The scientific article details how low levels of PE lead to high-levels of alpha-synuclein, a protein previously linked to Parkinson’s. It also show the promise a second lipid, ethanolamine, or ETA, has in boosting PE levels. Contact Caldwell directly at 205/348-9926, gcaldwel@ua.edu. For assistance, contact Chris Bryant in media relations, 205/348-8323, cbryant@ur.ua.edu.
UA PROFESSOR WINS PUBLIC HEALTH AWARD – Dr. Ellen Spears, assistant professor in New College and the department of American studies at UA, has been chosen as the recipient of 2014 Arthur J. Viseltear Prize for Outstanding Contributions in the History of Public Health for her recent book, published in April by the University of North Carolina Press. Spears’ book, “Baptized in PCBs: Race, Pollution, and Justice in an All-American Town,” chronicles the link between chemical contamination – particularly polychlorinated biphenyls – and the civil rights history in the city of Anniston. Contact Spears at 205/348-8410 or egspears@as.ua.edu or, for assistance from UA Media Relations, contact David Miller at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu
UA EXPERT TIPS
UA MATTERS: TEACHING KIDS HOW TO DRIVE – Every year four million new teen drivers will get their driver’s license. Two million of them will be involved in an accident before they turn 20. There is no getting around it: Driving can be dangerous, especially for teenagers. It’s no wonder that a driver’s license can give concerned parents pause. So, what can parents do to help their teen be better prepared to drive? The University of Alabama’s Amy Walker, a parent resource specialist in the College of Human Environmental Sciences’ Child Development Resource Center, offers a few suggestions, http://uanews.ua.edu/2014/09/ua-matters-teaching-kids-how-to-drive/. Contact: UA Media Relations, 205/348-5320
UA MATTERS: WHAT IS WEST NILE VIRUS? – Late summer/early fall brings excitement about college football and hopes that the weather will soon cool off, but it also brings a risk for West Nile Virus, a common infection, but one that is not frequently diagnosed. It is important to be familiar with the signs and symptoms of this infection and ways to prevent it. The University of Alabama’s Dr. Jared Ellis, assistant professor in the department of family medicine in the College of Community Health Sciences, provides some basic information about the disease, as well as ways to prevent it, http://uanews.ua.edu/2014/09/ua-matters-what-is-west-nile-virus/. Contact: UA Media Relations, 205/348-5320
EVENTS
THAI EDUCATORS TO STUDY UA, AMERICAN MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE EDUCATION PRACTICES – Today through Wednesday, a six-person delegation from the Thailand Ministry of Education will participate in workshops, tours and observations of science education pedagogy and curriculum in an effort to enhance their own middle school standards. Thai officials will meet with UA administrators, tour UA engineering facilities, and observe middle school science instruction at Rock Quarry Middle School and Tuscaloosa Magnet School – Middle. Contact: David Miller, UA media relations, 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.
RUSSIA AND THE MODERN WORLD – Dr. Andrew M. Drozd, associate professor of Russian at UA, will deliver the first lecture of a three part series titled “Russia and the Making of the Modern World” at 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 15, in 205 Gorgas Library. Drozd will lecture on the attitude towards medical doctors as it appears in classic Russian literature. His presentation will cover several better known works, such as “War and Peace,” “Anna Karenina” and “The Brothers Karamazov.” He will also introduce works by writers who are lesser known in the West. Contact Drozd at 205/348-5720 or adrozd@ua.edu.
LOOKING AHEAD
SECOND ANNUAL DAY LECTURE – Guest speaker Dr. Kelly Baker will present the second annual Day Lecture at The University of Alabama at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Baker’s talk, “‘They’re coming to get you, Barbara!’: Zombie Apocalypses in American Religions,” combines a look at pop-culture undead and spirituality in modern America. Contact: Bobby Mathews, media relations, 205/348-4956 or bwmathews1@ur.ua.edu.
SEE THE STARS IN MOUNDVILLE – UA’s Astronomy Group within the department of physics and astronomy will hold a nebulae and star-cluster viewing for the public from 8 to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26, at Moundville Archaeological Park. The deep-sky observing sessions use the 16- and 17-inch telescopes. The telescope is set up on a pad in the field across the road from the museum (see locator map), so parking is available at the museum and near the conference center overlooking the Black Warrior River. For these events, sky watchers also use the new 20-inch “Big Little Telescope” recently donated to the department. For more information, call the department office at 205/348-5050. People with large groups need to contact the office for accommodation. Contact: Richard LeComte, UA Media Relations, rllecomte@ur.ua.edu, 205/348-3782
MOUNDVILLE NATIVE AMERICAN FESTIVAL – Visitors to UA’s Moundville Archaeological Park will have an opportunity to immerse themselves in Native American culture and history during the 26th annual Moundville Native American Festival. The four-day festival, which runs from Wednesday, Oct. 8, through Saturday, Oct. 11, features music and dance, food, arts and crafts, storytelling and demonstrations. Grammy-nominated musician GrayHawk Perkins returns to the festival’s Native American Stage. In addition to being the emcee, Perkins enthralls audiences with his storytelling, connecting with visitors young and old. His band from New Orleans performs on Friday and Saturday of the festival. The festival will be open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Admission to the festival is $10 for adults; $8 students; and free for children ages 5 and younger. Group discounts with reservations are available. For more information, or to make group reservations, phone 205/371-2234. Contact: Betsy Irwin, Moundville Archaeological Park education outreach coordinator, 205/371-8732, birwin@ua.edu.