TUESDAY, JAN. 20 – SUNDAY, JAN. 25, 2015
BEST BETS
STUDENTS TO FACE OFF AGAINST SEASONED ENTREPRENEURS – A start-up team comprised of only UA students will compete against seasoned entrepreneurs in the first round of the 2015 Alabama Launchpad Competition Jan. 23. The student team, known as Conductive Chemistry, is touting a new, UA-developed material as a cheaper alternative to the precious metal platinum. Platinum, used in many products including fuel cells and solar cells, is expensive and its supply is limited. The new material, known as NanoCOT, is based on technology developed by other UA researchers. For assistance, contact Chris Bryant in media relations, 205/348-8323 or cbryant@ur.ua.edu. The student team’s leader, Chris Bailey, may be reached at cjbailey5@crimson.ua.edu or 304/380-7101. Dr. Whitney Hough, a venture development associate in UA’s Office for Technology Transfer, works closely with the students and may be reached at 205/348-6821 or wlhough@ua.edu.
UA EXPERT TIPS
UA MATTERS: CLEANING OUT YOUR CLOSET – We read every year about cleaning out closets of garments that we haven’t worn in a year. This rule may be fine for some, but depending on your lifestyle/budget, priorities can vary greatly. UA’s Paula Robinson, an instructor in clothing, textiles and interior design, offers some suggestions that you can adapt to your situation. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 808/640-5912 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
CURRENT COMMENT
STATE OF THE UNION – Dr. George Hawley, UA assistant professor of political science, will be available for comment and analysis following Tuesday evening’s State of the Union address from U.S. President Barack Obama. Contact: Bobby Mathews, UA Media Relations, 205/348-4956 or bwmathews1@ur.ua.edu.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE PROPOSAL COULD BOOST PELL GRANT AVAILABILITY – Should President Barack Obama’s plan to make community college tuition free be implemented, state industry, like aerospace and automotive manufacturing, could advance due to increase funding availability for students, according Dr. Stephen Katsinas, director of UA’s Education Policy Center. Katsinas, who has presented Pell Grant and community college funding research on Capitol Hill and has conducted extensive studies of community colleges’ roles in the United States labor force, notes that Pell Grants are Alabama’s No. 1 training program, a point often lost by business and industry leaders. “By calling on states to maintain operating support for their community colleges, President Obama’s free community college tuition proposal not only will allow current Pell funding to go farther, it conserves future Pell funding while giving community colleges a lever to prevent future state budget cuts, and it brings us closer to former President George W. Bush’s goal of a year-round Pell Grant program,” Katsinas said. “Any proposal that does this will likely be beneficial to a state that needs to increase its college completion rates like Alabama.” For more information, contact David Miller, UA Media Relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.