UI’s dean of students heading to University of Alabama
Des Moines Register (Iowa) – March 31
David Grady, the University of Iowa’s dean of students, has been named vice president for student affairs at the University of Alabama, according to an Alabama news release Monday. The appointment is effective June 15. “David Grady has extensive experience in student affairs management and programming including student involvement and leadership, student activity programming, fraternity and sorority life, student union management and other areas,” Alabama President Judy Bonner said in the release. “His leadership will be invaluable in our continuing efforts to provide our students with the best collegiate experience possible.” From 1985-1988, Grady served as assistant director of student life at Alabama. He joined UI in 1992 as director of the Office of Campus Programs and Student Activities. He was named director of University Life Centers in 1998 and served in that position and subsequently as assistant vice president and associate vice president of University Life Centers until he was appointed to his current position in 2009. “I am excited to be joining a student-centered university like the University of Alabama,” Grady said in the release.
Al.com – April 1
The Republic (Columbus, Ind.) – March 31
WBHM-FM (Birmingham) – March 31
Elliot Spillers inaugurated as second black president of the Univ. of Alabama SGA
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – March 31
Elliot Spillers officially became the second black president elected to lead the University of Alabama Student Government Association (SGA). He gave a moving speech and quoted Paul Bryant on what it takes to make a great team. Spillers said he’s grateful for the support and has big plans for the University’s future. “I feel amazing! It’s truly a humbling experience for me right now. I’m working on appointments making sure we have a strong executive cabinet and definitely trying to work on sexual assault and really take a task force on that and gear up for that in the fall,” he said.
UA students compete in ECOCar 3 Challenge
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – March 31
The University of Alabama is one of 16 schools competing to redesign a Chevrolet Camaro. It’s called the ECOCAR 3, and it’s the latest U.S. Department of Energy advanced vehicle technology competition. 120 students make up the team. Their goal is to reduce the environmental impact while maintaining the car’s performance. Team member A.J. Hamley says it gives students involved real-world experience. General Motors is donating a 2016 Camaro in December for the students to redesign. The competition ends in 2018.
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – March 31
University of Alabama wins Hoverbowl Challenge
Tuscaloosa News – March 31
The University of Alabama on Saturday claimed bragging rights over Auburn University in the University Hoverbowl Challenge. UA’s team had 160.67 points, topping AU’s 140.33. The Hoverbowl Challenge was held Saturday at Lake Lurleen State Park in Coker. The teams built their own hovercrafts, amphibious vehicles that ride on a small cushion of air capable of traveling over most relatively smooth surfaces. The team raced the vehicles in a series of three heats. In 2013, the Hoverclub of America hosted the first-ever University Hoverbowl Challenge at Lake Lurleen, and last year the teams raced on Auburn’s campus. UA’s team this year raised almost $10,000 through grant proposals and donations, including a $2,700 outreach grant from the Alabama Space Grant Consortium. A donation to the team by Scott and Kim Reasoner, parents of team member Victoria Reasoner, was matched by PDC Energy, where Scott Reasoner is employed.
University of Alabama lecture series to mark Civil War history
Tuscaloosa News – March 31
The University of Alabama on Saturday will host a series of lectures about the Civil War and the 150th anniversary of the burning of UA’s campus by Union forces. The annual John Caldwell Calhoun Sanders Lecture Series, this year titled “Confederate Voices,” will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in the Grand Gallery of the Alabama Museum of Natural History, 427 Sixth Ave. NE. The lectures include biographical sketches, personal wartime experiences on campus and in the field, unit histories and accounts of battles or skirmishes involving some 900 UA alumni and the university’s Corps of Cadets. Peter Carmichael, director of the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College, will speak on “A Plea for Peace: The Literary Style of Semi-Literate Confederate.” Aaron Sheehan-Dean, a professor of Southern studies at Louisiana State University, will discuss “The Justice of Our Cause: Confederate Perceptions of Violence and Morality.”
Bill repealing hospital stay for women after giving birth withdrawn
Tuscaloosa News – March 31
A state senator is withdrawing a bill that would have repealed Alabama’s requirements that insurance companies pay for a minimum 48-hour hospital stay when a woman gives birth and that a woman be notified after a mammogram if dense breast tissue is found. On March 19, State Sen. Larry Stutts, R-Sheffield, proposed SB 289 to repeal those requirements. Stutts, an obstetrician, had said the state shouldn’t mandate healthcare requirements … A stay of 48 hours is standard, particularly to observe a mother for risks of postpartum hemorrhage, the single most common complication after delivery, said Dr. John McDonald, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Alabama.
SENATE BILL 44 PASSES SENATE JEOPARDIZING STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT
Rickey Stokes News – March 31
State Troopers are critically understaffed and operating with less than half of the needed officers to patrol Alabama highways. Today’s passage of SB44 in the Senate, sponsored by Senator Bill Holtzclaw, further jeopardizes state law enforcement and the safety of Alabama citizens … State Troopers are currently staffed at 42% — there is one county without a State Trooper, four counties with just one and a dozen Alabama counties with only two State Troopers. A recent study by the University of Alabama’s Center for Advanced Public Safety, found that the State of Alabama should have a minimum of 1,016 State Troopers patrolling Alabama’s highways. Currently, there are 431 State Troopers patrolling the highways and with the passage of SB44, this number could be reduced further. For comparison, the Montgomery Police Department has 453 officers, meaning there are more officers in the capital city than there are State Troopers in the entire state.
University of Alabama walk raises mental health awareness
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – March 31
University of Alabama students on Sunday walked to raise awareness for mental health issues including suicide, which is the 10th-leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Katie Turner, who participated in the walk, said the turnout proved people in Tuscaloosa were passionate about raising awareness of mental disorders “Look at the crowd we have here. It’s a cause a lot of people are passionate about,” Turner said. “I believe that this is an incredible cause to be a part of. It’s extremely important to erase the stigma that is associated with mental health.” According to suicide.org, more people die each year from suicide than from homicide. On average, a young person will die every two hours and 15 minutes. The University of Alabama’s Counseling Center, which uses its resources to provide for mental health and suicide prevention, hosted the walk, which lasted two hours, starting at the counseling center, then stretching down to the Walk of Champions.
Leading international business professor to talk on strategy at Unisa SBL
Biz Community (South Africa) – March 31
Best-selling author and strategist Professor AJ ‘Lonnie’ Strickland will deliver an insightful seminar on strategy at the Unisa Graduate School of Business Leadership (SBL) on Tuesday, 12 May, from 8:30am to 5pm. Entitled ‘The last 40 years of strategy and the next 40’, the seminar will be followed by a networking function … Professor Strickland currently holds the rank of John R. Miller Professor of Strategic Management in the Graduate School of Business at the University of Alabama. He has been teaching there for 46 years and has seen over 20,000 students go through his classroom. He has been awarded various accolades for his outstanding work and is also a member of various honour leadership societies.