MONDAY, APRIL 6 – SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 2015
BEST BETS
SOUND WAVES FROM COLLIDING FOOTBALL HELMETS STUDIED WITH SAFETY IN MIND – When football helmets collide, they produce an unmistakable sound. UA student Brandon McChristian hopes his research of those sound waves produces a better understanding of the forces involved in those collisions and, perhaps one day, inexpensive sensing methods for a safer game. Working with Dr. Steve Shepard, a UA engineering professor, McChristian used a special University lab designed to eliminate acoustic reflections, microphones, a high-tech signal analyzer, a couple of helmets borrowed from the athletic department and some good ol’ fashioned string to prove a direct correlation between sound energy and helmet impact energy. McChristian is one of more than 700 students who will present research findings April 7 during UA’s annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Conference at the Bryant Conference Center. McChristian may be reached at bcmcchristian@crimson.ua.edu, and Shepard may be reached at, 205/348-0048 or sshepard@eng.ua.edu. For assistance, contact Chris Bryant, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8323 or cbryant@ur.ua.edu.
HUNDREDS OF STUDENT RESEARCHERS TO DISPLAY, DISCUSS FINDINGS – More than 700 UA students representing a cross section of campus will present research findings April 7, during UA’s annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Conference at the Bryant Conference Center. This 8th annual event, hosted by UA’s Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development, is from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. It begins with poster presentations in the conference center’s Sellers Auditorium. Oral presentations will be made throughout the day in various rooms within the Bryant Conference Center. Students compete for cash prizes and gain experience presenting or defending their research projects before judges in both the poster and oral presentation categories. Throughout the research efforts leading up to the conference, students are paired with faculty mentors. For more information, contact Chris Bryant, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8323 or cbryant@ur.ua.edu.
FIRST FACULTY RESEARCH DAY SET FOR APRIL 8 – Thirteen faculty members representing a cross section of campus will be presented with the President’s Faculty Research Award Wednesday, April 8, as part of UA’s first Faculty Research Day. The event will be held in the Bryant Conference Center’s Sellers Auditorium from 4 p.m. until 5:45 p.m., with a reception following. Dr. Denise Barnes, section head for the National Science Foundation’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, known as EPSCoR, is the keynote speaker. Award winners, selected by their individual colleges, will be profiled at the event. For more information, including story angles associated with some of the research winners, contact Chris Bryant, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8323 or cbryant@ur.ua.edu.
SPACE ODDITIES PHOTOGRAPHED BY HUBBLE IN UA-INITIATED PROJECT – NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has photographed a set of wispy, goblin-green objects that are the fleeting ghosts of quasars that flickered to life and then faded. A UA astronomer initiated the Hubble survey.The glowing structures have looping, helical, and braided shapes. “They don’t fit a single pattern,” said Dr. William Keel, UA professor of astronomy who initiated the study. Keel said he believes the features offer insights into the puzzling behavior of galaxies with energetic cores. For more information, including images of these unusual objects found in space, contact Chris Bryant, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8323 or cbryant@ur.ua.edu. Contact Keel directly at 205/348-1641 or wkeel@ua.edu.
UA BOASTS 10 OF THE 16 EMERGING DESIGNER COMPETITION FINALISTS IN BIRMINGHAM FASHION WEEK 2015 – Ten apparel design students from UA’s College of Human Environmental Sciences were selected as Birmingham Fashion Week’s Top 16 Emerging Designer Competition Finalists. Paige Denton, Liza Rogers, Seline Meisler, Valerie King, Chelsea Rae, Megan Mitton, Kenya Buchanan, Leslie Beattie, Kerstin Marie and Shannon Warren, along with six other finalists, will be competing for the title of BFW Emerging Designer 2015 during the annual fashion show, which will be held May 7 through 9. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
STRAN TO CONDUCT WHEELCHAIR STUDY WITH AREA YOUTH – Dr. Margaret Stran, assistant professor of kinesiology and associate director of The University of Alabama’s Adapted Athletics program, has received a $21,362 grant from the Christopher Reeve Foundation to conduct a manual wheelchair study with students in Tuscaloosa City Schools over the next year. Stran, along with colleagues in the kinesiology department, will help address issues of poorly-fitted wheelchairs, like arm length and arm positioning, and length of the back, all of which can lead to poor posture and impact a person’s quality of life, Stran said. UA researchers will make changes to students’ chairs, including axle position, brake position and removal of unnecessary items. For more information, contact David Miller, UA Media Relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.
UA EXPERT TIPS
UA MATTERS: MYTH VS. FACT ABOUT CREDIT CARD USE, CREDIT SCORES, HISTORY – Credit cards can be a large risk or an asset for consumers who are trying to build credit or manage their finances. Credit cards can serve as a great financial tool — if they are used wisely. Understanding facts and myths about credit card use will help you manage your credit and your credit score or credit history. The University of Alabama’s Dr. Melissa Wilmarth offers some valuable insight in this week’s UA Matters. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
UA MATTERS: IMPORTANCE OF VOLUNTEERING FOR PRE-TEENS, TEENS – The University of Alabama’s Courtney Chapman Thomas offers some insight into why pre-teens and teenagers should volunteer, as well as some suggestions for how to volunteer, in UA Matters. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
EVENTS
‘ACHIEVING HEALTH EQUITY’ FOCUS OF PUBLIC LECTURE TONIGHT AT UA – The College of Human Environmental Sciences department of health science hosts its 2015 National Public Health Week Scholar Address from 6 to 7 p.m. Monday, April 6. Dr. Camara Jones, president-elect of the American Public Health Association, will explore “Achieving Health Equity: Tools for Addressing Racism and Other Systems of Structured Inequity” during a free public presentation in the Child Development Research Center. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
AUTHOR, PHILOSOPHER TO DELIVER ANNUAL CURTIS LECTURE – Harry Brighouse, professor of philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will deliver the annual James P. Curtis Lecture at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 7. Brighouse, an affiliate professor of educational studies and the director of the UW-Madison Center for Ethics and Education, has researched education in both England and the United States. His lecture, to be held in room 118 of Graves Hall, is titled, “What Should Schools Do and How Should They Do It?” Brighouse is the author of On Education (Thinking in Action), School Choice and Social Justice, and A Level Playing Field: The Reform of Private Schools. He is the co-author of Family Values: The Ethics of Parent-Child Relationships. For more information, contact David Miller, UA Media Relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.
NOTED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH EXPERT TO SPEAK AT ESPRMC SYMPOSIUM – Dr. Marvin Berkowitz, Sanford N. McDonnell Endowed Professor in Character Education at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, will be the keynote speaker for the department of educational studies in psychology, research methodology and counseling’s annual Graduate Student Symposium in the College of Education on April 9. Berkowitz, whose speech is titled “Doing it Right: Evidence-Based Character Education,” is the author of You Can’t Teach Through a Rat, Parenting for Good and more than 100 book chapters and articles. A meet-and-greet with Berkowitz will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the rotunda at Carmichael Hall. He will deliver his keynote speech at 4:30 p.m. in the auditorium at Graves Hall following graduate student paper and poster presentations in Graves. For more information, contact David Miller, UA Media Relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.
ALDAG BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION FINAL SET FOR APRIL 10 – The Culverhouse College of Commerce will hold the final round of the Edward K. Aldag Jr. Business Plan Competition April 10 at The Edge, Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, at 800 22nd Avenue in downtown Tuscaloosa. The 10 teams in the final round will make their pitches to judges beginning at 10:30 a.m. with the judges review at 2:30 and announcement of winners at 3:15. Contact Edith Parten, eparten@culverhouse.ua.edu, 205/348-8318 or Tommie Syx, tsyx@culverhouse.ua.edu, 205/722-5179.
YALE PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSOR TO DELIVER BASOWITZ LECTURE – Dr. John F. Dovidio, professor of psychology and dean of the faculty of Academic Affairs of Arts and Sciences at Yale University, will deliver “Racism among the well-intentioned: Implications for Intergroup Perceptions, Interaction, and Policy” as this year’s Basowitz Lecturer. The Annual Harold Basowitz Memorial Lecture will be held at 6 p.m., April 10 in room 1093 of Shelby Hall. Admission is free to the public. Dovidio has more than 30 years’ worth of research experience, particularly in the areas of contemporary racism, stereotyping, social power and prejudice. For more information, contact David Miller, UA Media Relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.
UA TO HOST ROBOTICS CONTEST – Students from third graders to high school seniors from across Alabama will be at UA April 11 telling robots what to do and hoping their instructions are good enough to win the Alabama Robotics Competition. The contest begins at noon and lasts till 3 p.m. in the Bryant Conference Center. For more information, watch UA News or visit http://outreach.cs.ua.edu/robotics-contest. Contact: Adam Jones, UA Engineering Media Relations, 205/348-6444, acjones12@eng.ua.edu; or Dr. Jeff Gray, associate professor of computer science, 205/348-2847, gray@cs.ua.edu.
UA’S MOUNDVILLE PARK FEATURES BASKET WEAVER – The University of Alabama’s Moundville Archaeological Park features weaving and textiles at its Saturday in the Park program on April 11. Catherine “Cat” Sloan will discuss how Euro-Americans intentionally introduced the spinning wheel and loom to change the division of labor among the Cherokee and other Southeastern Indian tribes. She will also display a wide variety of textiles made using different weaving methods, and children will learn how to twine their own small bag. The program will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu
LOOKING AHEAD
PARTNERSHIP PROMISES CREATIVE LOOKS DURING ANNUAL UA FASHION SHOW – UA apparel and design students have teamed up with Arts n’ Autism to create a fashion show that is truly one-of-a-kind. The annual T-Time Fashion Show, which is slated for April 14, has added a special category this year. The students with Arts n’ Autism are painting fabric inspired by a book they are currently reading. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
UA HOSTS STATEWIDE HIGH SCHOOL PERSONAL FINANCE CHALLENGE – The UA College of Human Environmental Sciences department of consumer sciences will host the Alabama Personal Finance Challenge April 14. Sponsored by the Alabama Council on Economic Education, the challenge tests high-school students on their knowledge of income and money management, spending and credit, and saving and investing. The top 20 teams from across Alabama are invited to the final competition, which includes a comprehensive test and a quiz bowl. The competition will start at 9 a.m. at UA’s Child Development Research Center. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
UA’S RURAL HEALTH CONFERENCE FEATURES COOKING CHALLENGE – Alabama suffers from one of the highest obesity rates in the nation, yet many residents struggle to find healthy food. The University of Alabama’s College of Community Health Sciences and its Institute for Rural Health Research hope to change that during the 16th annual Rural Health Conference April 17. This year’s event will feature a “cooking challenge,” which is being undertaken by Chef Leah Sarris, program director of the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans and the first full-time chef ever employed by a medical school. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
ASTRONOMER WHO LED MULTIPLE HUBBLE PROJECTS AVAILABLE TO DISCUSS SPACE TELESCOPE’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY – Dr. William Keel, UA professor of astronomy, recently led a Hubble Space Telescope project. It marked the eighth time Keel has led a Hubble project during its near 25 years in orbit. As NASA looks to the 25th anniversary of Hubble’s launch on April 24, Keel is available to give his thoughts on the instrument’s impact on space exploration and research. He may be reached at 205/348-1641 or wkeel@ua.edu. For assistance, contact Chris Bryant in media relations, 205/348-8323, cbryant@ur.ua.edu.