Search for next University of Alabama president on track
Tuscaloosa News – April 18
The search to find a replacement for outgoing University of Alabama President Judy Bonner remains on track, according to the president pro tem of the system’s board of trustees. “The Presidential Search Advisory Committee has been hard at work. As you would imagine, the task of identifying top-quality candidates with the skills and expertise to lead and manage a large, complex and rapidly advancing institution like the University of Alabama is an exciting and challenging process,” said Karen Brooks, the trustees’ president pro tem. Brooks is part of a 24-person committee formed after Bonner announced plans last winter to step down by the end of September and return to teaching after a yearlong sabbatical. The University of Alabama System hopes to find a replacement for Bonner by the fall. The committee of system and campus administrators, trustees, alumni, community leaders and students began the search this spring with the aid of consultant Ann Die Hasselmo of the Washington, D.C.-based firm Academic Search Inc.
Alabama students named Goldwater Scholars
Crimson White – April 20
The University of Alabama currently ranks No. 1 in the nation for Goldwater Scholars. This year, four UA students from all over the nation were selected as scholars, bringing the University’s total to 25, two more than Harvard. Honorees include Tom Ludwig, a junior majoring in chemical engineering from Brunswick, Ohio; Sarah McFann, a junior majoring in chemical engineering from Arlington, Tennessee; Courtney Rentas, a junior majoring in biology and psychology from Naperville, Illinois; and Samantha Tilson, a junior majoring in chemical engineering from Littleton, Colorado. According to The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program, the purpose of the foundation is to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians and engineers by awarding scholarships to college students who intend to pursue research careers in these fields. Rentas is an undergraduate researcher in the Caldwell Lab and is one of the 2015 UA recipients of the Goldwater Scholarship studying neurodegenerative disorders. … Ludwig’s research focused on using molecular simulations to guide the synthesis of high-performance thermoelectric materials. … Tilson conducted research in biochemical engineering on cancer stem cells. She said she plans to obtain a doctorate in
biomedical engineering. … McFann develops computational models of bacteria to optimize them for biofuel production.
Brookwood High School wins state personal finance contest
Tuscaloosa News – April 18
For the fifth year in a row, a team from Brookwood High School won the Personal Finance Challenge State Championship and will represent Alabama in the national Personal Finance Challenge competition in Kansas City, Mo., on May 22. The first-place team’s members are students Erica Webb, Senna Marchant, Brady Cain and Edie Osuma. The state championship was held Tuesday at the University of Alabama.
Journalism student wins media writing award
Crimson White – April 20
Alyx Chandler has a soft demeanor, serious convictions and a body of published work. A junior majoring in journalism and marketing, her writing earned her the Holle Media Writing Award and $10,000. “When I first interviewed her for [Alpine Living] and interviewed her to join the editorial team, I saw her as a strong writer with personality who would probably fly below the radar unless she really felt she needed to speak up,” said Kim Bissell, Chandler’s International Media Production professor. Chandler said she enjoys feature writing and hopes to write books someday. Chandler was born in Asheville, North Carolina, and grew up in Madison, Alabama. She attended Bob Jones High School where she worked on the yearbook and The Eclectic, the school’s literary magazine. … Journalism became intriguing to Chandler because of her curiosity. She said she finds it fascinating to learn about people and their lives. She relishes shining a light on people’s stories and she appreciates the challenge of gaining people’s trust.
College Students Aren’t Getting Enough Sleep. These Universities Are Trying To Change That
Huffington Post – April 19
The University of California-Los Angeles recently hosted a series of events on campus to raise awareness about the importance of sleep, reports the student newspaper the Daily Bruin. “There’s a weird pride in certain students when they pull all nighters,” Kendra Knudsen, a coordinator with the UCLA Mind Well initiative, told the Daily Bruin earlier this month. “They need to re-prioritize, if they don’t have time for sleep, looking at their schedule and seeing what is really important.” … University of Alabama health science professor Adam Knowlden found last year that while one-third percent of the general population isn’t getting enough Z’s, 60 percent of the college population gets insufficient sleep. “One of the main differences is that college students’ ability to get sufficient sleep is more within their control, whereas the general adult population is more likely to be dealing with medical sleep disorders,” Knowlden said at the time.
Jobless rate rises slightly
Tuscaloosa News – April 17
Tuscaloosa County’s unemployment rate rose to 5 percent in March, according to preliminary rates released Friday by the state. The county’s revised unemployment rate in February was 4.8 percent. The city of Tuscaloosa’s unemployment rate also rose last month, going from 5.3 percent in February to 5.6 percent. That occurred despite an estimated gain of 260 jobs in the city, which “was largely offset by an increase in civilian labor force and the number of unemployed,” said University of Alabama economist Ahmad Ijaz. “But it is still a significant improvement over this time last year, when the unemployment rate was 7.4 percent.” Overall, Alabama’s numbers are looking good, with the unemployment rates being down when compared with the rates in March 2014, said Ijaz, director of economic forecasting at UA’s Center for Business and Economic Research.
Alabama Public Radio – April 17
UA holds Rural Health Conference
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – April 17
Living in rural Alabama is difficult for many people especially when it comes to their health. The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences held its annual rural health conference today. The event is designed to learn about and find ways to address these issues, but improving health in rural communities can’t happen overnight. Leslie Zganjar in UA’s School of Community Health Sciences says there’s more than one reason for the difficulty.
UA to hold A-Day
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – April 17
It’s a big weekend for football in our state. Both Auburn and Alabama are holding their A-Day Games tomorrow. There are a lot of fans already in town, gearing up for the big-A-Day Game. It gives them the opportunity to see some of the future stars of the Crimson Tide. If you’re planning on coming to the game tomorrow, here are just a few tips to get you through the gates at Bryant-Denny. Before going into the game, a few tips: Leave those oversized backpacks at the house. You can’t shoot any video, so leave those camcorders in your car. No artificial noise-makers of any kind are allowed. And you can’t bring any outside food or drink into the stadium, so just leave it outside. And even though there’s a good chance it might rain, you can’t bring in any umbrellas either, so leave them in your car.
Alabama A-Day 2015: Fans avoid the rain, hit the Quad and Walk of Champions before kickoff (gallery)
Al.com – April 19
Another A-Day is in the books, and fans pretty much avoided the rain altogether. The weather took it easy on Bryant-Denny Stadium Saturday afternoon, as several thousand fans descended upon Tuscaloosa for a little spring football. Alabama fans hit the Walk of Champions, Quad and other parts of campus prior to A-Day kickoff at 2 p.m. They enjoyed autographs with former Tide great and Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots Dont’a Hightower. Fans also surrounded Denny Chimes to watch Blake Sims, Amari Cooper and Jalston Fowler cement their legacies during the Walk of Fame captains ceremony. Lots of youngsters crowded the area to throw the football, take photos with the coaches’ statues in front of the stadium and generally preoccupy themselves in the hours leading up to the start of the A-Day game.
Beeler to deliver ‘Last Lecture’
Crimson White – April 20
John Beeler will lecture Wednesday on “Why History Matters” at the annual Last Lecture event. The lecture will be held in 159 Russell Hall at 7 p.m. The Last Lecture Series features a different UA faculty member each year, nominated by students to answer the question, “If this were your last time to address a group of students, what would you say to them?” Beeler is a professor of history and teaches classes that range from the History of British Pop Culture to Western Civilization. “I will be emphasizing how essential an accurate understanding of the past is in trying to make sense of the world today and how vital it is to informing us as we contemplate the challenges of the future,” Beeler said. “History is also the antidote to myths or fables about the past, many of which continue to resonate today.” Katherine Ott, a junior majoring in history from Prattville, Alabama, nominated Beeler. Each year honorees receive a cash prize, and there will be a reception for Beeler following the event.
UA holds Collegiate 100 Black Men Pinning Ceremony
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – April 19
The University of Alabama held its annual collegiate 100 Black Men pinning ceremony tonight. The event was held at Russell Hall and brought together two chapters – Stillman College and UA. They focus on education, mentoring and economic empowerment. Twenty-eight members were inducted in honor of their leadership and community service.
Two state parks plan for growth while trying to overcome legal and budget battles
Tuscaloosa News – April 19
Two of Alabama’s premier state parks could soon get their own hotels — if they can overcome legal battles, budget cuts and public dissent. Gulf State Park, on the coast, and Oak Mountain State Park, just south of Birmingham, are both planning major upgrades accompanied by multimillion-dollar lodging complexes. … The Gulf State Park project, the larger of the two, has existed in various forms since Hurricane Ivan decimated the 6,150-acre park in 2004. The storm ruined a convention center that two Alabama governors have now spent a decade trying to rebuild. Along with a new full-service hotel, a master plan for the $85 million project — managed by the University of Alabama — includes restored ecological areas and new educational facilities. Al.com – April 19
Montgomery Advertiser – April 19
Fire Engineering – April 19
Tuscaloosa-based nonprofit is on a mission to save the elephant
Tuscaloosa News – April 19
The numbers paint a grim picture for the future of the African elephant. Between 5 and 10 million elephants roamed the plains of Africa in 1930, according to the Tuscaloosa-based nonprofit group Tide for Tusks. Today, there are fewer than 500,000. … Tide for Tusks attributes the decline to illegal poaching and a lack of conservation efforts. The group’s mission is to raise awareness about the plight of the African elephant and to start a mascot conservation program at the University of Alabama. Randy Mecredy, former director of the Alabama Museum of Natural History on campus, has been working on the project for two years. … The organization was granted nonprofit corporation status in December 2014. “The University of Alabama serves as a flagship, and our mascot, the African elephant, is a flagship species,” Mecredy said. “There are 56 colleges that have tigers for mascots, but there’s only one major university or college with an elephant mascot.” Mecredy envisions Tide for Tusks as a nonprofit way to raise awareness through athletics and alumni events. … “We all know what Big Al represents for us,” Mecredy said. Mecredy spoke to members of the university’s administration to create the mascot program. He gave credit to UA President Judy Bonner for her support and approval of the organization. This semester, Mecredy is teaching a Tide for Tusks class through the Honors College that will organize the effort to raise awareness about the plight of African elephants. The class is conducting research and gathering information about poaching. The students will develop a plan to get students, faculty and the community involved.
Paul W. Bryant Museum welcomes millionth visitor
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – April 17
A record breaking day in Tuscaloosa, as the Paul “Bear” Bryant Museum at The University of Alabama saw its millionth visitor. The museum opened in 1988. A family from south Alabama was given a prize basket for being that one millionth visitor. They have been to the museum several times before, but this trip may have been the best.
Photo Flash: Saturday Intermission Pics, 4/18 Pt 2- THE KING AND I, ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, FINDING NEVERLAND, and More!
Broadway World – April 19
42ND STREET (University of Alabama) … @bkalusa5: #SIP with most of the incredible cast of 42nd Street at the University of Alabama. Gonna miss these… https://instagram.com/p/1o4OgLP0_K/ .
Wolosz finds new bonds in business fraternity
Crimson White – April 20
Amanda Wolosz, a junior majoring in economics and Spanish from Midland Park, New Jersey, is the president of business honors fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi. Why did you join Alpha Kappa Psi? I decided to join because I wanted to get involved on campus. My mom had been in a social sorority when she was in college, and she looked at me all growing up and she was like, “You can’t join a social sorority.” I was like, “Alright, whatever.” I didn’t care. So then I came to school here and I was like, “That sounds like a good alternative.” It’s a great opportunity to not only get to meet girls but also guys that are like-minded individuals who all want to do the same thing and really get close and make a close group of friends. What have you enjoyed most about serving as president? Getting to see my brothers do what they want to do and giving them the resources and the opportunities to be the people that they want to be on campus and do the things that they want to do within the fraternity and on campus. How would you describe your organization in three words? Professional business leaders.