MONDAY, MAY 4 – SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2015
BEST BETS
IMPAIRED DRIVING DANGERS INCREASE DURING CINCO DE MAYO – Cinco de Mayo, a celebration on May 5 in both Mexico and the United States, can be a dangerous time on roadways as crashes involving impaired driving from drugs or alcohol increase significantly over the average of the rest of the year. Contact Dr. David Brown, a professor of computer science and a research affiliate with the UA Center for Advanced Public Safety, at brown@cs.ua.edu, or Rhonda Stricklin, associate director of CAPS, at 205/348-0991 or rstricklin@cs.ua.edu.
BICE, K-12 EDUCATORS TO SPEAK AT LITERACY SUMMIT – UA will hold “Lifting Literacy, Lifting Lives: A Statewide Summit to Discuss Literacy Issues in the Education of Early and Emergent Readers,” a one-day summit that will feature researchers from UA, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Vanderbilt University and Florida State University May 7. The summit will be held at the Bryant Conference Center on the UA campus. It will begin at 9 a.m. Dr. Tommy Bice, Alabama State Superintendent of Education, will deliver the afternoon keynote address at the summit. UA’s College of Education, the Alabama State Department of Education and AdvancED are sponsors. “What we’re expecting to do with the summit is start a conversation about issues related to literacy that we hope will travel with participants back to their schools and homes and that will result in collaborative engagements dedicated to improving childhood literacy,” said Dr. Peter Hlebowitsh, dean of the UA College of Education. For more information, contact David Miller, UA Media Relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.
UA’S MOUNDVILLE PARK FEATURES ANCIENT COOKING TECHNIQUES — UA’s Moundville Archaeological Park features ancient pottery and cooking at its Saturday in the Park program this week. Using handmade pots and a “barbacoa,” Chip Wente shows visitors what cooking was like at Moundville during its heyday. He will demonstrate ancient cooking techniques. Venison, hominy and other foods, including the three sisters (corn, beans and squash), will be prepared over an open fire. He will also display and sell his pottery and shell work to interested visitors. 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
LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE AWARDS – Students in grades 4-12 from across the state will be honored Saturday, May 9 at a ceremony in the Amelia Gorgas Library, room 205 at 11 a.m. Award-winning middle grade and YA author Ted Dunagan, an Alabama native, is the guest speaker for the event. Contact Bobby Mathews, UA Media Relations, 205/348-4956 or bwmathews1@ur.ua.edu.
STATE JOB GROWTH CONTINUES, OPTIMISTIC ECONOMIC FORECAST – Alabama job growth continues to pick up from the slow pace seen in the first half of 2014, according to data from the Center for Business and Economic Research at UA. The state gained a net 28,600 jobs from March 2014 to March 2015. Also, the state’s Gross Domestic Product is projected to increase to around $190 billion, up 2.0 percent from 2014. Industries such as automotive manufacturing, aerospace, tourism, healthcare and biotechnology are expected to remain major economic drivers. Alabama employment is expected to increase by about 1.5 percent in 2015, a stronger gain than the 0.7 percent increase seen in 2014. For more details, contact Ahmad Ijaz, director of economic forecasting, UA Center for Business and Economic Research, 205/348-2955 or aijaz@cba.ua.edu. For assistance, contact Edith Parten, 205/348-8318, eparten@culverhouse.ua.edu.
PROFESSOR, STUDENTS TO LEAD FREE MEMORY SCREENINGS – Over 50? Feel forgetful? Feel healthy? You may be as sharp and focused as ever or experiencing increased forgetfulness. If you have concerns about your memory or just want to see how you are doing, the Memory Screening event may be for you. UA is hosting an open-enrollment period for a free memory screening to be conducted over the next few months. The screening will last about 45 minutes and will take place at Gordon Palmer Hall on the UA campus. Interested community members must be over the age of 50. If interested, phone 205/348-9973. The project is led by Dr. Forrest Scogin, professor of psychology at UA. Scogin led similar studies in 2013 and 2005. For more information, contact David Miller, UA Media Relations, 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.
SCHOLARS SEEK TO BRIDGE GAP BETWEEN COMMUNITIES, RESEARCHERS – A team of UA scholars aims to strengthen the relationships between researchers and the communities they study via a new grant. Without a well-established relationship, researchers may miss opportunities to improve surveys and gain accurate data. Ideally, community-based research projects, particularly those of an ongoing nature, should have partners who work with researchers and community members to achieve the best results. The UA research team seeks to bridge that gap in a pair of in-state communities through a Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. The approximate $250,000 contract will support development of community stakeholder groups and allow UA team members to learn their advice on research and experiential learning opportunities in their communities. The project will be based in Sumter County and Holt and will last for two years. For more information, contact David Miller, UA Media Relations, 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.
CURRENT COMMENT
GEOLOGIST AVAILABLE REMOTELY FROM INDIA TO COMMENT ON NEPAL QUAKE — Dr. Delores Robinson, UA associate professor of geological sciences, has walked hundreds of kilometers in the Nepal region in her research on Himalayan mountain building. She is presently in northwest India, about 400 miles from the quake’s epicenter, and is available, via e-mail, to discuss the April 25 earthquake in Nepal, which killed more than 7,000 people. The biggest risks from potentially devastating aftershocks in the region have now passed, Robinson says. “Aftershocks decrease dramatically linearly with each passing day from the quake. There is no guarantee, but some schools of thought are that the chances of a big quake this far out is unlikely.” Scientists knew the region was ripe for an extensive earthquake, but they are not generally able to predict precise timings or locations. “Geologists expected the earthquake. We didn’t know when and the exact location. Nepal has known for years that they are in a hazardous region and has been doing what it could with their meager resources to prepare.” Read more about Robinson’s research in the region at www.research.ua.edu/2014/05/reaching-for-rocks/. E-mail Robinson at dmr@ua.edu. For assistance, contact Chris Bryant in media relations, 205/348-8323 or cbryant@ur.ua.edu.
UA EXPERT TIPS
UA MATTERS: REDUCING ALLERGY SYMPTOMS WITHOUT MEDICATION – Spring buds and blooms are a sure sign that winter is over and seasonal allergies are on their way. Dr. Richard Friend, a family physician and UA associate professor and interim chair of the department of family medicine, says it’s possible to reduce some allergy symptoms without medication. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
UA MATTERS: TIPS FOR BURPING YOUR BABY – Burping helps your baby rid excess air that he or she swallows while feeding. Signs that your baby needs to be burped include fussiness, crying and frequent stoppages during feedings. UA’s Dr. Maria Hernandez-Reif offers a few tips for feeding and burping your baby.