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MONDAY, JULY 13 – SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2015

BEST BETS

UA RESEARCHER RECEIVES EMERGING SCHOLAR AWARD – A UA researcher recently received an award for research that looked at the connection between a married couple’s communication patterns and their financial wellness. Dr. Melissa Wilmarth, an assistant professor in UA’s College of Human Environmental Sciences, received the Family & Consumer Sciences Research Journal Emerging Scholar Award for 2014 at the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences’ annual conference. Wilmarth and coauthors Robert B. Nielsen and Ted G. Futris, associate professors at the University of Georgia, investigated if married couples’ positive and negative communication patterns mediate the association between financial wellness and relationship satisfaction. The article also received the Best Paper Award in Human Development and Family Studies for 2014. For more information on the research or the award, contact Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu

CURRENT COMMENT

WHAT NO ONE IS SAYING ABOUT HARPER LEE’S ‘GO SET A WATCHMAN’ – “While the immediate concerns over the release of the first chapter of GSAW were largely matters of plot – Jem’s sudden death as a young man, Scout’s potential love interest, Atticus’ absence – no one seems to be addressing the elephant in the room: that, quite simply, Harper Lee’s prose doesn’t have the same sense of power and weight as it does in MOCKINGBIRD. The release of this novel has been overshadowed by so many controversies, but what we seem to have lost sight of is that this is a young Harper Lee working through the skeleton of a story without the benefit of the extensive editing process that yielded her a masterpiece in 1960.” – Dr. Andy Crank, assistant professor of English. For an interview, contact Crank directly at jacrank@ua.edu.

EXPLAINING BERNIE SANDERS’ SURGING POPULARITY IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY RACE – “Bernie Sanders is surprising a lot of people with the success that he is having thus far. In some polls, he is now getting 25-30% of the vote in matchups against the Democratic field, including Hillary Clinton. I think this can be attributed to a few different factors. He is running on a theme that some have termed ‘economic populism’ and I think his early success indicates that the economic recovery has not reached many voters. Economic inequality continues to be an important issue for many working class and younger voters. Sanders¹ success is not only coming from the Democratic base, however. He is neck and neck with Hillary Clinton among independents. In addition to his economic message, Sanders comes across as a “straight shooter,” which I think many people find refreshing these days.” – Dr. Richard C. Fording, professor of political science. Contact him directly at rcfording@ua.edu.

BUT CAN BERNIE SANDERS WIN THE NOMINATION? – “I do not think that Sanders has a realistic chance of challenging Hillary Clinton for the nomination. Hillary has not really begun to campaign yet and there are no other Democratic candidates to share the spotlight with Sanders at the moment. In addition, Hillary enjoys a huge lead among African American voters, and that is not going to change. It will be impossible for Sanders to win any state with a significant minority population for this reason alone. As the election draws closer, many of Sanders¹ supporters will realize that Clinton is their best chance to prevent a Republican from winning, and in the end I believe most will abandon him on election day. His role in this election, I believe, will be to provide the progressive base of the Democratic Party with a voice and to keep Hillary Clinton from straying too far to the center.” – Dr. Richard C. Fording, professor of political science. Contact him directly at rcfording@ua.edu

UA EXPERT TIPS

UA MATTERS: ENCOURAGING CHILDREN TO HELP AT HOME – Children learn early in life their actions (e.g. crying, smiling) have an impact on the world and those around them. They also possess an inborn desire to assist others and affect their world. As toddlers, they imitate the actions of adults. They want to help, and they try very hard to do things for themselves. So, what can we do to keep the desire to contribute alive and well in our children? The University of Alabama’s Tammy Morrow and Amy Walker, parent resource specialists with Alabama’s Parenting Assistance Line, offer some suggestions in this week’s UA Matters. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.

UA MATTERS: TIPS FOR THE LACTOSE INTOLERANT — Many people believe that lactose intolerance means that dairy must be completely eliminated from the diet, but that’s not the case. The University of Alabama’s Sheena Quizon Gregg offers a few tips from the National Dairy Council for reintroducing dairy products into your diet. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.