MONDAY, FEB. 22 – SUNDAY, FEB. 28, 2016
BEST BETS
ADAPTED ATHLETICS TO HOLD “NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS” – UA’s wheelchair basketball and tennis players will sign autographs and share information about adapted sports during “Night of Champions,” at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25 in the Bryant Conference Center at UA. The event will feature free food, door prizes and free tickets to the UA Collegiate Classic, a four-team wheelchair basketball event at 6 p.m. Friday at Foster Auditorium. Guest speakers include Jannik Blair, UA wheelchair basketball player and Paralympic silver medalist; Dr. Margaret Stran, former U.S. basketball Paralympian and assistant director of UA Adapted Athletics; and Mackenzie Soldan, two-time U.S. Paralympian. Additionally, former UA president and current UA System Chancellor Robert Witt, will be inducted into the National Wheelchair Basketball Hall of Fame Friday night. For more information, contact David Miller, UA Media Relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.
ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION HONORS CAMPUS – UA was recently honored with 2015 Tree Campus USA recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management. Tree Campus USA is a national program created in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor colleges and universities for engaging staff and students in conservation goals through campus forestry efforts. UA achieved the title by meeting Tree Campus USA’s standards. UA’s urban forest is comprised of more than 10,000 trees, many more than a century old. For more information, contact Kristi Payne, UA media relations student writer, kmpayne2@crimson.ua.edu or Chris Bryant, UA media relations, 205/348-8323, cbryant@ur.ua.edu.
LIFT PROGRAM SEEKING PARTICIPANTS – UA’s Learning Initiative and Financial Training at the Culverhouse College of Commerce is seeking participants in the Tuscaloosa area for free computer and financial classes. LIFT helps the unemployed and underemployed build career-worthy skills. Any person in the Tuscaloosa area may register for dozens of free classes ranging from learning Microsoft programs, basic computer skills, budgeting or resume building. More than 22 classes at seven locations are taught by nearly 300 Culverhouse accountancy students who volunteer their time each week. The locations include the VA, Holt Community Center, The Edge – Center for Entrepreneurship in downtown Tuscaloosa, Holt High School and the Weaver-Bolden Library. Contact LIFT at 205/928-8258. For more details, contact Edith Parten with UA media relations, 205/348-8318 or eparten@culverhouse.ua.edu.
RURAL HEALTH, MEDICAL SCHOLARS PROGRAMS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS — UA’s Rural Health and Medical Scholars Programs are now accepting applications for its 2016 classes. Alabama desperately needs primary care doctors and many other health care professionals in rural areas, experts say. Since rural students are more likely to choose to live and work in rural areas, the Rural Health Leaders Pipeline and other health initiatives were developed at UA’s College of Community Health Sciences as part of a strategy to help rural students prepare for medical and health careers. For more information, contact Cynthia Moore, program director, cmoore@ua.edu, or Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
CURRENT COMMENT
FEDS’ REQUEST OF APPLE NOT ‘SNEAKY’ – Apple’s decision to deny a court request for assistance in the government’s investigation of a terrorist attack has divided users’ opinions on the reach of authorities and personal privacy. Dr. Diana Dolliver, assistant professor of criminal justice at UA, says Apple’s response was blown out of proportion, and the FBI’s request wasn’t “sneaky.” “Apple’s statement to customers, while raising valid concerns regarding encryption and user privacy, misrepresented the scope of the court request,” Dolliver said. “All the FBI needs is a software by-pass to remove the 10-password try limit for that one single phone, not to create ‘backdoors’ into everyone’s phones.” For an interview with Dolliver, contact David Miller, UA media relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu or Dolliver at 205/348-2062 or dldolliver@ua.edu.
PROFESSOR SAYS NEW DATA COULD IMPROVE THE USE OF FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS LITIGATION AGAINST LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS: Research authored by Stephen Rushin, assistant professor of law, UA School of Law, was published in the “Boston College Law Review.” After Congress passed the Death in Custody Reporting Act in 2014 and the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics announced new efforts for tracking fatal police shootings, Rushin writes in his research paper, “Using Data to Reduce Police Violence,” the U.S. Attorney General could use the data to improve the use of federal civil rights litigation against local police departments. The U.S. Department of Justice could use the data to identify police departments engaged in a pattern or practice of misconduct, publicize the data in a way that stimulates proactive reform in local police departments and use the data to monitor police departments that have already undergone police reform. “For years, the United States has kept few statistics on local police behavior,” Rushin said. “The passage of the DCRA and the announcements of new databases on police killings by the FBI and BJS do not solve this glaring problem. But these events represent important steps in improving oversight of police conduct.” For more information, contact Monique Fields, UA Law manager of communications, 205/348-5195 or mfields@law.ua.edu; or Rushin, 205/348-5803, srushin@law.ua.edu.
UA EXPERT TIPS
UA MATTERS: HELPING CHILDREN CONNECT WITH NATURE — Spending time in nature improves mood, reduces stress and promotes better physical health. Despite the countless benefits, it has become increasingly difficult to separate ourselves from our busy schedules, electronic devices and creature comforts to spend time outside. Dr. Caroline Boxmeyer offers some ideas that may help in this week’s UA Matters. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA media relations, at 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
UA MATTERS: WHAT’S NEW FOR THE 2015 TAX FILING SEASON — The 2015 tax filing season is upon us. UA’s Lisa McKinney provides some interesting facts to get you up to speed on individual and small business taxes. Contact: Kim Eaton, UA media relations, at 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
EVENTS
NURSE EDUCATOR FEATURED SPEAKER DURING AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH EVENT — In celebration of African American History Month, Dr. Carol J. Ratcliffe will present “Overcoming Barriers as an African American Student, Nurse, Administrator and Faculty Member” from noon to 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22, at the Capstone College of Nursing, room 1008. Ratcliffe, a 1986 graduate of the Capstone College of Nursing, is an associate professor and coordinator of the Health Systems Management and Leadership Program at the Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing in Birmingham. Her honors in the field of nursing include induction into the Alabama Nursing Hall of Fame in 2011. She also received the 2013 American College of Health Care Executives Service Award. In 2015, the National Black Nurses Association named her Nurse Educator of the Year. For more information, contact Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
AFRICAN AMERICAN READ-IN – Students, faculty and staff may contact WRCGrade3@sa.ua.edu to volunteer to read a poem or passage during this event at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22, in Gorgas Library 205. The event, which is free and open to the public, will celebrate African American women’s contributions to literature. Sponsor: Women and Gender Resource Center, 205/348-5040. Details: Contact Richard LeComte, media relations, rllecomte@ur.ua.edu 205/348-3782.
MINI MEDICAL SCHOOL CONTINUES WITH WEEKLY LECTURE SERIES – Dr. Jason Clemons, a resident in The University of Alabama Family Medicine Residency, which is a program of the College of Community Health Sciences, will present “Diabetes: Managing your sugar” at noon Thursday, Feb. 25, as part of a lecture series for UA’s OLLI program. The discussion, which takes place in the Bryant Conference Center, will focus on providing information about the barriers that prevent good control of diabetes. For more information, contact Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
ART STUDENTS CREATE HAND-CRAFTED BOWLS FOR HUNGER AWARENESS EVENT — Empty Bowls 2016, a program designed to raise awareness about hunger, will be at University Presbyterian Church from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 26. For $10, participants can purchase a bowl of soup donated from local restaurants and keep the bowl it comes in. The bowls are ceramic works of art hand-crafted by students in the UA’s art and art history department. All proceeds will be used to fund the UPC Food Pantry, which provides groceries for families experiencing financial difficulty. Details: Jamon Smith, UA media relations, 205/348-4956 or jamon.smith@ua.edu.
LOOKING AHEAD
NURSING LECTURESHIP FOCUSES ON ‘HEALTHY CAREGIVERS, HEALTHY PATIENTS’ — The UA Capstone College of Nursing will host the 2016 Donna Cox Bridger Endowed Lectureship in Nursing and Health Care Friday, March 4, at the College. “Healthy Caregivers, Healthy Patients” is the topic being explored this year. The Donna Cox Bridger Lectureship was established by Joseph C. Bridger to honor the memory of his wife and to promote awareness of current topics in the fields of nursing and health care from an interdisciplinary perspective. Lecture attendance is open to faculty, students, health care professionals and the community. The cost of admission is $50 (a discounted student rate of $25 is offered). For more information, contact Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
UA’S MOUNDVILLE PARK RESUMES ITS SATURDAY IN THE PARK PROGRAMS – UA Moundville Archaeological Park resumes its Saturday in the Park program early next month. Saturday in the Park is a series of demonstrations and presentations related to Native Americans, archaeology, natural history, sustainable gardening and more. Most programs, which run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., have a hands-on activity for children. For more information, contact Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.