NPR analyst joins Alabama Public Radio
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 4
For more than 20 years, Pat Duggins has covered shuttle launches and other stories as an analyst for National Public Radio. Now, he has a new job — news director of Alabama Public Radio, 91.5 FM…Duggins said he also hopes to teach at the University of Alabama as an adjunct instructor, something he has experience in from working at the University of Central Florida. Duggins would be an asset in the classroom, said Loy Singleton, dean of the College of Communication and Information Sciences at UA. “One of the real strengths of our college’s programs is that we have number of our professional communicators, media makers, teaching as adjuncts,” Singleton said. “One of the things we look forward to is continuing to develop opportunities for students to meet in the classroom with people, particularly like Pat, who have so much to bring as far as experience.”…
New exhibit to examine beliefs, politics of Native Americans
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 4
An exhibit eight years in the making will soon be unveiled at Moundville Archaeological Park, giving visitors new insight into more than just the everyday lives of the ancient culture that lived there. The exhibit will be housed in a newly renovated Jones Archaeological Museum, a $5 million project that is slated to be finished by January 2010. The renovation was designed to better present new information about the Moundville Native Americans that moves beyond everyday topics like how they used their tools, which foods they ate and what their homes looked like, said Bill Bomar, director of (The University of Alabama’s) Moundville Archaeological Park. The exhibit will more closely examine the important symbolism of their culture, politics and belief systems, he said. “We want to present some theoretical explanations using evidence that will represent a more complete view of the people. There are a lot of topics that archaeological museums in the past really didn’t get into because there wasn’t hard artifact evidence, like politics, diplomacy, religion — those parts of the story were incredibly important here at Moundville,” Bomar said.
Revitalizing rural areas in Alabama
Selma Times-Journal – Oct. 4
…Through a cooperative effort of residents in the Dallas County town, The University of Alabama, Wallace Community College Selma WIRED and the Auburn Center for Architecture and Urban Studies Orrville will have a roadmap of sorts for achieving the goal. For three days, the folks in Orrville have worked with those from the college and universities to see how they can revive themselves by identifying opportunities that can help them find a path for renewal and growth…
UA professor named Hartford Faculty Scholar
Crimson White – Oct. 5
Shadi Martin, assistant professor of social work at The University of Alabama, was named a 2009 Hartford Faculty Scholar by the Gerontological Society of America, the nation’s oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education and practice in the field of aging. Martin was one of nine geriatric social work professionals nationally to be honored with this award…“I have known Dr. Martin for several years,” said Lucinda Roff, Martin’s institutional sponsor. “And I have found that she has superb research skills, and she will make a great contribution to research in the field of aging.”…“We have one of the strongest social work programs in the nation for developing and educating social work professionals and researchers in the field of aging,” Roff said…“This is a very prestigious award,” Martin said. “It is a great honor for me to join this cadre of accomplished leaders and scholars in gerontology.”
UA prof. and father create hybrid tool for RVs
Crimson White – Oct. 5
Steve Shepard Jr., UA associate professor of mechanical engineering, and his father, Steve Shepard Sr., a former employee and researcher at Mississippi State University, collaborated to come up with the idea for a hybrid dinghy pusher because of the cost to travel in an RV…Richard Swatloski, licensing associate in the Office for Technology Transfer at UA, said Shepard brought the idea to him and William Gaithings, director of the Office for Technology Transfer, in January 2008…“We are looking for the best way to approach the development,” Shepard said. Swatloski said the Office for Technology Transfer supports faculty to help them protect their ideas and further advance those ideas to the possibility of becoming a creation…“We are in the early stages of trying to work with a company to help further the idea,” Swatloski said…
Mandatory insurance coverage reaction in Alabama is muted
Gadsden Times – Oct. 3
…Such resistance would be symbolic because federal laws that are upheld by courts are ignored only at one’s peril. “It will play well with local voters, but federal authority is the paramount authority,” said University of Alabama law professor Bryan Fair. “The only question is whether Congress has the power to enact such legislation. “That is a question that (ultimately) would have to be determined by the U.S. Supreme Court,” he said. Fair noted that no bill mandating health insurance coverage has passed. But if it does, the question is “how will the court split on this?” “Virtually every high court in the United States would rule that the constitutional question is whether Congress has exceeded its power,” he said…
Students to learn more about honor societies
Crimson White –Oct. 5
The Coordinating Council for Honor Societies is holding an Honors Society Preview Night Tuesday from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Ferguson Plaza…During the event, honor societies from every class and major will set up information booths to answer any questions students have about each society’s background, mission and qualifications for admission…Kathleen Cramer, senior associate vice president for student affairs, said the timing of this event was perfect because it followed Academic Integrity Week and was still early enough for students to have time to apply before Honors Week in April. “We have over 1,000 freshman with 4.0 GPAs,” Cramer said. “Now is the perfect time for them to consider joining honor societies that interest them.”…
Students have the chance to learn more about breast cancer
Crimson White – Oct. 5
On Tuesday starting at 9 a.m., students walking by Gorgas library will find a bright pink, interactive bus parked and open to the public. This pink bus is the Komen On the Go breast cancer awareness bus that has been traveling across the country in order to raise awareness about breast cancer in honor of breast cancer awareness month…the bus stopping on campus will be an exclusive experience for the University. “It’s a really great way to get out to schools,” Pegues said. “The University is one of only two stops we are making in Alabama.”
Senate will go paperless in October
Crimson White – Oct. 5
…After a resolution passed in September, the Senate will go paperless for the month of October. Citing environmental efforts on campus, such as the Green Fair and the reusable to-go boxes from Bama Dining, the resolution proposes the cutting down of paper waste generated by the resolutions…
Nature meets literature on Alabama trails
Crimson White – Oct. 5
…Slash Pine Press and UA Creative Campus presented “Into the Woods” on Saturday, an interactive combination of hiking, poetry and prose at the University of Alabama Arboretum. The event divided hikers into four groups of about 15 to 20 people. Each group featured two writers from fiction, poetry or nonfiction genres, with their work being split into sections and read by student speakers during the 3.5 mile trail…
Nursing Career Fair today at the Ferg
Crimson White – Oct. 5
Employers from numerous hospitals throughout the state will be on campus today for the Nursing Career Fair…Rebekah Welch, director of nursing student services, said it is imperative that nursing students attend the career fair. “We want our students to have contacts, to have agreements and to start interviewing before they graduate,” Welch said. “The best thing for them is to already have a job lined up.”…
Exhibit at UA shows architecture by AU students
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 3
An exhibit highlighting the work of Auburn University’s Rural Studio will run at the University of Alabama’s Sarah Moody Gallery of Art through Oct. 29…