University of Alabama partners with Murphy High School to offer college classes on campus
AL.com – Jan. 27
Mobile County Public Schools announced Tuesday that the University of Alabama is partnering with Murphy High School to offer college classes on campus. Students can earn up to 26 hours of University of Alabama college credit online. Fifty 10th-grade Murphy High School students will be selected for the pilot test. High school students throughout Mobile County Public Schools will be eligible to apply later this year. Students who participate in the program will study in the Murphy University Center, which is a new school wing designated for college academics at Murphy High School. “This is another exciting partnership resulting from Murphy High School and Mobile County Public Schools pursuing additional pathways to graduation,” said Mobile County Public Schools Superintendent Martha Peek in a news release. “This certainly provides students and parents another opportunity to plan for future success.”
University of Alabama associate professor inducted as fellow
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 28
Jonathon Halbesleben, a UA associate professor of management, will be inducted as a fellow of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology at the society’s annual meeting in April. The society is dedicated to applying psychology to people in the workplace.
University of Alabama marketing professor receives award
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 28
Sharon Beatty, a professor of marketing at the University of Alabama, has received the 2014 Society for Marketing Advances’ Distinguished Fellow Award. The association promotes the field of marketing on the part of teachers, researchers and students at universities.
Action Card efficiency recognized
Crimson White – Jan. 29
The University of Alabama Auxiliary Services and the Office of Information Technology were awarded with the Models of Efficiency Award from University Business Magazine. Models of Efficiency was a national recognition program created by University Business Magazine to showcase college and university campus departments that found ways to work smarter – saving resources such as time and money while providing better service to students or other constituents. “… When it came to choosing a school whose orientation seemed the best, Ezarik said The University of Alabama Action Card procedure immediately stood out as an innovative effort. “Student orientation is such a busy time, and the judging team liked that students at The University of Alabama could spend more time on the fun, social parts of orientation and less on the tedious paperwork,” she said. “The automation made things easier and more cost efficient for the Action Card staff, but the positive impact on students was key.” Jeanine Brooks, director of the Action Card Office, said it’s exciting to have won and been recognized for this award. “We are pleased and honored to have received the award and recognition that our program enhanced the student experience as well as improved internal efficiency in operations for the Action Card Office,” Brooks said
Not-so-fun snow: How 2014’s winter storm changed the way Alabamians think of snow days
AL.com – Jan. 28
Alabamians typically have always gone a little crazy when the word “snow” is in the forecast. Ice, too. Some will even get a little antsy around sleet. But no one can really blame them after last year’s snow and ice event that virtually paralyzed most of central Alabama for several days. … Call it what you will — “Snowjam,” “Snowpocalypse” or “Snowmageddon” — it left a lasting impression on many. Social scientist Dr. Laura Myers, the deputy director and research scientist for the Center for Advanced Public Safety at the University of Alabama, has spent time studying what happened last Jan. 28, and how it changed the way we look at winter weather. And although we still hear snarky comments about forecasters’ calls for “just a dusting” of snow that day, meteorologists didn’t fare as poorly as you might think among those surveyed. “I was surprised that the public did not blame the weather forecasters,” Myers said last week via email from Colorado, where she was presenting findings from her survey. “They seemed to understand this was an uncertain winter weather event and that the local forecasters did the best they could.”
Gay marriage ban in Alabama backed by state’s supreme court chief
JDJ Journal – Jan. 29
The chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court advised judges in the state to ignore the federal ruling that struck down the state’s ban on gay marriage, according to Reuters. In a letter sent to Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, Chief Justice Roy Moore said that the ruling violates the state’s constitution. . . . A constitutional law expert from the University of Alabama School of Law, Ronald Krotoszynski, said that the letter from Moore will carry very little weight. The reason for this is that federal constitutional law overrides that of the individual state constitutions. “There is no credible legal argument that an order from a federal judge with jurisdiction over a matter isn’t binding on a state government,” he said.
Wall Street Journal Law Blog – Jan. 29
Athletes must learn to cope with flu season
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 29
Tuscaloosa County High School senior Katlyn Madison knew what she had to do. The starting point guard hadn’t been feeling well, and called time out to take herself out of the game. … Flu season is in full swing, and has forced plenty of athletes, just like Madison, to the sidelines. . . . Medical director for DCH Sports Medicine and University of Alabama team physician Dr. James Robinson said that symptoms of the flu include high fever, body aches, all-over soreness, chills, a sore throat, dry cough and sometimes a runny nose. Robinson uses his fever rule with UA athletes and considers a fever to be a 100.5-degree temperature or higher. If an athlete has a fever, it has to be broken for 24 hours. If a player is feeling better and strong enough to compete after those 24 hours, he can play, but not a moment before. “I treat my athletes as if they were my child,” Robinson said. “If my child has a runny nose, but feels good and is eating and drinking, I’m going to let them play but make sure they stay hydrated. If I have a kid with influenza, his rear end is home in bed where he needs to be, because rest and rehydration are the most important things. When he recovers, the fever breaks and he is gaining strength and feeling better, I’ll let him play.”
Top 40: Mainstream music continues to hold meaning for audiences
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 29
Like most kids from the last half century, Eric Weisbard grew up with Top 40 radio backbeating his life. His first LP was one of those “greatest hits of the ’70s” discs put out by K-Tel, packed with ditties such as “Billy Don’t Be a Hero” and “The Night Chicago Died.” That might come as a mild shock to fans of college DJ Eric Weisbard, who at Princeton University spun disc after disc by The Butthole Surfers and the Sex Clark Five, and of music critic Eric Weisbard, who championed music out on the edges as senior editor at Spin magazine and music editor at The Village Voice — and as a contributor to GQ and The New York Times. The seeming contradiction grows with the Eric Weisbard who organizes the annual Pop Conference at Seattle’s EMP, from which he has edited the book collections “This Is Pop: In Search of the Elusive at Experience Music Project,” (Harvard, 2004) and “Listen Again: A Momentary History of Pop Music” (Duke, 2007). . . . Tuesday at 5 p.m. in Room 205 Gorgas Library, Weisbard, now an assistant professor in the department of American studies at the University of Alabama, will seek to harmonize discordances in discussing his book “Top 40 Democracy: The Rival Mainstreams of American Music” (The University of Chicago Press).
University of Alabama students, ProPublica journalist to hold forum on race in public schools
AL.com – Jan. 29
A ProPublica journalist is set to headline a University of Alabama forum on race in public education Thursday. The forum, organized by student organization UA UnlockED, will feature Nikole Hannah-Jones, author of the 2014 ProPublica and Atlantic magazine article titled “Segregation Now.” “The primary objective of this forum is to expose students and other audience members to a variety of perspectives on race in public schools,” said Mark Hammontree, director of policy and research. Jones reported for ProPublica last year that “rapid and continual resegregation” is occurring in hundreds of school districts around the country due to court-ordered integration mandates being lifted.
Workshop held to pass on coding knowledge from teachers to students
TechAlabama.com – Jan. 29
Teachers, media specialists and gifted specialists throughout Madison attended a workshop Wednesday to learn how to code and teach computer science to elementary students. The training was held at Heritage Elementary, led by University of Alabama computer education expert Dr. Jeff Gray. The “Code.org” event drew the largest participation of any of the trainings offered nationwide. Madison schools already teach computer coding in some classes. The seminar covered lots of topics for teaching students as early as 4-6 years old.
WiSE hosts ‘Navigating the Future’ symposium
Crimson White – Jan. 29
WiSE seeks to broaden support for women in science, technology, engineering and math fields with a free symposium event, entitled “Navigating the Future,” this Saturday. WiSE, which stands for Women in STEM Experience, invites all students, faculty and staff to attend the symposium, which will offer students the chance to network with faculty and fellow students, participate in work sessions and hear guest speakers. “[WiSE has] a total of 277 people pre-registered to attend, 48 poster presenters, as well as 15 speakers lined up for the day,” said Cori Perdue, director of Graduate School Programs. “Students can gain from this experience if they plan on going to graduate school, or if they plan on becoming a professional in this field.”
Radio show to commemorate space heroes
Crimson White – Jan. 29
NASA will come to the Tuscaloosa airwaves Friday when “Houndstooth and Hardhats” on WVUA-FM hosts a two-hour special to commemorate NASA’s memorial week. Hosted by Matthew Culver, a freshman majoring in aerospace engineering, and Kara Parks, a sophomore majoring in metallurgical engineering, “Houndstooth and Hardhats” is an engineering-themed radio show that airs every Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. This week’s show is dedicated to remembering the lives of the 17 astronauts who died on the Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia missions, which all occurred this week over the span of several years – 1967, 1983 and 2003, respectively. … The broadcast will feature interviews with Mark Mayfield, the associate director of the Office of Student Media at the University, who witnessed the Challenger explosion, and former NASA astronaut Walter Cunningham.
Bissell while she works: Kim Bissell balances class, research and 2 daughters
Crimson White – Jan. 29
With multiple responsibilities at The University of Alabama and two daughters, Kim Bissell is rarely in one place for long. Bissell teaches a biennial class where students visit another country and produce a magazine called Alpine Living and serves as the University’s director of undergraduate research, director of the Emerging Scholars Program, the college’s associate dean for research amd director of the Institution for Communication and Information Research, while working with graduate students in the University of Alabama Health Communication Research Lab. Bissell finds time to balance her research, teaching and personal life each day. She even teaches a fitness class at the Rec center on campus. “I don’t think she sleeps,” said Jonathan Norris, a senior majoring in visual journalism and one of the students in her Alpine Living class.
Study trip to India planned
Crimson White – Jan. 29
Twenty-four students and two professors will spend 21 days in India this summer through a new study abroad trip in the STEM Path to MBA program offered by the Culverhouse College of Commerce. The trip, which is open to STEM Path to MBA students regardless of classification, will engage students in innovation projects in India. The program itself allows students majoring in science, technology, engineering or math to earn their master’s degree in business administration with one additional year, resulting in a five-year graduation plan with the University.
UA band sees growth with new organization
Crimson White – Jan. 29
The University of Alabama’s College of Arts and Sciences and School of Music created a new organization to support and promote the Million Dollar Band. The Million Dollar Band Association, Million Dollar Band alumni and friends created the Friends of the Million Dollar Band over a two-year period. The new organization will hold its first meeting in April. “The Million Dollar Band Association was an independent association,” said Rebecca Florence, director of college relations and associate director of development for the College of Arts and Sciences. “It just became obvious that if it were a University of Alabama association, we could use university resources to support it, like accounting and financial business, promotion and organizational assistance. The University and the alumni can be more supportive of the band with this organizational structure.”
Did somebody say cheerleaders?
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Jan. 28
Tomorrow on “Good Day Alabama,” Jeh Jeh takes the polar plunge! … Another national championship title for the University of Alabama! We introduce you to the latest athletes to pick up the honor!
ULM professor, student help develop workshop
Monroe (La.) News-Star – Jan. 29
John W. Sutherlin, director of the University of Louisiana at Monroe Social Science Research Lab, and ULM graduate student Alexandra Holland, of Las Vegas, collaborated with the Delta Regional Authority, the University of Arkansas and the University of Alabama to develop a workshop in New Orleans focusing on entrepreneurship.
Estonian student enjoys Southern hospitality
Crimson White – Jan. 29
Daniil Proskura, a senior majoring in finance, travelled the 4,999 miles between Estonia to the United States without knowing a word of English. His form of communication? Tennis. The junior athlete was recruited by The University of Alabama after winning several international tournaments, such as the Finnish Pajulahti Cup, and moved to Tuscaloosa in 2011. While he says he “just figured things out” when it came to the new language, culture and pace of Southern life, Proskura’s sport was one thing that remained constant for the athlete, who has now nabbed the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year twice. 1. Why did you choose The University of Alabama? I didn’t know anything about Alabama, but a head coach who was working at [the University of Georgia] knew the head coach here, and since Georgia had already given out all their tennis scholarships, I [chose UA]. They never saw me play but they kind of went all in with me, and sent me a contract in the summer of 2010. My Estonian friend [who played at UGA] told me,’You really can’t go wrong with Alabama.