Getting Multiple Tattoos Can Boost Immunity, Prevent Common Cold- Study
Health Line – March 12
Tattoo designs not only make a fashion statement, they could have a major health benefit. The tattoos may confer protection against common cold by strengthening your immune system. That’s what suggested by researchers from the University of Alabama (UA), United States. According to the UA researchers, getting multiple tattoos could significantly boost an individual’s immunological response, which makes them better able to fight off infections. “Tattooing may stimulate the immune system in a manner similar to a vaccination to be less susceptible to future pathogenic infiltration,” noted the authors of the study.
Tuscaloosa News – March 12
Al.com – March 15
Yahoo! Style – March 15
Men’s Fitness – March 16
Huffington Post – March 11
NBC 12 (Montgomery) – March 15
Sputnik – March 12
Stuff – March 12
MSN.com – March 16
CBS Boston – March 11
Marie Claire – March 11
ABC 7 (Denver.) – March 15
Hello Giggles – March 12
International Business Times – March 15
The Journal (Ireland) – March 12
Macedonia Online – March 12
Qatar Tribune – March 16
Inquisitr – March 13
Viral Section – March 13
NBC 4 (Oklahoma City) – March 18
TimLennox.com – March 13
Financial Spots – March 14
Steelers Lounge – March 14
Rocket News – March 14
The State Journal (Wis.) – March 14
ABC 13 (Lynchburg, Va.) – March 14
The Debrief (U.K.) – March 14
Medical News Today – March 14
Star Pulse – March 14
Pop Sugar – March 14
WOWK (Charleston, WV) – March 15
Nano News – March 16
ABC 13 (Houston) – March 16
University of Alabama journalism professor Chris Roberts tapped for Last Lecture
Tuscaloosa News – March 12
University of Alabama students have selected Chris Roberts to speak at the ninth annual Last Lecture next month. The lecture series is sponsored by the university’s graduate school, which once a year asks a professor selected by students to answer the question, “If this were your last time to address a group of students, what would you say to them?” Roberts is has taught at all levels of the journalism department, from Intro to Mass Communications to senior-level courses exploring the ethical responsibilities of media practitioners. His address, which will be free and open to the public is set for 7 p.m. April 20 in Russell Hall Room 159.
Project creates citizen scientists
Tuscaloosa News – March 19
Staff members with the University of Alabama Museums hope to make use of people’s curiosity and smartphone cameras for projects to collect data on the biodiversity on UA’s campus and at Moundville Archaeological Park. “It is just a really good example of how citizen science can add to actual science,” said John Abbott, director of UA’s Museum Research and Collections. The project for campus and Moundville were recently launched on iNaturalist, an online network for naturalists where amateurs and experts can share and discuss observations and information for projects that focus on different geographic areas.
C-SPAN in town to film shows
Tuscaloosa News – March 21
When national media trucks roll into Tuscaloosa, it’s usually following a natural disaster or to cover a Crimson Tide game, which usually is tragic for opponents only. This week a more celebratory visit will examine Tuscaloosa’s history and literature, as part of C-SPAN’s Cities Tour. Video stories shot here will be broadcast in two blocks, April 16-17, on Book TV and American History TV, weekend broadcasting faces of C-SPAN2 and C-SPAN3. “The cities tour is an ongoing project,” said Ashley Hill, producer and community relations representative, who’ll be with one of three units working here. “It’s our mission to get out of Washington, D.C., where we’re based, and highlight cities that wouldn’t be otherwise featured.” Because of the roles of weekend C-SPAN2 and 3, producers seek strong literary scenes and rich history, and Tuscaloosa fits, Hill said. The University of Alabama presence was significant, not just for its own history and architecture, but for the rich legacy of its writing programs and writers. “And a favorite thing of mine, when I travel down South, there are all of these beautiful old homes, and they all have a story to tell,” she said.
Birmingham Business Journal – March 20
Veteran with PTSD reunited with military dog
Fox 5 (Atlanta) – March 19
He was my rock, my foundation,” said Lance Cpl. David Pond, 27, said of Pablo, the Belgian Malinois, who became his best friend and protector. “He saved my life more than once.” Their bond seemed unbreakable, but they were split up when Pond’s service ended in 2011. The Marine went home to Colorado, and the dog moved on to stateside assignments. Back on U.S. soil, Pond faced a new battle: post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. And his troubles sparked a quest — to bring Pablo, his dog, home.
It was a harder and longer journey than he expected. There were letters to politicians, an online petition and some red tape to cut through, but this week it finally happened. Now a student at the University of Alabama, Pond traveled to Georgia with his parents for the dog’s retirement ceremony on Tuesday.
Federal R&D programs lift small firms
Chemical and Engineering News – March 14
Franchessa Sayler was a chemistry graduate student at the University of Alabama when a staff scientist there asked her to analyze a catalyst that kept failing to speed a reaction. After doing some research, she got back to him. “I said, ‘This stuff is horrible,’ ” she remembers. He told Sayler if she could make something better, “people will be banging down your door to get it.” Sayler took on that challenge and developed a better catalyst. Now she’s chief executive officer of a small business, ThruPore Technologies, which she cofounded with her adviser, Alabama chemistry professor Martin Bakker. They are working to move that catalyst from the lab to the marketplace with support from a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation.
UA instructor takes top honor at advertising awards
Tuscaloosa News – March 19
Tracy Sims, an instructor in the University of Alabama’s department of advertising and public relations, has received the American Advertising Federation Tuscaloosa highest honor, the Silver Medal. Sims served as president of AAFT and has chaired several of its committees. At UA, she has taught writing for online, magazines and advertising and she teaches a class in public relations campaigns. She is also faculty advisor for UA’s Public Relations Student Society of America chapter. Her classes often provide PR advice to area non-profit organizations.
New online guide stresses importance of preventing substance abuse in early childhood years
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – March 14
Keeping children away from drugs and alcohol is a top concern for many parents. And while many people may think of this as a risk mostly in the teen years, a new online guide, authored by a University of Alabama professor, stresses the importance of preventing substance abuse in the early childhood years. Dr. Elizabeth Robertson, who is now Associate Dean for Research at UA’s College of Human Environmental Sciences, developed the online guide while she was working with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The guide outlines seven principles of substance abuse prevention, from the pre-natal stage through age eight. In developing the guide, Robertson reviewed a great volume of research on the topic. Her main finding was that focusing on substance abuse prevention very early, can have benefits for decades to come, even on other aspects of a child’s life.
Rick Bragg Lecture Moved to Berry College Cage Center, No Tickets Required
Northwest Georgia News – March 18
Due to overwhelming response, no tickets are required for the Rick Bragg lecture and the venue has changed to the Berry College Cage Athletic and Recreation Center. Pulitzer Prize-winning Southern author Rick Bragg is the featured speaker for the ninth Gloria Shatto Lecture at Berry College on Tuesday, March 22. Bragg will speak at 8 p.m. in the Steven J. Cage Athletic and Recreation Center. The lecture is open to the public and free. NO TICKETS ARE REQUIRED … Currently, Bragg is a professor of writing in the Journalism Department at the University of Alabama, where he teaches Advanced Magazine Writing and Narrative Non-fiction.
Coosa Valley News – March 14
Building bridges: American Society of Civil Engineers student conference
Tuscaloosa News – March 13
Teams assembled metal bridges during a competition in the NERC building at the University of Alabama on Friday. Alabama hosted the American Society of Civil Engineers Southeast Student Conference from Thursday through Saturday. It featured many hands-on competitions between the university programs.
Tuscaloosa News (gallery) – March 13
American Right on brink of transformation
WND – March 16
It’s not just the Republican presidential nomination at stake in Tuesday’s primaries. It’s whether the “conservative movement,” as it has been defined, remains a relevant force in national politics. Some leading conservatives have endorsed Donald Trump, most notably legendary grassroots activist and WND columnist Phyllis Schlafly … George Hawley, an expert on the American Right and the author of “Right Wing Critics of American Conservatism,” argues the conservative movement, as it has been known, may face extinction if Trump wins the GOP nomination. “The conservative movement has been able to implement its agenda because it has the ears of Republican legislators, not because their policies have massive grassroots support,” Hawley said. “If elected Republicans were to stop listening to the major institutions of the conservative movement, the movement would face near total irrelevance.” Hawley, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama, suggests the well-funded institutions of the conservative movement see Trump as a threat not just to their own power, but to a donor-driven policy agenda that has grown deeply unpopular.
2 more things you probably didn’t know about University of Alabama School of Law
Al.com – March 13
When it comes to passing the bar exam, students at the University of Alabama School of Law have plenty to brag about. A recent ranking by StartClass shows UA School of Law was ranked number six on the list of schools with the highest percentage of those who pass the bar exam on their first try. Slightly more than 96 percent of UA law school students pass the test in just one attempt, a figure that’s 10 percent better than other places in the state and ahead of schools such as Cornell, Duke, Vanderbilt, Yale and Columbia.
Realtor: Dothan housing market remains steady
Dothan Eagle – March 16
Home sales in the Dothan market are exceeding expectations, according to estimates from the University of Alabama College of Commerce Center for Real Estate. Units sold are up over the same time period a year ago, prices are up slightly and inventory is down, according to the center. The center projects housing transactions for several markets in Alabama. Dothan has exceeded projections thus far this year. The Center for Real Estate said the following indicators point to a healthier housing market.
‘Morning Joe’ gets heat for telling Clinton to ‘smile.’ But was it sexist? (+video)
Christian Science Monitor – March 17
‘Morning Joe’ host Joe Scarborough sent out a seven-word tweet Tuesday night that launched a thousand ships. A fleet of feminist crusaders mounted a viral attack against the MSNBC talk show host, defending Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton against what they perceived as a sexist remark … “Just because you levy the same criticism towards a man doesn’t mean it will be interpreted the same way,” Nicole Bauer, a professor of gender and politics at the University of Alabama, tells The Monitor in a phone interview Thursday. Female candidates have to “walk the line” between being both tough and likable, but this is “not something that male candidates ever have to consider.”
The chilling truth behind this mum’s tragedies
Australian Women’s Weekly – March 13
Mary Rocha has known more tragedy than any mother could imaginably endure. Her daughter Leah died of cancer last year, while another daughter, Kai, passed away from severe burns in the same year. She has two other daughters, Maddie and Ally, who are both fighting cancer, one daughter has it in her spine, while the other has it in her hip … Although the traditional forms of Munchausen are considered mental disorders, this new morphed version is virtually ignored by psychiatric associations. “MBI is not universally considered to be a mental disorder, partly due to a lack of clarity about whether it really is, and partly due to the slowness in the movement of the field,” says author of Playing Sick, and M.D of the University of Alabama, Marc D. Feldman who has been working in the Munchausen field for 25 years.
Can pythons help fight diabetes?
North Dallas Gazette – March 19
Originally from Southeast Asia, Burmese pythons are perhaps best known in the U.S. for the havoc they’ve been creating in the Everglades. Kept as pets and released into the wild, they can grow to nearly 20 feet long and are hunting animals such as marsh rabbits toward extinction—a problem Florida is trying to address with an annual Python Removal Competition. But in the lab, at a diminutive 3 feet in length, Burmese pythons may have valuable lessons to teach about diabetes … It was clear to Stylopoulos that his lab needed to search for other models of intestinal fuel use. The effort was spearheaded by Eirini Nestoridi in his lab. Looking at the scientific literature, they learned that Stephen Secor at the University of Alabama had done PET scans of Burmese pythons. Secor’s findings mirrored what Stylopoulos had seen with bariatric surgery in the rats: The snakes’ GI tracts seemed to light up with glucose markers after feeding.
Iran’s Ballistic Missile Launches Do Not Violate UN Security Council Resolutions
Iran Review – March 13
Iran has on several occasions lately conducted ballistic missile tests. These are simply the latest in Iran’s longstanding efforts in development of its missile programs. I’ve noticed in media reports that both US officials and nonproliferation wonks have been saying that these missile tests violate UN Security Council resolutions. You can see such quotes in these articles – here and here. However this is incorrect. (Professor Dan Joyner, University of Alabama School of Law).
COLLEGE NEWS: March 13
Tuscaloosa News – March 13
University of Alabama: A team of four students — Jake Jackson, Trey Byers, Ryan Keelin and Ethan Mergen — pitched their grocery delivery business idea, Care Package Team, in the second round of the Alabama Launchpad statewide business competition on Feb. 19 in Birmingham. They presented their start-up business plan to a panel of judges in an 8-minute, live-pitch event. All are Birmingham natives except for Jackson who is from Wildwood, Missouri.
Dome houses are saving lives & money in Tuscaloosa County
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – March 17
A construction company is making sure families are safe inside their homes during severe weather, while cutting back on building and energy costs. The company is called New Age Construction. They are known for building dome shaped houses that can withstand several hundred mile per hour winds. The company has been building for 40 years but was approved by the International Building Code Council just this month … The New Age Domes have also been tested in the University of Alabama Large Structures Testing Lab.
Cornell project chronicles the dark time of “runaway slave ads”
The Ithaca Voice (New York) – March 19
Runaway slave advertisements – a common sight in North American newspapers in the 18th and 19th centuries – are frankly disturbing. They describe people as property, listing their physical attributes and family connections in chilling terms. Yet the roughly 100,000 runaway slave advertisements also contain a wealth of information. They offer clues about the heartbreaking personal stories of those who were enslaved and sought their freedom. Taken together, they illuminate the sweep and scope of slavery and its tremendous human cost … Professor Mary N. Mitchell of the University of New Orleans and professor Joshua Rothman of the University of Alabama are key collaborators in the FOTM project, which has been supported jointly by the Cornell Department of History, CISER and Cornell University Library. The current phase is funded by a National Endowment for the Humanities Digital Humanities Start-Up Grant.
Joan Anderson Ledbetter qualifies for Superior Court clerk position
Rome News-Tribune (Ga.) – March 12
Joan Anderson Ledbetter qualified Friday as a Democrat to run for the position of Superior Court clerk. She said she is running for the position to continue her family’s history of service … She later received a master’s degree in leadership from Shorter College and is working to finish her doctoral dissertation at the University of Alabama.
SCHOOL NEWS: March 13
Tuscaloosa News – March 13
Tuscaloosa Academy: “To Kill a Mockingbird” Essay Contest – High school students who won the University of Alabama’s 15th annual “To Kill A Mockingbird” Essay Contest were recognized on campus with a luncheon and awards ceremony on Feb. 5. Area high school winners include: Emily Banks, Berry High School; Harper Blount, Tuscaloosa Academy; Rachel Lanier, Brookwood High School; and Claudia Mitchell, Hillcrest High School.
Dr. Annabel K. Stephens receives 2016 Beta Phi Mu Award
American Library Association – March 15
Dr. Annabel K. Stephens, associate professor emerita of the School of Library and Information Science at The University of Alabama, has been selected as the recipient of the American Library Association’s 2016 Beta Phi Mu Award. This annual award, consisting of $1,000 and a 24k gold-framed citation of achievement, which is given to a library school faculty member or to an individual for distinguished service to education for librarianship, is sponsored by the Beta Phi Mu International Library Science Honorary Society.
UA social work major overcomes the odds
NBC 12 (Montgomery) – March 11, 2016
One Montgomery woman is fighting human trafficking and multiple health problems, all while getting her degree. Through it all she still manages to see the bright side of life. 21 year-old Madison Darling has dedicated her life to helping others, starting when she was a student at Prattville High School to her social work major at The University of Alabama. Bit one night her sophomore year, everything changed, and she was the one who needed help…Just six days later she was being prepped for brain surgery, the start of several medical conditions that have blindsided through college. Despite everything she’s been through Madison is graduating early in December and through it all she hasn’t lost her ability to laugh.
Why should children spend more time outside?
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – LIVE Interview
Live interview with Dr. Carolyn Boxmeyer about the importance of children spending time outside.
Talent Development: How to Uplift Future Leaders [National Assembly Recap]
PRSSA.org – March 16
On her first day on the job at an agency, Bonnie Upright took her future into her own hands—literally. Her boss Del Galloway, APR, former PRSA chair, placed a PRSA membership packet into her hands and told her that she should join. Now, sixteen years later, Upright is a member of the PRSA Board of Director, PRSA Board Liaison for the PRSSA National Committee, and APR accredited. Upright’s talent got her to the top, but it was Galloway’s encouragement that enabled her to start her leadership journey. (Bethany Corne is a sophomore majoring in public relations and marketing at The University of Alabama. She is the publications committee leader for UA PRSSA and a digital strategist for the Capstone Agency. Follow her on Twitter @BethanyyyC14, find her on LinkedIn or email her at bcorne@crimson.ua.edu.)
Expert on Colombian politics to speak at Washington College
My Eastern Shore MD – March 19
With the potential end of more than five decades of armed conflict in Colombia imminent, Washington College’s Goldstein Program in Public Affairs is pleased to welcome one of the world’s leading experts on politics in the Latin American country. Harvey F. Kline will speak about the ongoing peace negotiations in Havana, Cuba, in his talk “Peace in Colombia: An End to the World’s Longest War?” at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 29. The event will be held in Hynson Lounge. It is free and open to the public. Kline is a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Alabama, where he taught for 25 years. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin.
UF group wins canoe competition, will head to nationals
Alligator.org – March 14
UF group will be heading to Texas after its concrete canoe took first place last weekend. UF’s American Society of Civil Engineers Concrete Canoe team, which is made up of about 40 UF students, competed at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Saturday and Sunday at the ASCE Southeast Regional Conference
5 Ways to Achieve a Positive Body Image
Her Campus – March 21
On the week of Feb. 22-26, the UA Student Health Center launched Body Appreciation Week in partnership with National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. This annual celebration of healthy body image on the University of Alabama’s campus consisted of events dedicated to promoting self love and acceptance. Even though Body Appreciation Week is technically over, you can still spend every week of the year learning to love yourself and appreciating your body. Here are five ways to get you started.