University of Alabama students spend $366 million a year in Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa News – April 2
Students at the University of Alabama have a significant role in the businesses that come to the city of Tuscaloosa, according to local commerce experts. During the recent “State of the Economy” luncheon at the Hotel Capstone, Al Spencer of the Chamber of Commerce for West Alabama said 2015 was a good year for new retail in Tuscaloosa and that students were part of the reason for that growth. UA students pump nearly $366 million a year into the Tuscaloosa economy, excluding money spent on campus, he said. “The growth of the university is certainly in that vein,” Spencer said.
Study details Brazilians’ lack of desire for children, marriage
Phys.org – April 4
Fewer men and women in Brazil value marriage and having offspring when selecting a mate, according to a University of Alabama psychologist. Instead, financial prospects, appearance and social status rank higher, according a study led by Dr. Andre Souza, UA assistant professor of psychology. Souza’s study, “Mate preference in Brazil: Evolved desires and cultural evolution over three decades,” was recently published in Personality and Individual Differences. The study, which compared a survey conducted in 2014 with results of Brazilians’ mate preferences in 1984, noted that male and female preferences for mutual attraction, love, kindness and intelligence have remained the same over the last 30 years. However, the expansion of the Brazilian population and economy and drastic shifts in culture have influenced a decline in the desire to have children.
UA student fights human trafficking
WSFA-NBC 12 (Montgomery) – April 3
A Prattville native is giving her time, her talents, her energy to make a difference in a very dark industry. (UA student) Madison Darling has made it her mission in life to save children’s lives in spite of going to college and fighting a life threatening illness.
Alabama governor trudges on in the face of scandal questions
Pop Herald – April 3
Alabama Governor Robert Bentley has become a national story as he copes with scrutiny of his relationship with PR and media advisor Rebekah Caldwell Mason, who has resigned. Last week, Mason was thrust into the spotlight when former Law Enforcement Secretary Spencer Collier- a day after being fired by Bentley – accused the 73-year-old governor of having an inappropriate relationship with Mason … Bill Stewart, the former chairman of the political science department at the University of Alabama, said the full political impact might depend on how long the public’s attention is focused on Bentley. “Now, if legislators want to push the envelope, that might force him out, but he has nothing to lose by simply hanging in there”, Davis said.
SF Gate – April 3
UA researcher conducts wheelchair research study
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – April 1, 2016
A University of Alabama researcher working to make life a little more normal and comfortable for young people in wheelchairs. The University’s assistant director of adaptive athletics is working with local families like Wilson and Michael Carr to help them better adapt to participate in activities like tennis. The goal is also to make sure young people who need a wheelchair have one that fits and operates properly.
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – April 1
How Having Lots Of Tattoos May Be Good For You
Black America Web – April 3
So you’re looking for an excuse to get that tattoo you always wanted? Well, there’s new research that seems to show your love of tattoos might actually help your immune system. (Please Note: Getting a tattoo of someone’s name on you that you’ve only been seeing for a couple of months is not good for anybody, lol). According to a study conducted at the University of Alabama, people with multiple tattoos might be better at fighting off one of the most common illnesses that people spend billions to fight every year: The common cold. According to documents, researchers went to local tattoo parlors to find potential participants for the study, and asked volunteers about the number of tattoos they have and the amount of time spent applying each one.
Unionizing Pays Big Dividend for Professors at Regional Public Universities
Chronicle of Higher Education – April 3
Full-time instructors at regional public universities earn an average of about $21,000, or nearly 25 percent, more in pay and benefits annually if they belong to a union, concludes a groundbreaking new study of compensation at such institutions. The location and size of the employer also makes a big difference. Those in larger suburban public universities, the highest-paying category of institutions studied, earned an average of nearly $17,000, or 20 percent, more in pay and benefits annually than those at midsize rural institutions, the lowest-paying category … The new paper’s authors are Nathaniel J. Bray, an associate professor of higher-education administration at University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa; Stephen G. Katsinas, a professor of higher education administration at Alabama and director of its Education Policy Center; and Johnson A. Ogun, a fellow at the center and an assistant professor of culinary arts at the University of North Alabama. Mr. Bray and Mr. Katsinas found similar payoffs to unionization in a study of community-college instructors’ earnings published last year.
Inside Higher Ed – April 4
Bentley scandal sheds light on obscure amendment
The Anniston Star – April 4
Gov. Robert Bentley’s sex-scandal woes could bring new attention to a little-noticed amendment on the Nov. 8 ballot. Voters this fall will be asked to approve a rewrite of the Alabama Constitution’s article on impeachments. It’s part of a years-long effort to clean up and modernize the wording of the Constitution – an effort that many voters considered pretty ho-hum. Until this week … If articles of impeachment are introduced next week, it will likely be the first test of the impeachments article written in 1901, said Kari Frederickson, a history professor at the University of Alabama. “We’re willing to forgive a lot,” Frederickson said.
THE SECRET TO HAPPINESS AT WORK
E-Edition.Toronto – April 3
Do you whistle while you work? Well some people are that happy at work! Okay, so they might not actually whistle “but they cannot wait to get back to work the next morning when they wake up, they love their job,” says Dr. Jonathon Halbesleben. Their secret? It has to be loads of money and mega time off. Wrong. Pay and time off will only get you so far when it comes to job joy. It’s all about being engaged at work, but also being trusted and given opportunities to be creative in meaningful ways. When employees have cognitive and emotional attachment, they are more likely to have high levels of performance and help others out at work, reports research by Halbesleben, associate professor of human resource management and organizational behaviour at the University of Alabama. “When people feel like they have meaningful work and it’s adding to what the company is trying to accomplish — particularly if they buy into the company goals — that can be the most powerful force to keeping people happy.”
PolitiFact: Does EPA regulate ditches and puddles?
Austin Statesman (Texas) – April 3
Ted Cruz says the Environmental Protection Agency has gone overboard in regulating farms by regulating even puddles and ditches … Are puddles and drainage ditches regulated by the EPA? We’ll wade through the research to find out. A Cruz spokesman did not answer our questions for this fact-check … ”It is an absurd assertion,” said William Andreen, University of Alabama law professor. “There are no cases on point because the agencies have never asserted jurisdiction in such fantastical situations.”
Miami Herald – April 3
Cyber criminals hold organizations hostage
The Jackson Sun (Tenn.) – April 2
In earlier columns, I’ve talked about the “ransomware” scam that infects computers. The scariest version involves a person’s computer locking up and displaying a message purportedly from the FBI saying it has detected illegal pornography on the computer. The person must pay ransom immediately to avoid criminal charges. Businesses and government agencies are not immune to such threats. In February, a Los Angeles hospital paid almost $17,000 to hackers who infiltrated its network and encrypted its data … Diana Dolliver, a professor at the University of Alabama, said, “It’s the old idea that if a million people give a dollar, you have a million dollars.”
Risks for Heart Attacks
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – April 1
Heart disease and heart attacks are the number cause of deaths here in the USA. However, the number of heart attacks and heart disease has decreased as awareness and prevention continues to grow. High cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking and diabetes along with poor diet are leading risk factors….Meanwhile, area health centers such as the University Medical Center and DCH offer education on preventing heart disease.
High School Student Offered Over $1 Million in College Scholarships
ABCNews.com – April 4
Hard work definitely does pay off, or at least it does for one high school student, from Lynn Haven, Florida. Mimi Mallory, a senior at Mosley High School, was offered more than $1 million in merit-based college scholarships. “It was crazy,” Mallory, 18, told ABC News. “I just didn’t know what to think.” As one college acceptance after another came in, they were also paired with a lot of cash. Mallory was awarded a combined total of $1,052,400 from the 11 schools where she was accepted. The highest scholarship Mallory was offered came from Mercer University, totaling $212,000. She also received a full tuition scholarship from the University of Alabama.
KLTV-ABC 7 (Tyler, Texas) – April 1
Political Scientist: Trump Is A ‘Wrecking Ball’ Against The Conservative Establishment
IHeart Radio – April 1
The conservative movement has struggled mightily to defeat the presidential campaign of Donald Trump — so far, to no avail. But, according to one political scientist, the failed efforts of #NeverTrump may be due to the conservative establishment’s declining strength. George Hawley, a professor of political science at the University of Alabama and author of the new book “Right-Wing Critics of American Conservatism,” talked with The Daily Caller this week about the Trump phenomenon and how it is affecting the conservative movement. “The conservative movement would be in serious decline even if Trump had stayed out of this race,” Hawley told TheDC.
UA holds Black Scholars Day
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – April 3
UA faculty and staff honored the achievement of African American students. The 40th annual Black Scholars Day honors African American students who earned a GPA of 3.3 or higher. The Black faculty and staff association honored over 700 African American students for their outstanding achievements in the classroom.
Yellowhammer Festival is Sunday
Tuscaloosa News – April 2
The second Yellowhammer Festival will be at the Tuscaloosa River Market, 1900 Jack Warner Parkway, from 2-8:30 p.m. today. The event is free. The band band Sister Hazel will headline the music and sustainability event that involves the University of Alabama’s Creative Campus partnering with the UA Student Government Association and University Program. Other performers will include local and regional groups Wray, Shaheed & DJ Supreme, Looksy and The Doctors and the Lawyers.
UA releases full rundown of A-Day events
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – April 1
The University of Alabama has released a full rundown of events for the upcoming A-Day Game. Kickoff is set for 2:00, April 16. Admission is free. The annual Walk of Fame starts at 12:15 at Denny Chimes.
42 Annual Piney Woods Arts Festival
WTVY (Dothan) – April 3
Your taste in art can say a lot about who you are. Today the 42nd annual piney woods art festival took place. Artists from all over came to show off their work. Most creative people have a certain way of doing things. Some of us are artistic and some of us not so much. Jourdan McGowan, senior at the University of Alabama inspiration comes from everywhere. “Dreams, ideas I just have, I don’t know. I’ve always been told I had a creative mind,” says Jourdan McGowan.
Japanese Sakura Festival is Saturday at Midtown Village
Tuscaloosa News – April 2
Some may view a cherry blossom detaching from a branch and fluttering toward the ground as nothing more than beautiful or pay it no attention at all. But in traditional Japanese lore, it symbolizes the fleeting yet endearing nature of life. In Japan, friends gather when the cherry trees, called sakura, blossom. In honor of this tradition, the University of Alabama Capstone International Center will host the 30th annual Japanese Sakura Festival on Saturday from 1-4 p.m. on the green space at Midtown Village on McFarland Boulevard.
UA holds Summer Camp Expo
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – April 1
Summer camps are a great way to keep kids busy while they are not in school. Today’s expo showed off all the options. Students at The University of Alabama put on their 5th annual Summer Camp Expo for parents to see the different activities their children can enjoy.
Remembering Mother Angelica
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – April 1
Mother Mary Angelica laid to rest today. She passed away Sunday at the age of 92. She founded the Eternal Word Television Network in 1981 and it has now become the largest religious media network in the world. Dr. Glenda Cantrell, an associate professor at The University of Alabama, began working with Mother Angelica at EWTN back in 1984. She remembers her as a loving and passionate woman.
Plant sale Saturday features wide selection
Tuscaloosa News – April 1
Garden enthusiasts are encouraged to come early for the best selection during Saturday’s 37th annual plant sale organized by the Tuscaloosa chapter of the Alabama Wildflower Society. The sale will be from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. today at Kentuck Courtyard in downtown Northport … Other beneficiaries from the sale include the Cahaba Lily Society, the University of Alabama Arboretum and the Druid City Garden Project.