UA In the News — June 24

UA team advances in robot challenge
Tuscaloosa News – June 24
The Alabama Astrobotics team at the University of Alabama has advanced to the second phase of NASA’s Sample Return Robot Challenge, a citizen inventor prize program meant to help advance technologies that will help enable exploration of Mars and beyond. “This one has been so hard, no one has won it,” said Kenneth Ricks, an UA associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and a team adviser. Two teams in the past four years have advanced to the second phase, Ricks said. This year, seven teams advanced including the Alabama team, which is competing for the first time. Though the team of UA and Shelton State Community College students was competing for the first time with the first iteration of its robot design, it brings a wealth of experience to the challenge with its history of competition in similar NASA events, said Ricks, whose research interests include autonomous navigation. The team has about 40 students. Caleb Leslie, a graduate student in electrical engineering and a team leader, has participated in the astrobotics team for four years. Leslie worked on the electrical and computer systems for the robot. “Working on this project is what pulled me into graduate school,” he said.

Liberal filmmaker Michael Moore incorrectly claims AR-15 bullets banned by Geneva Convention
Pundifact – June 24
Filmmaker and liberal commentator Michael Moore made a provocative claim about the ammunition used in the June 12 Orlando shooting — that it is prohibited by the Geneva Conventions. . . . In any case, the Geneva Convention does not apply to domestic weapon use, said Dan Joyner, a professor of law at the University of Alabama. Only wartime. “No source of international law prohibits the sale or use within a country of any particular kind of ammunition,” Joyner said.

Alabama Professor’s Play Makes NY Debut
Alabama Public Radio – June 23
New York theatergoers are getting a taste of a new play that has its roots here in Alabama. Preview performances are underway for the show “Here I Sit, Broken Hearted.” The play was written by University of Alabama theater professor Seth Panitch and the first showings were staged in Tuscaloosa. The plot is based on graffiti in a men’s room. Actor Ian Anderson says the show has been a blessing to work on. But he says it’s been one of the stranger plays he’s ever performed in. “It’s one of those things were there’s a lot of singing and a lot of dancing and there’s no real true line to it. We really try to bring a true line to it but it’s really more of an hour long standup routine where four guys are riffing on the same theme.” A true line is the structure of a play with a beginning, middle, and end. “Here I Sit, Broken Hearted” will run for three weeks at the Samuel Beckett Theatre off 42nd street.

Marijuana Businessman Denied Life Insurance
US News and World Report – June 23
A successful businessman with a growing footprint in several states says he was shocked when he was refused a personal life insurance policy by Mutual of Omaha, one of the nation’s largest insurers. . . . Julie Hill, a financial industry expert at the University of Alabama School of Law, says she believes the company may have concern about violating laws against money laundering. “These and other laws make it very risky to accept any money that you know comes from a marijuana business, regardless of whether you are a bank,” she says. Among the prohibitions are “knowingly engag[ing] in a monetary transaction in criminally derived property of value greater than $10,000.”

Leeds is seeing in 3D
St. Clair News Aegis – June 24
Leeds High School (LHS) students now have a different way of seeing things—in three dimensions. Thanks to Desmond Parker, LHS Chemistry, Chemistry Honors and Physics teacher, his students are able to take learning to the next level by creating 3D images. Parker was awarded a 3D printer via a grant from the University of Alabama. Cordero Core, a former LHS Chemistry teacher, who is now a graduate student in the University of Alabama’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, included LHS as part of the educational outreach portion for the grant he received in his graduate program.

College First Initiative ends three week summer program at UA
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – June 23, 2016
This afternoon the College First Advanced Placement summer institute celebrated the end of their three-week initiative. The program brough together high school students from Birmingham and Tuscaloosa city schools all in hopes of making them more prepared for their advanced placement classes in the Fall. Students participated in lectures, labs and were mentored by University of Alabama students. Around 100 students participated in the program this year. Program leaders hope to see even more next year.

UA alum reads to children
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – June 23
One UA alum is back in Tuscaloosa and inspiring children with her new book. Marcia Mouron returned to the Capstone today to read to children at The Child Development Center. This is Mouron’s first book, and it’s all about trying and doing new things. Her inspiration for the book came from a longtime friend who pushed her to start a new project and execute it within three months. Mouron said the concept came to her immediately. You can find Marcia’s book, “You Can, I Can,” at select bookstores in the Birmingham area.