UA Preview

MONDAY, NOV. 7 – SUNDAY, NOV. 13, 2016

BEST BETS

POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR AVAILABLE FOR ELECTION DAY INTERVIEWS – Dr. Allen Linken, UA assistant professor of political science, is available Nov. 7-9 for media interviews about the Election Day and the presidential election. Contact him directly at aelinken@ua.edu or by cell at 256/617-3580. For assistance, contact Jamon Smith, UA media relations, 205/348-4956 or jamon.smith@ua.edu

IS THE ELECTION RIGGED?  — The UA department of journalism and creative media is partnering with ProPublica to track and cover potential voting problems during the 2016 election. College of Communication and Information Sciences faculty will aid the organization in its initiative this Election Day from its own newsroom on the UA campus. Using a variety of social networking sites, data software and reporting systems, the team of approximately 30 students will monitor polling sites across the states of Alabama and Mississippi. Presidential candidate Donald Trump has raised the issue of large scale voter fraud, prompting much discussion about the legitimacy of the voting process. For more information about the journalism project, contact Rand Nelson, communication specialist in the College of Communication and Information Sciences, james.nelson@ua.edu  or 205/348-6416.

STUDENT TEACHERS HELP MIDDLE SCHOOLERS EXPERIENCE ELECTION DAY – Students at Davis-Emerson Middle School in Tuscaloosa will vote Tuesday for the next president of the United States. The votes won’t count, at least not toward the actual popular vote, but for the 364 children at the school, Election Day will be the culmination of what voting Americans do each cycle: research candidates, register and vote. With the help of two social studies education undergraduates (student-teachers) at UA, faculty at DEMS have created a strikingly similar voting process. The library will be decorated and designed to resemble a polling place. The “polls” open at 8 a.m. and run through 3 p.m. The school will report by precinct throughout the day. State Representative Bill Poole will speak and take questions from 8:30 to 9 a.m. For more information, contact David Miller, UA media relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu, or Christopher G. Johnson, seventh grade citizenship & geography teacher, Davis-Emerson Middle School, at cgjohnson@tcss.net.

NASA, UA TO SIGN SPACE ACT AGREEMENT – Students at UA will work with NASA to enhance understanding of propulsion systems for small satellites – CubeSats — that orbit the Earth, participating in a research project that will help further scientific discovery. Officials from NASA and UA will sign the Space Act Agreement after a presentation that begins at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, in room 1012 of the North Engineering Research Center on campus. For more information, contact Adam Jones, engineering media relations, 205/348-6444 or acjones12@eng.ua.edu.

NEXT STEPS PLANNED FOR UA PERFORMING ARTS ACADEMIC CENTER – For decades, UA’s theatre and dance department has produced world-class performances, actors and dancers. It’s been a top-notch academic program in the Southeast with award-winning professors sharing knowledge and expertise with their students. But the department’s facilities in Rowand-Johnson Hall have never reflected the quality or potential of the theatre and dance programs, which has hampered the growing department’s potential. The UA System Board of Trustees recently approved a proposal to construct the Performing Arts Academic Center on the 168-acre former Bryce Hospital property, acquired by the University in 2010.The new $60-million center, which is now in the final stage of planning and will require funding through bonds and charitable contributions, will not only meet the growing needs of the theatre and dance department, but will serve as a new gateway to the University. For more information, contact Jamon Smith, UA media relations, at 205/348-4956 or jamon.smith@ua.edu, or William Teague, professor of theatre, at 205/348-5283 or wteague@ua.edu.

EVENTS

TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM FEATURES NEW EXHIBIT – The Mildred Vestervelt Warner Transportation Museum will open a new exhibit titled “The Architecture of Don Buel Schuyler, 1937-1964.” Guest curators Gene Ford and Jeanette Remaley have gathered images chronicling Schuyler’s work from Wichita, Kansas, where he worked with Frank Lloyd Wright, to the Tuscaloosa buildings that bear his name, including the one that houses the transportation museum. There will be a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7; the exhibit will open to the public Nov. 8. For more information, contact Kim Eaton, media relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.

ALABAMA INSURANCE DAY – UA’s Culverhouse College of Commerce’s Alabama Insurance Day is set for Wednesday, Nov. 9, at the Bryant Conference Center. This year’s speakers include Dr. Kay Palan, dean of UA’s business school, and UA’s former national championship gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson. The I-Day program features speakers on topics related to insurance and risk management. For more information about this year’s program click here. This is the 10th annual event with some 300 attendees expected. For questions, contact UA media relations, 205/348-5320.

BEAT AUBURN, BEAT HUNGER CONTINUES – UA’s annual food drive, which seeks to gather more pounds of nonperishable food than Auburn, continues through Nov. 16. Students continue to gather food and raise money from the UA and Tuscaloosa communities. For more details, contact media relations, 205/348-5320.

LOOKING AHEAD

APPAREL DESIGN STUDENTS SHOW FINAL COLLECTIONS IN FASHION SHOW – UA apparel design students will showcase their design talents during the eighth annual Fashion for Life. The design showcase will begin at 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20, at the Ferguson Center ballroom. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased in advance or at the door. For more information, contact Kim Eaton, media relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.