University of Alabama program helps improve job skills
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 15
The Culverhouse LIFT (Learning Initiative and Financial Training) Program is open for online registration. This is a program of The College of Commerce that is designed to reach out to the Tuscaloosa community and improve the job skills of adults and teens through UA resources. The goal is to provide free classes for anyone who would otherwise not have access to such courses and education. The training focuses on improving job marketability through training in software, including QuickBooks, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Other courses include financial literacy (money management), professional development (resumes, interviews, and other career skills), business Communication, math skills in the workplace, and computers for beginners.
Expansion to continue in West Alabama
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 15
The Tuscaloosa metropolitan area’s economy is expected to continue to grow in 2017, anchored in part by the growth at the University of Alabama and a flourishing automotive industry. “In the Tuscaloosa County, West Alabama market we can expect some real growth across all sectors,” predicted Jim Page, president and chief executive officer of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama. The rate of growth most likely will be at a slightly faster pace in 2017 compared to 2016, according to Ahmad Ijaz, executive director of the Center for Business and Economic Research in UA’s Culverhouse College of Commerce and director of economic forecasting.
Alabama businesses all smiles after election
Montgomery Advertiser – Jan. 14
It may tough for economists to predict how a Donald Trump White House will affect Alabama, but the state’s business executives seem to have no such problem. . . . A survey taken after the election showed that optimism among Alabama business leaders surged to its highest level since 2005. It was also the largest jump in the quarterly survey’s 15-year history. “Impact is very hard to predict,” said Ahmad Ijaz, senior research economist for the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama. “But you can see the optimism that businesses feel for this election. That’s definitely reflected in (the numbers).” The center compiles the Business Confidence Index using an online poll of business leaders to gauge their feelings about the quarter ahead, from changes in hiring to sales expectations. The index rose from 52.6 just before the election to 62.7 just after Trump’s win. Anything over 50 indicates growth ahead.
Associated Press – Jan. 14
Academics Race to Save Rare Colonial Documents in Cuba
Associated Press – Jan. 16
HAVANA — An American team of academics is racing to preserve millions of Cuban historical documents before they are lost to the elements and poor storage conditions. Many of the documents shed light on the slave trade, an integral part of Cuba’s colonial history that was intertwined with that of the United States. David Lafevor, a history professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, and his brother Matthew, a geography professor at the University of Alabama, have worked since 2005 to make computer copies of millions of documents mouldering in damp storage spaces on the island. Their latest project is a partnership between the British Library Foundation and Vanderbilt University to capture almost 2 million documents in digital form, a treasure trove stretching back to the mid-16th century of documents about early island life and the slave trade.
Dawn.com – Jan. 17
Qatar Tribune – Jan. 17
Borneo Bulletin – Jan. 17
News Caf – Jan. 17
China Daily – Jan. 17
South-South News – Jan. 17
CBS Miami – Jan. 16
UA Political Science professor talks about Trump’s priorities
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – Jan. 15
I spoke with UA professor Stephen Borelli about Trump’s immediate concerns and some issues that he may hold back on.
Alabama appoints Greg Byrne as its new athletic director
Al.com – Jan. 15
Less than 24 hours after Bill Battle announced his retirement as Alabama’s athletic director, his successor has been appointed. Greg Byrne will take the post effective March 1, the university announced Monday. Since 2010, Byrne, 45, has been the vice president of athletics at Arizona. Before he was hired for that position, he oversaw Mississippi State’s sports programs.
Tuscaloosa News – Jan 16
Crimson White – Jan. 16
WERC-AM/FM RadioBirmingham) – Jan.
WRBL-CBS (Columbus, GA) – Jan. 16.
KNXV-ABC (Phoenix) – Jan 16
Fox 6 (Birmingham, AL) – Jan. 16
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – Jan. 16
WALA-Fox (Mobile, AL) – Jan. 16
KVOA-NBC (Tucson, AZ) – Jan. 16
WHNT-CBS (Huntsville, AL) – Jan. 16 at 10 p.m.
WAKA-CBS (Montgomery, AL) – Jan. 16 at 10 p.m. (Sports)
And many more.
Gospel singer Kirk Franklin will perform Sunday night
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 14
Genre- and chart-crossing gospel star Kirk Franklin will headline the 28th Realizing the Dream Concert on Sunday night … Realizing the Dream is built around the national holiday of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Also, on Monday, the holiday itself, The SCLC will sponsor Unity Day activities, including a 7 a.m. Unity Breakfast at Beulah Baptist Church, with speaker Judge Ricky McKinney. The Unity Day march starts at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School and Beulah Baptist Church at noon. The annual Mass Rally will be held at 6 p.m. at First African Baptist Church, with speaker the Rev. David Gay. Franklin’s concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. Sunday in UA’s Moody Concert Hall. Tickets are $15, through the Moody box office, at 348-7111.
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Jan. 15
Search to resume for UA diversity officer
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 14
The committee assisting with the search for a new vice president to lead the University of Alabama’s diversity an inclusion initiatives is expected to meet again later this month or in early February to create a timeline for reviewing finalists. The search committee met on Dec. 15 and decided to extend the nationwide search to allow consultant, the Desir Group, more time to continue recruiting candidates for the vice president and associate provost for diversity, equity and inclusion, according to a university spokeswoman Monica G. Watts, associate vice president for communications. The university originally hoped to be able to begin on-campus visits for finalists in January, but scheduling visits around the holidays proved difficult, Watts said.
Emanuel agrees to negotiate consent decree that may never happen
Chicago Sun Times – Jan. 13
Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Friday signed an “agreement in principle” to negotiate a consent decree — culminating in the appointment of a federal monitor — to ride herd over the sweeping police reforms recommended Friday by the U.S. Justice Department. But the consent decree might never happen … Stephen Rushin, a University of Alabama law school professor who has studied police consent decrees extensively, said the Chicago agreement seems fairly weak. “I don’t see where this really binds anyone to do anything but negotiate in good faith,” Rushin said.
Apparently, baboons can make human-like vowel sounds
Young Herald – Jan. 14
Baboon grunts, barks and yaks contain the five distinct vowel-like sounds found in human speech, suggesting a closer link than previously thought. “This theory has often been used to buttress the theoretical claim of a recent date for language origin, e.g”. Professor Scott Moisik of the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in the Netherlands, who was not involved in the new study, said its findings fit with other research – and his own experience listening to primates in zoos and online animal videos … The distinct vowel-like sounds the baboons make are hard to compare to human speech, because human speech is intertwined with language and the vocalizations are different, said study co-author Tom Sawallis, a linguist at the University of Alabama
Scientists Answer Burning Question: Which Animals Fart?
Global Animal – Jan. 14
It may seem juvenile, but scientists across the world are working to answer the burning question: Does it fart? We all know that humans fart, but what about other animal species? If you’re curious to find out, there’s now a Twitter hashtag, #DoesItFart, circulating, along with a Google Spreadsheet listing all of the animal species that do, and don’t, cut the cheese every now and then … “We spend a lot of time with our study organism and see some interesting or weird behaviors,” said Nick Caruso, a researcher of salamanders (which do not fart) at the University of Alabama and creator of the open-access #DoesItFart spreadsheet.
The End of the Internet – Jan. 14
Local home sales back from the brink
Decatur Daily – Jan. 17
Area home sales have increased significantly over the past two years, a sign the local housing market is recovering from the recession. Total home sales in Morgan County hit 1,482 in 2016, the highest number of homes sold in the county since 2007, according to a report from the Alabama Center for Real Estate at the University of Alabama. The positive economic indicator could encourage homebuilders to consider ramping up construction in the county, a factor local development officials have said is critical for attracting new residents.
Out on a limb: Event lets tree climbers test skills with new equipment
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 15
For some, tree climbing is what they do for a living; for others, it’s something they do for fun. Josh Rutherford is a local tree climber with Barringer Tree Service of Coker, which trims and removes trees, grinds stumps and clears underbrush … Rutherford said he hopes the kids who attended had fun at the event, which was organized in partnership with the University of Alabama Arboretum.
Meet Shelby Brooks – Featured YP for January 2017
AICHE.org – Jan. 14
Where are you from? Tuscaloosa, Alabama. What company/institution do you work for? The University of Alabama. Where did you complete your chemical engineering education? The University of Alabama.
UA Equestrian team to scrimmage with Auburn
ABC 33/40 – Jan. 16 (Live Interview on Talk of Alabama)
Diane Harrison, UA Interim Director of Equestrian Programs, and Ashley Morrison, Equestrian Coach were on Talk of Alabama to discuss the upcoming scrimmage with Auburn and the proposed new equestrian facility.
Valdosta National 2017
Valdosta Daily Times – Jan. 14
The Valdosta National art exhibit has become one of the best annual art shows in Valdosta. While the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts’ Spring Into Art is the premier exhibit to showcase local and regional artists, Valdosta State University Art’s Valdosta National has become the region’s premier showcase of art from across the nation . . . Bryce Speed is the person making the choices. He is an assistant professor of art in painting at the University of Alabama, with a bachelor of fine arts in painting and drawing from the University of Mississippi and a master of fine arts in painting from the University of Alabama, according to biographical information provided by VSU.
MLK Day marchers say country needs unity
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 15
Alina Coryell held a sign with the words “Stick to Love” written in bold letters on Monday as she walked along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Tuscaloosa. With her two children, Micah and Milla, by her side, Coryell was one of hundreds of people who walked two miles from Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School to Tuscaloosa City Hall during the annual Unity Day march. The march was held to coincide with the holiday that celebrates the birthday of the slain civil rights leader … Ciara Smith, a student at the University of Alabama, was among 10 of her sorority sisters from Sigma Gamma Rho to take part in the march, which she viewed as a way to serve the community.
THE PORT RAIL: A classic liberal arts education still valued
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 15
“Why do I need to take history?” Well, if you know me a bit, you’ll think this old history prof is sounding off. “You gotta take history or you’ll be an ignoramus, or worse.” Maybe a politician, I’m thinking, but not saying it. But I want to take up a larger issue, although I admit a partiality to history. It has been at the center of my professional life. I have been paid well, and the rewards of dealing with colleagues and students have been enormous. (Larry Clayton is a retired University of Alabama history professor. Readers can email him at larryclayton7@gmail.com.)
4 ways PR pros can be better listeners
PR Daily – Jan. 16
“What’s your opinion on this?” You’ve been caught. You’re in a conversation, and rather than listening, you were focusing on an upcoming deadline or meeting. It’s OK; we’ve all been there. PR pros have become accustomed to the instability of frequent shifts and changes. However, it is crucial that we focus on the things we can control—including actively listening. (Nicole Morgan is a senior studying public relations and international studies at the University of Alabama. She is an editorial writer for Platform Magazine and an account executive for the university’s student-run firm Capstone Agency.)
Impact Alabama to offer free tax preparation services
WDAM 7 (Moselle, Miss.) – Jan. 16
Impact Alabama’s SaveFirst initiative is partnering with the River Region United Way and the Junior League of Montgomery to provide free income tax preparation services. To qualify for this free service, working families with children may make up to $53,000 and working families without children may make $20,000. In coordination with Huntingdon College, the University of Alabama, Auburn University at Montgomery, Troy University at Montgomery and Faulkner University, tax services will be provided in the following locations:
Preview: Spring Get On Board Day
Crimson White – Jan. 16
With Spring classes now in full swing, the SOURCE is set to hold its spring edition of the Get On Board Day event. WHO: Campus Clubs and Organizations. All students are welcome to attend. WHAT: Spring GOBD and Organization Takeover. It will be an afternoon dedicated to helping students find their place on campus.
UA community reacts to Divisive Sessions Confirmation Hearings
Crimson White – Jan. 16
With Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions’ confirmation hearings now at an end, Americans feel divided over one of Trump’s more controversial cabinet appointments. Alabamians will likely be represented by one of their own in Donald Trump’s administration by the end of this week, but this does not mean that all Alabama residents are jumping for joy over Trump’s pick for Attorney General. “Sessions has shown through his time as senator of Alabama that he uses divisive politics to separate Americans,” said External Affairs Director of UA College Democrats Mike Smith, a sophomore majoring economics. “My fear is that he would not represent America as a whole.”
Student band Monterrey Power Trio jams in Atlanta, fraternity houses
Crimson White – Jan 17
Most incoming freshmen spend the summer before college preparing for the transition and saying goodbye to friends, but the five members of the Alabama-based band, Monterrey Power Trio, released their debut album, “This One’s For Pete.” “Everybody was heading off to college, and we wanted to get an album out before everybody was gone and we just spent a week coughing up whatever we could,” said Carter Lockwood, guitarist and singer for MPT. “It was a lot of sitting down and saying ‘Oh, that’s a decent chord progression.’ Very just quickly done.” Lockwood and the other band members, Daniel Spann, Andrew Spann, Andrew Dendy and Mason Mathis, began playing music together in high school and eventually their jam sessions turned into something more.
Class notes
San Mateo (Calif.) Daily Journal – Jan. 14
Thomas Sortwell, of San Mateo, graduated from the University of Alabama.