MONDAY, FEB. 20 – SUNDAY, FEB. 26
BEST BETS
UA TO BREAK GROUND ON ADAPTED ATHLETICS FACILITY – UA will continue its pioneering position in adapted athletics when it breaks ground on a new multi-use facility for its adapted athletics programs, Thursday, Feb. 23, at the UA Student Recreation Center. Media are invited to attend a news conference, which will begin at 2 p.m. A shovel-turn ceremony will immediately follow. Coaches and UA administrators will attend. The UA System Board of Trustees approved the project in February 2016. For more information, contact David Miller, UA media relations at 205/348-0825 or david.c.miller@ua.edu.
TRI DELTA DONATION HELPS ESTABLISH FUND FOR STUDENTS IN NEED – A new fund for UA students facing need was recently established through the donation of a UA sorority chapter. The Tide Together Student Support Fund provides assistance to UA students in need or crisis who are identified through the University’s Office of Student Care and Well-Being. Funds may be used to purchase food, personal hygiene items, lodging, transportation, gift cards, groceries and other essentials for a student in need. It started when the executive board of the Delta Mu chapter of Delta Delta Delta set its chapter goals for the year. Watch for a news release with more details, or contact Chris Bryant in media relations, 205/348-8323 or chris.bryant@ua.edu.
POLITICAL IDENTITY MORE COMPLEX THAN TRADITIONAL LABELS – One’s political identity at both ends of the continuum is shaped by geographic location, which can affect individual policy positions and influence just how liberal or conservative someone actually is, according to Dr. Alexa Tullett, UA associate professor of psychology. In a recent study published in PLOS-One, Tullett found that liberals who live in “red” states tend to lean further right on policy issues than liberals in a “blue” state, like California. Tullett surveyed 1,269 people from over 480 counties nationwide, in addition to using data from the American National Election Studies. “Anytime pollsters or scientists use somebody’s political identity as a proxy for their political views, there’s some information they’re missing,” Tullett said. “That identity is associated with different policy positions in a really red state vs. a really blue state. “Also, because our country is so dichotomous in the way we treat political identity, people may exaggerate the differences between themselves and others by thinking that political categories tell you everything about people’s views on specific issues.” For more information, contact Tullett at 205/348-8648 or atullett@bama.ua.edu, or David Miller, UA media relations, at 205/348-0825 or david.c.miller@ua.edu.
AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH — UA’s Crossroads invites the campus and community to participate in events throughout February during African American History Month. The theme this year is “Crisis in Black Education.” Events include a selection of artwork from the Paul R. Jones Collection and a roundtable titled “Challenges in Education: From Preschool to Graduate School.” Events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. For details, contact UA’s Crossroads at 205-348-6930. For a schedule, go here. For assistance, contact Richard LeComte in media relations, rllecome@ur.ua.edu, 205/348-3782.
OCEAN FLOOR REVEALS HISTORIC ICE SHEET MELTING; CLUES TO FUTURE –“Warm” seawater near western Antarctica flowed along the underside of a massive ice shelf some 2,000 years ago, melting it and greatly diminishing its size, says a UA scientist who researches the impacts of historic climate change. Dr. Rebecca Totten Minzoni, UA professor of geological sciences, says this example of past ocean-driven melting, the first documented evidence of such melting of the Cosgrove Ice Shelf, is concerning for present day. “This can help us predict what is going to happen in modern glacial systems,” Minzoni said. The prehistoric melting occurred despite cooling air temperatures and advance of several ice shelves to the north. The present day melting of major glacial systems farther south could contribute significantly to sea level rise over the next hundred years, scientists say. Minzoni was part of a team that collected and analyzed sediment beneath the Amundsen Sea. By studying the samples, including analysis of some of the fossils contained therein, scientists can determine the approximate time period and environmental conditions when these sediments settled to the ocean floor. Minzoni is the lead author of research findings under review for scientific publication. For more information, contact Minzoni at 205/348-6050 or rminzoni@ua.edu. For assistance, contact Chris Bryant in media relations, 205/348-8323 or chris.bryant@ua.edu.
CURRENT COMMENT
PROPOSALS TO COMBAT HEROIN, FENTANYL SPIKES SHOULD BE BALANCED WITH TREATMENT PROGRAMS, RESEARCHER SAYS – Dr. Diana Dolliver, UA assistant professor of criminal justice, says proposed state legislation in Alabama to combat a growing and deadly opioid problem should include more than just stiffer prison sentences, which could impact users as much as traffickers. “Formal sanctions like extending prison sentences and imposing mandatory minimums are designed to impact traffickers, not users,” Dolliver said. “Unfortunately, oftentimes too many users also get swept up in these policy changes. Also, ‘tough’ sentences for drug trafficking aren’t necessarily an effective deterrent alone. We already have very strict drug sentencing guidelines at the federal level and still we have drug trafficking problems in the country. So, the answer needs to be more of a balanced approach with a user-focused treatment component at the very least.” Dolliver is available to speak to reporters and can be reached at 205/347-0604 or dldolliver@ua.edu.
EVENTS
ALABAMA REPERTORY DANCE THEATRE – UA’s theatre and dance department invites the UA and Tuscaloosa communities to its spring performance of the Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre. The production premieres at UA’s Morgan Auditorium on Colonial Drive at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21. Additional showings are 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22-23, 5:30 p.m. Feb. 24 and 2 p.m. Feb. 25. The concert will feature excerpts from the classical ballet “Swan Lake” and a tribute to the Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art by Cornelius Carter, director of UA’s dance program. Tickets are $14 for UA students, $17 for UA employees and seniors and $20 for adults. Tickets can be bought in the lobby at Rowand-Johnson Hall, by phoning 205/348-3400 or by going to dance.ua.edu. For more information, contact Jamon Smith, UA media relations, 205/348-4956, or jamon.smith@ua.edu
ADAPTED ATHLETICS TO HOST SIX TEAMS IN ‘COLLEGIATE CLASSIC’ – UA’s wheelchair basketball teams will host in-state rival Auburn and fellow national powers the University of Illinois in the two-day Collegiate Classic, Friday and Saturday at UA. Most of the games will be held at UA’s Student Recreation Center, while the last two games, which will feature UA’s men’s and women’s teams in games against Illinois, will be held at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Saturday at Foster Auditorium. For more information, visit http://continuingstudies.ua.edu/champions/index.php or contact Kevin Lake, College of Continuing Studies, at 205-348-4632 or ktlake@ua.edu or David Miller in media relations, david.c.miller@ua.edu.
FASHION SHOW PROMOTES POSITIVE BODY IMAGE – The Fashion Rocks and So Does My Body Fashion Show is making a comeback after a three-year hiatus. Coordinated by the Body Appreciation Week planning committee and UA’s Office of Health Promotion and Wellness, the fashion show started in 2006 as a way to engage more students in the events of Body Appreciation Week/National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. The show is slated for 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, in the Ferguson Center Ballroom; it is free to attend. For more information, contact Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
LULLABY CONCERT EXPOSES CHILDREN TO VARIOUS MUSIC GENRES — UA’s Child Development Resources invites parents and children to its second annual lullaby concert from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, at the Child Development Research Center. The free community event provides opportunities for children and families to experience the arts in a relaxed, fun, family focused way. For more information, contact Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
TAKE A JOURNEY IN SCIENCE – UA’s Rodgers Library for Science and Engineering is hosting its fourth annual Take a Journey in Science program, which features lightning talks from University experts about high-interest topics in science and nursing. The goal of the program is to acquaint UA students, faculty staff and the Tuscaloosa-area community with innovative and emerging research in science, engineering and nursing. The next event in the series is “Breast Cancer Awareness and Survival: A Personal Journey Through Research” by Dr. Mary Ann Kelley Feb. 21. Another event is “Castles Made of Sand: Sand Transport and Why it Matters” by Dr. Douglas Sherman Feb. 28. The final event is “Why do Males Exist? Can Hermaphroditic Fish Provide Us With Insight” by Dr. Ryan Earley on March 7. All four events in the series start at 2 p.m. and end at 2:15 p.m. They are all held at the Rodgers Library. For more information, contact Jamon Smith, UA media relations, 205/348-4956, or jamon.smith@ua.edu.