MONDAY, MARCH 20 — SUNDAY, MARCH 26
BEST BETS
HUNGRY BLACK HOLE – Astronomers have predicted big black holes sit at the center of all galaxies. A UA professor contributed to a study finding one such black hole a million times as massive as our sun in the midst of eating a large star with a mass twice that of our sun. The researchers found a multi-wavelength flare from a tidal disruption in a dwarf starburst galaxy – a galaxy that can be seen as generating a large number of stars. The galaxy, some 1.8 billion light years from Earth, features a large star that’s being consumed – the tidal disruption event – by a black hole, said Dr. Jimmy Irwin, UA associate professor of physics and astronomy. For more details, contact Richard LeComte, media relations, rllecomte@ur.ua.edu, 205/348-3782.
UA STUDENT WINS NATIONAL TRAVEL AWARD FOR ENGLISH – UA graduate student Candace Chambers recently flew to the Conference on College Composition and Communication in Portland, Oregon to receive the 2017 Scholars for the Dream Travel Award from the National Council of Teachers of English. The Scholars for the Dream Travel Award is a national award given to emerging scholars of color who are graduate students and who are embarking on scholarship that is promising, said Dr. Michelle Robinson, a UA assistant professor of English. Recipients of the award receive a $750 travel award, a reception held in their honor and a one-year membership in NCTE and CCCC. For more information, contact Jamon Smith, UA media relations, 205/348-4956, or jamon.smith@ua.edu.
EVENTS
NEW EXHIBIT HIGHLIGHTS WWI CONTRIBUTIONS BY GORGAS – “William C. Gorgas and the Great War” exhibit includes original World War I uniforms and war paraphernalia, including Gorgas’ gas mask, canteen and other original items. The exhibit highlights the contributions that Gorgas made in sanitation to the modern armed forces, as well as his importance and his role in inspiring other Alabamians to serve their country. The exhibit will be available to the public during regular museum tours from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday through Sept. 29. The exhibit is free for students, faculty/staff and Museum members. It is $2 for the general public. For more information, contact Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu.
LOOKING AHEAD
RELIGIOUS STUDIES DEPARTMENT MARKS 50TH ANNIVERSARY – UA’s department of religious studies is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a showcase of its accomplishments by students, graduates and faculty. On Tuesday, March 28, Drs. Michael Altman and Theodore Trost will present “Faculty Lectures: Remaking Religious Studies, Past and Present” from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Gorgas Library, room 205. Their lectures will highlight the history of religious studies across America and how UA’s religious studies department exemplifies some of the national trends. The department’s anniversary celebration continues Wednesday, March 29, with the fourth annual undergraduate research symposium from 9 a.m. to noon at Gorgas Library room 205. Religious studies majors and minors will present their original work. The celebration concludes at 6 p.m. March 29 with the alumni panel “Critical Thinking Beyond the Classroom.” The panel will feature five UA religious studies graduates who will talk with 100-level students about the relevance of studying religion. For more information, contact Jamon Smith, UA media relations, 205/348-4956, or jamon.smith@ua.edu.