Alabama’s black voters sent Doug Jones to the U.S. Senate. It could be a model for 2018
The Sky News – Dec. 13
Synethia Pettaway heard there was some trouble down at the polling station. The all-white crew of Alabama polling officials at the Woodrow Avenue firehouse in Selma was turning away a black mother, she said, apparently because she couldn’t carry her baby indoors to vote in Tuesday’s U.S. Senate special election … The high turnout among African-Americans in Alabama “might suggest that we will see similarly energized voters in other elections,” said Joseph Smith, chair of the political science department at the University of Alabama.
UA names new finance, business officer
Birmingham Business Journal – Dec. 14
A native Ohioan has been named the University of Alabama’s new principal finance and business officer. Matthew M. Fajack will begin his duties as vice president for financial affairs at the University of Alabama on Feb. 15. He is currently chief financial officer and vice chancellor for finance and administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Tuscaloosa News – Dec. 13
UA to hold commencement exercises; Inspiring graduate Anthony Reed to get degree in Telecommunication and Film
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Dec. 13
More than 2,200 University of Alabama students will get their diplomas at the Winter Commencement exercises this Saturday. Among the many outstanding graduates will be 37-year-old Anthony Reed. He completed a welding program at East Mississippi Community College, and the people there told him he had potential to continue his education. Reed has always been interested in making films and music, so he came to The University of Alabama to pursue a degree in Telecommunication and Film.
Chairman planning citizen committee to combat poor growth
Decatur Daily – Dec. 13
In a bid to kick-start the county’s population growth, Morgan County Commission Chairman Ray Long plans to form a committee of concerned citizens to find ways to lure more residents. The move comes after the Alabama Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama predicted Morgan County’s population would increase by just 4,538 residents, or 3.8 percent, between 2010 and 2040.
‘He faces an uphill fight’: Experts weigh in on how effective Doug Jones will be for Alabama in Washington and how he can win re-election in a ‘crimson red state’
Daily Mail (U.K.) – Dec. 14
Democratic Senate-elect Doug Jones faces ‘an uphill fight’ when he arrives in Washington, DC, and will have to start campaigning ‘immediately’ if he wants to keep his seat in 2020, experts say. Alabama’s Doug Jones won the special election on Tuesday night after a bitter campaign that drew national attention amid sexual misconduct accusations against conservative Republican candidate Roy Moore … ‘He has a very liberal resume in terms of what his positions are on issues and that they differ quite markedly with Alabamians,’ William Stewart, professor emeritus of political sciences at the University of Alabama, told AL.com.
UA political science professor says Jones’ win may not translate into a win for a Democrat in the Governor’s race
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Dec. 13
While the election was good news from Democrats, their elation may only last until the next political race. University of Alabama assistant political science professor Allen Linken says the trend may not translate to a Democratic governor.
Joyce Vance comments on women voting in Alabama’s special senate election (live interview)
MSNBC – Dec. 13
Is this the beginning of a women wave, if you will? A trend for 2018 and 2020? Joining me now from Alabama is Dewanna Thompson, founder of Woke Vote. She’s also the former director of African American engagement at the DNC. Also with me from Alabama is Joyce Vance, a professor at The University of Alabama Law School, and a former U.S. attorney.
How designers copy nature to create new and extraordinary forms
Insight – Dec. 14
Humans have a long track record of turning to Nature for inspiration. When Leonardo da Vinci turned his mind to the challenge of acquiring the power of flight for mankind, his sketches show he believed the solution lay in mimicking the form and function of bat wings. We’ve learned a lot about aerodynamics since the fifteenth Century but nature continues to provide a blueprint for the way we design materials and structures. Researchers at the University of Alabama have recently won a grant from the US National Science Foundation to explore how the scales on the wings of butterflies (pictured) help the creatures to fly in the hope that it will help engineers design better and more efficient aircraft.
A stressed-out boss is a bad boss, research concludes
Phys.org – Dec. 14
It’s tough to be the boss. You can’t make everyone happy all the time, and the job can be defined by stress.
However, the stress that a leader experiences can also have serious effects on an organization’s overall work culture. Many people become less effective under stress, and bosses and organizational leaders are no exception. Dr. Peter Harms, an assistant professor of management in the Culverhouse College of Commerce at The University of Alabama, examined the body of research into the relationship between leadership and stress. The conclusions show that a stressed-out boss can be a bad boss.