UA In the News — March 10-19

UA In the News — March 10-19

University of Alabama students test drive electric ‘muscle’ car
Tuscaloosa News – March 10
The white Chevrolet Camaro with the University of Alabama script A on the front still sounded like the muscle car that the name implies as it sped around the airport tarmac Friday, but under the hood, its guts have transformed during the last four years as a team of students converted it into an electric-hybrid. “When you think of a muscle car, you don’t think of electricity. You think of power and burning gasoline,” junior electric engineer major Jacob Machnica said. “But this is a muscle car.”
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – March 9
Alabama News Center – March 13
 
LEND A HAND: UA students help others during alternative spring break
Tuscaloosa News – March 10
The University of Alabama’s Center for Service and Leadership has sent eight teams made up of more than 100 UA students and leaders on Beyond Bama: Alternative Breaks.
 
What It’s Like To Watch #MeToo When It Is You, Too
Five Thirty Eight – March 18
On average, more than 300,000 Americans experience rape or sexual assault each year. When the #MeToo movement makes headlines, those survivors are reading … “We think that social support is a key protective factor against the development of PTSD,” said James Hamilton, professor of psychology at the University of Alabama.

COLLEGE NEWS: March 11
Tuscaloosa News – March 11
The Beta Eta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. earned the title “Outstanding National Pan-Hellenic Council Chapter” on the campus of the University of Alabama. The Beta Eta Chapter received four awards on Feb. 25 at the Annual Greek Excellence Awards in Ferguson Center Ballroom. Member Robert Henderson was recognized as the NPHC President of the Year and the chapter received the NPHC Risk Management Award, Diversity Award and top honors as the University of Alabama NPHC Outstanding NPHC Chapter. The NPHC is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, International Greek lettered fraternities and sororities.

Mangrove rivulus jumps farther as it ages, researchers say
Breitbart – March 16
The mangrove rivulus, which is known as the tiny jumping fish, can leap farther as it gets older, new research shows. These fish, which can be found in the United States, are capable of “tail-flip jumping” many times their body length when out of water, allowing them find better find better habitats by escaping predators … “The next step in this line of research is to figure out whether genetic variation underlies differences in body structure associated with jumping performance in young fish,” said lead author Joe Styga, a doctoral candidate at the University of Alabama.
UPI – March 16
Science Newsline – March 18
Science Codex – March 18
Phys.org – March 18
Bright Surf – March 18
ScienMag – March 18
 
UA football team invited to visit White House
C-Span – March 16
The White House says the championship University of Alabama football team will visit next month. Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the team will go to the White House April 10th. Sanders said President Trump attended the game and looks forward to hosting the Crimson Tide.
WKRG-CBS (Mobile) – March 16
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – March 16
WTVY-CBS (Dothan) – March 16
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – March 16
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – March 16
 
Combating Alabama’s Rural Doctor Shortage
WBHM (Birmingham) – March 14
Much of the U.S. is already facing doctor shortages, and they’re projected to get worse. Alabama has the ninth-lowest number of doctors per person. And that number’s even lower in rural areas. The state health department says most of Alabama faces a lack of primary-care. But there’s a University of Alabama program that’s been grooming doctors from rural areas so they can bring their skills home. . . . Maxwell, incoming president of the Alabama Academy of Family Physicians, came up through the University of Alabama’s Rural Health Leaders Pipeline. Dr. John Wheat founded the program and ran it for almost three decades. He worked to attract and train doctors like Maxwell, despite rural areas’ lower pay, fewer amenities, and the “bright-lights-big-city” effect:
 
Congrats … local graduates of the University of Alabama winter commencement
Anniston Star – March 16
The University of Alabama winter graduation commencement held Dec. 16, 2017, included the following local students.

Alabama announces winter graduates
Murfreesboro Post – March 10
The University of Alabama awarded some 2,077 degrees during winter commencement Dec. 16. Among the recipients were four students from Murfreesboro: Jon Douglas Jaques, Master of Science in Human Environmental Sciences; Terrence T. Martin, Bachelor of Science in Commerce & Business Administration; Zackery Taylor Smith, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering; and Elisabeth A. Weber, Bachelor of Science.
Walton (Florida) Sun – March 17

Treasury Department sanctions against Russians don’t go far enough
MSNBC – March 17
The Treasury Department issued sanctions this week against Russian nationals and companies for election meddling and cyber attacks. However, Former FBI Double Agent Naveed Jamali said the punishment has no impact on Russia or their ability to conduct these operations. Joyce Vance, MSNBC contributor, former US Attorney, and professor at the University Of Alabama School Of Law joined the conversation with MSNBC Anchor Aaron Gilchrist.

A new way to reduce gun suicides, and maybe mass shootings too
Los Angeles Times – March 12
Mass shootings dominate the headlines and seem to drive the movement to change gun policy, but reducing gun suicides could save many more lives. More than 20,000 people each year kill themselves with a gun; that’s twice the number of gun homicides. The Parkland, Fla., massacre claimed 17 lives; roughly 59 people die by gun suicide each day. (Ian Ayres is a law professor at Yale. Fredrick Vars is a law professor at the University of Alabama)
The Daily World – March 14
Everett Herald (Washington) – March 15
Central Maine – March 17
Twin Cities Pioneer-Press (Minnesota) – March 18
Akron Beacon Journal (Ohio) – March 18
Indiana Gazette – March 17
West Hawaii Gazette – March 19
Arca Max – March 14
 
Viola Acoff: Sparking a passion for STEM at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
National Science Foundation – March 19
(University of Alabama) Metallurgical and materials engineer Viola Acoff has more than 20 years of experience broadening participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Her efforts to spark interest in materials science and engineering among students at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are transforming how these minority-serving institutions approach her field.

New blood pressure guidelines mean more Americans have high blood pressure
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – March 14
Under new guidelines for blood pressure, approximately 46 percent of American adults have high blood pressure. The doctor who lead the group that developed the new guidelines says the goal is to give individuals better control over their health, and help clinicians make better diagnoses … Whelton was in Tuscaloosa to give the David and Natica Bahar Memorial Lecture for The University of Alabama’s College of Community Health Sciences.
NBC 12 (Montgomery) – March 14
WTVM 9 (Columbus, Georgia) – March 14
NBC 5 (Memphis, Tennessee) – March 14
WDAM 7 (Moselle, Mississippi) – March 14
WTOC 11 (Savannah, Georgia) – March 14
NBC 10 (Albany, Georgia) – March 14
 
Alabama’s Basketball team’s success has economic impact on Tuscaloosa
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – March 13
When one of UA’s athletic programs excels, like men’s basketball for example, so does the rest of the Tuscaloosa. It’s Spring Break in Tuscaloosa, but that’s not slowing people down from showing up at local business to watch and cheer on the Tide‘s men’s basketball team.
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – March 13
 
UA Social Work students to fly to Washington, D.C. to talk to legislators
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – March 9
More than 40 University of Alabama social work students are preparing to head to D.C. to advocate for a series of bills they hope can make some major change. Those UA social work students are set to meet with 30 congress members to talk legislation and to become partners in policy making.

Moundville holds annual Knap-In
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – March 9
Moundville Archaeological State Park is holding its annual Knap-In. That’s a little play on the word “knapping” with a “k,” the technique native-American tribes in our state used to craft weapons and tools.

3 ways to motivate millennials and other generations at work
PR Daily – March 14
Millennials make up the largest segment of the workforce, yet many companies haven’t adjusted their employee communications accordingly. Here are three easy steps to help you engage these hyper-connected employees without alienating others in today’s multigenerational workplace … “Generations prefer to communicate using the channel that was at the height of its technology during their own work prime,” says Kristin Scroggin, GenWHY Communication Strategies founder and University of Alabama communication arts instructor.

Spring break road travel safety
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – March 14
Across Alabama, many people are either on spring break right now, or getting ready for it in the next few weeks. For those who will be on the road this spring break, traffic researchers have some safety considerations for you to remember. University of Alabama Center for Advanced Public Safety Associate Director of Outreach Rhonda Stricklin says in looking at state crash data from the spring break time period last year, it appears the factors that contribute to crashes throughout the year were the same ones that were factors during that time period.
NBC 12 (Montgomery) – March 14
WTVM 9 (Columbus, Georgia) – March 14
WDAM 7 (Moselle, Mississippi) – March 14
NBC 10 (Albany, Georgia) – March 14
WTOC 11 (Savannah, Georgia) – March 14
NBC 5 (Memphis, Tennessee) – March 14

7 signs your body language is sending the wrong message
Business Insider – March 15
It’s generally easier to plan out exactly what you’re going to say than it is to plan out how you’re going to stand, what you’ll do with your hands, and your facial expression … A 2000 University of Alabama study found that people could predict the personalities of undergraduates they shook hands with. Specifically, the handshake raters intuited that the students with firm handshakes were more positive, more outgoing, and less socially anxious.
Business Insider India – March 15
Business Insider Australia – March 15
My San Antonio (Texas) – March 15
Business Insider Malaysia – March 15
Latest Nigerian News – March 16
Business Insider South Africa – March 16
 
Alabama has a great jobless rate – but that’s only part of the story
Birmingham Business Journal – March 14
Alabama’s jobless rate has been trending in the right direction, but the state’s job market is more complicated than just one number … Anecdotes from the front lines, such as a recent survey by the University of Alabama, suggest workforce development is by far the number one issue in the state’s business world.

Students walk out of classrooms nationwide
Politico – March 14
STUDENTS WALK OUT OF CLASSROOMS NATIONWIDE: Thousands of students and teachers across the country today are expected to walk out of their school buildings, calling on lawmakers to pass stricter gun control laws and paying tribute to the 17 people murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School one month ago … “As a movement, the alt-right is in a difficult place right now,” said George Hawley, a University of Alabama professor who has studied the movement. “It is fractured by infighting and not winning many victories.” Kimberly Hefling and Benjamin Wermund have the full story.
Truck & Wheel Group opens $30 million Alabama wheel assembly plant
Alabama News Center – March 17
Spain-based auto supplier Truck & Wheel Group opened a new 127,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that will supply wheel assemblies for automakers in the Southeast … “Their growth and success in Europe all but guarantees their chances to hit the ground running with their state-of-the-art wheel assembly factory in Vance,” said Jo Bonner, interim executive director of TCIDA and vice chancellor for economic development at the University of Alabama.
Trade and Industry Development – March 15
 
University of Alabama searching for family of owner of radio struck by meteorite
Forsyth County News – March 15
If anyone in Forsyth County knows the family of Eugene H. Hodges, officials with the University of Alabama are trying to contact them to talk about a radio struck by a meteorite. Mary Beth Prondzinski, collections manager with the Alabama Museum of Natural History on the university’s campus, said the museum is searching for family members of the late Eugene Hodges, the owner of a radio of struck by a meteorite in the 1950s that is on display.
 
Childhood Playmates Reconnect, Rekindle Friendship That Transcends Race And Distance
Wisconsin Public Radio – March 18
There are times when we can connect with someone, and then never see them again—a missed connection. We’ve been trying to help some of you connect with people you’ve been trying to find. In the 1970s, two little girls met at an elementary school in Miami, Fla., and became close friends. One was black, and one was white. Dr. Sharony Green is now an assistant professor of history at the University of Alabama, and she said her friend Beth helped her during a tough time.

European Fascism plots to change American Culture
Informed Comment – March 13
Far more dangerous than the far-right effort to win elections alone is its concerted campaign to change the culture — a strategy it owes, perversely, to the left … Alt-right leaders were enthusiastic about the election of Donald Trump — “even if they recognize he wasn’t really one of them,” says George Hawley, a political scientist at the University of Alabama and author of Making Sense of the Alt-Right.

Cahulga Creek Presents Outdoor Classroom
TV 24 – March 16
The Cahulga Creek presents it’s Outdoor Classroom and the destination of the Cahulga Creek Birding Trail.  The City of Heflin partnered with Alabama Power to create the classroom. City of Heflin Parks and Recreation Director, Tammy Perry says she looks forward to what the outdoor classroom can offer students in the community. In addition to the outdoor classroom, the University of Alabama and the Birding Trail are encouraging students to not just read about birds, but to go out and see them.

The lessons of My Lai massacre still resonate
Dawn – March 18
FIFTY years ago this week, on March 16, 1968, around 200 US soldiers from Charlie and Bravo companies burst into a Communist-dominated area in South Vietnam known to GIs as “Pinkville”. (The writer is University Research Professor of History Emeritus, University of Alabama, and the author of My Lai: Vietnam, 1968, and the Descent Into Darkness.)

PCORI Reports Latest Findings From 5 of Their Funded Studies
AJMC – March 15
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Institute (PCORI) has shared the latest published results of their funded projects. The institute, which seeks to aid people in making informed healthcare decisions and improve healthcare outcomes by funding useful research, reported results of 5 recent publications summarizing results from their awardees … The team of researchers from the University of Alabama focused on 290 patients from western Alabama with low incomes.

CA: “Reconstructing the Hollywood Lives and Careers of Three Female Austrian-Jewish Exiles” March 22
German World – March 14
Regina Range from the University of Alabama will present “The Invisible Ones: Reconstructing the Hollywood Lives and Careers of Three Female Austrian-Jewish Exiles” at the Doheny Memorial Library on March 22.

Buffalo Grove Park District commissioner earns state honor
Daily Herald (Chicago, Illinois) – March 14
The Illinois Association of Park Districts named Buffalo Grove Park District board Commissioner Dr. Larry Reiner the winner of the 2017 Honored Professional Award … Des Plaines native Manoj Sunny has received the Catherine J. Randall Award from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. The honor is one of the university’s Premier Awards, the highest given to students on campus.

Solid State Additive Manufacturing MELD Workshop Hosted by Aeroprobe, University of Alabama
Manufacturing News – March 14
Registration is now open for the 2018 MELD Workshop. MELD is an innovative solid-state thermo-mechanical process for deposition of metal or metal matrix composites. It is highly scalable, open atmosphere and has a high deposition rate that sets it apart from other additive manufacturing technologies. The workshop will be April 17-18, 2018, at the University of Alabama’s Advanced Materials & Design Laboratory (AMDL) in the North Engineering Research Center (NERC).

NPPD Receives over $2 Million in Funding for Project with ION Engineering
Sandhills Express (Nebraska) – March 13
A NPPD project was one of seven to receive funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Fossil Energy … Contributing partners on that project also included the University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center and the University of Alabama Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering.
Real Country 97.3 (Nebraska) – March 13
News Channel Nebraska – March 13
Columbus News Team (Nebraska) – March 13
US 92.7 FM (Norfolk, Nebraska) – March 13
 
Broadway Sessions Welcomes University Of Alabama
BroadwayWorld.com – March 12
BROADWAY SESSIONS is described as an evening of musical performances, games and open mic featuring a new Broadway guest each week. The show is created and hosted by Ben Cameron (Bway Wicked, Aida and Footloose) and features musical director Joshua Stephen Kartes on piano. This week, on a special Tuesday night, March 13th, Broadway Sessions welcomes the 2018 graduating MT class from the University of Alabama alongside successful Alabama alums. Scheduled to perform are Corey Rives (Finding Neverland), Bentley Black (We Will Rock You), Will T. Travis (Sister Act) and Benjamin Haupt. ’18 Alabama grads scheduled to perform include Carli HardonMegan Kelly, Miranda Therkelsen, Katehrine O’Conell, Molly Penny, Sarah Grace, Valleroy, Morgan Chare’cem, Jada Grier, LaBorn Brown, Peyton McDaniel, William Green, David Derringer, Naomy Ambroise. The evening will also feature performances by vocalists Megan Hill and Callie Walker.