Researcher unlocking relationship between early math ability, fingers
Medical Xpress – March 23
Ask toddlers how old they are, and they are likely to hold up the corresponding number of fingers and say, “this many.” By the time children begin walking and talking, they’re accustomed to using their fingers to point, grab and even brace for a fall. Children also use their fingers for numerical representation and counting, a common practice for teaching and learning simple arithmetic, such as addition and subtraction …
While children likely won’t rely on finger counting much past the second grade, the practice has evolutionary and neural backgrounds that could have implications for understanding a child’s aptitude for math, according to Dr. Firat Soylu, an educational neuroscientist at The University of Alabama.
Natalie Scott and the Great War Love Story
Were History – March 21
One hundred years ago this month, Natalie Scott of New Orleans was living in Paris when the Germans launched their last major offensive of the Great War. She was in her mid-twenties, a white woman educated at Newcomb College, where she had lobbied the administration of the affiliated Tulane University to equalize the education and activities offered to men and women. After graduation, she studied Greek drama, acted in plays, and taught high school. She traveled to France with the Red Cross in late 1917. (Andrew J. Huebner is Associate Professor of History at the University of Alabama.)
Record number of black women running for office in Alabama after Roy Moore defeat
The Hill – March 22
A record number of African American women are running for Democratic office across the deep red state of Alabama following Republican Roy Moore’s defeat … “Alabama is not a state that is known for electing women to office, so, in some sense, this is surprising, historic and much needed,” said Richard Fording, a professor of public policy at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Political News – March 22
NBC News – March 22
Fox 25 (Gulfport, Mississippi) – March 22
Fire News Feed – March 22
EPA Awards more than $28,000 in Grants to the University of Alabama for Innovative Technology Projects
EPA.gov – March 22
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the University of Alabama would receive two grants totaling $28,909 to fund two Phase I student teams through the People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) grants program. Over $463,000 in funding is being provided by the program for 31 teams nationwide that are developing sustainable technologies to solve current environmental and public health challenges.
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – March 22
Another Voice: It’s time for lawmakers to do their duty on guns
Buffalo News (New York) – March 22
On March 14, students walked out of classrooms across Western New York and our nation. These students remembered the 17 dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., and demonstrated in solidarity to send a message to federal lawmakers: Schools need reform of our nation’s gun laws … Some argue this is not about guns. A 2015 study by Adam Lankford of the University of Alabama compared nations, proving that as gun ownership increased, odds of a mass shooting increased. This held true even if U.S. data is excluded, isolating other purported causes of U.S. mass shootings.
Politics of Hope – March 22
Alabama Panhellenic hosts annual President’s Mansion Easter egg hunt
Crimson White – March 22
This weekend, the UA President’s Mansion will welcome local families for the Alabama Panhellenic Council’s annual Easter Egg Hunt. The hunt, which is open to the Tuscaloosa community, is at the President’s Mansion this Sunday, March 25. The event is a collaborative effort on behalf of each Panhellenic sorority along with the Panhellenic executive council. The Easter eggs are donated from each sorority.
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – March 22
UA students make it to finals of SPJ Mark of Excellence Awards
Crimson White – March 22
UA students are finalists in more than 10 categories for the Society of Professional Journalists’ Mark of Excellence Awards for collegiate journalists in Region 3. Students working for the student publications The Crimson White and Alpine Living and for Alabama Public Radio made it to the final round in categories spanning written prowess and multimedia skills. The University of Alabama was competing against groups from Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Business brief: Sigma Alpha Lambda
The Dispatch (Columbus, Mississippi) – March 22
Sigma Alpha Lambda is proud to announce that Anna Reed Hairston of Columbus has recently become recognized as a member of Sigma Alpha Lambda, National Leadership and Honors Organization at the University of Alabama. Sigma Alpha Lambda is a national leadership and honors organization dedicated to promoting and rewarding academic achievement and providing members with opportunities for community service, personal development and lifelong profession fulfillment. Congratulations to Anna Reed Hairston.
School News
The Destin Log (Florida) – March 22
Presbyterian College announces President’s List recipient … Destin students recognized at UA: Students during the 2017 fall semester at The University of Alabama were named to the Dean’s List with an academic record of 3.5 or above or the President’s List with an academic record of 4.0 (all A’s). The UA Dean’s and President’s lists recognize full-time undergraduate students.
Alabama Museum of Natural History to discuss Alabama’s biodiversity
Crimson White – March 22
What: Science Sunday – Alabama Biodiversity; Who: Alabama Museum of Natural History … Education Outreach Coordinator Allie Sorlie said Alabama is a special state thanks to its vast amount of biodiversity. “This program brings together experts from all over to help tell, to talk, and teach about all of the wonderful flora and fauna that we have not only in our backyard, but throughout the state,” Sorlie said.
The School Shooting Generation Has Had Enough
Longroom – March 22
No one thinks it will be easy. Gun violence in America is one of those problems that can feel truly hopeless. The U.S. has only 4.4% of the world’s population, yet it accounts for roughly 42% of the world’s guns, according to the comprehensive 2007 Small Arms Survey. And roughly 31% of the world’s mass shooters are American, according to a University of Alabama study.