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MONDAY, APRIL 2 – SUNDAY, APRIL 8   

RESEARCH

AUTISM RESEARCHERS RECRUITING PARTICIPANTS FOR INNOVATIVE PROJECTUA’s Center for the Prevention of Youth Behavior Problems will soon begin recruiting Tuscaloosa-area youth with autism spectrum disorder for SENSE Theatre, a unique intervention research program that uses well-established behavioral approaches alongside creative theatrical techniques designed to improve the social and emotional abilities of children with an autism spectrum disorder. UA is one of three universities to receive a $1 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health for the project. For more information, contact David Miller, UA Strategic Communications, at 205-348-0825 or david.c.miller@ua.edu.

UA RESEARCHER AWARDED USDA GRANT TO IMPROVE FLAVOR QUALITY IN FOODS — Dr. Lingyan Kong, UA assistant professor in the department of human nutrition and hospitality management, was recently awarded a $425,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture to research and improve flavor use efficiency and stability in foods using supramolecular starch-flavor structures. Through his research, Kong has invented a cost-efficient method to produce the supramolecular structures, and he recently started the process of having his composition and method patented. For more information, contact Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, at 205-348-8325 or bryant.welbourne@ua.edu.

BEST BETS

TAPPING ON THE MOUND – UA will recognize the achievement of outstanding students and faculty during Honors Week, April 2-6, culminating in the Tapping on the Mound ceremony on Honors Day. The ceremony, a tradition since the early 1900s, will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday, April 6, on the Mound at the west side of the UA Quad. The rain location will be Morgan Auditorium. University honor groups Omicron Delta Kappa, Mortar Board, Blue Key National Honor Society and Anderson Society will induct members. For more information, contact Richard LeComte, communications, at richard.lecomte@ua.edu or 205-348-3782.

NURSING PROFESSOR RECEIVES BURNUM AWARD – Dr. Marietta Stanton, a professor in UA’s Capstone College of Nursing, is the recipient of the 2017-18 Burnum Distinguished Faculty Award, one of the highest honors bestowed on professors at UA. She will be recognized as the Burnum Distinguished Faculty Award recipient during an April 9 ceremony at 4:30 p.m. in room 1012 of the Capstone College of Nursing. The ceremony is open to the public. For more information, contact Rosemary Russell, UA Capstone College of Nursing, at 205-348-7429 or rurussell@ua.edu, or contact Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, at 205-348-8325 or bryant.welbourne@ua.edu.

MAKING NEWS

EARTHQUAKES STEADILY INCREASING – On Feb. 26, Papua New Guinea experienced a 7.5 magnitude earthquake from which it is still recovering. Since then, the country has experienced multiple earthquakes, including another major earthquake – a 6.9 – March 29. In the past two decades, mid-level (5.0-6.0) to large-level (above 6.0) earthquakes have dramatically and steadily increased worldwide, and, in 2018, that trend is estimated to continue. What is going on? Why are mid and large-level earthquakes increasing? Dr. Ibrahim Cemen, a UA professor of geology, is available for comment. For assistance, contact Jamon Smith, UA Strategic Communications, at 205-348-4956 or jamon.smith@ua.edu, or contact Cemen directly at 205-348-8019 or icemen@ua.edu.

TRUMP PASSES BUDGET THAT FUNDS PLANNED PARENTHOOD – President Donald Trump signed a $1.3 trillion budget that includes $51 million in funding for Planned Parenthood, an agency Trump promised he would defund in 2016. Why would a president who claims to be pro-life fund a pro-choice organization that he specifically said he wouldn’t fund? Dr. Stephen Borrelli, a UA political science professor specializing in American politics, is available to the media to offer his expertise on the subject. For more information, contact Jamon Smith, UA Strategic Communications, at jamon.smith@ua.edu or 205-348-4956, or contact Borrelli directly at 205-292-3264 or sborrell@bama.ua.edu.

FBI SAYS HATE CRIMES RISING – The FBI earlier released hate crime statistics showing a significant increase in these offenses over the past few years. The crimes are primarily motivated by racism, followed by religious bias and, lastly, sexual orientation bias. Dr. Adam Ghazi-Tehrani, an assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice who specializes in hate crime, is available to offer his expertise on the subject. He can be reached at akghazitehrani@ua.edu or 916-300-3860. For assistance, contact Jamon Smith, UA Strategic Communications, at 205-348-4956 or jamon.smith@ua.edu.

TRUMP EXPELS RUSSIAN DIPLOMATS — President Donald Trump has kicked out 60 Russian diplomats in response to Russia’s alleged poisoning of an ex-spy in Britain. This is the strongest action the Trump administration has taken against Russia. The U.S. joins more than two-dozen other Western countries in doing so, which is the most Russian diplomats expelled from Western countries since the Cold War. Russia has since replied in kind. What does this potentially mean for the U.S.? Dr. Richard Fording, a UA political science professor specializing in public policy, is available to the media to offer commentary. For more information, contact Jamon Smith, UA Strategic Communications, at jamon.smith@ua.edu or 205-348-4956, or contact Fording directly at rcfording@as.ua.edu or 205-348-5528.

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EVENTS

UA STUDENTS TO HOST ROCKETRY CHALLENGE FOR SIXTH GRADERS – Two student engineering groups, Alabama Rocketry Association and Alabama Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, are getting children involved in the world of engineering with their annual rocketry challenge. The Tuscaloosa Rocketry Challenge will be held at noon Friday, April 6, on UA’s outdoor recreation fields. The water rockets are launched from an air-pressurized pad and shot across the field. Each rocket is judged by the distance it traveled. In the challenge, 88 teams made up of 350 sixth grade students will compete. The students represent 11 middle schools in the Tuscaloosa County and City school systems. For more information, contact Alana Norris, engineering communications, 205-348-6444 or anorris@eng.ua.edu.

UA TO HOLD K-12 ROBOTICS COMPETITION – Kindergarten through 12th grade students from across the state will put their computer programming skills to the test at the Alabama Robotics Competition. The eighth annual competition, hosted by the computer science department of UA’s College of Engineering, will take place Saturday, April 7, at the Bryant Conference Center. There are 60 teams made up of 257 students competing from 38 schools across Alabama. The contest features a series of obstacle courses that must be navigated by each teams’ programmed robot over a three-hour period. More than $5,500 in prizes and awards will be given to the top four teams in each division. The three-hour competition will begin about noon.  For more information, contact Alana Norris, engineering communications, 205-348-6444 or anorris@eng.ua.edu.