Southeastern Conference leverages sports to highlight its universities’ off-the-field achievements
Inside Higher Ed – Nov. 13
For many people, the Southeastern Conference conjures up images of a packed stadium of exuberant fans cheering on their favorite football team. Although SEC athletic accomplishments tend to garner the national spotlight, the conference is also busy creating unique initiatives to champion the academic achievements of its 14 member universities. . . . Kim Bissell is an associate dean for research in the college of communication and information science at the University of Alabama, where she also serves as a professor. Bissell, who oversees departmental research and funding, applied to the SEC leadership program in 2013 to address challenges associated with her work. “When I came in as dean, I’d spoken with our associate chair, but I didn’t have a ton of exposure within the bigger picture of administration,” Bissell says. “I applied (to the leadership program) to gain a broader understanding of how it all works from the top down. What are the different pieces that come together in terms of strategic communication, development and finance? If you have a plan, how do you execute it from start to finish?”
Uber Rewards Loyalty Program Gives Perks to Power Users
Wired – Nov. 14
For a service that’s meant to be easy to use, Uber can be awful stressful … The question is whether this sort of program can keep Uber ahead of the pack. A quick glance at the airline industry confirms that the advantage that comes with this kind of program is hard to sustain. “I don’t think rewards programs are that great a competitive advantage,” says Rob Morgan, who studies marketing, competition, and customer loyalty at the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business, because they’re so easy to imitate.
F3 News – Nov. 14
Cannabis companies are paying federal taxes in cash and it’s giving the IRS a headache
QZ.com – Nov. 14
Marijuana is now legal, in one form or another, in 33 US states and the District of Columbia. To the federal government, pot is still a drug classified no differently than heroin or cocaine. Yet cannabis businesses are still required to pay federal taxes. (More taxes than most, as Quartz’s Ephrat Livni pointed out last year.) … For this reason alone, the federal government would much rather businesses paid their taxes electronically, says Julie Hill, a law professor at the University of Alabama who is an expert on how banking regulations affect the legal marijuana industry.
Mind, brain and education PD app gets $1M boost from Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Education Dive – Nov. 14
Dive Brief … And last week, the University of Alabama announced that it is creating the state’s first educational neuroscience program, open to undergraduates in fall 2020. Courses will cover topics such as how people learn math, reading and language, as well as methods like neuroimaging and electrophysiology.
UA, Auburn students compete to raise blood donations
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 14
The Alabama-Auburn rivalry is being used to encourage blood donations before the holiday season. Students in Tuscaloosa and Auburn gathered at their respective student centers this week to give blood in a friendly competition to see which school can collect the most pints … Blood drive organizers hoped to use school pride at the University of Alabama and Auburn University to boost donations and save lives.
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Nov. 14
HOT BLAST: A University of Alabama law professor takes on Amendment 2
Anniston Star – Nov. 14
In light of Alabama voters’ approval last week of Amendment 2, here are a few facts coming from Ronald J. Krotoszynski Jr., a law professor at the University of Alabama and author of “Reclaiming the Petition Clause.”
6 environmental films at Princess on Thursday
Decatur Daily – Nov. 14
Six short films about the environment and human impact on the future will be shown at the Princess Theatre on Thursday at 6 p.m. Wild South is bringing the films from the University of Alabama’s Honors College “The Road to Restoration: Our Path to a Sustainable Tomorrow.”
Mississippi Senator’s ‘Public Hanging’ Remark Draws Backlash Before Runoff
New York Times – Nov. 12
With her arm around a cattle rancher, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, Republican of Mississippi, drew laughter and applause at a recent campaign event when she gushed about how highly she thought of him: “If he invited me to a public hanging, I’d be on the front row.” … Paul Reed, a University of Alabama professor who specializes in the sociolinguistic history of Southern and Appalachian English varieties, said that the phrase first appeared in written works in the United States in the mid-1800s and that its usage peaked during the civil rights era in the 20th century.
Hattiesburg American – Nov. 14
Dance Alabama! benefits from art grant
Crimson White – Nov. 15
For her first semester, Erin Delamer had the opportunity to use Dance Alabama! as a creative outlet for her talent. The campus organization was a recent benefactor of a series of grants given by the Arts Council of Tuscaloosa.
ReadBAMARead donates $25K to city schools
Crimson White – Nov. 15
To Dan Duckworth, UA head gymnastics coach, Tuscaloosa is noteworthy because of its devoted community support.
University offers community support after shooting
Crimson White – Nov. 15
Though Pittsburgh may seem far away, to the Tuscaloosa Jewish community, the physical distance doesn’t matter … Temple Emanu-El and Bama Hillel organized a candlelight vigil for the victims Tuesday, Oct. 30.
Criminal Justice Department to host alumni panel
Crimson White – Nov. 13
The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice will host an Alumni Career Forum that will focus on private industry careers.