Debate Proliferation
New York Times – Aug. 10
…David Lanoue, a specialist in televised presidential debates (he’s also chairman of the political science department at the University of Alabama), said he was initially surprised this year that all of the candidates, particularly the front-runners, kept coming to all these events. But he said he understood why. “For Hillary, it is the best of all possible worlds,” he said…

Riley: Black Belt-like initiative will help rural areas
Tuscaloosa News – Aug. 10
… the launch of the West Alabama Rural Action Commission, one of eight regional groups modeled after the Black Belt Action Commission…Samory Pruitt, vice president for community affairs at the University of Alabama, is heading the education committee. “I think all of us on this committee recognize the power of education in changing people’s lives," Pruitt said. “I think, clearly, school readiness will be an issue.” He said that curriculum enhancements, school safety and motivating students are likely focal points of the committee…

Education Briefs
Birmingham News – Aug. 10
The University of Alabama's summer commencement ceremonies will be Saturday at 9 a.m. in Coleman Coliseum on the UA campus…

Children First: Engineering a Career
WTOK (Miss.) – Aug. 10
Thanks to funding from the University of Alabama, students in Sumter County are getting a head start on preparing for a profitable career…

The scoop
Tuscaloosa News – Aug. 10
…The National Institute for Materials Science honored William Butler, director of UA’s Center for Materials for Information Technology, or MINT, with the NIMS Award for Recent Breakthroughs in Materials Science and Technology at its annual conference in Tsukuba, Japan, held July 11-13…

First PACT family sends daughter to UA
The first family in Alabama to sign up for the state PACT program is sending their daughter to The University of Alabama this fall. Kristin Sutton will use her PACT at UA.
WAKA (Montgomery) – Aug. 9
WSFA (Montgomery) – Aug. 9