UA Preview
MONDAY, MAY 21– SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
BEST BETS
FRUITS & VEGGIES – Local vendors will offer fruits, vegetables, baked goods, beef, pork, cut flowers, coffee and tea, eggs, homemade herbal teas, soap, canned goods and arts and crafts at the Homegrown Alabama Farmers Market Thursday, May 24, from 3-6 pm. The farmers market is held on the Canterbury Episcopal Chapel lawn, 812 5th Ave. on the UA campus Thursday afternoons from April through October. There will be face painting and other kid’s activities, free of charge. Local musicians will provide live music during the market that has become a campus and community favorite. Contact Lindsay Turner, market manager, at 205/210-9621, homegrownalabama@gmail.com and go to homegrownalabama.ua.edu. For assistance, contact Misty Mathews in media relations, 205/348-6416 or mmathews@ua.edu.
A BIG EVENT TO STUDY THE VERY SMALL – An academic conference brings more than 180 scientists from 12 countries who research materials at the atomic scale to UA this week. The International Field Emission Symposium, as the conference is called, is held every two years, and the last two were in Sydney, Australia, and Rouen, France. On May 20, colleagues in this specialized science convened in Alabama for a week-long conference, a strong statement on the growing research reputation of the University and the College of Engineering, organizers said. Contact Adam Jones, engineering public relations, at 205/348-6444 or acjones12@eng.ua.edu.
STUDENTS PARTNER WITH BLACK BELT – After spending the year studying issues affecting the Black Belt, a group of UA honors students temporarily moved there. The 30 students, living in Judson College residence halls from May 7-25, are spending their days working in Marion on more than a dozen projects they developed in partnership with community members. Projects range from renovating a batting cage at Douglas Moore Memorial Park, to working with area high-school students on ACT-preparation techniques to encouraging economic development by building web profiles of the county’s industrial sites. For more information, contact Chris Bryant in media relations, cbryant@ur.ua.edu, 205/348-8323 or Brianna Adams, 972/358-9551, bladams1@crimson.ua.edu, University Fellows Experience participant, and see this news release.
CREATIVE THINKING IN THE INTERIM – UA Interim Term, May 7-25, offers students the chance to enroll in classes offering innovative learning experiences that range from the fine arts to sport management to the more traditional business, science and humanities courses. Among the more than 100 2012 Interim courses are:Songcraft-The Art of Song-making, taught by Dr. Theodore Trost, ttrost@bama.ua.edu; Youtube Shakespeare, taught by Dr. Sharon O’Dair, sodair@bama.ua.edu; Traditional and Digital Storytelling, taught by Dr. Jamie Naidoo, jcnaidoo@slis.ua.edu; Food Writing, taught by Chip Brantley, chip.brantley@ua.edu; and Studies in Special Literature: Analysis of Popular Music, taught by Thomas Robinson,trobinson@music.ua.edu. For details, contact Linda Hill in media relations, 205/348-8325, lhill@ur.ua.edu.
UA STUDENTS SECURE MILLIONS IN TAX REFUNDS FOR ALABAMA FAMILIES – UA students recently worked at free tax preparation sites across the state to prepare more than 3,200 returns for working families, securing $5.8 million in tax refunds and saving almost $1 million in tax preparation fees. The efforts were part of the SaveFirst program – astatewide nonprofit tax preparation and financial literacy initiative sponsored by the UA Center for Ethics & Social Responsibility. Contact:Stephen Black, CESR director, stephen.black@ua.edu, 205/936-9963, and see http://uanews.ua.edu/2012/05/ua-students-secure-5-8-million-in-tax-refunds-for-alabama-families-through-savefirst-initiative/
EVENTS
NATIONAL PROFESSORS GATHER FOR SCIENCE CONFERENCE: Funded by the National Science Foundation and the UA Office of Research on Teaching in the Disciplines, the Bryant Conference Center at UA will host “Research Based Undergraduate Science Teaching: Investigating Reform in Classrooms: National conference II,” May 21-22. Presentations and panels include researchers from universities and colleges in more than 25 states and participation in discussion and work groups by all conference attendees from more than 40 universities. Contact Dennis Sunal, College of Education, at 205/348-7010 or dwsunal@bama.ua.edu.
LOOKING AHEAD
FILMING FOR HOLLYWOOD – A group of telecommunication and film students in Dr. Rachel Raimist’s summer telecommunication and film class will enjoy an opportunity straight out of Hollywood – literally. R&B star “Gifted,” who has previously shared the stage with such well-known artists as Ne-Yo and Brian McKnight, will travel to Tuscaloosa June 5-10 to record his “Superstar” music video with the students. Telecommunication and film students conceptualized and will direct and produce the video at locations in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. Raimist’s class, titled “Producing & Directing Music Videos and Live Events,” will be held during the Summer 1 session from May 29-June 26. Contact: Dr. Rachel Raimist, 205/348-8656, rraimist@ua.edu. For assistance, contact Misty Mathews in media relations, 205/348-6416 or mmathews@ua.edu.
COME TO THE CAFÉ – SummerTide Theatre, UA’s professional summer theatre, returns for its ninth year to the George C. Meyer Performing Arts Center, 2022 W. Second St. in Gulf Shores, with the revue “Smokey Joe’s Café: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller.” The show will be performed at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday from Friday, June 1, through Friday, June 29. The rock ‘n’ roll songs of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller come alive in this production. Their songs include “Hound Dog,” “On Broadway,” “Charlie Brown,” “Love Potion No. 9,” “Jailhouse Rock”and “Yakety Yak.” Tickets may be bought online at SummerTide.org. Starting May 28, patrons may buy tickets by phone or in person at the Gulf Shores box office, which is open from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. The box office phone number is 251/968-6721. Tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for children younger than 12. Contact: Christopher Montpetit, 205/348-3844 or cmmontpetit@as.ua.edu
WRITING CAMP – Area high-school students will take part in the 2012 Creative Writing Camp May 28-June 8, weekdays from 1-4 p.m. in 301 Morgan Hall. The students will have the opportunity to experiment with different forms of writing, including fiction, nonfiction and poetry. They will also give a public reading and create their own publication. Contact: Ashley Chambers, program director, cwc@bama.ua.edu,www.bama.ua.edu/~cwc