Category: Desktop News

Articles featured in Desktop News, a monthly e-newsletter of the College of Arts and Sciences


Why History Matters

From the May 2015 Desktop News | What would Dr. John Beeler say to a group of students if it were his last time addressing them? That history matters. “It isn’t rote memorization of dry-as-dust facts and dates,” said Beeler, a professor in the Department of History. “History is about ideas. It’s about how we make sense of the past as it relates to our own lives and circumstances.” He explored this conviction in depth at the 2015 Last Lecture […]

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Student Named Goldwater Scholar

From the May 2015 Desktop News | Courtney Rentas, a biology and psychology major from Naperville, Illinois, has been named a Goldwater Scholar for 2015-2016. She was among 260 Goldwater Scholars selected from 1,206 nominees nationwide. The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program recognizes top-performing mathematics, science and engineering students nationwide through one- and two-year scholarships that cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and lodging up to $7,500 a year. UA is No. 1 in the United States for its […]

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Trudier Harris Named Distinguished Professor

From the May 2015 Desktop News | Dr. Trudier Harris, professor in the Department of English, has been named a University Distinguished Research Professor by The University of Alabama Board of Trustees. This designation recognizes UA faculty who have achieved international accomplishments in their field and have been given extensive peer recognition for their scholarly contributions and noteworthy academic service. An Alabama native, Harris is one of the nation’s top scholars in African-American and Southern literature and cultural theory. To […]

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14 Graduates Receive Fulbright Awards

From the May 2015 Desktop News | A record 14 University of Alabama graduates have won Fulbright awards for 2015-2016. All are alumni of the College of Arts and Sciences. Thirteen UA graduates won awards as teaching assistants to conduct research and teach abroad, and one UA graduate received a Fulbright research award. The highly competitive Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for individual research projects and for English teaching assistantships. More than 11,000 applicants compete for approximately 1,500 awards […]

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‘Cast Party’ Arty Party

From the April 2015 Desktop News | All-inclusive Caribbean getaways; collectibles autographed by Nick Saban and former Crimson Tide football starters; and priceless memorabilia from New York City’s famed Tavern on the Green restaurant are just a few of the one-of-a-kind items that will be auctioned at the 11th annual Arty Party fundraiser hosted by the Leadership Board in The University of Alabama’s College of Arts and Sciences. The event, “Cast Party,” will be held Friday, April 17 at 6 […]

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Arizumi Named Director of National Association

From the April 2015 Desktop News | Dr. Koji Arizumi, director of UA’s Critical Languages Center in the Department of Modern Languages and Classics and an instructor of Japanese language and literature, has been named executive director of the National Association of Self-Instructional Language Programs. As director, Arizumi will manage operations and promote the activities of the organization. The National Association of Self-Instructional Language Programs, or NASILP, includes more than 50 member institutions and helps students realize proficiency in less […]

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College Establishes New Academic Minors

From the April 2015 Desktop News | Two interdisciplinary minors focused on burgeoning academic fields have been created and can be pursued by students beginning in fall 2015. The first, cybercrime, will combine classes on the technical aspects of thwarting cyber attacks and processing digital forensic evidence with classes on understanding criminal motivations. The second, Latin American, Caribbean and Latino studies, will allow students to explore the social, cultural, linguistic, political, economic and biological diversity of nations that make up […]

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A&S Receives Top Honors

From the April 2015 Desktop News | Students and faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences won five of the eight Premier Awards given annually by the University. The awards are UA’s top individual honors for scholarship, leadership and service. Jason Arterburn, senior, interdisciplinary studies in New College and economics Jason Arterburn was awarded the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award recognizing excellence of character and service to humanity. Arterburn has received the prestigious Harry S. Truman and David L. Boren […]

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Tennessee Williams Tribute

From the March 2015 Desktop News | UA theatre students performed dramatic readings from the plays of Tennessee Williams March 2-3 as part of a tribute to Williams and his friendship with Dr. Marian Gallaway, longtime professor of theatre at UA. Gallaway and Williams met in 1938 and became lifelong friends. The two-night tribute included performances in Demopolis and Tuscaloosa, including a performance in UA’s Marian Gallaway Theatre, which was named after Gallaway in 1976. The performances were sponsored by […]

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Historian Awarded Botstiber Fellowship

From the March 2015 Desktop News | Dr. Janek Wasserman, assistant professor in the Department of History, has received a fellowship from the Botstiber Institute for Austrian-American Studies that is allowing him to spend the current semester and summer of 2015 conducting research abroad for his next book, tentatively titled “From Coffeehouse to Tea Party: An Intellectual History of the Austrian School of Economics.” The book follows the story of one of the most important schools of 20th-century economic thought, […]

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