Fulbright Awards

Five UA faculty receive Fulbright Awards: Tuscaloosa Patch – May 1

Five University of Alabama faculty members have received Fulbright awards for educators to teach and research around the globe.

Van de Graaf Park

Something permanent and real: UA artists add public art to trail: Tuscaloosa Patch – May 1

Craig Wedderspoon’s artwork was found in many public spaces in 2021, when the Tuscaloosa Parks and Recreation Authority staff reached out to him about a new project close to home. Would Wedderspoon, professor of sculpture, and his students in the department of art and art history at UA create work complementing the Van de Graaff Park planned eco trail? 

Political Violence

Introduction to expert statements on democracy and political violence, submitted to January 6th House select committee: Just Security – May 1

During the course of the January 6th House Select Committee’s work, investigative staff received dozens of statements from leading experts in law, academia, and other research. Although only some of these expert statements were ultimately cited in the Select Committee’s hearings and final report, many others helped to contextualize our work as we sought to uncover the full truth behind the attack on our democracy… Editor’s note: The expert statements on this topic are listed below and also available at Just Security’s January 6th Clearinghouse… Nicholas T. Davis (Assistant Professor, The University of Alabama)… “President Trump’s Rhetoric Undermined Confidence in Elections Among His Supporters” 

Alabama Cemetery Preservation Alliance

OAHS hosts workshop on Alabama Cemetery Preservation at Ivy Creek Methodist Church: Elmore-Autauga News – May 1

The Old Autauga Historical Society hosted the annual meeting and workshop of the Alabama Cemetery Preservation Alliance this weekend at Ivy Creek United Methodist Church and Mallard’s Chapel in west Autauga County. During the two-day event members learned how to safely clean and restore cemetery headstones and gravestones. The University of Alabama Office of Archaeological Research group through its ground penetrating radar device helped locate unmarked graves in the cemeteries of both churches.

Mass Shootings

Serbia sees back-to-back mass shootings, a rarity outside the US: New York Times – May 3

But the United States, with its high rate of gun ownership, remains an outlier when it comes to gun violence. From 1966 to 2012, Americans accounted for 31 percent of the assailants in mass shootings worldwide, according to a 2016 study by Adam Lankford, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at The University of Alabama. The study found that among countries with more than 10 million people, only Yemen had a higher frequency of mass shootings per capita.
The Seattle Times
DNYUZ
Bangkok Post
Heromag.net
…and many more

Seditious Conspiracy

Proud Boys members convicted of seditious conspiracy – 3 essential reads on the group and right-wing extremist white nationalism: The Conversation – May 4

Who are the Proud Boys and what do they want? “Proud Boys have identified themselves as ‘Western chauvinists’ who focus on opposing political correctness and white guilt. But these claims have generally been seen as cover for deeper racist and antisemitic sentiments,” wrote criminology scholars Matthew Valasik at The University of Alabama and Shannon Reid at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. “[T]he more committed members of these and other extreme right-wing groups believe that the U.S. government, as currently constituted, is illegitimate and should be overthrown and replaced with one that is based on white supremacy,” they wrote.
El Obrero
Houston Chronicle
Chron
MySanAntonio.com
…and many more

Spring Commencement

Commencement weekend held at UA: CBS 42 – May 6

The long hours of studying, sometimes difficult assignments and even a global pandemic paid off for graduates at The University of Alabama who walk across the stage and received their diplomas Saturday. Family and friends gathered inside of Coleman Coliseum Saturday to support their loved ones as they complete this journey in their scholastic endeavors.
CBS 42 (web)
The Tuscaloosa News
WVUA