Category: News

Articles about news in the College, from student and faculty accomplishments to research advances, new academic programs, and the impact of giving.

Art Program Brings College Students and Elementary Students Together with Creativity

November 9, 2012

A new program known as Arts Renaissance in Tuscaloosa Schools (ARTS), is being spearheaded by faculty and students in the College and aims to share the creative resources generated at The University of Alabama with Tuscaloosa elementary schools. ARTS, which involves a multitude of arts-related workshops, is led by Dr. Marysia Galbraith, an associate professor in New College and the Department of Anthropology. Currently, the program is offered at Woodland Forest Elementary School and Matthews Elementary School. Volunteers from the […]

College Physicist Collaborates with UA Scientists to Seek New Source of Magnetism as World Supply Ebbs

November 3, 2012

Dr. Patrick LeClair, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and fellow researchers in UA’s Center for Materials for Information Technology (MINT), have been researching alternative materials to produce magnets. Their research is a response to the growing concern in the scientific community that the supply of naturally magnetic materials will not keep up with demand. Magnets are used in nearly all electronic devices such as computers, cellphones, and medical appliances. And although these appliances are in […]

Chip Cooper to Participate in Miami Book Fair with Prominent Photographer

November 1, 2012

Chip Cooper, a well-known photographer and faculty member in the College, will participate in the Miami Book Fair this month alongside Brian Smith, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer noted for photographing celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Sara Jessica Parker, George Clooney, and many more. Cooper will be promoting his book La Habana Vieja/Old Havana, which chronicles his collaboration with Cuban photographer Néstor Martí as part of the Alabama Cuba Initiative. The book, which was produced by the […]

Fishing for Uranium

November 1, 2012

UA Professor Researches Unlikely Resource in the Uranium Extraction Process More common than silver, tin, or mercury, uranium is found nearly everywhere on Earth — yet it is often difficult to obtain. On land, uranium mining is damaging to the environment and risky for workers. And though the world’s oceans contain some 4.6 billion tons of uranium, the element is found in very low concentrations there, making it expensive to collect. But a UA chemistry professor has developed a cheap, […]

American Studies Professor Had a Passion for Pop Culture

October 15, 2012

He was known for his laid-back Age of Aquarius demeanor, his delight in American culture, and the cards he sent to friends far and wide each year on Valentine’s Day. Dr. James M. Salem, professor emeritus in the Department of American Studies, died unexpectedly on July 6, 2012, following routine surgery. He served the department for more than 40 years and continued to teach in the College following his retirement from The University of Alabama in 2008. Salem joined the […]

Astronomer Works to Change Public Perceptions of Science

October 12, 2012

Astronomy professor Dr. Bill Keel is a man with a mission. He’s heavily involved in the Galaxy Zoo Project, which encourages citizens around the world (with or without scientific experience) to evaluate photos taken by the Hubble Telescope. Galaxy Zoo is unique in that millions of people across the globe are encouraged to examine and even classify millions of galaxies. In 2007, Hanny’s Voorwep (an astronomical oddity roughly the size of the Milky Way) was discovered by novice astronomer Hanny […]

Alabama Student Explores Centuries-Old Silk Road Caves

October 12, 2012

Meng Tong of UA enjoyed the opportunity of a lifetime when she was offered a trip this summer to visit Dunhuang, China to research the Mogao Caves. Tong, a grad student of art history, stayed for a week in June to study the artwork found in the caves. “Paintings cover every corner of the caves,” she says, “the iconic images of the Buddha, bodhisattva and popular native Chinese deities, narratives of the life of Shakyamuni and Buddhist scriptures, as well […]

Philosophy Today Lecturer Revisits “The Problem of Consciousness”

October 1, 2012

“The Problem of Consciousness Revisited,” will be discussed by Dr. Frank Jackson, the second speaker in the 2012-2013 Philosophy Today Lecture Series, which brings well known philosophers to campus to lecture on various topics. He will review some of his research on consciousness that has been very influential in the philosophy community. Jackson, a leading philosopher of the mind, wrote the article “Epiphenomenal Qualia,” in a 1982 edition of Philosophical Quarterly that was remarkably influential. It stated that the mind could […]

Psychologists Study “Time Flies When You’re Having Fun” Phenomenon

October 1, 2012

Do you ever wonder why time seems to pass faster when you are doing something enjoyable? A new study, published by two researchers in the College’s Department of Psychology, suggests that the feeling that time is somehow shorter seems to be the specific result of a desire to approach or pursue something, not a more general effect of heightened attention or physiological arousal. The results of the study are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological […]

UA’s Poetry Press to Present Annual Festival

October 1, 2012

From the Black Warrior Review to high-ranking M.F.A. programs, UA’s literary chops regularly receive national recognition. Slash Pine Press is the latest addition. Launched in 2009 by Dr. Patti White, a professor, and Joseph Wood, an instructor, both in the Department of English, Slash Pine Press offers students a hands-on opportunity to conceive and create literary projects, including an annual festival showcasing undergraduate and established writers. How hands-on is the experience? Slash Pine’s student interns design, promote, and hand-stitch the […]