News – Page 82 – College of Arts & Sciences

Geologist Receives NSF CAREER Award to Study Volcanic Lightning

May 6, 2016

Dr. Kim Genareau saw this explosion first hand at the Santiaguito volcano in Guatemala.

From the May 2016 Desktop News |The National Science Foundation selected Dr. Kimberly Genareau, an assistant professor in the Department of Geological Sciences, for a CAREER Award, which will support five years of volcanic lightning research with more than $430,000. The multi-year award funds both basic research and the development of educational materials for children. Genareau will lead experiments to observe the chemical changes that occur in volcanic ash when struck by lightning by performing a series of triggered lightning […]

Distinguished University Research Professor Honored with Burnum Award

May 6, 2016

From the May 2016 Desktop News |Highly-regarded for his research, Dr. Arunava Gupta, Distinguished University Research Professor, is this year’s recipient of the Burnum Distinguished Faculty Award, one of the highest honors bestowed on professors at The University of Alabama. Gupta, who holds a joint appointment in UA’s College of Arts and Sciences and College of Engineering and is associate director of UA’s Center for Materials for Information Technology, is widely known for his expertise in investigating thin films and […]

UA Art and Art History Faculty Biennial Exhibition

May 4, 2016

The Sarah Moody Gallery of Art presents the University of Alabama Department of Art and Art History 2016 Faculty Biennial Exhibition, opening Tuesday, April 19 until Friday, May 27. The public is invited to attend the opening reception April 19 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Every two years, UA studio art faculty exhibit their ongoing research in art in a group show for the community. Gallery director and Associate Professor William Dooley produced the exhibition and comments, “With our […]

Tuscaloosa Five Years after the Storm

April 28, 2016

Satellite image of the path the 2011 Tornado took

When the devastating EF4 tornado ripped through Tuscaloosa five years ago, it left a 7.5 mile long path of destruction in its wake. Rosedale, University Place, Forest Lake, Cedar Crest, Wood Square/City Center, and Alberta City were some of the most heavily impacted areas, but in five years Tuscaloosa is on the rebound. The following images were captured via satellite remote sensing over the course of seven years, and they showcase how Tuscaloosa is not only recovering but growing. “Although […]

Musician Recognized Internationally

April 27, 2016

From the 2016 Celebrating Excellence | When Cynthia Simpson was 10 years old, she had no intention of becoming a professional musician—and certainly not a professional French horn player. She was in fifth grade at the time, and her father was the band director at her school. He needed horn players, so she played horn. She couldn’t have guessed that 15 years later, as a graduate student at The University of Alabama, she would be ranked the second best French […]

When Fame Breeds Infamy: Shooters Who Want Attention, a Growing Phenomenon

April 27, 2016

From the 2016 Celebrating Excellence | With at least two attention-driven mass shootings in the last year, it has never been more important to accurately understand the minds of killers—especially those who kill for fame. Dr. Adam Lankford, an associate professor in the Department of Criminal Justice, has been studying fame-seeking mass shooters since the aftermath of 9/11. In the past year, his research on the subject has been cited by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The […]

Communicating Over Coffee: Coffee Shop Restores Confidence after Brain Injury

April 27, 2016

From the 2016 Celebrating Excellence | Prior to her stroke, Nancy Taylor, a client at the Speech and Hearing Center at The University of Alabama, loved learning. She was social and vibrant, and then one day—the day she had her stroke—she lost her ability to talk. “I feel like I’ve had to do life over,” Taylor said. “People treated me like I was handicapped, but I’m just trying to find my words.” Taylor has aphasia, an acquired language disorder, and […]

A Leader’s Legacy: Bringing Life to Renaissance Literature

April 27, 2016

From the 2016 Celebrating Excellence |Four hundred years ago, at the age of 52, William Shakespeare died. He left behind a legacy of nearly 200 plays and sonnets, which students, scholars, actors, and directors have been reading, studying, and adapting ever since. In anticipation of the anniversary of his death on April 23, Dr. Sharon O’Dair, a professor of Shakespeare in the Department of English and director of UA’s Hudson Strode Program in Renaissance Studies, wondered why, after 400 years, […]

Protecting the Coosa: New College graduate leads environmental nonprofit

April 27, 2016

From the 2016 Celebrating Excellence | Growing up, Justinn Overton, a native of Birmingham, spent many of her Saturdays barely awake and fishing on Logan Martin Lake in the Coosa River system with her parents. “I have a distinct memory of feeling the wind on my face in this little john boat we had at the time and learning how to bait my own hook,” she said. Today, Overton, a 2010 New College graduate, is the executive director of Coosa […]

Beer in Your Bones: Geologist Reconstructs Past Civilizations Using Chemistry

April 26, 2016

From the 2016 Celebrating Excellence | Dr. Fred Andrus says he would never do this to you, but if he pulled one of your teeth, took it to his lab, and dissolved it, he could tell you about where you lived as a child. How? By analyzing isotopes, or variations of chemical elements. “Isotopes are used to detect everything from steroid use to the paths that medicines and nutrients take in your body,” said Andrus, a professor in the Department […]