Category: Research

News about Research


Six Undergraduate Researchers Recognized

Students Honored by Randall Outstanding Research Award Program From the June 2013 Desktop News | Six College of Arts and Sciences students were recognized recently for their undergraduate research with UA’s Randall Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award Program. Jonathan Belanich, a junior from Lindenhurst, N.Y., studied the metabolism of certain species of tarantulas and scorpions. His research focused on how environmental conditions such as temperature change and different food types can impact the arachnids. Belanich formulated the idea with guidance from Dr. Stephen […]

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Grant Furthers Armed Conflict Research

Political Science Professor Receives Grant to Investigate Armed Conflicts From the June 2013 Desktop News | With the help of a $236,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, a professor in the College will collect data from the last 200 years to develop information about international conflicts that may aid scientists in making predictions about future conflicts. Dr. Douglas M. Gibler, a professor in the Department of Political Science, will use the grant to collect and code data about armed conflict between […]

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College Students Earn Fellowships

Three Students with Ties to the College Are NSF Graduate Research Fellows From the May 2013 Desktop News | More than 13,000 graduate students applied for the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program. Seven of those selected represented The University of Alabama and three of those have ties to the College of Arts and Sciences. Jennifer S. Anders, a graduate student in the Department of Biological Sciences, and Jordyn L. Johnson, a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry, were selected […]

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Elemental Ecocriticism

English Department Hosts 30th Lit Symposium The College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of English and the Hudson Strode Program in Renaissance Studies will host the 30th Alabama Symposium on English and American Literature April 25-27, 2013. This year’s symposium is titled “Elemental Ecocriticism.” Sharon O’Dair, Hudson Strode Professor of English and director of the Hudson Strode Program in Renaissance Studies, said the event will focus on ecocriticism, “a field of inquiry that examines literary representations of the natural world […]

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Event Showcases Faculty Research

Researchers, Scholars Will Present Work at April 23 Conference  College of Arts and Sciences faculty will present their work on a variety of research and scholarly topics at the College of Arts and Sciences 2013 Academies Conference, Tuesday, April 23, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. in the Birmingham Room of the Bryant Conference Center, 40 Paul W Bryant Dr., adjacent to the UA campus. The presentations focus on research that has received funding from the College of Arts and Sciences Academy […]

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Algae Research Receives NSF Funds

College Biologist Earns $2.7 Million in NSF Funding for Green Algae Research From the April 2013 Desktop News | Dr. Juan Lopez-Bautista, an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, has built a career studying algae. He is now the principal investigator in a $2.76 million National Science Foundation research project designed to discover and describe various types of green algae. Lopez and his research team hope to develop a comprehensive understanding of these microscopic organisms, including how scientists believe they fit […]

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Can Information Beat Chronic Pain?

Psychologists Say Improving Health Literacy Can Help Patients Treat, Manage Pain From the April 2013 Desktop News | Chronic pain can be managed by developing alternative ways of thinking and perceiving it through cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). But in the health care system patients with a low literacy or educational level experience a disadvantage in learning and using these techniques. Dr. Beverly E. Thorn, chair of the Department of Psychology, will work to make this type of treatment more accessible as the leader […]

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Clam Shells Tell Ancient Story

Geologist Researches Climate-Induced Downfall of Advanced Civilization From the April 2013 Desktop News | Analyses of clam shells used in ancient funeral ceremonies offer additional evidence as to how climate change may have contributed to the gradual collapse of an early South American civilization, according to Dr. Fred Andrus, an associate professor in the Department of Geological Sciences. His research, which was published online in the scientific journal Geology, indicates El Niño, a temporary, cyclical change in the Pacific Ocean’s circulation, and an […]

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Scientists Hold Diversity Conference

UA Chemistry Department to Host STEM Diversity Awareness Conference The University of Alabama’s chemistry department will host a day-long symposium featuring research contributions of faculty who are traditionally underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Saturday, April 27, symposium will be held from 10 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. in 1093 Shelby Hall. The event’s goal is to “to increase the appreciation of diversity, to encourage students from diverse backgrounds to pursue education in fields in which […]

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Violence Unchained

History professor’s new book tells true story of pre-Civil War violence Django Unchained’s recent Oscar success has again put a spotlight on the film’s controversial subject matter, which depicts slavery in the pre-Civil War South with a high level of graphic violence. History professor Dr. Joshua Rothman says that while the violence in the film was obviously designed to shock and entertain, it’s not an unfair depiction of the era. “The notion that a single person, white or black, could […]

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