Research – Page 37 – College of Arts & Sciences

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 […]

Classics Professor to Translate Rare Religious Texts from Latin to English

October 1, 2012

A volume of commentaries on the Bible written in Latin by Protestant reformers in the 16th Century will soon be translated for the first time into English by Dr. Kirk Summers, professor of Classics in the Department of Modern Languages and Classics. Summers has been asked to serve as Latin translator for a soon to be published volume of the texts that were written by historic authors who are not well-known to modern readers. “These volumes will make available texts […]

Biology Students Win Top Honors at Water Conservation Conference

October 1, 2012

Two doctoral students in the College’s Department of Biological Sciences recently presented at the 26th Annual Alabama Water Resources Conference and brought home top honors for their oral presentations. Suja Rajan and Nikaela Flournoy won first and second place, respectively, at the conference held in Orange Beach. The annual event is a forum about understanding and improving complex issues related to water resources. Both Rajan and Flourney have been researching the short- and long-term effects to coastal Alabama due to […]

Biology Professor Teams Up with Surgeon in New Approach to Pain Treatment

September 1, 2012

A chronic pain condition and numerous gastrointestinal disorders may all be caused by a virus. That’s a Tuscaloosa-based surgeon’s theory likely headed for a clinical trial early next year and one drawing support from Dr. Carol Duffy, an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. The two are teaming up to conduct a clinical trial that will test the effectiveness of a combination of two drugs in treating fibromyalgia. Duffy is serving as the chief scientific advisor for Innovative […]

Geography Students and Faculty Study Hurricane Isaac

September 1, 2012

Just as the winds and rain were at their peak during Hurricane Isaac’s wrath, several College students were in the thick of it all for the sake of science. Under the guidance of Dr. Jason Senkbeil, an assistant professor in the Department of Geography, students measured wind speeds in New Orleans just as Isaac made landfall on August 29. Three of his students were captured by Associated Press photographers and images of the students in full raingear appeared online with […]

Chemistry Program Brings Next Generation of Chemists to UA

August 31, 2012

A summer program in the College, funded by the National Science Foundation, is helping train the next generation of chemists and scientific researchers. The Department of Chemistry hosted its Research Experiences for Undergraduates program this summer under the direction of Dr. John Vincent, professor of chemistry, and Dr. Stephen Woski, associate professor of chemistry. Top undergraduate students with strong backgrounds in chemistry are invited to come to the UA campus for 10 weeks during the summer to work with UA […]

Music Professor Awarded Grant for Jazz Ensemble

August 1, 2012

Dr. Andrew Raffo Dewar, an assistant professor in the School of Music and New College, was awarded a New Jazz Works Commissioning and Ensemble Development Grant from Chamber Music America in the amount of $20,500. He was among 10 composers and ensembles selected for awards from a pool of 167 applicants by independent review panels of musicians and presenters. Dewar will use the grant to compose, perform and record a new book of compositions for his San Francisco Bay Area-based […]

Geological Sciences Professor Wins NSF CAREER Award

July 31, 2012

Dr. Samantha Hansen, an assistant professor in the Department of Geological Sciences, was awarded a $715,000 CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation to study a new approach to investigating the seismic velocity structure beneath Antarctica. These awards are NSF’s most prestigious recognition of top-performing young scientists beginning their careers. Hansen, who joined the College’s faculty in 2010, works in the field of earthquake seismology. Her five-year NSF grant will fund an expedition to deploy a new seismic operation in […]