Tag: Desktop News July 2017


UA to Use NSF Funding to Boost STEM Teachers in High Schools

From the July 2017 Desktop News | Researchers at The University of Alabama hope to place as many as 15 STEM teachers in area schools through a $1.95 million grant that will provide tuition assistance, enhanced teacher training, and robust salary supplements. UA was recently awarded a Developing Leaders in Science Teaching grant from the National Science Foundation to recruit college graduates from STEM disciplines to pursue master’s degrees and earn secondary teacher certifications at UA. “When they complete their master’s degrees, […]

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Chesapeake Bay Pollution Extends to Early 19th Century, UA Study Confirms

Heather Black, a UA graduate, collects oyster shells in the Chesapeake Bay as part of the research project. (Photo Courtesy of Dr. C. Fred T. Andrus.)

From the July 2017 Desktop News | Humans began negatively impacting water quality in the Chesapeake Bay in the first half of the 19th century, according to a study of eastern oysters by researchers at The University of Alabama. The work, published in Scientific Reports, shows pollution’s effect appears a bit earlier than previously thought. The study shows that using oyster shells from archeological sites is an effective way to measure the environmental impacts of waste input on estuaries, particularly levels of nitrogen […]

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Ancient Clam Species Named for Emeritus Geology Professor

Dr. Paul Aharon

From the July 2017 Desktop News | A newly discovered species of an ancient chemosynthetic clam was named after Dr. Paul Aharon, professor emeritus of geological sciences at UA. Two European scientists classified the fossil clam as Archivesica aharoni in a scientific article recently published in the Journal of Paleontology. The paper was written by Dr. Steffen Kiel, senior curator at the Swedish Museum of Natural History, and Dr. Marco Taviani, research director at the Institute of Marine Sciences in Bologna, Italy. “The species honors Paul Aharon, long-lasting friend and […]

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Breaking Ground in Dance through Film

Rebecca Salzer wins Presidential Research Award

From the July 2017 Desktop News | Upon entering Rebecca Salzer’s office, the first thing one might notice is a blue glass trophy sitting on her table. While lovely to look at, it also boasts an accomplishment earned by only a few UA faculty members each year. Salzer, an assistant professor of dance, received the President’s Faculty Research Award at UA’s annual Faculty Research Day which is meant to showcase research done by faculty in all fields. “Winning the award was really wonderful,” Salzer said. “All of the other finalists are unbelievable. […]

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UA Professor Featured in TLC Show “Who Do You Think You Are?”

Dr. Lesley Gordon helps actor Noah Wyle learn about his family history on an episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?"

From the July 2017 Desktop News | “Who Do You Think You Are?” This is the question actor Noah Wyle, known for his role in “ER,” set out to answer with the help of Dr. Lesley J. Gordon, the Charles G. Summersell Chair of Southern History at UA.  This popular television series follows celebrities as they search for information on their genealogical history. During Wyle’s episode of “Who Do You Think You Are?,” which aired on TLC earlier this year, Gordon helped […]

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Professor Awarded for Work in Poland

Dr. Marysia Galbraith, left, receives the Bronislaw Malinowski Social Sciences Award

From the July 2017 Desktop News | Anthropology and New College professor Dr. Marysia Galbraith recently returned from a trip to Poland, where she was awarded the Bronislaw Malinowski Social Sciences Award by The Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in America, or PIASA, at the organization’s annual conference. Galbraith was honored with the award for her book, Being and Becoming European in Poland: European Integration and Self-Identity. She started writing the book in 2011 after conducting 20 years of research, following […]

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