Desktop News September 2016 – College of Arts & Sciences

UA Researcher Helps Unlock Biodiversity Mystery

September 12, 2016

A sample of green algae collected from the Gulf of Mexico.

From the September 2016 Desktop News | The discovery of a deep-water seaweed that evolved into a multicellular plant more than 540 million years ago has added a new branch to the tree of life, according to a biologist at The University of Alabama. Dr. Juan Lopez-Bautista, professor of biological sciences at UA, co-wrote a study of algae collected from the Gulf of Mexico that revealed a significantly different cellular structure than first believed. The finding, published in Scientific Reports, details the […]

Researchers Bring HIV Education to Parolees and Probationers

September 12, 2016

From the September 2016 Desktop News | Due to overcrowding in Alabama prisons, the state recently began diverting felons with lesser charges into parole and probation programs. One unexpected outcome, however, was that these convicted offenders, who fall in a higher risk bracket for HIV, no longer had access to the HIV education classes routinely offered in prison. Wanting to close this educational gap and bring free HIV testing to those willing to participate, Dr. Bronwen Lichtenstein, UA professor of criminal justice, […]

UA Appoints New Summersell Chair and Director of Hudson Strode Program

September 12, 2016

From the September 2016 Desktop News | The College of Arts and Sciences welcomes the new Charles Grayson Summersell Endowed Chair of Southern History and the new director of the Hudson Strode Program in Renaissance Studies. Charles Grayson Summersell Endowed Chair of Southern History Dr. Lesley Jill Gordon, former professor of history at the University of Akron, is the new Charles Grayson Summersell Endowed Chair of Southern History at The University of Alabama. The Summersell Chair endowment was established in 1997 by […]

Recent Graduate Bikes across America for Culmination of Senior Project

September 12, 2016

Map tracking Gyurgyik's trip from Virginia to Oregon.

From the September 2016 Desktop News | After 76 days and 4,505 miles, recent New College graduate Julie Gyurgyik finally arrived in Astoria, Oregon—completing one of the longest coast-to-coast trails in the United States. Her trek across the TransAmerica trail was planned as a part of her holistic health and wellness senior project, with the intent to raise money for Tuscaloosa’s Good Samaritan Clinic, which gives free primary health and dental care to those who do not have health insurance. Together with […]

Traveling to the Ocean Floor: Professor Studies Deep-Sea Mollusks

September 12, 2016

Aplacophora are worm-like mollusks characterized by their lack of shells and tiny units called calcareous spicules.

From the September 2016 Desktop News | While the unique environment of the deep ocean would likely prove nightmarish and panic-inducing for many people, it’s just another day of fieldwork for Department of Biological Sciences’ assistant professor Dr. Kevin Kocot. This July, Kocot submerged to oceanic depths for the ninth time, joining 21 other marine scientists from universities across the nation who were selected to participate in this year’s Chief Scientist Training Cruise put on by the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System. In […]

Serbia Fellowship Experience Looking for New Delegates

September 12, 2016

From the September 2016 Desktop News | “Most people can’t point out Serbia on a map, much less tell you about the culture,” said Josh Fuller, the executive director of the Serbia Fellowship Experience and a senior majoring in criminal justice. But for two weeks each May, undergraduate students at The University of Alabama have the opportunity to close that cultural gap. Through the Serbia Fellowship Experience, an entirely student-led international program which began in 2013, students are able to expand their […]