JUNE 19,2015-JUNE25,2015 - The University of Alabama System

Transcription

THE UNIVERSITY
of
ALABAMA SYSTEM
Ifw U11iwrsity of Alabama
Ifie U11iwrsity of Alabama at Birmingham
'/he University i!fl!labama in Huntsville
JUNE 25, 2015
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
JUNE 19,2015-JUNE25,2015
FOR SPECIFIC NEWS STORIES, SEE THE FOLLOWING PAGE NUMBERS:
NEWS ABOUT
500 University Boulevard East
luscaloosa, Alabama 3540 I
(205) 348-5938
[email protected]
http://uasystem.ua.cdu
TRUSTEE/SYSTEM INFO
2
STATE ISSUES
4
UA CAMPUS ISSUES
16
UAB CAMPUS ISSUES
27
UAH CAMPUS ISSUES
35
SPORTS
42
NATIONAL NEWS
54
The Crimson White
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Board signs
off on Bell's
nomination
Bell to focus on research,
recruitment as president
By Kelly Ward I Managing Editor
The first night Stuart Bell and his wife
Susan were in Tuscaloosa, they had
a late dinner before deciding to walk
around the campus. The two made their
way to the Quad where they saw two or
three groups of students still hanging
around after classes.
They talked with a couple of students
along the sidewalk.
"It really felt right, and it felt really
good to be back on campus," Bell said.
Bell, who was confirmed by the Board
of Trustees on Thursday, June 18, as the
next University of Alabama president
effective July 15, spent 16 years at the
University. He started as an assistant
professor in mechanical engineering
and worked his way up to head of the
department. After 13 years away from
Tuscaloosa, with stints at the University
of Kansas and LSU, Bell is back.
"I have always watched Alabama,
WHAT TO KNOW
STUART R. BELL
• From Abilene, Texas
• B.S. in nuclear engineering from Texas
A&M(1979)
• M.S. in mechanical engineering from
Texas A&M (1981)
• Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from
Texas A&M (1986)
University of Alabama 1986-2002
• .Assistant professor, mechanical
engineering
• Head of mectJanical engineering
department 1995
University of Kansas 2002-2012
• Dean of the College of Engineering
lSU 2012-2015
• Executive vice president
•Provost
Univady of Alabama Jtdy 15, 2015
• President
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The Crimson White
Bell spent 10 years as dean
of engineering at Kansas
BELL FROM PAGE 1
because you know their programs well
and you always want the institutions
you've been at to continue to do well,
and really, Alabama has done great
through the expansion programs and
the leadership that took Alabama to
where it is today," Bell said. "It's been a
great story."
Bell served as the executive vice
president and provost at LSU. He was in
contact about the job to succeed outgoing president Judy Bonner most of the
spring semester.
The process to bring Bell to Alabama
was long and brought about a difficult
decision for Bell, who enjoyed his time
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
He wasn't looking to make a move
when he was approached about the
job. He said the opportunity was unexpected, but going through the process of
learning about the position helped him
make his decision.
"The more I learned about the
process, the more I could see myself in
that role, and it was pretty exciting,"
Bell said.
At LSU, he oversaw academic,
research and student programs, and
the fiscal demands of these programs.
He spent three years in Baton Rouge,
and the University emphasized recruiting and research while Bell was provost.
While Bell was in Tuscaloosa for
the Board of Trustees meeting, he met
with some of the leaders of Alabama's
student body.
"Being able to interact with the students is so important because the reason I got in, I think the reason most
people work with higher education, is
because of the students," Bell said. "I
just love working with the students to
help the students achieve their aspirations that they have for their lives."
Bell said interacting with students
isn't something to pass the time.
"I need to have that interaction with
students so we'll continue to do that,"
he said.
The University has worked to center
itself on research and has expanded
the campus with new additions like the
engineering quad and new labs. Bell
has a background in STEM research
with a bachelor's degree in nuclear
engineering and master's and doctoral
degrees in mechanical engineering, all
from Texas A&M. He said continuing to
grow Alabama's research reputation is
a focus of his.
"It will be very centric to our faculty,"
Bell said. "More specific than that, what
I'm going to need to do is obviously go in
and visit with the deans, visit with the
vice president of research, see where
we are, look at the strategy that we
already have in place that will help us
to build that, and I know there is a great
interest in that by our faculty."
Along with the approval of Bell as the
next University president, the Board
I am all Roll Tide when I
show up on campus.
-Stuart Bell
of Trustees approved a tuition hike of
$177 per semester for in-state students
and $500 a semester for out-of-state
students, according to The Tuscaloosa
News. The board approved a similar
tuition increase last year.
"We need to work as hard as we can
to keep our tuition accessible to our
students," Bell said. "Certainly, if we
were to raise our tuition very high so
that we didn't have any students, we
wouldn't have a very good impact on
our mission, so that's something we
need to make sure we're being efficient,
and we're making good use of both the
state dollars and the tuition dollars that
the students are paying that we deliver
the education.
"We'll continue to focus on quality,
focus on efficiency."
For all of Bell's experience at other
universities - degrees from Texas A&M
and work at Kansas and LSU - there's
no concern that come football season
his allegiance won't be with his current
SEC school.
"My loyalties are with the students,
and I really mean that," Bell said. "I see
the students, I will see our student-athletes on the sidewalks. I'll interact with
them in classrooms. I'll interact with
·them in meetings and I am all Roll Tide
when I show up on campus."
3
WBHM.com
\Vednesday,June17,2015
Common Core: Challenges and Opposition
By Sherrel Stewart
One ofthe hottest issues in State Houses this year was Common Core, national math and
language arts standards released in 2010 and adopted by most states. According to the National
Conference ofState Legislators, this year more than 730 Common Core bills were introduced
across the country - including 21 state proposals for repeal.
This week, the Southern Education Desk examines why these public school standards are still so
controversial in the South. Today Sherrel Wheeler Stewart from WBHM explains the roots of the
opposition and the challenges the standards face.
Legislative sessions have just ended in many states, but mention the phrase "Common Core" in
some circles and you'll strike up debate.
Some say the national standards control too much of what happens in a classroom. Others balk at
the fact that in some states the standards are linked to federal grants. And some just find the
national math and language arts standards released in 2010 too expensive and confusing.
According to the National Conference of State Legislators, this year more than 730 Common
Core bills were introduced across the country - including 21 state proposals for repeal.
"If we're spending millions and millions of dollars on commissions and standards, why can't we
just go back to the basics and say to the folks doing this stuff, just teach them how to read with
comprehension. Teach them how to add and subtract," says Omeria Scott, a Laurel, Miss.,
Democrat. In a spirited debate in the Mississippi Legislature, she encouraged lawmakers and
educators to stay focused on learning.
A total of 31 Common Core bills were introduced in the Mississippi Legislature this year,
including proposals to repeal the standards. Gov. Phil Bryant vetoed repeal of the standard
because he says they didn't go far enough in ensuring the standards were not used in Mississippi
Schools.
Southern historian Chriss Doss of Birmingham isn't surprised by the anti-government sentiment.
"You will find the Southern region consistently being anti because of a national leader and also
there is a general feeling that we don't need that federal government involved in our local
situation," he says.
Alabama State School Superintendent Dr. Tommy Bice thinks it's more than just federal
involvement stirring opposition.
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WBHM.com
"I think that there is this fear that the federal government, under the current president, has a
mission to do something sinister through education to change the minds and the values of
children across the South," says Bice.
This issue, he says, should be about improving education.
"We're talking about mathematics. How do you take the variable X and politicize it. It's a
political agenda that is not just unique to Alabama."
So why is Common Core a flashpoint when formal assessments for education have been around
for years? U AB Education Dean Debbie Voltz says it's about perceptions and fear of setting a
baseline of expectations.
"I think there is a fear among some that this could be a national takeover of the schools," says
Voltz. "People have concern with the possible or what is perceived to be the loss of autonomy or
local control."
She says standards set as part of Common Core provide national consistency in education
expectations.
"So if I moved from Alabama to California, I could expect at a minimum, the school system
there would be attempting, at the baseline to meet these commonly accepted notions of what a
student should be able to do," says Voltz.
The Common Core grew out of a bi-partisan effort to make sure students graduated ready for
college or career. Even some leaders involved in it's creation have changed their minds or found
themselves in heated debates. The National Council of Chief State School Officers is one of the
organizations behind the standards. The group's Executive Director Chris Minnich hears the
concerns says he and encourages dialogue.
"The Common Core standards just say what kids should learn, not how they are taught,"
Minnich says." Some of the legislative battles have been hard, but they've been good to make
sure we're having the right conversations about standards."
The most important factor in the debate, Minnich says, is the students and their future.
"Whether it's Common Core or any set of standards a state would have, I think the idea of
making sure our kids graduate and are ready to go on to college or ready to go on to a career
training program is really what we are about," he says.
Excited students filed into the auditorium of Birmingham's Bill Harris Arena for the graduation
of the Woodlawn High School Class of2015. Valedictorian Trey Hawkins and his classmates
completed the Alabama College and Career Readiness Standards. State leaders say Alabama's
standards are even tougher than the Common Core. Trey said he's ready for the future.
"It prepared me for more than just my academia and how I can stand in a classroom. It prepared
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WBHM.com
me for a global economy," he says, acknowledging what he learned in classrooms and school
experiences.
Trey will attend Howard University in Washington, D.C. He plans to become a doctor, return to
Birmingham and open up clinics in low-income neighborhoods. In his commencement address,
he used the words of Dr. Seuss to set the stage for what lies ahead.
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any
direction. In a simple statement, Seuss has captured the fact that here we are today graduation, so
from now on we will make our own choices and we will be the controllers of our own destinies,"
he says.
And that's exactly what supporters of Common Core want.
6
BizJournals.com
Friday, June 19, 2015
Drummond Co. will not renew mining permits at Shepherd Bend
By: Ryan Phillips
Drummond Co. on Friday announced it will not renew permits to mine coal at Shepherd Bend
along the Black Warrior River in Walker County.
The mine has been the subject of heated debate for years, with groups like the Black Warrior
Riverkeeper and the Birmingham Water Works Board standing in opposition of the mining
operations.
Charles Scribner, executive director of Black Warrior Riverkeeper, said in a statement that on
Friday afternoon, they received several inquiries concerning a release from Drummond Co.
announcing it would not continue operations at the site.
While the news could mean cleaner drinking water for 200,000 people in the Birmingham area
who get their water from the BWWB's intake across from Shepherd Bend, Scribner said other
questions remain, including if the decision will be permanent.
He said continued pressure should also be put on the University of Alabama, forcing them to
agree that they will never sell or lease their land or mineral rights to any mining company at
Shepherd Bend.
Drummond, like other Alabama coal producers, has been hit hard by the downturn in the coal
market, as prices for the region have dropped to their lowest mark since 2009 - $52.72 per short
ton.
The company has closed other locations in recent years, laying off 425 in 2013, according to our
Book of Lists data.
Drummond produces metallurgical coal from the Warrior Coal Basin, which is shared by
Jefferson, Tuscaloosa and Walker counties.
Met coal has seen a major downturn as steel production lags in the U.S. The steel industry
continues to suffer at the hands of a volatile market, falling energy prices and a strong U.S.
dollar, forcing major producers to cut down their use of met coal as production slumps.
7
BizJournals.com
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Baptist Health, Brookwood agree to merger
By: Alan Alexander
Baptist Health System and Tenet Healthcare have agreed to create a joint venture that will unite
two of the largest players in Birmingham's health care scene.
Tenet Healthcare (NYSE:THC) will take a controlling stake in the new system with a 60-40
percent split. Dallas-based Tenet is the parent company of Brookwood, which will be part of the
new system along with Baptist's four hospitals in central Alabama. The new system will have
1,700 licensed beds.
Baptist CEO Keith Parrott has been named the CEO of the new system. A board of directors will
oversee the system and will consist of five members from Baptist and five members from Tenet.
Parrott said the merger is expected to clear final regulatory hurdles by the third quarter of this
year, and that the final organizational structure is yet to be determined. He said Brookwood
Medical CEO Chuck Stark will most likely remain in his current role.
"We still have to gain (Federal Trade Commission) approval, but this is a big step for us and
we're very excited because the merger will position both organizations to provider better care
through the combined assets of the new system," Parrott said.
When the deal was proposed, Parrott said the combined company would receive a minimum
capital investment of $250 million over the next five years to fund facility upgrades at
Brookwood and Baptist's four hospitals: Princeton Baptist, Shelby Baptist, Walker Baptist and
Citizens Baptist.
Baptist, which has seen its hospital count decrease from 11 to four over the last 20 years, was
looking to partner with a larger health care network mainly due to the increasing costs of
providing health care as a small system.
Tenet has been acquiring hospital networks around the country the last few years. Tenet CEO
Trevor Fetter said during an earnings call earlier this year that the only way for the company to
get a piece of the Baptist system was through a joint venture, since Baptist wouldn't be bought
outright.
"We are excited to announce the partnership between Baptist Health System and Brookwood
Medical Center," said Garry Gause, CEO of Tenet's Southern region. "Together, we will
continue to improve health care delivery to communities throughout central Alabama while
preserving each hospital's remarkable legacies. The new organization will be able to meet the
growing demands for quality care while navigating the changing dynamics of health care in
Alabama."
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Al.com
Monday, June 22, 2015
Gambling ... I mean, gaming in Alabama: It's about education ... err, I mean jobs
By Kyle Whitmire
Years ago I called a colleague who had moved to Las Vegas to cover that town's signature
industry for the Associated Press. I asked him how the gaming beat was treating him.
"It's gambling," he said. "Gaming is what they want you to call it. It's gambling."
Words matter, and special interest groups and politicians know this. The Republican spin doctor
Frank Lontz -- who crafted the GOP's "Contract with America" and first pushed Republicans to
use "climate change" instead of "global warming" because it seemed less scary -- recounts how
gambling turned to gaming in his book "Words that Work."
The change in language, he writes, was the work of another Republican strategist, Frank
Fahrenkopf, who had already seen that subtle change of two letters move attitudes on Wall Street
about that industry.
"'Gambling' is a vice, he writes. "'Gaming' is a choice," he writes. "'Gambling' is taking a chance,
engaging in risky behavior. 'Gaming' is as simple as playing a game with cards or dice or a little
ball that goes round and round and round."
But most importantly for Vegas, games are things that families do together, where gambling
destroys families.
That change of one little word changed how America saw Vegas -- from the land of Bugsy Segal
to a Disneyland-like playground.
And those forces of political wordsmithing are at work here in Alabama.
Prison lottery?
The greatest trick the gambling interests ever pulled was convincing the public that the only way
to pay for education was with a lottery. We could just, you know, pay for it.
When Gov. Don Siegelman pitched an "education lottery," the template was already there,
thanks to Georgia's HOPE scholarship program. By playing a game ... err ... rather, by gambling,
folks could feel good about what they lost, knowing that it was going to pay for students going to
college.
But it still wasn't enough. Alabama voters rejected the idea at the polls.
Today, the conventional wisdom is that attitudes have shifted enough for an education lottery to
pass with a healthy margin of support.
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Al.com
There's just one problem -- education isn't the limb of government that's bleeding right now.
Alabama's problem is its General Fund, which primarily supports Medicaid, prisons and mental
health.
When Alabama Senate Pro Tern Del Marsh floated gambling as a solution during this year's
legislative session, I began wargaming what the campaign would look like.
A Medicaid lottery?
We don't have the support here to pay for the Medicaid we have, much less expand it.
A prison lottery?
No way, no how.
There would have to be another frame, which brings me to my trip this week to Montgomery.
It's about jobs
Just north of Prattville, not far past that Confederate battle flag by the interstate, there's a
billboard by the interstate I noticed for the first time this week.
It was put there by the Poarch Creek advertising their casino in Wetumpka, but unlike the one's
you've probably noticed by the roadside, this one didn't feature a picture of some lucky winner
holding an oversized jackpot check.
"Google this: 'Wind Creek Jobs,"' it says.
That's a new one, I thought.
I was driving to Montgomery for a press conference Thursday morning. Former Auburn football
coach Pat Dye, former Alabama Power CEO Charles McCrary and Harbert Management CEO
Raymond Harbert had formed a new dark money group called the Alabama Jobs Foundation.
Its purpose?
To push the legalization of gambling in Alabama.
Its message?
Much the same as Wind Creek's billboard -- it's about jobs, 11,000 of them according to one
study commissioned by Marsh.
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Al.com
"Now those jobs may not be important to a lot of people," McCrary said. "But I guarantee you,
they're important to the people who don't have a job."
When I got back to the office, out of curiosity I Googled "Wind Creek jobs."
And the results?
Most were the kind of hospitality jobs -- bartender, housekeeping -- that economists usually
equate with the bottom of the barrel.
But they're something, I guess, and in a state that's suffered a jobless recovery from the Great
Recession, maybe that's better than nothing.
But even if the Alabama Jobs Foundation got what it wanted from the coming general session -a constitutional amendment on a statewide ballot -- it would be at least a year, if not two, before
the state would see any of that revenue for its broken General Fund.
And Alabama's General Fund needs money right now.
The trouble to me here is that gambling seems to be a solution looking for a problem. First it was
education, and now it's a weak job market and later the General Fund.
But when I said that to one of our state lawmakers this week, he set me straight.
"It's a problem pretending to be a solution," he said.
11
BizJournals.com
Reports say Alabama still in consideration for new Hyundai plant
By Ryan Phillips
Hyundai has announced it will begin work on a new U.S. assembly plant this year, and Alabama
is still in the running to be the location.
South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported that a source close to the company said Alabama
is one of the candidate states competing to land the new SUV production facility.
While multiple reports have cited Alabama as a competitor, no financial details or plans have
been made public.
Once a location is selected, the plant is predicted to be in production by May 2017 and would
have an annual capacity of approximately 300,000 vehicles.
This is on par with the capacity of the current Montgomery-based Hyundai Motor Manufacturing
Alabama facility, which employs around 3,000 people.
Hyundai is reportedly trying to fill a need for more crossover vehicles in the North American
market by building new plant.
Yonhap reported in March that Hyundai was eying Alabama for its newest production facility,
due to the close proximity to its current location in Montgomery, which opened in 2005.
12
Al.com
Google building $600 million data center in Alabama
By Paul Gattis
Google plans to build a $600 million data center in Stevenson, according to Gov. Robert Bentley.
The center -- Google's seventh in the U.S. and 14th worldwide -- will bring 75-100 "highpaying" jobs to Jackson County in northeast Alabama, Bentley said. Construction will begin in
2016.
"This a fantastic and exciting day for Jackson County," said Jackson County Commission Chair
Matthew Hodges.
This will be Google's 14th data center campus worldwide.
"This is the start of a long-lasting, productive relationship with Google," Bentley said.
Bentley credited Tennessee Valley Authority Chairman and Huntsville attorney Joe Ritch in
those who helped secure the project. The TV A board of directors announced in November 2013
that the plant would close.
"For more than 50 years, the Widows Creek plant has generated electricity for the region. Now
the site will be used to bring Internet services and information to people around the world powered by 100 percent renewable energy," Gary Demasi, director of Global Infrastructure at
Google, said in a press release. "We see a lot of potential in redeveloping large industrial sites
like former coal plants, and we're excited to bring a data center to Alabama."
That press release continued:
"Economic development is a vital part of TVA's mission to serve the people of the Tennessee
Valley. TVA is committed to a diverse energy portfolio and providing reliable, low-cost and
ever-cleaner energy to attract new companies and investments to the region," said TVA President
and CEO Bill Johnson.
"Google could have located their next data center anywhere in the world, but they chose a soonto-be retired coal plant site with the right infrastructure in rural Alabama," Johnson added. "What
began as a power generation facility will now become a data center harnessing the power of the
Internet to connect people all over the world."
Sen. Jeff Sessions also released a statement shortly after the announcement:
"It is great news indeed to hear that Google is joining other world-class companies who have
recognized that Alabama is a good place to do business. Google's new data site, which I
understand is their first new U.S. location in almost a decade, will bring hundreds of millions of
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Al.com
dollars of high-tech investment into Jackson County, and will employ some 100 Alabamians
with good-paying jobs.
"Like Mercedes-Benz, Airbus, Hyundai, and ArcelorMittal Steel before them, Google's presence
in our state is a testament that Alabama workers can help the world's top companies grow and
succeed," Sessions's statement read.
Sen. Richard Shelby echoed those sentiments in his own statement:
"Google's announcement that it will open a data center in Jackson County is positive news for
Alabama and proves that our state is a great place for companies of all sizes to do business. I am
delighted that Google has chosen Alabama as the home to this investment, and I look forward to
the jobs and economic growth that it will bring."
Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville, said Google is a major boost for the Jackson County area.
"Google is a major boost for the economies of Jackson County, the Tennessee Valley, and
Alabama," Brooks said. "Alabama has a worldwide reputation of being business-friendly,
boasting both a highly skilled workforce and favorable regulatory conditions. I appreciate the
leadership of Jackson County officials and Governor Bentley for helping to create an economic
environment that attracts internationally renowned companies like Google to North Alabama.
Jackson County and the Tennessee Valley have a lot to offer. Today's announcement by Google
is a major coup that should lead to even more economic opportunities and high-paying jobs for
Jackson County in the future."
In addition, the data center will incorporate Google's most advanced efficiency technologies,
which today allow the company to get 3.5 times the computing power out of the same amount of
energy, as compared to just five years ago.
Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, said data centers produce
many positive economic benefits, including well-paying jobs with highly technical skill sets, a
supplier support system, and possible infrastructure upgrades.
"Google has established itself as the world leader in efficient data center technology," Secretary
Canfield said. "With the growing reliance on cloud computing projected to continue boosting the
growth of data center operations, we think our relationship with Google will yield other
opportunities in the future."
He added that the project is the first recruited under Alabama's specialized data center incentives,
passed in 2012, and the Alabama Jobs Act, an overhaul of the state's economic development
incentives platform passed this year.
Dus Rogers, president and CEO of the Jackson County Economic Development Authority, said
he expects Google to be a great civic partner throughout the region because of its strong track
record of supporting education, career development and other local causes.
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Al.com
"Having Google set up shop in our backyard will not only benefit Jackson County but also the
entire region because we can say that one of the world's best-known brands decided to be our
partner," Rogers said.
Google said the Alabama data center will be its 14th globally and its first new U.S. location since
2007. It recently expanded its data center sites in Georgia, Iowa, Singapore and Belgium."
15
The Tuscaloosa News
Sunday,June21,2015
Prize is
created
in honor
ofBonner
UA trustees give
$1M to establish
namesake a'vard
By Ed Enoch
Staff Writer
University of Alabama President
Judy Bonner will become the
namesake of an annual prize meant
to recognize "unselfish service"
by a faculty or staff member to the
Capstone's undergraduate community.
As Bonner enters the last month
of her presidency, the UA Board of
Trustees accepted a $1 million gift
from Trustee John D. Johns and
his wife, Nancy, to establish an endowment for the Judy Bonner
Presidential Medallion Prize.
"I cannot think of a more perfect
tribute to Judy Bonner than this,"
said president pro tern of the board
Karen Brooks. "The prize will
likely become the university's
highest honor for those who have
gone above and beyond."
The trustees accepted the
$1 million to establish the prize in
honor of Bonner's legacy on
Friday. Bonner was not at the
meeting but released a statement
through the university.
"l am so honored that the Judy
Bonner Presidential Medallion
Prize will recognize our most deserving individuals who have positively impacted and made lasting
contributions to the Capstone experience for our undergraduate
students," Bonner said. "I want to
express my deep appreciation to
Trustee and Dr. Johns for their
strong support and love for the
University of Alabama and by honoring me in this special way."
The earnings from the endowment will be used to honor members of the UA community who
have made extraordinary contributions to the Alabama experience
by positively impacting undergraduate students.
"Dr. Bonner really dedicated
her life to advancing the University of Alabama but also in a quiet
way helping students thrive," said
Johns, a UA alumnus who is chairman, president and CEO of Protective Life Corp, Birmingham.
The couple conceived of the
prize as recognition for unselfish
service to the undergraduate community.
"We just thought what a wonderful role model," Johns said of
Bonner.
But Bonner initially tried to redirect the attention away from herself, the trustee said.
"It is so typical of Dr. Bonner
that she resisted this," Johns said.
"That just speaks so well to her
spirit."
Bonner was named president in
November 2012 and plans to retire
July 15 before returning to teaching after a yearlong sabbatical.
The trustees on Thursday confirmed her successor, Stuart Bell,
as president.
SEE BONNER I 3B
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The Tuscaloosa News
Sunday,June21,2015
BONNER
CONTINUED FROM PAGE
lB
Johns said the prize, to be
given annually by UA, would
be open to any faculty or staff
member.
The UA president will request nominations each year
from the campus community. A committee led by the
president will pick the recipient. The prize will likely be
awarded during Honors Day
celebrations in the spring
when the university recognizes the achievements of
outstanding students and
faculty, Johns said.
The annual prize includes
an honorarium for the recipients and funding that can be
used to further the work for
which the prize winners are
being honored, according to
the resolution passed by the
trustees.
The timing for the nomination process and other de-
FILE I UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
Judy Bonner plans to retire
July 15 before returning to
teaching.
tails of the prize's implemen·
tation are still being worked
out, a university spokesper·
son, said.
Reach Ed Enoch at ed.enoch@
tuscaloosanews.com or 205·
722-0209.
17
Al.com
Sunday,June21,2015
UA alumni couple step up efforts in support ofLGBT community
By Mike Carson
After more than four decades as a successful and mostly private same-sex couple, University of
Alabama alumni Elliott Mitchell and Clark West are tal<lng on new roles as advocates.
Emails and calls poured in from far and wide after they spoke out about what they saw as their
alma mater's indifference to the same-sex marriage debate and challenges facing gays and
lesbians.
The University of South Carolina called, and Mitchell and West spent four days there, learning
about diversity efforts at the Columbia campus.
They co-sponsored a USC student's trip to Ireland for work on the referendum to allow same-sex
marriage, which voters approved in May.
In September, they will take part in a civil rights program at the University of North Alabama.
They had to turn down an invitation to the University of Oregon but have been asked again and
hope to go this fall.
They're planning an LGBT community oureach center in Sarasota, Fla., a project they initially
proposed to officials at UA.
"It's like our entire lives changed," Mitchell said. "So many people reached out to us."
Mitchell, 66, and West, 60, have been together since they met at UA in 1972, were married in
Hawaii in 2013 and live in Sarasota, Fla.
Mitchell is a real estate developer and West is a licensed mental health counselor.
Active alumni and longtime season ticket holders at Bryant-Denny Stadium, they gave $1
million to the university a decade ago.
Mitchell said they never hid their relationship or sexual orientation. But they generally did not
speak out about gay rights until a few years ago.
In 2013, they wrote VA officials to explain that they had dropped plans to leave their estate,
which they say is worth $15 million to $18 million, to the university.
They were disappointed at what they considered the lack of initiatives at the university to
advance the same-sex marriage debate and at the lack of results from their meetings with UA
officials, including the proposal for the LGBT community center.
See next page
18
Al.com
Sunday, June 21, 2015
They wrote that they could no longer ignore "the elephant in the room," the "very strong and
continued effort by the state and the majority of its citizens to exclude this group in every way
possible."
They also said the legal climate for same-sex couples in Alabama made them reluctant to leave
their money in the state.
Earlier this year, after a federal judge tossed out Alabama's ban on same-sex marriage, state
officials and courts scrambled to block gay couples from marrying.
Mitchell and West said that reinforced their concerns about their home state.
Mitchell said they don't quarrel with anyone's religious views. But for him, marriage recognition
is a basic principle that carries valuable benefits affecting taxes, federal benefits and spousal
rights.
In March, UA President Jo Bonner issued a statement thanking Mitchell and West for their
generosity and saying that she thought progress had been made on the issues they had discussed
and that those efforts would continue.
Various websites and publications picked up on the couple's story and they heard from people all
over the country. Some wanted money, Mitchell said, and some of the responses were negative.
But most were supportive and some were heart stirring.
Mitchell said they heard from parents who said their gay teens found encouragement in their
story.
In April, Mitchell and West accepted an invitation to the University of South Carolina, where
they met with faculty and visited with students.
They sat in on a class on same-sex marriage and took part in a give-and-take discussion with
students.
"Every place we went it was just unbelievable, the acceptance," Mitchell said.
They praised the Carolinian Creed, the university's social honor code since 1990, saying it was a
commitment to equality.
The creed instructs students to respect the dignity of all and discourage bigotry "while striving to
learn from differences in people, ideas and opinions."
They sent UA officials information about the initiatives at USC and hope to see some of them
duplicated in Tuscaloosa and elsewhere.
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19
Al.com
Sunday,June21,2015
In September, they'll be guests at the University of North Alabama.
Carmen Burkhalter, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at UNA, invited them as part of the
university's efforts to explore civil rights issues.
"These critical kinds of conversations, regardless of one's viewpoint, are important to the
academic and intellectual development of a student," Burkhalter said.
Mitchell and West say they had talked to UA about funding a community outreach center on the
campus that would focus on helping the LGBT community, but received little feedback.
They're in the planning stages of building the center in Sarasota and say the community there has
rallied in support.
They expect it to be about a $1 to $1.5 million facility that will bring under one roof a number of
existing programs.
"It's going to fill a lot of voids," Mitchell said.
They plan to name the center "Our House," after the song by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
20
The Tuscaloosa News
Saturday, June 20, 2015
UA approves 3.5% tuition increase
2015-16 tuition for Tuscaloosa campus will be
$10,170 for residents, $25,950 for nonresidents
By Ed Enoch
Staff Writer
Undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Alabama
System's Birmingham and Tuscaloosa
campuses will see tuition increases
of about 3.5 percent in the fall.
The system's board of trustees approved the increases Friday. con-
TUIT10N
CONTINUED FROM PAGE
1B
tinuing a decade-long trend of increasing tuition and fees for the
system.
Tuition will increase about $344
for in-state University of Alabama
students taking full course loads
and about $1,000 for nonresidents.
UA law school tuition for residents
would increase by about $650 annually and $1,320 for nonresidents.
the increases and would continue to work to keep tuition
affordable at its three campuses.
"All three campuses are going to work very hard to do
that," Hayes said.
Hayes also noted efforts to
reduce costs, citing a brief report on Friday by Chancellor
Robert Witt about savings resulting from a systemwide
purchasing program meant to
take advantage of economies
of scale.
Witt has frequently used his
comments during the board
meetings since 2013 to highlight the savings. The system
saved roughly $19 million during the first two years of the
program. Witt predicted the
purchasing program could
save the system more than
$30 million over three years.
In other action, trustees
also:
considered "fair" questions
from students and their families about necessity of the increases.
"There is some appetite on
this board to zero tuition (increases)," Espy said Thursday.
During a presentation by
the system and campus administrators on Thursday, Executive Vice Chancellor for
Finance and Operations Ray
Hayes said declining state
funds nationwide continued to
be the driver behind tuition
increases.
In the presentation, Hayes
noted the new tuition rates at
the three system campuses
remained in the middle of the
pack among colleges and universities in the Southeast.
UAB
On Friday, Hayes said the
• Established the Center
system administration was for Interprofessional Educaalso sensitive to the impact of tion and Simulation. The mul-
Tuition annually will increase $316
for residents and $736 for nonresidents at the University of Alabama
at Birmingham for the 2015-16 academic year.
In 2005, annual tuition at UA was
$4,864 for residents and $13,516 for
nonresidents. In 2015-16, it will be
$10,170 for residents and $25,950 for
nonresidents.
The revenue from the increase
will be used to fund scholarships,
faculty and staff hires, and help
cover increasing costs of health care
and retirement benefits.
tidisciplinary UAB center
would train students and professionals to work within
health care teams that model
real-world practices.
• Approved design for
$7.6 million parking lot to be
built west of U.S. Interstate
65.
• Authorized preliminary
planning for a $3 million renovation of the second and third
floors of the Henry B. Peters
Building for the School of Optometry.
UA
The trustees approved similar increases for the medical, dental and
optometry schools in April, along
with the second year of a block tuition plan for the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
The increase spurred trustee Joe
Espy to caution system officials on
Thursday following the finance committee's approval of the proposal to
carefully consider the impact of the
increases in the future.
Espy, who is not a member of the
finance committee, cited what he
I
SEE TUITION 3B
thorized execution of construction contracts with future low bidders for the
$825,870 renovation of the
Jerry Pate Golf Center.
• Approved a revised design and budget for the $9.2
million retail center on Paul
W. Bryant Drive.
• Authorized preliminary
planning for a $1.8 million,
249-space parking lot on the
Bryce campus.
• Authorized easement
agreement with Capstone
Quarters - Tuscaloosa LLC.,
University Commons - Tuscaloosa LLC., and UGD properties LLC to create a new access point from Helen Keller
Boulevard to the northwest
side of the Partlow Property,
where UA plans to relocate its
Crimson Ride bus maintenance facility.
•Approved revised budget
of $8.4 million, an increase of
$400,000 based on current
work estimates, for the new
Kappa Alpha fraternity house
on University Drive.
• Approved revised scope
and $10.7 million budget for
Moody Music Building renovation and addition.
UAH
• Authorized creation of
• Approved master in arts
the Institute of Business Ana- degree in teaching.
lytics in UA's Culverhouse
•Approved bachelor of science in early childhood speCollege of Commerce.
•Approved design and au- cial education.
21
The Tuscaloosa News
Johnson's contract
calls for $2.8 million
By Aaron Suttles
Sports Writer
Avery Johnson is the University of
Alabama's newest $3 million man.
Nearly.
The details of Johnson's, UA's new
men's basketball coach, contract were
released Tuesday afternoon when the
university's compensation committee
approved his along with nine football
assistant coaches/staff contracts.
Johnson will make $2.8 million per
year for a contract that runs until 2021.
The contract includes a base salary of
$265,000 with a talent fee $2.535 million and an expense account of
$12,000.
Other perks of the contract include
bonuses for various goal-oriented
achievements, including $50,000 each
for winning the SEC regular season,
SECTournamentormakingthe NCAA
Tournament field during his first two
years.AnysubsequentNCAA Tournamentappearanceswould yieldJohnson
$25,000.
Nine football assistant coaches/staffers also had new contracts approved,
including defensive coordinator Kirby
Smart, who had his contract extended
a year until Feb. 28, 2018andincreased
his yearly salary from $1.3 million to
$1.5 million.
New assistant coaches Mel Tucker
(defensive backs coach) and Tosh
Lupoi (outside linebackers coach) will
earn $500,000 and $425,000, respectively, in 2015. Tucker's contract calls
for a bump to $600,000 in 2016.
Offensive line coach Mario Cristobal
earns the most of any assistant coach
other than Smart with a salary of
$515,000. Cristobal earned "Recruiter
of the Year" honors from rivals.com in
February for his work in helping Alabama nail down another top recruiting
class.
Other assistant/staff contracts included: defensive line coach Bo Davis
got a $25,000 raise to $475,000, running backs coach Burton Burns went
from $335,000 to $345,000, wide receivers coach Billy Napier went from
$325,000 to $340,000, special teams/
tight ends coach Bobby Williams went
from $428,000 to $440,840 and
strength and conditioning coach Scott
Cochran went from $395,000 to
$420,000.
22
The Birmingham News
COLLEGE
Of the seven returning Alabama football
assistant coaches, six got extensions
and raises. The only contract not
amended Tuesday was offensive
coordinator Lane Kiffln's.
Initial employment deals with new
coaches Mel Tucker and Tosh Lupoi were
also approved in a Tuesday meeting of the
UA board of trustees compensation committee.
Defensive coordinator Kirby Smart
remains the highest paid assistant with his
salary moving to $1.5 million from $1.35
million. An additional year was added to
leave three years on his contract. Strength
and conditioning coach Scott Cochran, who
doesn't count as an on-field assistant, also
received a raise. His $420,000 salary tops
the pay for both running back coach Burton Burns ($345,000) and receivers coach
Billy Napier ($340,000).
Tucker, the new secondary c~ch, will
be the fourth highest-paid assistant making $500,000inYear1. He'll be No. 3 in 2016
when his pay jumps to $600,000 and past
Mario Cristobal's $515,000 salary. Lupoi,
who coaches linebackers, will be paid
$425,000 each of the next two years.
Kiffin, who is still being paid by use,
which fired him as head coach in 2013, is
making$680,000ayearfromAlabamainthe
first two years of the contract and $714,000
inYear3.
23
The Crimson White
Students at EcoCAR 3 contest
place in top half of competitors
By Katherine Metcalf I Contributing Writer
Since last September, students participating in an advanced vehicle technology contest have been working on turning a Chevrolet Camaro into a hybrid
vehicle. The contest, EcoCAR 3, involves
teams from 16 universities, including
The University of Alabama
EcoCAR 3, sponsored by the
Department of Energy and General
Motors and managed by Argonne
National Laboratory, just finished
its first year of competition. The
University's team received numerous awards while competing in Seattle
throughout the past year.
"The team received seven awards,
including four first place awards," said
Brittany Galloway, the communications
manager of EcoCAR 3, and a secondyear graduate student studying advertising and public relations.
She said the team learned from the
competition this year and is striving to
place higher next year.
After the first year, the UA
team was named the "Team to
Watch," and also placed first for its
media relations report, outreach
presentation, Clean Cities Coalition
Outreach Initiative and for executing the most creative outreach event.
These accolades assisted in
placing the team in the top half of
the competition.
The purpose of the project is to
give students the opportunity to gain
work experience before they enter
the automotive industry. The competition also gives students exposure to jobs and careers in business,
engineering, communications, finance
and operations management.
Travis Foust, a second-year
graduate student studying mechanical
engineering, is an engineering manager
for the EcoCAR 3 project.
"I think this is the best program
for engineering students because it
gives them the opportunity to
work with the tools and software they
are going to use in the automotive
industry," he said
The EcoCAR 3 project lasts a total of
four years, leaving the University three
more years to meet their goal of placing
higher in the competition.
"We learned a lot from last year,"
Galloway said "We would love to be in
the top five next year."
Foust said he believes the team has
the capability to place higher with continued focus and hard work.
"We got eighth place this year," he
said. "Everyone is on board to work
hard, and it is a great time to be a part of
this team right now."
24
The Tuscaloosa News
Thursday, June 25, 2015
University of Alabama may display Civil War cannonballs
By Ed Enoch
Cannonballs uncovered on the University of Alabama campus last week could become part of
the university museums' collection once they are rendered safe.
UA spokesperson Chris Bryant said the 10 Civil War-era cannonballs had been removed from
campus arid are in the process of being defused.
Tuscaloosa Police Department explosive ordnance disposal technicians are maintaining the
cannonballs in a secure explosives magazine, Sgt. Brent Blankley said. The process of rendering
the cannonballs inert will be undertaken by a qualified historian with experience in the field of
Civil War munitions with assistance from the TPD technicians, Blankley said.
Once defused, the cannonballs are to be returned to the university for restoration, said Matt
Gage, director of UA's Office of Archeological Research, adding the projectiles could be
returned to the university as soon as next week.
The university expects to add them to its museum collection and possibly display them in the
future, Bryant said.
On Friday, explosive ordnance disposal technicians removed the cannonballs that were
uncovered by workers making repairs to sidewalks. The university would not confirm the precise
location of the discovery based on concerns curiosity seekers would attempt to explore the site
further, Bryant said. The university has swept the area and, at this time, it believes there are no
more cannonballs at the site, Bryant said.
Much of UA's original antebellum campus, which was home to Confederate cadets during the
Civil War, was burned by Union forces led by Brig. Gen. John T. Croxton in April 1865 during
the last days of the war.
The university owned at least three cannons, manufactured by a local foundry in Tuscaloosa, by
1865, according to art history associate professor emeritus Robert Mellown. All three cannons
were seized by the Union forces when they advanced on the campus.
The cannonballs were unearthed near the site of earthworks built to help defend the campus, said
Mellown, who has written about the Civil War history of Tuscaloosa and the campus. Though
Mellown has never found a reference to a gun emplacement at the site, the location of the shells
would have been an ideal spot for a cannon, he said.
The fortifications were never used as the cadets hastily retreated from advancing Union forces,
Mellown said, speculating the cache of ammunition was likely forgotten in the chaos and
eventually covered by debris during the razing of the campus.
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25
The Tuscaloosa News
Harold Selesky, an associate professor of history with expertise in military history, said it is
difficult to know for certain why or how the cannonballs were buried. Selesky offered a couple
of possible scenarios if the burying of the munitions was intentional. The cache might have been
simply dumped to dispose of it or fill in a hole. It is also possible that it was part of several
caches hidden in anticipation of further armed resistance by Southern fighters but then forgotten.
Friday's discovery did not prompt an evacuation, but some university employees in buildings
near the site were allowed to leave work early on Friday afternoon, according to the university.
26
UAB.edu
Study shows acute pulmonary fibrosis may respond to autoimmune disease therapy
By Bob Shepard
Patients with acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis responded well to therapies
similar to those used to treat autoimmune diseases, according to findings published today in
PLOS ONE. The study suggests that autoantibodies - implicated in many autoimmune diseases
such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus - also play an important role in patients with acute
exacerbations of IPF, a devastating lung disease.
"Severe acute exacerbations oflPF are medically untreatable and often fatal within days," said
Steve Duncan, M.D., professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Division of
Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine. "We wanted to test the hypothesis that
autoantibody-targeted therapies used to treat autoimmune disease also may benefit IPF patients
with acute exacerbations."
Duncan conducted the study between April 2011 and October 2013 while on the faculty of the
University of Pittsburgh. Ten critically ill patients at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
and one at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston with acute exacerbations oflPF
were involved in the study.
The 11 patients were treated with therapeutic plasma exchanges and a biologic drug called
rituximab, supplemented in later cases with intravenous immunoglobulin. Outcomes among the
trial subjects were compared to those of 20 historical control IPF patients treated with
conventional steroid therapy prior to this experimental trial.
Autoimmune diseases are caused by a dysfunctional immune response in which the body creates
autoantibodies that attack the individual's own proteins. One of the common targets in
autoimmune therapy are B cells, which are responsible for the production of autoantibodies.
The research team used between five and nine therapeutic plasma exchanges on each patient.
The exchanges pumped the patient's blood into a machine that removed autoantibodies, then
returned the cleansed blood to the patient, significantly reducing the amount of autoantibodies
present in the patient. The drug rituximab was then administered to further attack and kill B cells.
Four of the 11 patients also received intravenous immunoglobulin, which helps to suppress B
cells that may have escaped the rituximab.
Nine of the trial subjects showed improvement in pulmonary function following treatment,
compared to only one of the historical controls. Two of the three patients who relapsed after five
plasma exchanges responded positively with additional exchange procedures. No serious adverse
events were attributable to the experimental medications.
"One-year survival of trial subjects was nearly 50 percent, which is remarkable," said Duncan.
"Acute exacerbations oflPF are almost always fatal in a very short period of time. None of the
20 historical controls survived for even a year."
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27
UAB.edu
Duncan said the research team was making adaptations to the therapy as time progressed. They
originally considered performing five plasma exchanges but expanded to nine for each patient as
they observed the early results. They added the intravenous immunoglobulin for only the last
four patients.
"No one had ever really done this before," Duncan said. "There is not widespread agreement that
IPF is an autoimmune disease. Our findings indicate that specific treatments that reduce
autoantibodies might benefit some severely ill IPF patients with acute exacerbations. Therapies
that have been developed to treat autoimmune diseases may prove to be beneficial in the
treatment of these IPF patients."
Duncan suggests that incremental trials of autoantibody-targeted therapies in IPF patients with
acute exacerbations are justified by these results.
"Even though IPF is not considered a prototypical autoimmune disease, acute exacerbations may
be driven by autoantibody production and the treatment strategy that Dr. Duncan advocates is
highly innovative with the potential to reduce IPF mortality," said Victor Thannickal, M.D.,
director of the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine. "It is now time for a
randomized controlled trial of this treatment approach in IPF patients".
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a disease of unknown origin with no approved treatments. It
results in scar tissue building up in the lungs. It affects more than 100,000 people in the United
States and 5 million worldwide. The median survival rate is less than three years, and only 20
percent of patients survive five years beyond diagnosis.
Study co-authors include Michael Donahoe, M.D., Kevin F. Gibson, M.D., Jianmin Xue, M.D.,
Ph.D., Yingze Zhang, Ph.D., and Nydia Chien, M.S.N., from the Department of Medicine,
University of Pittsburgh; Melissa Saul, M.S., from the Department of Biomedical Informatics,
University of Pittsburgh; Vincent G. Valentine, M.D., Department of Medicine, University of
Texas Medical Branch, Galveston; and Jay S. Raval, M.D., Department of Pathology and
Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina.
28
BizJournals
Birmingham biotech startup lands $750K grant for cancer research
By Alan Alexander
Birmingham-based biotech startup Blondin Bioscience has been awarded a two-year, $750,000
grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop a test that gauges the effectiveness of
chemotherapy treatment for patients with prostate cancer.
Blondin Bioscience is working to develop its propriety assay, dubbed Fluorescent Analysis of
Cell-free Telomeres, or FACT, which analyzes the cell-free DNA fragments in patient serum or
other bodily fluids.
The goal is to identify ineffective cancer treatments, said Blondin Bioscience CEO Bradley
Spencer.
"Armed with the ability to tell if a particular course of chemotherapy is working as expected, an
oncologist will be able to substitute a more efficacious treatment pathway in a timely manner,
improving patient care and reducing the cancer burden. We expect this to be the first of several
trials assessing different solid tumor cancers," Bradley said.
The company plans to begin a pilot clinical study later this year.
Blondin Bioscience, which is housed at Innovation Depot, focuses on molecular diagnostics for
the oncology market. The company made it to the finals of the Alabama Launchpad Startups
Competition last year, but didn't receive any funding.
29
BizJournals.com
U AB receives $3.SM grant to study the causes of suicide
By Alan Alexander
More than 30,000 Americans commit suicide each year, and a new grant awarded to the
Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is funding a study to find
out what pushes someone to take their own life.
Y ogesh Dwivedi, director of translational research within UAB's Mood Disorders Program, has
been awarded a five-year, $3 .5 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to
follow up on findings that specific microRNAs may be associated with someone forming ideas
about suicide.
MicroRNAs play an important role of the gene regulations in cells, and there are more than 1,300
different microRNAs at work in the brain, according to UAB.
In a study published last year, Dwivedi and a team of researches found that in the prefrontal
cortex of the brains of those with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression that had
committed suicide, there were alterations in discrete microRNAs compared to the post-mortem
brains of those with the same mental illnesses that had died from other causes.
As part of the grant, Dwivedi will recruit 60 mentally-healthy subjects, 60 depressed subjects and
60 depressed subjects that have had thoughts of suicide or attempted suicide within the past
month.
Depressed subjects will get a small dose of ketamine, which has been proven to reduce
suicidality for one to two weeks.
"So this will tell us whether we can really look at miRNAs as biomarkers for treatment
response," Dwivedi said. "We will also look to see if any miRNA correlates with childhood
trauma, which is a very important factor in suicide."
Dwivedi did part of his postdoctoral fellowship at the Illinois State Psychiatric Institute, where
he saw people who had attempted suicide. He was moved to see how devastated those patients
were and wanted to find ways to better treat them.
"There are very limited options available for treatment," he said, "and 50 percent of the patients
are treatment-resistant."
30
Biz.lournals.com
How research at UAB could become Birmingham's investment 'hat hanger'
By Alan Alexander
Local executives have said one way to increase the amount of investment capital flowing into
Birmingham focuses on improving the city's perception as an attractive environment for highgrowth industries.
And building a big company could be the kickstarter needed to accomplish that, as Daxko CEO
Dave Gray said on a panel during last year's Innovation Week Birmingham:
"I don't think we're going to change our ecosystem until we have a blockbuster success that stays
in Birmingham. I look at any other city that has a thriving ecosystem around technology, and
there is a billion-dollar plus company they can point to," Gray said. "Birmingham needs that
company it can hang its hat on."
Research at the University of Alabama's Department of Microbiology has the potential to
become that success story.
A pair of researchers has developed a safer, less painful and more cost-efficient method of
diagnosing bacterial meningitis-an infection that causes painful swelling along the spinal cord
and oftentimes within the brain-that could have huge ramifications for the health care industry.
The current method of diagnosing bacterial meningitis isn't always accurate and rarely
comfortable for the patient, said Scott Barnum, professor within UAB's Department of
Micobiology and lead researcher for the project.
The new diagnostic tool developed by Barnum, along with postdoctoral researcher Theresa
Ramos, solves those problems and has led to contract work with St. Louis-based startup Kypha.
"A test that could rapidly and inexpensively discriminate between bacterial and viral meningitis
would be a valuable tool for the emergency room physician," Barnum said. "We would love to
see the test be used in underdeveloped parts of the world where limited resources prevent timely
and accurate diagnosis of most diseases, including meningitis. This is the kind of test we are
working to develop in partnership with Kypha."
Barnum and Ramos are working with the Billy L. Harbert Institution for Innovation and
Entrepreneurship at UAB to develop a business model that will help commercialize the new tool
and also identify diagnosis applications for other afflictions.
"This new tool has the potential of generating $100 million per year just for bacterial meningitis,
but we're analyzing if it makes sense to build a company around a diagnostic tool solely for one
disease. Diversification is important, and we've established a 12-month timeline where we will
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31
BizJournals.com
work on the business model and consider other potential markets for this application," said Kathy
Nugent, executive director of the institute.
Nugent said this method of diagnosis reduces the process from an average of a four-day hospital
stay to 30 minutes, which saves an enormous amount of medical care costs.
"This is all part of the institute's mission to bring external investments into Birmingham and
build investor relations with firms that are interested in early-stage companies," Nugent said.
There are a number of other research enterprises underway at UAB that could lead to
commercialization, such as a potential cure for diabetes and ongoing work with other medical
devices.
32
UAB.edu
Get involved in the American Heart Association's Birmingham Heart Walk
By Tyler Greer
Support University of Alabama at Birmingham teams in the annual American Heart
Association's Birmingham Heart Walk, which takes place at 7:30 a.m., Saturday, June 27, in
uptown at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center.
Teams and individuals can sign up via the American Heart Association website. Several UAB
teams have already been formed, or you can create a new team today. Food, fun and activities for
the whole family will follow the walk.
The American Heart Association is the largest voluntary health organization working to prevent,
treat and defeat heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. These diseases, the
nation's No. 1 and No. 5 killers, claim more than 813,804 American lives a year. The AHA
awards money to UAB each year to bolster research efforts.
33
UAB.edu
U AB professor advances scientific collaboration with Cuban physiologists
By Bob Shepard
As the political climate between the United States and Cuba begins to thaw, a nephrologist at the
University of Alabama at Birmingham is capitalizing on his membership in a prominent
scientific society to promote academic interchange with Cuban scientists.
David Pollock, Ph.D., professor of Medicine in the Division ofNephrology, recently visited
Cuba with a delegation from the American Physiological Society to sign a historic agreement for
research collaboration with the leaders of the Cuban Society of Physiological Sciences. The
memorandum of understanding was executed on April 28, formalizing an agreement for the
exchange of scientific information and resources between the two organizations.
As past president of the APS, Pollock hopes this relationship will facilitate more global
interaction among Cuban, American and other international physiologists.
"Both the American and Cuban physiological societies have a lot to learn from the other's
experiences, having worked in very different cultures for many years," Pollock said. "During my
visit, I was very impressed by the passion and knowledge of physiology and scientific inquiry in
Cuba."
notes that, in stark contrast to the crumbling Spanish architecture that featured so prominently in
his visit, academic medicine is thriving. In addition to having an active research community,
Cuban medical institutions attract a number of international students, making it a significant
destination on the global medical education stage.
"I firmly believe that personal contact among scientists provides benefits that cannot be gained
from simply reading the literature or even sending emails," Pollock said. "It is my hope that, as
our governments improve relations, we as physiologists will be there to grow and develop strong
and lasting relationships. Science should know no boundaries as we all strive for new discoveries
that can improve the human condition."
34
Waif.com
Huntsville native nominated for NCAA Woman of The Year Award
By: Carl Panther
A special honor could be in store for a Tennessee Valley standout and UAH athlete.
Michelle Kruse, a four-year four runner for UAH track & field, has been nominated for the
NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
Kruse is a Peach Belt Conference individual champion in each of the past three seasons in the
10,000 meter (2013, 2015) and 5,000 meter (2014).
She adds those accolades with her roster of other honors, such as the USTFCCCA Outdoor and
Indoor All-South Region awards in 2014 and 2015.
Kruse, a Huntsville native, graduated from Grissom High School.
The NCAA asks each conference to submit nominees, from which a selection committee of
representatives from NCAA member schools and conferences will choose the top 10 honorees in
each division.
Of those 30 honorees, the committee then determines three finalists from Division I, II and III to
form the Top Nine.
Finally, the members of the committee will vote from among the Top Nine finalists to determine
the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year.
To be eligible for the award, a female student-athlete must have completed intercollegiate
eligibility in her primary sport by the end of the 2015 spring season, graduated no later than the
end of the summer 2015, term and achieved a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 25.
35
WHNT.com
Rising 8th grade girls engage in week-long STEM learning camp
By Courtney Crown
Sixty-four girls from across Alabama are spending the week at the American Association of
University Women's Tech Trek Camp at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. This camp
allows the girls to engage in STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering and
mathematics, learning while building their self-confidence.
"Girls, women, we can achieve anything that men can," camper Sulekha Ramesh said.
This overnight camp extends through Saturday, June 27. The girls have the chance to build their
own rockets then launch them from the U.S. Space & Rocket Center on Friday, make
electroplated charms and learn more about cyber security.
In order to take part in the camp, 180 science and math teachers nominated one rising 8th grade
girl, then Tech Trek's Staff interviewed 120 from that list and selected 65.
"I'm so honored to be here and meet all these other different girls who love science and to learn
more about women in STEM," Camper Sloane Donovan said.
The entire week costs the girls only $50. The rest is funded through donors. Lockheed Martin
and Verizon offer their support of encouraging young women to pursue careers in STEM fields.
36
AL.com
No way, padre. Pope's encyclical on the environment is flawed
By J. Pepper Bryars
There's plenty of truth in the pope's new encyclical on the environment, titled Laudato Si' ("Be
praised"). Most agree with his teaching that it's terribly wrong for individuals, corporations, and
nations to wantonly destroy our environment and carelessly waste our natural resources.
But there are some portions of his letter that read like polished versions of the missives that
spewed from Occupy Wall Street, and on the two questions central to the debate about global
warming, Pope Francis has proven himself entirely fallible.
Let's start with the first question: What's the problem?
"A very solid scientific consensus indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing
warming of the climatic system," wrote the pope. "In recent decades this warming has been
accompanied by a constant rise in the sea level and, it would appear, by an increase of extreme
weather events."
That's not true.
Writing last year in the Wall Street Journal, climatologist Roy Spencer of the University of
Alabama in Huntsville said that the consensus claim is "fiction."
"The so-called consensus comes from a handful of surveys and abstract-counting exercises that
have been contradicted by more reliable research," Spencer wrote. He explained that the often
cited number that 97-percent of climatologists agree about man made abrupt climate change
comes from an article by a college student and her master's thesis adviser that reported the results
of a brief survey of selected scientists.
"The 97-percent figure in the ... survey represents the views of only 79 respondents who listed
climate science as an area of expertise and said they published more than half of their recent
peer-reviewed papers on climate change," Spencer wrote. "Seventy-nine scientists -- of the 3,146
who responded to the survey -- does not a consensus make."
The line about "extreme weather" is also wrong, as John R. Christy, a professor of atmospheric
science also at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, explained on Al.com last year. "I often
hear claims that extreme weather is getting worse," wrote Christy. "Whether it's tornadoes (no
changes in 60 years), hurricanes (no changes in 120 years), or western U.S. droughts and heat
waves (not as bad as they were 1,000 years ago), the evidence doesn't support those claims."
Pope Francis is also wrong on the second question: What's to be done?
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37
AL.com
He wrote that we are "called to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and
consumption," and then said that the "establishment of a legal framework which can set clear
boundaries and ensure the protection of ecosystems has become indispensable."
An international legal framework governing our lifestyle, production, and consumption? No way,
padre. We're not about to surrender our sovereignty to some international organization
empowered to loot the greatest force for good that mankind has ever created -- the United States
economy.
Some say he shouldn't have engaged in such a political debate. I disagree. Saint John Paul II and
President Ronald Reagan famously partnered to usher the end of communism in Europe. A sad
coincidence is that many of the same Marxists who lost that battle found new homes in the
environmental movement. Different causes, same goal: control. That's why they're often called
"watermelon environmentalists" -- green on the outside, red on the inside.
Even though he's wrong, many mistakenly believe the pope's opinions on the matter are thought
infallible by the church and that Catholics like me are duty-bound to agree with the encyclical's
position on man-made abrupt climate change. We're not. The pope's opinions about global
warming are just that: his opinions. Only under extremely rare circumstances does the pope
speak infallibly, and this clearly isn't one of those instances.
"One of the points worth counting in the encyclical is the number of times that Pope Francis uses
the word 'dialogue.' He wants an open and free dialogue on these issues and says so many times
throughout," said Rev. Mitch Pacwa, SJ., a Catholic priest and host on Birmingham-based
EWTN Global Catholic Network. "He raised good questions for the dialogue, but he did not
decree any dogmas that were intended to end the dialogue."
Thankfully so, because part of a dialogue is listening, and there's plenty that hasn't been heard on
this issue.
38
TheCollegeFix.com
Prominent professor's decades of research concludes global warming will not destroy
Earth
By J. Michael Sorge
Dr. John Christy is a highly decorated professor of atmospheric science at the University of
Alabama in Huntsville - but despite his awards, accomplishments and distinctions - the fact that
he's an outspoken critic of climate change doomsday predictions has made him a pariah in the
scientific community.
He's been awarded NASA's Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement for satellite research,
has testified before the Congress numerous times, is Alabama's official state climatologist, and
served as a lead author of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
But the very fact that he suggests the world is not on teetering on some dangerous precipice due
to global warming makes him an aberration among most scientists who suggest this planet is
headed for destruction because of man-made global warming.
One colleague refused to shake Christy's hand at a symposium, and Christy's name was also
used critically in many infamous "Climategate" emails that indicated global warming claims
have been exaggerated, The New York Times reports.
The "Skeptical Science" website calls Christy a "misinformer." And earlier this year, a
Democratic U.S. congressman launched an investigation into Christy' funding sources,
suggesting he's taking money from the fossil fuel industry. Christy does not.
Meanwhile, Christy methodically moves forward to do what he does best: he studies weather
data and shares his findings with the world.
"I don't let this bother me too much," Christy said in an email to The College Fix this month
about the steep criticisms and name calling he's faced. "My wife of39 years suffered with
cancer and passed away a few months ago, so I have a perspective on climate intimidation
relative to things that are really important."
"I don't read sites that attempt to smear me ... no sense in engaging people who don't know
what they are talking about."
In Christy's latest public opinion, he weighed in on Pope Francis' controversial encyclical.
"I am one of those climatologists who builds datasets so we can measure what the climate system
is doing and why," he wrote for Alabama.com. "In my reading of the results, I don't see disasters
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39
TheCollegeFix.com
ahead-the world's atmosphere has warmed little since satellites began estimating global
temperatures and extreme events like droughts and hurricanes aren't increasing."
"To be sure, others see it differently," he continued. "However, I tend to focus on the
fundamental metrics that, according to theory, should be measurable if the extra carbon dioxide
we are emitting into the atmosphere is actually causing huge changes. The real world simply
doesn't align with the theory. Whether you are a Baptist (like me), a Buddhist or a Baha'i, the
numbers come out the same ... and 'science' is all about the numbers."
Last year, Christy told The New York Times "I detest words like 'contrarian' and 'denier,' "he
said. "I'm a data-driven climate scientist. Every time I hear that phrase, 'The science is settled,' I
say I can easily demonstrate that that is false, because this is the climate - right here. The
science is not settled."
And in an April interview with Alabama.com, he also corrected the oft-cited statement that 97
percent of scientists agree on climate change.
"The impression people make with that statement is that 97 percent of scientists agree with my
view of climate change, which typically is one of catastrophic change," he had said. "So if a
Senate hearing or the president or vice president says 97 percent of the scientists agree with me,
that's not true. The American Meteorological Society did their survey and they specifically asked
the question, Is man the dominate controller of climate over the last 50 years? Only 52 percent
said yes. That is not a consensus at all in science."
But media and pundits have consistently echoed that science is consolidated in unity over the
idea that the globe is warming and the main cause of that is human activity across the world.
This has been the backbone of international attempts to reduce greenhouse gases in many
industrialized nations. Scientists who disagree, and even those who agree but question the
severity of the problem, are cast as pariahs or "cooks," often scorned by their contemporaries.
Yet Christy is not alone in holding the line against doomsday predictions.
Dr. Terry Hughes, a professor emeritus of earth sciences and climate change at the University of
Maine, said researchers want to keep federal funding for climate change alive, and politicians
want to earn environmentalist votes, and both predict global pandemonium to that end. But
Hughes has said the world is not on the brink of disaster.
Dr. Judith Curry, a professor of earth and atmospheric sciences at the Georgia Institute of
Technology, has also found uncertainties and weaknesses in climate-change models.
American University statistician Caleb Rossiter's infamous declaration that belief in a climate
catastrophe is "simply not logical" got him canned as an associate fellow at the Institute for
Policy Studies, a progressive Washington D.C. think tank, last year.
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40
TheCollegeFix.com
A study last year from the journal Proceedings of The National Academy ofSciences found
human beings are not the primary contributors to global warming. As it turns out, natural
variability in the Earth's atmosphere plays a crucial role in climate change.
Roy Spencer, another climate scientist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville who dismisses
the notion of dire global warming predictions, suggests that those who do believe it are "not
unbiased."
"Most of them probably really do believe we're destroying the earth," Spencer told
Alabama.com. "When I talk to scientists who should be objective over a beer at the end of the
day, I will argue with them and their final position will always be, 'Yeah, but we need to get
away from fossil fuels anyway.' Where did that come from? Are you an expert in alternative
energy sources and what they cost?"
41
The Tuscaloosa News
Alabama No. 7 in recruiting rankings
By Andrew Bone
The University of Alabama has 15 commitments in the 2016 recruiting class which is currently
ranked No. 7 in the Rivals.com national team recruiting rankings. Eight of these players are from
the offensive side of the ball.
Jalen Hurts, a four-star quarterback from Channelview High School in Texas, committed to
Alabama on June 5. The Tide continues to recruit at least one quarterback in Jawon Pass, a fourstar from Carver High School in Columbus, Ga. It's very possible Alabama takes two
quarterbacks in the class.
There is a major need for running backs in Tuscaloosa. Alabama has a pair of five-star freshmen
in Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough. The running back depth is a priority. A few major targets
have included Devin White, a RivalslOO running back from North Webster High School in
Springhill, La., and Miles Sanders, a RivalslOO running back and Penn State commitment from
Woodland Hills High School in Pittsburgh, Pa.
White has visited Alabama several times including four days spent in Tuscaloosa earlier this
month. Sanders has yet to visit.
A new prospect recently added to the mix is BJ. Emmons, a four-star running back from
Freedom High School in Morganton, N.C. He visited Alabama earlier this month and will return
in July. His high school coach, Brandon Allen, believes a top two consists of Alabama and
Tennessee.
"He (Emmons) was really impressed with the campus," said Coach Allen. "He really liked the
stadium. He enjoyed meeting the coaches, seeing the weight room and learning more about the
school. He spent time with Coach (Nick) Saban. Coach Saban talked about the program and the
success they have had. The most important thing he talked about was academics. He talked about
academics, and how they want to help you off the football field. I think that can be a big
recruiting tool for them. I think it really stood out to him."
Alabama's success at receiver, especially first-round draft picks Julio Jones and Amari Cooper,
has attracted elite receivers. The Tide has several targets with only a few spots available.
T J. Simmons, a four-star from Clay-Chalkville High School, is the lone commitment in the
class. Former commitment Demetris Robertson, a five-star from Savannah Christian School in
Georgia, remains a target. Robertson visited Alabama two weeks ago.
A few other major targets with strong interest in Alabama includes AJ. Brown, a four-star from
Starkville High School in Mississippi, Mykel Jones, a RivalslOO from Patterson High School in
Louisiana, Darnell Salomon, a five-star from Central High School in Miami, Fla., Devin
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42
The Tuscaloosa News
Duvemay, a RivalslOO from Sachse High School in Texas, and D.K. Metcalf, a RivalslOO and
Ole Miss commitment from Oxford High School in Mississippi.
Tight end is also a top priority position with Alabama searching for prospects who can play tight
end and H-Back in the Tide's offense.
Miller Forristall, a three-star from Cartersville High School in Georgia, and Brendan Scales, a
three-star from Lafayette High Wildwood, Mo., are already committed. Devin Asiasi, a four-star
from De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., Luke Farrell, a four-star from Perry High
School in Ohio, and Nick Eubanks, a three-star from American Heritage High School in
Plantation, Fla., has Alabama on their list of favorites.
Alabama is also hoping to receive visits from Issac Nauta, a RivalslOO and Florida State
commitment from IMG Academy in Plantation, Fla., and Kaden Smith, a RivalslOO and Stanford
commitment from Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas.
The Crimson Tide has put together another stellar offensive line class led by Jonah Williams, a
five-star offensive tackle from Folsom High School in Calif., and Charles Baldwin, a four-star
from ASA College in Brooklyn, N .Y. Baldwin is the top-ranked junior college offensive lineman
in the country.
Alabama also has commitments from Deonte Brown, a four-star offensive guard from Austin
High School in Decatur, and Chris Owens, a three-star offensive guard from Lamar High School
in Arlington, Texas. Alabama hopes it can add at least one more lineman. The possibility
remains of flipping Texas A&M commitment Greg Little who is a five-star from Allen High
School in Texas. He recently visited Tuscaloosa.
43
The Tuscaloosa News
Eubanks
•
s1g~s
with Tide
By Cecil Hurt
Sports Editor
Kobie Eubanks, a 6-foot-5
small forward/shooting guard
from Delray Beach, Fla., has
signed with the University of
Ala.bama. He is the sixth newcomer to commit to UAforthe
2015-16 season and the fourth
addition under new head
coach Avery
Johnson.
"It's a great
school," Eubanks said at
a signing
press conference. "I am
looking forward to playing for Ala- Kobie
bama and Eubanks
Coach Johnson."
Eubanks had signed with
Baylor in 2014 but did not
meet NCAA eligibility requirements. He remained
committed to the Bears
through the winter but reopened his recruitment this
spring. He chose Alabama
over Oregon, Kansas and
West Virginia. He is a fourstar prospect who is rated
among the Top 100 players nationally by ESPN.
Alabama signed two players
in the November signing period, guard Brandon Austin
and forward Donta Hall. Johnson added the signing of the
state's "Mr. Basketball," Da-
zon Ingram in April and has
landed two transfers, forward
Nick King from Memphis,
who must sit out a year, and
guard Avery Johnson Jr., from
TexasA&M.
44
The Tuscaloosa News
A blast from the past
Reilly-Boccia writes book about 2012 national title
By Tommy Deas
Executive Sports Editor
Cassie Reilly-Boccia had a story to
tell.
She had gotten to tell it at various
coaching clinics and when she spoke to
youth groups, butthefonnerplayerwho
was a senior on the University of Alabama's 2012 national championship softball team wanted more.
On a drive from her home in New York
to Knoxville, Tenn., in the springof2013
to seethe Crimson Tide play in the super
regional round of the NCAA Tournament, she decided to write about it
"I was kind of recapping just how special that 2012 team was and how many
things went well," she said. "I wanted to
' tell them more, and I wished I could tell
more people about it."
Some18monthslater,latein2014,she
had completed her book: "Finished It: A
Team'sJoumeyto WmningltAll."
The book, which she published
through iUniverse, is available on Amazon.com and through its website, https://
finisheditthebook.wordpress.com. It has
sold more than 1,800 copies.
Reilly-Boccia invested her own money
in the project
"It was within my budget of what I
wanted to do, enough that I was comfortable that even if I didn't make it back it
would be worth it to me," she said. "I
madeitbackinthefirstsixweeks,which
was very unexpected.
"Itwasverycooltoseehowmanypeople shared in the story. I thought maybe
Alabama softball fans would enjoy it, and
maybe the team and their families."
The book tells the tale of the final day
ofhercareer:from the moment she woke
up on June 6, 2012 - the day Alabama
defeated Oklahoma, 5-4, in the final
game ?fthe title series at the Women's
College World Series-through the celebration afterward.
It also reflects, in flashbacks, on lessons Reilly-Boccia learned over the
course of her collegiate career.
· She relates, for example, about her
first team meeting as a freshman when
head coach Patrick Murphy told the newcomers, "The sooner you realize it's not
all about you, the better off you're going
to be."
·
The book, which has a foreword by
Reilly-Boccia'sfonner teammate, Kayla
Braud, is scattered with exercises in
team-building and life-coach advice, like
this from assistant coach Alyson Habetz:
"You don't treat people with respect because of who they are, you treat them
with respect because of who you are."
It covers everything from when Murphy and Habetz left, briefly, forLSU (liter
the previous season to how the team
dealt with rain delays during the game
that decided the national championship.
Reilly-Boccia, who now works as director of research and development,
strength and conditioning coach and
softball development coach (along with
former teammate Ryan Iamum) atAthletes Warehouse in Pleasantville, N.Y.,
relished the experience of writing the
bOok.
"I remember when I first started doing it I was excited for the process of
writing," she said, "excited forthe journey. I knew I'd learn so much more
about what that season was for us.
"I learned time management and
I. learned a lot about my teammates, too. So many times I'd call
alumni and people on the team
and.freshmen and ask their perspective on it Ijust started writing down story after story, anything I could remember. I had
no idea how I'd organize it."
She read it so many times during the
.editing process that she got "almost to
the point where I didn't even like it because I'd ready it so many times."
She didn't read it again until four
months after it was published.
"l'mhappywiththewayittumedout,"
she said. "I'm happy that it's finally out
there for people to learn from, hopefully."
.
In addition to selling it online, ReillyBocciasold personally autographed copies at a weekend UA homestand this
spring. She might arrange something
similar next year at the World Series.
Reilly-Boccia feels she reached her
goals: "When I first started, I put down
reasons I was writing this book and the
No. lreasonwasmyteammates,andNo.
2 was if one girl could learn something
and take away something from the book
it would be worth it to me to write it."
As for writing another book, she's not
so sure.
"I remember looking at my mom,
joking how I am never writing a book
ever again," she said. "But who
knows? If I ha:ve a story that I think
is worth sharing, maybe I
will."
191N1s
4 rt.,Af·s
Jou~"'tr~CO ,.,.
ow;,.,1\1/
"'n f11'tt
45
The Tuscaloosa News
Sunday,June21,2015
Report: Florida State-Alabama
to square off in 2017
Florida State will e>pen the 2017 season
against Alabama, according to a report from
the Palm Beach Post•
. The game. per the report, will be played in
Atlanta.
The Orlando Sentinel can confirm that the
two to.p-tier programs had been discussing a
potential matchup for at least the past several
months, but conversations have now appar.,ently turned tnto a reality. However, a SPokes~rson for FSU confirmed to the Sentinel that
the athletic department does not yet have a
: contract or even a term Sheet for the garrtte.
An jnterestin9 subplot of this 0>ntest. other
than the fact that the two programs have won
'~~ combined three natil)nal titles in the past
fours years, is that it pits student versus men. tor. FSU coach Jimbo Fisher and Al~ama
;toach Nick Saban worked together at I.SU•
....where they won a national title in 200~ with
Saban as the head coach and Fisher as the
·· offensive coordinator.
· The only other current out-of-cc>nference
game FSU has slatedfor~17 ls the program's
, annual matchup against rival Florida (at Flor' tda on Nov. 25). FSU is making a concerted
'"effort to face more SEC teams in the regular
, season. as it wlH apen the 2016 season in Or; lando against Ole Miss.
46
The Tuscaloosa News
Scott Pospichal a big addition for Alabama basketball staff
By Cecil Hurt
After more than three decades away from a college basketball coaching bench, Scott Pospichal
was comfortable, not necessarily aching to return in an assistant coaching role. He was still
around the game in his job with the Texas Titans, a privately-funded youth basketball
organization that has become an AAU powerhouse. He talked with college coaches every day.
He could attend any game he wanted, often to watch talented players like Kentucky's Julius
Randle who had come up through the Texas Titan program from a youngster to an NBA lottery
pick after one year at UK.
"For the last nine-and-a-half years, I loved being with the Titans and working for (the program's
founder and billionaire benefactor) Kenny Troutt," Pospichal said on Tuesday. "We started out
with third-grade and fifth-grade teams and went from there."
The Titans have a $3 million annual budget and fly to AAU Tournaments around the country on
private jets, although, as Pospichal points out, the benefits also included close personal
relationships with young players as they grew up. It was a situation, Pospichal says, that could
have lasted until retirement.
"You're doing it with kids you love," Pospichal said. "When a kid like Tyler Davis (a 7-foot
center who signed with Texas A&M) comes up and hugs you after his last game and tells you
that he loves you, well, you just don't find jobs like that."
Then Avery Johnson called.
Johnson, the new Alabama head basketball coach, had known Pospichal since Johnson was
coaching the NBA Dallas Mavericks. Avery Johnson, Jr., had played for the Titans. Now,
Johnson explained, he wanted a coach who understood recruiting, as well as one with college
experience. Pospichal, now 54, was an assistant at UNC-Charlotte in the 1980's.
"If a guy named Tom Smith had called and offered me a job as an assistant at the University of
Wherever, I wouldn't have taken it. But this was Avery Johnson
"When I worked for the Titans, I was in awe of Kenny Troutt. I feel the same way about A very
Johnson. They are just the kind of people you don't want to disappoint.
"Then we got here (to Tuscaloosa) and it is just a fantastic place. We'll have challenges, like
everyone, but this is an amazing place."
Pospichal will play a role in Alabama recruiting as well as assisting Johnson in other areas.
"The one thing you don't have to do is sell A very Johnson," Pospichal said. "I like to say that he
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47
The Tuscaloosa News
has sunshine in his pocket. He walks in a room, takes it out and everyone lights up. And
Alabama is an iconic name.You ask someone to name prominent schools in college sports and
they can't name five schools before they get to Alabama. But I am here to do everything I can for
Alabama, and Coach Johnson.
"For me, at 54 years old, this is a great chance to represent a lot of coaches, coaches who have
been at the grassroots programs, the youth programs, who put their lives into basketball but don't
usually get this call. So I'm very aware of that, and appreciative."
48
The Tuscaloosa News
ALABAMA RECRUITING
Tide'lands
four-star
defensive end
By Andrew Bone
Senior Recruiting Analyst
Khalid Kareem, a four-star defensive end from
Harrison High School in Farmington Hills, Mich.,
surprised many in his home state
on Wednesday when he announced his commitment to the
University of Alabama instead of
Michigan.
The former Michigan State
commitment re-opened his recruitment and traveled to many
schools in the past few months including two trips to Tuscaloosa:
Khalid
with his family. Kareem becomes·
Kareem
commitmentNo.16forAlabamain
the 2016 class. He is tbe first pros-'
pect from Michigan to commit to the Crimson
Tide ~ince former Reisman Trophy winner Mark
Ingram in 2008. He is recruited by Alabama as'
sistant coach Bobby Williams.
"One of the things we really liked about Ala-'
bama is what people don't really talk about," Kareem's father, Ken Kareem said. "They have a.
great alumni base. We really like what Coach Saban has in place for football players in case football
doesn't work out. They have a very strong alumn~
base all over the country. That was something tha~
was important to us.
"We thought it was just about football down
there, so we went and found out for ourselves.
They answered a lot of concerns we had. Mel Farr,
who played for the Detroit Lions, told us that great
players go to great schools. He said if we believe ·
Khalid is a great player, and he can go through
everything they are going to put him through af'
Alabama, then to send him down there."
"'
Kareem will enroll at Alabama in January.
"'.
TideSports.com has an in-depth interview with'''
the latest commitment and much more. Join us
today and receive 90-days extended to your sub- !
scription.
'•'
49
The Crimson White
Former Alabama baseball standouts play in MLB
By Kayla Montgomery I Statt Reporter
Earlier this month, six Alabama baseball players were taken in the 2015 MLB Draft. It was the highest number of Crimson Tide players taken since 2010, and
the five players selected before the start of the 15th round were the most in UA history. The Crimson Tide baseball team is no stranger to the MLB, with five
former players currently making waves.
Tribune News Service
TOMMY
ADAM
MORGAN
JIMMY
NELSON
Hunter holds a 2-1 record as a
reliever for tile Baltimore Orioles,
with 22 strikeouts in 31 innings
pitched. He allowed only one
earned run during his eight June
appearances.
Morgan was called up l\l tile
majolS with tile PhilaOO!phia Phillies on Sunday and started for tile
team that day. He allowed six hits
and walked two while stril<ing out
six 1D earn his first major-league
win, beating tile Cardinals 9-2.
wins for the Milwaukee Brewers
across a career-high 83.1 innings pitched. He has 70 strikeouts. and has struck out five or
more in eight of his 14 starts.
HUNTER
Nelson has secured three
Tribune News SeMce
DAVID
ROBERTSON
ALEX
AVILA
Robertson boas1s a 4-2 record
and 14 saves for tile Chicago
White Sox, with a 2.35 ERA. He
has allowed more than one earned
run just twice this season. and has
24 scoreless appearances.
AWa has been CJ1 tile disabled
list since May 9 ciJe 10 a loose body
in his left knee, but is projected 1D
rellm 10 dJn fa' tile Delrolt Tigers
in tile ~ weeks. The catcher
will li<etf S1lrt a rehab illSignrnent
iMth tile ToleciJ MOO Hens torrorow.
50
The Tuscaloosa News
Vegas places
:interesting odds
on Alabama
n Las Vegas, where wagering
is legal and the primary industry is persuading people to partake in the opportunity to make a
bet or two, one of the year's more
intriguing college football opportunities has been released. The annual win totals represent the number that Las Vegas uses to entice
gamblers to bet on whether a team
wins more games than the num;ber, or less. (It isn't a guess, it's a
,ure designed to attract fish from
both sides of the money pond.)
Alabama's projected total for the
regular season is 9.5 wins. That
,doesn't include any postseason
play, no SEC Championship game
or bowl wins. If you think Alabama
wins 10 or more, you take the over.
If you think the Crimson Tide will
go 9-3 or worse, you take the under. If you think Alabama will go
9-2-1 and hit the number exactly,
you need to wake up from your 20year nap.
That number is intriguing.
There is a very large segment of
Alabama fans that aren't going to
be happy at 10-2 and would con-Sider a 9-3 regular season to be a
disaster of Krakatoa proportions.
:But there is also a segment that
gets just how diffic~lt the SEC is,
:and just how tough it was for Ala'bama to go 11-1 a year ago.
, One must note, of course, that
Alabama's total of9.5 is the highest
-listed for any SEC team. Georgia is
1next at 9, followed by Auburn, LSU
~nd Ole Miss at 8.5 and three more
:teams at 8, including Arkansas,
ITennessee and Texas A&M.
I
rt A couple of quick observations
~about the numbers. First, there
~sn't much respect for Mississippi
:State (7) or Missouri (7.5), both
ecoming off of very good years. Sectond, it's surprising to see Auburn,
twhich has received a lot of a pre'8eason attention, and Ole Miss,
~ich hasn't, given the same total.
!';That's largely a function of sched:Ule. Auburn has to play Georgia
~is season, while Ole Miss gets
~anderbilt and rebuilding Florida
~from the East. Neither is likely to
;tose a non-conference game, but
~ouisville, Auburn's opening optponent, is more capable of pulling
~ upset that anyone on the Reb):els' non-conference platter of cup::Cakes.
t Alabama may or may not prove
~o be the "best" team in the SEC,
~but it isn't a surprise that Vegas
~alues them highly. After all, Ala~ama has been favored in a stag~ering 68 consecutive games and
CWhile that streak might end this
!'Season - some future books cur;.ently have Georgia as a projected
t'.<me-point home favorite over the
:Crimson Tide in October- it's intdicative that people are traditiontally bullish on Alabama. Until
~here is some clarity at the quar~erback position, however, any in~vestment would be highly specula~tive.
~ Nation.ally, O~io State comes in
tat 11.5 wms, which means the bet'1:or is simply deciding whether the
~uckeyes go undefeated or not.
i:rhe other double-digit teams na;:tionally are TCU and Baylor, very
~good teams with thin-soup non~conference schedules and a less
::powerful conference to play in
!than the SEC. Alabama's 9.5 total
b-ounds out the top four, if you just
:tiave to turn this into a College
::football Playoff Projection. Flor~da State and Oregon are also pro~ected at 9.5, and so does a team
:t;hat Alabama fans might be sur)lrised to see on the list: Wiscon11Sin, the UA season opener.
~ If you like underdogs, you can
"1lways take Kansas (1.5). But for
tmost Alabama fans, just worrying
~bout getting to 10 wins should be
,. nough.
51
The Tuscaloosa News
Defending WBC heavyweight champion
Deontay Wilder living life with star status
Deontay
Wilder
speaks with
fan Sue
Graphos afterGraphos
gave Wilder
a t-shirt from
a Multiple
Sclerosis
walk themed
"Together we
can knock
out M.S." on
June 12 in
Birmingham.
By Aaron Suttles
Sports Writer
Take a close look on the sidelines,
· court side or ringside at the next major sporting event and, chances are,
you'll spot Deontay Wilder.
The Tuscaloosa heavyweight
champion is living the life of a major
celebrity these days, and showing up
at the biggest venues with the brightest lights just happens to be one of
the perks to being the World Boxing
Council heavyweight champion of
the world.
Just this year, Wilder's been to
the Super Bowl in Glendale, Ariz.,
the NBA All-Star Game at Madison
Square Garden in New York City,
Game 6 of the NBA Finals in Cleveland and in attendance at the "Fight
of the Century" Floyd Mayweather
versus Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas. And this summer, before he
heads back into training for a title
defense that's likely to occur in September, Wilder has more jet setting
to do.
He'll participate in the BET celebrity basketball game in Los Angeles
on June 27, be on the red carpet for
the BET Awards the next night be-
fore concluding his Los Angeles visit
on June 29 with a media tour.
In July, he'll attend ESPN's ESPY
Awards show and then conclude the
month by doing ESPN's Car Wash
in Bristol, Conn., where the sports
·cable giant will run Wilder through
all of their various platforms, including radio, internet and studio
shows.
"It's been a fun experience, and it
lets me know that my hard work
hasn't been going in vain," Wilder
said. "Everything's been exciting.
Everything has been my first time
doing it, so it's been thrilling each
step of the way."
He said he's especially excited for
the celebrity basketball game, to
show off the skills of his past when
he traded sneakers for boxing
gloves.
The game also includes hip hop
artists 2 Chainz and Snoop Dogg and
former NFL Pro Bowler Terrell Owens, but Wilder said he's looking to
dunk on one celebrity especially.
I
SEE WILDER 3C
See next page
52
The Tuscaloosa News
WILDER
CONTINUED FROM PAGE
lC
"I'm really looking forward to it," Wilder said. "I'm
ready to get on the court
now. I want to dunk on one
of the other celebrities. That
will ,get my name out there
even more. Maybe I'll throw
it down on Kevin Hart. Even
though he's short, he always
gets the MVP at these
things."
Wilder is becoming such
a star, the appearances are
mutually beneficial for
Wilder to continue to increase his marketability and
to event organizers who can
draw upon his star appeal.
"It's great for Deontay to
get his name out there, but
it's also great for promoters
of the event to have the
heavyweight champ there,"
Wilder co-manager Jay Deas
said. "It's a win-win."
After a whirlwind summer,
Wilder is expecting to get
back in the gym to train
sometime in August, preparing for a September fight.
"Right now, I'm living the
dream," Wilder said. "You
grow up thinking about going to the biggest and best
events, but you don't really
think it'll happen. I'm
blessed to say I've done
things I never thought I'd
do."
Reach Aaron Suttles at aaron.
[email protected] or
at 205-722-0229.
53
USA Today.com
Universities follow athletics' lead in bundling sponsorships
By Steve Berkowitz
Following a path that their athletics departments began carving about 40 years ago, major public
universities around the nation are starting to develop campus-wide corporate partnerships that
they hope will help mitigate declining state appropriations and increasing costs.
In the latest example, the University of California, Berkeley announced Wednesday that it has
signed a 10-year, roughly $4 million agreement that makes Sungevity, Inc., the school's official
solar energy partner.
This is the first school-wide deal that Cal has put together, and most of the money will go to the
athletics department and the California Alumni Association. However, according to campus
officials and documents, the school is heading toward completion of a broad financial services
deal and has issued a request for proposals for a comprehensive rights/sponsorship contract with
a coffee-and-tea provider.
The bid document that was issued in March for financial services proposals mentioned an even
more ambitious prospect. It stated that the University of California Office of the President "is
currently exploring system-wide or multi-campus partnerships, including in the category of
consumer banking/financial services."
Appropriations from the state for Cal have diminished from $506 million in 2008, 27% of the
budget, to $319 million (14%) in 2014, the school said.
The activity of the Cal's new University Partnership Program "is becoming a higher profile
project as the days go on because universities are interested in seeing how this plays out especially at UC Berkeley," said Solly Fulp, who was appointed earlier this month as the school's
executive director of university business partnerships and services. "I mean, this is a very
prestigious university for many reasons, and some feel that if this can work at Berkeley, it can
work anywhere."
'
These types of partnerships already are in place and/or being sought at schools including Arizona
State, Kentucky, Ohio State and Washington. But those schools don't have the same type of
renown - or, perhaps, reputation - for campus activism that Cal does.
"I think one of the things in general for our university and many others is any kind of private
partnership can be suspect to an academic community," said Claire Holmes, Berkeley's associate
vice chancellor for communications and public affairs.
That being the case, does Cal's administration have any trepidation about proceeding?
See next page
54
USA Today.com
"I don't think there's any trepidation about this," Holmes said. "The chancellor (Nicholas Dirks)
is certainly behind it and the vice chancellor of administration, John Wilton, is definitely leading
this. I think the way we'll go about this will be very important - engaging people early in the
process as we look at opportunities is part of the plan. We will be judicious and do our due
diligence around who we partner with and how we structure these agreements."
The deals are not without potential for controversy. The University of Minnesota's financial
services agreement with TCP Bank, which now encompasses naming rights for the school's
football stadium, was featured in an ABC News investigation in September 2013 that looked at
whether these deals result in extra, hidden or unfair banking fees for students - an allegation
that Minnesota disputes.
Cal's financial services bid document states that "students should be able to understand fees and
charges without reading complex terms of service." The document also says a prospective bank's
payments to Berkeley "should not be based on student spending, number of cards or accounts,
outstanding balances and the like."
The document offers the possibility of one bidder gaining access to students, faculty, staff and
alumni, as well as the ability to market through Cal's student government and student affairs and
activities operations, its recreational sports program, residential service, alumni association and
intercollegiate athletics program. At present, Bank of the West is the official bank of Cal
athletics while Bank of America is the credit card partner of the Cal Alumni Association.
In the mid-1970s, college athletics departments began bundling various different advertising
opportunities that once competed with each other. They now routinely package all of their local
radio, TV, internet, marketing, corporate sponsorship and merchandising rights, generating
millions of dollars - in some cases, tens of millions - annually. Universities' central
administrations are now trying to harness the scale and breadth of campus communities - what
makes schools attractive to corporations - that can make these deals hard to put together.
Said Fulp, who has worked for college sports marketing giant IMG as well as Cal's athletics
department: "The whole concept of the University Partnership Program is that we're saying (to
the university community) ... if we pool our relationships rather than (taking) the traditional
siloed approach, which you see on many university campuses ... the outcomes can be really
special for a lot of stakeholders. If everyone works together, one plus one could equal four or
six."
Athletics programs remain a critical aspect of these deals because "in many ways they continue
to be the front porch of the university - they're a great way to bring people in," said Tom Stultz,
a longtime college sports marketer who is now president of JMI Sports - a firm that is assisting
schools, including Kentucky and Arizona State, with campus-wide marketing efforts. But, he
said, many companies are seeking much more than just the opportunity to have advertising
signage at sports venues because of the changing tastes of their most prized audience.
"Millennials want to create authentic experiences" with brands and companies, he said.
See next page
55
USAToday.com
At Washington, which has agreements with Starbucks and Coca-Cola, that could mean
participating in a campus leadership program funded by Starbucks or sampling free Powerade at
intramural sports events, said the school's director of sponsorships and partnerships Steven Bell.
Fulp said Cal officials discovered this as they worked to put together a naming rights deal for the
field at Cal's Memorial Stadium - a quest that, in December 2013, resulted in a 15-year, $18
million agreement with Kabam, a mobile gaming company.
"We discovered in that process that there was a lot of interest from many companies in a deeper
relationship with UC Berkeley that extended beyond the athletics department - whether it was
engaging with our students, our direct (business-to-business) opportunities, different academic
departments on campus, the value of the UC Berkeley brand," said Fulp, who was the athletics
department's chief operating officer during that time.
While Cal has been handling much of the work on these deals internally, it has used one outside
firm for rights valuation (Navigate Research, a Chicago-based company) and another for help in
identifying potentially interested companies (Premier Partnerships, a Los Angeles-based
company). The firms are being paid through both monthly retainers and prospective
commissions, Fulp said.
Will it be worth that expense, plus the cost of additional university staff needed to service
partnerships as they get made and keep working on finding new ones?
Fulp declined to provide specific revenue projections, but added: "I would say it's significant
(enough) for us to invest in this program and make it a focus and a priority."
56

JUNE 19,2015-JUNE25,2015 - The University of Alabama System

Transcription

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