Mortgage, terror woes figure big into stress
ABCNews – Oct. 25
…what was particularly interesting about the findings, said Dr. Beverly Thorn, president of the APA health psychology division and a professor of psychology at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, is that more than half of respondents cited housing costs as a major source of stress, even when they were not necessarily prompted to mention such worries…"We know that housing costs are going up," she said. "More importantly, it was reflected in people's comments as to why they were stressed … We know now from this survey that people link it directly to increased levels of stress."…
Reuters – Oct. 24

UA's Moral Forum promotes debate
Birmingham News – Oct. 26
The debates in the University of Alabama's Ferguson Student Center this week sounded different from the shrill exchanges heard nightly on cable news programs. Contestants disagreed, all right, digging in on opposite sides of a proposed federal law to help some illegal immigrants attend college and become citizens…The Moral Forum is an initiative of the Center for Ethics & Social Responsibility at the University of Alabama. Textile heiress Mignon Smith launched the center in 2005 with a $5 million gift. Center director Stephen Black started the Moral Forum to promote the center's mission of developing informed, involved citizens…

Darfurian refugees appeal to community for support
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 26
…On Thursday, at 7 p.m. in the Ferguson Center Theater on the University of Alabama's campus, three Darfurian refugees stood before a crowd of more than 200 people, and told stories of the rape and genocide of the Darfurian people that they say occurs every day in their country…
Crimson White – Oct. 26

Few women use Ph.D.s to enter academia
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 26
…At the University of Alabama, 18 percent of full-time faculty in the departments of natural sciences and mathematics were women, according to the school's 2005-06 Fact Book. In the biology department, those numbers are better. More than one-third of biology professors at UA are women. 'Here, the fact that people were female has never been considered,' said Harriett Smith-Somerville, who has been a UA biology professor for 31 years…In UA's engineering department, 12 percent, or 14 of the department's 101 full-time faculty members, are women…

UA hall of fame to induct 4 communications greats
Birmingham News – Oct. 26
The University Of Alabama College Of Communication and Information Sciences' Hall of Fame will induct four communications pioneers in a ceremony today at the NorthRiver Yacht Club in Tuscaloosa…

Search for votes? More of a search for money
Mobile Register – Oct. 26
…Candidate visits during previous election cycles usually have been fundraisers -- a trend that doesn't appear to be changing, according to William Stewart, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Alabama. "We know come November, Alabama will be in the Republican column, but there's a lot of Democratic money in Alabama," he said. "So they'll come and get as much as they can."

New home sales on the rise despite decline in market
CBS 42 (Birmingham) -- Oct. 25
…According to the University of Alabama Center for Real Estate the local housing market has softened for the second consecutive month…

Business Briefs
Birmingham News – Oct. 26
The master's in business administration program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's business school is recognized as one of the nation's best in the 2008 edition of The Princeton Review's "Best 290 Business Schools."

Maddox among Shelton presidential search committee members OK’d
Tuscaloosa News – Oct. 26
…The search committee also includes: Community leaders: James E. McLean, dean of the college of education at the University of Alabama…

Memorial service scheduled for Conrad Rehling
Cybergolf. Com – Oct. 26
The University of Alabama will hold a memorial service to honor former University of Alabama golf coach Conrad Rehling on Friday, November 2 at the Jerry Pate Center at Ol' Colony Club in Tuscaloosa…on the back deck of the Jerry Pate Center. The recently completed deck is being dedicated to Coach Rehling that morning as well. Rehling was Alabama's head golf coach from 1972 until he retired in 1988. He coached Alabama to its only golf Southeastern Conference Championship in 1979…

UA student creates live movie discussion Web site
Crimson White – Oct. 26
…We Talk During Movies, found at www.wetalkduringmovies.com, is the three-week old creation of John Brooks Pounders, a senior majoring in advertising…The premise of the Web site is easy to get behind. All viewers simply start up the same movie at the same time and talk to each other during it through a voice- or text-based chat service. The chat service used is called TalkShoe, and users can sign up at TalkShoe.com…