TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama National Alumni Association has announced the 2014 recipients of the University’s highest honor for excellence in teaching – the Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Awards.
This year’s recipients are: Dr. Viola L. Acoff, head of the department of metallurgical & materials engineering; Dr. Robert Brooks, professor of finance and Wallace D. Malone Jr. endowed chair of financial management; Dr. Kathryn S. Oths, professor of anthropology; and Dr. James Hall, former professor and director in UA’s New College.
Heather Ammons, president of the UA-AAA organization and the academic adviser in the Culverhouse College of Commerce, recognized, along with UA President Judy Bonner, the 2014 OCTA recipients at the Oct. 1, fall faculty-staff meeting in the Bryant Conference Center. An awards presentation also occurs at the NorthRiver Yacht Club with National Alumni Association President Jimmy Warren.
Established in 1976, the Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award recognizes dedication to the teaching profession and the positive impact outstanding teachers have on their students. The National Alumni Association, which gives the annual OCTA awards, is made up of more than 33,000 active alumni and friends of the University organized into more than 100 local chapters nationwide. The association stimulates interest in and supports the betterment of the University and awards more than $4 million a year in academic scholarships.
The 2014 OCTA winners :

Dr. Viola L. Acoff joined the UA faculty in 1994. Acoff has been active in research on welding metallurgy and has been awarded more than $7 million in externally funded research grants, including a National Science Foundation CAREER Award. She has published more than 80 peer-reviewed papers, co-authored three books, co-edited three books and given more than 100 invited and contributed talks on her research. She has presented her research on every continent except for Antarctica. In addition, she develops and teaches workshops and seminars designed to provide students with the competitive edge they need to excel in their undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral studies.
As professor, department head, adviser and mentor, Acoff has personally helped hundreds of students in science, mathematics and engineering. In her role as director of UA’s Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program, she has worked for nearly 20 years to increase the number of science and engineering degrees awarded to students from underrepresented minority groups. For her efforts, Acoff was named, in 2014, the first recipient of the Ellen Swallow Richards Diversity Award given by the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society.

Dr. Robert Brooks joined the faculty in the department of economics, finance & legal studies in 1989 and has served as the director of the Master of Science in Finance program since 1995. His primary teaching and research focus relates to making financial theories work in practice.
Brooks became a founding partner of BlueCreek Investment Partners LLC, a money management firm, and has created Financial Risk Management LLC, a risk management consulting firm. Brooks teaches at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. He developed a course in the Master of Science in Finance program that enables students to implement advanced quantitative methods in finance in the C++ computer language. This class has inspired two books as well as help launch numerous students’ careers. He also redesigned the Advanced Investments undergraduate class with a value investing focus that provided early support for the department’s development of value investing expertise.
Brooks also is the author of more than 70 articles appearing in the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Journal of Derivatives, Journal of Banking and Finance, Financial Management and others. He has written several books, including “Building Financial Risk Management Applications with C++.” He is the co-author of “An Introduction to Derivatives and Risk Management”(seventh, eighth and ninth editions) with Don Chance. Brooks has also been quoted in print media, including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, The New York Times, and The Bond Buyer, and was a guest on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.”

Dr. Kathryn Oths joined the UA faculty in 1990. She teaches at all levels of the anthropology program, from large introductory lecture courses to doctoral seminars. Her teaching focuses on health and culture, Latin America and research methodology. She spearheaded the establishment of the doctoral program in anthropology in 2002 and typically serves on more than 20 Ph.D. dissertation and M.A. thesis committees at a time, both for anthropology and across the University. In collaboration with her husband, Dr. William Dressler, she has taught numerous day- and week-long workshops on research methods, both nationally and internationally.
At UA, Oths has developed a teaching style that encourages students to think, to discuss topics openly and to apply the concepts they learn to novel situations. She employs a Socratic method in her upper-division undergraduate and graduate classes and conducts discussions even in large lecture courses. To encourage discussion, she projects a sense that no questions are stupid as long as they are sincere. Her problem-based approach is inspired by the Native American proverb: “Tell me, I’ll listen. Show me, I’ll believe. Involve me, I’ll learn.” In teaching Introductory Anthropology classes in campus multimedia rooms, she has been at the forefront in using technology promoted by the College of Arts and Sciences, such as Tegrity course capture, Clickers, PowerPoint and Blackboard. In her graduate-level Research Methodology class, students become competent in literature searching, research design, data collection, basic statistics, SPSS analysis and grant writing. Several students report they have won jobs, grants and fellowships based on the skills learned in Methodology. She also mentored two low-income high school students through an NIH Minority Apprenticeship program. In addition, she is making a film about a traditional healer in the mountains of Peru and has taken teams of student researchers with her to the Andean highlands for the past two summers.

Dr. James C. Hall came to The University of Alabama in 2002 to serve as director of New College. He served as director until 2012. A native of Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, Hall has published widely in the areas of American and African American literature, culture and history and was the author of “Mercy, Mercy Me: African American Culture and the American Sixties” (Oxford, 2001). He also served as an advocate for interdisciplinary studies. At Alabama, he was active in Faculty Senate and university committees including Campus Master Plan, Academics and Athletics and Technology, and he served as co-coordinator of the Coalition for Diversity and Inclusiveness. The university community also awarded him the Distinguished Service to Community Partnerships commendation by the Division of Community Affairs and the Morris Mayer Award for support and mentorship of UA students.
A former Rockefeller Foundation Fellow, Hall is executive director of the Center for Multidisciplinary Studies at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is experiencing significant growth in both enrollment and academic quality. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state‘s economy, is in keeping with UA‘s vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state‘s flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.

By A. C. Bryant

   A Sizzling HOT Read
You asked for it and you got it, the best of Gwendolyn Baines. For twenty-four years the Nashville, Tennessee, native has brought happiness into the lives of millions through her advice column Ask Gwendolyn Baines. Shortly after independent distribution, she became syndicated through the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) -Washington, DC.  When syndicated, the column immediately reached an audience of over 15 million readers per week.
According to the author most people struggle through bad relationships more than – the lack of money.  The book contains no previously newspaper published works. Gwendolyn Baines keeps it real discussing topics – such as:
•    How to get the love of your life
•    How to help your teenager become a success in this turbulent world
•    What to do when your spouse is unfaithful and what happens to puppy-love when puppy grows into a dog
•     How to live high class on a small paycheck
– also includes powerful advice for single parents who are left alone to raise their children –
If you liked the Ask Gwendolyn Baines advice column, then the book will –blow you out of the water.
Order from: Nevada Publishing Co., P. O. Box 10066, Raleigh, NC 27605-0066 or go to www.gwenbaines.com. For inquiries: gwenbaines@hotmail.com.

BETHESDA, Md. /PRNewswire/ – “The country lost a great and dynamic leader in Comer Cottrell who built the PRO-LINE Hair Care business into one of the top hair care brands for African American men and women. But to me, the founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), I lost a great friend, who, as a visionary and innovative marketing executive, became the first hair care owner to make the decision to advertise his hair care products on BET during its infancy.
“Comer told me, at a time while BET was not as well established as Black print or Black radio, it deserved his brand’s support because he was committed to the belief that Black businessmen should be the first to reach out and help emerging Black businesses that could expand the market opportunity to reach Black consumers.
“Comer and I became not only business affiliates, but more importantly, we became close friends. I learned a lot by working with Comer. He was a brilliant businessman, a strong advocate of minority business opportunity, and a committed philanthropist to his local community and to national minority organizations.
“Comer’s legacy is well-known to his family and friends and I believe it should be shared with all America.”
Robert L. Johnson is founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) and founder and chairman of The RLJ Companies.

What’s prettier than a Homecoming Queen? A bunch of them!
The Pleasant Grove Cheerleaders kicked off the start of Homecoming with their annual dance on Thursday, Oct. 2 at the school. The overflow was transformed into a land of “Forever Twilight” with all its glitz and glamour. The focal feature was a beautiful purple gazebo decorated with lanterns, lights and tulle. The crowd danced the night away with the sounds provided by DJ Will Bob.  Head cheerleader Reese Sherman said, “Since this is my senior year, I was so excited about the dance.  All the girls worked on our outfits to make sure everything was just right.  And the guys looked handsome all dressed up. I wish everybody could have been there because we all had a great time making memories that will remain with us forever as we danced the night away!”
The Pleasant Grove Cheerleader’s Booster Club sponsors the event annually as a fundraiser to help with expenses for the 2015 National High School Cheerleading Championship in Orlando, Florida in February. Other local competitions include the Universal Cheer Association’s North Alabama Regional and Alabama State Championships. Both Pleasant Grove High School and Middle School teams have ranked as past champions in these events. Cheer coaches are Jasmine Clisby and Briana Lott. Wayne Byram is the principal.

Former high school dropout releases new book to encourage youth to go to college

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Dr. Robert G. Wilkerson has written a book encouraging young people to get a degree, and showing them step-by-step how to do it.
Young people without a college education sell themselves short, and condemn themselves to a limited and difficult future. For those who want to make more money, have greater job opportunities, and live a longer, happier life, a degree is a necessity.
High School graduates without a degree have a difficult time finding work that enables them to live independently or support a family.
Young people have to continue living with their parents, or move back in with them because of their financial difficulties. Some who can’t find work eventually turn to welfare or crime to survive.
This book is encouraging. The author fully believes that anyone with average intelligence, who enrolls in a college or university, attends faithfully, and does the work can get any degree they desire. He is personally an example of this truth.
The book is available on Amazon.com or CreateSpace.com.

MONTGOMERY – Attorney General Luther Strange has announced that he and the Attorneys General of the other 49 States and the District of Columbia, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Federal Communications Commission, have reached settlements with AT&T Mobility LLC. These settlements provide for a $105 million payment, and resolve allegations that AT&T Mobility placed charges for third-party services on consumers’ mobile telephone bills that had not been authorized by the consumer, a practice known as “mobile cramming.”
Consumers who have been “crammed” often complain about charges, typically $9.99 per month, for “premium” text message subscription services (also known as “PSMS” subscriptions) such as horoscopes, trivia, and sports scores, that the consumers have never heard of or requested.  The Attorneys General and federal regulators allege that cramming occurred when AT&T Mobility placed charges on consumers’ mobile telephone bills for these services without the consumer’s knowledge or consent.
AT&T Mobility is the first mobile telephone provider to enter into national settlement to resolve allegations regarding cramming; AT&T Mobility was among the four major mobile carriers—in addition to Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile—that announced it would cease billing their customers for commercial PSMS charges last fall.
“It is important that consumers are not forced to pay for services of which they are unaware and that they never requested,” said Attorney General Strange. “This settlement puts sensible protections in place and compensates consumers who have been wronged.”
Under the terms of the settlements, AT&T Mobility is required to provide $80 million in funds to be used to pay refunds to consumers who were victims of cramming. The fund will be administered by the Federal Trade Commission.
Beginning today, consumers may submit claims under the AT&T Mobility cramming refund program by visiting www.ftc.gov/att. On that website, consumers can find information about how to obtain a refund. If consumers are unsure about whether they are eligible for a refund, they can visit the claims website or contact the Claims Administrator at 1-877-819-9692 for more information.
The settlement requires AT&T Mobility to stay out of the commercial PSMS business—the platform to which law enforcement agencies attribute the lion’s share of the mobile cramming problem. Additional terms require AT&T Mobility to take a number of steps designed to ensure that it only bills consumers for third-party charges that have been authorized, including the following:
•    AT&T Mobility must obtain consumers’ express consent before billing consumers for third-party charges, and must ensure that consumers are only charged for services if the consumer has been informed of all material terms and conditions of their payment;
•    AT&T Mobility must provide a full refund or credit to consumers who are billed for unauthorized third-party charges at any time after this settlement;
•    AT&T Mobility must inform its customers when the consumers sign up for services that their mobile phone can be used to pay for third-party charges, and must inform consumers of how those third-party charges can be blocked if the consumer doesn’t want to use their phone as a payment method for third-party products; and
•    AT&T Mobility must present third-party charges in a dedicated section of consumers’ mobile phone bills, must clearly distinguish them from AT&T Mobility’s charges, and must include in that same section information about the consumers’ ability to block third-party charges.
AT&T Mobility also agreed to pay $20 million to the Attorneys General and $5 million to the Federal Communications Commission.  The Alabama Attorney General’s Office is receiving $291,742 for its participation in the settlement.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Habitat partner Traci Sanders was presented the keys to a bright new future on Monday, October 6th at 3 p.m., thanks to support from local Walmart stores. Over 250 associates from 27 local Walmart and Neighborhood Market stores have volunteered over the last two weeks so that Traci can become a new homeowner. Since the home began on September 19, Walmart associates  contributed almost 2,000 hours to Habitat Birmingham to build the Sanders family’s home. When Traci receives the keys to her new home, she and her daughter will also receive a bookcase stocked with books, thanks to a new partnership.
Recognizing literacy is a key factor in succeeding in life, Habitat Birmingham is excited to launch a partnership with the Literacy Council of Central Alabama, Better Basics, and 2nd & Charles Bookstore to provide books to families purchasing homes through Habitat’s housing program. The Sanders family will be the first family to benefit from this collaboration, and they’ll receive a starter library in their home with books customized to the ages and reading levels of the each family member.
“Owning my own home affords my daughter and me freedom to be independent,” Traci says. “This is a dream come true. My desire for us to have our own home is no longer just a dream, but reality. Thank you for helping my dream continue. “Thank you also to the new book partners.  My daughter and I are both excited about the starter library, and I look forward to sharing reading time with her in our new home!”
The Sanders home is the twenty-second home built by Habitat Birmingham since January of this year. The local Habitat affiliate serves the affordable housing needs of Jefferson, Shelby, Walker and St. Clair Counties in Central Alabama, and is ranked 4th among 1,500 affiliates across the country based upon its capacity to serve area residents’ housing needs.
In honor of World Habitat Day on October 6, organizations partnered with Habitat Birmingham to help draw attention to the continued need for affordable housing in our community and around the world. In addition to the 1,500 Habitat affiliates in the U.S., Habitat operates in nearly 80 countries and is one of the largest organizations facilitating housing solutions for those in need.