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7th Annual Awards Program Concludes Highly Successful Engagement Scholarship Year at The University of Alabama

July 29th, 2013
in News

By Kirsten J. Barnes
CCBP Graduate Assistant

Students Kelsey Balzli, Jacquie McMahanon, Benjie Ladrillono, Julia Gardial and Haley Flanagan stand with Dr. Samory Pruitt, left, and Acting Provost Joe Benson with the certificate acknowledging their award winning ant-bullying project in the student-initiated engagment project category. — Students Kelsey Balzli, Jacquie McMahon, Benjie Ladrillono, Julia Gardial and Haley Flanagan hold the certificate acknowledging their award-winning anti-bullying project in the student-initiated engagement project category.

The Center for Community-Based Partnerships celebrated its big day on Friday, April 26, at Hotel Capstone on the UA campus, recognizing the year's top projects and scholars, while taking a look back on the University's most successful year ever in the engagement scholarship field.

Here are some of the accomplishments and current and future plans outlined by several speakers at the seventh annual awards program, including Dr. Heather Pleasants, CCBP director of Community Education:

UA became the first non-land-grant institution to host the National Outreach Scholarship Conference, the most important international conference dedicated to engaged scholarship (now known as the Engagement Scholarship Consortium "” ESC), setting records for overall attendance (613, twice the previous conferences' average), for student attendance (145, 115 of whom made presentations), number of states represented (39), colleges and universities (84), and community organizations (47).
Dr. Samory T. Pruitt was named vice president of the ESC Board of Directors.
The Parent Leadership Academy was one of only 15 school leadership programs to receive the National School Board Association's Magna Award. Dr. Heather Pleasants, CCBP director of Community Education, is the director of the program.
The Teacher Leadership Academy, an initiative that will provide professional development for teachers invested in building strong family-school partnerships, will be launched in the coming year.
Beginning this summer, STEM/Entrepreneurship Camp, which blends the science/technology/engineering/math fields with entrepreneurship will be launched this summer and will include in-service training for teachers.
Eleven seed fund awards (click here for seed fund award announcement) were announced, up from four last year, aimed at positive change and tangible benefits for schools, organizations and communities across the state and nation and even around the globe.

Dr. Edward Mullins, director of research and communication at CCBP, introduced the various speakers and program segments. "When you see students, faculty and members of the community working together to improve schools, athletic facilities, health, water supplies, to stop bullying, produce more scientists and engineers, those are just a few of the signs of engagement scholarship. But there's more to engaged scholarship than "˜doing things'," he said.

"There is also the research component. Just conducting these projects is not sufficient to qualify as engagement scholarship. Only when teaching, research and service are integrated does true engaged scholarship occur. Only when scholars have collected and analyzed the data and reported the results, i.e. presented and interpreted the evidence, have we closed the circle on engagement scholarship."

Pruitt began the awards portion of the program by announcing an award that surprised the recipient.

"It is an absolute honor and a pleasure for me to present the Distinguished Special Achievement in Engaged Scholarship Award to my friend and colleague, Dr. Joe Benson," Pruitt said. "Joe has been an outstanding advocate for engaged scholarship. He's been here every year to help us give out the awards. In addition to that, over half of the dollars for the seed funds each year have come from Joe's budget."

In accepting his award, Benson said: "I did not see this coming. It's a good thing I came today. I very much appreciate this award and the thoughtful presentation, but the real award goes to you all because this effort started very, very small and there were many, many questions as to whether this [engagement scholarship as an academic movement] was something that could actually succeed.

"Through the hard work of people like Samory (Pruitt), Ed (Mullins), Janet (Griffith), Heather (Pleasants) and all of you, this has grown into a real honest to goodness research effort on this campus," Benson said. "I think The University of Alabama has to be very, very proud for the accomplishments that this initiative has brought. And in my mind this initiative is still in its infancy. I think the really good things are still to come. So, I am very, very pleased to be here today to recognize you for what you do."

Pruitt expressed appreciation for the early critiques and suggestions Dr. Benson made with regard to what is now the leading journal in engagement scholarship, the UA-published Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, but in the beginning had some rough edges.

Janet Griffith, assistant provost, as she has done each year, presided over the awards presentations. Following is a summary of those awards:

Distinguished Achievement in Engagement Scholarship "” Faculty/Staff

Dr. Karl Hamner wears many academic and engagement hats. He is the Assistant Dean of Scholarly Affairs for two major campus academic programs, the Capstone College of Nursing and the School of Social Work. He is the person behind the initiation of the UA-Veterans Administration Collaboration, begun in 2007 to increase collaboration and expand research, education and training, including the VA-funded Rural Health Training and Education Project that trains nursing, medical and social work students to serve rural veterans. There is the 2008 Walker Area Transformational Coalition for Health (WATCH), a rural health network addressing health in Walker County. WATCH has received local, state and federal funds to improve health and is now becoming the Health Action Partnership of Walker County, partnering with the United Way of Central Alabama and the Health Action Partnership of Jefferson County. Finally, there is the Holt Community Partnership, which Hamner helped found in 2009. The partnership is dedicated to making Holt a vibrant, healthy and safe community. After the 2011 tornado, the partnership has taken on helping rebuild the community. Hamner co-chaired this year's Holt Community Festival. In addition to his administrative and teaching duties, Hamner is a health researcher, evaluation consultant and a training specialist and has conducted many multicultural health and social research studies. He received his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1993.

Distinguished Achievement in Engagement Scholarship "” Student

Jackie Brodsky, a Ph.D. candidate in Communication and Information Sciences, got her start in community-engaged scholarship while a master's student helping senior citizens become fluent in information technology at a local senior center. The project sparked her interest in the research/evaluative aspects of engaged scholarship. Today, she is the graduate research assistant for Project ALFA (Accessible Libraries for All), helping prepare 30 master's students to facilitate information access for people with disabilities by creating partnerships with community agencies serving these populations. Brodsky is the author of several peer-reviewed journal articles on accessibility and plans to continue to conduct research in this field as a fulltime faculty member. Brodsky's mentor is Dr. Laurie Bonnici, with whom she has worked on several projects throughout her master's program and whom she credits with inspiring her to concentrate her research in the community-engagement field. They have co-authored one peer-reviewed journal article, and Dr. Bonnici is her dissertation committee chair.
(Click here for Brodsky's remarks.)

Distinguished Achievement in Engagement Scholarship "” Community Partner

Friends describe Mason Bonner as the ultimately dependable partner for any project, the kind of partner all organizations want on their team. He has worked closely with CCBP on the entrepreneurship education component of the Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED ) Initiative. He has helped CCBP organize workshops in several rural counties in West Alabama, and he has developed a business plan workshop and competition for students in Lowndes County. He has participated in a teacher-training institute hosted jointly by Alabama and Mississippi REAL programs in which teachers from these states and Georgia received activities-based training and curriculum resources. In addition to his partnership work with CCBP, Bonner is one of the founding members of A Few United Men, a 501(c)3 organization that provides mentoring and tutoring for at-risk youth in West Alabama.

Outstanding Faculty/Staff-Initiated Engagement Efforts

Dr. Marcus Ashford, associate professor of mechanical engineering. Project title: Rockets and Race Cars. This hands-on approach heightens students' interest in and mastery of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Dr. John Giggie, associate professor of history. Project title: Religion and Civil Rights. Students explore the role of religion and African-American churches in the civil rights movement.
Dr. Jeffrey G. Parker, associate professor of psychology. Project title: Practicum in Positive Youth Development and Civic Engagement. Students learn civic engagement principles to help improve the community of Holt in areas ranging from schools to law enforcement, from courts to at-risk youth.

Outstanding Student-Initiated Engagement Efforts

Jackie Brodsky, with Dr. Laurie Bonnici, School of Library and Information Studies. Project title: ALFA "“ Accessible Libraries for All. A professor and her protÃ©gÃ© developed this program that enables individuals with disabilities to access information in the digital age.
Fan Yang, School of Social Work. Project title: Heart Touch. This project builds cultural competency for children in the after-school program of Tuscaloosa's One Place. Among the activities was a pen-pal exchange between children here and in China.
Kelsey Balzli, Jacquie McMahon, Benjie Ladrillono, Julia Gardial, Haley Flanagan, graduate students in advertising and public relations. Project title: "I Can" Anti-Bullying Campaign for Tuscaloosa City Schools. Tuscaloosa middle school students received training in strategies to prevent bullying. They created posters, newsletters, and other means of communication to reach parents, students and faculty to combat the problem.

Outstanding Community Partner-Initiated Engagement Effort

Rev. Larry W. Corder, Alberta Baptist Church; Rev. Kelvin Croom, College Hill Baptist Church; and Dr. Chandra Clark, instructor in telecommunication and film. Project title: Alberta City History Project. Alberta City ministers formed a partnership with UA's Dr. Chandra Clark to preserve the history of the area following destruction by the April 27, 2011 tornado that devastated the Alberta City community.
Rev. Richard L. Morgan, Mary Rogers Brooks, Georgia White, Linda O'Rourke and Jane Wells, First African Baptist Church; Rev. Tyshawn Gardner, Phyllis P. Rogers, Erica Walker and Rebecca Hood, Plum Grove Baptist Church; Rev. Kelvin Croom, Marcie McMullen, Jahnese Hobson, Regina Hughes, Rena Heard, Willie Robinson and Jessica McCaskill, College Hill Baptist Church; Dr. Rebecca Kelly, Dr. Pamela Payne Foster, Dr. James King and Dr. Martha Crowther, The University of Alabama; and Marvin Wilson, the Joseph and Lauretta Freeman Foundation. Project title: Saving Lives, A Community-University Faith-Based Initiative for Health and Well-Being. University health researchers combine forces with local churches to combat illness using faith, scripture and health science. A five-month pilot study completed with three local churches addressed key health concerns such as cancer, obesity and diabetes.
Rev. Tyshawn Gardner, Plum Grove Baptist Church, and Dr. Karen Baynes-Dunning, associate professor, Human Environmental Sciences. Project title: West Side Scholars Academy. Pastor Gardner and his church collaborated with Dr. Baynes-Dunning to enrich the scholarship of middle school students in Tuscaloosa city and county schools. The students study various academic disciplines and will travel to Costa Rica this summer.

A research poster session, organized by Tommie Syx of the CCBP staff, preceded the awards program. Veteran attendees agreed that it was the largest and best poster session of any held in conjunction with the awards luncheon. More than 20 posters were on display.

Dr. Beverly Hawk Joins Center for Community-Based Partnerships, Continues Her Commitment to Fulbright Scholar Program

July 29th, 2013
in News

By Kirsten J. Barnes
CCBP Graduate Assistant

Dr. Beverly Hawk, director, Office of Program Services.

Dr. Beverly G. Hawk is not new to The University of Alabama or the Division of Community Affairs. In fact, she retired in 2013 after six years as director of UA's Crossroads Community Center, but she could not let her time at UA end there. So, when the opportunity arose this year to continue working with Community Affairs in the Center for Community-Based Partnerships (CCBP), she did not hesitate to accept the director of the Office of Program Services position.

Her multitude of duties now include coordinating CCBP's Language Learning Lab and overseeing the campus Fulbright Scholar Program application process. But one of her main duties, says colleague Dr. Edward Mullins, is as the division's "ace proofreader and copy editor for the scores of brochures, publications, programs, grant applications, websites, grant applications and other print, web and video materials we produce." Mullins is director of the Office of Research and Communications at CCBP.

"I've worked in media at all levels and all forms and I've never seen a better, more constructive copy editor/proofreader," Mullins said, "She catches the usual things, like mistakes in spelling and grammar, but she is also alert to matters of tone, common sense and history, which makes her very valuable indeed to our extensive publishing, video and web operation here at the center."

Her new position allows her to expand the boundaries of her cultural community to include areas outside of the University and the nation through work with engagement scholarship. "Community engagement as practiced at the University has gone international," Hawk said, "and Community Affairs understands that and the University sees that. Part of my position is to help faculty and students get U.S. Department of State grants to go overseas and engage communities around the world."

"CCBP is a perfect fit for Hawk's talents and energy," says Dr. Samory T. Pruitt, vice president of Community Affairs. "She brings together senior leadership, student energy, community wisdom and scholarly expertise, which makes for an especially creative collaboration."

Hawk enjoys international and multicultural work and says the Fulbright Scholar Program allows her to encourage UA students to take part in a program that helped shape her own career as an African Studies scholar. Hawk serves as the campus' adviser and coordinator for the Fulbright Scholar Program.

Hawk has been deeply involved in the Fulbright Program throughout her career, serving on the social science faculties of the University of Nairobi in 1994 and the University of Malawi in 2001. As part of her Fulbright service, she taught grant proposal writing at universities in Morocco, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya and Malawi.

"The more you travel and the more cultures you encounter the more humble you have to be because you realize how big the world is and how little you know," said Hawk, who has visited more than a dozen countries. "You have to be comfortable making mistakes and apologizing for those mistakes and being willing to listen and learn."

As the former director of Crossroads, Hawk has interacted with students from all over the world. "Crossroads is a place for people to come together and bring the positive fruits of their cultures and share them to embrace practical tasks," said Hawk, who came to UA from Miles College in Birmingham, where she taught international studies, research methods, public administration and government. "If you are a positive person, then you'll want to be associated with a place that brings positive people together. As director of Crossroads, it was my honor to coordinate so many great leaders on campus."

Collaboration is really what engagement scholarship is all about, she said. "When we bring people together from different walks of life to weave something positive out of their collaboration, we get a beautiful result," she said.

Hawk's book, Africa's Media Image, published by Praeger, received a Sigma Delta Chi Award in 1992. It analyzes how the American press portrays Africa and was published in the year that the United States military went into Somalia to halt atrocities and address illness and starvation of the nation's citizens at the hands of its own military forces. "Because of this timing, the book still sells," Hawk said.

Hawk also served as editor for six years of African Issues, a journal of the African Studies Association and was elected to the association's International Board.

The social scientist-turned-author learned to write out of necessity. "I had something I needed to say to people that I had never met and would never meet. That's how I became a writer."

In 2000, Hawk received the Millennium International Volunteer Award, an award given by the State Department for initiatives in pursuit of international understanding. In 2004, she received the John Carroll University Alumni Medal in recognition of her work with AIDS orphans, and in 2005 she received a Fulbright Senior Specialist Award to continue her consultations with universities overseas.

Hawk received her bachelor's degree in political science from John Carroll University in her native Ohio, master's in African studies from Howard University, and master's and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

In announcing her new appointment, Dr. Samory T. Pruitt, vice president for Community Affairs, said, "Our division and the hundreds of students we work with every semester are extremely fortunate to have a person on our staff with the encompassing humanitarian spirit and wealth of knowledge of Dr. Beverly Hawk."

McLelland: New Job Is Real-World Test of Her Preparation

July 29th, 2013
in News

By Kirsten J. Barnes
CCBP Graduate Assistant

McLellandLaneWeb — Lane McLelland, director, Crossroads Community Center

Looking back on her first year in her new job as director of Crossroads Community Center, Lane Busby McLelland, the former assistant director of New College, remains both challenged and excited by her new responsibilities, which she sees as a real-world test of her academic preparation.

That preparation includes a master of arts in ethics and social theory, a master of divinity and a bachelor's in international studies and conflict management.

"I loved what I did in New College, but coming to Crossroads gives me the opportunity to develop my fundamental areas of interest even more," she said.

Crossroads Community Center provides leadership at UA in cultural programming and intercultural education by developing and hosting a variety of cultural events and dialogue programs that build community. Crossroads pursues its mission by coordinating the energies of faculty, staff and students in the creation, implementation and evaluation of cultural programs on campus.

McLelland sees her new job from several points of view. "I love working with people of different perspectives and backgrounds and to see them work together, whether that work is international, cultural or intra-cultural. Because I'm coming from a program (New College) that values interdisciplinary work, I bring varied experience from multiple perspectives. My life has been interdisciplinary."

Before beginning a teaching career at Shelton State Community College in 1999 and taking a position teaching full-time at UA in 2006, McLelland worked in the private sector in religion and ethics. During the mid-1990s she worked in Atlanta for several agencies in which she gained cross-cultural experience, including working with the 1996 Summer Olympics.

All of these experiences prepared her for Crossroads. "My work in Atlanta and with New College has always emphasized embedding students in community based-projects," McLelland said, opportunities for students and community members to talk and work together.

McLelland said she missed teaching during her first semester at Crossroads, but hopes to develop a new course that can be taught in New College that will also be beneficial to Crossroads.

"I hope to offer some special courses that meet the goals of the academic department and the goals of Crossroads: Deliberative decision-making and deliberative-dialogue," McLelland said.

In addition to her academic and service credentials, McLelland is also an ordained minister. She has served as a minister at Chinese Community United Methodist Church in Oakland, Calif., and Trinity United Methodist Church in Tuscaloosa. She taught at Tunghai University in Taiwan and later worked with China-related organizations in Washington, D.C.

In appointing McLelland, Dr. Samory T. Pruitt, vice president for Community Affairs, said, "Crossroads Community Center provides important intercultural leadership and dialogue programs for the campus and communities both near and far. We are most fortunate to have someone of Ms. McLelland's background, credentials and motivation in this position."

McLelland succeeds Dr. Beverly Hawk, who has joined the Center for Community-Based Partnerships as director of program services. McLelland received her bachelor's degree from UA and both graduate degrees from the University of California, Berkeley.

For more information on Crossroads, call McLelland at 205-348-6930 or email her at lane.mclelland@ua.edu.

Miller: Just Getting the Degree Is Not Enough

July 29th, 2013
in News

By Kirsten J. Barnes
CCBP Graduate Assistant

MillerMelanieWeb — Dr. Melanie Miller, director, Office of Student and Community Engagement

In about a year from now, Dr. Melanie Miller will have worked for The University of Alabama for 20 years, but she still maintains a youthful outlook about her work, possibly because so much of that time has been spent working with young people both inside and outside of class. Although she has held several positions "” director of the Women's Resource Center, associate director of the Russell Student Health Center, executive director of Crimson Care, and most recently associate dean of students "” they all have one thing in common: helping students make the most of their UA experience.

"I always tell students that there is a difference in getting a degree and getting an education," said Miller, who earned three degrees from UA "” bachelor of science in social work, master of arts in community counseling, and doctorate in higher education administration. "If students only leave here with a degree, we have failed them."

So it's no surprise that Miller and her position as director of Student and Community Engagement in the Center for Community-Based Partnerships within the Division of Community Affairs are a good fit.

In the new position, Miller works to involve undergraduate and graduate students in community activities and volunteer experiences that will complement their classroom studies and strengthen their knowledge of and experience in research. She believes helping students get involved in the community gives them a better understanding of how their education is directly linked to solving problems within the community.

"I want to help students grow and develop during their time here. The whole campus should be a learning environment for students," said Miller, the mother of two college students. "Education should be about transforming the total student. They need to be able to make meaning of how they can apply whatever information or skills they are getting in the classroom to their daily lives."

The engagement activities Miller facilitates, however, are more than social development. Under Miller students will also learn how to do research that fosters intellectual growth and helps undergraduate and graduate students alike get additional research and analytical skills.

"I think it's important to get students to understand that they can be involved in activities outside of the classroom, especially research," Miller said. "Many are already involved in service-learning activities."

One of Miller's primary responsibilities will be overseeing SCOPE, Scholars for Community, Outreach, Partnership and Engagement, a program begun in 2009. One of her objectives is to increase the number of student members and get more undergraduate students involved.

"There are certainly ways to plug more undergraduate students into projects as research assistants, even if they are not initiating research projects independently," Miller said. "I look forward to collecting more information by collaborating with different departments on campus and finding a way to connect more students to existing research initiatives."

Although she has worked at UA since 1995, she has also served as a field placement supervisor and has taught such courses as Cooperation and Conflict; Leadership Through Social Justice Activism; and Leadership Through Volunteerism. All of these courses had a service-learning component.

This background, along with her work on social justice issues and her many years of experience working in community non-profits, will clearly benefit Miller in her new role.

"One of our goals at CCBP is to collect information on community needs," Miller said. By systematically collecting information and developing sources regarding community needs CCBP and the campus will be able to match up community needs and faculty and student resources to prioritize the areas of greatest need, she says.

The Tuscaloosa native believes her new role allows her to use her expertise to put students on the frontlines of improving the quality of life for citizens living in Tuscaloosa and the surrounding communities, connecting them in ways that will transform their own lives.

Miller said, "It helps students develop skill sets while exposing them to different settings. It helps them become better citizens when they graduate, enhancing their sense of giving back to the community."

About Miller's appointment, Dr. Samory T. Pruitt said, "The addition of Dr. Miller comes at just the right time as more and more students seek to enrich their lives and improve the quality and value of their coursework by becoming engaged with the larger community. We are very fortunate to have a person with her training and interests for this important work."

For more information on SCOPE or any of the other engagement projects Miller is involved in, call her at 205-348-6929 or email her at mmiller@ua.edu.

Holt Festival

April 12th, 2013
in News

2013 Community Festival Flyer

By Kirsten J. Barnes
CCBP Graduate Assistant

The Holt Community Festival will be held from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday, April 13 at the Holt High School football stadium.

"It’s a chance to celebrate with Holt and show the positive side of Holt," said Dr. Karl Hamner, co-chair of the festival and assistant dean of scholarly affairs for nursing and social work at The University of Alabama. "It's a very vibrant place."

Now in its fifth year, the festival is presented by the Holt Community Partnership, collaboration between UA and Holt High School. Additionally, the Partnership includes area citizens and organizations committed to improving and reviving the Holt community by working together to provide education, social and health services.

"It started as a educational partnership between UA and the high school that grew into a partnership of organizations that are invested in Holt," Hamner said.

Hamner said the event also has taken on new meaning since the tornado devastated the area in April of 2011. Holt was one of the hardest hit areas.

"They are our neighbors and the area has been long neglected," Hamner said, explaining that the festival is a way to draw attention to Holt and the needs of the community. "A lot of our students are involved in helping grow the community."

Partners include the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education, Alabama Consortium for Education Renewal, the UA College of Education, the Capstone College of Nursing, the UA School of Social Work, Tuscaloosa's One Place, Nucor Steel, the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Department, Holt High School faculty members, and members of the Holt Community.

"It’s going to be fun," Hamner said. "They’ll be music and various activities. Various organizations will have booths and there will be children’s activities."

This year's festival will feature music and entertainment, food, vendors and games. People should just come out to have fun, Hamner said. Admission is free. However, lunch items will be sold for $1 each.

Vendors are welcome, but each must preregister by contacting khamner@ua.edu.
For more information, call (205) 799-6808 or (205) 454-9791.

Saving Lives Celebrates First Year with Appreciation Dinner

February 5th, 2013
in Saving Lives

Click image for detail

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By Kirsten J. Barnes
CCBP Graduate Assistant

When Dr. Samory T. Pruitt, vice president for community affairs at The University of Alabama, envisioned the Saving Lives program, he not only wanted a program that would promote healthy living in Alabama, but also a faith-based program that could be a model for all kinds of communities, urban and rural, throughout the nation.

"What better place to offer a health education program than within faith communities," Pruitt said at the Saving Lives Appreciation Dinner attended by a large crowd at the Bryant Conference Center on December 6.

Pruitt and several speakers used the occasion to look back on the first year's progress and forward into 2013.

For the past year, three Tuscaloosa churches, involving several hundred members of all ages, have participated in the program by taking advantage of a curriculum and professional speakers to offer workshops where members of the congregations are taught how spiritual health can contribute to physical health.

The Rev. Tyshawn Gardner expressed his enthusiasm about the program and how his Plum Grove Baptist Church congregation, along with First African Baptist Church and College Hill Baptist Church, will continue their participation in 2013.

Gardner said the program has taught his church family "how important our health is in service to our Lord. We are blessed and honored to be a part of it. From day one, it's been an exciting time. We look forward to those Wednesday nights of information sharing and participation."

Georgia White and Mary Brooks are the advocates, or program coordinators, for First African Baptist Church. "We have learned a lot together," said White, a retired nurse. "It is important for us, especially as African Americans, to know what is going on with us," acknowledging that African-Americans lead the country in high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

"This initiative has just shown us ways to counteract that and to help us along the way," White said. She praised the University for organizing the program and for selecting the three churches as partners.

Dr. Rebecca Kelly, the director of Health Promotion and Wellness at UA, will be the first speaker of 2013 for each group. "As we move forward and think about Saving Lives, I'd really like you to think about what impact this has had on our lives," said Kelly, a nutritionist and exercise physiologist and one member of a team of University researchers working on the project.

In February and August health screenings will be conducted at each church. "The screening is the first step to making a positive lifestyle change," said Dr. Martha Crowther, associate professor and director of clinical psychology at UA who is also a member of the research team. "That's why the February session is really important. It's where we conduct the first baseline health screenings. Six months later, another health screening will allow participants to see their progress.

"You can see midway how the changes are impacting your scores," said Crowther. "By completing your health screenings, you will gain insight of your health risks." In addition to personalized health information based on their scores, participants will benefit from the health care knowledge that can be shared and taught to generations to come.

"We want to use this data as a model for the country," said researchers Dr. Pamela Payne Foster, the deputy director of the Community and Rural Medicine Institute for Rural Health Research at UA. "Health disparities are major issues, particularly for African- Americans, and particularly in the South."

In Alabama more than 400,000 people suffer from diabetes, while 200,000 more have the disease and do not know it. Hundreds of thousands more suffer from heart disease, stroke, cancer and other chronic diseases affecting African Americans disproportionately.

"We are focusing on really addressing chronic conditions," Foster said. "These conditions are preventable and we know they are. We know if we knew what to do, we would do it. We know that the strategies to address these issues are complex, but we have to really try to get at them to delay health deterioration and to address the problems that people confront in their day to day lives "¦ to get them to take charge of their health."

Foster said faith-based approaches are especially important in reaching African-American communities. "There's power in the church. There's power particularly in the black church," Foster said. "So, we are really excited that this can be a model for other places in the country."

A full schedule of activities has been planned for 2013, said Carol Agomo, program coordinator in Dr. Pruitt's office. Participants will be reminded via email, telephone and the Saving Lives website, http://ccbp.ua.edu/saving-lives/.

24th Annual MLK Celebration to Feature Well-Known Alabama Singing Groups, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Speaker

January 31st, 2013
in Events

Take 6, left, and the Aeolians will perform in concert Saturday, January 19, at the Moody Concert Hall in Tuscaloosa, beginning at 7 p.m. — The Aeolians and Take 6 (below) will perform in concert Saturday, January 19, at the Moody Concert Hall at The University of Alabama.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. "“ The singing ensemble Take 6 and the Aeolians of Oakwood University will highlight the 24th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Realizing the Dream concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, in the Concert Hall at The University of Alabama's Moody Music Building. Tickets for the event are $15 and may be reserved by calling 205/348-7111.

The concert is part of a weekend of events organized by West Alabama's Martin Luther King Realizing the Dream Committee, including a banquet featuring Cynthia Tucker, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist formerly with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Tucker is a native of Monroeville, Ala., and a graduate of Auburn University. The Pulitzer Prize winning former editorial page editor for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is currently the Charlayne Hunter-Gault Distinguished Writer-in-Residence in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.

Among the nation's most recognized vocal ensembles, Take 6, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, has received 10 Grammy Awards, 10 Dove Awards and a Soul Train Award. Take 6 features Claude McKnight, Mark Kibble, Joel Kibble, Dave Thomas, Alvin Chea and Khristian Dentley. The group was founded at Oakwood University in Huntsville in 1980 and took its current name in 1988. Take 6's newest recording, "One," in 2012, is notable for the group's return to its spiritual heritage.

The Aeolians of Oakwood University is a vocal ensemble founded in 1946 by Dr. Eva B. Dykes. The group has traveled around the world, including a 2012 performance at the Moscow International Performing Arts Center under the patronage of Michael McFaul, U.S. ambassador to Russia. The group's current director is Dr. Jason Max Ferdinand.

In addition to the concert, the Realizing the Dream Committee will recognize three West Alabamians at a banquet at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18, at the Hotel Capstone. Tickets are $25 each and are available by phoning 205/348-7111. Tucker will be the speaker.

Lubna Alansari, a UA undergraduate from Saudi Arabia, will receive the Horizon Award for her work in sponsoring workshops for students in the Alabama Black Belt as well as the student on The University of Alabama campus that focused understanding and working with various cultures around the world.

Dr. Paula Sue Burnham, a former administrator at Shelton State Community College, will receive the Mountaintop Award for her role as a student in supporting the enrollment in 1956 of Autherine Lucy Foster, the first African-American student to be admitted to the University of Alabama as well as for her work in helping women further their education to enter the workforce.

Michael Culver, a transition patient advocate for the Tuscaloosa V.A. Medical Center, will receive the Call to Conscience Award for his work in helping diverse groups of veterans re-enter civilian life.

A Unity Breakfast will be offered at 7 a.m. Monday, Jan. 20, in the Hay College Center at Stillman College, and a Unity March will be held at noon Monday, Jan. 20, starting at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School and proceeding to City Hall. Finally, a mass rally will be held at 6 p.m. at the First African Baptist Church, 2621 Stillman Blvd.

This year's MLK theatrical performance will be Theatre Tuscaloosa's production of "Ain't Misbehavin'." Harlem's 1930s Cotton Club lives on in this musical revue that pays tribute to the jive swing of Thomas "Fats" Waller. Performances run February 8"“17 in the Bean-Brown Theatre on Shelton State's Martin Campus. Tickets are $22 for adults, $18 for seniors, and $14 for students and children. Discounted rates are available in advance for groups of 10 or more. Tickets and more information are available at www.theatretusc.com or by calling (205) 391-2277, according to Adam M. Miller, managing director of Theatre Tuscaloosa.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Realizing the Dream program exists to raise consciousness about injustice and to promote human equality, peace, and social justice by creating educational and cultural opportunities for growth, empowerment and social change so that every person may experience the bounty of life's abundant possibilities. The program is a collaborative effort of The University of Alabama, Stillman College and Shelton State Community College.

College Hill Baptist Church Playing Key Role in Saving Lives Program

January 12th, 2013
in Saving Lives

By Kirsten J. Barnes

The April 2011 tornado may have torn down the walls of College Hill Baptist Church, but it did not break the spirit of the parishioners who worship there.

"The word of God teaches us that our body, mind and soul belong to Him," said the Rev. Kelvin Croom, pastor of the church temporarily meeting at University Church of Christ. "Our body is a dwelling place for his holy spirit and as a result of that we need to take care of it. One of the tricks of the devil is that he destroys the body; and if he destroys the body, he's won."

College Hill is one of three area churches, which recently partnered with the University of Alabama's Center for Community-Based Partnerships for a new initiative called "Saving Lives."

Saving Lives is a Community Affairs signature health care initiative. In the development of this wellness outreach program, community members and researchers collaborate to combine knowledge and action for social change to improve community health, reduce health disparities and increase health literacy.

Glenn_Tera — Ms. Tera Glenn, of Alabama Cooperative Extensions, demonstrates a healthy recipe option for members of First African Baptist Church.

Since January, the members of College Hill, Plum Grove and First African Baptist churches have been meeting once a month to discuss ways to become healthier physically as they grow spiritually.

In November, College Hill hosted Alabama Extension Agent Tera Glenn, whose work focuses on human nutrition, diet and health.

As the holidays approach, Glenn advised those attending the workshop not to make their stomachs the holiday wastebasket.

"Just because it's there, doesn't mean you have to eat it," Glenn told a group of about three dozen, advising them against snacking and sampling. "If it's enough to save, then save it. Don't let your stomach be the trash can."

Glenn said too often during holidays, people eat throughout the day and those who prepare the meals, nibble on broken cookies and food that stuck to the pan. In addition, she advised against perpetuating the "happy plate is a clean plate" phenomena.

"Get smaller plates," Glenn said. "Watch your portion size and exercise portion control."

The program targets minority groups as a way to help them combat poor eating habits with spiritual reinforcements so they can understand that God wants them to be more active so they can live fuller lives.

Croom knows first-hand the dangers of overeating. He changed his eating habits a year ago.

"I'm a prefect example, because I was killing myself by eating. Since a year ago I've lost right at 82 pounds," Croom said. "So, I know the value of good nutrition. This program was very timely."

At College Hill, Marcia Bailey and Jahnese Hobson are advocates for the program.

Bailey, who is a registered nurse, understands the importance of educating others about healthy lifestyles.

"When I looked at the information I thought it was something we could use," Bailey said of the Saving Lives curriculum. "Being a nurse, I felt it was something that would enlighten the church and help the membership."

So far, Saving Lives has attracted close to 50 people each month.

"We're working on our participation, but we're getting there," Bailey said. "We're still encouraging the members to come out to the meetings that we have."

Many people only think about diet changes for short periods of times, such as trying fade diets. Glenn advised against those and said instead people should opt for lifestyle changes.

College Hill Associate Pastor David Richardson said although he suffers from no known health problems, he still appreciates the information.

"Praise be to God, I'm completely healthy," Richardson said.

So far he's learned about diabetes, and the effects of age on weight gain.

"They also talked about how walking twice a day for 15 minutes can do so much for your cardiovascular system," Richardson said. "I have also implemented more discipline in my diet. In any area of life discipline is the key. The word disciple means disciplined one. The Bible tells us that you have to balance the physical with the spiritual."

The program is the brainchild of UA's Vice President of Community Affairs Samory Pruitt, who wanted to come up with a way to reach those who live in rural Alabama and inform them about things they can do to improve their quality of life physically and spiritually.

The three churches currently participating are part of a pilot program that will later spread to rural areas of Alabama.

"Somebody has got to say something, or we're going to eat ourselves to death," Pruitt said. "If you know better, you can do better."

Tameka Conwell has attended most of the meetings. She realizes she needs to make changes in her family's meal plan, but admits old habits are hard to break.

"I attended the session on stress and anxiety," said Conwell, adding that she has implemented some of the suggestions. However, she said implementing new portion sizes during the holidays would be difficult. "Follow up with me after the holidays and we'll see how I did."

Community Affairs Competes in UA's 5K Event

December 6th, 2012
in CCBP

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For the third year in a row, UA's Office of Health Promotion and Wellness sponsored a 5K (3.1 mile) event to encourage the University community to stay, or get, in shape. This year's competition was Sunday, November 11.

Thirty Community Affairs staff and students participated and all finished the route, with several students completing the distance in under 25 minutes, while others reached the finish line in the 30s, 40s or 50s minutes.

"Community Affairs, by virtue of its percentage of staff entering the competition, has won the previous two 5Ks and in all likelihood," said Dr. Ed Mullins, at 76 one of the oldest to enter the competition, "we won again this year. For getting us to the starting line and encouraging all of us to enter, we thank our team captain, Yun Fu. She nags us sweetly to get us all to participate."

Since September 11, twice-weekly group training sessions were held around campus for the program designed specifically for UA faculty and staff. The program provides tools and resources to help motivate participants to move more, feel better, and improve energy and quality of life.

The purpose of the program is to build confidence in a person's ability, regardless of age, to keep moving, manage or prevent, chronic health conditions, provide a sense of accomplishment, increase energy, control weight, add muscle, help and support others.

Several members of the Community Affairs team said it was one of the most enjoyable University functions they have participated in.

Christi Cowan, a graduate assistant from Birmingham, said, "The event was very well organized, and it was great to have people encouraging us along the way. Kudos to the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness for giving us the chance to do something healthy and uplifting."

"If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great," said graduate assistant Eric Wang from Fushun, China, who said he and his buddies "practice our running under the moonlight while we work and study under the sun."

College Hill Baptist Church Playing Key Role in Saving Lives Program

November 30th, 2012
in Saving Lives