UAB Briefs: Donor to Diner, economic impact, computer gets more super
Welcome to another installment of UAB Briefs.
In this weekly online feature, we keep track of interesting people and events on campus.
Know people, places and programs on the UAB campus that deserve a mention?
Email Iron City Ink at sydney@starnespublishing.com or jchambers@starnespublishing.com.
Reducing food insecurity
UAB students – thanks to the Donor to Diner One Meal Initiative – can donate food to help the less fortunate among them and raise awareness of student food insecurity on campus on Friday, Oct. 20, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Employees and students can contribute $5 via Blazer Bucks, Dining Dollars, cash or credit card at the Commons on the Green dining facility.
Students may also donate a meal from their meal plan.
Donations from the public are also welcome.
Donor to Diner was established in 2015 as a joint venture by UAB administration, Campus Dining and UAB Student Outreach.
Donations are converted into meal vouchers that UAB case managers distribute to students with need.
This past academic year, more than 900 meal vouchers were collected and distributed at UAB through the initiative.
Big impact
A new study by the consulting firm of Tripp Umbach shows that UAB, the largest employer in Alabama, has a growing impact on the state's economy.
The university’s annual economic impact has grown to $7.15 billion a year, up from $4.6 billion just eight years ago – a 55 percent increase.
UAB President Ray L. Watts announced the results of the study, conducted for Fiscal Year 2016, at his annual State of the University Address on Oct. 11.
“To put this economic impact number in perspective, $7.15 billion represents almost $20 million every day UAB pumps into our state economy,” Watts said.
UAB now directly employs more than 23,000 people and supports more than 64,000 jobs – one of every 31 in Alabama.
‘Empower greatness’
UAB has added significant computing power to its Cheaha supercomputer, making it by far the fastest supercomputer in Alabama and one of the five fastest at colleges and universities in the Southeast.
UAB has added 72 graphics processing units, which will boost the Cheaha supercomputer’s power to 450 teraflops, according to a university news release.
“Our goal is to empower greatness in others,” said Curtis A. Carver Jr., UAB vice president and chief information officer, in the release. “UAB’s continued investment in the high-performance computing infrastructure can lead to exciting discoveries by our researchers, faculty and students that change the world.”
Improving overall IT infrastructure on campus has helped UAB researchers gain competitive advantages in applying for grants and conducting research.
Improvements in recent years include a 100Gb network that improves speed and capacity across campus.
Halloween stories for families
David Holt, a musician, storyteller, historian, television host and winner of four Grammy Awards, will present spooky but family-friendly Halloween stories at the Alys Stephens Center on Sunday, Oct. 29, at 3 p.m.
The show is part of the Vulcan Materials Company Family Seriess.
Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for students and children. There are also discounts available for UAB faculty
Call 975-2787 or go to alysstephens.org.