TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Four University of Alabama faculty members, who received UA Innovative Instructional Technology Grants, will present their individual projects Friday, Oct. 25 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. at 125 Bidgood Hall on the UA campus.

All interested individuals are invited to attend.

Innovative Instructional Technology Faculty Grants, awarded twice each academic year, are for the creation and development of cutting-edge uses of instructional technology.

According to Dr. Hank Lazer, assistant vice president for undergraduate programs and services, the grants are provided in support of additional staffing, equipment, computer software, and programs that will challenge faculty to develop new approaches to classroom instruction that can serve as models for other instructors.

Presenters and projects will include:

Dr. Lenita Davis (Management & Marketing)/John Abercrombie (C&BA Technology Group): “The Virtual Gateway to the Sales Profession.” This will be a virtual resource for students, educators and sales professionals across the country. The Virtual Gateway includes digital videos of student sales presentations, speeches given by seasoned sales professionals and a virtual teacher’s lounge, a protected area through which educators and industry leaders can share ideas concerning course content, research ideas, and teaching strategy.

Dr. Earl Ada (SOMED)/Dr. Gregory Szulczewski and Dr. Shane Street (Chemistry)/Dr. Mark Weaver (Engineering): “Supplemental Instruction Program on the Theory and Practice of Electron Spectroscopy for Surface Analysis.” This proposal seeks to develop a supplemental instruction program for surface analytical techniques not currently offered at most engineering schools. Augmenting the existing lectures, this supervised hands-on training course will be aided by a web-based tutorial on the theory and practice of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and scanning Auger microscopy (SAM). This would be invaluable to research students because most of these students are not prepared to handle the practical aspects of acquiring and interpreting surface analysis data for their research projects.

Dr. Robert Potter (Telecommunication and Film): His grant will be used to obtain new physiological data collection equipment and software for the Media and Psychophysiology Lab. Telecommunication and Film students will use these labs in conjunction with the courses, Theories of Emotion and Media, Measuring Psychophysiological Responses to Media, and Mass Communication Research Methods.

Dr. Yuebin Guo (Mechanical Engineering): The proposed course, “Concurrent Design and Manufacturing,” will bridge the gap between design and manufacturing. These two elements are usually taught separately in most engineering schools; however, design and manufacturing are always considered together in industrial settings. The objectives of this course will include optimizing product design and manufacturing simultaneously, applying principles of precision engineering in manufacturing, enhancing students’ learning through hands-on experience with a variety of projects in a real world environment, and promoting e-manufacturing.

For more information, contact Lazer at 205/348-4893 or hlazer@aalan.ua.edu.