Arts and Sciences News

USA students, from left, Michael Tanner, Thomas Jefferson Deen IV and Parker McGee prepare for Theatre USA’s production of Shakespeare’s “Pericles,” which opens Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Theatre USA Season Closes With 'Pericles'
April 11, 2018

One of Shakespeare's final plays will close USA's season with its premiere performance on Friday, April 13. ...

Brittney Highland completed a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates fellowship in Africa. "I got to see a part of the world I never thought I would get to see, and I made friends from another country.”

When Opportunity Holds for Political Unrest
April 3, 2018

Brittney Highland's all-expenses-paid anthropology expedition to Africa was postponed, but well worth the wait. ...

USA Writer-in-Residence Frye Gaillard, right, is filmed by Preston Sullivan in Chattanooga, Tenn., for the documentary "Journey to the Wilderness." Photo courtesy of Mike Letcher.

South Writer's Book Made Into Documentary
April 2, 2018

The film 'Journey to the Wilderness,' based on Writer-in-Residence Frye Gaillard's book, debuted April 5 at the Marx Library. ...

Science writer Elizabeth Kolbert is the author of “The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History,” which won the 2015 Pulitzer Price in general nonfiction. Photo: Nicholas Whitman

Pulitzer Prize Winner to Visit South
March 28, 2018

Science writer Elizabeth Kolbert, who won the award in general nonfiction for her book about mass extinction, will speak April 4. ...

Christopher Powell, accompanist with the Mobile Opera, and Dr. Laura Moore, USA associate professor of music and director of Choral Activities, lead singers from three groups in a Wednesday rehearsal before this weekend's performance with the Mobile Symphony Orchestra.

USA Concert Choir to Perform with MSO
March 21, 2018

South singers and other vocal groups will join the Mobile Symphony Orchestra for an anniversary performance, March 24-25. ...

Russians remember the political and economic turmoil in the 1990s and see President Vladimir Putin as the man who restored stability to their daily lives. His succession plans will clarify whether he is a charismatic strong man or a democratically elected leader with authentic support.

What to Watch After a Putin Victory
March 20, 2018

Russian President Vladimir Putin easily won re-election. Here are five complex issues to follow, according to two USA faculty. ...

Dr. Jingshan Huang, left, professor of computer sciences, and Dr. Glen Borchert, an assistant professor of pharmacology and biology, are two USA researchers working in the field of informatics. The two have collaborated on projects.

Making Sense of Big Data
March 12, 2018

USA researchers mine data with targeted questions to develop real-world applications and solve complex problems. ...

Dr. Peter Wood, professor of music, said he's been able to take the lessons he's learned by playing the trumpet he built and help students as they practice to become better musicians.

The Call of His Own Trumpet
March 12, 2018

Dr. Peter Wood, professor of music, built his own trumpet with a hammer and sheet metal. It's made him a better musician. ...

Following break-out sessions, students and faculty attending Democracy Day walked to Moulton Tower and Alumni Plaza, where they debriefed and wrapped up discussions.

South Holds Democracy Day Teach-in
March 6, 2018

More than 300 USA students swapped ideas and solutions at the 2018 We Are South: Democracy Day. ...

Antonio Carter, an anthropology major, has been selected as an IDEAS scholar by the American Association of Physical Anthropologists.

Anthropology Major Named IDEAS Scholar
February 26, 2018

Antonia Carter was selected as an IDEAS Scholar by the American Association of Physical Anthropologists. ...

Tilly, left, played by Emily Ericson, and Agnes, played by Abigail St. John, perform in the Theatre USA production of 'She Kills Monsters.'

Theatre USA to Present 'She Kills Monsters'
February 16, 2018

The contemporary comedy will run from Feb. 16 to Feb. 24. Tickets are available. ...

Dr. Martin Parsons is the founder and former director of the Research Centre for Evacuee and War Child Studies at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom.

Expert to Discuss War Effects on Children
February 14, 2018

Dr. Martin Parsons will speak Feb. 20 as a guest of the USA Center for the Study of War and Memory. ...

Erick Wricklund, right, a junior music major at the University of South Alabama, plays under the direction of Doc Severinsen, the longtime 'Tonight Show' bandleader. "The man is a legend," Wricklund said. "I learned a lot from it."

Learning From a Music Legend
February 12, 2018

South students and other young musicians are critiqued by longtime 'Tonight Show' bandleader Doc Severinsen. ...

Mobile native Michael Knight is the author of two novels, three collections of short stories and a book of novellas. He is scheduled to speak Thursday, at 5 p.m. in the Student Center.

Stokes Center for Creative Writing Hosts Author Michael Knight
February 6, 2018

Knight, author of 'The Typist,' will speak Thursday, Feb. 8, at the Student Center. ...

Jonathan Hursh, '04, founded Utopia, a design and urban planning firm, to help the world’s biggest cities harness the power of their most downtrodden inhabitants. "It’s a radically different world that’s coming our way,” he said.

More Than Imagining a Utopia
January 29, 2018

Jonathan Hursh, '04, founded an urban innovation firm focused on reimagining slums after a decade of working in them. ...

Dr. David Meola is the Bert and Fanny Meisler Assistant Professor of History and Jewish Studies at the University of South Alabama.

Seven Films of Jewish Significance
January 16, 2018

South's Dr. David Meola shares his thoughts on impactful cinema as the Mobile Jewish Film Festival gets underway. ...

Anne Dorland, who is pursuing a master’s degree in the College of Education and Professional Studies, teaches archaeology lessons at elementary schools through her graduate assistantship.

42 Classrooms, 13 Schools and 1 Semester
January 4, 2018

Graduate student Anne Dorland combines her love of education and archaeology through visits to elementary schools. ...

Dr. Sean Powers, right, chair of marine sciences at the University of South Alabama, is part of a $12 million independent study that includes 21 scientists from 12 institutions who will seek to determine how many red snapper live in the Gulf of Mexico.

New Count for Gulf Red Snapper
January 4, 2018

USA's Dr. Sean Powers is part of a $12 million independent study that could affect hotly debated fishing regulations. ...

Dr. Ylenia Chiari investigated why the famed Galapagos tortoise got two different shells. Her findings made the New York Times.

How Did a Tortoise Get This Shell?
December 4, 2017

Dr. Ylenia Chiari investigated why the famed Galapagos tortoise has two different shells. Her findings made the New York Times. ...

Dr. Steve Schultze, a climatologist at the University of South Alabama, talks about the crop of hops he's cultivating in Baldwin County. The green nets are a necessary protection against the afternoon sun. Schultze hopes to harvest his first hops crop next year. If successful, the plants could mean a new economic crop for coastal Alabama.

Gulf Coast Soil Gets New Crop: Hops
December 1, 2017

South climatologist Dr. Steven Schultze combines his expertise and a knack for gardening to support a growing microbrew scene. ...