Shelia's Musings, Moments, and Memorable Events

Help My Grad Survey Research Methods Students With a Class Survey Project

2011-10-20T15:29:00.000-05:00

Would you like to help with some academic research to help graduate students?

The following is a link to an online voluntary and confidential survey being conducted as part of a class research project. We are trying to get as many responses as possible and I am asking your help in getting this done. If you are interested in responding to this survey and you are an employed adult of at least 19 years of age, click on this link and read in the information page regarding the research. I appreciate your time. Next, I would like you to consider reposting information to your social networks about this post. Please repost, retweet, etc. the original tweet without adding any additional text. Thanks so much for your help on this research project!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/UAB-SOC-ICT-USE-STUDY

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please contact us by email at uab.tech.work@gmail.com or contact the principal investigator, Shelia R. Cotten, Ph.D. at 205-934-8678.

If you have questions about your rights as a research participant, or concerns or complaints about the research, you may contact Ms. Denise H. Ball. Ms. Ball is the Interim Director of the Office of the Institutional Review Board for Human Use (OIRB) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Ms. Ball may be reached at (205) 934-3789 or 1-800-822-8816. If calling the toll-free number, press the option for “all other calls” or for an operator/attendant and ask for extension 4-3789. Regular hours for the Office of the IRB are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday. You may also call this number in the event the research staff cannot be reached or you wish to talk to someone else. Thank you in advance for your help with this study.

Do You 'Steve Jobs It'?

2011-10-06T08:28:00.000-05:00

I am not surprised by the outpouring of concern when it was announced last night that Steve Jobs had passed away. However, I have been surprised by how much the death of Steve Jobs has made me feel sad, and I'm not even one of the Apple devotees. The only Apple product I have is an iPad2, which I love by the way! Regardless of whether I owned his products, he was obviously a brillant man who knew how to create technologies that appealed to the masses.

I saw this posting on twitter this morning and thought it was worth reposting here. I'll be curious to hear what you think and whether you 'Steve Jobs It': Do You 'Steve Jobs It'?

A Decade of Distraction?

2011-09-16T22:26:00.000-05:00

I leave for a trip to the UK on Monday. This will be my first trip to the UK. I'm very much looking forward to it!

I'm part of two presentations at the conference at the iCS Oxford Internet Institute, A Decade in Internet Time. One of those is with Rey Junco, a higher education professor at Loch Haven University. We've posted a draft copy of our paper here: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1927049. We welcome any thoughts or feedback on it before we submit it for journal publication.

The Public Face of Sociology

2011-09-08T12:27:00.000-05:00

I thought others might find this article interesting, as it discusses some of the different ways of doing sociology. I've increasingly moved into the public sociology realm in the past 5 years or so. I wish more sociologists embraced this approach!

The Public Face of Sociology

Facebook for Centenarians: Senior Citizens Learn Social Media - The Atlantic

2011-08-31T10:49:00.000-05:00

A great article on some of my NIA funded work. There are a few errors which they will correct but a great article overall!

Facebook for Centenarians: Senior Citizens Learn Social Media - The Atlantic

The Hits Keep On Coming

2011-08-29T04:51:00.000-05:00

Last week the bad news keep coming and coming.

It started when I heard that my sister-in-law was very sick. She has been diagnosed with advanced cancer, that has spread to various parts of her body. She has always been such a strong person. I hope that her strength will guide her as she faces this latest challenge. We will be making a trip to visit her very soon.

On the same day I heard about my sister-in-law's health status, I received a call from one of my graduate students. She told me that she was taking a full-time job. She had just defended her thesis proposal a few weeks ago and I was hoping she would defend her thesis later this semester. While I know that taking a full-time job was not her first choice, unfortunately the graduate student health insurance is not great at UAB. She felt she had to have good health insurance given health issues she has. I couldn't tell her not to do this when I know finances have been a major source of stress for her. Not having a strong financial safety net can be very stressful, as I know from my own life. And, she'll make more in this job than she would starting with a PhD as an Assistant Professor. Even though I know she needs to do this, it is still sad. She works as an RA on one of my projects and the team is very close. We will all miss her working on the project and seeing her around the office. I am hopeful that she will finish her MA and also her PhD. She only has a few more classes for her PhD and then her dissertation. Her thesis is pretty far along, so I think she'll finish this pretty easily.

I told one of my grad students that I wondered what was going to be the 3rd piece of bad news, since they typically come in 3s. Well, a couple of days later, I heard that one of my cousins is in the hospital with a large brain tumor (the size of a baseball). The good news is that it doesn't appear to have spread and they hope they can remove it.

In addition to these things, some of you may have heard of Hurricane Irene which pounded the east coast of the US over the past few days. It came ashore near Cape Lookout, which is close to Atlantic Beach, NC. We're still waiting to hear about damage in Atlantic Beach (where we have a condo). Power was restored Sunday night and they began to let people back onto the beach. We hope that the damage was not severe to the community and to our condo. We feel for all the people up and down the east coast who have experienced the impacts of Irene!

I am hopeful that this week will not bring more 'hits' but rather some good news of some sort. As we look around us, we feel very lucky to have our health and our family.

UAB is hiring 3 new sociology faculty

2011-08-17T09:21:00.000-05:00

We’ve had several retirements in the past couple of years, plus one of our colleagues passed away from cancer last fall. We’re hiring!

Please pass along this info to others who may be interested: - 1 Junior Position, 1 Open Rank Position, and 1 Teaching Assistant Professor. See descriptions below. We’re interviewing at ASA.

I’d love to have applications from people that do health and technology research (just my own opinion of course)!

1. University of Alabama at Birmingham. The Department of Sociology invites applications for a tenure-track/tenured position to begin August 1, 2012 for an Assistant Professor. Teaching and research should fit with the Department’s emphasis on medical sociology. Courses taught may include gender, statistics and medical sociology, with preference given to candidates with research interests in one or more of the following areas: genetics, obesity, nutrition, outcomes research, technology or health disparities. The successful candidate must hold a Ph.D. in Sociology at the time of appointment and have a record that demonstrates a strong independent research agenda. UAB is a Carnegie designated RU/VH: Research University institution with a population of approximately 17,500 undergraduate and graduate students. The Department has established research links with faculty in UAB’s Medical School, which is ranked in the top 25 in the U.S., and to various clinical programs and research centers on campus. The Department offers Bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and Social Psychology, the MA in Sociology, and the Ph.D. in Medical Sociology. Metropolitan Birmingham is home to over 1 million people and is at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, with plentiful cultural and recreational opportunities. Applicants should send current curriculum vitae, a list of at least three references, and a cover letter summarizing interests and experiences to: Dr. William Cockerham, Chair, HHB 460, 1401 University Blvd., University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-1152. The deadline for applications is October 1 or until the position is filled. We welcome applications from under-represented minorities and women. The University of Alabama at Birmingham is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution.

2. University of Alabama at Birmingham. The Department of Sociology invites applications for a tenure-track/tenured position to begin August 1, 2011. Rank is open, with preference given to candidates with a strong history of external funding and publication. Teaching and research should fit with the Department’s emphasis on medical sociology. The successful candidate must hold a Ph.D. in Sociology at the time of appointment. UAB is a Carnegie designated RU/VH: Research University institution with a population of approximately 17,500 undergraduate and graduate students. The Department has research links to faculty in the School of Medicine, which is ranked in the top 25 in the U.S. and to several clinical programs and research centers on campus. The Department offers Bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and Social Psychology, the MA in Sociology, and the Ph.D. in Medical Sociology. Metropolitan Birmingham is home to over 1 million people and is at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, with plentiful cultural and recreational opportunities. Applicants should send current curriculum vitae, a list of at least three references, and a cover letter summarizing interests and experiences to: Dr. William Cockerham, Chair, HHB 460, 1401 University Blvd., University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-1152. The deadline for applications is October 1 or until the position is filled. We welcome applications from under-represented minorities and women. The University of Alabama at Birmingham is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution.

3. University of Alabama at Birmingham. The Department of Sociology invites applications for a non-tenure track position to begin January 1, 2012 or later for a Teaching Assistant Professor. Courses taught may include Intro, Social Problems, and Social Change. Other courses should fit with the Department’s emphasis on medical sociology. The successful candidate must hold a Ph.D. in Sociology at the time of appointment. UAB is a Carnegie designated RU/VH: Research University institution with a population of approximately 17,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The Department of Sociology and houses the Center for Social Medicine and is affiliated with the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy, the Center for Aging, and others. The Department offers Bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and Social Psychology, the MA in Sociology, and the Ph.D. in Medical Sociology. Metropolitan Birmingham is home to over 1 million people and is at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, with plentiful cultural and recreational opportunities. Applicants should send current curriculum vitae, a list of at least three references, and a cover letter summarizing interests and experiences to: Dr. William Cockerham, Chair, HHB 460, 1401 University Blvd., University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-1152. The deadline for applications is October 15 or until the position is filled. We welcome applications from under-represented minorities and women. The University of Alabama at Birmingham is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution.

Shelia

Self-Promotion: Shameless and Otherwise

2011-08-16T14:45:00.000-05:00

There have been some interesting articles and blog posts recently about how academics, and others, promote their work, themselves, etc. Here is another worthy read in this area. I hope that women, in particular, will read this and think about the impacts of how we promote (or don't promote more often than not) ourselves and our work.

http://speculative-diction.blogspot.com/2011/08/shameful-self-promotion-vs-meritocracy.html

Thoughts on this topic?

1st Day of Kindergarten!

2011-08-15T08:09:00.000-05:00

Today was Callen's first day of kindergarten. We had to wake her up much earlier than she normally gets up as her school starts at 7:45 (ouch!). She woke up in a great mood, which is amazing given she isn't a morning child. She got ready in her new school outfit and shoes, brushed her hair, ate a little breakfast, and even brushed her teeth. We were in the car by 7:15.

On the way to school she said: "I'm so excited!" I'm so happy for her. I hope she continues to love school as I did when I was growing up.

Here are a couple of first day kindergarten pix taken before we left home.

Preschool Graduation Day

2011-08-12T13:29:00.000-05:00

Callen was excited but a little apprehensive about leaving her friends behind at her preschool. However, the graduation was a lot of fun. And, the teachers gave each child a wonderful scrapbook with pictures of them from throughout the school year. A very nice surprise for all of us! Below are a few pix from graduation day.

Callen with Ms. Tammy, the lead teacher in her class.

Callen with one of her best buddies, Brandt. Unfortunately her other best friend was at the beach during graduation, so no picture of Callen and Brooke.

Callen's other teacher, Ms. LaKisha, and one of Callen's friends.

They gave them all blue t-shirts and caps to wear on graduation.

Meet the Teacher Day

2011-08-12T13:21:00.000-05:00

A few pictures from our meet the teacher day yesterday for Callen's kindergarten. She was excited and last night said that she loved her new school!

Her teacher, Ms. Morgan.

Today's Activities

2011-08-10T15:05:00.000-05:00

As I've noted in other blog posts, I usually feel way behind and like I'm constantly juggling way too many things. I had my annual gyn appointment recently and mentioned it to my doctor. She noted, 'well, you can control that can't you?' Well, yes and no...Several projects are ongoing and funded externally so it would be hard to just stop work on them. Some, sure I could control. Learning to say 'no' better would help some certainly.

I was telling my postdoc that today seemed rather frenetic as I had been jumping back and forth between a slew of different activities today. Yesterday, a friend told me that my Facebook updates made him tired just seeing mine. I laughed but realized he has a point. I've been feeling rather burned out this summer, as this summer has been very busy (like most summers are for me it seems).

We had a faculty meeting yesterday and our chair at the end of it told us to all go home and not come back till Monday. I looked at him like he was losing his mind. Obviously he doesn't realize that my syllabus still isn't finished for my class that starts Tuesday AM, I haven't even started creating my Blackboard Learn site (which is new this semester since they change BB about every year it seems and everyone is complaining about how bad the change is this time), my desk is so messy I can't even see the top of it, I need to get quotes and order incentives for 1400 kids and teachers, I need to hire a new person for a project, I won't even mention the papers that I'm behind on (sorry colleagues!) or the new grant proposal I'm supposed to be writing now either.

Even with constantly feeling behind and overwhelmed, I feel very lucky to have a job that I love and to work with such great students, postdoc, and colleagues. We're now in week 8 of Bo's being laid off. This adds to the stress of everything for sure! We're hopeful that something will come along soon. He's working every network he has right now to try to find something. If anyone has any contacts in the planning/zoning or wireless industries or knows of any related job openings, please let me know.

To cap off this long blog post, here are just a FEW of the disparate things I've done already today:

bought donuts for RAs on one project who are in an all day training
got gas in my car
got to the office before 8 AM
responded to 50+ or so emails today
met with a potential employee about joining one of my projects
reviewed draft of a survey
worked on my syllabus on and off all day
reviewed some info on the new BB Learn site
emailed 2 companies for quotes on flashdrives, talked to one on the phone, exchanged other emails back and forth with them
ate lunch
talked to an RA about project updates
emailed another RA about a chapter I wanted her to get for me
skimmed the texts for my class
reviewed a ppt file for a student who is defending her thesis proposal in the AM
emailed staff about materials that were supposed to have been moved
returned phone calls to several people
reviewed another ppt for ASA presentation next week
and numerous other things that I can't recall right now...

Hopefully tomorrow will be less frenetic, though I have 2 students defending their thesis proposals in the AM and then Callen's meet the teacher in the afternoon. Should be a good day!

Could you take an email sabbatical?

2011-07-09T07:34:00.000-05:00

I like danah's advice on how to actually take an email sabbatical. See: How To Take An Email Sabbatical - by danah boyd. However, I've never been able to do it completely. Even when I'm on vacation, I still check in for my email on a daily (usually more than once a day) basis.

And, having email on my mobile phone makes it so much easier to check email now! And, it makes it easier to get rid of junk email very quickly.

I suspect that my various projects would go on even if I didn't check in and respond to email queries, issues, etc. However, I don't know if they would proceed as smoothly if I didn't do this.

I hope to one day be able to do what danah suggests and take an email sabbatical. What about those of you who are tethered to your technological devices, could you take an email sabbatical? Or, for younger generations, a texting sabbatical?

2 Month Gap?

2011-07-02T16:51:00.000-05:00

I didn't realize it had been almost 2 months since I did a blog posting.Wow, the time flies by so fast it seems. A few things that have occurred during the past 2 months:

I had a large NIH grant proposal due the end of May that CONSUMED a huge portion of my time preparing it. I was pushing really, really hard the whole month of May on it. In fact, I was working so hard that I wasn't resting enough, nor taking good care of myself. I ended up with 2 bouts of strep throat in May! Thankfully the grant made the submission date, thanks to great help from wonderful grad students and others invovled in the project.
For my NSF ICAC project, we were out surveying students everyday for over a week. It was gruelling but worth the effort.
We went to Atlantic Beach for a week in May. Our dear friends from Maryland the McElroys joined us for part of it. Di and I had a day at the spa, which was glorious, and some girl time to hang out and talk! Callen loved playing with their dog Star. My friend Marieke and her family joined me and Callen for the last couple of days there, after Bo had flown home. Callen had a blast learning to ride the waves with Sabina. She was fearless! Although I had to work on various things while we were there, it was still nice to get away and feel the ocean!
June started out hectic too. I had a large annual report due for my NSF ICAC project towards the end of the month. All the survey data had to be entered, cleaned, and analyzed so we could include part of it in the annual report. The annual report takes so much time! It was finally submitted the Friday before I flew to DC for a grant panel at NSF.
The grant panel at NSF was another thing that made June even more frenetic. Remind me to never agree to be on a panel that occurs around the same time I have a grant annual report due!
Callen continues to enjoy the last few weeks at her preschool. She's excited about starting kindergarten in the fall and at times wishes it would start sooner (but recognizes she will miss her preschool friends next year as they will go to various other schools).
Callen started taking gymnastics in June at a local gymnastics academy. She enjoys it a lot but it is hard work.
One of the most discouraging things that happened in June is that Jefferson County laid off over 500 people, including Bo. The county commissioners are not effective leaders and have no vision at all. The one in charge of his dept. eliminated 2/3 of the employees; you don't need a deputy director when you have so few employees remaining. Bo has been making calls and applying for various things, but there are not a lot of openings in his areas at this time. And, I'm sure none will pay even close to what he was making.
The last item has led us to really start thinking about ways to not spend money. We hope that Bo will find another position soon.

This was a few of the main things that have happened in our lives the past 2 months. Hopefully it won't be so long before another posting.
Happy 4th of July!

A powerful story of first-hand experience with the tornado

2011-05-05T12:59:00.000-05:00

UA student tells his story of going through the tornado. Very powerful story!

Alabama Tornado Relief List

2011-05-01T09:50:00.000-05:00

For those who are wondering how they can help those in need in AL, here is a link to a list that was compiled that has a variety of ways that people can help. There are so many people in need. The devastation is incredible.

Alabama Tornado Relief List

Thanks for any support that you can provide!

Tornadoes kill over 200 - The Big Picture - Boston.com

2011-04-28T15:43:00.000-05:00

Tornadoes kill over 200 - The Big Picture - Boston.com

Even more pictures of the devastation from the tornadoes here in AL. So very sad!

Amazing pix of destruction from storms in Alabama

2011-04-28T13:12:00.000-05:00

Some of the most amazing pictures from the devastation in Alabama from the tornadoes!

The Atlantic - pix from the destruction in Alabama

So very thankful today! We only lost power for 15 or so hours and had a tree and some big limbs down in our yard. Very fortunate compared to the horrible devastation in other parts of Alabama!

My Little Reader

2011-04-22T22:37:00.000-05:00

For the first time tonite, Callen read a whole book by herself! We only helped her with a few of the words. I am so proud of her! Here's a picture of the book - Pizza for Sam.

Why Academics Suffer Burnout - Inside Higher Ed

2011-04-14T11:21:00.000-05:00

Much of what is said resonates in the academy of today. I wish they had been more proactive in suggesting structural rather than individual level changes to deal with this issue. Why Academics Suffer Burnout - Inside Higher Ed

Full Professor!

2011-04-14T09:53:00.000-05:00

I received official notification on Tuesday that I have been promoted to Full Professor. I wanted to post the letter from President Garrison on the blog but can't figure out how to insert a pdf file into the blog. Oh well.

Several people have asked me if I feel any different since receiving the notice. I don't yet. I think it hasn't set in yet. Perhaps it is because I am so busy with so many different things that I haven't had a chance to even reflect on it yet.

My chair sent out a notice to the faculty in my department. All but 2 of my colleagues either stopped by or sent emails to congratulate me. I posted it on Facebook and lots of friends have congratulated me. Some of my grad students brought me flowers yesterday. Bo and Callen did too. My office smells so great with the flowers! What a celebratory week!

A colleague asked me how I planned to celebrate. He knows I love going to the beach. Relaxing for a few days at the beach is a great idea but I haven't found a time to go relax at the beach yet. Hard to do this when you have a grant proposal due in about 6 weeks! Hopefully I'll find some time soon to take a few days and contemplate this phase of my academic career.

Thanks to all my friends, family members, and colleagues for the emails, notes, and comments. I couldn't have made it this far without the support and friendship that I've received from each of you!

Here's to the next phase of my career, fun celebrations, and wonderful family, friends, and colleagues!

It’s 4:30 in the morning, do you know where your work/life balance is? - Inside Higher Ed

2011-03-31T08:29:00.000-05:00

This post from Inside Higher Ed really resonates with me, even though I am no longer an assistant professor. So hard to find the work/life balance but we do the best we can! It’s 4:30 in the morning, do you know where your work/life balance is? - Inside Higher Ed

Shoes From a 5 Year Old's Perspective

2011-03-23T16:22:00.000-05:00

When I dropped Callen off at her preschool yesterday, a girl in her class walked up to us and said: "Callen, I LOVE your sandals. You HAVE to tell me where you got them." So cute and so funny coming from a 5 year old! I wish I had a video of her saying it.

Out of the Mouth of a 5 Year Old

2011-02-05T14:24:00.000-06:00

Callen says so many things that I want to remember and post on the blog, but as you know I haven't blogged much lately and by the time I do I usually can't remember the things she said or the way she said them. Here are just a few that I can remember.

Lord have mercy.
Don't make me get upset at you. (With as much attitude as any 13 year old!)
You're awesome Dad.
I love you more than the world Mama (I never tire of hearing that!).
You make me do EVERYTHING! (After I've just finished making her lunch and taken her to swimming lessons, when I asked her to take her dishes to the sink.)

There are many more that unfortunately I can't remember at this time. Out of the mouth of babes!

Goals for 2011 - revisited

2011-02-05T14:10:00.000-06:00

I posted these on Facebook on January 3rd. Thought I'd post them here too, now a month later.

Rather than resolutions for 2011, I'd like to think there are goals that I'd like to achieve. They include (in no particular order):

live a more balanced life
take a picture of my daughter each week
laugh more often
listen to good music on a daily basis
don't let the political BS at a certain institution of higher education get to me
move more on a daily basis
spend more time with friends and family
begin writing a book
write more consistently on a daily basis
check email less often
enjoy the feel of the sun on my face more regularly
spend more time near oceans
update my blog more frequently
cherish the friends and family in my life

I'm not sure how many of these have been worked on on a regular basis. I haven't met the goal of updating the blog more often. Hard to believe it has been two months almost since my last post. I guess it is more about the process of trying to be proactive in striving for the goals than in actually accomplishing them. Small steps eventually add up to large distances.

What are your 2011 resolutions, goals, etc? And, what is your progress thus far?

Pictures from Thanksgiving Walk Around Star Lake

2010-12-16T12:51:00.000-06:00

Pictures from Callen's birthday weekend

2010-12-16T12:45:00.000-06:00

Tribute to a Colleague

2010-11-10T23:43:00.000-06:00

A good friend, great teacher, and a wonderful colleague passed away on her 55th birthday in October. Becky Trigg was a Teaching Assistant Professor in my department. Below is the obituary written by the Chair of my department.

Becky Marie Trigg died on her 55th birthday, Oct. 28, 2010, surrounded by friends and family. Becky was loved and respected by many for her honesty and courage, her faithfulness to friends and family, and her dedication to the profession of sociology through the scholarship of teaching. Becky was an outstanding scholar... who received numerous awards for her teaching and mentoring of students, including the Dean's Career Award for Outstanding Teaching from the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Teaching for her was not just about preparing and delivering good lectures or utilizing cutting edge methodologies and technologies for her classes. Teaching and mentoring students was life work for her, a vocation. We will sorely miss her.

Here are a few of my own reflections on Becky...
I remember when I came to UAB for my interview. Becky, Jeff Hall, and some grad students took me out to lunch at Sabor Latino (one of Becky’s favorite places she told me). During this lunch, she wasn’t interested in how many grants I had gotten or what grants I might get in the future. She was very direct in her questioning of me. She wanted to know what undergraduate courses I could teach; and, whether I could teach undergrad social psychology and symbolic interactionism. She said that the undergrads here at UAB needed these courses and she wanted to find someone who could teach them. I respected her a great deal for her commitment to undergraduates at UAB. She always put them first, in trying to think about ways to enhance the department and the university.

Becky was always someone you could go to if you had a class-related issue. I can’t tell you the number of times that I dropped by her office or emailed her to ask her about some issue I was having with getting a student registered for an independent study, setting up my Blackboard and WebCT materials, or some other course-related issue. She immediately knew just how to resolve the problem or perhaps more importantly WHO TO CALL OR EMAIL to get the issue resolved. She was a resource that I knew I could always turn to. I’m not sure we have someone who can fill those shoes in this area…

The last thing I want to mention (though I could mention many more) is Becky’s desire to help those students who were disadvantaged in some way. I remember many early morning conversations with Becky about particular students. We would often arrive around 7:30 or so – well before many other faculty members came into the dept. Becky would note how some students had come from lower SES backgrounds, didn’t have family members who had gone to college, were not as polished as other students, and lacked the social and cultural capital that many other students had who came from higher SES backgrounds. She talked about how it was up to us to mentor these students to help them succeed. Becky and I were definitely on the same page in this area, as I to came from such a background. She continued to encourage me to help ‘polish’ certain students and to believe in them, even when students’ actions at times made that hard to do. She was always a strong advocate for students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. And, her belief in these students helped many of them achieve great things; it has also helped me to be a better faculty member.

You are already missed Becky. I hope that your spirit continues to guide our department as we strive to move forward.

Memorial Service Friday, November 12, 4:00 Heritage Hall 102, UAB Campus.

Donations can be made to the Dr. Mike Wilson and Professor Becky Trigg Support Fund. All proceeds from the support fund will benefit the UAB Women's Studies Program. You can direct donations to the attention of Mary Balfour VanZandt:
College of Arts and Sciences Development Office
HB 302
1530 3rd Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35294-1260
975-9644

Kissing Bandit?

2010-09-22T22:04:00.000-05:00

I took Callen to a birthday party last Saturday afternoon. When we walked into the place, one of her little classmates walked up to her and kissed her on the lips! Then, he was chasing her around and kissing her on the arms, neck, etc. I wish I had taken my camera as it was very cute.

I picked her up from school Tuesday afternoon and the little boy's mother and he were leaving about the same time. He was trying to kiss her on the arms again and playing with her. His mother said that she is all he talks about, especially the first two weeks after she started at this school.

I asked Callen what she thought about this when we got in the car. She said she liked it. Not sure I'm ready for her to like getting kisses, except from mommy and daddy!

I think I'll keep an eye on the cute little kissing bandit in her class!

You're So Birmingham If ...

2010-08-29T14:18:00.000-05:00

Saw this on Facebook today. Even though I'm not originally from B'ham several of these resonate. Enjoy!

http://wadeonbirmingham.com/2010/08/27/wades-101-youre-so-birmingham-if-2010-twitter-version/

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Social Impacts of Technology at UAB

2010-08-09T13:57:00.000-05:00

Please pass along this info to those who may be interested. Thanks!

Dr. Shelia Cotten, a professor in the Sociology and Social Work department at the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB), is seeking to hire a Postdoctoral Fellow for a 1-2 year postdoc position. The position is available immediately but the start date is somewhat negotiable. The postdoc will work with Dr. Cotten to analyze data from existing research projects and to collect survey, interview, and observational data on upcoming research projects. Projects focus on technology usage across the life course and the social impacts of this usage, thus experience studying either specific age groups, and/or the impacts of technology use, would be preferable but is not required. Dr. Cotten, with funding from the National Science Foundation, is leading the largest study of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) XO laptop dissemination in the United States. She also has a large NIA grant studying the impacts on quality of life of training older adults in assisted and independent living communities to use computers and the Internet.

A doctoral degree in Sociology, Psychology, Communication, New Media, or a related field is required before beginning the postdoctoral fellowship. Candidates must have (1) strong quantitative and/or qualitative analysis skills, (2) experience writing manuscripts, and (3) good organizational and time management skills. Prior publication and grant writing experience will enhance the application.

The Postdoctoral Fellow is a 12 month, full-time appointment, with salary up to $45,000 depending upon qualifications. Benefits are also provided. See http://www.postdocs.uab.edu/ for more information on postdoc benefits at UAB. Funding may be available to support travel for conference presentations.

Submit the following application materials as attachments via email to Dr. Shelia Cotten - cotten@uab.edu. Please use the following email subject line: Technology Postdoc Position.

- Cover letter describing training, skills, research interests and how they fit with those described in the position advertisement, and why you’re interested in this position.

- Names and contact information for three references

- An up to date curriculum vitae

For those candidates who apply before August 12, 2010, please note whether you will be attending the American Sociological Association annual meeting in Atlanta in case Dr. Cotten would like to meet with you there.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until a suitable candidate is selected.

UAB is a Carnegie designated RU/VH: Research University institution with a population of approximately 17,000 undergraduate and graduate students. UAB’s Medical School is in the top 25 in the U.S. The Department of Sociology and Social Work houses the Center for Social Medicine and is affiliated with the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy, the Center for Aging, and others. The Department offers Bachelor’s degrees in Sociology, Social Work, and Social Psychology, the MA in Sociology, and the Ph.D. in Medical Sociology. Metropolitan Birmingham is home to over 1 million people and is at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, with plentiful cultural and recreational opportunities.

Mana From Heaven

2010-08-08T06:19:00.004-05:00

My mother and my grandmother could both make the best homemade biscuits. It was typical at many points when I was growing up that once a day my mother would make homemade biscuits, usually for supper. She could whip out a pan of biscuits in no time! It was amazing to see.

I had my mother give me her 'recipe' for how she made the biscuits when we moved to Boston for my postdoc. Of course, her 'recipe' was not specific (i.e., pour in some milk) so my biscuits have never turned out as well as hers did. In fact, I've only tried making them a few times and they've never been very edible in my opinion.

I guess it had been a few years since I had last tried to make biscuits. It is too easy to buy the frozen Pillsbury kind, that are tasty though they don't compare to those my mother and grandmother made. One day last week I bought some Bisquick mix at the store. I know, it in no way compares to what my mother and grandmother used to make. However, the biscuits I made with it were much better than the old Bisquick biscuits I remember making years ago. Bo and Callen seemed to like them too.

I wish I had spent more time with my mother, learning how she made certain things. Although I have a few of her recipes, most she only had in her head and now it is too late. Maybe one day I'll find the right balance of ingredients from my mother's 'recipe' and have homemade biscuits that are half as good as hers.

The Mobile Wedge - Digital Citizen Pulse

2010-07-28T11:44:00.000-05:00

Blog posting that reports on research on the digital divide - importance of mobile phones and whether they level the playing field (so to speak) for minority youth.

The Mobile Wedge - Digital Citizen Pulse

Silence is Golden

2010-07-20T17:29:00.005-05:00

A colleague of mine told me yesterday that she had just returned from a Silent Retreat. I had never heard of a retreat such as this. As she was telling me about it though, it sounded more and more like a wonderful experience! She spent 5 days at a nearby monastery, where she could only talk with a spiritual leader for one hour per day. The other time she spent sleeping, reading, thinking, and whatever else she wanted to do that did not involve talking to others. While she had her cell phone for emergencies, she did not call others and she did not have a computer or Internet access. She said it took her about a day and a half to start to unwind. Initially she wanted to check email, etc. but after a day or so she began to feel her sense of inner peace returning. What a neat experience!

I'm one of those people that does NOT get my energy from other people. I have numerous friends that would go insane if they couldn't talk to others most of the time. I find it exhausting to be constantly around others all the time. That is one reason I so relish the few days that I can actually work at home anymore and those rare times when I can get away on a mini writing trip - I don't have to talk to anyone during those sweet, quiet hours! My mind can rest and I end up being more productive and creative than during other times.

With the work loads that many of us carry and the constant cacophony of technological devices and people surrounding us, it is hard to have time to just 'be' anymore. Some people might not understand this. But, it so resonates with me. I used to take yoga; it helped me to center myself and live more in the moment. I've been thinking recently that I need to do it again. I think it may help with just 'being', rather than constantly being in motion (whether physical or mental).

I'm so glad my colleague told me about this retreat. It is something that I may try for myself sometime. Here's to quiet, peace, and time for oneself!

Wow

2010-06-26T15:22:00.005-05:00

A friend of mine had a girls' night out earlier this week to show us how she has started saving money by couponing and doing the Buy One Get One Free sales. It was a fun night, spent with much chatting about various things and lots of laughs! We did hear the strategy that she uses though before our evening ended. My friend Renie regularly saves 30% or more on her groceries by using coupons and she doesn't have to shop for off-brands or go to wal-mart to be able to do this.

I haven't gotten into the full routine yet. However, today I went to Publix and mainly using their Buy One Get One Free sales, plus a few coupons I had, I spent $80 and I saved $44.75! I was very pleased with my first attempt at this. Hopefully it will get even better as time progresses.

It would be so great if we could do all our grocery shopping at Publix and never go back to wal-mart again : ).

Thanks Renie!

The Middle of June Already

2010-06-20T20:17:00.003-05:00

For some reason I always think summer will be more relaxed than the regular school year, but it never turns out that way. May and June have been especially busy for me. I was traveling some in early May, then some big life decisions had to be made which took a lot of time and were very stressful, and lots of planning going on for a series of XO workshops that start TOMORROW for teachers and in July for students.

I still have a few hundred pix on my camera dating back to Feb. that need to be uploaded and posted here and on Facebook. I keep thinking every weekend I'll have a chance to do it but I never do. I think I need a personal assistant just to handle some of the tasks like this one and keeping my life in order.

So, I keep promising that I'll post pix on here but who knows in reality when that will actually occur. Maybe before summer's end...

They Grow Up So Fast!

2010-05-11T08:49:00.004-05:00

We're riding to dinner on Mother's Day and I ask Callen something. She doesn't answer. A little while later she says, "You know I'm ignoring you, don't you?" Bo and I just burst out laughing! She was not amused but it was so funny! She's such a little smarty-pants but gosh how I love her!!!!

May Days

2010-05-06T21:07:00.004-05:00

The first 4 months of the year flew by! It seems that time just flies faster and faster the older I get. I know part of it this semester was due to the fact that I travelled rather extensively, much moreso than usual. I'm glad that May is here and travel is over for a while at least!

I've had a productive week thus far. My colleagues and I got an article together in a very short while and submitted to a journal on Monday. Amazing what great people can do when they set their minds to it! I also had 2 articles that were R&Rs (revise and resubmits) that I had hoped to have out a month ago, but with all the travel it just didn't happen. I'm happy to report that they have both been resubmitted this week! Let's hope they both get accepted!

I can tell that all my travel is having impacts on Callen. She has been really clingy for the past few weeks, and also not going to sleep well at night. It seems later and later every night before she gets to sleep. I hope this stage passes soon as she needs her rest! She was even grumpy this morning when she got up, which is unusual for her.

I'm hoping the rest of the month is as productive as this week has been! Here's to May days that relax, refresh, and rejuvenate...

XO Laptops in Birmingham - NSF Article

2010-04-19T22:06:00.003-05:00

The National Science Foundation is funding both my projects related to the OLPC XO laptops in Birmingham. They just put together an NSF Discoveries article on our work with the XOs. This is great exposure to have the NSF do this type of article on our work! Take a look.

http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=116638&org=NSF

Where Oh Where Are You Tonite . . .

2010-04-09T18:39:00.005-05:00

If you grew up in the rural south as I did, you'll know the rest of the lyrics to this song. Any takers?

This semester I've travelled a lot more than I normally do. Thus far, I've been to:
- Orange Beach, AL
- San Diego and UC, Irvine
- Atlantic Beach and Triangle areas in NC
- College Station, Texas
- Washington, DC

I still have upcoming trips this year to the following locations:
- NC
- Atlanta (at least twice!)
- Vancouver
- New Orleans
- and perhaps others : )

I've been traveling so much that my daughter is asking me why I have to leave so often : (. Hopefully one day she'll understand better than she does now...

Where oh where are you tonite . . .

Virtual Senior Center Connects Homebound Seniors to Community and Family -- NEW YORK, March 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

2010-03-10T16:11:00.000-06:00

Virtual Senior Center Connects Homebound Seniors to Community and Family -- NEW YORK, March 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

10 years of Missing You

2010-03-05T11:23:00.005-06:00

Wednesday marked 10 years that my mother has been dead. I can't believe it has been that long. What a remarkable woman she was! She took care of my father and grandmother for many years, when they were bedridden from strokes. She always managed to remain positive, even when she was diagnosed with cancer.

I so wish that she was here to see Callen grow into the phenomenal young woman that she is. There is so much that she could have taught me about having a headstrong daughter : ).

There are a 1000 things that I wish I had asked her before she died. I hope others who read this will ask those questions of their loved ones before they die. And, record them on video and audio so that your children will get a sense of who they are, more than they can just get from pictures.

Here's to my mother - a woman who gave me the world and will always inspire me!

Birmingham's Mayoral Race

2010-01-20T02:51:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was election day for Birmingham -- voters could choose a new mayor to replace Larry Langford. Well, actually it was to replace the 2nd interim mayor that had been in place since Langford was removed from office. Birmingham politics are amazing!

William Bell beat Patrick Cooper.

I wonder what this will mean for the XO laptops in Birmingham. One blog I saw yesterday suggested Bell was more in favor of keeping them than was Cooper. I guess time will tell what the future will hold.

The Future

2010-01-16T11:21:00.003-06:00

Callen last night announced to us that when she grew up she wanted to be a ....
Hot Dog Seller! Such high aspirations. I asked her where she was going to sell hot dogs and she said at ball games. Yes, she's her daddy's girl all right. Maybe she'll own a team and hire others to sell the hot dogs : ). We can only hope.

Crisis of the Self?

2010-01-12T13:38:00.005-06:00

I've started wondering if I'm having a crisis of the self or the soul, or whatever term you prefer. I wonder if all this is worth it. In many ways, I'm on top of my game at work. I have over 4 million in external grants which is unheard of in my dept. and in many sociology departments for that matter, have 10 graduate research assistants and 5 undergrad research assistant working with me this year on the different projects, and I like my department and colleagues. And, most of this research has the potential to really positively impact people's lives. This is all great!

So, why do I think I'm having this crisis? I wish I had definitive answers. I think part of it is that with all this greatness in terms of work comes a lot of stress. I'm juggling multiple large scale projects that involve multiple people. I feel like I'm running a small corporation at times. And, the newest of the grants, which has such huge potential to positively impact a school system, is the biggest stressor of all. I sometimes wonder if I should just tell the funding agency to take the money back. I don't know that the school system appreciates any of the hard work that we are doing. In fact, I had an out of the blue email from a key administrative person in the school system last week, basically questioning what we were doing. I just don't get it. I know they are under lots of pressures too but they have been involved in this process from the beginning when we started writing the grant proposal.

Graduate school nor my post doc ever prepared me for dealing with the administrative BS that you have to deal with in research, whether it is organizations you're working with or your own university administration.

I don't know what the answer is in terms of resolving this crisis that makes my mind churn at night when trying to sleep and most other time too. If others have advice, please feel free to share. Thanks.

The Snow That Wasn't!

2010-01-07T15:51:00.004-06:00

Local weather guys and gals were all predicting 1-2 inches of snow today. So, several local school systems decided mid afternoon yesterday to close schools today. Callen's preschool follows the guidelines of one of the local school systems so they were closed today too.

So, how much snow did we get? Flurries periodically for several hours but nothing on the ground today. It wasn't even snowing enough to go out and play in it today.

Scratch one off for the weather experts this week.

A Few Pix from Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T18:04:00.006-06:00

A few pix from Christmas at our house.

Aunt Suz with the reindeer ears. Doesn't she look cute?

The gingerbread house that Callen, Aunt Suz, and I put together and decorated.

Walking Around the Lake at Thanksgiving

2009-12-26T17:54:00.007-06:00

Thanksgiving was quiet with just the three of us this year. After Thanksgiving dinner we went for a late afternoon walk around the lake in our neighborhood. Here are a few pix from our lake visit.

Callen's 4th Birthday Party

2009-12-26T17:36:00.008-06:00

As much as I resisted, Callen wanted the princess cake. Given our experience at Halloween, guess I shouldn't have been surprised. It was a pretty cake and very tasty too!

All the friends having snacks after playing on the bouncies.

Bo and Callen coming down the big slide. Better Bo than me! That slide is high!

Callen's best friend, Sarah, and her older sister Blair.

What a beautiful birthday girl!

This is almost 2 months late being posted, but better late than never! I am horrible about getting pix off the digital camera. Finally had a chance to get a bunch off today. Here are some pix from Callen's 4th birthday party. She had a blast!

Doing Gender at Halloween

2009-12-26T17:24:00.006-06:00

Some of you may recall the earlier post I did around Halloween about how disappointed Callen was at not being dressed as a princess at Halloween. She wanted to be a witch and that was the costume I got for her. She was fine with that until we got to her school and saw the bevy of princesses all around. Above are a few pix from her Halloween party at school. Wish I'd had camera in the AM when I dropped her off as more of the princesses were there at the time.

The last 2 pictures are pix of Callen's witch's costume after we embellished it on Saturday before going trick or treating that night.

Twas the Day Before Christmas

2009-12-24T12:08:00.004-06:00

and Aunt Suz was putting some presents under the tree. Callen asked which ones were hers. Aunt Suz pointed them out. A little while later I'm walking through the den and what to my eyes should appear --- a 4 year old sitting by the tree opening her presents. I tried to explain that today was only Christmas Eve and we open presents on Christmas morning but the little 4 year old fell awash with tears. Oh my. She chose to spend a little time in her room until the tears abated and she could apologize.

Afterwards we finished decorating the gingerbread house and all was fine : ).

Happy Christmas to All and To All a Good Day and Night, she exclaimed as she went back to wrapping and prepping for Christmas Day.

Gender Differences in Cell Phone Usage among Youth

2009-12-18T14:13:00.004-06:00

Our media rep did a press release on a new paper that I and two colleagues just had published in New Media & Society. Here's a link to it. A horrible pix of me, but good coverage of the article. Contact me if you'd like a copy of the article.
http://main.uab.edu/Sites/MediaRelations/articles/71818/

What's Your Vote?

2009-11-18T21:26:00.007-06:00

Here are 4 of the Fall 2009 pix of Callen that were taken at her school. Which one do you think would be best for the Christmas cards this year? Please vote soon!

Callen Turns 4!

2009-11-07T23:01:00.004-06:00

Today was Callen's 4th birthday. I can't believe she is 4! She's growing up so fast.

We had a party at a local bouncy place this morning. About 16 or so of her friends came and they all had fun! We had a beautiful cake that was really yummy.

I so wanted to post pix on the blog and Facebook today but with the party and trying to finish getting ready to fly to DC this afternoon, it just didn't happen. I hope to have lots of pix up before the end of the coming week.

I have lots of blogging to catch up on:
- going to the pumpkin patch
- Halloween, trick or treating, and her cute witch outfit
- celebrating Callen's birthday at her school on Friday
- the party today
- and much more I'm sure.

Happy birthday my beautiful angel!

How Am I Spending My Fall Break?

2009-10-15T11:19:00.004-05:00

I had originally planned that Callen and I would go to NC and visit with friends and family during my fall break. I also wanted to take her to the NC State Fair. I loved it growing up and as a young adult. I haven't been in years and I thought we'd have fun doing this. And, the Alabama one is tiny and a waste of time in my opinion. The Maryland one when we lived there wasn't much better either.

But, the reality set in and I decided there's no way we could do this trek to NC. It is a whole day in the car each way unfortunately. If Express Jet still did their non-stop flights to Raleigh (no airlines have direct flights to RDU from B'ham now unfortunately) I would have probably gone but without this it was just too much of a trek!

So, here I am on the first day of my fall break. So far today, I've:
- taken Callen to school
- bought bagels for home
- done 3 loads of laundry
- edited a job letter for a new undergrad research assistant I'm bringing on to my XO project
- reviewed and made comments on a report I need to give to the school system on my XO project
- checked email, Facebook, and Twitter (a few times!)
- and thought about the multitude of other things I need to do today.

I think I and perhaps other academics often think of fall break as a time to have a short break from our regular routine and a brief time to refresh before classes resume. Unfortunately, I don't think mine will be that way this year.

On the positive side though: It is good to work at home today, and I didn't have to get to my office at 7 in time to do some work before my 8 AM class. Sleeping a little later is always a good thing!

Maybe next year Callen and I can go to the fair!

My Little Drama Queen

2009-10-03T10:01:00.005-05:00

The things Callen says these days just amaze me. We were in the car coming home from dinner last night and talking about a birthday party we're going to today. I told her we should make a birthday card for Emery when we got home. A few minutes later in the conversation Callen said: If I forget to take the card to the party, I'll be doomed! Now, where does an almost 4 year old learn the word doomed? I tried to get her to explain to me what the word meant but she couldn't or wouldn't. I told her that she wouldn't be 'doomed' if she forgot to take the card but she still kept saying it. Yep, broadway here we come!

Frenzied Fall!

2009-09-30T21:14:00.004-05:00

I don't know why it is but fall always seems so frenzied. Part may be that many students in Callen's class have birthdays - so lots of fun parties to attend! We've been to 2 already in the past month and have 2 this weekend. Plus, my work always seems busier in the fall. I'm still not sure why this always seems to be the case.

I know this fall is bad because I'm trying to juggle too many things at work. I have 3 grants right now that are consuming lots of my time. One is just getting up and started so way too many details to handle right now! In addition to these, there is my class I'm teaching and assignments to grade; there's also other papers I'm working on with other colleagues, conferences to prepare presentations for and attend, and lots of other things.

I woke up at 3:30 this morning and was awake till 5. I should have just gotten up and done some work rather than just thinking about what I needed to do today.

Let's hope that things begin to calm down sometime soon!

Cyber Seniors and Health

2009-09-12T14:43:00.007-05:00

As some of you know, I have an NIA grant to go into assisted living communities (ALFs) to train older adults to use computers and the Internet and to assess the impact on their quality of life over time. We finished 6 weeks of training in our first assisted living community yesterday afternoon. The 6 weeks flew by so fast! We learned a huge amount about best practices in training in ALFs. The participants were phenomenal! I hope the skills we helped them acquire will definitely positively impact their quality of life!

We did a debriefing with them at the end of class yesterday to find out their thoughts on ways to enhance the training, how it had impacted them thus far, etc. One person said: "You've made us feel like we're part of the world again." Another noted that "We'd opened up the world for them." They are an amazing group!

The UAB Media Relations rep had issued a local press release to see if any local TV stations wanted to come out to talk to us. I was asked to be on the local Fox news at noon yesterday to talk about the study. I haven't been able to find any online link to the interview but below is one that the local ABC station did. Watch the video if you get a chance. I'm also scheduled to be on Fox' Good Day Alabama Monday morning.

Cyber Seniors: How the Internet Can Affect Health

State of the Blogosphere

2009-09-02T14:44:00.005-05:00

I came across this report today as I was working on a book chapter (that is due in 2 days!). Interesting to see information on numbers, demographics, etc. of bloggers and blogging in general.

Updating the Blog

2009-08-22T20:46:00.005-05:00

Life has been way too busy the past month. I can't believe it has been almost a month since I last did a blog post! Here's a brief recap of life over the past month.

We spent a good portion of the summer thinking Bo would get put on unpaid leave, along with 1000+ Jefferson County employees. Luckily he didn't but we certainly feel bad for the others who did get put on leave. We hope Jefferson County will bring them back ASAP now that the politicians have passed a new occupational tax.
We did a family trip to Atlanta. We went to the Georgia Aquarium. It was nice but I think the Baltimore and Chattanooga ones are better. As we were getting out of the car at Ikea, Callen smashed a finger in the door! Not a fun time! Nothing broken but lots of tears. Sunday we went to Stone Mtn and did a few things there. Pretty state park.
We went to a birthday party for a friend of Callen's. His mother is so creative! I wish I had a third of the creativity genes that she does! Yes, I'm talking about you Renee : ).
My NSF grant I submitted in January got funded! Our media office did a press release on Wed. of this week and it has been picked up by various media outlets around the country. The project involves helping develop STEM curriculum using XO laptops, and working with teachers and students to enhance integration of the XOs and the new curriculum modules.
We started training our first older adults in our first assisted living facility to use computers and the Internet (for my NIA grant). They're doing so great! The class is smaller than we'd hoped but this is our pilot facility and we're learning a lot that will enhance the future trainings. My graduate research assistants are doing a great job with the training!
The cleaning of the data from my other NSF grant is almost complete. We should be able to start crunching some numbers soon to indicate how students' technology usage, attitudes towards technology, educational aspirations, etc. changed with the introduction of the XO laptops in Birmingham City schools.
I went to San Francisco a couple of weeks ago for our national conference. It was fun to see old friends and to meet some new ones. The presentations I was involved with went well. One was even written up in a San Fran. blog. I flew home on a 7:30 AM flight so that I could attend the open house at Callen's school. It made for a long, long day but I'm glad I could get back in time for it!
Our classes started this week (where did the summer go????). I'm teaching on Tues/Thurs at 8 AM (ouch!) but better than a MWF in the afternoon (which was the other option). It looks like a pretty good group of students or at least the best I can tell after 2 classes : ).

I'm sure I've left lots out of what we did over the past month, but this will have to suffice for now : ). I hope everyone had a good summer!

My New NSF Grant - Integrating Computing Across the Curriculum (ICAC) Using XO Laptops

2009-07-29T12:06:00.003-05:00

I received notice last week that the NSF grant I submitted in January was funded. The goal of this grant is to enhance STEM education in Birmingham City schools using XO laptops. The study builds off my current NSF grant investigating the educational, career, and social impacts of the XO laptops in Birmingham City schools.

Here's a link to the abstract of the new grant: ICAC

Eating Out and Saving Money

2009-07-27T12:29:00.005-05:00

As many of you know, Bo's work situation (and all the employees of Jefferson County for that matter) is very precarious at this time. We've been trying to eat out less frequently and when we do eat out we try to do it less expensively.

There are good 'buy one get one free' coupons in the paper/mail every so often for Ruby Tuesdays. And, we've noticed places like Logan's and Applebees have started doing 2 meals for a certain price (usually smaller portions but still plenty for dinner).

Last night we went to Johnny Carino's. They have these family dinners that you can get where they bring out a big bowl of a selected item. This will easily feed 3-4 people. You also get salads with it. We noticed last night that on Monday nights, these family dinners are HALF PRICE! This is a great deal. A family of 3-4 could eat for under $20 (unless you buy expensive beverages, appetizers, etc.).

Just wanted to pass along this info!

Downturn and Dating

2009-07-27T12:25:00.003-05:00

I was interviewed last week for a story on how the economic downturn may be impacting dating. As usual, only a few seconds of me show, but much of what is said is from other material I noted during the interview.

Here's the clip: Downturn Dating

Beach Trip Summer 2009

2009-07-15T20:33:00.007-05:00

We spent the week leading up to July 4th at our condo in Atlantic Beach, NC. We had a lot of fun as we invited cousins and friends down to visit with us at various points in the week. Below, you see Callen, Emily, and Luke (two of Callen's cousins). They were so great with Callen!
Callen at Fort Macon: Mom do I really have to smile again?

Bo and cousin Betty

How to think like a sociologist

2009-07-09T15:02:00.004-05:00

I know you've all been wondering -- how does a sociologist think? Now you can know!

How To Think Like a Sociologist

Trip Travails

2009-07-01T19:56:00.006-05:00

We started our trek to NC last Friday. Before we left town Friday, a parent at Callen's school misjudged his turning radius and plowed into the back and rear driver's side of my car that morning. A good amount of damage but drivable thank goodness as we were taking it to NC.

We get to the beach Saturday early evening. After unpacking our car and playing with Callen some, we go out for a late dinner. We're crossing the bridge to the mainland when we hit something in the road. It was some type of strap with a big hook in it. Well, the hook punctured the rear driver's side tire! So, we put on the temporary spare as it begins to rain, thunder, and lightening. The tire that was damaged was a brand new tire! Less than 2 months old. Ugh.

Sunday we went to the beach and had a good time in the sun, sand, and surf. Some of my cousins came in around dinner time that day. Callen had a blast playing with her cousins Luke and Emily from Sunday night through Wed. afternoon! They were such great kids - never appearing to tire of playing with her!

Monday morning I start the dishwasher. A few minutes later my cousin walks in the kitchen and notices the floor is COVERED in water! The guys were out on their way to play golf and happened to call about this time. They didn't bother to come back and investigate what was wrong! We also had an issue with our disposal not working. Our local repair guy got it working but suggested replacing it soon. Then, last night I was washing shrimp to cook for dinner when I noticed water was pouring out on my feet. Oh yea, another plumbing issue! We have a plumber coming out in the AM to check out the dishwasher, disposal, etc. Yeah, more money, more money, more money!

Even with all these trip travails, we've had a great time thus far at the beach! The cousins left this afternoon and some friends come in this evening. Hopefully more good memories to come!

Here's to no more plumbing issues at our condo!

Hippy Scotch???

2009-06-19T22:21:00.005-05:00

Huh? We were all on the floor playing this evening. Callen kept talking about hippy scotch and neither Bo nor I could figure out what she was talking about. Then, she said, "I'll show you" and she proceeded to pretend to play hopscotch. Oh, now we get it! I think I like the other name for it though...

Anyone up for some hippy scotch?

Prelude to Father's Day

2009-06-19T08:30:00.003-05:00

Today Callen has a little program in her class at school for father's day. I'm planning to go too : ). I hope she doesn't burst out in tears like she did at the beginning of the mother's day program they had.

We don't have any special plans for father's day yet. I'm sure we'll go out to dinner someplace. And, we're having a pool playdate later Sunday afternoon.

What father's day traditions do you have in your family?

I Know I Shouldn't Be...

2009-06-10T11:51:00.005-05:00

so bummed but I really am. Yesterday I had 2 manuscript rejections arrive! Not just 1, but 2! What is really annoying is that one of them had been under review for 4 months! And, then the editor makes a decision based on 1 review! Typically manuscripts are reviewed by 2-3 reviewers. Ugh. The review wasn't even that bad but the editor rejected the manuscript.

On the positive side, it looks like my husband's department may not be eliminated (at least yet). However, it looks like all county employees will be getting a 20% salary cut! Ouch. I don't know about you but we don't have an extra 20% of his salary just laying around that we can 'cut'. As it is now, we don't buy extravagant items, do big, luxurious trips, etc. I am grateful that he has a job (for now) but I am just amazed at how poorly the county we live in is run that they can allow the county to be in such a poor economic situation that they threaten the livelihood of all their employees.

This same county just the other day realized that they had not been billing some organizations appropriately for their sewer usage, including UAB! They informed UAB that it owes over a MILLION dollars! As a county, how do you make an error of this magnitude?

Let's hope today is a better day...

Chaos and Clutter

2009-06-08T16:58:00.004-05:00

My office desk has been so full of piles and piles of things that it was hard to even see any of the desk. Given that I have a nice U shaped desk, this is saying something! I hadn't planned to clean today, as I have much writing and reviewing that needs to be done. However, I just got in the mood to do it this morning. I worked on it all day (in b/w other meetings, etc.) and I am 99% complete. It looks so great!

I am not a good organizer of papers. I never have been. I bought some more bins this weekend to help me keep different projects organized. I've just never been someone who is good at filing and keeping things filed. The bin has worked well for my XO project. I'm hoping they will work well for other projects too.

My mind definitely feels less cluttered and chaotic as I sit in my office now. Let's hope it inspires me to finish those numerous articles that need to get out the door soon!

Here's to a summer of orderliness and lack of clutter!

The Emerging World of Real-Time Cellphone Data

2009-06-03T09:39:00.001-05:00

The Emerging World of Real-Time Cellphone Data

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My Sweet Empathetic Child

2009-05-31T21:21:00.003-05:00

This evening Bo and I were watching the news when a commercial for the SPCA came on. The animals all look so sad in this commercial and then Sarah McGloughlin (sp?) comes on and asks you to donate money to help animals. Callen happened to see the commercial.

She is such a sweet, empathetic child! She was in tears worrying about the animals. She asked me several times throughout the evening why the animals had to go to animal shelters, why their people didn't take care of them, etc. It was so sweet!

I warn you - if you haven't seen this commercial, it does have some of the saddest, most soulful looking animals in it!

Fever, Doctors, and Medicine

2009-05-28T21:51:00.005-05:00

Callen got sick while we were in FL last weekend. She ran a fever starting Friday night. We gave her tylenol and it seemed to help but she had a horrible cough. I took her to the doctor on Tuesday to have her checked. This is the first time that she has not wanted to go, to let the doctor or nurses do anything to her, and she even didn't want to get on the scales when the nurse first came to get us. She's never been like this before.

The doctor suspected strep throat so she had the nurse come in and try to swab her throat. Well, Ms. Callen would have none of this! She gritted her teeth and would not open her mouth! Two nurses finally had to force it to get the swab in. I so hated this! Callen was crying the whole time, scared to death, and her heart was beating furiously.

The test came back positive and the doctor asked if she'd take meds. I, having forgotten how much of an ordeal it was to get her to take this same med. last year when she was sick, said sure she'd take it. The other option was a one time shot and as upset as she was I couldn't see giving her a shot at that point.

Well, little did I know how hard it would be to get her to take the meds! I've tried giving it to her in a syringe, in a teaspoon, mixed with lemonade, mixed with milk, mixed with frozen juice concentrate (which worked last year sometimes), and you name whatever else. A few sips have passed her lips and that is it. We are at our wits' end with this. We've threatened, cajoled, taken away movie privileges, etc.

Our daughter is evidently stronger willed than are we... Any suggestions for how to get her to take her medicine?

Data Collection for XO Laptop Project

2009-05-20T15:12:00.003-05:00

is done! It was a grueling year with surveying 1600+ 4th and 5th graders twice (before they received their XO laptops) and then at the end of the school year. And, my graduate students just completed in-depth interviews with 20 of the students (10 high tech and 10 low tech).

Now, the survey coding and data entry, as well as interview transcription, begins and/or continues. I can't wait to see the data! This is the largest study of the kind focusing on the XO laptops in the US and perhaps the world.

Here's to lots of interesting results to come!

Rain, rain, go away...

2009-05-17T13:48:00.003-05:00

PLEASE!!! We've had so much rain lately. I'm grateful for the rain which means hopefully we won't be in a drought this summer but enough is enough.

Callen had her last soccer match yesterday morning. It drizzled on the way to the match, then stopped. Luckily it didn't rain during the match but as soon as we were about to get in the car it started pouring! And, it rained off and on most of the day yesterday and again today thus far.

Our grass is getting greener by the drop but the weeds are multiplying even faster with all the rain.

Here's to a less rainy week I hope!

To Do Today

2009-05-14T05:20:00.004-05:00

Awake since 3 AM...not fun given all I need to get done today:
- get to work before 8
- go out surveying for my XO project (leaving at 8 AM)
- work on agenda for first full team meeting for my new NIA ALF study
- conduct first full team meeting this afternoon for new ALF study
- write NIA supplement that is due in less than 2 weeks!!!
- deal with administrative BS that takes way too much time away from the things I really need to be doing!!!
- begin annual report that is due TOMORROW
- begin draft of IRB application for new NSF grant that looks like it will be funded; NSF pgm officer suggested getting IRB approved, so we need to get it done. This paperwork takes tons of time!!!
- respond to various emails that came in late yesterday for meetings of various kinds
- schedule team meeting for XO project
- pick up Callen at school
- get Callen ready for soccer match
- and lots of other things that I'm sure I'm blanking on at the moment...

Wish me luck!

Cherishing the Moments

2009-05-10T20:40:00.004-05:00

Today is a sad and a joyous day for me. It is sad as my own mother passed away a little over 9 years ago and I still miss her so! I so wish she could be here to see Callen and to experience the joy that she brings directly.

Having Callen makes this a joyous day for me. I would never have imagined that having a child could make your heart feel so full. I want to try to cherish every moment that we have together. Sometimes it isn't easy to do as life is so busy, things may be stressful, and we let the little things get in the way. However, I strive to cherish all the moments as we never know how many moments we have with each other.

Here's the cherishing the moments...

To Help A Good Cause in Birmingham

2009-05-02T21:28:00.002-05:00

What's on Second?!
is knocking on your
PANTRY DOOR

People in our community are in need of food. The United Way food warehouse and the pantries of it's distributors are being rapidly depleted as they respond to an unprecedented number of requests for food assistance. Food is even being rationed in an effort to serve more people in need.

In times like these it becomes necessary for those of us who have a little more to share a little more. With this in mind, What's on Second? is pleading with our friends and neighbors to help us with a food drive.

To sweeten the deal, here's what we are going to do:

Starting Saturday (May 9th) and every day through Saturday (May 16th), What's on Second? will offer anything and everything in the shop at 50% off to anyone who brings in at least one large grocery bag or box of nonperishable food. That's 50% off as many items as you want to purchase on that day. (If you want to come back another day you'll need another food donation)

Choose from jewelry, postcards, art, advertising, toys, holiday decorations, men's and women's retro clothing, posters - hundreds of thousands of collectibles from the coolest store in the Magic City. If you have had your eye on an item in the store or just want to get a head start on holiday shopping, you won't find a better time (or a better cause).

SUGGESTIONS:
Use this opportunity to thin out your pantry.
Buy food in bulk at discount stores.
Think - especially - protein: dried or canned beans and peas, canned meats and tuna.
Cash, check or credit card donations of at least
$25 qualifies the donor for the 50% discount.
The money will be used to buy food wholesale
through Urban Standard (Thanks, Tom!).
Help us spread the word VIA blogs, websites,
Facebook, etc.

THE PROBLEM IS CLEAR!

THE NEED IS NOW!

THE OPPORTUNITY IS YOURS!

What's on Second?
2306 Second Avenue North
In the Loft District of
Historic Downtown Birmingham

--Steve Gilmer and Mike Wilson
What's On Second?
2306 2nd Avenue North Birmingham, AL 35203
whatsonsecond@bellsouth.net

Quiet Sunday Morning

2009-04-26T07:45:00.004-05:00

It is rare that I get quiet time alone on a weekend morning. Callen normally wakes us up before we're ready to be awakened : ). I woke up at 5:30 this morning, however. Callen woke up having had a bad dream. After that I couldn't get back to sleep. I finally got up some before 7 and have had a chance to look at friends' blogs, catch-up a little on Facebook and Twitter, and just have a few minutes of quiet time.

On the 13th, I had some outpt surgery to remove an ovarian cyst (and turns out my ovary too). I stayed at home most of that week, recuperating and then working from home some. It was so quiet and peaceful. When I went out for the first time (for dinner that Thurs. night), it was almost like stimulation overload after having been in the house for those days. Maybe you can tell that I'm not one of those people who needs constant stimulation (yes, I tend to fall more towards the introvert end of the Myers Brigg); in fact I prefer peace and quiet. Hard to get when you have a very active 3.5 year old in the house!

I've been busy this week conducting interviews for a program coordinator position for my new NIA grant. They started on Monday morning. I woke up not feeling well Monday morning but came into work anyway. I made it through 3 interviews and then the waves of nausea started to hit me! I left work and tried to get home, only to have to pull off the hwy an puke! I was so sick! Monday and Tuesday were lost days due to either food poisoning or a stomach bug. So glad to be feeling better now!

During the interviews, I met some great people who each have unique and valued skills. I'm happy that I have decided on one candidate. I can't wait for the person to start in the position as I think the person will do a great job and really be an asset to the research project!

The upcoming week is another busy one. My NSF XO laptop project is in full survey mode. We're in 5 schools this week surveying. I'm so glad our flash drives finally arrived week before last though. The kids seem very excited to be getting them.

So, I'm enjoying the quiet time this morning before Bo and Callen awaken, and before another busy week begins....hmmm, wonder if I can find time for a pedicure today....probably not that much 'me' time today : ).

Soccer

2009-04-15T15:40:00.010-05:00

Callen started playing soccer a few weeks ago. The 1st week was a jamboree where we got to meet others playing on all the teams. The video at the bottom is of Callen playing around after the jamboree. She is a pretty good kicker!

Her 1st game was pretty rough. I was out of town and according to Bo she spent most of her time crying and clinging to him. The 2nd game was last week and I was there. She did great! Some pix are below and from the jamboree week. She's having fun!

Callen took this pix of one of her coaches and some of her team mates. Good pix Callen!

A little slow to warm up but then she gets into it : ).

Easter Pix

2009-04-15T15:31:00.006-05:00

A few pix we took on Sunday - mostly of Callen. We did a little Easter egg hunt in the front yard. She wanted to find more eggs after she'd found all of them. Next year we'll know to hide more! We also bought her a little doctor's kit rather than a big chocolate bunny this year. She seems to enjoy it so far.

How walkable is your neighborhood?

2009-04-08T14:12:00.003-05:00

Bo called me on a break from a conference. Some presenter had noted a website where you can determine how 'walkable' your street/neighborhood is. Check it out:
http://www.walkscore.com/.

Our street scored a 9 out of a 10, with higher scores being worse! Nothing new to us.

Hmmm....

2009-04-07T16:40:00.005-05:00

It seems like a long time since I've posted. It hasn't been all that long but it has been longer than I would have liked. A friend asked me a week and a half ago if I had just let my blog lapse. Ouch. It wasn't my intention but it seems I rarely have time for it anymore. I hope to make more time.

A few quick updates:
- I was in New Orleans last week and weekend for a sociology conference. My students and I had 3 presentations plus 3 panels we'd organized. It was a busy time but good in that I got to spend some time with friends I haven't seen in a while.
- The weekend before I was in NC for a mini grad school reunion. It was a lot of fun! I got to see some family and friends, which was really nice. All my grad school friends were just the same as ever! Nice to know that some people never change. Thanks to Jo Anne for hosting a wonderful reunion.
- My XO project team starts back resurveying approximately 1800 4th and 5th graders the end of this week. We have about 6 weeks to survey in 27 different schools! Wish us luck and if any of you would like to volunteer to help us survey, please email me offline!
- I'm trying to hire a Program Coordinator II position for my new NIA grant. Lots of time being spent reviewing applications!
- Some colleagues at work do an NCAA tournament pool. It is random. I got Wake Forest and UNC as 2 of my random picks. First time I've had to pull for UNC : ).
- I go in for outpatient surgery on Monday to have an ovarian cyst removed. While the doctor thinks it is probably nothing serious, I'd rather get it out than have it stay in when it might be something serious. Wish me luck on Monday!
- Callen is great and growing so fast! I can't believe she's almost 3.5 now.
- I still have all those pix on the camera and more that I noted a while back. Maybe someday I'll get them uploaded and post some of them!

Here's to more posts in coming days and weeks!

The Importance of Keeping a Personal Medical Record | Consumer Health Video Library - Heath Video

2009-03-25T12:36:00.001-05:00

The Importance of Keeping a Personal Medical Record | Consumer Health Video Library - Heath Video

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Spelling Bee

2009-03-10T21:49:00.005-05:00

Yesterday when I took Callen to her preschool, she put her coat in her bin and she spelled out the letters of her name on the bin label. Last night I asked her if she could spell her name and guess what -- she spelled it correctly with no help at all from us! Very cool. I've asked her to spell it several other times today, to see if it was just a fluke but evidently it isn't as she has spelled it correctly each time. Not bad for a 3 year old I think!

The Disruption Penalty

2009-03-10T11:25:00.001-05:00

The Disruption Penalty

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Is Google Rewiring Our Brains?

2009-03-06T12:34:00.001-06:00

Is Google Rewiring Our Brains?

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Textual Harassment

2009-03-05T15:26:00.004-06:00

I was interviewed by the local CBS station yesterday for a story related to cyberstalking, etc. They used one sentence of what I said. Oh well...

Textual Harassment

XOs in Afghanistan

2009-03-05T15:21:00.001-06:00

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/05/one.laptop.per.child/index.html

They mention the Birmingham XO project in this report too.

Catching Up

2009-02-18T20:47:00.006-06:00

It seems like my blogging is taking a backseat to other things of late -- the holidays, some health issues, travels, etc. And, I've also been spending more time on facebook and twitter than on my blog it seems. Not sure why I haven't been as into blogging as much lately, compared to the other technology applications. I'm hoping to have some time this weekend to upload some pix and do some updates.

On a side note, Callen's speech structure and the logic of her thinking have been progressing so fast lately it seems! She is a smart little girl and constantly amazes us with her development.

Unfortunately she's been saying off and on the last few weeks that she doesn't like school. She wants to go to work with mommy. I think her preference is always to spend as much time with us. She has a good time at school but she has been so clingy lately and I've even had to leave her crying several times when dropping her off. Oh, how that breaks my heart! I hope this is just a phase she's going through - for all our sakes!

Pull Ups Be Gone!

2009-02-02T21:23:00.004-06:00

While we were traveling in Utah a week or so ago (pix to be posted sometime soon), we thought we were out of Pull Ups late one night when we were heading to bed. It was SO cold outside too and we would have had to drive to a store to get some! We asked Callen if she wanted to wear underwear to bed and she said 'Yes'. So, we've been wearing underwear, rather than Pull Ups, to bed at night. She's done really well and not had any bed wetting accidents yet. Here's to hoping Pull Ups are gone forever!

Does Facebook Replace Time or Enhance It?

2009-01-19T13:20:00.004-06:00

A new Time article: Does Facebook Replace Face Time or Enhance It?

What do you think? This has long been a debate over Internet usage in general, but this is one of the first discussions I've seen regarding FB.

Not a good time . . .

2009-01-17T20:50:00.003-06:00

to get sick this week! This week was very busy with surveying for my NSF XO laptop project. We were originally scheduled to be in a school all 5 days this week. One school ended up being postponed to next week, but still surveying 4 schools in one week is a LOT. Monday evening I started feeling like I was getting sick. I've had a cyst for 15 years or so that flairs up every once in a while. Well, this was the week for it to go out of control! I was in so much pain Tues - Thurs! I got in to see my doctor Thursday morning and she told me it was infected and I'd have to go in for outpatient surgery so she could put me to sleep to open it, drain it, and stitch it to keep it from happening again. Friday was spent in the hospital. It definitely feels better but I'm very sore from the anesthesia, stitches, etc. I'm hoping tomorrow will be a better day as I've mostly slept today. I'm very grateful that the pain from the cyst is gone! Here's hoping for a pain free week!

My New Grant

2009-01-09T19:37:00.004-06:00

I just found out this week that a grant I'd submitted to NIH/NIA for a big randomized trial project has been funded. The goal of the project is to go into assisted living facilities, train older adults to use computers and the Internet, and assess the impacts on various aspects of their quality of life over time. I think it will be a great project, which will hopefully have a very positive impact on quality of life among older adults.

I'll report more info on it as the plans progress.

Coming Attractions

2009-01-03T21:21:00.003-06:00

I promise that later this week after my grant proposal is submitted I will post new pix from our holiday travels and our trip to the Liberty Bowl! Until then, time is very short. So, Taylor - don't have that baby before Thursday : ). Just kidding!

Hope everyone is well and having a great new year!

Behind on Many Things . . .

2008-12-19T01:40:00.005-06:00

including posting to my blog. This has been a busy few weeks with finishing up the semester, working on a grant proposal, trying to get ready for Christmas, etc. Last week we were also out in schools surveying students all 5 days! In addition, I was really sick with a chest cold last week; unfortunately I'm still experiencing a lingering cough that annoys the heck out of me. I'm so behind on so many things.

I'm looking forward to some down time, but unfortunately will have to work on the grant proposal next week. It is due soon - WWWAAAYYYY TOOOOO SOOOON in fact! I do plan to relax some though.

On a good note, however, my XO project team surveyed over 800 4th and 5th graders this semester! We have another 8 schools lined up to survey the first couple of weeks in January. It has been a huge amount of work, but hopefully the data that we're collecting on these students BEFORE they receive their XOs and then afterwards will yield important information about the impacts of the XOs. I hope so anyway!

In case there are no blog postings before the holidays (I hope there will be though!), I hope you all have happy and safe holidays!

The First Time

2008-12-11T20:53:00.004-06:00

Callen has mentioned wanting Santa to bring her something for Christmas was today. I think they were talking about it at her school today as there was a list on the board of what everyone wanted Santa to bring them.

Anyone care to guess what she said?

Memory of a 3 Year Old

2008-12-08T20:38:00.003-06:00

Tonite I was wrapping some presents, with the help of Callen. I suggested she should make some cards for presents. She got excited about that. She made one card and I asked her who it was for. She said "Shelby" - a cousin that she last saw in May at the beach! Then, she made one for "Erin" - another cousin that she saw at the same time.

I am constantly amazed that she remembers her cousins, who she hasn't seen for 6 months. I'm glad she does. I hope that it will help keep her close to her extended family given that it is very likely she'll be an only child.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T20:40:00.005-06:00

Late afternoon on Thanksgiving, we took a walk around a lake in our neighborhood. Here's Callen feeding the swans in the lake and a few other pix from our walk and Thanksgiving. It was a gorgeous late afternoon!

Belated Birthday Pix

2008-11-30T20:26:00.007-06:00

I finally downloaded pix from Callen's birthday and her party. Everyone had a great time at the Kids Gym.