Discovery

Shelby County Continues to Set the Pace for County Growth; Black Belt Counties Lose Population, According to UA’s State Data Center

Back in 2000, Shelby County had a population density of about 180 people per square mile. The U.S. Census estimates Shelby has grown by 34,889 people, packing about 220 people into each of its 810 square miles, a jump of 24 percent, and raising the county’s total population to an estimated 178,182.

Home Sales in Alabama Drop in January, According to UA’s Real Estate Center; Drop Typical for New Year

Existing home sales in Alabama experienced a substantial decrease of 20.4 percent from December 2006 to January 2007, according to the Real Estate Research and Education Center at The University of Alabama.

UA Lab Provides Insight into Suspected Parkinson’s Trigger

Researchers at The University of Alabama are offering clues as to why some people appear to have a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease following exposure to a widely used chemical weed killer.

Alabama Real Estate Market Holds Its Own, According to UA’s Real Estate Center

Existing home sales in Alabama increased in December 2006 by 223 homes, or 5.27 percent, over November, with a total of 4,457 units sold compared with November’s 4,234 units, according to the Alabama Real Estate Research and Education Center at The University of Alabama.

UA Lab Expands e-Citation Throughout State

The University of Alabama’s CARE Research & Development Laboratory is expanding its electronic ticketing system, known as e-Citation. This latest expansion includes deployment to all Alabama’s state troopers.

Falling Home Prices, Mortgage Rates Make Alabama Housing More Affordable, According to UA Real Estate Center

A decrease in both median home prices and mortgage interest rates affected the Alabama Housing Affordability Index in the fourth quarter of 2006, raising it 3.3 percentage points to 153.4 from the 150.1 figure in the third quarter, according to the Real Estate Research and Education Center at The University of Alabama.

Alabama Real Estate Market Holds its Own, According to UA’s Real Estate Center

Existing home sales in Alabama increased in December 2006 by 223 homes, or 5.27 percent, over November, with a total of 4,457 units sold compared with November’s 4,234 units, according to the Alabama Real Estate Research and Education Center at The University of Alabama.

Existing Home Sales Drop in State, According to UA Center

Home sales in Alabama declined by almost 10 percent from October sales of 4,676 units to 4,234 in November of 2006, according to the Alabama Real Estate Research and Education Center at The University of Alabama.

UA History Professor to Research Vatican Secret Archives and Pope’s Private Library

A University of Alabama history professor will have access to the Vatican Secret Archives, a privilege granted to only a limited number of researchers each year.

Moving to the Research Beat

Don’t call him a break dancer; Wesley Nixon is a b-boy. While the ‘b’ does originate from the word break, it’s considered to some an insult to call it break dancing, a term coined by the media in the 1980s.