'Digital Divas,' the World's Most Connected Consumers

  • UANews
  • February 20, 2013
A study led by UA researcher Anita Bhappu found that "digital divas" are an emerging segment of the world's very knowledgeable and highly influential purchasers. Her team surveyed more than 7,400 shoppers in four different locations around the globe, finding that this consumer population, though small in size, comprises the vast majority of all fashion spending.

eSociety Program to Teach Social Aspects of Digital Age

  • UANews
  • February 19, 2013
With an eye on trends in digital communications, the UA's new eSociety program will train students in the social influence of an Internet-based society. In addition to expertise in social media use, data gathering, analysis and computing, the program is designed to equip students with the critical skills necessary to live and work in a digitally mediated world.

Should Grandma Join Facebook? It May Give Her a Cognitive Boost, Study Finds

  • UANews
  • February 18, 2013
Preliminary research findings from the UA suggest learning to use Facebook may help give adults older than 65 a cognitive boost. The study, conducted by UA graduate student Jannelle Wohltmann, shows that seniors who learned to use Facebook saw improvements in their ability to continuously monitor and quickly add or delete the contents of their working memory.

Urban Gardening Classes Target Phoenix Homeless

  • UANews
  • February 14, 2013
UA Cooperative Extension is using an urban garden to teach job skills and nutrition information to homeless people in Phoenix. The classes, held at the Maricopa County Human Services Campus, cover topics such as planting, harvesting, irrigation and landscape maintenance.

Are You Hard-Wired to Boil Over From Stress?

  • The Wall Street Journal
  • February 13, 2013
People who experience extreme reactions to stress - from a racing heart to full-blown rage - may be hard-wired to do so, researchers are finding. "A vigilant person is hypersensitive, reacting at a biological level and putting more effort and energy into warding off threats, real or perceived," said Bruce J. Ellis, co-author of a recent study on the subject and a professor of family and consumer sciences at the UA.

UA Anthropologist Authors World Heritage Site in Bali

  • UANews
  • February 5, 2013
For years, UA anthropologist Steve Lansing has studied ancient water temples in Bali and their role in rice farming on the island. The complex water temple system recently was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape for its cultural significance. Lansing, who authored the World Heritage nomination, is working with the Indonesian government and Balinese villagers to help manage tourism and educate visitors to the area.

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