Mike Bentley, a 1963 (B.S., chemistry) and 1965 (M.S., chemistry) graduate of the College of Sciences and Mathematics, is the inventor of a newly-FDA-approved drug, Movantik, named by its distributor, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. Bentley initially developed the drug 14 years ago in Huntsville, Ala. Movantik is approved for treating post-operative constipation caused by opiod pain medications like morphine, hydrocodone and oxycodone; a major problem that leads to longer suffering and hospital stays. To read the full story, click here.

Ash Abebe, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, is the Co-Principal Investigator of the National Science Foundation grant, “Infusing Data-Enabled Active Learning in Mathematics and Statistics Courses.” The grant, in the amount of $399,976, will extend until July 2017. The Principal Investigator of the grant is Carl Pettis, a Ph.D. graduate of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Auburn University and interim associate dean and professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Alabama State University. This project will provide a better understanding of how big data analytics can be integrated within a classroom environment. For more information on the grant, visit the website.

David King, professor in the Department of Geology and Geography, has received the 2014 Distinguished Service Award from the Gulf Coast Section of the Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM). The Distinguished Service Award is given to SEPM members who have given significantly of their time to support the activities of the Section or Foundation. King also received a Grover Murray Award from the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies (GCAGS) for his outstanding paper, “Stratigraphy of the Margaret Creek Formation, Corozal Basin, northern Belize.” For more information on King and the award, visit the website.