Assistant Professor of Clinical Legal Education

Ms. Suzanne Penn is an assistant professor of clinical legal education at the William H. Bowen School of Law. Penn has provided life-changing legal services to underrepresented Arkansas for years.

In 2014, Penn suggested the idea of creating a clinical experience for law students in the Delta region of Arkansas, which has long been underserved by attorneys and is home to many individuals unable to afford an attorney even if one was available. The Delta project consists of two different courses: The Delta Experience course and the Delta Clinic course. The Delta Experience course is a two-week, two-credit summer intersession course open to all students who have completed their first year.

During the first week of the course, students learn about Arkansas divorce law and requirements for process in divorce proceedings and the history of the Arkansas Delta. Students also prepare teaching materials to use and share with low-income citizens. In the second week of the course, Penn and her students travel to the Delta to educate low-income citizens about grounds for divorce and what is necessary to obtain one without attorney representation. There they conduct client interviews, perform fact investigations related to case success, prepare divorce complaints, motions for fee waivers for clients, and appear in courts as needed to represent their clients and also observe sessions of the courts. The Delta Project exemplifies Bowen鈥檚 mission of access to justice and public service and Penn鈥檚 passion for public service has been passed onto students who participate.

Penn received a J.D. from Tulane University School of Law and a bachelor鈥檚 degree with honors from Hendrix College.

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Associate Professor of Biology

Dr. Stephen Grace is an associate professor of biology at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Grace is a plant physiologist specializing in plant biochemistry and is a founding director of the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Campus Garden.

The 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Campus Garden was founded in 2013 with the intent to bring together students, staff, faculty and community members who share an interest in sustainability and gardening. The primary mission of the garden is to create a viable urban farm that provides fresh local food to organizations and individuals and create an education facility on urban land use, food studies, and sustainable agriculture for students, faculty, staff, and community members.

As director, Grace oversees service and outreach activities, coordinates food delivery to food banks and other organizations, and serves as faculty advisor for the Campus Garden Alliance. The success of the garden has also created several partnerships with internal and external organizations, such as the Trojan Food Pantry, Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, Arkansas Interfaith Power and Light, as well as several local businesses, such as the Root Cafe, River Valley Horticultural Products, and Common Roots Cooperative. Over the past 6 years, the garden has received grants and funding in total of $60, 400 dollars. External funding and grants has been provided by the Pulaski County Conservation District, L鈥橭real, and the AHRA Emergency Relief grant. Grace鈥檚 work with the garden exemplifies the university鈥檚 role within the broader community.

Grace received a Ph.D. in Botany from Duke University and bachelor鈥檚 degree from Louisiana State University.

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Associate Professor of Education and the Special Education Graduate Coordinator in the School of Education

Dr. Jennifer Hune is an associate professor of education and the special education graduate coordinator in the School of Education at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Hune鈥檚 service is dedicated to the enhancement of children and human life and to support the development of people.

There are numerous examples of Hune鈥檚 service to the university. One particular example is Hune鈥檚 service with the student organization of Phi Kappa Phi, which she received national recognition for her work. Established in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi is a student honor society which honors and encourages superior academic scholarship regardless of area of study and to promote the 鈥渦nity and democracy of education.鈥� Hune has served two terms as president of the honor society. The 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock chapter of Phi Kappa Phi received the chapter of excellence award silver in 2021 and the chapter of excellence award gold in 2022. Hune is also the current chair of the Faculty Appeals committee and is a founding member of the Racial Barriers Committee just to name a few.

Hune鈥檚 service also extends outside of the university. In the Little Rock area, she has chaired the Head Start Health Advisory Committee and the Head Start Governing Board two different Head Start advisory bodies at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. These federally funded head start programs address health and educational needs of children in low-income households. Hune has also served the state of Arkansas as an education advisor, such as her work as chair of the Governing Board of Arkansas Correctional School at Wrightsville.

Hune received an Ed.D. from the University of Kentucky, a M.S.E in the education of the severely emotionally disturbed from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, and a B.S.E in early childhood education and elementary education from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock.

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Professor of Health Education and Promotion

Dr. Amar Kanekar is a professor of health education and promotion in the school of counseling, human performance and rehabilitation. Kanekar has provided numerous contributions to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and beyond.

In the school of counseling, human performance and rehabilitation, Kanekar has served as graduate coordinator the M.S. in health education and promotion and as interim undergraduate coordinator for the B.S. in health education and promotion and the B.S. in K-12 health, human performance and physical education. He has also served on several school committees such as the assessment committees, the recruitment and retention committee, and as chair of the faculty promotion committee just to name a few. At the university level, he has served on the committee on race and ethnicity, faculty appeals council, the online campus advisory board, and the committee on tenure.

Kanekar also serves outside the university community. He serves as a scientific reviewer for several journals including the Journal of Health Education Teaching, Health Education & Behavior, and Health Promotion and Practice. Kanekar has also served as a board member for the American Journal of Public Health, the Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education and as an Ethics Committee member for the Society of Public Health Education.

Kanekar received a Ph.D. in health promotion and education from the University of Cincinnati, a M.P.H in public health education from Western Kentucky University, and M.B and B.S. from Mumbai University.

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Web Services Liaison, Web Design and Development Coordinator, and Information Technology Program coordinator

Mr. Thomas Wallace is the web services liaison, web design and development coordinator, and Information Technology Program coordinator in the Department of Information Science. His service to the community speaks to his commitment to the STEM field and to developing an interest in continued education among his students at the college level and to children in the surrounding communities.

Over the last five years, Mr. Wallace has helped pilot two important programs in his department by integrating them into the curriculum: Gitpod and Amazon Web Services. He also hosts and updates a webpage for his students that covers lecture materials, assignments, and tutorials, all while keeping his courses current with developing best practices. In addition to developing his own coursework, he also works with local businesses to develop recurring internship opportunities for students.

In service to the institution, Mr. Wallace serves as the web services coordinator for the Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. He was also instrumental in obtaining accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design for the Bachelor of Arts in Web Design and Development in 2019. Since August 2016, he has also served as a member and former chair of the Academic Technology Committee and is the front-end web developer for the Center for Arkansas History and Culture. He is also the advisor and sponsor for both the eSports Club and the Society of Computing and Information Science.

In the community, Mr. Wallace has led an annual residential coding camp sponsored by 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock for girls in grades 7-9 called 鈥淕IRL Code,鈥� which helps encourage girls to pursue careers in STEM. He works with several local agencies through his courses, including state agencies and nonprofit organizations, to generate websites and applications as well as to develop long-term strategies and processes to maintain and update their strategies. He has also been a guest speaker at a local elementary school to encourage STEM interest in children, and he has been a trainer for Google Apps and Chromebook at several local schools.

Wallace received a M.A. in interpersonal and organizational communication and a B.A. in international studies from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock.

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Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Arkansas Bar Foundation Professor of Law

Lindsey Gustafson is the associate dean for academic affairs and the Arkansas Bar Foundation Professor of Law in the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Bowen School of Law. A three-time Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching recipient, she has been at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock for more than 23 years. During this time, she has dedicated her time and efforts to those around her, including students, colleagues, and local communities.

In the past five years, she has served as editor of the Journal of the Legal Writing Institute and as co-director of the Institute of Law Teaching and Learning. In addition to her service in legal and academic spaces, she also attends to her local communities. She serves as president of the Pulaski County Special School District Board of Education and has also been an appointed member of the City of Maumelle School District Advisory Committee, the Pulaski County Special School District Health and Wellness Committee, and the Pulaski County Special School District Community Advisory Board. Gustafson is also a member of the Association of Legal Writing Directors, the Legal Writing Institute, the Utah State Bar, and the Order of the Coif. Kimberly Host, clinical professor of law at Arizona State University, noted Gustafson鈥檚 service as a volunteer and leader when planning conferences for several of these organizations as well as for the Southeastern Association of Law Schools. Gustafson has two books set for publication in 2023 with West Academic Press: the 4th edition of 鈥淧roperty and Lawyering鈥� and 鈥淧rofessional Identity Formation: Beginning an Authentic, Successful, and Rewarding Career in Law.鈥�

Gustafson received a J.D. and a B.A. from Brigham Young University.

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Senior Instructor of Management

Mr. John Hendon is a senior instructor of management. His service has been related to the support of small businesses and entrepreneurship at a local and national level.

One example of Hendon鈥檚 service within the community has been his extraordinary work with the Small Business Institute (SBI). The mission of SBI is to provide professional development to individuals involved in entrepreneurship education, experiential student team consulting, and field-based learning. Hendon has been involved with SBI since 2006 and has held various roles including board member, president of the organization, and fellow. He currently holds the title of Small Business Institute Fellow, which is the highest honor given to organization members. This award goes to members who have made significant accomplishments to research, teaching, and service related to small businesses. Hendon has also served the community in various paid and pro bono consulting projects, which includes projects with the Acxiom Corporation, City of Conway, Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters, Innovate Arkansas, and many others. He is also a member of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the Society for Human Resource Management.

Hendon has also served the university in various roles over his 20 years at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. These roles include service on the Institutional Effectiveness Committee (IEC) and the Faculty Senate, where he was a member of the Budget Committee and the Planning and Finance Committee. The IEC is particularly noteworthy in that it involved assessing institutional effectiveness and making recommendations regarding strategic planning and resource allocation. Hendon鈥檚 role was paramount in developing recommendations to the chancellor on institutional effectiveness of campus units and initiatives.

Hendon received a M.B.A. from San Diego State University and a B.S. in education from the University of Central Arkansas.

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George W. Donaghey Distinguished Professor of History

Dr. John Kirk is the George W. Donaghey Distinguished Professor of History. Among his notable accomplishments, of which there are many, the unifying theme is his dedication to unveiling the history of the Arkansas fight for civil rights against the brutality of racial injustice.

Thanks to his dedication to the fight for racial and social justice, he has become a valuable scholar whose support has been noted throughout Arkansas in presentations, publications, and interviews on the radio, television, and beyond. His accomplishments include publishing 鈥淭he Civil Rights Movement: A Documentary Reader鈥� in 2020; serving as a featured speaker in a series of podcast episodes for CNN鈥檚 鈥淯p from the Grave鈥� in 2019; appearing in the documentary 鈥淒ream Land: Little Rock鈥檚 West 9th Street鈥� in 2017; and serving as a consultant for the documentary, 鈥淭each Us All,鈥� in 2017.

Writing in support of his service specifically to Lincoln County, Arkansas, Leatrice Russ-Glenns highlighted Dr. Kirk鈥檚 invaluable support in the creation and publicity of the annual Carnell Russ Day Community Unity Festival. Dr. Patricia Griffen wrote about Dr. Kirk as a valuable supporter for the Little Rock community, citing a presentation at a collaborative initiative hosted by the Arkansas Association of Black Psychology Professionals (AABPP) and the Little Rock Chapter of the National Association of Black Social Workers as well as his continued support for other activities hosted by the AABPP. As a scholar especially, Dr. Patrick Williams noted Dr. Kirk鈥檚 past experience as the leader of the Anderson Institute on Race and Ethnicity and his involvement in the development of the Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail. Dr. Kirk recently served as an expert witness in the death penalty case of People v. Leroy Johnson in Fresno County, California. According to attorney David Mugridge, Mr. Johnson received a life verdict thanks in part to Dr. Kirk鈥檚 expert testimony on the impact of 鈥渋ntergenerational trauma and the effect on African-American males.鈥�

Dr. Kirk joined 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock 11 years ago. Previously, he earned the rank of full professor at the University of London. He received a B.A. in American studies from the University of Nottingham and a Ph.D. in American history from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

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Associate Professor of Earth Science

Dr. Laura Ruhl-Whittle is an associate professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Her notable public service includes protecting Fourche Creek Watershed, which surrounds 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and most of the city of Little Rock. She mentors student researchers, leads field trips, and participates in volunteer cleanup efforts within the watershed.

Ruhl-Whittle is using her research and expertise on the water quality to gather and supply data from Fourche Creek to develop the Water Management Plan that will serve as a guide for resource managers, policy makers, and community organizations to restore and protect the quality of lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands.

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Professor of Law

Joshua Silverstein is a professor of law at the William H. Bowen School of Law. Silverstein鈥檚 students, past and present, frequently mention his dedication. He participates in the Black Law Students Association Minority Pre-Law Bootcamp and currently serves as the faculty advisor for five student organizations: Phi Alpha Delta, the Young Democrats, the Student Bar Association, the American Constitution Society, and the Bowen Business and Tax Law Society. In addition, Silverstein regularly assists students with career placements by giving advice and providing letters of recommendation.

Silverstein represents the law school on the Resource Development Committee of the Arkansas Access to Justice Commission. This work includes publicizing Pro Bono Week/Month in Arkansas. He has volunteered his time to the Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Violence in reviewing the organization鈥檚 鈥淏ench Guide on Crimes of Sexual Violence.鈥� In addition, he presents on legal topics to members of the public and the legal community and makes frequent media appearances on current legal issues.

Additionally, Silverstein drafted a proposed constitutional amendment to end sovereign immunity in Arkansas and volunteered over 170 hours of pro bono legal service, including working on two cases challenging the construction to widen Interstate 30 through Little Rock.

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