Ottenheimer Library Recognizes Latara Williams with Karen Russ Research Award
Latara Williams, a 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Applied Communication graduate student, received the 2026 Karen Russ Memorial Award for Excellence in Research for her study, Resilient Voices: Exploring African American Patient Experiences with Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs). Dr. Gerald Driskill served as her faculty mentor. Williams presented her research at the 2026 Research Expo which was held on Friday, April 17.
Williams鈥� research project explored African American patients鈥� experiences with Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs), guided by communication theory to examine how stigma, trust, and culturally responsive care shape counseling experiences and resilience.
The Karen Russ Memorial Award of $500 is awarded each spring to the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock student who best utilizes, applies, and visualizes government data in his/her research. In her Expo project, Williams used U.S. government behavioral health data to contextualize national disparities that shape help-seeking and stigma. Specifically, data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health (OMH) were used to document the mental health treatment gap for Black/African American adults. She also drew on SAMHSA NSDUH reports to situate patterns related to mental illness, treatment utilization, and disparities by race/ethnicity.
These federal resources established the analytical framework and justification for her qualitative narrative study. To enhance her presentation, Williams incorporated a visual data snapshot on her Research Expo poster, utilizing a QR code to offer attendees immediate access to her complete APA references and the primary government documents.
The Ottenheimer Library faculty and staff congratulate Ms. Williams on winning this award.
About the Karen Russ Memorial Award
The Karen Russ Memorial Award for Excellence in Research was established by the Ottenheimer Library in honor of our late colleague, Karen Russ. Karen served as the government documents librarian for over 20 years and assisted 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students and faculty in research, specializing in government information, data, and statistics.
The award is presented annually to the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock student who demonstrates outstanding use of government data in their research. The Ottenheimer Library faculty and staff applaud the recipients for their impressive achievement and dedication to academic inquiry.
The Ottenheimer Library applauds Latara Williams for her dedication to academic excellence and her impressive use of government data to advocate for health equity.