- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock hires new Graduate School dean

Janea Snyder — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 20:45:14 +0000

Dr. Brian Berry has been named vice provost for research and dean of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Graduate School effective July 1. After a competitive internal search, Berry was selected to lead ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s efforts in fulfilling its research mission and enhancing graduate studies at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. He will assume the post held by Dr. Abhijit Bhattacharyya, who is leaving to be the inaugural dean for the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Arkansas State University, beginning July 1. Berry has served as graduate coordinator in the Department of Chemistry, director of the interdisciplinary Applied Science program, and chair of the Faculty Senate’s Graduate Council. In research, he has been a principal investigator or co-principal investigator on several sponsored research projects totaling nearly $1.5 million. His administrative experience includes three years as chair of the chemistry department where he led faculty in several student success initiatives while continuing to mentor many students who have since become accomplished scientists and educators. Over the past several years, Berry has also been active in institutional level initiatives. He served as a member and then as the faculty co-chair of the Higher Learning Commission Steering Team and as a member and co-chair of the Institutional Effectiveness Committee. He previously served as a member of the Strategic Planning Task Force, the Faculty Workload Task Force, and the Task Force on Program Coordination. “Dr. Berry has a wide range of experience in both research and graduate education that has prepared him well for his new role,” said Christy Drale, interim executive vice chancellor of academic affairs and provost. “I am confident that his broad experience in research and graduate studies, combined with his comprehensive institutional perspective, will enable him to provide excellent leadership as our new vice provost for research and dean of the Graduate School.” Berry earned a Ph.D. in applied science/chemistry and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, both from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. He completed a postdoc at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a National Research Council postdoc fellowship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) before returning to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as an assistant professor in 2008. Berry has 28 publications in well-respected peer-reviewed journals, and he won the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching in 2014.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock community competes in Little Rock Marathon

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 12:56:22 +0000

Nearly 70 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty, staff, and students spent a rainy weekend staying active and healthy while competing in the Little Rock Marathon March 2-3. The top ��Vlog��ý Little Rock runners included Karl Lenser, campus wellness coordinator, who came in 40th out of 3,200 racers in the Half Marathon with an average of 6:56 per mile. “Overall, I was pleased that I finished, which is always my No. 1 goal, and that my time was pretty good for an old guy,” Lenser said. “The race attracted runners from almost every state plus 17 countries. It was a competitive field of runners.” Simon Hawkins, director of the Donaghey Scholars Program, finished 63rd in the Marathon with a time of 3:32:29 and an average of 8:07 per mile. Rebecca Nugent, student activities coordinator at William H. Bowen School of Law, was also a top ��Vlog��ý Little Rock competitor after finishing 110th in the Half Marathon with a time of 1:41:21 and an average time of 7:44 per mile. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock sponsored participants in the Little Rock Marathon with a discounted entry fee, training sessions, and T-shirts. A ��Vlog��ý Little Rock team of volunteers also braved the weather to host a hydration station between the sixth and seventh mile marker of the Little Rock Marathon course near the Dassault Falcon jet facility. “The group braved cold temperatures for hours, a continuous drizzle, and some flurries with the trademark Trojan spirit and big smiles,” said Dr. Abhijit Bhattacharyya, dean of the Graduate School.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock volunteers host a hydration station between the sixth and seventh mile marker of the Little Rock Marathon.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock participants and their times include: 5K Adam Clements, 1:02:47 Jeremy Clements, 1:03:22 Sarah Clemonts, 1:02:52 Serhan Dagtas, 28:15 Natalie DeHart, 52:30 Tierra Isbell, 39:38 Elizabeth Jarrott, 40:08 Moyosooreoluwa Kemi-Rotimi, 38:21 Andrea Lambert, 39:29 Christopher McKenney, 28;14 Joshua Millner, 27:46 Zhu Qing Nim, 35:37 Ashley Pearson, 38:14 Russ Riegel, 35:21 Sabrenna Rodgers-Lee, 56:35 Carson Runnells, 39:45 Allison Smith, 1:02:59 Donna Smith, 1:03:21 Kalyca Spinler, 42:12 Brenda Thomas, 1:09:44 Connie Wordlaw, 1:04:01 10K Abbas Al-Wahhamy, 1:20:43 Mark Baillie, 1:06:53 Ahmad Bajwa, 1:18:41 Kassandra Castrillo, 1:17:43 Chia-Chu Chiang, 1:27:47 Aaron David, 59:10 Jonas David, 1:24:29 Samantha Devilbiss, 1:17:42 Kishma Francis, 1:49:20 William Harbison, 49:31 Jennifer Ivory, 1:49:20 Lakeshia Jones, 1:06:53 Bronwyn MacFarlane, 1:43:55 Londie Martin, 1:10:42 Erin Mason, 1:21:16 Elvis Mull, 1:19:20 Shakarie Murphy, 1:57:11 Don O’Donnell, 1:27 Rachel Pelissier, 1:38:33 Kyle Pierson, 44:29 Elizabeth Rivera, 1:00:44 Half Marathon Matthew Erwin, 2:07:09 Kristina Farmer, 2:41:56 Bailey Fohr, 2:35:02 Shannon Gwinn, 3:17:09 Ryan Miller, 1:50:05 Joshua Millner, 2:14:39 Josuanne Nduku, 3:12:26 Rebecca Nugent, 1:41:21 Don O’Donnell, 3:28:10 Kyle Pierson, 2:59:59 Wintersage Red Horse, 2:26:51 Sabrenna Rodgers-Lee, 3:57:12 Jessica Scott, 2:34:34 Gregory Sorenson, 2:02:30 Full Marathon Simon Hawkins, 3:32:29 Billy Spann, 5:50:53 Christy Spann, 4:24:40 Nathan Street, 3:34:06 David Trower, 6:20:16 Austin Yockey, 4:22:02 In the upper right photo, Dr. Simon Hawkins and Dr. Jessica Scott of the Donaghey Scholars Program proudly show off their Little Rock Marathon medals.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate dean accepts new post

Janea Snyder — Wed, 13 Feb 2019 17:10:21 +0000

Dr. Abhijit Bhattacharyya will be leaving his position as interim vice provost for research and dean of the Graduate School at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to become the inaugural dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Arkansas State University. His new position becomes effective July 1, 2019. “Dr. Bhattacharyya has served our campus community with distinction and grace,” said Christina S. Drale, interim executive vice chancellor and provost. “He has been a highly valued leader, always ready to collaborate and problem-solve, and always ready to help others in need. I will miss his good counsel as a member of the provost’s leadership team, but I know that this new deanship is an exceptional opportunity for him. I am confident that he will embrace the challenge and thrive.” Bhattacharyya has worked at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for the past 17 years. He joined the university in 2002 as an associate professor in the Department of Applied Science. He has since served in several administrative roles including graduate coordinator of the Applied Science Graduate Program (2006-2010), associate dean of the Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology (2011-2014 and 2015-2016), interim dean of the Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology (2015), and interim vice provost for research and dean of the Graduate School (2016-2019). He has also managed the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, the Office of Research Compliance, the TechLaunch Office, and the Machine and Electronics Shop of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. The Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences and the Emerging Analytics Center are under his purview as well. During his time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Bhattacharyya played an important role in the administration of a joint graduate program between ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in bioinformatics and served as ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s representative to the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority’s Science Advisory Committee. Currently, he serves as ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s representative on the Science Advisory Committee of the Science and Technology Division of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. “I consider it a very humbling moment and an incredible privilege to begin my service at A-State as the inaugural dean of the newly minted College of Engineering and Computer Science,” Bhattacharyya said. “We will take full advantage of the birth of the new college at a time when manufacturing and industrial activity in the upper Delta region are on a growth streak … Above all, I am truly indebted to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock where I spent a wonderful 18 years and my new institution, Arkansas State University, for allowing me to be part of the beautiful Natural State’s journey into the future.” Bhattacharyya’s research specialties include the emerging fields of smart materials and thin films, with numerous journal articles and peer-reviewed conference papers in the field. His research also includes work in composite materials, shape memory alloys, piezoelectric materials, thin films, microfluidics and hydrogen storage. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers named him an ASME Fellow in November 2014. Prior to Little Rock, Bhattacharyya served as a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. He earned a master’s degree in mechanics and materials science and a doctorate in mechanical and aerospace engineering, both from Rutgers University. He earned his bachelor’s degree came from Indian Institute of Technology at Kharagpur in his native India.

Grad School announces winner of 3MT competition

Jenny Lambert — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 20:14:53 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Graduate School crowned the winner of its first Three Minute Thesis – 3MT competition – on Thursday, Feb. 8. Melanie Desmuke, a Ph.D. candidate in the College of Education and Health Professions, advised by Dr. Linda Dorn, stole the competition with her synopsis of “Culturally Responsive Teaching,” which addressed the cultural and linguistic gap between black and Latino students and their teachers. “Culturally responsive teaching requires teachers to identify, value, and honor the cultural and linguistic differences, rather than deficits, of each of their students,” Desmuke explained. “Teachers must keep in mind that even within a cultural or social group, there are within-group differences that should be identified and considered when developing instructional lessons.” Following the competition, Desmuke was awarded $500. In addition, she will represent ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in the regional 3MT competition in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Saturday, Feb. 24. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Graduate School will cover the trip’s expenses. He Zhang, a doctoral student in the College of Engineering and Information Technology, snagged second place with his presentation, “Robocane: Indoor GPS, Guiding White Cane.” Zhang, advised by Dr. Xian Liu, received $300. Other competition participants included:

Karrer Agjhazali, College of Arts, Letters and Sciences: “A Nano-bases Scaffold, Bioactive System for Nerve Injury Recovery.” Advisor, Dr. Alexandru Biris.
Suzan Anwar, College of Engineering and Information Technology: “Real Time Eye Blink Detection for Monitoring Drivers.” Advisor, Dr. Mariofanna Milanova.
Kevin Golden, College of Engineering and Information Technology: “Identifying Fraudulent Retail-Consumer Transactions using Cluster Analysis.” Advisor, Dr. Daniel Berleant.
Abdulrahman Homadi, College of Engineering and Information Technology: “Experimental and Modeling a Novel Thermo-Magneto-Electrical Linear Generator.” Advisor, Dr. Lawrence Whitman.
James Hurst, College of Social Sciences and Communication: “Framing Fear: The Campus Environment.” Advisor, Dr. Tusty ten Bensel.
Juan Sebastian Munoz Arango, College of Engineering and Information Technology: “Multi-user VR.” Advisor, Dr. Dirk Reiners.
Yu Nie, College of Engineering and Information Technology: “Does Chief Data Officer Matter?” Advisor, Dr. John Talburt.
Ujwani Nukala, College of Engineering and Information Technology: “Are you Prepared for Emergency Nuclear Alerts?” Advisor, Dr. Cesar Compadre.
Brenda Prochaska, College of Social Sciences and Communication: “The Contextual Factors that Matter in Juvenile Transfer.” Advisor, Dr. Tusty ten Bensel.
Rajat Singh, College of Engineering and Information Technology: “Muscle Synergies.” Advisor, Dr. Kamran Iqbal.
Junxiu Zhou, College of Engineering and Information Technology: “Smart Cane.” Advisor, Dr. Xian Liu.

Each participant was awarded a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card and a certificate of appreciation. The competition was organized by Kristi Wright, business manager of the Graduate School, and judged by Dr. Sherry Rankins-Robertson from the College of Social Sciences and Communications, Dr. Kent Layton from the College of Education and Health Professions, Dr. Nawab Ali from the College of Arts, Letters and Sciences, and Dr. Elizabeth Pierce from the College of Engineering and Information Technology. “The Graduate School is also very appreciative of the collaboration with the Communication Skills Center, which hosted a series of workshops last fall for doctoral students interested in the 3MT competition,” said Dr. Abhijit Bhattacharyya, interim vice provost for Research and dean of the Graduate School. For more information, contact Bhattacharyya at axbhattachar@ualr.edu.

3MT Competition to highlight doctoral research at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Jenny Lambert — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 14:44:54 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Graduate School will host the university’s first Three Minute Thesis – or 3MT – competition on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 10:30 a.m. Doctoral students from across the campus will gather in the Engineering and Information Technology Building auditorium to orate a three minutes synopsis of their research to a non-expert audience. The purpose of the 3MT competition is to help students develop academic, presentation, and research communication skills, while learning to consolidate their ideas and concisely explain their research discoveries to individuals who may not be familiar with their fields of expertise. “This competition has become pretty popular around the U.S., as well as internationally,” said Abhijit Bhattacharyya, interim vice provost of research and dean of the Graduate School. “This is a chance for graduate students to pitch their research in a very different format as opposed to what they’d do in their academic programs. I think this is a good experience for them to take when they move on to their professional lives, so it’s good preparation.” The overall winner of the competition will receive $600 and funding provided by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Graduate School to participate in the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools competition Feb. 24 in Fayetteville. The second-place winner will receive $400. For more information, contact Bhattacharyya at axbhattachar@ualr.edu or view the 3MT competitors guide .

��Vlog��ý Little Rock puts spotlight on research and creative activities

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 21 Sep 2017 19:20:00 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock celebrated the amazing research and creative endeavors of talented faculty and staff as well as their role in mentoring students in that endeavor. Faculty and staff gathered in the Jack Stephens Center on Sept. 14 to attend the “Research in the Rock” reception, which celebrated the 2017 edition of Research in the Rock magazine produced by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock has steadily progressed to become one of the top research institutions in the state of Arkansas,” said Tammie Cash, director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. “Our mission at ORSP is to make it as easy as possible for you to bring your ideas into reality.” During the 2017 fiscal year, faculty and staff from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock received more than $29 million in funding from state, federal and private agencies and produced an enormous body of research that encompasses science, humanities, medicine, engineering, business, education, community service, and more. Chancellor Andrew Rogerson and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost Velmer Burton detailed plans to increase student research opportunities with faculty members by offering 50 $1,000 grants to students participating in one-semester signature experiences. “When students collaborate with faculty on research, they learn firsthand how experts think and how they solve practical problems,” Rogerson said. “Their teachers become their role models, mentors, and guides for lifelong learning.” In an effort to increase student and faculty research, Dr. Abhijit Bhattacharyya, interim vice provost for research and dean of the Graduate School, announced several changes for the Student Research and Creative Works Expo. Those changes include doubling the monetary awards for the graduate student winners of the expo and introducing an identical level of awards for undergraduate student winners, increasing the type of presentations, and exploring moving the expo to the Jack Stephens Center. In addition, the Office of the Vice Provost for Research will increase funds provided for conference travel so that graduate students can have more opportunities to present their research at academic and professional conferences. An equal amount of funds is being made available for undergraduate students as well. “These actions come at a time when the chancellor has called for a substantive signature research experience for undergraduate students, and the provost has called for the embracement of the teacher-scholar model by the faculty,” Bhattacharyya said. “Their vision is simply a recognition that while pedagogy does formally begin in the classroom, it seamlessly transitions to the research lab, art studio, and any other venue of creative activity,” Bhattacharyya said. “Their vision also sets us on the path of a pervasive research and creative activity enterprise across the campus.” In the upper right photo, Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost Velmer Burton speaks with Tom Clifton, dean of the College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences, during the Sept. 14 “Research in the Rock” reception at the Jack Stephens Center. Photo by Joe Cline Jr./��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock unveils new early entry programs for graduate degrees

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 13:30:41 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is continuing its promise of making college more affordable and accessible with four early entry programs that offer an affordable fast track to earning a master’s degree. “I am very excited that ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Graduate School, in collaboration with the colleges, has created this new pathway via early entry programs for our undergraduate students to secure advanced degrees in less time and less cost,” said Dr. Abhijit Bhattacharyya, interim dean of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Graduate School. Beginning in the fall, master’s degrees will be available in public administration, information science, information quality, and construction management via early entry programs. Students who successfully complete one of these four programs can shave off almost a year from their studies by enrolling in the early entry program. A key aspect of these fast-track programs is that students have the opportunity to take up to 12 course hours in classes that will count toward both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Students can enroll in an early entry program after they have earned 75 undergraduate hours and can begin taking dual-credit courses once they have earned 90 undergraduate hours. To be accepted to an early entry program, applicants must have a minimum 3.2 GPA, must submit applications to the graduate program and the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Graduate School, and must complete an early entry program form. As master’s degrees are becoming more commonplace in the workforce, earning a degree one year earlier allows students to save money on tuition, fees, and other educational expenses. They also can enter the workforce faster, while earning professional skills to get ahead in the workplace. “These programs are going to save students a lot of time and money by fast-tracking their classes and degrees,” said Dr. Jerry Stevenson, coordinator of the Master of Public Administration Program. Graduates of the Master of Public Administration program have found fulfilling jobs in key government positions and nonprofit organizations and also have launched successful careers as lawyers, educators, lobbyists, campaign consultants, and business executives. “Many state, local, and government employees will be retiring over the next couple of years, so there is a lot of growth opportunity in the public sector,” Stevenson said. “The baby boomer generation is slowly retiring. It’s time for the other generations to get on board.” With the information science and information quality early entry programs, students have the flexibility to work full time after earning their bachelor’s degree, since classes are offered in the classroom and online. “These students don’t have to put their careers on hold,” said Dr. Elizabeth Pierce, chair of the Department of Information Science which hosts the information science and information quality graduate programs. “They can go into the workforce and still continue their master’s degree studies. This means they can get an early start in the workforce and get more professional experience than most students their age.” The Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved the early entry programs in April. Plans for additional master’s degree programs are under way. “The four programs are the tip of the iceberg—I expect more to come in the near future,” Bhattacharyya said. For more information, please visit the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Graduate School at /gradschool/undergraduate-credit-collaboration-programs.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock hires new Graduate School dean

����Vlog��ý Little Rock community competes in Little Rock Marathon

����Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate dean accepts new post