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

Zakrzewski named 2020 Whitbeck Memorial Award winner

John Hill — Thu, 21 May 2020 09:10:53 +0000

This year’s president of the Student Government Association not only captured the hearts and minds of the student body of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, but her impressive achievements during her ��Vlog��ý Little Rock career also earned her the 2020 Edward L. Whitbeck Memorial Award.�� Katie Zakrzewski, a Donaghey Scholar from North Little Rock, earned the top graduate award while double majoring in criminal justice and anthropology at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. In the fall, she will begin the criminal justice graduate program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Frank L. and Beverly Whitbeck established the award in memory of their son, Edward Lynn Whitbeck, who was a senior at Little Rock University, the predecessor of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, at the time of his death in 1965. Each scholar receives a personalized plaque and a monetary award. “I still can’t believe that I won,” she said. “A lot of my friends also applied, and I honest to God thought that one of my best friends won. This is pretty amazing!” Dr. Richard Harper, dean of students, described Zakrzewski as an exceptional student leader with a strong record of service.�� “As advisor for SGA, she has been an asset to the organization and has used her skills to advocate for the student body, subsequently enhancing the student experience at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” Harper said. “She has tirelessly volunteered and coordinated numerous community service programs and events within each organization she has been involved in and is identified as one of our top student leaders at the university. I have no doubt she will continue these endeavors and make the global community a better place for all.” In addition to SGA, Zakrzewski also served as president of the Criminal Justice Society and president of the Anthropology Club. She helped restart the College Republicans group on campus and was vice president. Zakrzewski said some people are surprised to learn that she is a conservative who advocates for climate change and environmental issues, which are considered liberal issues, but she’s very passionate about helping the environment. In 2019, she interned with Audubon Arkansas to campaign for the passing of the Solar Access Bill. “In October of 2019, my efforts as a conservative concerned about the environment caught the attention of the bipartisan organization, Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL), who covered all of my expenses in order to travel to Washington, D.C. and lobby for United States House Resolution 763, calling for carbon pricing,” she said. “I personally met with U.S. Senator Cotton, U.S. Senator Boozman, and U.S. Congressman Hill to discuss bipartisan environmental solutions.” While she is active in multiple student organizations, Zakrzewski is also passionate about helping the community. She has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arkansas, Girls of Promise, Fair Park Early Childhood Center, Arkansas Hospice, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and Be the Match bone marrow drive. “Katie is passionate about climate change and works to help make changes on campus and on a larger scale,” said Dr. Kathryn King, assistant professor of anthropology. “At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, she spearheaded a campaign to make student dining greener by introducing reusable materials and reducing the use of disposable plastics. Katie is active in the local community as well. Katie never shies away from service whenever she sees a need. She strives to make the lives of those around her better.” Last year, Zakrzewski had two opportunities to study abroad. She studied death in the Basque culture while studying abroad in San Sebastian, Spain. Additionally, she traveled to Morocco to compete in the International Model Arab League Conference. Zakrzewski has lived much of her life by the motto, “Be the change you want to see.” For future students to be successful, she said they must be active in making the world a better place. “If you don’t like the way something is, don’t run away. Change it,” she said. “I’m very much of the opinion that taking charge and working to fix things is key. If any student wants to be successful at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, they are going to have to get involved.”

Recent grad lands international teaching position in France

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 13 Aug 2019 15:51:10 +0000

A recent graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has been accepted into a prestigious international teaching program and will spend the next year gaining valuable professional experience teaching in France.�� Emily Fendley, a Monticello native, graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in May with a double major in French and anthropology and a minor in nonprofit leadership studies. After spending her senior year studying abroad at the Université d’Orléans in Orléans, France, Fendley decided to put her new language and cultural skills to work through the . Each year, more than 1,500 American citizens and permanent residents teach English to French students in elementary and secondary schools across France and the overseas departments of French such as Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion. “I am looking forward to continuing living in France. I’ve never had an in-classroom experience teaching, but I was a conversation teacher at the university this past year,” she said. “It will be a learning and growing experience for me. I think of this as a challenge I want to step up to.” Fendley will spend Oct. 1, 2019, to April 30, 2020, teaching in Laval, a town in western France. Her duties will include serving as a resource person in conversation groups, providing small group tutorials, facilitating English-language clubs, and giving talks related to American studies. In return, Fendley will receive a stipend and health insurance, but she’s most excited about the opportunity to learn more about the French language and culture. “I’m excited to live in the north of France and learn about the region,” she said. “Even though France is smaller than Texas, you wouldn’t know it by how different the regions are.” Fendley’s love of the French language started in high school while taking a language class in the ninth grade. Her interest rekindled at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and grew into a second major. “I had to take a foreign language in high school, and the only choices were Spanish and French. I wanted to be different so I took French for one semester,” she said. “At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, I decided to take French again, and I really enjoyed the classes and was picking up the language well. Eventually, the department asked me if I wanted to major in French as well, and the more I learned, the more I enjoyed the language.” While at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Fendley was active in student life, serving as president of both the Anthropology Club and the Nonprofit Student Leadership Association. She credits her ��Vlog��ý Little Rock professors for giving her invaluable advice and guidance for the future. “All of my professors were amazing,” she said. “You don’t know how many times I sat in their office and asked them for advice on my future and my degree program.” Professors like Dr. Zachary Hagins say that Fendley’s success is all down to her hard work and tenacious spirit. “Emily has taken advantage of the wealth of opportunities available for students studying French at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, and she exemplifies the benefits of language immersion through study abroad,” Hagins said. “The first time I had Emily in class, she had just finished Intermediate French and was still like most students at that level: a bit timid in her speaking abilities. Then, she participated in our five-week, faculty-led Summer Language Program in France. Upon her return, her language skills had improved, but more importantly, her confidence in speaking French had skyrocketed. Given her summer experience in France, I was not surprised when she decided to return to France for a full academic year, taking advantage of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s consortium agreement with the Université d’Orléans. The reports we have received from her professors in France reflect what we already knew: Emily is hard-working, dynamic, and very motivated. I am certain that we will continue to hear about great achievements from her in the future!” As for her future after the completion of the teaching program, Fendley sees many possibilities. She wants to continue to travel and work internationally at nonprofit organizations and go to graduate school.�� “Since I studied three different areas at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, there are a lot of different graduate school programs I could go into. Choosing is the hardest part,” Fendley said. Alumni of the Teaching Assistant Program in France often pursue global careers in education, international business, public health, international policy and development, and arts and culture administration, as well as are regularly recruited by top graduate schools who value language proficiency and intercultural competency, according to the program’s website.��

Ursin named 2019 Edward L. Whitbeck Memorial Award Winner

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 18:04:07 +0000

A Donaghey Scholar who is passionate about preserving and sharing history through her work at museums has been chosen as this year’s recipient of the Edward L. Whitbeck Memorial Award at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.�� Nicole Ursin, 21, of Batesville, has earned a 4.0 GPA while double majoring in anthropology and history with a minor in nonprofit leadership studies, all while working at nine different museums and historical organizations throughout her college career. The Whitbeck Memorial Award is the single greatest distinction the university annually bestows on a graduating student through a competitive application process that comes with a $2,000 prize. Ursin will receive the award during a luncheon beginning at 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 10, at the Clinton Presidential Center Great Hall in Little Rock. In the fall, Ursin will begin a dual master’s degree program in applied anthropology and historic preservation at the University of Maryland. Once her education is complete, she would like to continue her historic preservation and education work at a museum and consult for communities that want to ��increase tourism based on historical sites. When she started college in 2015, Ursin looked to ��Vlog��ý Little for an affordable, in-state education the provided her access to museums and culture in the heart of the capital city. She was also accepted into the prestigious Donaghey Scholars program, which provides tuition, fees, an on-campus housing subsidy, and a yearly stipend for up to four years, as well as financial assistance toward a Study Abroad program and a computer. “I wanted to stay in Arkansas for the affordability of staying in state, but I also wanted to be in Little Rock where I would be at the center of where things are happening in heritage and culture,” Ursin said. “I wanted to work and intern at museums and historical organizations, and being a part of the Donaghey Scholars helped me get the liberal arts education that I wanted.” During her study abroad experience, Ursin interned at the Národní (National) Museum in the Czech Republic. She preserved historic human remains from medieval times as well as worked in the Náprstek Museum of Asian, African and Native American Cultures. “I even got to piece together a human skull that was broken into fragments,” she said. In Little Rock, Ursin has interned the National Archives and Records Administration, the Center for Arkansas History and Culture, and the Clinton Foundation. For the past two years, she has worked at the Historic Arkansas Museum, where she researched the factors that drive museum audience demographics and diversity. Throughout her internships, she has developed educational materials for the Clinton Presidential Center’s traveling exhibits and photographed and rehoused museum artifacts from President Bill Clinton’s administration. She also created an online exhibit about the life of, the vice principal for girls at Little Rock Central High School who was responsible for protecting the six female members of the Little Rock Nine. Ursin loves the opportunity to bring history to life for people to better understand the past. During her last two years with the Historic Arkansas Museum, she has learned some invaluable 19th-century skills like candle making and butter churning, to the delight of visiting children.

Nicole Ursin, the 2019 Whitbeck award winner, has worked at the Arkansas Historic Museum for two years. Photo by Benjamin Krain.

“I love my time at the Historic Arkansas Museum,” she said. “I have learned the most and been given the most opportunities to work in different parts of the museum. I am on the education staff, so I help coordinate programs and give historic tours. Recently, I coordinated the museum’s spring break week activities where we do a lot of living history demonstrations. We show people how to do historic cooking and laundry, candle making, butter churning, and a printing press. Kids usually love to make butter. People often don’t understand how much of a chore it would be to do these activities back in the 1840s.” �� Additionally, Ursin has volunteered at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Sequoyah National Research Center, the Quapaw Quarter Association, and the Old Independence Regional Museum in Batesville. She has curated a permanent exhibit panel about school in early Arkansas, helped develop a database of Arkansas obituaries from newspaper records, and researched historic buildings in Arkansas to aid in historic preservation. On the anthropology side, Ursin put her skills to use by studying an immigrant community of Micronesians living in Corsicana, Texas. Along with her mentor, Dr. Juliana Flinn, professor of anthropology and gender studies, she has visited Corsicana on multiple occasions to meet with community leaders and longtime residents to learn about daily life in the community. “I think one of the most interesting components of the research is how much the immigrants are working to preserve their culture while maintaining a deep connection by visiting the island, sending money back to relatives, and staying active in politics,” Ursin said. “They are really trying hard to preserve their culture and share their culture in Texas.” The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Faculty Senate Honors and Awards Committee selects the Whitbeck scholar based on t citizenship, scholarship, and leadership. Frank L. and Beverly Whitbeck established the award in memory of their son, Edward Lynn Whitbeck, who was a senior at Little Rock University, the predecessor of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, at the time of his death in 1965. Each scholar receives a personalized plaque and a monetary award and will lead the graduating students during the academic processional at spring graduation on May 11.

Signature Experience Award recipient studies life, growth, and challenges in Texas immigrant community

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 20:13:08 +0000

In the 1970s, a small group of international students from the Federated States of Micronesia at Corsicana, Texas, founded what has become��a burgeoning community of hundreds of Micronesian immigrants.�� Since last fall,��Nicole Ursin, a senior anthropology major at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has been conducting original research on the immigrants. She is able to do the research��as one of more than 100 undergraduates who received a $1,000 grant to conduct research as part of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Signature Experience Award Program. Since beginning her research, Ursin has visited Corsicana on multiple occasions to meet with community leaders and other longtime residents to learn about daily life in the community and why it has continued to grow. “Most choose to stay because Corsicana is a small, quiet town that doesn’t have all the rush and stress of a big city. The Federated States of Micronesia also has an agreement with the United States where its citizens are allowed to live and work in the U.S. indefinitely,” she said. Ursin is also looking into the unique challenges they face in their community, as well as how issues from their home islands over 11,000 miles away continue to affect them. “Micronesia was just hit by a major tropical storm a few weeks ago, which devastated much of the islands’ crops by flooding them with seawater,” Ursin said. “Since then, it’s been more difficult for Corsicana residents to access imported staple foods like taro and breadfruit. The Corsicana community has been working to raise funds to send rice back to their home islands.” Ursin credits her faculty mentor with introducing her to the Corsicana community and providing her with access to community leaders. “The man who currently leads the community is one of Dr. Juliana Flinn’s former students, and we’ve both been welcomed into it because of that,” Ursin said. Throughout this process, Ursin herself has also gained valuable practical experience in anthropology. “In the early stages of this project, I learned from Dr. Flinn the basics of proper anthropological field work. I’ve done anthropological work in museums before but actual field work was completely unknown to me, and I’m very thankful that Dr. Flinn was there with me to show me exactly what to do,” Ursin said. After finishing her research, Ursin hopes the lessons she has learned from doing the research and the experiences in the field will land her a career in anthropology. “My interest overall isn’t just in Micronesia but in transnationalism and community development overall,” she said. “This research is helping me further understanding how a community develops in one specific area, why people stay, and how a city can help these communities that grow within them thrive.” Overall, Ursin is thankful for the experience she gained from the Signature Experience Award program and encourages other students to look into the program. “If you have a solid project in mind and a good mentor, you should definitely do it,” Ursin said. “On my own I couldn’t have gone to Texas and met all these people or know what to do when I met them. It’s an experience I’ll remember for a long time.” Ursin will be a member of a research panel discussion where she will discuss her research at the Undergraduate Research and Creative Works Expo on Thursday, April 18.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock opens summer class registration

Janea Snyder — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 20:06:39 +0000

Registration for summer classes at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock opened March 30, with more than 675 classes available, including plenty of online courses. Summer credit courses will be offered in four sessions as follows:

Summer 1 – Nine-week Session (May 28 – July 30)��
Summer 2 – Five-week Session (May 28 – July 1)
Summer 3 – Seven-week Session (June 10 – July 31)
Summer 4 – Five-week Session (July 8 – Aug. 9)

Current ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students can register now. Visiting summer students first need to apply for admission and have their registrar send a letter of good standing or transcript. Students should sign up as early as possible to get the schedule they want. Financial aid is available for summer classes, and eligible students may receive Federal Pell Grants even if they received full grants during the fall and spring semesters. ��For information, contact the Office of Financial Aid. The summer sessions offer students an opportunity to complete requirements ahead of schedule. “Our condensed five-week courses are popular with students looking to lighten their fall course load or accelerate their graduation timeline,” said Chelsea Bishop Ward, director of admissions. “Summer is also a great time to knock out required courses. Even with our seven-week and nine-week courses, student can earn credits and still have some time off before fall classes start.” Some of the popular core classes being offered this summer include the following: Composition – Composition I and II Math ��– College Algebra, Trigonometry, Quantitative and Mathematical Reasoning, and Applied Calculus Science – Science of Biology, Introduction to Astronomy, Physical Geology, and Earth and the Environment Humanities – World Literature, Mythology, World Religions, and Ethics and Society Social Sciences – Cultural Anthropology, Introduction to Criminal Justice, Principles of Microeconomics, Psychology and the Human Experience, and Introduction to Sociology U.S. History/Government – American National Government, U.S. History to 1877, and U.S. History since 1877 Fine Arts – Introduction to Visual Art, Introduction to Motion Pictures, Introduction to Music History of Civilization I and II For more information is available online or by calling 501-916-3000. Course offerings are also listed .

Check out these unique course selections for spring 2019

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 14:21:46 +0000

The spring 2019 semester is right around the corner. For students still searching for an interesting course to fill out their schedule, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has some great choices.�� Vlog��ý Little Rock courses offer students the chance to learn how archaeologists uncover history, the history of the drug trade, electronic commerce, data information science, as well as poverty, immigration, the politics of developing nations, and many other great topics. Classes begin Jan. 22. Check out the following guide for courses that explore interesting and unique topics: ANTH 2316: Cultural Anthropology 10:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday This course is a worldwide examination of other societies and their cultures including politics, gender, religion, and families. Students enjoy learning activities including dancing. ANTH 331: Archaeology 1:40-2:55 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday In this course, students get their hands dirty while learning the basic methods and goals of archaeology, as well as what can be learned from what has been left behind. ARHA 3309: History of Design 1-1:50 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday Most art history courses focus on painting and sculpture. This course examines media like ceramics, furniture, metalwork, fabrics, and graphic design. The emphasis is on European and American work from the 18th century to the present. CPSC 4399/5399-01: Special Topics: Monte-Carlo Simulation 1:40-2:55 p.m. Monday and Wednesday The course is an opportunity to explore situations in which a particular probabilistic process might be so complicated that an exact mathematical analysis is unfeasible or impossible. In those cases, simulation serves as a highly useful alternative, maybe the only alternative. To that end, students will talk about modeling various physical, chemical and mechanical processes, study the mechanics of random-number generation, and use simulation as a tool to analyze models. CPSC 4399/5399: Special Topics: Enterprise Computer and Information Systems 3:05-4:20 p.m. Monday and Wednesday Developing, deploying, and maintaining enterprise-level IT systems requires methodologies and architectures not typically covered in computer science curricula. This special topics course covers tools and techniques currently utilized for IT systems in large organizations. ECON 3318: History and Globalization of the Drug Trade 10:50 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday This course examines the ways that different disciplines answer the question, “What is a drug?” Students explore the history and economics related to three specific classes of drugs: coca, opium, and cannabis. They also analyze public policy related to drugs from economic and historical viewpoints and end with a look at the history and globalization of drugs in Little Rock and Arkansas. The class can be taken for upper-level economics, geography, or history credit. ENGL 4354/5354: Postcolonial Literature 3:05-4:20 p.m. Monday and Wednesday This seminar focuses on the study of postcolonial literature from Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Students will explore how writers from the colonies write back against the British empire, exposing the impact of colonialism, revising historical accounts, and creating “new” literary traditions. 6-8:30 p.m. Thursday This interdisciplinary course is ultimately about technology foresight and society. Assignments will be customized as appropriate to the background preparation and interests of each student. It is intended to be both unique and mind-expanding. IFSC 4350: Electronic Commerce 305-4:20 p.m. Monday and Wednesday What makes this course unique is that students look at the intersection of business, marketing, and information technology to sell products on the internet. The course and textbook are updated every year to include the latest marketing data and techniques. Students will learn about search engines, enroll in an Introduction to Google Analytics online tutorial, and create a small demonstration E-Commerce website. IFSC 7370 Data Science and Technologies (Graduate course) �� This course provides a survey of the skills and concepts needed for executing a data science investigation, including locating, managing, processing, and analyzing massive amounts of data. Topics covered include data sourcing, choosing a big data infrastructure, extracting, transforming, loading, and mining large amounts of unstructured data as well as other important skills like communication, data ethics, and emerging data services. This course will also include some hands-on experience working with sample technologies selected from a complex ecosystem of tools and platforms. While some knowledge about programming, databases, and statistics is helpful, background/review materials for all of the prerequisite topics will be provided to help students from any discipline get started with data science. M��Vlog��ýP 1150: Piano for Non-Majors 11:15 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday This course is specifically for non-music majors. Students will learn foundational skills of piano playing in a group setting. Topics addressed include basic piano technique, music reading, and elemental repertoire. The classroom is equipped with keyboards/headphones so each student will be able to learn at his/her own pace. �� POLS 3301: Seminar: Nonviolent Conflict 12:15-1:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday The seminar explores the use of methods of nonviolent conflict to overthrow dictatorships, oppose occupying forces, resist oppressive governments, and defend against external aggression. Students will investigate the theories of Gene Sharp, studies of nonviolent action from World War II to the present, as well as the teachings of Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Thich Nhat Hahn. POL 3370: Politics of Developing Areas This course will explore major themes and practical problems central to the study of the contemporary politics of global development. Variously called the Global South or the Third World among others, there is actually relatively little that unites these countries other than that, in various ways, their historical trajectory has differed from the West. This course provides an overview of three intersecting domestic institutions that shape development, namely the State, the market, and civil society. In addition, students will examine the interventions of Northern States, from imperialism to globalization, assessing the efforts of multilateral institutions and non-governmental organizations as they attempt to solve the challenges of poverty, disease, conflict, famine, and gender inequality in the Global South. In sum, the course seeks to understand why some countries in the Global South have become wealthy, vibrant democracies that are arguably part of the developed world, while others have suffered persistent violence and repression and remain mired in abject poverty. RACE 2301: Introduction to Race and Ethnicity (online) The course provides an introduction to race and ethnicity in the United States, equipping students with a thorough grounding in the main issues and debates. The course is one of two core classes on the Anderson Institute’s Race and Ethnicity minor program, the only program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with a direct focus on issues of race and ethnicity over a sustained rotation of classes. SOCI 3334: Social Problems 9-9:50 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday This course examines the issues society faces and tries to explain the root causes, perpetuation, and possibly how to combat them. SOCI 4353: Sociology of Developing Nations (online) This course focuses on the socioeconomic conditions of third world countries. This is an important class for anyone studying international affairs. SOCI 4395: Seminar: Immigrant Experiences 12:15-1:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday Immigration is and has always been a hot topic in the United States. This course will examine the past and present of immigration. What is it like to immigrate to the U.S.? How does this affect a person in terms of education, health, social interactions, and culture? How do you assimilate without losing your identity? SOCI 4395: Seminar: Poverty and Place 10:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday The course will examine the individual concepts of poverty and place, their theoretical roots, and their theoretical and empirical intersections. The course will focus on class discussions and projects. Students will also be reading the Pulitzer Prize winning book, “Evicted,” which was featured last semester when the author, Matthew Desmond, spoke on campus.

Faculty members, campus organizations honored as ‘Awesome Allies’

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 18:39:20 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock professors and campus organizations were honored as “Awesome Allies” by The Alliance during an awards ceremony on Dec. 12.�� The Alliance is a student organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or questioning (LGBTQ) students and allies to come together in an open environment to discuss topics related to both gay and straight communities. “Awesome Allies” are faculty members and campus offices who have shown support through LGBTQ inclusive curriculum, classroom behavior, or campus practices. Dr. Juliana Flinn, professor of anthropology, and Dr. Rachel Tennial, assistant professor of psychology, were named “Awesome Allies” for their gender-inclusive curriculum and classroom activities. “I feel honored,” Flinn said. “I didn’t know I did anything special, so it feels like an extra honor.” “By choosing to honor these faculty members, we are hoping to inspire other faculty to include more gender-inclusive classroom activities in their curriculum,” said Bee Chaney, a junior psychology major and president of The Alliance. The Alliance also honored campus organizations Safe Zone and the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Student Social Work Organization. “We are honoring Safe Zone for their commitment to employee education on LGBTQ issues and the Student Social Work Organization for partnering with us to hold a successful Little Rock Pride Fest booth in October,” Chaney said. Safe Zone provides training about LGBTQ issues and safe zones where individuals affected by homophobia, hateful acts, and sexual violence can safely go for support and assistance from trained faculty and staff. Meanwhile, the Student Social Work Organization’s mission is to represent, lead, and unify the student body with the School of Social Work. All of the “Awesome Allies” award recipients received a rainbow cord to wear during commencement. The Alliance holds meetings every Wednesday from 3-4 p.m. in Donaghey Student Center 201T, where participants discuss campus education, activism, and fundraising opportunities. Additionally, the group meets Tuesdays from 6-8 p.m. to provide a safe space for students to socialize. The Alliance is fundraising to send four students to the Creating Change Conference in Detroit in January 2019 to learn about LGBTQ initiatives that can be brought to campus. Donations can be at Facebook.com/��Vlog��ýLRsAlliance. In the upper right photo,��Bee Chaney, president of The Alliance, recognizes Dr. Juliana Flinn as an “Awesome Ally.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock honors employees, departments making a difference in students’ lives

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 17 May 2018 13:09:47 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock recognized 57 faculty and staff members as well as 24 departments and programs who have made an impact in the lives of graduating students.�� The Division of Student Affairs hosted the Student Advocate Awards Ceremony on April 27. Through a survey, graduating seniors identified ��Vlog��ý Little Rock employees and departments instrumental in their success. The faculty and staff members honored include:

Charles Anderson, Rhetoric and Writing
Neveen Amin, Sociology and Anthropology
Aresh Assadi, Counseling Services
Thomas Barrett, Education
William Baltosser, Biology
Emily Bell, Study Abroad
David Briscoe, Anthropology and Sociology
John Bush, Biology
Cai Carvalhaes, Counseling Services
Kelly Chaney, Biology
April Chatham-Carpenter, Applied Communication
Catherine Crisp, School of Social Work
Jane Evans, Nursing
Erin Finzer, Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
Mark Funk, Accounting
Marc Glidden, Criminal Justice/Campus Living
Camille Guess-Mitchell, Financial Aid
Shannon Gwinn, Business
George Jensen, Rhetoric and Writing
Amar Kanekar,��Counseling, Human Performance, and Rehabilitation
Tara Kittrell, Counseling Services
Cheryl Kleeman, Military Student Success
Gaurav Kumar, Accounting
Jason Kushner, Counseling, Human Performance, and Rehabilitation
Katina Leland, Education
James Levernier, English
Ann Marie Lott, Disability Resource Center
Kristin Mann, History
Bradley Minnick, English
Steven Minsker, Computer Science
Robert Mitchell, Business Information Systems
La’Donnia Mothershed, TRIO Student Support Services
Charles Molsbee, Nursing
David Montague, eLearning
Ibrahim Nisanci, Systems Engineering
Yvette Palmer, Undergraduate Academic Advising
Mary Parker, Criminal Justice
Sonya Premeaux, Business
Bennie Prince, Counseling, Human Performance, and Rehabilitation
Ann Robinson, Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education
Jessica Scott, Donaghey Scholars Program
Sherry Rankins-Robertson, Rhetoric and Writing
René Shroat-Lewis, Earth Sciences
Amber Smith, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Bruce Smith, Education
Janea Snyder,��Counseling, Human Performance & Rehabilitation
Nick Steele, Concurrent Enrollment
John Talburt, Information Science
Cynthia Taylor, Accounting
Rachel Tennial, Psychology
Rikki Turner, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Hyginus Ukadike, Counseling Services
David Weekley, Mass Communication
Jim Winter, Arkansas STRIVE Program
Karen Wisdom, Criminal Justice
Paul Yoder, English

The departments and programs honored include:

African American Female Initiative
Accounting
Anthropology
Applied Communication
Art and Design
Business Information Systems
Chancellor’s Leadership Corps
Counseling Services
Charles W. Donaldson Scholars Academy
Donaghey Scholars Program
Early Childhood Education
English
Greek Life
Nursing
Philosophy
Psychology
Rehabilitation Program
Rhetoric and Writing
Science Scholars Program
School of Social Work
Theatre Arts and Dance
TRIO McNair Scholars
TRIO Support Services
��Vlog��ýLR Teach

��Vlog��ý Little Rock chooses top faculty of 2017

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 14 Apr 2017 14:01:56 +0000

Drs. Kathryn King, Tansel Karabacak, and Suzanne Penn have been selected as the top University of Arkansas at Little Rock faculty members of 2017.�� The three professors were the recipients of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Faculty Excellence Awards in the categories of teaching; research and creative endeavors; and public service. Each will receive a $5,000 award. The winners were honored during an April 13 reception at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology Auditorium. Eleven other faculty members, who earned Faculty Excellence awards at the college level, also were honored. The 15 members of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Board of Visitors reviewed the achievements and selected the winners. Since 1989, when the first award was given, the event has provided a way to recognize the great work of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty and is made possible through the valued contributions of the Office of the Chancellor, the Office of the Provost, and the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor’s Circle. More about the winners:

Faculty Excellence in Teaching

Dr. Kathryn King, assistant professor of anthropology, is known for her willingness to help students learn by creating a socially conscious learning environment. Students and colleagues praised King for her knowledge of the field, class organization, and student focus. King has also been involved in curriculum development for the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Anthropology Department, having created several innovative courses such as Race and Ethnicity, the Anthropology of Death, and Historic Mortuary Archaeology, in which students collected data from historic cemeteries across central Arkansas. King received a Ph.D. and master’s degree in anthropology from the University of��Tennessee and a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Kentucky.

Faculty Excellence in Research

Dr. Tansel Karabacak, associate professor of physics and astronomy, is an internationally known expert in the glancing angle deposition (GLAD) method to fabricate nanostructured metals, alloys, oxides, and semiconductors. Shortly after joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Karabacak created a new thin films and nanostructure laboratory, which utilizes state-of-the-art fabrication and testing equipment and computational tools for analysis and modeling studies. Karabacak collaborated with students, about 20 faculty members, and approximately 55 national and international researchers outside ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. He has been involved in projects with 10 companies and built connections with about 20 project managers from federal funding agencies. Karabacak managed research projects and contributed to 83 journal papers, 39 peer-reviewed conference proceedings, two book chapters, and two patent disclosures. He has also presented or co-authored about 175 invited talks and conference presentations. Karabacak has a Ph.D. and a master’s degree from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a bachelor’s degree from the Middle East Technical University.

Faculty Excellence in Public Service

Dr. Suzanne Penn, associate professor of clinical law at William H. Bowen School of Law, is dedicated to serving individuals who do not have access to legal assistance. In 2014, Penn created a clinical experience for law students in the Delta region of Arkansas, an area that has long been underserved by attorneys. The Delta project is comprised of two courses: The Delta Experience and the Delta Clinic. In the Delta Experience course, students travel to the Delta to educate low-income residents about grounds for divorce and what is necessary to obtain one without attorney representation. In the Delta Clinic course, students travel with Penn to Desha and Chicot counties to conduct client interviews, perform fact investigations related to case success, prepare divorce complaints and motions for fee waivers for clients. The students appear in courts as needed to represent their clients and also observe sessions of the courts. �� Penn earned a Juris Doctor from Tulane University and a bachelor’s degree with honors from Hendrix College. In the upper right photos are Drs. Kathryn King (left), Tansel Karabacak (middle), and Suzanne Penn (right). Photos by Lonnie Timmons III/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications.��

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