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

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock /news-archive/tag/arkansas-attorney-general/ ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Thu, 20 Aug 2020 16:37:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock makes COSMOS a designated research center /news-archive/2020/08/20/cosmos-research-center/ Thu, 20 Aug 2020 16:37:54 +0000 /news/?p=77392 ...]]> “By designating as a formal center, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will be a leader and pioneer in social media analytics and social media forecasting,” said Dr. Nitin Agarwal, director of COSMOS and Maulden-Entergy Endowed Chair and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Information Science. “When you look at the transformational research being conducted at COSMOS and the students who have gone on to do great things, it’s nothing short of spectacular. I am thankful to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and Board of Trustees for their support.” The Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas approved the creation of a new administrative unit for COSMOS in May, followed by approval by the ADHE in July. The designation represents the state’s endorsement of the need for the program and confirmation that ��Vlog��ý Little Rock should expand the program. “The work that Dr. Agarwal and his COSMOS team are doing is truly transformative and is already having wide-ranging impacts in the areas of defense, business, and politics,” said Dr. Brian Berry, vice provost of research and dean of the Graduate School. “The establishment of COSMOS as an official center will provide the platform and infrastructure needed to increase the impact of this work even more.” Since it began in 2014, COSMOS has brought in more than $20 million in research funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation, U.S. Office of Naval Research, U.S. Air Force Research Lab, U.S. Army Research Office, U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Department of Defense, and NATO. “Dr. Agarwal’s research is cutting edge as it focuses on social media and both the technical and social impacts,” said Dr. Lawrence Whitman, dean of the Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. “He is working with a wide variety of organizations with different applications and how social media affects our lives, both locally and globally. His work and his students’ work are impressive, impactful, and interesting. I am glad to see the state recognize his work with this center designation as it will further expand the reach and recognition of his work.” Dr. Agarwal and his team of about 30 researchers have studied phenomena that he describes as the good, bad, and the ugly of cyber behaviors. These include cyber campaigns promoting Saudi Arabian women’s right to drive, anti-NATO propaganda campaigns, predictive modeling of cyber flash mobs, medical informatics for patient care coordination and engagement, and Russian interference in western democracies. Most recently, he and his team are working with the Office of the Arkansas Attorney General to identify and track coronavirus-related scams and social media disinformation. “We are researching deviant and malicious behaviors on social media platforms, whether it’s related to misinformation about health behaviors and COVID-19, misinformation during elections, or propaganda that is targeting the U.S. and it’s allies like NATO,” Agarwal said. “We are trying to solve hard and thorny problems of the real world. Our work has significant contributions for the sciences as we are developing new applications and tools to collect information.” Dr. Agarwal and COSMOS researchers have created Blogtrackers and YouTube trackers applications through research supported by federal grants. These applications track information providers and narratives as misinformation is disseminated through social media networks including blogs, YouTube, and Twitter. “Most researchers focus on disinformation on Twitter and Facebook, and our research explores under-explored platforms as well,” said Dr. Nihal Hussain, a 2019 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate and a postdoctoral researcher at COSMOS. “Blogs and YouTube provide malicious actors a platform to frame their narratives that can influence or polarize crowds. In most cases, disinformation is hosted on these platforms that is later disseminated on Twitter and Facebook.” Dr. Agarwal credits his decision to join ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2009 to the late Dr. Mary Good, the founding dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology, who “had a vision of having a research program dedicated to web science.” “She had the vision to see this was a growing area that would have a lot of potential in the future,” Dr. Agarwal said. In 2018, Dr. Agarwal was named a fellow of the Arkansas Research Alliance, who thinks that research from COSMOS will have a positive impact on the region. “Nitin is a very strong member of the ARA academy, and we are excited about his evolution at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” said Dr. Jerry Adams, president and CEO of Arkansas Research Alliance. “This is a part of his rising trajectory in terms of added value to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, the state, and the nation. We are excited about this announcement and look forward to the cutting edge research from COSMOS.” The mission of COSMOS is to coach motivated students to develop solutions for real-world problems that contribute to social good and innovation. So far, more than 60 college students have worked at COSMOS. “COSMOS’ accomplishments wouldn’t have been possible without the contributions of the numerous exceptional students over the years,” Dr. Agarwal said.]]> ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student interns with Attorney General’s Office /news-archive/2020/08/07/attorney-general-intern/ Fri, 07 Aug 2020 13:07:04 +0000 /news/?p=77286 ...]]> Drew Martin, a Bryant native who is earning a master’s degree in public administration, is interning in the Public Affairs Department. “I’ve enjoyed every moment of my internship,” Martin said. “I always came in early and stayed as late as I could. It’s been a unique experience that I am grateful for. I’m working with great people.” Despite a brief delay in start dates due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Attorney General’s Office Annual Summer Internship Program has provided a variety of experience to students and future leaders in a safe environment. “I am excited to offer this exclusive internship program that allows students to gain firsthand and unique experiences in public service,” Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said. “Each intern will work with the professionals in various areas of the office where they learn the value of helping Arkansans.” As an intern, Martin has been working on the 2020 Outstanding Law Enforcement Officers of the Year Awards, an annual ceremony that honors officers who have performed admirably in the line of duty. “The Attorney General has a banquet where she honors a police officer from every county in Arkansas,” Martin said. “I was getting nominations to help honor the men and women who put their lives on the line in this state. We are also reviewing the transcripts of calls and voicemails from constituents who call the Attorney General’s office to get a better understanding of how many people report robocalls and other issues in the state. We’ve already met with the Attorney General to tour the office, and I am really looking forward to a meeting with the chief justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court.” After he graduates in 2021, Martin plans to attend law school or pursue a career in state government. His past experiences as an intern for Congressman French Hill and as an assistant field director for the Republican Party of Arkansas in Saline County have given him an interest in a career in politics. He also involved in several political organizations. He serves as third vice chair of the Saline County Republican Committee, as secretary of the Central Arkansas Young Republicans, and is the new chair of the College Republicans chapter at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. As someone who is considering attending law school, Martin has found his internship experience invaluable, especially after he discovered the scope of activities in the Attorney General’s Office. “The Attorney General’s Office does a lot more than just law,” Martin said. “They put on a large number of continuing education webinars for lawyers, pharmacists, doctors, and other professionals. They make educational videos, such as warning against the dangers of teenage vaping in Arkansas. They work with many constituents individually, such as investigating scams and complaints against businesses. I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to work with.”]]> Nitin Agarwal: Flattening the Misinformation Curve — the internet, the virus and digital forensics /news-archive/2020/04/15/nitin-agarwal-flattening-misinformation-curve/ Wed, 15 Apr 2020 20:21:33 +0000 /news/?p=76716 ...]]> Agarwal, the Jerry L. Maulden-Entergy endowed chair and a professor of information science at the university, has partnered with the Office of the Arkansas Attorney General. He and his team of about 30 students — from undergraduates to postdocs — are charged with identifying and tracking coronavirus-related scam websites and social media disinformation that’s spreading alongside the pandemic. “There’s factual information and nonfactual information, but when it comes to misinformation, sometimes what is presented is half true, or half facts,” Agarwal said. One well-traveled theory is that cellular 5G wireless technology is spreading coronavirus, Agarwal says. This is completely untrue. Another theory is that the United States grew the virus and unleashed it in China in order to sink that country’s economy and destabilize society. There is no evidence the U.S. grew the virus and considerable evidence shows the coronavirus evolved naturally in a native Chinese animal population, but “coronavirus has stopped China’s economy and society. That is true.” The most viral misinformation puts pieces of truth together to present a distorted picture. It’s more nimble than a falsehood, and it’s why Agarwal says there’s a health pandemic and a concurrent misinfodemic. This is what he and his students at the Collaboratorium for Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies (COSMOS) continue to monitor and quantify throughout the crisis. Agarwal founded COSMOS at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock several years ago to study information online and identify emerging threats. Since then, COSMOS has followed and analyzed responses to autism awareness campaigns, information around the Islamic State, Singapore elections and anti-NATO propaganda from Russian state-sponsored agencies. “We are able to take our analysis and findings and share it with NATO, with their StratComm teams, to tailor their messages so that they are targeting those campaigns,” he said. From the campus of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Agarwal says he enjoys the freedom to pursue misinfodemics — and the truly elite math and science students he needs to drive his unique enterprise — halfway around the globe. “I pick up students from various parts of the world,” he said. “They’re carefully selected after several rounds of exercises, reviews — this has helped create word-of-mouth, so now when I get students, I’m getting students who wish to study at COSMOS. It’s great satisfaction to see them grow. That, and the flexibility to expand research, has been my strongest reasons to stay in Arkansas.” Together, Agarwal and his proteges have produced troves of research for and funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Army Research Office (ARO), U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR), U.S. Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), and U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Now they have developed a website that can help people identify, understand, and report misinformation, fake websites, and scams regarding COVID-19, which is published at . “Scammers are working overtime to exploit coronavirus fears,” said U.S. Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.). “We are grateful for the ongoing efforts in Arkansas by Dr. Agarwal and his team at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock helping identify the schemes thieves employ so we can stop these fraudulent activities, hold offenders accountable and prevent Arkansans from being fooled by bogus claims.” COSMOS has perfected data analysis and methodology to sweep blog trackers and YouTube videos to identify the bad actors who want to spread misinformation or steal consumers’ money or identity. The collaboratorium is asking anyone to submit examples of misinformation they’ve come across, including commercial operations, and it’s working toward a scalable platform to equip businesses and organizations to detect misinformation on their own. “During this phase of the pandemic where fear is peaking, it is extremely important to stop bad actors that are using the internet to offer misinformation, sell fake tests, cures or solicit contributions to fake COVID charities,” said Attorney General Rutledge. COSMOS hopes to bring credit, and university credits, to bear as well. “For any academic institution, but especially here at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, students are the heart and soul of the research,” Agarwal said. “I have 30 students and postdocs. Whenever we have a project, the students drive the research, and students can see its impact, not just in a publication. This research affects our daily lives. Our work goes out into the world.”]]> Attorney General Rutledge selects 9 Bowen students as law clerks /news-archive/2019/02/14/attorney-general-law-clerks/ Thu, 14 Feb 2019 14:23:33 +0000 /news/?p=73396 ...]]> Nine University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law students have been selected to clerk for the state of Arkansas by Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge’s office for the spring 2019 semester. “The law clerk program exposes students to the fulfilling experience of public service,” Rutledge said. “Law clerks play a valuable role for the state performing research and writing for Arkansas’s top attorneys in a great service-learning environment.” The new law clerks include Sarah Fendley, Hannah Johnston, Edward Mader, Robert Murphy, Amanda Partridge, Sydney Sadler, Christian Scott, Chandra Smith, and Katelyn Spellman. More information about the Bowen students:

��Sarah Fendley, a second-year student at Bowen, is clerking in the Civil Department. She graduated from Lyon College with a Bachelor of Arts in English and art in 2009 and from Henderson State University with a Master of Liberal Arts in 2013. Fendley is from Hot Springs and graduated from Lake Hamilton High School in 2005.
��Hannah Johnston, a second-year student at Bowen, is clerking in the State Agencies Department. She graduated from Auburn University in 2017 with a degree in public relations. Johnston is from Auburn, Alabama, and graduated from Auburn High School in 2013.
��Edward Mader, a second-year Bowen student, is clerking in the Criminal Department. He graduated from the University of Dallas in 2006 with a degree in philosophy. Mader is from Bentonville and graduated from Bentonville High School in 2002.
��Robert Murphy, a third-year student at Bowen School of Law, is clerking in the Public Protection Department. He graduated from Hendrix College in 2015 with a degree in creative writing. Murphy is from Little Rock and graduated from Episcopal Collegiate School in 2011.
��Amanda Partridge, a second-year Bowen student, is clerking in the Public Protection Department. She graduated from Harding University with a degree in English in 2011. Partridge is from Little Rock and graduated from Central Arkansas Christian High School in 2008.
��Sydney Sadler, a second-year student at Bowen, is clerking in the Public Protection Department. She graduated from the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 2017. Sadler is from Springfield, Missouri, and graduated from Kickapoo High School in Springfield in 2013.
��Christian Scott, a second-year Bowen student, is clerking in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. She graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a major in history in 2016. Scott is from Mountain View and graduated from Mountain View High School in 2012.
��Chandra Smith, a second-year student at Bowen School of Law, is clerking in the Civil Department. She graduated from Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa, with degrees in business administration and criminal justice in 2017. Smith is from Bloomfield, Iowa, and graduated from Davis County High School in Bloomfield in 2013.
Katelyn Spellman, a second-year Bowen student, is clerking in the Criminal Department. She graduated from the Penn State University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Spellman is from Montrose, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Montrose Area High School in 2011.

]]> ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Bowen law students selected as clerks for Attorney General’s office /news-archive/2018/10/01/bowen-law-clerks/ Mon, 01 Oct 2018 13:51:59 +0000 /news/?p=72012 ...]]> Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge has selected nine second-year students from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law to serve as law clerks in the Attorney General’s office for the fall session. The new law clerks include Michael Berry, Jonathan Hutto, Austin Kempker, Trent Minner, Rachel Moore, Alexis Pinkston, Allison Tschiemer, Chris Turansky, and Jacob Wickliffe. The law students will work in various departments to assist with legal research, draft memos and legal documents, and accompany lawyers at trials, client meetings, and hearings. “The law clerk program provides students an opportunity to experience a great service-learning environment,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “Law clerks are exposed to the fulfilling experience of public service as they play a valuable role for the State, while also building relationships with some of Arkansas’s top attorneys.” More information about the new law clerks:

��Michael Berry is clerking in the Criminal Department. He graduated from Christian Brothers University in 2012 with a degree in English. Berry is from Sherwood and graduated from Catholic High School for Boys in 2008.
��Jonathan Hutto is clerking in the Public Protection Department. He graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a Bachelor of Science in secondary education in 2007 and from Arkansas Tech University with a master’s degree in history in 2012. Hutto is from Damascus and graduated from South Side Bee Branch High School in 2003.
��Austin Kempker is clerking in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. He graduated from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, in 2016 with a degree in political science. Kempker is from Jefferson City, Missouri, and graduated from Blair Oaks High School in Wardsville, Missouri, in 2012.
��Trent Minner is clerking in the State Agencies Department. He graduated from John Brown University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in marketing. Minner is from Conway and graduated from Conway Christian School in 2011.
��Rachel Moore is clerking in the Criminal Department. She graduated from Arkansas State University with a major in multimedia journalism in 2017. Moore is from Jonesboro and graduated from Jonesboro High School in 2013.
��Alexis Pinkston is clerking in the Civil Department. She is also pursuing a Master of Public Service degree from the Clinton School of Public Service and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and English from Lyon College in 2015. Pinkston is from North Little Rock and graduated from North Little Rock High School in 2011.
��Allison Tschiemer is clerking in the Public Protection Department. She graduated from Hendrix College with a major in history in 2014. Tschiemer is from Dallas and graduated from the School for the Talented and Gifted in Dallas in 2010.
��Chris Turansky is clerking in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. He graduated from Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport, Louisiana, with a degree in psychology in 2011 and Louisiana State University in Shreveport with a master’s degree in counseling psychology in 2013. Turansky is from Shreveport and graduated from Caddo Parish Magnet High School in 2007.
��Jacob Wickliffe is clerking in the Civil Department. He graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in 2016 with a degree in business management. Wickliffe is from North Little Rock and graduated from Catholic High School for Boys in 2012.

]]> 10 Bowen law students to clerk for Attorney General /news-archive/2018/02/21/bowen-law-clerk-attorney-general/ Wed, 21 Feb 2018 18:07:50 +0000 /news/?p=69504 ...]]> Ten University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law students are serving the public good by working as law clerks for during the spring 2018 semester. The new law clerks include Lydia Davis, Shannon Fredricksen, Gabrielle Gibson, Elizabeth James, Erica Kaylor, Alex Morphis, Daniel Murphy, Derek Peterson, Amanda Ray, and Sara Renfrow. The law students will work in various departments to assist with legal research, draft memos and legal documents, and accompany lawyers at trials, client meetings, and hearings. “Attorney General’s office law clerks work closely with some of Arkansas’s top attorneys,” Attorney General Rutledge said. “This program is a great service-learning opportunity for students to be exposed to the fulfilling experience of working in the public service sector. Law clerks are a valuable asset to the people of Arkansas.” More information about the new law clerks:

Lydia Davis, a second-year student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, is clerking in the Criminal Department. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and history from the University of Mississippi in 2015. Davis is from DeWitt and graduated from DeWitt High School in 2011.
Shannon Fredricksen, a second-year student at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Bowen School of Law, is clerking in the Public Protection Department. She graduated from Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska, in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts in communication arts. Fredrickson currently lives in Springdale and graduated from River Valley High School in Correctionville, Iowa, in 1994.
Gabrielle Gibson, a third-year student at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Bowen School of Law, is clerking in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. She graduated from Arkansas State University in 2014 with a major in interdisciplinary studies. Gibson is from Hot Springs and graduated from Lakeside High School in 2010.
Elizabeth James, a third-year student at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Bowen School of Law, is clerking in the Civil Department. She graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a degree in business administration in 2007. James is from Bald Knob and graduated from Bald Knob High School in 2003.
Erica Kaylor, a second-year student at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Bowen School of Law, is clerking in the State Agencies Department. She graduated from the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Arts in political science, international relations and European studies in 2016. Kaylor is from Rose Bud and graduated from Rose Bud High School in 2012.
Alex Morphis, a second-year student at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Bowen School of Law, is clerking in the Public Protection Department. He graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2015 with majors in political science and food science. Morphis is from Alamo, Tenn., and graduated from Crockett County High School in 2010.
Daniel Murphy, a second-year student at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Bowen School of Law, is clerking in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. He graduated from Brigham Young University in 2015 with a major in operations, business management. Murphy is from Layton, Utah, and graduated from Layton High School in 2009.
Derek Peterson, a second-year student at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Bowen School of Law, is clerking in the Civil Department. He graduated from the William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo., with a degree in business administration in 2015. Peterson is from Carthage, Mo.,m and graduated from Carthage High School in 2011.
Amanda Ray, a third-year student at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Bowen School of Law, is clerking in the Public Protection Department. She graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 2013. Ray is from Benton and graduated from Benton High School in 2009.
Sara Renfrow, a second-year student at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Bowen School of Law, is clerking in the Criminal Department. She graduated from Henderson State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 2016. Renfrow is from Nashville and graduated from Nashville High School in 2012.

]]>