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

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock /news-archive/tag/arkansas-democrat-gazette/ ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Mon, 02 May 2022 13:31:37 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Celebrates Spring Commencement May 14 /news-archive/2022/05/02/spring-commencement-2022/ Mon, 02 May 2022 13:31:37 +0000 /news/?p=81423 ...]]> The 10 a.m. commencement ceremony on May 14 will feature undergraduate students in the College of Business, Health, and Human Services and undergraduate students in the Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The Jack Stephens Center will open to the public at 8:30 a.m. for the morning ceremony. Tripti Shukla, who is graduating from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock this May with bachelor’s degrees in biology and chemistry, will serve as the featured speaker for the 10 a.m. commencement ceremony. Shukla is this year’s winner of the Edward Lynn Whitbeck Memorial Award, the highest honor granted to a graduating student at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. In the afternoon, the 3 p.m. ceremony will feature undergraduate and graduate students in the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education; graduate students in the College of Business, Health, and Human Services; and graduate students in the Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The Jack Stephens Center will open to the public at 1:30 p.m. for the afternoon ceremony. Helaine Williams, Sunday Style editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and the 2021 winner of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Presidents Award, will serve as the featured speaker for the 3 p.m. commencement ceremony. The William H. Bowen School of Law will celebrate its graduates with a 7 p.m. commencement ceremony. The Honorable John Dan Kemp, chief justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, will serve as the featured speaker. With 44 years of judicial experience, Kemp previously served as a municipal judge of Mountain View for nine years and as a circuit judge in the 16th Judicial Circuit for 30 years. The ceremonies will be live-streamed on the and the . The law school ceremony will be live-streamed on its .]]> ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Krain’s Work in New Photography Exhibit Opening April 4 /news-archive/2022/03/24/encounters-exhibit/ Thu, 24 Mar 2022 13:05:18 +0000 /news/?p=81192 ...]]> Krain’s exhibit, “Encounters,” will be on display in the Focus Gallery in the Windgate Center of Art and Design. The Focus Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, and 2-5 p.m. Sunday. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Krain, the university’s photographer and a former Arkansas Democrat-Gazette photographer, has 20 years of experience photographing events, sports, disasters, and wars. In some instances, he is the eyes of the world and goes to places where most people don’t want to go. The more challenging are those of everyday life. The simple exploration of nothing. The content is not about news, it’s about the human spirit. These are the photographs in this exhibit. A graduate of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Krain has won numerous state and national awards. His work has been featured in publications like Time, Newsweek, and the New York Times. For more information, contact Focus Gallery Director Joli Livaudais at jklivaudais@ualr.edu.]]> ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Celebrates Chatterjee, Williams, and Golzar as 2021 Distinguished Alumni /news-archive/2021/11/10/2021-distinguished-alumni/ Wed, 10 Nov 2021 14:25:41 +0000 /news/?p=80353 ...]]> Distinguished Alumni Awards Ceremony on Nov. 4. Stuti Chatterjee, a May 2021 graduate, was honored with the Edward L. Whitbeck Memorial Award. Helaine Williams, Sunday Style editor at the , was awarded the Presidents Award. Dr. Jaafer Golzar, a cardiologist and chief medical officer for , received the Distinguished Alumnus Award. All three recipients were honored during a ceremony at the Clinton Presidential Center. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor Christina Drale said that the stories of the three honorees serve as a testament to the potential for every student that aspires to be more and entrusts ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to provide the right experience to reach their goals. “Each of these individuals, in their own way, exemplify our very highest aspirations as an institution and for the students we serve,” Chancellor Drale remarked. “It is our responsibility, as it has always been, to prepare the students of today with the skills for tomorrow. The alumni being honored today demonstrate exactly what that looks like.” The winner of the Whitbeck Memorial Award represents the top graduate of the year. During her time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Chatterjee’s list of accomplishments include receiving three Signature Experience Awards and two Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship awards; and copy editing Dr. Michael Wilson’s book, “Behavioral Emergencies for the Healthcare Provider.” She also worked with Dr. Noureen Siraj, assistant professor of chemistry, to study the use of nanodrugs for effective cancer cell therapies, and was named the 2020 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Student for the Department of Chemistry. Dr. Simon Hawkins, director of the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program, recalled how Chatterjee’s tenacity and hard work should serve as an inspiration to us all. “It should come as no surprise that Stuti Chatterjee’s list of accomplishments is impressive indeed,” Hawkins said. “When she came to the university, Stuti struggled with her writing. English is not her first language. It’s not even her second language. Stuti doesn’t make excuses. She solves problems. She started writing her papers earlier. She brought her papers to her professors for advice. She went to her friends for peer reviews. She did whatever she could to improve. She laughs about her struggles and gives others the sense that they can make it too.” As a native of India who moved to the U.S. at age 10, Chatterjee said she tried many different activities and subjects in order to find her identity while in college. “Someone gave me the best advice I have ever received to this day. He said that if your heart doesn’t scream ‘I want to do it,’ don’t do it. Life is too short to settle for mediocracy,” she said. “With that suggestion in mind, I started narrowing down the options that I felt passionate about. Working in healthcare was always a dream of mine, but being able to interact with patients and the healthcare community only solidified what I wanted to do for a career. Being an undergraduate research assistant and being able to work on cancer therapy research allowed me to build skills that I will be utilizing far beyond my career. I feel fortunate to have been a part of a community where we took care of each other and guided each other as need be.” The second honoree, Williams, is a local icon in the journalism world with more than four decades of experience and is a 2021 inductee in the Arkansas Writers Hall of Fame. Williams earned her bachelor’s degree in 2000, after taking what she calls a “14-year spring break” from college the first time around. “This is one of those honors you expect to be on the sidelines clapping as someone else gets it,” Williams said. “For me to be standing here having received this award myself is surreal. For years, I didn’t think I would be considered a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumni at all. Coming back to the university was truly an act of faith. I’m happy to represent an entity that has become much more than the sum of its parts. Our university is the present and the future for those who would seek an affordable, quality education that prepares them for the ever-changing career landscape we find ourselves in today.” The Presidents Award recognizes a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate who achieved success in their career, donated time and talents to their community, and remained in touch with their alma mater as a volunteer and resource person. Williams served on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association Board of Directors from 2013-2019. This year, she participated in “Dancing With Our Stars” with Stephen Stone, associate professor of dance at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, to raise funds for the Children’s Tumor Foundation. Williams is also the president of The Umoja Network and founder of its subsidiary, Make it Plain Ministries. Through these organizations, she is able to share her skills and knowledge with others by providing invaluable assistance to new writers and authors working to get published, public relations-related consultations with organizations seeking to make positive impressions with their audiences, and guiding the content creation process for print materials. As the recipient of the 2021 Distinguished Alumnus Award, Golzar, a 1995 graduate of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, is being recognized for his extraordinary distinction in his chosen field and special contributions to the community. Golzar is an interventional cardiologist with Advocate Medical Group, the director of Limb Salvage and Endovascular Intervention at Advocate Trinity Hospital in Chicago, and a key opinion leader in the treatment of peripheral artery disease. He is also a leading educator on interventional techniques and technologies and the founder of the Chicago Endovascular Conference, the first large-scale medical educational conference in the Midwest. “As a physician, clinical thought leader, and innovator, Dr. Golzar has been a critical contributor to all of the advancements we have made at Avinger,” said Jeff Soinski, Avinger’s president and CEO. “More than that, in his leadership role as our chief medical officer, Dr. Golzar inspires each of us to do our best to achieve our mission of radically improving the way vascular disease is treated. A mission he personifies in the work he does every day.” Golzar’s close friend, Dr. Sara Tariq, an associate dean for student affairs in the College of Medicine at ��Vlog��ýMS, said he developed his passion for helping patients in medical school. “We were in high school together. We went to ��Vlog��ýLR in the Donaghey Scholars program together,” Tariq said. “Then in medical school is when I really saw him become so deeply excited about something, so deeply excited about patient care, so interested and driven about medicine.” Likewise, Golzar said his time in the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program was a pivotal moment that helped shape him as an individual. “I got into the Donaghey Scholars following Sara’s footsteps,” Golzar said. “That is when that change took place from me conforming to being an individual, to unlocking doors. Those were the most influential days of my life where I really learned how to be an individual and think for myself and ask questions, be curious, and to realize that not every question has to have a safe answer.”]]> ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to honor Golzar, Williams as 2021 Distinguished Alumni /news-archive/2021/08/25/2021-distinguished-alumni-golzar-williams/ Wed, 25 Aug 2021 13:28:27 +0000 /news/?p=79663 ...]]> Dr. Jaafer Golzar, a cardiologist and chief medical officer for ., will receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Helaine Williams, Sunday Style editor at the , will receive the Presidents Award. “Dr. Golzar and Mrs. Williams are examples of the very best of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” said Kristi Smith, senior director of alumni and development at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “He was a traditional student from the Historic Little Rock Central High School, educated at ��Vlog��ýMS, and has made an indelible mark in interventional cardiology, while she returned to complete her education while creating a name for herself in journalism. As a graduate of the university myself, it is my pleasure to showcase these outstanding alumni to Little Rock, the state, and beyond.” The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association annually awards the Distinguished Alumnus Award to a Little Rock Junior College, Little Rock University, or ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumnus. The award is reserved for individuals who have achieved extraordinary distinction in their chosen field and made special contributions to the community. “My experiences at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and with the Donaghey Scholars program were paramount to the trajectory of my career, allowing me to succeed in my career,” Golzar said. “I am forever grateful for and will always treasure the relationships and opportunities this special place afforded me. I will continue to strive for excellence and to make a difference in the world, carrying this honor with me.” In addition to his position at Avinger, Golzar is an interventional cardiologist with Advocate Medical Group, the director of Limb Salvage and Endovascular Intervention at Advocate Trinity Hospital in Chicago, and a key opinion leader in the treatment of peripheral artery disease. A native of India, Golzar moved to Little Rock with his family at age five. He is a 1991 graduate of Central High School, a 1995 graduate of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with a bachelor’s degree in biology, and a 1999 graduate of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. An interventional cardiovascular specialist with 15 years of experience, Golzar is board certified in internal medicine, cardiology, and interventional cardiology. He is also a leading educator on interventional techniques and technologies and the founder of the Chicago Endovascular Conference, the first large-scale medical educational conference in the Midwest. As a recognized leader in the endovascular community, Golzar has received multiple accolades including the prestigious Pioneers in Performance – North America Award in 2014. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. “As a physician, clinical thought leader, and innovator, Dr. Golzar has been a critical contributor to all of the advancements we have made at Avinger,” said Jeff Soinski, Avinger’s president and CEO. “More than that, in his leadership role as our chief medical officer, Dr. Golzar inspires each of us to do our best to achieve our mission of radically improving the way vascular disease is treated; a mission he personifies in the work he does every day.” Golzar has also spent time volunteering in acute medical disaster relief efforts around the world, including serving as a consultant for Nigeria’s efforts to reform the medical infrastructure of Ogun State. The Presidents Award was established to recognize ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduates who achieved success in their career, donated time and talents to their community, and remained in touch with their alma mater as a volunteer and resource person. Helaine Williams is an icon in the Little Rock journalism industry with more than four decades of experience. She started her career as a city desk news assistant at the Arkansas Democrat in 1981. Williams is a 1980 graduate of Wilbur D. Mills University Studies High and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2000. “I may be a so-called wordsmith. But to go from being a 1984 college dropout to finally finishing my degree in 2000 – and, 21 years after that, being chosen for the Presidents Award – evokes emotions I can’t adequately describe,” Williams said. “I can only hope that I inspire someone who thinks it’s too late for second chances, especially at a university I most heartily thank for giving me one.” In 1989, Williams became the principal writer of “Let’s Talk,” a column she has called her own for the last 32 years. She has also written for the Active Style, Family, High Profile, Weekend and Style sections of the Democrat-Gazette, drawing numerous honors along the way. Williams was inducted into the Arkansas Writers Hall of Fame this year. She and her husband, Renarda “Dre” Williams, are 2019 recipients of a John H. Johnson Journalism & Media Award by the Arkansas-based Friends of John H. Johnson Museum. Williams has also received honors from the National Association of Black Journalists and the Central Arkansas Association of Black Journalists for advocating and elevating the work of Black journalists. In addition to her work with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Williams is the president of The Umoja Network and founder of its subsidiary, Make it Plain Ministries. Through these organizations, she is able to share her skills and knowledge with others by providing invaluable assistance to new writers and authors working to get published, public relations-related consultations with organizations seeking to make positive impressions with their audiences, and guiding the content creation process for print materials. An active member of the community, Williams is a lifetime member of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association and served on its Board of Directors from 2013-2019. She is a member of “That.Church” in Sherwood and a past chairwoman of the Board of Directors for United Cerebral Palsy of Arkansas, where she currently serves as secretary. This year, Williams will participate in the “Dancing With Our Stars” event with Stephen Stone, associate professor of dance at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, to raise funds for the Children’s Tumor Foundation. Golzar and Williams will be honored at the university’s annual Distinguished Alumni Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 4, at the Clinton Presidential Center. For more information, contact Smith at klsmith4@ualr.edu.]]> Stone, Williams to Perform in Upcoming Dancing With Our Stars Gala /news-archive/2021/08/24/dancing-with-our-stars/ Tue, 24 Aug 2021 19:35:02 +0000 /news/?p=79676 ...]]> . The event benefits the Children’s Tumor Foundation, which supports the Arkansas chapter’s research and mission to find a cure for neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that disturbs cell growth in the nervous system and causes tumors to form on nerve tissue. A portion of the proceeds will also be used to send Arkansas teens to international NF Camp. Stone will be joined by Helaine Williams, Sunday Style editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumnae. A 2021 Arkansas Writers Hall of Fame inductee, Williams has covered Dancing With Our Stars and is looking forward to the chance to participate herself. “It’s the apex of what could almost be seen as a natural progression! I absolutely love dance and, covering this event for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s High Profile section over the years, I became a big fan of DWOS,” Williams said. “I’d even catch myself daydreaming about being one of the performers. Last year I was invited to put down my camera and be a DWOS judge as well as join the Children’s Tumor Foundation advisory board. When I was asked to be a star, it was literally a daydream come true.” The duo have been practicing since the last week of May, and Stone has been impressed with Williams’ love of dance. “Helaine Williams is such a beautiful and spirited person to work with,” Stephen said. “So often, whether I’m teaching a class to aspiring dancers or working in choreography and staging work, dancers often approach dance from a technique point of view and then think about the performance quality. Helaine starts from the joy inside of her that comes from dancing. She is naturally and authentically performing already.” While Williams has not danced in school or professionally, she is a Zumba fan who loves to dance for recreation and exercise. “What I like about Stephen is that when he found out I was a Zumba fan, he had me demonstrate a few Zumba moves and laid those as groundwork for choreographing our routine,” Williams said. “Our rehearsals have gone extremely well because he uses down-to-earth language and comparisons to explain dance moves. We understand each other. And we’ve become friends … we talk about life, and share experiences, just about as much as we rehearse!” While Stone can’t give away too much information about the upcoming performance, he did say they are dancing to a very popular, upbeat 1990s song from an internationally known artist. “We want the audience to be totally surprised,” Stone said. “The music and choreography and the costuming is culturally rich and flavorful. The dance is like a fusion of culture in terms of music and dress and social dance forms.” People may vote for Helaine Williams by visiting ]]> ��Vlog��ý Little Rock professor to lead April 5 panel on Media and Polarization /news-archive/2021/04/02/media-polarization/ Fri, 02 Apr 2021 20:57:21 +0000 /news/?p=78700 ...]]> A University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor will lead a panel discussion on how members of the media affect the polarization of politics.�� Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter, chair of the Department of Applied Communication at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, will moderate the “Media and Polarization” panel discussion held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 5, via Zoom. The panel will feature Philip Martin of the Democrat Gazette; Donna Stephens, journalism professor at the University of Central Arkansas; Gwen Moritz, editor of Arkansas Business; and Wesley Brown, publisher of the Daily Record. The panelists will share their views about the media’s influence on political polarization. Attendees will then have an opportunity to ask questions. The panel is sponsored by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Applied Communication, the Main Library of the Central Arkansas Library System, and by Braver Angels of Arkansas, a nonprofit organization Chatham-Carpenter co-leads along with Glen White, a semi-retired psychologist who will also serve as a moderator for the panel. “I chose to get involved in Braver Angels because the mission of the organization is consistent with my ��Vlog��ý Little Rock department’s mission to ‘co-create better social worlds through positive communication,’” Chatham-Carpenter said. “As a member of this organization, I am dedicated to working towards depolarization within relationships, and recognize that the news we consume plays an important part in what we believe about the other side. Americans are increasingly divided into bubbles and echo chambers with limited exposure to the other side, consuming news that confirms their opinions and stereotypes. I am hoping that this panel will help bring to our level of awareness what we can do as citizens to better educate ourselves about these issues.” Launched in 2016, Braver Angels is an organization that brings Red and Blue Americans together in a working alliance. Recent polls show that a majority of Americans feel the country is more divided than ever. Through programs and workshops, Braver Angels creates opportunities for meaningful discussion among members of opposing political parties. “Our goal is not to push an agenda or change participants’ minds, but rather, to encourage respectful discussions among those who value our country and its people over a political party,” White said.�� The event is free and open to the public. Please visit the to register for the panel discussion.]]> Arkansas Press Association names Rhodes 2020 Educator of the Year /news-archive/2020/09/29/rhodes-2020-educator-of-the-year/ Tue, 29 Sep 2020 15:50:34 +0000 /news/?p=77463 ...]]> Rhodes is a veteran newspaper reporter and editor with a quarter-century of experience at newspapers like the Pine Bluff Commercial, Log Cabin Democrat, Arkansas Democrat, Arkansas Gazette, and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He previously freelanced for AY Magazine and Bloomberg News. “Having been a reporter and editor for a long time gives me some credit with the students,” Rhodes said. “If they are in a reporting class, I know some of the challenges they are facing, and I can relate to them and help them overcome some challenges by relating some of the real-world experiences I had.” Though Rhodes earned a bachelor’s degree in education, he was a hardcore journalist who hadn’t considered teaching as a full-time career. In 1990, Jay Friedlander, then chair of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s journalism department, asked Rhodes to take a leave of absence from the Arkansas Democrat to fill a 9-month teaching role for the school year. “I applied back in 1990 to teach a night course in journalism,” Rhodes said. “It just so happened they were in need for somebody to teach full time. I fancied the idea of teaching, but I never thought of being more than an adjunct. I was surprised my boss let me have a leave of absence. I really fell in love with teaching and wanted to come back. Nine years later, a full-time position opened.” Now entering his third decade of teaching, Rhodes said his communication and listening skills along with a friendly attitude have helped him create a good rapport with his students. “I think these skills are vitally important in teaching and in journalism,” Rhodes said. “These are all skills that I was able to hone during many interviews over the years. It’s all about establishing relationships. You have to teach every student as an individual, get to know that student, build a rapport, and show them that you are someone who they can trust to be looking out for their best interests.” His colleague, Tim Edwards, interim director of the School of Mass Communication, said Rhodes is a popular and well-respected teacher because of his efforts to help students succeed. “Professor Rhodes is one of the most caring individuals I know,” Edwards said. “He cares about the success of his students and goes above and beyond the call of duty to assist them. I can’t count the number of students he has helped get a scholarship, an internship, or a job through his letters of recommendation and industry contacts. He shares his knowledge and experience freely, and continues to stay current in an ever-changing media environment. He is not just a teacher to his student but a mentor and friend.” An active member of the Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, Rhodes begins each of his courses with an ethics section based on the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics. This training is especially important since so many untrained people report the news through social media and websites. Since technology and skills are continually changing for journalists, Rhodes instills the value of lifelong education into his students. “One piece of advice I try to instill in all my students is that education is a lifelong experience,” said Rhodes, adding that he would offer the same advice to new professors. “They should be prepared to continually change the way they do things and be open to new styles of teaching and learning. The technology is such that students are continually coming into the job field with different skill sets and expectations.” A native of Pine Bluff, Rhodes graduated from Watson Chapel High School and also has a master’s degree from the University of Mississippi. He lives in North Little Rock with his wife, Julie. He has three children and two grandchildren.]]> Graduating student journalist selected for internship with Arkansas Newspaper Foundation /news-archive/2020/05/22/kolton-rutherford-commencement-2020-2/ Fri, 22 May 2020 15:47:25 +0000 /news/?p=76984 ...]]> A University of Arkansas at Little Rock spring graduate with a passion for storytelling has been selected for a competitive summer internship that will serve as the next step in his promising career as a journalist.�� Kolton Rutherford, of Maumelle, has graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and a minor in sports management. Following graduation, Rutherford has been selected for a summer internship with the Arkansas Newspaper Foundation, which sponsors college journalists to work as interns in newspapers who are members of the Arkansas Press Association. Rutherford will spend the summer working at the Log Cabin Democrat in Conway.�� In the fall, Rutherford has been accepted into ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s graduate program in professional and technical writing. After earning his master’s degree, he plans to work as a reporter or in sports communication, though his love of journalism began long ago. “I’ve been interested in journalism for most of my life,” he said. “I loved sports growing up. While I played sports until I was 14, I wasn’t very good at playing, but I knew a lot about sports. I come from a family who has done a lot of writing. First, I got into sports writing. Being a sports writer one day was my plan coming into school, but now I’ve grown to love all kinds of journalism.” Just as Rutherford always knew he would become a journalist, he was just as certain that he would one day join the Trojan family. “I knew from the ninth grade on that ��Vlog��ý Little Rock was the school for me,” he said. “It was close to my home, and I had heard good things about its mass communication program. After speaking to the professors when I was in the 11th grade, that is when I made the choice.” He came to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock on a Chancellor’s Leadership Corps scholarship with a goal to gain as much experience as possible. He’s stayed true to that goal, serving as sports editor of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s student newspaper, The Forum, an athletics communication intern for Little Rock Athletics, and a news intern for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Public Radio. “The most important thing I’ve learned in college is to learn as much as possible,” Rutherford said. “I worked at The Forum for four years. I’ve done two internships. I’ve learned new skills. I’ve really worked hard to become a well-rounded journalist. I have experience in multiple fields now, and I’m not closing the door on any path.”�� Rutherford is thankful to several of the professors and journalists who have guided him during his time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “I would say two of my favorite professors were Sonny Rhodes and Chris Etheridge in the mass communication department,” he said. “Sonny’s been my advisor for the past four years. He’s been a great help. I really look up to him. Last May, I met Professor Etheridge. He was my internship advisor, and he helped me to understand how much I could learn by going to K��Vlog��ýR. The staff at K��Vlog��ýR, including Michael Hibblen, Sarah Kellogg, and Daniel Breen, has been a great help this past semester during my internship.” Rutherford is an award-winning college journalist who’s received honors in feature writing, sports writing, and outstanding reporting from the Arkansas College Media Association and the Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. As a freelance journalist, he’s been published in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the Daily Record, and the Lewiston Sun-Journal on stories covering local news, sports, education, and government affairs. “On the academic side, my internship with K��Vlog��ýR was by far my favorite experience. A close second was working for our campus newspaper,” he said. “Outside of that, I met my soon-to-be wife at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Katie Kornreich graduated last year. She was an American sign language interpreting major, and we met in a science class. We were supposed to get married this August, but we’ve now moved it to August 2021.” His advice for new students to be successful is to take advantage of all available opportunities to gain as much experience as possible. “I would tell new students to try to learn as much as you can in many different areas,” Rutherford said. “It will pay off if you can do multiple things, and you can do them well. When I first came to school, I thought I would just be a writer. I’ve now learned how to use cameras and work for a radio station. I’ve learned so much more than I ever imagined.”]]> Virtual exhibit examines effect of political cartoons on Arkansas history /news-archive/2016/11/08/virtual-exhibit-political-cartoons-arkansas/ Tue, 08 Nov 2016 15:39:51 +0000 /news/?p=65732 ...]]> The exhibit is hosted by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture. Embedded within the exhibit are webpages with lesson plans and other educational materials for teachers that have been designed to meet requirements of state social studies curriculums. “The goal of the project is to not only educate audiences about the role political cartoons played during the course of Arkansas history, but also to speak to the wider role of economic, cultural, and historical development within the state,” said Deborah Baldwin, ��Vlog��ýLR associate provost. The virtual exhibit features drawings by cartoonists Bill Graham of the Arkansas Gazette (1948-1985) and Jon Kennedy of the Arkansas Democrat (1941-1988) depicting various topics and events from Arkansas’s history such as:

Voting (local and national elections)
Funding for education
Desegregation of schools
Urbanization and economic development
Prison reform
Local gambling legislation

The��Arkansas Humanities Council��and the��National Endowment for the Humanities��awarded the Center for Arkansas History and Culture a $10,424 grant to develop the exhibit and the related educational symposium. Visit ��for more information. In the upper right photo,��Jon Kennedy editorial cartoon courtesy of the Center for Arkansas History and Culture.��]]> Symposium puts spotlight on the influence of political cartoons /news-archive/2016/10/27/ualr-political-cartoon-symposium/ Thu, 27 Oct 2016 16:33:42 +0000 /news/?p=65650 ...]]> Educators, students, and members of the general public are invited to a free symposium on the influence of political cartoons. The symposium, “No Laughing Matter: Political Cartoons and the Arkansas Historical Perspective,” is set for Thursday, Nov. 3, at the Little Rock Marriott Hotel and Statehouse Convention Center. It will be hosted by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture. John Deering, chief political cartoonist and illustrator for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, is among the featured symposium panelists. “The goal of the symposium is to not only educate audiences about the role political cartoons played during the course of Arkansas history, but also to speak to the wider role of economic, cultural, and historical development within the state,” said Deborah Baldwin, ��Vlog��ýLR associate provost. The Nov. 3 schedule includes:

8 to 9 a.m. “Persuasion, Comedy, and Politics: The Rhetorical Impact of Satire in Political Cartoons,” presented by George Jensen, ��Vlog��ýLR rhetoric and writing professor, and J. Bradley Minnick, ��Vlog��ýLR English professor
9:10 to 10:10 a.m. “Illustrating History: Jon Kennedy and Historical Representation,” presented by Barclay Key, a ��Vlog��ýLR history professor, and John Deering, political cartoonist and illustrator for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
10:20 to 11:20 a.m.“The Political Cartoonist as Entrepreneur: Arkansas Cartoonists Working Both Sides of Campaigns,” presented by Revis Edmonds, Department of Arkansas Heritage, Joseph Giammo, ��Vlog��ýLR political science professor, and John Deering
4:10 to 5:10 p.m. “Modernizing History: Developing and Publishing a Virtual Exhibit for the Modern Student,” presented by Chad Garrett, ��Vlog��ýLR Collections and Archives, Shannon Lausch, ��Vlog��ýLR Center for Arkansas History and Culture, and Stan James, eSTEM Public Charter School

The ��Vlog��ýLR Center for Arkansas History and Culture soon also will launch an online virtual exhibit. Once completed, the exhibit will feature drawings by cartoonists Bill Graham of the Arkansas Gazette (1948-1985) and Jon Kennedy of the Arkansas Democrat (1941-1988). The cartoons depict various topics and events from Arkansas’s history such as:

Voting
Education funding
School desegregation
Urbanization and economic development
Prison reform
Local gambling legislation

Web pages with lesson plans and other educational materials for teachers that have been designed to meet requirements of state social studies curriculums will be included in the exhibit. The and the awarded the Center for Arkansas History and Culture a $10,424 grant to develop the exhibit and the related educational symposium. �� For more details on the symposium, contact the Center for Arkansas History and Culture at 501.320.5780. Image in the upper right: Jon Kennedy editorial cartoon courtesy of the Center for Arkansas History and Culture.��]]>