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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Empowers Student Success Through Strong Start to Finish Initiative

John Hill — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 20:19:57 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is helping to build student success in mathematics and composition gateway courses through the university’s participation in the Strong Start to Finish statewide initiative. In partnership with the University of Texas at Austin’s Charles A. Dana Center, the (SSTF) initiative is an effort by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and the state’s institutions of higher education to make sure that all students who start college underprepared are enrolled in co-requisite support courses that will help them succeed in their college courses. “It is exciting to see how student outcome data can give us insights on where to intervene with curricular and student support to make a meaningful difference in our students’ lives,” said Dr. Erin Finzer, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs. “Our math and composition faculty and advisors have taken advantage of SSTF’s professional development in scaling co-requisite support, multiple measures placement, supporting diverse student needs, and equity dashboards to build upon improvements already underway in their developmental courses.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock implemented Strong Start to Finish in 2020. The goal of the program is to reduce the number of students who stop out of college after unsuccessful attempts at math and composition gateway courses. This goal supports ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s urban mission and its diverse student body. The initiative also empowers students as mathematical and composition learners and prepares them to use these skills in their personal and professional lives. Three ��Vlog��ý Little Rock employees took on leadership roles to implement the Strong Start to Finish effort. They include Dr. Annie Childers, associate professor and graduate coordinator in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Dr. Melvin Beavers, assistant professor and director of composition in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing, and Carla Griffin, student development specialist for the College of Science, Technology Engineering and Math. The Strong Start to Finish Initiative focuses on creating a co-requisite support in developmental courses. Students who are enrolled in developmental reading and writing courses should also take a credited course co-currently. The Department of Rhetoric and Writing implemented this learning model in 2013. “Students placed in our Composition Fundamentals course also take the credit-bearing Composition I course during the same semester with the same instructor,” Beavers said. “This is what’s called the ALP (Advanced Learning Placement) model. We are using the ALP model for students that need additional support in writing while taking the credit- bearing Comp I course. We are exploring ways to create a reading course that serves a similar function.” As the director of first-year writing, Beavers is using the information he learns from the SSTF workshops to inform decisions about placement and programmatic assessment in gateway composition courses. “The Strong Start to Finish program is helping us to see the gaps and blind spots in particular divisions or units so we can create interventions that truly align with our vision and mission as an institution of higher learning,” Beavers said. “My goal is to walk away from these workshops with a more well-rounded view of how the writing program can ensure that our program meets the needs of our students and that we are providing a more equitable path to success. We want to make sure that we are eliminating any, if not, all barriers for students taking first-year writing.” In mathematics, the Strong Start to Finish initiative will create more equitable student outcomes in mathematics pathways through multiple measures placement, co-requisite support, offering quantitative literacy courses as well as college algebra, and other data-informed interventions. “This program will help students save money and graduate faster because they won’t have to take college preparatory classes,” Griffin said. “It’s especially helpful to students who are not majoring in STEM. These students can go directly into their college-level math class with a straight path to graduation.” Childers, who has been leading the Strong Start to Finish initiative with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, said the program is helping the math faculty learn new skills that are making them better teachers. “In the past year, this has been some of the most valuable professional development I have ever received,” Childers said. “Our math faculty are doing amazing things with multiple measures placement, co-requisite support, and scaling QMR, and our composition faculty are asking some fascinating assessment questions that we are talking about scaling out to campus through diversity dashboards. It is exciting to see how data can truly allow us to pinpoint areas to intervene and make all the difference in our students’ lives!” Faculty members from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics are working with the Office of Records and Registration to implement a new algorithm that combines high school GPA and test scores to determine what math class a student is placed in. “This math index helps students get placed in the right math pathway for their majors,” Childers said. “Our developmental students get enrolled in a co-requisite model. Our success rates are much higher when we incorporate our corequisite models. We are placing students in the most appropriate math course that they have the best chance of being successful in. We hope these students are being placed in a class where they have every chance of being the most successful student they can be.” The math index is being tested this semester, and academic advisors should be using the index to place students in math courses next year. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock joining this initiative has been very beneficial to our campus,” Childers said. “It’s really helped with the administration and professors being on board and promoting these goals. At the end of the day, it’s all about helping our students be successful and be the best students they can be. That is the hope and goal of the project.” Educators are also working to make the transition from high school to college math education more successful. Finzer serves as the central Arkansas co-lead of the 9-16 Math Pathways initiatives. “While we are working to improve math education at the college level, we will be using some of these same interventions at the high school level,” Finzer said. “We hope to align the mathematical curriculum between high school and college. Instead of putting every kid in algebra in high school, you put them in a quantitative literacy course where they learn a whole lot of practical math and statistics for life skills.” The initiative also includes collaborating with high school teachers and creating partnerships where colleges and universities provide math tutors and peer mentors for high school math students.

DCSTEM recognizes Kattoum, Ruhl-Whittle, Agarwal as Faculty Excellence Winners

John Hill — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 17:50:17 +0000

The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) has selected its 2021 Faculty Excellence winners. “The committee would like to extend our deepest congratulations to the three DCSTEM Faculty Excellence Winners,” said Dr. Rene Shroat-Lewis, chair of the awards selection committee. “We were humbled reading each nominee packet that clearly showed their dedication and persistence in their respective category. This is certainly a reflection of not only hard work, but ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s strong commitment to providing an environment conducive to excellence in research, teaching, and service.” Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching – Ronia Kattoum, instructor of chemistry

Faculty Excellence nominee Ronia Kattoum. Photo by Ben Krain.

Kattoum is known as one of the most popular and effective teachers in the Department of Chemistry. She serves as the Freshman Programs coordinator, where she trains graduate teaching assistants, and the Education Minor coordinator, where she works with chemistry majors who are education minors on the path to teach grades 7-12. “Ms. Kattoum is one of the best-recognized instructors in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chemistry Department,” said Dr. Anindya Ghosh, chair of the Department of Chemistry. “Her outstanding teaching capabilities and contributions in the areas of fundamental, general, and organic chemistries have benefitted and shaped the future of our students tremendously.” Her efforts to introduce modern teaching tools in her classes include the use of clicker technology to promote active learning, an online homework platform to enhance student learning outside the classroom, and the creation of a series of tutoring videos to help nontraditional students who can’t normally make it to office hours and tutoring sessions. Kattoum said that one thing that has inspired her to be a good teacher is a card she received from one of her students that read: “The kindest of hearts expect no reward, but deserve it all the more.”�� “This statement continues to resonate with me. When I set my heart on teaching, it was for the sheer award of knowing that I can touch people’s lives and inspire them to be the best versions of themselves,” Kattoum said. “I love chemistry and just simply want to spread the joy of discovery to others. However, this award still means the world to me. Although we may never be able to measure the impact that we have on this world and we may never know what some of our students have accomplished because of our influence and effort, this award will always serve as a reminder to keep pushing forward, even on the most difficult days. To remember that one act of kindness or one word of encouragement could change the trajectory of one student’s life who could impact thousands of more lives for the better.” Faculty Excellence Award in Public Service – Dr. Laura Ruhl-Whittle, associate professor in the Department of Earth Sciences

Faculty Excellence nominee Laura Ruhl. Photo by Ben Krain.

Ruhl-Whittle’s notable public service includes protecting Fourche Creek Watershed, which surrounds ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and most of the city of Little Rock. “While Dr. Ruhl serves by mentoring student researchers, leading field trips, and supporting and participating in volunteer clean-up efforts within the watershed, her major contribution to public service is aiding in the development of a watershed management plan,” said Dr. Beth McMillan, chair of the Department of Earth Sciences. The watershed plan will serve as a guide for resource managers, policy makers, and community organizations to restore and protect the quality of lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands. Ruhl-Whittle is using her research and expertise on the water quality to gather and supply data from Fourche Creek for the Water Management Plan.�� “I think service is a vital part of my role as a faculty member,” Ruhl-Whittle said. “I have performed service in my discipline, to the university, college, and departments, as well as applied my expertise to a community problem. It has been rewarding in every aspect from the human interactions to helping my community. I will continue my work to improve the Fourche Creek Watershed, which is a priceless resource to the community, University, and the State of Arkansas.” Faculty Excellence Award in Research – Dr. Nitin Agarwal, Maulden-Entergy Professor of Information Science

Faculty Excellence nominee Nitin Agarwal. Photo by Ben Krain.

Agarwal is an internationally renowned researcher whose pioneering work in the social computing discipline has significantly advanced this fledgling area and helped open many doors for innovation for the scientific community. His primary research interests are in social computing, (deviant) behavior modeling, studying group dynamics, influence, trust, collective action, social-cyber forensics, health informatics, data mining and privacy aims to be at the vanguard of the ever-evolving online behaviors. “STEM education needs to be research-driven so that we can expose our students to cutting-edge technologies to prepare them as the next generation workforce that is capable of developing innovative solutions to real-world problems,” Agarwal said. “Our students are the lifeblood of research projects at COSMOS. Our mission is to conduct competitive research, transition research from publications to practice, and inspire thought leaders that communicate science to society and contribute to the social good.” At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, he created the Collaboratorium for Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies (COSMOS), which was designated as a research center by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education in 2020. COSMOS has produced more than two dozen projects, published 10 books and more than 200 publications, and three important tools: Blogtrackers, YouTubeTracker and Focal Structure Analysis. In the past year, COSMOS has assisted the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office track scams and disinformation related to COVID-19 that led to the development of COVID-19 Misinformation Tracker. “Our research examines some of the very complex and interdisciplinary problems that challenge science and society alike,” Agarwal said. “For a meaningful impact, we partner with educators, researchers, businesses, practitioners, journalists, policymakers, defense and security agencies across our state, nation, and the world.” Since joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2009, Agarwal has brought in more than $1o million in funding for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock from sponsors like the U.S. Army Research Office, U.S. Office of Naval Research, U.S. Air Force Research Lab, U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, U.S. National Science Foundation, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “Dr. Agarwal has identified key issues and approaches in understanding the interplay between what people write in blogs and what they do in real life that are critical to grasping the fundamentals of conflict in the new information environment,” said Dr. Rebecca Goolsby, program officer at the Office of Naval Research. “His work has clear implications for understanding crowd behaviors and the emergence of ‘crowdwar’ – phenomena that are now emerging in Ukraine and elsewhere.” The DCSTEM awards committee included Shroat-Lewis, Haydar Al-Shukri, Ivan Conde, Lakeshia Legette-Jones, Mamdouh Bakr, Scott Hearnsberger, Shanzhi Wang, Soheil Saedi, Xiaowei Xu, and David Manry. Kattoum, Ruhl-Whittle, and Agarwal will compete for the university-wide Faculty Excellence Awards, which will be announced April 15.

Clement awarded Jefferson County Single Parent Scholarship

John Hill — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 20:32:10 +0000

Erin Clement, a recent graduate of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock from Pine Bluff, received a 2020 scholarship from the Jefferson County Single Parent Scholarship Fund.�� The $750 scholarship was essential in helping with Clement’s final semester for her undergraduate degree. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in December 2020 and plans to begin the Master of Social Work program this fall. “The Jefferson County Single Parent Scholarship Fund is incredible,” Clement said. “They are very kind people. From the first time I applied, I always felt like I was in good hands with them. Single parent scholarships in themselves are essential and tremendously helpful. It not only helps the parent and child, but also helps the economy. It helps us attend school and contribute to the economy after we graduate and start working.”�� Scholarships were awarded based on academics, financial need, recommendation letters, essay quality, and community service. These awards were made possible by grants from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund. Awards were also supported in part by donations from Relyance Bank, Simmons Bank, Mayor Shirley Washington, and the First Trinity Church of God in Christ.�� Clement is the first person in her family to earn a college degree. She was raised by a single mother who taught her the value of education. “My mother instilled in me a desire to go to school and get an education,” Clement said. “She told me that no one can take your education away from you. It’s an honor to be the first college graduate in my family, and it’s an honor to set an example for my son. He will see that his mom got a college degree, and he will see that he can too.” As a single parent, Clement’s inspiration to complete her degree is to provide a better future for her 4-year-old son, Ehren. “Since I recently graduated with my bachelor’s degree, I told him that I would get a master’s degree and that there are more degrees after that,” Clement said. “He is very curious. He said, ‘Mommy, I want to get a doctor {doctorate} degree.’ Every chance, I try to include him in my education.”

Google grant allows ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to provide free cloud-based cybersecurity labs for Arkansas students

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 14:58:47 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor has received a $10,000 Google grant that will help provide free cloud-based cybersecurity labs for junior high and high school students in Arkansas. Philip Huff, assistant professor of computer science and research associate with the Emerging Analytics Center, received $10,000 in Google Cloud Platform credits from Google’s education grants team. The credits will be used to host online cybersecurity labs in development at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.�� Funded by a three-year from the National Science Foundation, the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Emerging Analytics Center is developing a free open-source, cybersecurity curriculum for students in Arkansas with assistance from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. “Gov. Asa Hutchinson has expanded computer science education in Arkansas, and now the state wants to expand cybersecurity education as well. We want to play a central role in educating cybersecurity students and getting them ready for the workforce.” The new curriculum is part of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s effort to create a pipeline for students to fill cybersecurity positions in the workforce. Set to be launched later this fall, the curriculum will provide a variety of cybersecurity labs that teachers can provide to their students at no cost. The online lab environment, known as the Cyber Gym, will be placed on Google Cloud. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students who are developing the Cyber Gym workouts include Andrew Bombberger, Chance Melby, Ryan Ronquillio, and Verdin-Pol Gaétan. “The main benefit of the grant is that it enables us to run the Cyber Gym for middle and high school teachers for most of the 2019-20 school year,” Huff said. “With the $10,000, we have the ability to run 2,000 distinct classroom labs a month for six months. We are extremely grateful to Google for helping us provide these no-cost labs to students and their teachers.”�� In the upper right photo, Philip Huff (left), ��Vlog��ý Little Rock assistant professor and research fellow at Emerging Analytics Center, leads a cybersecurity workshop for high achool teachers from around the state. Photo by Ben Krain.

$5.6 million in state scholarship money benefits ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students

Janea Snyder — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 19:41:06 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock sophomore Taylor Sinnett received an that saved her money when she enrolled at��Vlog��ý Little Rock after graduating from Southwest Christian Academy in Little Rock.�� She has another scholarship that covers her tuition, and she uses the Academic Challenge Scholarship to pay for other school expenses. “I’ve used it mainly to help with fees and books,” said Sinnett, who is majoring in health and education promotion and minoring in sports management. For the 2018-2019 school year, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery has funded more than $5.6 million dollars in scholarships for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students. Bishop Woosley, director of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, and Dr. Maria Markham, director of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, presented an oversized check for the amount to university officials at the Trojans basketball game on Saturday, Feb. 16. Since 2010, the scholarship program has awarded more than 17,000 scholarships worth more than $58 million dollars. Proceeds from the Arkansas Lottery help fund scholarships for Arkansas residents enrolled in public and private nonprofit two-year and four-year colleges and universities in the state.��The AAC scholarship is available to qualified students who have recently graduated from high school, currently enrolled in college, enrolling in college for the first time, or re-enrolling after a period of time out of college. Like Sinnett, Joseph Thompson, a physical education and health major, relies on scholarships. He lives at home to save money on room and board and uses his Academic Challenge Scholarship to pay for fees, books, and a campus meal plan. Scholarship recipients who attend a four-year university can receive $1,000 for their first year of study; $4,000 for the second and third years of study; and $5,000 for their fourth year. July 1 is the scholarship deadline for students who plan to attend college in the fall 2019. For information on requirements and to apply, visit the��or contact the Arkansas Department of Higher Education’s Financial Aid department: finaid@adhe.edu or 501-371-2050. In the photo above, Maria Markham, director of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education (second from left) presents ��Vlog��ý Little Rock��Athletic Director Chasse Conque and Provost Christy Drale with a $5.6 million check from Arkansas Scholarship Lottery. ��Photos by Benjaim Krain

7 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students receive research fellowships

Janea Snyder — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 20:40:11 +0000

Seven ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students have received��a prestigious Student Undergraduate Research Fellowships from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education to conduct research. The Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program provides up to $2,750 to undergraduate students and their mentors to conduct in-depth research projects in their specific fields of study with the assistance of faculty mentors. To be eligible, all fellowship recipients have a minimum grade-point average of 3.25, at least 30 hours of credit toward a degree, and support of a faculty mentor. Funds also are provided for students to travel to conferences to present their accomplishments. Students from all academic disciplines were encouraged to apply. “Research is the foundation of every great discovery, and the only way to prepare students for advanced research at the graduate level is to prepare them as undergraduates,” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor Andrew Rogerson said. “It’s so important for our students to learn best practices under the guidance of faculty mentors so they are prepared for more rigorous research as graduate students and as professionals.” The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock fellows include the following:

Saiyeeda F. Hossain of Pine Bluff, a double major in sociology and psychology, received ��$2,750 to research “Personality and Depressive Disorder of College Students: A Focus on Undergraduate Students at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.” Saiyeeda’s faculty mentor is Dr. Neveen Shafeek Amin in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
Dylan Wright of Little Rock, a Spanish and political science double major, received $2,000 to study LGBTQ rights and research “Critical Film Perspectives in the Argentine Queer Community.” His faculty sponsor is Dr. Erin Finzer in the Department of World Languages.
Jesse Horton of Marshall, a criminal justice major, received $2,125 to research the “Impact of County-level Economic Disadvantage on Juvenile Case Dispositions in Arkansas.” His faculty sponsor is Dr. Molly Smith in Criminal Justice.
Nicole Ursin of Batesville, a Donaghey Scholar who is majoring in history and anthropology, received $2,125 for her research project, “Understanding Museum Demographics: Historic Arkansas Museum.” Her sponsor is Dr. Juliana Flinn in the Anthropology Department.
Trye Price of Benton, a criminal justice major, received $2,125 to research “Influence of Location and Client Characteristics on Perceived Violence Among Victims of Human Trafficking.” His faculty sponsor is Dr. Molly Smith in Criminal Justice.
Olivia Pate of Jonesboro, a geology and math major, received $2,750 to research her project “Refining the Sol-Gel Synthesis of Intermediate Composition, Nano-Scale Olivine.” Her faculty sponsor is Dr. Michael T. DeAngelis in the Department of Earth Sciences.
Patrick Elliott of Little Rock, an electrical and systems engineering major, received $2,750 to research “Effective Real-Time Energy Management in a Southern US Power Grid.” His faculty sponsor is ��Dr. Kamran Iqbal in the Department of Systems Engineering.

The students will complete their research in the spring 2018 semester, and six of the students who also received Signature Experience Awards will exhibit their work at the Student Research and Creative Works Showcase on April 12 in the Jack Stephens Center.

Obadimu wins $1,000 scholarship in “Make Your Mark” contest

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 30 May 2017 13:14:16 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock student won $1,000 in the “Make Your Mark” scholarship competition.�� Adewale Obadimu, a second-year student in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock computer science doctoral program, received second place after writing an essay answering: “How will an international education help me make a difference in the world?” “I wrote mostly about my past in Nigeria, and how I want to give back to the community,” he said. “I realize that this opportunity that has been given to me by studying in the U.S. can also be given to others that I would like to one day help.” The contest, which was open to international and study abroad students, was sponsored by , a provider of student insurance. Obadimu earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria in 2013. He worked as a lead software developer at Health Informatics Research Laboratory and a technologist for the Center for Energy Research and Development before coming to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Since arriving in January 2016, Obadimu said, he has been fortunate to meet new friends, especially through the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock chapter of the International Friendship Outreach. “I’ve always been fascinated with coming to the U.S.,” Obadimu said. “There are a lot of brilliant minds and opportunities in the U.S. I’ve really been lucky to meet a lot of nice people here. Being an international student is a worthwhile experience.” At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Obadimu teaches software engineering classes as a teaching assistant and conducts research on social computing with Dr. Nitin Agarwal, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Jerry L. Maulden-Entergy endowed chair and information science professor. “We are extremely proud of Adewale,” said Agarwal, director of the COSMOS, where Obadimu is a research assistant. “He brings an immeasurable energy to our Center for Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies (COSMOS).” While Obadimu has yet to select a focus for his doctoral research, he has had fun working on many “interesting projects.” One of the projects includes developing an Android app that serves as a social media network to put ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students in touch with alumni. “What if a student needed to find an internship, and they wanted to ask alumni? It would be very nice to have a way to connect with each other online,” he said.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock student wins award to transcribe music of world-renowned Arkansas fiddle player

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 14:05:01 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock student hopes to make the musical stylings of a famous Arkansas fiddle player easier to learn by identifying the unique elements of his signature music style. Emily Phillips, a junior majoring in anthropology and Spanish at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, received $2,000 from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education’s Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship for her project to transcribe the music and stylistic elements of “Fiddlin’ Banjo Billy Mathews.” Mathews is a world-renowned fiddle player known for his intricate and unique playing style. He has been performing for more than 40 years and has greatly contributed to the American folk music catalog. Under the supervision of her mentor, Dr. Juliana Flinn, professor of anthropology, Phillips, who is also a champion fiddle player, will transcribe Mathews’ recordings and identify unique elements of his music style on paper. Mathews began on the banjo and later learned to play the fiddle. Due to the influence of his banjo playing, he was able to mimic banjo techniques on the fiddle, such as “pull-offs,” “hammer-ons,” and “slides.” By transcribing these recordings, Phillips will be able to investigate how his style was influenced by the traditions of other regions and players. She will also see how his playing style differed from those who previously played the same tunes. Phillips will transcribe the audio recordings on the album, “500 Fiddle Tunes: Old-Time Archive,” using music transcription software. Her goal is to make Mathews’ songs and playing style more accessible for other players to emulate.

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

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Empowers Student Success Through Strong Start to Finish Initiative

DCSTEM recognizes Kattoum, Ruhl-Whittle, Agarwal as Faculty Excellence Winners

Clement awarded Jefferson County Single Parent Scholarship

Google grant allows ����Vlog��ý Little Rock to provide free cloud-based cybersecurity labs for Arkansas students

$5.6 million in state scholarship money benefits ����Vlog��ý Little Rock students

7 ����Vlog��ý Little Rock students receive research fellowships