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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock computer science students take up recruiting project

John Hill — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 17:03:40 +0000

Sometimes, when you are about to make an important decision, like where to go to college, a friendly ear is all you need. This summer, students from the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Student Chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) lent a friendly ear to prospective students (admitted, but not yet enrolled) via phone calls and answered their questions about student life at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “This is not a call to see if they are enrolling. This is a call to get students excited about their departments and letting them know about all the campus amenities,” said ACM Vice President Gaige Ehrenworth, a junior computer science major from Hot Springs. “A lot of the computer science students I called were interested in cybersecurity, and they did not know about the upcoming cybersecurity degree in 2021. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is a very good university for those who wish to get a good education at a reasonable price with flexibility for both the commuter and on campus students.” Ehrenworth led a team of four computer science students who spoke with about 85 prospective students in the Department of Computer Science. “Along with the specific areas of opportunity we offer, the department is also an energizing environment in which to study, in no small measure resulting from the activities and initiatives of the student chapter of the ACM,” said Dr. Albert Baker, interim chair of the Department of Computer Science. “That members of the chapter volunteered this summer to call admitted students who had not yet enrolled, is just one example of the value the chapter brings to the Department of Computer Science and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Correlation is not causation, but we’ve seen an uptick in the number of enrolled computer science majors over the last 10 days or so. I sincerely thank the volunteers who made the calls.” The additional ACM students who called prospective students include Julia Green, a senior from Maumelle, Brandon “Alex” Norman, a sophomore from Jacksonville, and John Clements, a senior from Little Rock. “I think this was a great project,” Green said. “I’m a nontraditional student. I know how wonderful it is to know that someone cares about you and your education. It’s a nice feeling to know that somebody cares, and it was nice to provide that feeling for fellow students.” Green also fielded questions from women who are worried about the low number of female students in STEM fields. Women in the U.S. make up only about 30 percent of those with a college degree in a STEM area, according to the “I had a few girls ask me what it was like being a computer science major,” Green said. “Some girls are worried that there are not a lot of women in STEM. I was glad that I could provide some reassurance for girls entering the program.” The students even fielded some calls with the parents of prospective students. “There were a few times when parents picked up the phone before the student, and they were surprised that a student was calling to answer their child’s questions,” Norman said. “The parents would tell their kids to talk to us, that it was an important opportunity for you to get to know your college.” The students had such good feedback from the prospective students they called that they are hoping to continue and expand the project. “I would like to start much earlier next year with a larger list of prospective students and get more students from the ACM involved,” Ehrenworth said. “Come this semester, I hope to see some of the students we contacted visit us at the ACM and the computer science department. I don’t see this outreach as ever ending. The department greatly appreciated our efforts, and, hopefully, we will see an increase in enrollment and an increase in campus involvement from our efforts.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock community comes together to provide computers for families in need

John Hill — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 12:41:32 +0000

Many families have felt the strain of teaching their children at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, but can you imagine trying to homeschool your children without a computer?�� One single mother in Little Rock facing that problem reached out to Mamas Unidas LR, a nonprofit organization that empowers Hispanic parents to help their kids succeed in school and go to college. Since the pandemic began, Mamas Unidas LR has worked to meet the basic needs of the Hispanic community in southwest Little Rock by distributing hundreds of lunches and food boxes for families. “Some of those families shared with us their need for a computer so that the kids could do homework,” said Sandra Carmona Jobe, program coordinator at TRIO Programs at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and a volunteer with Mamas Unidas LR. “I reached out to the Trojan community to see if anyone might have a solution.”�� The inquiry brought a wide range of responses from faculty, staff, and students at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Some offered computers, tablets, and donations, while many just wanted to know how they could be of help to a family in need. One of the respondents, Kristin Dutcher Mann, a professor of history, donated her family’s old iMac to the cause. Although Mann’s family occasionally used it to surf the web and play music, she thought the computer would be of more use to the new family. “I saw Sandra’s notice on the classifieds list, and we thought the computer would be helpful for this family,” Mann said. “We have sons at home who have been doing online coursework, and I can’t imagine trying to finish up school without a computer. We’re glad it has a new home.” More than one family in need will receive a computer, since Carmona Jobe also received a second computer donation from the university’s student chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). “The ACM Student Chapter of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock was grateful for the opportunity to assist an area family in this time of recommended isolation by donating a computer,” ACM Vice President Gaige Ehrenworth said. “We are acutely aware of how important digital resources are in this time of social distancing and working from home.” ACM President Denver Ellis said that the organization has been working on ways to become more involved in serving the community over the past year, and donating a computer was a great way to do that. “More than ever, education is going to be delivered virtually and the chapter was happy to assist one family to stay engaged,” Ellis said. “It is part of the mission of the ACM Student Chapter to promote technical excellence and to do so throughout the communities we serve. We only wish we had the resources to meet more of our community’s needs for computing resources.” The single mother who made the original request for a computer was thankful for the gift.�� “My family and I are very thankful to the person that donated the computer, because it has become very useful and essential to my kids’ ability to do their homework during this pandemic,” she said.�� Carmona Jobe said that both families who received the computers are grateful for the help and the ability to provide a better at-home education for their children. “The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock community has never failed me when I need help for the community,” Carmona Jobe said. “I had individuals posting the information on other pages and reaching out to friends to help a stranger. I wanted to especially thank Mrs. Kristin Dutcher Mann and the Association for Computing Machinery for each donating a computer. We were able to assist two families with a computer, and they were very thankful for that.” Mamas Unidas also started an advocacy program, Unidos Se Puede, where college students are volunteering with families in the community and serving as advocates, tutors, and translators for the families.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to celebrate Pi Day with 24-hour game jam

John Hill — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 14:17:00 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host a Pi Day Game Jam Saturday, March 14, and Sunday, March 15. The event is free and open to the public—novices and experts alike. Participation can be in-person or virtual. The event will be held from noon to 10 p.m. March 14 and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 15 at the Engineering and Information Technology building room 417. . is a 24-hour game software development marathon with a “Pi” theme. Games can be created around the number Pi, its Greek symbol, or a homophone of Pi. Participants can compete individually or in teams of up to four people. A panel of judges will critique each game submission based on design, originality, and adherence to the Pi theme. One top submission will be recognized for each category. Additionally, one submission will be recognized as the overall winner. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) student chapter president Nick Stewart encourages people of all game skill levels, backgrounds, and experiences to participate. The Pi Day Game Jam is sponsored by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock ACM, the Department of Computer Science, and the George W. Donaghey Emerging Analytics Center. For more information, visit or email the ACM student chapter at inquiry@ualr.acm.org.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock students provide computer training to Arkansas Secretary of State employees

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 19:59:46 +0000

Three computer science students at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock have used their tech-savvy skills to provide computer training to employees at the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office this fall. The venture began this fall when Kerry Moody, director of communications and education for the Secretary of State’s office, contacted Dr. Albert Baker, interim chair of the Department of Computer Science and advisor to the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) student chapter at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.�� “Our Chief of Staff, Deputy Dwight Southerland, was interested in providing our staff the opportunity to participate in specialized computer training,” Moody said. “He tasked me with finding the right program, and after doing a bit of research, I realized that we needed to reach out to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. I received a call back from Professor Al Baker and knew immediately that we would be able to make something work with his team of students.”�� Three ACM members created a computer training program and provided five three-hour workshops over the course of five weeks to 20 employees at the Secretary of State’s office. The students include Denver Ellis, a sophomore from Parin, Arkansas; John Clements, a senior from Little Rock; and Gaige Ehrenworth, a sophomore from Royal, Arkansas.�� “John, Denver, and Gaige exhibited the level of professionalism expected of IT professionals at any level,” Baker said. “That these members of the student chapter of the ACM provided this excellent service to an office of Arkansas state government exemplifies the kind of cooperation with the Arkansas IT community encouraged by the Department of Computer Science at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.”�� Ehrenworth served as the main instructor during classes, while Ellis and Clements assisted students one-on-one during their class projects. Ehrenworth enjoyed the leadership experience he gained during the training.�� “This was the first time that I got to be the head of a project for the ACM, and it was the first time that I provided a service like this to people in the community,” Ehrenworth said. “There was a lot of hard work involved, but it was a very rewarding experience overall.”��

��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate students, standing from top left, John Clements, light blue, Denver Ellis, plaid, and Gaige Ehrenworth, black shirt, teach a Microsoft Office training class to employees of the Secretary of State’s Office. The students are members of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Association of Computing Machinery club. Photo by Ben Krain.

Moody said that those who attended the workshop were excited to learn new things. Even those who weren’t expecting to learn much were surprised by the knowledge they picked up.�� “Our staff here at the Secretary of State’s office enjoyed the training and were pleasantly surprised with learning so much. Gaige, Denver, and John were great at helping everyone throughout the process. They definitely knew the programs and were able to share with our employees lots of functional information. Gaige, Denver, and John truly knew how to walk through each program and provide practical tips that everyone could use in the office.”�� Clements said ACM members are excited about opportunities that allow the club to become more in the community. The club shut down five years ago, but restarted one year ago with active members who are excited to get involved.�� “This workshop fulfilled one of our club’s purposes, which is to provide professional development activities to the community,” Clements said. “We do many other community events. I’ve taught a workshop on game development for high school teachers. Our members are also involved in game jams and hackathon competitions.” The workshops served as a pilot program for the ACM. With its initial success, the ACM hopes to offer more workshops in the future.�� “Everyone took something away from the workshops that they will use in their work,” Ellis said. “The ability to teach one-on-one is something that I am very passionate about. I love to tutor, and this provided a new outlet that was beneficial to a lot of people.”�� The Secretary of State’s office plans to be the first to sign up for new workshops.�� “We enjoyed our training, and the staff that were unable to participate this time would like to in the spring,” Moody said. “We were able to interact with three kind, outgoing, and intelligent young men, and they were able to visit with a diverse group of civil servants.�� I think it was a positive eye-opening experiment for all of us. Our office looks forward to working with them again in the future.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Association for Computing Machinery to offer game development workshop

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 13:27:42 +0000

The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Association for Computing Machinery student chapter will host a game development workshop for teachers, high school juniors and seniors, and adults from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21, at the College of Engineering and Information Technology building room 217. The workshop will introduce learners to the fundamentals of game development using the game engine Unreal Engine 4 and and its visual scripting system. No prior experience is necessary. The cost is $75 for teachers and adults and $40 for students. Teachers will earn six professional development credits. Participants will need to bring their own laptops. “While the workshop will be teaching programming, it may also be relevant to students interested in game design in general, since it will provide students with a starting point to work from for exploring other aspects of game design,” said Sandra Leiterman, math education specialist with the STEM Education Center. “By the end of the event, participants will have their own playable game.” To register and for more information about the workshop, including laptop requirements, visit the web page.

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

����Vlog��ý Little Rock computer science students take up recruiting project

����Vlog��ý Little Rock community comes together to provide computers for families in need

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to celebrate Pi Day with 24-hour game jam