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

National Engineers Week: John Short

John Hill — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 14:15:46 +0000

In celebration of National Engineers Week, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is highlighting some of the university’s most promising engineers and engineering students.

John Short, Civil and Construction Engineering student

Tell us a little bit about yourself. I will be a senior in the fall of 2022. I am very excited about graduating. I am from the Central Arkansas area. I have enjoyed my time and the material that I am learning. My hobbies include being an avid archer and whitetail hunter. I like to fish, and in my spare time, I like to do carpentry (building custom furniture). What made you choose ��Vlog��ý Little Rock? I received my first degree at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. I was a primary education teacher for about seven years, then decided to change careers. I returned to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock because of location. I trusted that I would be given the opportunities to learn at a high level as well as possibly make connections with professionals in the local area. Erin Flowers was my first advisor I spoke with coming in to the program, and she did a very good job selling it to me as well. What interests you the most about the engineering field? I chose engineering from my interests and proficiencies in both math and physics. Also, I have enjoyed working on some small structures on my own time and thought that being on the design side of structures would be enjoyable work. I was able to determine this with the help from my very supportive wife. What opportunities have you gotten through ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Engineering program that you might not have gotten otherwise? I was able to make a connection with the company Afco Steel at one of the virtual career fairs. I did a summer internship with them last year. It was a great opportunity and experience that might not have happened had I not attended ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. What engineering course has been the most challenging/rewarding for you? I believe statics then mechanics were equally challenging and rewarding for me. They were my first exposure to the introduction of how engineering courses will proceed for the remainder of my time in the program. The knowledge I gained from those courses has been used in other courses including some that I am currently enrolled in. What do you plan to do after graduation? Begin working as a civil engineer and gain the time/experience I need in order to get my PE. My goal is to be a working Professional Engineer as soon as possible. Do you have any advice for prospective students who want to major in the field? Try not to overthink the concepts that you learn. Sometimes they are more straight forward and simple than you might think. Stay off of the website aid (CHEGG) unless you need help. Even if you need help, use your instructors and peers. I am thankful for my peers and have made close friends in the process. My friends, Andrew Brown and Sam Swindle, have helped me when I get stuck, and I like to think that I have helped them as well. They also offer support in more ways than just school work. Learn the material as it is being taught to you. And most importantly, practice! Each of the engineering textbooks that have been assigned offer several opportunities to practice on your own. Instructors will use these as homework but there are plenty of problems in the books to get enough practice to learn and feel confident. The information learned in this program can be complex, however, I would say that it is quite rewarding.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Celebrates National Engineers Week

John Hill — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 21:14:58 +0000

In celebration of National Engineers Week, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is highlighting some of the university’s most promising engineers and engineering students.

David Luneau, Professor in the Engineering Technology Department

Tell us a little bit about yourself. I have taught at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for 31 years. Prior to that, I was an engineer at AT&T in Little Rock at their computer manufacturing facility for five years. I spent my first five years after college working at the Johnson Space Center in the Space Shuttle program as a flight controller in the Mission Control Center. I grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and have electrical engineering degrees from Rice University and Georgia Tech. I grew up playing baseball and played as an adult as well. At age 35, I took up tennis and still enjoy playing regularly. I enjoy birding, and I have been involved in the documentation of the continued existence of the once presumed-extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker. For 28 years, I have been involved in SOLAR SPLASH, an international, intercollegiate solar/electric boat competition. I am currently president of the non-profit corporation that organizes the event annually. I have been married for 41 years. My wife, Terri, and I live in North Little Rock and attend Lakewood United Methodist Church. Why do you think ��Vlog��ý Little Rock would be a good fit for future engineering students? The engineering technology department has been part of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for almost 50 years. Our graduates have contributed to the economy of Arkansas in a big way. Graduates from our programs find good-paying jobs both here in Arkansas as well as all around the U.S. What do you like most about the field? I enjoy solving problems, which is the crux of the engineering experience. What made you want to pursue a career in engineering?

Professor David Luneau

I have to confess that the summer before my senior year in high school I did not know what engineering was. My father, who worked most of his career for Arkansas Power and Light (now Entergy), asked me if I had considered majoring in engineering. I knew that I liked math and science, but I had not thought much about a career. I looked into engineering, and it seemed like a good fit. I started college wanting to be a chemical engineer, but quickly discovered that I liked the electrical parts of physics class much more than I liked chemistry, so I switched majors. What is your most memorable experience from the engineering field? One memorable experience during the search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker was when a biologist asked me if I could design him a wireless camera system to use for inspecting woodpecker cavities. He had dropped his very expensive camera in 10’ of water and was in dire need of an affordable replacement. I took up the challenge, and modified a baby monitor system that met his needs. The camera system evolved over the next few years. For the past 10 years, I have been making and selling wireless camera systems to field biologists, mostly for woodpecker research. Do you have any advice for prospective students who want to major in the field? If you enjoy problem-solving on a regular basis and aren’t afraid of a little math, you just might be a good fit for a career in engineering technology.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock students design hospital, school, and office building for senior class project

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 08 May 2019 13:43:26 +0000

A group of 13 graduating students from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock faced a unique problem for their senior design project. Split into three teams, each was given the same set of architectural plans for an identical, two-story building. Yet, each building will serve a different purpose in a different city across the U.S. Tasked with completing a structural systems design, construction cost estimate, and construction schedule for a one-year timeline, each group faced vastly different challenges in the design of their building. “Each team had to design their gravity load and lateral load resisting systems for different occupancies, different geotechnical conditions, and for different design loads for wind, seismic events, and snow,” said Dr. Nick Jovanovic, coordinator of the architectural, civil, and construction engineering programs. “In addition, each team had to consider local climate weather, and cost conditions to create appropriate cost estimate and construction schedules.” Team Eads was tasked with designing an office building in St. Louis. Members include Covy Brown, Tommy Fenton, Samuel Kincannon, Palmer Lane, and Jorge Vasquez. Morgan Bruce, Jared Eakin, Jacob Head, and Blake Johnston made up Team Robertson, which designed a K-12 school in Pensacola, Florida. Team Shreeve consisted of Cody Davis, Cody Stringer, Christian Turner, and Ben Wells. The students designed a hospital in North Dakota. Industry sponsors from Cromwell Architects Engineers and CDI Contractors created the design challenge for the seniors. Participating Cromwell members included Joe Hilliard, director of engineering; Mike Callahan, director of structures; Paul Timko, structural engineer; and Larry Newkirk, structural designer. Estimator Daniel Bowen and Senior Project Manager David Cooan joined the team from CDI Contractors. During the school year, the industry sponsors meet with the students every two weeks to meet project deadlines. They also serve as project supervisors and mentors to the students. Cromwell and CDI have been industry sponsors for the senior design project for the past seven years with the goal of serving the community. Team Shreeve came in with the highest construction cost estimate of $14.4 million to build the North Dakota hospital while Team Robertson turned in an estimate of $14.2 million for the school in Florida. The office building in St. Louis came in the least expensive at $13.3 million. In the upper right photo, the Department of Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering senior design class includes (L to R): Back Row: Ben Wells, Covy Brown, Jared Eakin, Cody Stringer, Cody Davis, Christian Turner, and Palmer Lane. Front Row: Blake Johnston, Jacob Head, Jorge Vasquez, Samuel Kincannon, Morgan Bruce, and Tommy Fenton.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock students win first place in sustainability competition

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 13:30:15 +0000

A team of University of Arkansas at Little Rock students brought home first place in the Sustainability Competition at the American Society of Civil Engineers Deep South Student Conference for their design and build of a sustainable doghouse. The winning team consisted of Kassandra Castrillo, an environmental engineering major, Parker Little, architectural and construction engineering major, and civil and construction engineering students William Littlejohn, Isaac Martinez, and Garrett Wallace. “The design team from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock chose bamboo as the primary material for the doghouse because it is fast-growing, strong, lightweight, resistant to bacteria, and water-repellent,” said Dr. Nick Jovanovic, faculty advisor to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s team. “They also designed and built prefabricated panels that fit together with built-in pegs and slots to minimize the number of bolted connections and reduce construction time without sacrificing structural strength and stability.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s team constructed the doghouse in 1 minute and 48 seconds using three builders. The closest competitor was the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, who built their doghouse in just under four minutes. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student chapter will represent the Deep South Conference at the ASCE national sustainability event in Melbourne, Florida, in June. Afterwards, the doghouse will be donated to a local animal shelter.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock students won first place in the Sustainability Competition for their build of this sustainable dog house.

“The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock sustainability team won five categories out of seven: aesthetics, construction time, construction cost, technical paper, and overall,” Jovanovic said. “The competition at nationals will be tougher, because only the 18 regional winners will be competing. Before then, the team will try to further reduce weight, construction time, and construction cost, to avoid penalties, and to improve their oral presentation and video for the national competition.” In other competitions, John Schwarz, a civil and construction engineering major, was awarded second place in Daniel Mead Ethics Competition. Another ��Vlog��ý Little Rock team placed fourth in the Surveying Competition. The team included Schwarz, Martinez, civil and construction engineering students Hunter Hobby, Logan Snapp, Jesus Martinez, as well as Jose Garcia, a construction management major. The American Society of Civil Engineers sponsors 18 regional conferences across North America. The Deep South Student Conference includes 14 civil engineering programs in Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student chapter will represent the Deep South Conference at the ASCE national sustainability event in Melbourne, Florida, in June.

Hayworth receives second place in Construction Intern of the Year Contest

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 14:06:16 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock student came in second in a national competition to win a $10,000 scholarship and the title of Construction Intern of the Year. The scholarship program is designed to recognize the strongest construction interns in the industry and the companies with the best construction internship programs in the country. They awarded a total of $50,000 in scholarships to 17 students. As one of four finalists, Harrison Hayworth, junior civil and construction engineering student, earned a $4,000 scholarship. “I feel like I ran quite the gutsy campaign throughout this whole contest,” Hayworth said. “I wrote and rewrote my entry, I reached out to countless connections across the globe, and was relentless at reminding and reaching out to even more people.” A second ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student,, a civil and construction engineering major, was a semifinalist in the competition and earned a $2,000 scholarship. “I feel so proud and happy to get that scholarship,” Osieczko said. “I would like to thank all who voted and supported me. I have really never won a scholarship before, so it means something very special to me. I feel happy, proud, and honored for having so many amazing people around me.” Both students completed internships at Austin Bridge and Road this summer. They were both selected as semifinalists in the Construction Intern of the Year competition after being two of the top eight candidates who received the most online votes. Hayworth earned the second most online votes out of more than 120 contestants with 11,525 votes, while Osieczko had the fifth highest amount of online votes, finishing the competition with 8,928 votes. Harrison also thanked everyone who voted in the online contest that helped her reach the semifinalist round of the competition. “The contest was decided by a panel of judges, and the voting played a part of the overall outcome,” Harrison said. “I appreciate the support tremendously. Without the voting, I could have been in a completely different situation.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock students move on to semifinalist round of Construction Intern of the Year competition

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 14:32:45 +0000

Two University of Arkansas at Little Rock students have a chance at winning the title of Construction Intern of the Year and a $10,000 scholarship after earning two spots in the students who earned the most online votes for the scholarship competition. The scholarship program is designed to recognize the strongest construction interns in the industry and the companies with the best construction internship programs in the country. They are awarding a total of $50,000 in scholarships. Two civil and construction engineering students, Harrison Hayworth and Edyta Osieczko, have moved on to the semifinalist round of the competition after being a part of the top eight students who earned the most online votes. Both students completed internships at Austin Bridge and Road this summer. “I would like to say thank you for supporting me through this contest,” Hayworth said. “It truly meant a lot. Other participants at bigger universities and bigger companies automatically had an upper edge on the candidates from smaller universities, but the support from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock really made the difference.” The eight candidates who received the most online votes as well as nine entrants selected by a committee will move on to the next round, where a panel of 12 judges will review the entries and recommendation letters and select the winners. The Construction Intern of the Year and four finalists will be announced Nov. 14. The top winner will take home $10,000, while four finalists will earn a $4,000 scholarship. The rest of the 12 semifinalists will receive $2,000 scholarships.

Harrison Hayworth. Photo by Lonnie Timmons III/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications.

Hayworth earned the second most online votes out of more than 120 contestants. While earning 11,525 votes, she trailed the intern with the most votes, Moath Mohammed, by just 81 votes. “I feel excited to move on to the next round of judging and see what all can happen from here,” Hayworth said. “Being in the top 8 of popular voting out of all of the other candidates is really a neat opportunity.” Osieczko had the fifth highest amount of online votes, finishing the competition with 8,928 votes. “Winning for me is an honor and a privilege,” Osieczko said. “I did not expect it because I’m not a person who was ever popular. I am very appreciative and thankful to all the people who voted for me.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock student competing for Construction Intern of the Year

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 17:37:49 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock student is vying for $10,000 and the title of Construction Intern of the Year. , a junior civil and construction engineering student, needs your votes to help move to the next round of the Construction Intern Awards, which is offering a grand prize $10,000 scholarship as well as $40,000 in additional scholarships. As of Sept. 21, Hayworth was beating out 120 other contestants to appear first on the with the most online votes. A second ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student, , a civil and construction engineering major from Little Rock, is also competing for Construction Intern of the Year. A story featuring Osieczko is coming soon. The scholarship program is designed to recognize the strongest construction interns in the industry and the companies with the best construction internship programs in the country.

Harrison Hayworth, who is competing for Construction Intern of the Year, visits the construction site of the Windgate Center. Photo by Lonnie Timmons III/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications.

A Donaghey Scholar, Hayworth came to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to play for the women’s soccer team. This past spring, Hayworth’s soccer career came to an abrupt end after she received her fifth concussion that forced her to leave the sport behind. “While I miss playing soccer, I realized in time that it was a blessing in disguise, because leaving the sport opened my eyes to the possibilities that working in construction had to offer, and my enthusiasm for the industry.” In April, Hayworth was one of the first of 10 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students to form a team to compete in the concrete canoe challenge at the American Society of Civil Engineers Deep South Student Conference. “Helping to start this team at my university and being involved in this project gave me a genuine appreciation for all of the possibilities and intrinsic benefits construction has to offer—as long as you are willing to put in the time and effort,” she said. “Before my college experience, I had no exposure to construction, but I was fortunate enough to attend a university where construction is a valued path and integral part of the civil engineering and construction engineering degree program.” After meeting with during the Engineering and Information Technology Career Fair, Hayworth spent the summer interning with the construction company in Dallas. She learned how to use survey equipment, complete bridge calculations, and draft alignments and structures from construction plans. “The Austin Bridge and Road internship was a great opportunity to dive into construction head on and learn as much about this industry as possible,” she said. “Watching real decisions and compromises being made helped me understand the industry out of an academic setting. Austin Bridge and Road taught me that the construction industry thrives in an environment that uses all resources, technology, and people available to create the best possible outcome.” You can once every 24 hours until voting ends at 4 p.m. Oct. 3. The eight candidates who receive the most online votes will become semifinalists along with nine candidates selected by a committee. The top four finalists will be announced Nov. 14.

Civil and Construction Engineering students set professional certification exam records

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 13:28:37 +0000

Civil and Construction Engineering students at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock have much to celebrate as they set a new record for their performance on professional certification exams. The Associate Constructor exam is an eight-hour test from the American Institute of Constructors, while the Fundamentals of Engineering exam is a six-hour exam administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. The 12 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students who took the exam had a 100 percent pass rate for the Associate Constructor exam and a 92 percent pass rate for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam. This year’s graduates are the closest a class has come to having a 100 percent pass rate on the Fundamentals of Engineering exam at the time of graduation. It’s a goal Dr. Nick Jovanovic, coordinator of the architectural, civil, and construction engineering programs, hopes next year’s students complete. “Passing the exams validates the quality of the CVCE (Civil and Construction Engineering) program,” Jovanovic said. “It demonstrates that our graduates satisfy, not only our own local standards, but also national standards.” Passing the exams allows graduates to immediately apply for the Engineering Intern Licensure with the state of Arkansas and the Associate Constructor certification from the American Institute of Constructors. Completing the exams is the first step in becoming certified professional constructors and licensed professional engineers. This year’s ��Vlog��ý Little Rock success rates far exceed the national pass rates for civil engineering students who take the exam. The 2016 national pass rate was for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, according to the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. Meanwhile, the spring 2017 national pass rate for the Associated Constructor exam was 70 percent. The 2017 Civil and Construction Engineering graduates include Abdulaziz Alanazi, Daniel Blair, Julian Castillo, Jeff Choate, Fidele Kabera, Matt Mitchell, Ross Phillips, Drew Potter, Norbert Rungano, Dylan Singleton, and David Stinnett.

Donors honor memory of Michael Allen Lasiter with ��Vlog��ýLR scholarship

Shanna Fitzgerald — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 15:48:04 +0000

Former friends and colleagues are honoring the memory of Arkansas construction industry leader Michael Allen Lasiter by donating $60,000 toward helping future civil and construction engineering students at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. On Monday, Dec. 12, about 10 donating companies and organizations presented the check to establish the Michael Allen Lasiter Endowed Scholarship, which will serve as a permanent tribute to Lasiter’s contributions to the central Arkansas construction industry. The Michael Allen Lasiter Endowed Scholarship will help full- or part-time students majoring in civil and construction engineering at the ��Vlog��ýLR College of Engineering and Information Technology. Special consideration will be given to first-generation college students and Arkansas residents. This scholarship will help future engineers turn their dreams into reality, said Lawrence Whitman, dean of the ��Vlog��ýLR Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology (EIT). “It is great to see a group of people come together and honor a person who impacted their lives which will impact future professionals for years to come,” Whitman said. “Also, I am grateful that the person the scholarship is named after modeled lifelong learning, as that is what ��Vlog��ýLR EIT hopes to instill in its students.” At a young age, Lasiter, a Little Rock native, started working at his father’s business, Lasiter Asphalt Maintenance, a small asphalt repair company. He eventually built that business into Redstone Construction, one of the largest highway and asphalt construction companies in the state. Those who worked with him lauded Lasiter’s focus on mentoring, the value he placed on education, and his ability to motivate his employees to reach their full potential. In 2007, Redstone became the first Arkansas company to recycle waste asphalt and concrete — cutting costs and helping the environment by giving new life to waste products that previously ended up in landfills. By 2011, under Lasiter’s leadership, Redstone acquired a quarry, which helped the company open asphalt plants and enabled it to pursue larger highway projects. In late 2015, doctors diagnosed cancer in Lasiter. He studied the disease, sought the best available medical advice, and followed treatment plans, but lost his battle with cancer two months after his 50th birthday. A written tribute by the donors praised Lasiter’s legacy: “Michael’s life was one of learning and teaching. He learned from every situation he encountered. His can-do attitude enabled him to motivate others from the things he had learned. He led by example. He never backed away from any challenge. His legacy will undoubtedly be carried on by everyone he mentored.” Donors to the scholarship include:

Paul Black
Burkhalter Technologies, Inc.
An anonymous donor

Pictured in upper right: Michael Allen Lasiter

EIT undergraduate degree programs earn reaccreditation

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 14:45:16 +0000

Two programs from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology earned reaccreditation of their programs this fall. ��’s Civil and Construction Engineering and Systems Engineering undergraduate degree programs earned reaccreditation from the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), the recognized global accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. Reaccreditation is a voluntary, peer-reviewed process that evaluates many factors, including curriculum, educational facilities, institutional support, faculty expertise, student performance, and outcomes. Many employers require degrees from accredited programs for employment in certain technical fields. “The Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology believes in continually improving our programs,” said Engineering and Information Technology Dean Larry Whitman. “We also believe in receiving feedback on our programs from all constituents. External reviews from the premier accrediting body in the world speaks strongly on the quality of our programs. Students, their families, and industry can be assured that our programs are of top quality,” Whitman said. ABET accredits approximately 3,600 programs at more than 700 colleges and universities in 29 countries. Each year, over 2,200 volunteers from 35 member societies contribute to ABET’s goal of assuring confidence in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology education. These volunteers serving as program evaluators, committee and council members, commissioners, and board members. More information about ABET can be found at .

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

National Engineers Week: John Short

John Short, Civil and Construction Engineering student

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Celebrates National Engineers Week

David Luneau, Professor in the Engineering Technology Department

����Vlog��ý Little Rock students design hospital, school, and office building for senior class project

����Vlog��ý Little Rock students win first place in sustainability competition