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

Grad believes ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has prepared him for future career of public service

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 18:28:53 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate is grateful for the personalized yet flexible college education he received that helped him gain experience in politics, public policy, and nonprofits that will be invaluable to his future career.�� Dylan Wright of Little Rock will graduate Dec. 14 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and minors in economics, math, and creative writing. “I think the biggest reason that I attended ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is that I got the Donaghey scholarship,” Wright said. Donaghey Scholars receive a financial package that includes full tuition and fees, a housing subsidy, a stipend, a study abroad experience, and a new laptop computer. “I knew I would have a lot of opportunities to be flexible in my education,” Wright said. “I got to study abroad and take a bunch of classes in different areas. Dr. Jessica Scott and Dr. Simon Hawkins from the Donaghey Scholars Program have been amazing and helped me through any problems I’ve had.” The Little Rock native has also studied human rights and social movements at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina. During his study abroad trip, Wright researched queer cinema in Argentina and the role it plays in citizen’s LGBTQ rights under the mentorship of Dr. Erin Finzer, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and assistant professor of Spanish. He presented his research at the Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies conference in Mexico in March.�� In another research project, Wright is working with Dr. Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm, associate professor in the School of Public Affairs, to study the implementation of more than 1,000 recommendations of truth commissions in 13 Latin American countries. The truth commissions investigated histories of human rights violations. Wright and Wiebelhaus-Brahm have presented their research at the Law and Society Association conference and will present at the Midwest Political Science Association meeting in Chicago next year with support from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s presidential Studies Program. “Dylan has done some amazing things at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” Wiebelhaus-Brahm said. “He’s�� supported some of the most important nonprofits in our community. He’s worked on several election campaigns, ranging from mayoral to presidential. There are great things in his future.” Wright remains thankful to the research opportunities he had with his mentors. “Dr. Brahm and Dr. Finzer have been the two professors who have been the most active in guiding my interests and helping me explore the topics I’ve been interested in, including human rights, international relations, and social justice,” Wright said. “The professors here have done a really great job of providing me with guidance and resources and passion for different areas that I am now interested in and want to pursue.” During his time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Wright has become an active volunteer in the Little Rock nonprofit world. He has served on the advisory board for Lucie’s Place and the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Diversity Council. He has also volunteered with El Zócalo Immigrant Resource Center, Heifer International, and the Clinton Presidential Library.�� “I started out as an English major, but I didn’t feel fulfilled,” Wright said. “I switched my major to political science. As I became more politically aware, I wanted to become more active in local organizations who are doing important work. I tried to dedicate as much of my time as I could to volunteering.” In the political arena, Wright has interned for the Democratic Party of Arkansas, the Clinton Foundation, the Human Rights Campaign: Project One America, and two political campaigns. After graduation, Wright plans to attend a joint graduate program where he will attend law school while studying public policy. While he’s keeping his options open, Wright’s future career will most likely involve law, politics, and public policy. “I’m applying to graduate programs, but I do know I want my career to be nonprofit or public-service oriented,” Wright said. “I really want to spend my career helping people.”

Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg to speak at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 19:09:02 +0000

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, will speak at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 3.�� The event is part of the Frank and Kula Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series, hosted by the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton School of Public Service. Ginsburg will discuss her 25-year history on the nation’s highest bench and historic legal career prior to being nominated by Pres. Bill Clinton to serve as the second female justice of the Supreme Court.�� The Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series was established with a gift from the Kumpuris Family in honor of their mother and in memory of their father. The Kumpuris Lecture Series is presented by the Clinton Foundation, Clinton School of Public Service, and AT&T. The program is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Due to the high popularity of the event, those interested in attending can visit to join a wait list for reservations. Ginsburg has been a pioneer for gender equality throughout her distinguished career. She received her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and attended Harvard Law School. One of only nine women at Harvard Law School in 1956, Ginsburg and her female classmates were asked by the dean why they were occupying seats that would otherwise be filled by men. Upon graduating from Columbia Law School in 1959, Ginsburg tied for first in her class. Ginsburg clerked for Judge Edmund Palmieri of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York from 1959 to 1961. She then joined Columbia Law School’s International Procedure Project, where she co-authored a book on Sweden’s legal system and translated Sweden’s Judicial Code into English. Continuing in academia, Ginsburg joined the faculty of Rutgers Law School in 1963, but her gender put her at a disadvantage. When she discovered that her salary was lower than that of her male colleagues, she joined an equal pay campaign with other women teaching at the university, which resulted in substantial increases for all the complainants. In 1971, Ginsburg co-founded the Women’s Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, and served as the ACLU’s General Counsel from 1973-1980, and on the National Board of Directors from 1974-1980. She served on the board and Executive Committee of the American Bar Foundation from 1979-1989, on the Board of Editors of the American Bar Association Journal from 1972-1978, and on the Council of the American Law Institute from 1978-1993. She was appointed a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1980. After receiving unanimous confirmation from the U.S. Senate, Ginsburg joined the Supreme Court on Aug. 10, 1993.

Ursin named 2019 Edward L. Whitbeck Memorial Award Winner

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 18:04:07 +0000

A Donaghey Scholar who is passionate about preserving and sharing history through her work at museums has been chosen as this year’s recipient of the Edward L. Whitbeck Memorial Award at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.�� Nicole Ursin, 21, of Batesville, has earned a 4.0 GPA while double majoring in anthropology and history with a minor in nonprofit leadership studies, all while working at nine different museums and historical organizations throughout her college career. The Whitbeck Memorial Award is the single greatest distinction the university annually bestows on a graduating student through a competitive application process that comes with a $2,000 prize. Ursin will receive the award during a luncheon beginning at 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 10, at the Clinton Presidential Center Great Hall in Little Rock. In the fall, Ursin will begin a dual master’s degree program in applied anthropology and historic preservation at the University of Maryland. Once her education is complete, she would like to continue her historic preservation and education work at a museum and consult for communities that want to ��increase tourism based on historical sites. When she started college in 2015, Ursin looked to ��Vlog��ý Little for an affordable, in-state education the provided her access to museums and culture in the heart of the capital city. She was also accepted into the prestigious Donaghey Scholars program, which provides tuition, fees, an on-campus housing subsidy, and a yearly stipend for up to four years, as well as financial assistance toward a Study Abroad program and a computer. “I wanted to stay in Arkansas for the affordability of staying in state, but I also wanted to be in Little Rock where I would be at the center of where things are happening in heritage and culture,” Ursin said. “I wanted to work and intern at museums and historical organizations, and being a part of the Donaghey Scholars helped me get the liberal arts education that I wanted.” During her study abroad experience, Ursin interned at the Národní (National) Museum in the Czech Republic. She preserved historic human remains from medieval times as well as worked in the Náprstek Museum of Asian, African and Native American Cultures. “I even got to piece together a human skull that was broken into fragments,” she said. In Little Rock, Ursin has interned the National Archives and Records Administration, the Center for Arkansas History and Culture, and the Clinton Foundation. For the past two years, she has worked at the Historic Arkansas Museum, where she researched the factors that drive museum audience demographics and diversity. Throughout her internships, she has developed educational materials for the Clinton Presidential Center’s traveling exhibits and photographed and rehoused museum artifacts from President Bill Clinton’s administration. She also created an online exhibit about the life of, the vice principal for girls at Little Rock Central High School who was responsible for protecting the six female members of the Little Rock Nine. Ursin loves the opportunity to bring history to life for people to better understand the past. During her last two years with the Historic Arkansas Museum, she has learned some invaluable 19th-century skills like candle making and butter churning, to the delight of visiting children.

Nicole Ursin, the 2019 Whitbeck award winner, has worked at the Arkansas Historic Museum for two years. Photo by Benjamin Krain.

“I love my time at the Historic Arkansas Museum,” she said. “I have learned the most and been given the most opportunities to work in different parts of the museum. I am on the education staff, so I help coordinate programs and give historic tours. Recently, I coordinated the museum’s spring break week activities where we do a lot of living history demonstrations. We show people how to do historic cooking and laundry, candle making, butter churning, and a printing press. Kids usually love to make butter. People often don’t understand how much of a chore it would be to do these activities back in the 1840s.” �� Additionally, Ursin has volunteered at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Sequoyah National Research Center, the Quapaw Quarter Association, and the Old Independence Regional Museum in Batesville. She has curated a permanent exhibit panel about school in early Arkansas, helped develop a database of Arkansas obituaries from newspaper records, and researched historic buildings in Arkansas to aid in historic preservation. On the anthropology side, Ursin put her skills to use by studying an immigrant community of Micronesians living in Corsicana, Texas. Along with her mentor, Dr. Juliana Flinn, professor of anthropology and gender studies, she has visited Corsicana on multiple occasions to meet with community leaders and longtime residents to learn about daily life in the community. “I think one of the most interesting components of the research is how much the immigrants are working to preserve their culture while maintaining a deep connection by visiting the island, sending money back to relatives, and staying active in politics,” Ursin said. “They are really trying hard to preserve their culture and share their culture in Texas.” The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Faculty Senate Honors and Awards Committee selects the Whitbeck scholar based on t citizenship, scholarship, and leadership. Frank L. and Beverly Whitbeck established the award in memory of their son, Edward Lynn Whitbeck, who was a senior at Little Rock University, the predecessor of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, at the time of his death in 1965. Each scholar receives a personalized plaque and a monetary award and will lead the graduating students during the academic processional at spring graduation on May 11.

Zaire Husband: Future Cyber Activist

Janea Snyder — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 13:03:18 +0000

For Zaire Husband, choosing a college was about finding a place with a program that best fit her career interests. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock was close to home, affordable, and had a Computer Science program that fit her needs. “I have always loved computers,” Zaire, 21, said. “Computer science to me is like learning a language, learning how to tell the computer what to do.” She’s an artist too, and carries a doodle pad around with her everywhere she goes. “Digital art is probably my favorite type of art because you can showcase your art across the world with a single click,” she said. Zaire will graduate in May 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a minor in information assurance. She has the perfect career in cybersecurity all mapped out. “I want to be a hacker, security engineer, and architect. Essentially you’re working with networks and infrastructure to keep other hackers out – like a cyber vigilante. You try to get into the mind of a criminal and try to break into your own software. It’s like being the criminal, the detective, and the police all in one package.” She’s also passionate about sharing with other young women the possibilities of a STEM career. “I’m really passionate about women in computer science, especially women of color,” she said. “The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Computer Science division is pretty diverse. I have gained a diverse group of friends from all backgrounds and skin tones. However, the female to male ratio is still lacking, not just in Little Rock, but across the country.” When looking for a role model, Zaire had to look no further than to her parents. “My parents are big on education,” she said. “They know how hard it is for a young black female. I’m really blessed. I get help from school and my family, and it’s helped me be able to do things.” Husband hopes to herself be a mentor one day for young women. “I would like to inspire people the same way I’ve been inspired,” she said. “You need support from all directions. Many young people fear that they’re not good enough. Many younger people have a fear of math. It’s really hard for people in this country because we don’t put as much emphasis on it, and you need a strong foundation.” During Zaire’s freshman year, she lived on campus and joined the African American Female Initiative, which connected her with others and activities. She was actively involved with the Arkansas Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (ARK-LSAMP) program, which strives to increase the number of minority students in STEM areas. She’s also gained hands-on skills and networked through internships. Dr. Jim Winter, director of the University Science Scholars and LSAMP, helped Husband get an internship with the Emerging Analytics Center during her freshman year, “He gave me a sense of direction, and for that I’ll be forever grateful.” In fall 2017, Husband interned at the Clinton Foundation where she worked in information technology and communications – and even met former President Bill Clinton. “My internships have helped me know what to expect and helped me network and meet contacts in the industry,” she said. Zaire also serves an EIT Ambassador, helping freshmen with homework and tutoring. She is involved with Society of Women Engineers, Cyber Security Club, ��Vlog��ýLR Alliance, and the Anime Club. Photos by Benjamin Krain

Bill Clinton, author James Patterson to discuss new novel at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 16:36:40 +0000

Former U.S. Pres. Bill Clinton and bestselling author James Patterson will discuss their new novel, “The President is Missing,” at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 9, at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Jack Stephens Center.�� is part of the Frank and Kula Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series, hosted by the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton School of Public Service. Mary Steenburgen will moderate the discussion about the Clinton-Patterson collaboration, offering candid insights into their unique collaboration and research as well as the timely and alarming issues their novel raises about our world today. “The President is Missing” marks the first time a president has collaborated with a bestselling novelist on a work of fiction. The result is a powerful, one-of-a-kind thriller filled with details only a president could know and the kind of suspense only Patterson can deliver. The Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series was established with a gift from the Kumpuris Family in honor of their mother and in memory of their father. The Kumpuris Lecture Series is presented by the Clinton Foundation, Clinton School of Public Service, and AT&T. This program does not include a public signing. The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Doors open at 5 p.m. Seats may be or by emailing��kumpurislecture@clintonschool.uasys.edu or calling 501-683-5239.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock team attends Clinton Global Initiative University

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 18:17:26 +0000

Three University of Arkansas at Little Rock students attended the Clinton Global Initiative University Oct. 13-15 at Northeastern University in Boston to discuss their design of a water pump to provide clean drinking water to a rural village in Haiti.�� This is the second year ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has participated in the (CGI U) Network, a growing consortium of colleges and universities that support, mentor, and provide seed funding to student leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs who are developing solutions for some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Team members include Lottie Richardson, a fall 2017 systems engineering graduate, Tanner Harris, and Samuel Shelton, both spring 2017 graduates of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Dr. Andrew Wright, associate professor of systems engineering, also attended the event as the faculty liaison. “We would like to see the students learn how to take their ideas to implementation,” Wright said. “Part of implementation is developing funding and partnerships. Interacting with other like-minded students will help them build their partnerships, develop their ideas, and develop ways to get funding for their projects.” The team attending CGI U is working with a nonprofit organization that introduces clean water solutions to redesign and build a water pump that will provide access to clean drinking water in a rural village in Haiti. “Students our age are going above and beyond for people in this country and others,” Richardson said. “It’s humbling. It makes you feel like there are still good people on this Earth.” CGI U was founded in 2007 by former President Bill Clinton after the success of the Clinton Global Initiative, through which global leaders convene to implement plans to combat global challenges. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Office of Community and Career Engagement has sponsored the CGI U efforts at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.

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

Grad believes ����Vlog��ý Little Rock has prepared him for future career of public service

Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg to speak at ����Vlog��ý Little Rock