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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock researchers study impact of faith-based community engagement in Little Rock

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 18:27:21 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is researching how places of worship in Little Rock work with nonprofit organizations to promote community engagement and provide social services to vulnerable populations.�� The Little Rock Congregations Study is part of an ongoing research project led by Dr. Rebecca Glazier, professor in the School of Public Affairs, stemming from research begun in 2012 to study the effects of religious organizations on community engagement in Little Rock. The interdisciplinary project brought together 59 student researchers from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock who gained invaluable research experience. More than 110 clergy members from congregations across Little Rock completed the survey, while 24 clergy were interviewed. Additionally, students wrote. Undergraduate students in Glazier’s Survey Research Methods class assisted in developing the survey and distributing it to clergy members. They also wrote stories highlighting the good work done through partnerships between places of worship and nonprofit organizations. Members of Dr. Kirk Leach’s graduate Nonprofit Management class and Dr. Gerald Driskill’s undergraduate Intercultural Communication class conducted in-depth interviews with clergy members. “Sometimes, the university can feel pretty distant from the rest of the city,” Glazier said. “The Little Rock Congregations Study gets students out of the classroom and into the community to do research that really matters. We are working hard to share findings that clergy members, congregants, and the broader Little Rock community will find valuable.”

Dr. Rebecca Glazier stands with Little Rock Congregations Study student researchers Anet Rosas-Labrada, Anna Aguilar, Rhodes Houser, Nikki Partlow-Loyall, and Josie Keathley.

The researchers have found that marriage and relationship counseling is the most common service provided by congregations, with 61 percent of responding congregations providing these services, followed by 47 percent of congregations in the study providing a food bank. Partnerships between congregations and nonprofit organizations are a common occurrence. More than 50 percent of congregations with food banks have a partner to help provide that service. Meanwhile, 60 percent of congregations who provide medical screenings or other services have a partner, likely because these types of services are more resource intensive. The most common reason for a partnership between a congregation and a nonprofit is a desire to connect with the community. “Partnerships aren’t happening out of a need for resources, as we might expect, but are more often motivated by the desire of a congregation to get beyond their own members and connect with the broader community in Little Rock,” Glazier said. Three of the student researchers, all political science majors, are taking the project a step further. They have received Signature Experience Awards from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to conduct individual research projects with the help of faculty mentors. Jordan Wallis, a Marine Corps veteran, received a grant to look specifically at veterans’ services provided by congregations and nonprofits in Little Rock. “I am excited to be able to do empirical, community-based research that will further my education and allow me to do a little bit to help fellow veterans in need,” Wallis said. Next, Paige Topping received a grant to study community outreach efforts to share the results of the Little Rock Congregations Study. “I am thankful for the opportunity to not only research issues that are important to my community, but to also connect on a local level and create long-lasting relationships and positive impacts,” Topping said. The third student, Madison Rodgers, received an honorary award to look at longitudinal data from the Little Rock Congregations Study and track community engagement over time. Updates on the continuing research can be found on the or. In the spring 2019 semester, the group will survey people who work at nonprofit organizations in Little Rock to get their perspectives on collaborating with congregations. Additionally, the researchers have received a $1,000 grant from the Arkansas Community Foundation to host a workshop in the spring 2019 semester to share the latest research findings with clergy members. They will also build a clergy advisory board to help prepare for the 2020 Little Rock Congregations Study. In the upper right photo, Dr. Rebecca Glazier (left) discusses the Little Rock Congregations Study with student researchers Anna Aguilar, Nicole Ursin, and Rhodes Houser.

Estes named new interim dean of College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 14:15:53 +0000

Dr. Sarah Beth Estes has been named the new interim dean of the College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.�� Estes will succeed Dr. Thomas Clifton, who will return to the Department of Art and Design as chairperson. Estes will begin her new appointment July 1. She currently serves as the associate provost of community, careers, and extended education and will continue to serve in that role in addition to the interim dean position. “In his two years of service as interim dean of Arts, Letters, and Sciences, Professor Clifton has made many contributions, most notably overseeing the opening of the Windgate Center for Art and Design as well as initiating a Science Advisory Council,” said Dr. Velmer Burton Jr., executive vice chancellor and provost of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, who also welcomed Estes to her new role. “I know Dr. Estes will ably expand current initiatives as well as bring some new opportunities to the college,” Burton said. “Her experience in working across disciplines as well as her leadership experience in multiple roles lends itself well to the interdisciplinary nature of the College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences. Her work in experiential learning and career services will be of great benefit to the many students who are majoring in arts, letters, and sciences. I thank Professor Clifton for his service and Dr. Estes for accepting this appointment.” Estes is a 1988 graduate of Hendrix College with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She also holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. She was a faculty member at the University of Cincinnati and affiliate of the Kunz Center for Work and Family before arriving at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2006. Estes began her ��Vlog��ý Little Rock career as the coordinator of the gender studies program and as a faculty member in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, where she taught courses on gender, social statistics and research methods, and interdisciplinary courses in the Donaghey Scholars Program. She has held many leadership roles at the university, including associate dean for research, engagement, and interdisciplinary programs in the College of Social Sciences and Communication; associate dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; and associate chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Much of Estes’ heavily cited research has focused on how work-family policies are related to aspects of family life, including parenting behavior, children’s well-being, and the gendered division of household labor. In the last few years, she has collaborated with the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas to produce several research studies, including “Economic Indicators for Women in Arkansas: State, Region, County,” published earlier this year. Estes serves as first vice president on the board of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas, which is dedicated to improving economic outcomes for women and girls in Arkansas. She was also the founding chair of the Green Dot Violence Prevention Program established at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2013, was voted the Faculty Member of the Year by the Student Government Association in 2014, and has coordinated the Stonewall Scholarship Committee, which awards an annual scholarship to students whose research incorporates lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender issues.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock joins Higher Education Anchor Mission Initiative

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 21:56:37 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is the only university in Arkansas selected as an inaugural member of the.�� The national collaboration is designed to develop and share new strategies for deploying higher education’s intellectual and place-based resources to enhance the economic and social well-being of the communities they serve. Georgetown University, John Hopkins University, Marquette University, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis are among the 31 colleges and universities serving as inaugural members. Members of the initiative are local economic engines and mission-driven organizations inextricably linked to the long-term well-being of their local communities, and uniquely positioned and incentivized to play a more active role in supporting the local economy. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s participation in the Higher Education Anchor Mission Initiative will help deepen the university’s existing commitment as a community partner and provide a national platform to accelerate this work. “We are excited about the inclusion of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in the national Higher Education Anchor Mission Initiative,” Chancellor Andrew Rogerson said. “Our university’s history is built on a solid foundation of outreach and service to our community. The anchor mission initiative will allow us to expand on the discussion of our role as a critical partner in the city of Little Rock and the central Arkansas region. We will benefit from learning best practices for engagement from 30 of our peer institutions. From this process we hope to learn how to measure our impact, broaden our partnerships, and use the university’s resources for the benefit of the greater community.” As part of the initiative, a team of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty and staff members will undergo training on engagement approaches and methods, networking opportunities, and compilation of a data set that will allow the institutions’ benchmarking potential. The Higher Education Anchor Mission Initiative is a joint project of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU), a national organization dedicated to connecting urban universities and their partners, and The Democracy Collaborative (TDC), a national research institute developing strategies for a more democratic economy, and is supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. “Colleges and universities in the U.S. collectively employ over 4 million people, spend over $43 billion each year, and hold over half a trillion dollars in their endowments, which means their potential impact as community wealth building anchor institutions is enormous,” said TDC President Ted Howard. Recognizing this potential, CUMU has worked with The Democracy Collaborative to select higher education institutions from its membership to join the initiative as inaugural members. “Whether public or private, CUMU member institutions are anchored by place and recognize an obligation to their communities to address challenges and work with partners to find creative, equitable solutions,” CUMU Executive Director Bobbie Laur said. “This initiative will guide universities across the country to expand current collaborative work and to form more strategic partnerships that benefit the economic and social well-being of their communities.”

Three sisters are keeping the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps in the family

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 18:02:59 +0000

Three sisters are making the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock a family affair.�� Virginia Lee, 25, of Maumelle, and her younger sisters, Anna-Bel, 22, and Grace Chambers, 19, of Sherwood, are the only set of three sisters to participate in the scholarship program since it began in 1976. “We’ve had plenty of siblings, but this is the first time we had a set of three all go through the program,” said Amber Wolf, program coordinator. Every year, approximately 225 first-time freshmen are admitted to the program, which is designed for high school leaders active in extracurricular activities and their community. CLC Scholars receive a financial package totaling up to $32,000 through a four-year renewable scholarship. Participants complete at least 15 hours of community service every semester. In 2010, the Chambers family history with the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps began when the oldest sister, Virginia, was considering going to college. “I was looking for scholarships, and one of my childhood friends told me about the CLC,” Virginia said. “When my mom found out this program was based heavily on volunteer work, she helped me apply. I had done a lot of volunteer work through high school, including a reading program and .” Before enrolling at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Virginia and her sisters were home-schooled, which made her nervous about attending college. However, CLC scholars attend orientation programs on campus the week before classes start, which helped Virginia adjust. “I can’t imagine going through college without the CLC,” Virginia said. “The CLC provided me with friends and a good support system. It helped me with the anxiety of starting college and provided me with a sense of community.” In 2013, when Virginia was a senior, the second sister, Anna-Bel, followed in her sister’s footsteps. Throughout her time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Anna-Bel found a love of volunteering with children. “I volunteered with ‘Our Kids Read,’ a reading program at Bale Elementary,” she said. “I also did a lot of volunteering at , the homeless shelter, in their day care.” For the past three years, Anna-Bel volunteered in Nicaragua, where family friends serve as missionaries at a preschool with an after-school program. “The school is in a very poor part of the city, and they serve 300 kids every day,” Anna-Bel said. “It’s a crazy atmosphere but a lot of fun. The kids don’t care if you know how to speak their language. They just want you to push them on the slide, blow some bubbles, and be shown some love.” Anna-Bel’s passion for working with children led to her future career choice and a major in social work. Oldest sister Virginia proudly graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology and a minor in sign language studies. She next earned a master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and now works as a speech pathologist for . By 2016, it was a foregone conclusion that Grace, the baby of the family, would also participate in the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps. “I had to finish off the family tradition,” she said. “I had seen all the benefits and the community aspect of the program. That is what I have grown to love. I know somebody in all my classes, and it is a very comforting thing to know you have a familiar face. It was a blessing for me since I had so much information from my sisters. In her freshman year, Grace volunteered in Race for the Cure and Miracle League, a special baseball league for kids with disabilities. “I worked with a little girl that was 3 or 4 and was in a wheelchair,” Grace said. “She was just so excited to be out and part of the team. I love working with kids.” Grace completed her freshman year with a 4.0 GPA. Though she has not selected a major, she is considering a future career in the dental field and will spend the summer working as a nanny. As for her older sister, Anna-Bel graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in May with a bachelor’s degree in social work. She is planning to spend the next year working as a nanny before beginning the master’s program in social work at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2018. All three of the sisters are thankful to the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps for providing them with a pathway to afford college. Their father, who is a 1994 graduate of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, is proud that all three of his daughters went to his alma mater and went through the CLC program together. “My parents are in the process of starting a cleaning business,” Grace said. “Now that I have graduated high school, my parents want to build their own business. Our parents sacrificed a lot for us.” In the upper right photo, three sisters are getting an education through the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps. Pictured, from left to right, are Virginia Lee, Anna-Bel Chambers, and Grace Chambers. Photo by Lonnie Timmons III/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications.

Estes named director of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Community Connection Center

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 25 May 2017 13:10:45 +0000

A respected scholar in gender and family issues has been appointed the executive director of the Community Connection Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.�� Dr. Sarah Beth Estes, professor of sociology, has been leading the center as the interim director since October and was recently named the director. Established in 2014, the Community Connection Center promotes and supports student-engaged learning with community, government, businesses, and nonprofit organizations through internships, service learning, community-based research, and career development services. “I am excited about being the executive director of the CCC,” Estes said. “This position provides the opportunity to link career development to experiential learning, which will benefit not just our students but through them, our state.” The center gives students an edge in the workforce, Estes said. “We know that career profiles are changing, that, increasingly to succeed, graduates need to be flexible and agile in the labor market,” she said. “The opportunity to engage with employers through unique professional experiences offers students the opportunity to practice knowledge transfer from the classroom to the community, from one learning environment to another, in an organic and meaningful way.” Estes is a 1988 graduate of Hendrix College with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She also holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. She was a faculty member at the University of Cincinnati and affiliate of the Kunz Center for Work and Family before arriving at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Estes began her ��Vlog��ý Little Rock career in 2006 as the coordinator of the gender studies program and as a faculty member in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. She has held many leadership roles at the university, including associate dean for research, engagement, and interdisciplinary programs in the College of Social Sciences and Communication; associate dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; and associate chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Her scholarship has been cited in numerous books and articles. Much of Estes’ research has focused on how work-family policies are related to aspects of family life, including parenting behavior, children’s well-being, and the gendered division of household labor. She was among the panelists invited in 2014 to address an audience at the Clinton School of Public Service about a report she co-authored for the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas on educational barriers that exist for girls and women in Arkansas. Estes serves on the board of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas, which promotes philanthropy among women and helps women and girls achieve their full potential. She was also the founding chair of the Green Dot Violence Prevention Program established at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2013 and was voted the Faculty Member of the Year by the Student Government Association in 2014.

��Vlog��ýLR gives over 700 lbs of clothing to Goodwill

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Mon, 05 May 2014 19:57:56 +0000

Goodwill Week, which takes place the first full week of May, was established to promote awareness of the organization’s life-changing mission. ��Vlog��ýLR staff and students recently contributed to that mission by collecting more than 700 pounds of clothing during its annual “Career Closet Suit Drive.” The drive, held during the first two weeks of April, helped provide outfits for people going on job interviews and to work. “We are appreciative to our awesome faculty and staff for donating so many nice career clothes,” said Cynda Alexander, coordinator of non-traditional student programs in the ��Vlog��ýLR Office of Campus Life. Alexander said those still needing receipts for their donations are encouraged to inform the Office of Campus Life, which will conduct another drive in the near future. Money collected in April is also helping with career-readiness training, education and job placement services for Arkansans, according to Rebecca Brockman, public relations and community engagement manager with Goodwill Industries of Arkansas. “Thank you for partnering with Goodwill and changing lives,” she said. Last year, Goodwill served 8,300 people and placed 1,280 individuals into competitive employment.

Keep up with what’s happening at ��Vlog��ýLR; Subscribe to E-News.

15-year-old girl leads project to help homeless

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 20:57:40 +0000

A 15-year-old girl is leading a project to provide survival care kits to homeless people in Arkansas.

Kelli (last name witheld), who serves as the Youth Council president at ��Vlog��ýLR-Children International, was awarded a Disney Friends for Change grant to create the kits, which will include hand sanitizer, washcloths, soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes, deodorant, disinfectant wipes, socks, water and water bottle, tissue and snacks to eat.

Through a partnership created with the Salvation Army of Central Arkansas, Kelli and her project team will distribute the kits while serving a meal at the Salvation Army in Little Rock on Global Youth Service Day, April 11. When explaining to Disney why she was passionate about this issue, she noted the ways that Children International is dedicated to helping youth and families overcome poverty. “I know what it means to receive help from others and the difference that it can make,” she said. “When I am driving around downtown Little Rock with my mom, I always notice homeless people on the corner. I often wonder how I can make a difference and show them that I care.” “We are so proud of Kelli’s project and the initiative she has shown in making a positive difference in her community,” said Julie Hall, director of ��Vlog��ýLR-Children International. “She is a great role model for others in the program.” CI’s Youth Councils are democratically-elected groups of sponsored youth who are concerned about the state of their communities. The councils provide young people with valuable life skills, enabling them to exercise community volunteerism and leadership. About Children International Children International prepares children and youth to escape the traps of poverty by supporting their critical needs, building resilience, and engaging them in transformative activities. Children International accomplishes this by providing crucial benefits and compassionate care through easily accessible, modern community centers. Children International’s presence, programs and supporters have a positive impact on children, youth, families and communities; provide protection; encourage self-sufficiency; and serve as catalysts for change. Learn more at ualr.edu/children. Subscribe to E-News to see what’s happening at ‘��Vlog��ýLR Now.’

Recycle Bikes for Kids tradition continues

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 18:19:13 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Staff Senate has teamed up with the ��Vlog��ýLR Student Marketing Association to collect bikes and accessories for an annual event benefitting the Recycle Bikes for Kids program.

Recycle Bikes for Kids was started in 2008 to provide bikes to youth who would not otherwise have one.

Bikes and accessories such as helmets, tubes, knee pads, and reflectors can be dropped off at the motor pool area behind ��Vlog��ýLR Facilities Management between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. until Nov. 15. The program initially focused on buying used bikes until it was quickly discovered that people will donate used bikes when they know they will be repaired and given to children. To date, the program has received more than 5,000 bikes and repaired and delivered more than 4,500 of them. According to Stephanie Conrad, ��Vlog��ýLR staff senator, the program is always in need of more bikes. “Nearly everyone can recall their first bike and has a desire to share that experience,” she said.

For more information about the drive at ��Vlog��ýLR, contact Conrad at sbpollard@ualr.edu.

To learn more about Recycle Bikes for Kids, go to their .

Students land internships to serve the poor

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Mon, 13 May 2013 22:03:01 +0000

Three ��Vlog��ýLR students will each complete eight-week internships in other parts of the country this summer as part of their study of poverty in the United States. Sophomores Elvie Pearson, Victoria Medina, and Caprice Phillips are all enrolled in the ��Vlog��ýLR Shepherd Poverty Studies Program and active in the ��Vlog��ýLR Friday Fellows Program, which provides students leadership experience through service work. Pearson, an international studies and Spanish major, will work with staff and volunteers in the Peter Paul Development Center in Richmond, Va. The program serves children and seniors in Richmond’s East End by enhancing academic achievement, cultural enrichment, and self sufficiency. Pearson is a graduate of Beebe High School. Medina is majoring in political science and international studies and will work in the LIFT project in Washington, D.C. The project combats multi-generational poverty by helping community residents achieve economic stability and secure safe housing. Medina is from Dermott and a graduate of McGehee High School Phillips, a physics major, will spend her eight-week summer internship with Camp Interactive in New York. The organization, now in its 10th year, seeks to empower inner-city youth in the Bronx through outdoor adventures and creative use of technology. Phillips graduated from Hot Springs High School. ��Vlog��ýLR is a charter member of the . The headquarters are located at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Va. Twenty universities, mostly in the eastern half of the United States, are members of the consortium. Pearson, Medina, and Phillips will join more than 70 students from those universities serving in poverty studies-related internships this summer. The ��Vlog��ýLR program is underwritten by the Morris Foundation of Hot Springs and headed by Vice Chancellor Bill Walker and Associate Vice Chancellor Joni Lee, both of University Advancement. Dr. David Sink, professor in the ��Vlog��ýLR Institute of Government, and Betsy Hart, director of the ��Vlog��ýLR Office of Community Engagement, are administrators of the program.

��Vlog��ýLR Honored for Community Service

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:53:42 +0000

��Vlog��ýLR was selected for the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll March 4 for commitment to service and civic engagement. Honor roll recipients were announced at the American Council on Education annual conference in Washington, D.C. Betsy Hart, coordinator of community relations in the ��Vlog��ýLR Office of Community Engagement, coordinated the submission process. In her role as the coordinator of community relations, she sees first hand how the University bridges teaching and service. “Service is essential to accomplishing goal three of the university’s strategic plan to ‘lead in revitalizing and enriching communities and neighborhoods through critical initiatives and to graduate students who are committed to community engagement,'” said Hart. According to Wendy Spencer, chief executive officer for CNCS, the honor roll recognizes higher education institutions that reflect the values of exemplary community service and achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities. To see this year’s full list of honor roll recipients, go to the

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

����Vlog��ý Little Rock researchers study impact of faith-based community engagement in Little Rock