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

Leadership Lecture to highlight methods for assessing community readiness for action, communication with diverse stakeholders

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 12:44:16 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown will host a lecture Oct. 17 on the use of citizen involvement in shaping policies and processes that affect everyday life and are paramount to a vibrant democracy. , professor emerita and former faculty director of the Office of Community Engagement at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, will give the talk, “Listening to the People: Assessing Community Readiness for Collective Action,” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown, 333 President Clinton Ave.�� The talk is part of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Leadership Lecture series. Admission is a suggested donation of $20, or $5 for students, staff, and faculty. Attendees may register at this link.�� Standerfer’s lecture will draw upon more than 20 years of experience conducting research and working in collaboration with nonprofit and governmental organizations to build healthy communities. “There is a need for scholars and practitioners to understand and assess community readiness for action in order to set realistic expectations concerning the efficacy of communication methods used to engage them,” Standerfer said. Using analysis of data gathered from over 20 communities across Arkansas, Standerfer will present a matrix of factors to be considered to assess community readiness for collective action. Standerfer will also discuss a model of progressive steps for community readiness for action that can be used to determine appropriate communication methods for engagement.�� Standerfer has published articles on nonprofit accountability, the changing nature of civil society, and the importance of understanding the role of public discourse in facilitating social justice. Standerfer’s most current work focuses on ways to curb rising rates of diabetes. She has been awarded grants from the Arkansas Department of Health and the Kettering Foundation to conduct focus groups, interviews, and round table discussions to gather and synthesize diverse perceptions of the disease and ways to best address it.��

Alum Tonya Oaks Smith to close out Leadership Lecture Series May 9

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 02 May 2019 12:51:06 +0000

An expert in higher education communication and marketing will close out the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Applied Communication’s third annual Leadership Lecture Series on Thursday, May 9.�� Tonya Oaks Smith, executive director of university communications and marketing at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana, will present her talk at 7 p.m. at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown Center, at 333 President Clinton Avenue in Little Rock. In this lecture, “First, Do No Harm: Why Maintaining Integrity in Public Communication is More Important Than Ever,” listeners will unpack their perceptions and learn to hold public communication to a higher standard. “We are starting to see pushback for professional communicators who are not forthcoming or truthful,” Smith said. “Their ethics have been called into question. People often think that those who work in public relations aren’t truthful or don’t communicate with the best intentions. I have always framed my work as different from that.” As the spokeswoman for a public university, Smith understands that people must be able to place their trust in public institutions. “The perception of people who do public communications is not always the best,” Smith said. “I’ve had reporters who have chastised me for not being forthcoming. I felt like that is the furthest thing from what I am doing. It is important to be trustworthy when you are the voice of an organization that is at the heart of a community. People have to be able to have trust in you and the institution you are representing.” Smith graduated from Louisiana State University in 1994. She put her journalistic skills to use as a reporter for the Livingston Parish News and later the Ruston Daily Leader. “In the beginning, I was doing everything from sports to business to taking photos at baby showers, weddings, and other events,” she said. “As I got more capable, I moved into design and editing and later management roles.” After joining the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Office of Communications and Marketing in December 2006, Smith began a graduate program in the Department of Applied Communication to improve her communication skills. “I absolutely enjoyed the opportunity to learn from the scholars in the Department of Applied Communication,” she said. “The first time I had to give a speech in the program, I had to have a trash can next to me because I felt so sick. That is how far the program has helped me grow. I would never be able to do this talk without having been in the program. I still recommend the program to people who need a graduate program to up their skill set.” Smith earned a master’s degree in applied communication from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2010. Her master’s thesis was focused on the use of social media to communicate preventative health care advice during the H1N1 scare of 2009. In professional roles, she has previously served as executive director of marketing and communications at Henderson State University and director of communications at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s William H. Bowen School of Law. Tickets are $20 for members of the community and $5 for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty, staff, and students. To register and purchase tickets, visit the.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock student develops communication strategies for women without children

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 15:33:17 +0000

Robin Freeman is a strong, well-educated, and independent woman. She’s confident she will make a difference by helping others. This is a part of her story that she wants to portray to the world. What’s not a part of her story at this time? Marriage and children. As a childless woman in her 30s, Freeman is disturbed by the tendency of people to judge women for not having children. “Your biological clock is ticking. You better hurry up,” said Freeman, a graduate of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Applied Communication who is pursuing a graduate certificate in human resources. “I’ve heard that since I was 21, but I haven’t found a guy I want to marry yet. … I’m okay with myself. I don’t know when or if I’ll have children. I’m still figuring it out, and that’s okay.” Inspired by her own experiences, Freeman is investigating the experiences of women without children and the communication strategies they employ to cope with stigma in society. “There has been a growing trend of women without children,” Freeman said. “Society has caused women to feel hopeless if they are not mothers by the age of 30. I asked these women what childlessness meant at different stages in their lives and how they adapted when society has placed expectations on them.” Freeman is one of more than 100 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students who received a $1,000 grant to conduct original research, creative works, and community service projects this semester as part of the university’s Signature Experience Award program. Dr. Avinash Thombre, professor of applied communication, serves as her faculty mentor. Freeman interviewed seven women between the ages of 30-65 and developed three overarching themes during the interviews: “Don’t judge me,” “Don’t make assumptions,” and “Don’t pity me.” Freeman presented her research at the Southern States Communication Association Undergraduate Honors Conference earlier this month and at the Student Research and Creative Works Expo held April 18 in the Jack Stephens Center. “This project is about trying to engage open communication with audiences to allow them to reconceptualize how they think about women without children and to consider the judgments they place on these women,” Freeman said. “One of my recommendations is that women should not defend themselves against accusations. Women shouldn’t worry about defending their sexuality or people assuming that they don’t like children.” She hopes that her research will lead people to understand that a woman’s life is about more than whether she has children. “A woman’s motherhood status is natural and personal. Most people see women without children as a void, but it’s not a void,” Freeman said. “It depends on who you’re asking. Every woman without a child has a story to tell.”

71-year-old working hard to fulfill dream of earning college degree

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 14:28:07 +0000

At 71, Carolyn Wilkerson of Little Rock loves life as a full-time college student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, working to fulfill a lifelong goal of earning a college degree.�� “The fact that I have decided to obtain a degree at my age would be surprising to most people,” she said. “Many of my peers are in awe when they discover a grandmother in their classes.” Wilkerson started attending ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2016, fulfilling a promise she made to herself many years ago. “I didn’t go to college when I graduated high school,” she said. “I always said to myself that when I retire, I am going to go to college. After I retired, my daughter opened a daycare, and I started helping her. Then my children reminded me that I said I was going to go. I always wanted a college degree.” Beginning college at age 68 as an applied communication major turned out to be a unique experience for Wilkerson. “It was very strange and different,” she said. “I’m like the elephant in the room. When I first started, I would see students eyeing me, wondering what the grandmother was doing in the room. Most of my friends have been the professors, but I have made friends with quite a few young people over the years.” Wilkerson credits Ida Umphers, senior instructor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, as one of the teachers who has made a difference in her time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “When I came to college, I took an entrance exam. My lowest score was math, so I had to take Foundations of Algebra with Ida Umphers,” Wilkerson said. “That was the first course in my entire life that I didn’t pass. I never considered myself good in math. I had to pass that class. Umphers was so encouraging. When I finished the course the second time, she sent me an email and congratulated me for making an A+ in her class. That was a big hurdle I had to cross. I don’t think I could have gone on if I hadn’t. That is what I consider my most momentous moment here. To fail the class was devastating, but to be able to pass it was amazing.” The long road to college After graduating from then Horace Mann Senior High School in 1965, Wilkerson attended Pulaski Vocational School for clerical job training. During her first job after vocational school, she worked for Westinghouse, which is no longer located in Little Rock, and remembers being the first black person in their office pool. She married her husband, Ronald Wilkerson, in 1993. They have a blended family with a total of seven children, 24 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. Ronald is the pastor of Faith Temple Deliverance Church of God in Christ. Wilkerson describes being a pastor’s wife as a blessing that comes with many responsibilities. With a small congregation, she is often responsible for creating the church bulletins, doing the budget, cleaning the church, cooking for events, planning church events, and teaching Sunday School. Wilkerson also heads a women’s department with members from seven churches in her district. Being the eldest of eight children, Wilkerson said her extended family has mixed views on her decision to pursue a college degree. “I think my family thinks I’m a little crazy when I say that I was up until 3 a.m. working on homework,” she said. “My husband, my 88-year old mother (Bobbie Landers), and children are very supportive, but my brothers and sisters think I have serious issues, except for one brother who went back to school later in life. They accomplished what they wanted to in life, and the last thing they want to do during retirement is go back to school. “I have two daughters who graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, one that graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, who is a neurologist, two children currently working on master’s degrees, my husband has a master’s degree in divinity from Memphis Theological Seminary, and several grandchildren in college. Education is big because I know the importance of it.” After she graduates in 2020, Wilkerson will continue to use her education to help students who attend the city-sponsored youth program,, which she has been helping to run since her husband started the program in 2011. The program serves at-risk youth ages 13-19 in Little Rock, both male and female. “I would like to use the knowledge that I acquire for young people. With my acquisition of life’s tenure and the fact that I am a mother and grandmother coupled with my education, I can provide advice to young people if they will allow me,” Wilkerson said. “Through the youth program, I have already assisted with the use of computers, math, communication, and research skills to help youth at Bridge 2 Success. Some of them have begun to call me Nana and my husband Papa. You sense that they know we care. I do love them. There is no getting around it.” She has found a home in the Department of Applied Communication, where professors like Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter and Dr. Kristen McIntyre have helped her learn valuable skills. “The Applied Communication Department has introduced me to communication concepts that literally required me to think outside of myself and from another’s point of view,” Wilkerson said. “I now know what it means to consider the value of another’s culture and how we bring value to one another in important ways.” Wilkerson is thankful to all the people who are helping her complete her goal of earning a college degree at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “The sheer fact that I have returned to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for five semesters is proof that it’s never too late to realize a dream,” she said. “My professors and instructors have made me feel included in their classroom structure, without exception. I’ve needed assistance multiple times and I have never felt that it was a bother for any of them. My classroom experience has been great!” In the upper right photo, 71-year-old Carolyn Wilkerson, left, credits her success as a late in life student to Ida Umphers, right, senior instructor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. Wilkerson says Umphers is one of the teachers who has made a difference in her time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Photo by Ben Krain.

‘Proponent of Change’ will discuss leading transformational change in next Leadership Lecture Series

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 14:33:43 +0000

A successful graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and proponent of change will showcase how to implement transformational change initiatives during the Department of Applied Communication’s annual Leadership Lecture Series on Thursday, Feb. 7. Tamidra Marable, a performance initiatives leader for Heifer International who received a master’s degree in applied communication from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, will present “Leading Transformational Change” at 7 p.m. in the Donaghey Student Center Ledbetter A. Marable began her career with a “go with the flow” mentality. Twelve years ago, she took a chance and applied for a job at Heifer International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending hunger and poverty by helping to build sustainable livelihoods within farming communities. Now, she serves as a performance initiatives leader, leading and facilitating special projects that impact both organizational and employee performance. She focuses primarily on special project work, and her ability to embrace change makes her ideal at leading initiatives within the company. She firmly believes that students should feel free to “just try things.” “That’s one thing I noticed a lot of students are anxious about,“ she said. “They tell me, ‘I don’t have this figured out. I don’t know what I want to do.’” This, along with the work she has done within Heifer, led her to her topic for the upcoming leadership lecture. In her work as an organizational change agent, she recognizes the world is changing so quickly that it requires both people and businesses to take a more strategic approach to manage change. The third in a yearlong series of four lectures, this session will explore transformational change through practical examples that focus on the necessary skills and tools that support leading transformational change initiatives. “Organizations don’t have the luxury to move incrementally anymore. They have to be about transformational shifts,” Marable said. Within her lecture, she will discuss how remaining fluid and embracing change within the workplace can open doors in a constantly shifting economy. “Change is a constant. How we manage our way through it makes the difference,” she said. The final lecture of this year’s series will be presented by Tonya Oaks Smith, executive director of university communications and marketing at Louisiana Tech University, at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 9. In this lecture, listeners will unpack their perceptions and learn to hold public communication to a higher standard. Smith has previously served as executive director of marketing and communications at Henderson State University and director of communications at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s William H. Bowen School of Law. She received a master’s degree in applied communication from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $5 for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students and employees. To register and purchase tickets, visit the.

New degree leads to dream career for single dad

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 14 Dec 2018 14:18:59 +0000

Less than 48 hours after Anthony Alexander graduates from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a bachelor’s degree in applied communication on Dec. 15, he will begin his dream job as the dean of students at in Little Rock.�� “��Vlog��ý Little Rock has given me the tools I needed to get where I am now as dean of students,” said Alexander, 32, of Little Rock. “It’s an enormous honor to come right out of graduation and start a dream position. Because they were so impressed with my resume and the education I was receiving, in their words, they couldn’t help but offer me the position. Without my education, I would not have the future I have going forward.” Alexander first started at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2004 after graduating J.A. Fair High School. He left in 2006 after learning some life-altering news. “I had to drop out due to having a child on the way,” he said. “Of course, you don’t make any money at school, and I had to go make money. Two years after Anthony Jr. was born, his mother passed, and I became a single parent. He’s 10 now.” Alexander always had a dream of finishing his education and making a difference in the lives of young people. It was that dream that led him to come back to school at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in spring 2014. “Anthony found a home in the Department of Applied Communication and started succeeding in his coursework,” said Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter, chair of the Department of Applied Communication and Alexander’s advisor. “He eventually switched to the online program for his major in order to work multiple jobs to support his growing family. Anthony is an example of a resilient and persistent student, who overcomes hardships to pursue his dreams. He is already paying it forward to other young people who need to be inspired to go after their dreams as well. We are very proud of Anthony’s achievements to reach his dreams!” One of Alexander’s motivations for completing his degree was to show the importance of education to his son. “That is the reason I got back into school,” he said. “I wanted to show my son that no matter how long it takes, you can always finish what you started. I can’t preach the gospel if I don’t practice it myself. It’d be hard to tell them they need to go to school when I dropped out myself. My grandmother helped me out through school. She would watch him when I had to take a final or go to class.” Over the past six years, Alexander has found his passion working with children in the Little Rock School District. “I love kids. They fulfill my life. They give me a sense that I am working for a purpose,” he said. “It’s a new experience every day when you are working with kids. I like to think that I can help mold a kid into a direction that I could have had at our age. I don’t look like your typical educator, so they tend to latch on to me. The kids at the school I work at call me ‘Unc,’ because I became the uncle of the school.” When Alexander was a child, he was raised by a wonderful single grandmother, Carol Alexander, but says he missed out on having a positive male role model in his life. “When I was in school, I was a little class clown,” Alexander said. “I’d like to crack jokes and talk a lot. My grandmother raised me, so I didn’t have either parent. I never had a male role model try to guide me when I needed to be guided. I feel like a lot of our young men need that. Education is a women-driven field, so I think young men sometimes need an adult male to guide them.” He’s a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and has found a mentor in Chatham-Carpenter. “Dr. Carpenter was a great mentor at the university,” he said. “She’s met my oldest son since I’ve had to bring him to her office several times over the years. She has always been very understanding since I am not your typical student. We’ve always had great communication. She has been really great and fun too.” Now Alexander and his fiancé, Leyonda Foote, have another son, Aceton, who will turn one the day after Alexander’s graduation. “I’m a semi-professional rugby player, and I play on the U.S. Select South team,” Alexander said. “My fiancé complimented one of the photos I did for a rugby calendar. Since then, we’ve never been apart, except when I travel. It’s like it was meant to be. She’s always treated my son like he was hers. She helped out a lot too to keep me motivated and in school.” In his new career, Alexander is looking forward to implementing new programs to help students learn and be more active. “I’ve never the type to just stay stationary or complacent,” he said. “Dean of students is a couple of stages past where I was going to start at. I would like to move up in administration and add programs that could help students learn in the future and fun activities. I’m big on physical education. Maybe I’ll be a principal of my own school one day.” In the upper right photo, Anthony Alexander will begin his job as dean of students at eStem Elementary School in Little Rock just two days after his graduation from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Photo by Benjamin Krain.

Professor, grad use health entertainment to battle childhood obesity in Little Rock

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 14:52:22 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor and alumnus are using health entertainment and education to fight childhood obesity in Little Rock. This fall, Dr. Avinash Thombre, professor of applied communication, and Philip Bryant Sr., a 2016 graduate of the applied communication program, received a $1,000 grant through The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas. They used the money to put on a pilot childhood obesity pilot program that utilizes entertainment education to emphasize the importance of eating fruits and vegetables. During the month of October, Thombre and Bryant hosted one-hour workshops in the aftercare program of three schools in the Little Rock School District, where the students have a combined student BMI (Body Mass Index) of 40 or more. Thombre and Bryant gave presentations to about 100 students at David O. Dodd Elementary School, Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, and Brady Elementary School. Thombre played “Dr. Hombre,” while Bryant, 72, of Little Rock, played “Dr. Feelgood.” “My research is about diffusing new ideas, especially in the health arena,” Thombre said. “How can we take new ideas and diffuse them in society to bring about change? We have this issue of childhood obesity in Arkansas. One of my former students, Philip Bryant, wrote a jingle about promoting fruits and vegetables. He is very animated around kids. The kids all started singing along. The kids asked a lot of questions, and they just loved it. This is the way we think we can bring about a community change.” Bryant said he was inspired to write a song to encourage healthy eating in children after seeing many instances where parents are feeding their children junk food. “I’m a writer of poetry, poems, song, prose, and short stories,” Bryant said. “When I see a need, it seems like after I dwell on it for a time, then I write about. I see so many people raising their young children and not feeding them enough fruits and vegetables. I feel that these children are going to end up with diabetes and poor health in the future. That gave me the energy to write a song.”

Dr. Avinash Thombre (left), professor of applied communication, and Philip Bryant Sr. (right), a 2016 graduate of the applied communication program, received a $1,000 grant through The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas.

The song, called “Veggies and Fruits,” begins with a call to eat healthier. It can also be. “My name is Dr. Feelgood and listen to what I have to say,” the song begins. “I am going to tell you what you must do every day. Each your veggies and eat your fruits, because these are the foods that are healthy for you. Now diabetes used to be just for old folks, but teenagers and young children are getting it, and that’s no joke.” In the second half of the workshop, Thombre talked about the problems associated with being obese, including diabetes, hypertension, and kidney failure. He also spoke about his personal cultural background of growing up eating healthy and staying healthy. Thombre and Bryant used the grant money to buy fresh fruits and vegetables for the children to eat. After another round of songs with Bryant, the students tried fresh produce like apples, carrots, grapes, oranges, broccoli, celery, and asparagus. “This project is a message to educate people all over America,” Bryant said. “Each individual person can do a better job of taking care of their own health. Stop eating things that taste good and start eating things that do good for the human body.” After the success of the pilot workshops, Thombre and Bryant are looking to expand the program to spread the message to a larger audience. They have already received workshop requests from other schools, churches, and community organizations. “From every angle, it feels like a good way to keep our students involved in the program, to do something for the community at large, and to help the children,” Thombre said. “In the future, I think the students from my health communication classes can get involved. I’ve done other promotions, but I think this has been the most fun because it has a jingle. It’s heartening to know that the kids are loving this. There are other groups who are needing this message disseminated on a larger scale. We need to do more of these things so that we can curb childhood obesity before it becomes even more of a major issue like the opioid crisis.” In the upper right photo, Philip Bryant Sr. (Dr. Feelgood) had diagnosed this tomato as a healthy food choice! Photo by Ben Krain.��

��Vlog��ý Little Rock professor creates scholarship that honors son’s legacy

Janea Snyder — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 14:43:10 +0000

Dr. Carol Thompson, a long-time faculty member in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Department of Applied Communication, has established a scholarship that will help students pursuing a degree or continuing their education in the Department of Applied Communication. Thompson established the scholarship in memory of her son, Lance. The Lance Thompson Memorial Endowed Scholarship will be awarded beginning in fall 2019 to a full- or part-time student majoring in applied communication in the College of Social Sciences and Communication. The scholarship, to be endowed via planned gift, will provide assistance for education-related expenses, including tuition, books, fees, and room and board. “Scholarships are crucial for our students’ academic and professional success. Dr. Thompson’s endowed scholarship is a gift that will make a real impact on students’ lives,” said Dr. Julien Mirivel, interim dean and professor of applied communication in the College of Social Sciences and Communication. “We look forward to honoring the very first recipient of her scholarship at our CSSC Awards Ceremony in Spring 2019. I am grateful to Dr. Thompson for her gift and the many contributions she has made to our students and our campus.” Academic accomplishments will be considered in the awarding of the scholarship, and preference will be given to students with an interest in the visual, literary, and performing arts. Lance Eric Thompson was a lifelong artist, who at age 6 began designing basic computer games and by junior high wrote grading programs for his teachers. He later moved to Memphis and became part of an artistic group known as Superman Damn Fool, which painted huge canvases with nontraditional materials such as house paint, blended with other mediums. Thompson’s individual works were all sold to collectors in the area. He attended the Art Institute of Phoenix, Arizona, where he majored in animation and computer graphics. He got a job as a computer analyst for FedEx corporation in Memphis. Carol Thompson said her son learned to combine his proficiency with art with his proficiency with computers and was aiming for a career at FedEx before he succumbed to cancer in 2018. After one successful training session he said, “Even if you have all the talent and intelligence in the world, it doesn’t help if you can’t communicate with an audience,” Carol Thompson said. The scholarship will be awarded at the end of each spring term for use in the following academic year. As the endowment grows, multiple awards may be possible. Anyone wishing to contribute to the endowment may do so online. Students interested in applying for this scholarship should use the Trojan SMART application and write a paragraph about their view of communication in relation to ethics and the arts (visual, literary, or performing). Lance Eric Thompson is pictured with his son. Photo courtesy of the Thompson family

The BridgeWay starts scholarship/internship program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 13:05:25 +0000

, a mental health and substance abuse facility in North Little Rock, is partnering with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to provide students in the Department of Applied Communication with a unique opportunity to receive a scholarship and gain professional experience at the same time.�� The BridgeWay will donate $2,500 a year to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to sponsor a scholarship and internship program for applied communication students in the College of Social Sciences and Communication. Beginning in January 2019, one student will be selected per year to receive a $2,500 scholarship and an internship at The Bridgeway. Bruce Trimble, director of business development for The BridgeWay and a passionate advocate for mental health in Arkansas, graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2006 with a Master of Arts in applied communication. “When I graduated, I wanted to do anything to help with the applied communication program because I got so much out of it,” Trimble said. “This is another way to honor the program and give students an opportunity for a great scholarship and internship experience.” The students selected for the scholarship will assist Trimble in developing communication strategies and messages targeted at combatting the stigma surrounding mental health and expanding The BridgeWay’s services. “One of the things I’ve learned over the years is the stigma that surrounds mental health can largely be combatted by communication,” Trimble said. “The interns will be assisting with messaging around mental health and helping me identify targets and barriers to expand our services within the state of Arkansas. This internship is a way to give back and expose this area of communication to young leaders.” The BridgeWay provides inpatient mental health services, outpatient care, and counseling to Arkansans. Now celebrating its 35th anniversary, the hospital is the largest freestanding psychiatric facility in the state and serves nearly 5,000 people a year. In 2014, Trimble experienced a paradigm shift when he realized that Arkansas was a leading state for suicide. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson appointed Trimble to the Arkansas Suicide Prevention Council. This involved building connections to hospitals and treatment centers, challenging the stigma associated with mental health, and educating the populace about resources in the state, particularly for people who are struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide. Trimble has also been instrumental in establishing a call center in Arkansas for the Suicide Prevention Hotline, which opened in December 2017. “Statistically, Arkansas is eleventh in the nation for suicides, and that is definitely something we could reduce if more people got help,” Trimble said. “Every day is a wakeup call. Each number is a person, and we need to reverse that trend.” Trimble received the 2018 Alumni Making a Difference Award, which recognizes ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumni for being instrumental in their community to foster the co-creation of better social worlds through positive communication. Receiving the award was a highlight for Trimble, who was happy to share the experience with his proud father, 90-year-old Robert Trimble. He also serves on the Advisory Board for the Department of Applied Communication which helps connect community businesses, nonprofits, and alumni with the university. Trimble is one of the featured speakers in the 2018-19 Leadership Lecture Series. On Nov. 1, he will deliver his lecture, “Language Matters: Our Role in Destigmatizing Mental Health Issues.” In the upper right photo, Bruce Trimble (left) celebrates with his father, Robert Trimble, after receiving the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock 2018 Alumni Making a Difference Award.

Leadership Lecture Series continues Nov. 1

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 13:00:30 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Department of Applied Communication will continue its third annual Leadership Lecture Series at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 1. in the Donaghey Student Center, Ledbetter A. Bruce Trimble, director of business development for The BridgeWay Hospital, will deliver his lecture, “Language Matters: Our Role in Destigmatizing Mental Health Issues.” Trimble is a specialist in suicide prevention and mental healthcare has served on the Arkansas Suicide Prevention Council since 2015. He received a master’s degree in interpersonal and organizational communication from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. The lecture will provide attendees with a better understanding of mental health conditions and available treatment options, as well as the challenge to reframe mental healthcare as a key aspect of overall healthcare. Trimble will bring his 25 years of experience in strategic communication to further explore the role that language plays in the stigma that mental health has gained in modern American society. To register and purchase tickets, visit ualr.at/leaderlectures.

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