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

Shukla Named 2022 Whitbeck Memorial Award Winner at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

John Hill — Tue, 10 May 2022 13:34:31 +0000

Tripti Shukla, a double major from Little Rock, has been named the winner of the 2022 Edward L. Whitbeck Memorial Award at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

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.

“I was blindsided by the news at first,” Shukla said. “It’s such an immense distinction, and I didn’t think I was worthy of such a big honor. Winning the Whitbeck Award made me realize I am capable of achieving great things in life.”

Shukla earned the Whitbeck Award while double majoring in chemistry and biology at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. After graduation, she will take a gap year to get more experience in research and medicine. She plans to continue biochemistry research with Dr. Shanzhi Wang, associate professor of chemistry, and her volunteer work at Harmony Health Clinic.

Shukla plans to attend medical school in 2023. She is deciding between earning a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or MD-Ph.D., which is a combination of a Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy that trains students in clinically oriented research.

“I wanted to become a doctor because of my interest in science,” Shukla said. “I started liking chemistry when I took advanced placement chemistry from Dr. Beth Maris at Central High School. Growing up, math and science were my favorite topics, but chemistry combined both of my passions. I further grew my appreciation for chemistry during a chemical engineering camp and decided to major in chemistry. I grew my love for biology once I started working in a biochemistry lab. The assimilation of chemistry and biology provided me with the backbone required for medicine.”

A native of India, Shukla moved to the U.S. when her father was transferred to work in Arkansas when she was 11. In her time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, she has shown a great dedication to service.

She has served as treasurer and vice president of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock chapter of the American Chemical Society, a learning assistant with the Department of Chemistry, a senator for the Student Government Association, a member of Model Arab League, and a student representative for the Faculty Senate Student Research and Creative Works Committee.

“To make a change in the student body, I served as a senator for the Student Government Association,” Shukla said. “Not every student is privileged enough to afford the caps and gowns, but finance should not be the reason they are deprived of celebrating their graduation. One of the bills I co-sponsored was providing regalia packages to students with these financial restrictions hoping to provide everyone the equal opportunity to walk down the stage and get the degree they have so dedicatedly obtained.”

Dr. Wang, Shukla’s professor and research mentor, said that she helped many students in the Department of Chemistry through recruitment and tutoring. In her role as a learning assistant, Shukla led 12 students in a chemistry lesson every week for over four semesters.

The 2022 Whitbeck Award winner is Tripti Shukla who is graduating in May and majoring in biology and chemistry. Photos by Ben Krain.

“Tripti is not only a first-rate student but also an outstanding peer educator in her role as a learning assistant,” Wang said. “Over the course of my interactions with her, I noticed her innate ability to draw others and build a group that was successful in their class efforts. This natural leadership and developed communication skill is quite impressive, an accurate exemplification of an outstanding student.”

She has worked as a research assistant in Dr. Wang’s biochemistry lab for two years. Along with her research, she published an article, “Machine Learning Methods in Drug Delivery,” as the primary author in the journal, Molecules, in 2020. The article has already been viewed more than 15,000 times and cited 30 times.

“Ms. Shukla is a kind and amicable person who is always willing to help,” said Dr. Anindya Ghosh, chair of the Department of Chemistry. “She has portrayed great leadership by recruiting a number of students into our organizations. Additionally, she has been providing scientific demonstrations to different school students to entice them into STEM education for recruiting purposes. She has also offered free tutoring for multiple hours to our other students. She is an intelligent, creative, and hard-working person.”

In the community, Shukla has gained clinical experience by volunteering with the Kavanaugh COVID Clinic and Harmony Health Clinic. By indulging in service, she has allowed an enormous amount of personal growth and learned to be empathetic, and acquired valuable skills required to be a successful healthcare worker/provider.

“I helped distribute vaccines at the Kavanaugh COVID Clinic,” Shukla said. “It was a meaningful experience because it felt like I was working to save lives. Volunteering at Harmony Health Clinic has helped me put a perspective on what it will be like during the next 10 years as a medical doctor. It solidified my interest in medicine and helping others.”

For her academic and research contributions, Shukla has been awarded two Signature Experience Awards from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, the American Chemical Society Award in Inorganic Chemistry, the ACS Outstanding Graduating Senior Award, the Martha Couch Givens Memorial Award for Outstanding Graduating Senior in Biology, a 2021 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, second place in the physical science category at the 2021 Student Research and Creative Works Expo, and first place at the IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence conference.

“I was invited to present my research at the 2022 Capitol Rotunda in Little Rock and had asked my state representatives to come to hear the research,” she said. “In the past few years, my accomplishments and achievements have helped me strive for excellence and firm my interest in science and even more in the research field.”

Donovan Launches Virtual Mentorship Program for Students and Young Professionals

John Hill — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 19:08:58 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumnus Connor Donovan has launched a new virtual mentorship platform that connects students and young adults with professionals who serve as mentors who provide education and career support. “Everyone is capable of doing great things,” Donovan said. “But sometimes we just need a little extra encouragement and direction from someone who cares about our well-being and who genuinely wants to see us succeed. I hope that Me.Mentor provides students and young professionals with the support and access to resources they need to move on to and thrive in the next portion of their lives. I just want to help people end up in a place where they are fulfilled and living comfortably doing work that they love.” Donovan is no stranger to mentorship, having served as a mentor for at-risk primary school students in Mississippi and having served as a mentor in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Donaghey Scholars Program. After graduating with his master’s degree from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service in 2019, he spent the summer helping supervise and prepare professional development opportunities for a staff of 18 mentors through the Charles W. Donaldson Scholars Academy, an organization which aims to improve educational achievement by all students with special attention to African American students and others who are at risk of academic failure due to socioeconomic disadvantage, or other factors. Through his different academic and professional experiences in the realm of education, and particularly through his time serving as ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Student Government Association president, Donovan observed a myriad of challenges faced by students and young adults in pursuit of career attainment. These experiences inspired him to launch a mentorship program to help students and young adults identify their passions and professional interests based on their personal stories, and to help them become aware of and procure education and career opportunities based on those passions. “I wanted to build a platform where students and young professionals could connect with people from a diversity of backgrounds reflective of the world we live in,” Donovan said. “I want people to see that there are different options out there to explore their passions, whether that be through college, a certification program, an apprenticeship, or through another avenue. I’m a big proponent of reflecting on your own story because there is so much you can learn about where you are and where you want to go from your experiences – your triumphs and challenges, your likes and dislikes.” services are available to high school and undergraduate students, early career professionals, and graduate program applicants through the company’s website and app. The services include identifying and planning a career path that aligns with individual passions; putting a story in writing in the form of a resume, cover letter, or essay; and enhanced interview preparation. Instead of a business that is out solely to make a profit, Donovan is also using a business model that is also dedicated to making the world a better place. “My company is what’s called a social enterprise,” Donovan said. “We seek to generate a profit while advancing a social mission and contributing positively to the world. I attribute some of the inspiration for our social mission to my time with the Charles W. Donaldson Scholars Academy at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. You work with all these brilliant young people, and you see the potential they have to do some really amazing things. But through talking with the students and hearing their stories, you clearly see that not everyone has been given equal support and equal access to resources. Some of these students have had to grow up so fast that they haven’t had the privilege of being able to stop and think about their passions. This is why I wanted to build a platform that would be accessible and affordable to everyone.” As a part of its social mission, Me Mentor is committed to finding ways to offer reduced-price services to high school students from low-income families. Additionally, mentors are encouraged to offer free and/or discounted services to mentees, especially for low-income high school students. “Our long-term goal is to build up an endowment that will be solely used to cover the costs of all high school students seeking mentorship services through our platform,” Donovan said. The company is also investing in programs beneficial to students and young adults in communities around the world. A portion of every paid transaction on the platform goes toward carrying out the company’s social mission. The startup is currently building community partnerships and developing creative ways to carry out its social mission. “I use the example of a nonprofit in Little Rock called the��,” Donovan said. “Studies show that Black males often feel safer and more at ease while talking to their barber, so Lorenzo Lewis and his team are training barbers to be mental health advocates by teaching them about mental health terminology and resources that they can in turn share with their customers. I want to look for organizations around the world that are tackling issues like that. If we can begin to see the intersectionality of issues surrounding mental health, food insecurity, poverty, transportation access, and other variables and if we tackle those issues at their root, then we will tackle other issues as well.” Me Mentor is currently available only in Arkansas, but Donovan has plans to expand Me Mentor to other states this year. “Five years from now, I want Me Mentor to be able to cover the costs for a lot of local high school students and to have partnerships with initiatives that help uplift students,” Donovan said. “If we continue to develop, I can see this eventually being an international service where people in different countries can connect for intercultural exchanges and discuss what it’s like to live, learn, and work in other countries.” Donovan graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with a bachelor’s degree in international business in 2017 and was named the university’s top graduating senior and��winner of the Edward L. Whitbeck Memorial Award. He served as a research analyst for the United States Commercial Service at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China, in 2018. He recently joined the Clinton School’s Social Entrepreneur Committee and is working with other members to raise awareness of social entrepreneur resources. Donovan said he worked with the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center to start his business. He utilized several ��Vlog��ý Little Rock grads and connections to serve as mentors or business contractors to help design his logo, create marketing content, and develop inclusive training materials for mentors. “One of the things I attribute to my time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is the wonderful and talented people I had the opportunity to build friendships with,” Donovan said. “If you look at the mentors, several are former ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students. If you look at the Me.Mentor logo, that was designed by my former CWDSA colleague and brilliant graphical designer, Laura Montalvan. I received some invaluable support from former assistant vice chancellor and diversity, equity, and inclusion expert Dr. Amber Smith while seeking to create inclusive training content for mentors, and I received a tremendous amount of helpful brand development advice from former Donaghey Scholar and marketing expert,��Marina Rutter. It’s a real team effort, and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock really contributed to that.”

Zakrzewski named 2020 Whitbeck Memorial Award winner

John Hill — Thu, 21 May 2020 09:10:53 +0000

This year’s president of the Student Government Association not only captured the hearts and minds of the student body of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, but her impressive achievements during her ��Vlog��ý Little Rock career also earned her the 2020 Edward L. Whitbeck Memorial Award.�� Katie Zakrzewski, a Donaghey Scholar from North Little Rock, earned the top graduate award while double majoring in criminal justice and anthropology at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. In the fall, she will begin the criminal justice graduate program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. 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. “I still can’t believe that I won,” she said. “A lot of my friends also applied, and I honest to God thought that one of my best friends won. This is pretty amazing!” Dr. Richard Harper, dean of students, described Zakrzewski as an exceptional student leader with a strong record of service.�� “As advisor for SGA, she has been an asset to the organization and has used her skills to advocate for the student body, subsequently enhancing the student experience at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” Harper said. “She has tirelessly volunteered and coordinated numerous community service programs and events within each organization she has been involved in and is identified as one of our top student leaders at the university. I have no doubt she will continue these endeavors and make the global community a better place for all.” In addition to SGA, Zakrzewski also served as president of the Criminal Justice Society and president of the Anthropology Club. She helped restart the College Republicans group on campus and was vice president. Zakrzewski said some people are surprised to learn that she is a conservative who advocates for climate change and environmental issues, which are considered liberal issues, but she’s very passionate about helping the environment. In 2019, she interned with Audubon Arkansas to campaign for the passing of the Solar Access Bill. “In October of 2019, my efforts as a conservative concerned about the environment caught the attention of the bipartisan organization, Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL), who covered all of my expenses in order to travel to Washington, D.C. and lobby for United States House Resolution 763, calling for carbon pricing,” she said. “I personally met with U.S. Senator Cotton, U.S. Senator Boozman, and U.S. Congressman Hill to discuss bipartisan environmental solutions.” While she is active in multiple student organizations, Zakrzewski is also passionate about helping the community. She has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arkansas, Girls of Promise, Fair Park Early Childhood Center, Arkansas Hospice, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and Be the Match bone marrow drive. “Katie is passionate about climate change and works to help make changes on campus and on a larger scale,” said Dr. Kathryn King, assistant professor of anthropology. “At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, she spearheaded a campaign to make student dining greener by introducing reusable materials and reducing the use of disposable plastics. Katie is active in the local community as well. Katie never shies away from service whenever she sees a need. She strives to make the lives of those around her better.” Last year, Zakrzewski had two opportunities to study abroad. She studied death in the Basque culture while studying abroad in San Sebastian, Spain. Additionally, she traveled to Morocco to compete in the International Model Arab League Conference. Zakrzewski has lived much of her life by the motto, “Be the change you want to see.” For future students to be successful, she said they must be active in making the world a better place. “If you don’t like the way something is, don’t run away. Change it,” she said. “I’m very much of the opinion that taking charge and working to fix things is key. If any student wants to be successful at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, they are going to have to get involved.”

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.

SGA President Connor Donovan named Whitbeck Award Winner

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 04 May 2017 20:00:04 +0000

In 2012, Connor Donovan started working at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum to help make ends meet.�� A senior in high school, Donovan took the job to help support his family during a financially trying time. More than four years later, the Student Government Association president is returning to the Clinton Presidential Center for a very different purpose. Donovan, 22, of Little Rock, has been named the recipient of the 2017 Edward L. Whitbeck Memorial Award from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The Whitbeck Memorial Award is the single greatest distinction the university annually bestows on a graduating student and comes with a $2,000 prize. Donovan will be honored for this award during the Distinguished Alumni Awards luncheon beginning at 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 12, at the Clinton Presidential Center Great Hall in Little Rock. After graduating from Little Rock Central High School in 2013, Donovan had already been accepted to another university. When the institution found out about his family’s financial situation, personnel notified Donovan that it would be very difficult for him to procure enough loans and financial aid for him to attend the university. He then unenrolled two weeks before the start of classes. Several years of personal and family obstacles, including health issues, a layoff, and a bankruptcy, brought Donovan and his family to a point where, despite all of his best efforts, he thought he couldn’t afford to attend a university. However, Donovan got a last-minute second chance at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. “I truly believe that education is one of the most powerful change agents we have as humans,” Donovan said. “Everyone has a beautiful story, but it doesn’t have to dictate the future. Your future is limitless. You just have to go out and get involved and be the best you can.” While it was too late for Donovan to apply for a scholarship during his freshman year, Donovan applied and was accepted into the prestigious Donaghey Scholars Program his sophomore year, which covered the cost of his education and a semester study abroad experience in China. “From a business perspective, we do a lot of commerce with China,” he said. “They are one of the fastest growing countries in terms of gross domestic product. I knew it would set me apart to speak their language and interact with them.” After studying abroad, he worked with a Tulane University professor to produce three peer-reviewed publications regarding public health and tropical medicine in China.

Student Government Association President Connor Donovan

Donovan saw it as his duty as a student leader to make positive changes for his fellow students to enhance the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock experience. As a freshman senator for the Student Government Association, he founded the Trojan Spirit Committee to help build camaraderie through collaborative services and school spirit-related activities. This led to a competition to rewrite the lyrics for the university’s fight song, which hadn’t been changed since the 1930s. Following a successful campaign for Student Government Association president, Donovan built a strong foundation of inclusivity on his campaign platform, “Making the Connection.” He was the force behind the first SGA retreat, where more than 70 student leaders developed solutions to challenges faced by many students. Some of the initiatives that came from this retreat include a more inclusive homecoming court that is open to all students, regardless of gender; an open forum for students to discuss concerns regarding campus dining; and a 24-hour military appreciation walk set for fall 2017. “The school invested a lot in my opportunities for growth, so I wanted to give back to the university that gave me so much,” he said. �� His commitment to scholarship is evident in his 3.97 grade point average and the rigorous curriculum required in the Donaghey Scholars Program, as well as his academic engagement outside the classroom. He will graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business with a Chinese concentration.

Connor Donovan relates his student experience during an announcement of a new partnership designed to benefit high school students from the Little Rock School District. Photos by Lonnie Timmons III/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications.

Building on a project through Donaghey coursework, he developed a Campus Aesthetics and Amenities Fee proposal that would enable students to have an official voice in decisions about new buildings and renovation projects on the campus. He also served on the Strategic Planning Task Force, where he helped plan the university’s goals, objectives, and strategies for the next five years. As the team coordinator, head of marketing, and lead author of a 30-page business plan for a bone regeneration technology in the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences, Donovan helped guide his team to becoming finalists in the Arkansas Governor’s Cup business plan competition. Donovan and a group of friends came together for the Be The Match organization to find bone marrow matches for people with leukemia. Bringing together numerous campus and community resources, they helped deliver one of the most successful swab donation drives ever conducted in Arkansas. He played a role in establishing the Arkansas Association of Students, an organization representing Student Government Associations for public universities and community colleges in Arkansas. He is currently leading efforts to write the new organization’s constitution. �� Donovan plans to use his $2,000 prize money to pay off a loan from his freshman year of college, which will allow him to graduate debt free. In the fall, Donovan will begin a master’s program at the Clinton School of Public Service, where he has been awarded a full fellowship. “I am a faith-based person, and I think I ended up right where I wanted to be,” Donovan said. “I have had a lot of wonderful experiences in college. There have been a lot of growth opportunities, and now I am ready to see what happens next.”