/news-archive/tag/erin-flowers/ 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Wed, 05 Oct 2022 13:18:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /news-archive/2022/10/05/student-ambassadors-donaghey/ Wed, 05 Oct 2022 13:18:26 +0000 /news/?p=82106 ... Student Ambassadors are Making a Difference in Donaghey College of STEM]]> Student ambassadors are high-achieving student leaders who serve as mentors, tutors, and peer support for STEM majors at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Those selected for the CSTEM Ambassador Program serve as mentors to freshmen in the CSTEM Scholars Program, provide homework help and referrals in the Learning Commons, work in the student computer lab, and promote the college through outreach and campus events. 鈥淥ur new group of amazing student ambassadors are working hard to support their fellow STEM students,鈥� said Erin Flowers, director of student services for the Donaghey College of STEM. 鈥淲e have a great group of ambassadors this year who are true student leaders in the college.鈥� The 2022-23 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock CSTEM ambassadors include:

• Najla Abasi, a biology major from Sherwood
• Taylor Arnold, a biology major from Hot Springs
• Connor Capps, a computer science major from White Hall
• Taylor Carter, an architectural and construction engineering major from Little Rock
• Naomi Choy, a computer science major from Conway
• Daniel Ferguson, a mechanical engineering technology major from Monticello
• Katie Hartter, an environmental geology major from North Little Rock
• Kyler Hayes, a mechanical engineering technology major from Cabot
• Arisha Ishtiaq, a chemistry major from Little Rock
• Braden Li, a mechanical engineering technology major from Maumelle
• Dasia Mitchell, an electronics and computer engineering technology major from North Little Rock
• Andy Parker, an electrical and computer engineering major from Haskell
• Kierra Parker, a chemistry major from Little Rock
• Adam Perry, a computer science major from Benton
• Cory Ruff, a civil and construction engineering major from Ward
• Samantha Workman, a biology major from Glenwood

Daniel Ferguson, a senior mechanical engineering technology major, said he was inspired to become an ambassador after having an ambassador as a mentor when he was a freshman. 鈥淭he program is one of the main reasons I came to this school. I had a friend from high school who was an ambassador, and he really sold me on the idea of the 鈥榖ig brother/sister鈥� feeling of the program,鈥� Ferguson said. 鈥淚 became an ambassador because I was a scholar my freshman year. The friendships and memories I made that year really helped me to adjust to the college lifestyle. Because of that, I wanted to give incoming freshmen a similar experience. A friendly face they could come to about any problems or questions, not just related to school.鈥� After joining Arkansas Master Naturalists, a volunteer group for educators and citizen scientists working to preserve the state鈥檚 natural beauty, in 2020, Hartter decided to return to school to change her career path from early childhood education to college-level science education. Her volunteer work with organizations such as Stream Team, Project Wingspan, Friends of Fourche Creek, and Keep Little Rock Beautiful has inspired her to mentor and encourage students as a student ambassador. 鈥淚 decided to be a STEM ambassador because I am passionate about educating women to succeed in STEM,鈥� Hartter said. 鈥淚 want other girls to see that it is an attainable goal to be a woman working in STEM even if you have a family and kids.鈥漖]> /news-archive/2022/07/11/scivally-outstanding-academic-advisor/ Mon, 11 Jul 2022 13:15:55 +0000 /news/?p=81828 ... Scivally Named Outstanding Academic Advisor of the Year]]> 鈥淚 am very excited to win the award,鈥� Scivally said. 鈥淚 really want to say that advising and student support intertwines. It鈥檚 not just me. I make sure the students know about all the helpful resources on campus. I work with a team of great individuals who are devoted to student success!鈥� Scivally was selected from a wide array of nominees from different institutions across the state. To honor his commitment to the profession, the ArkAAN Executive Board awarded Scivally with a free professional membership to the organization for the 2022-23 year. 鈥淚鈥檝e been able to keep in touch with Louis for different things over the years, through email or visiting at conferences, or sharing ideas on best practices,鈥� said Danielle Jolie, president of ArkAAN. 鈥淗e has always been an amazing colleague for me to bounce ideas off of, and I truly value the skills, personability, and advocacy he brings to the advising profession. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this award than Louis.鈥� Scivally earned a Bachelor of Science in printing management and a Master of Science in college student personnel services from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He is currently an advisor in the Donaghey College of Science, Engineering, Technology, and Mathematics, where he advises around 250 students at a time. 鈥淭he words that appear most often in his student evaluations are 鈥榟elpful,鈥� 鈥榢ind,鈥� and 鈥榠nformative,鈥� and I couldn’t agree more,鈥� said Erin Flowers, director of student services for the Donaghey College of STEM. 鈥淟ouis always goes above and beyond. He is incredibly knowledgeable and, if he doesn’t know an answer, he will find it! Because of this, he is always learning and he shares what he learns with the students he advises and his colleagues.鈥� He began his 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock career in 2012 and has worked as a recruitment coordinator in the Office of Admissions as well as an advisor for the former College of Business, the former College of Social Sciences and Communication, and the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education before joining the Donaghey College of STEM. In 2019, he was honored as the inaugural winner of the Trojan Outstanding Academic Advisor Award. As an academic advisor, Scivally said his strengths come from working with each student to come up with an individualized plan for their college career and professional goals. 鈥淲hen I started advising, my boss told me to really work and realize not everyone advises the same. Some students are completely different. You have to assess a student and figure out their needs,鈥� Scivally said. 鈥淭he most important thing I advise for my students is to have a plan and a backup plan because a lot of students change their majors during college. You can鈥檛 always plan for the future, but you can have backup plans ready.鈥漖]> /news-archive/2021/10/08/racial-barriers-meeting/ Fri, 08 Oct 2021 12:49:51 +0000 /news/?p=80020 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Community Invited to Meet Racial Barriers Committee on Oct. 14]]> The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. in Dickinson Hall Room 100 and online . The in-person meeting is open to the first 60 people . Chancellor Christina Drale will speak about the founding of the Racial Barriers Committee, and Dr. Richard Harper, dean of students and the committee鈥檚 advisor, will introduce the committee. The Racial Barriers Committee members will discuss their charge and mission, followed by a question-and-answer session and reception. The Racial Barriers Committee was formed in 2020. Committee members will review campus policies, processes, and practices for elements that may be unintended barriers to access and opportunity for people of color at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. They will report their findings to Chancellor Drale and will collaborate with parties to reconcile racial barriers. Christine Jones, Dr. Mark Baillie, and Dr. Jennifer Hune will serve as co-chairs of the Racial Barriers Committee. The committee members include Lindsey Baertlein, Hyginus Ukadike, Clara Cardriche, Erin Flowers, Karen Kuralt, and Lakendra Mackey.]]> /news-archive/2020/12/03/care-team/ Thu, 03 Dec 2020 15:35:04 +0000 /news/?p=77857 ... Care Team makes difference in lives of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students in need]]> 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock started the Care Team in January. Led by Heather Reed, director of student retention initiatives, members of the Care Team work closely with students to establish steps to reduce barriers to success. Care Team members take proactive action to support students in their pursuit of academic success, connect individuals to campus and community resources, create a supportive and caring culture for students, and establish best practices and standard protocols of response for academic referrals. 鈥淥ne of the biggest benefits that we鈥檝e seen through the Care Team is the ability to triage student issues, especially in the face of the pandemic,鈥� Reed said. 鈥淲e have a better insight into the challenges students face. We knew students were struggling to find technology in the transition to online classes. Working with university leadership, we were able to purchase laptops and cameras with CARES Act funding and distribute that to the students. We wouldn鈥檛 have been able to do that a year ago. We did all that with the university leadership and Ottenheimer Library. Now, we have an ability to address these needs.鈥� The Care Team is unique in that it provides a centralized point of contact for those who develop a concern about the welfare of a student. The Care Team can refer students to multiple resources across campus that can provide support and assistance needed to stay safe and successful at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. One of the students the Care Team helped during the spring 2020 semester is Nina Scaife, who was facing a tough time after losing her job because of the pandemic while also completing the final semester of her Master of Social Work program. 鈥淚 contacted the Care Team because I was stressed due to needing to supplement my income, and I was worried about how I was going to pay my household bills,鈥� Scaife said. 鈥淚 received a $250 grant from the Care Team. The funds assisted me because I was laid off from my current employer due to Covid-19, so I was able to use those funds to supplement my mortgage payment. If it had not been for those grant funds, it would have been very challenging to support myself during those uncertain times.鈥� Members of the Care Team include Dr. Patti Light, director of campus living; Dr. Mike Kirk, director of counseling and health services; Aresh Assadi, assistant director of counseling services; Dr. Richard Harper, dean of students; Reed Claiborne, director of the Disability Resource Center; Kimberly Bright, director of testing services; Erin Flowers, director of student services in the Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics; Jonathan Coleman, director of financial aid and scholarships; Dr. Mia Phillips, director of the Multicultural Center; Chicketta Jackson, director of student services for the College of Business, Health, and Human Services; Sarah Haughenbury, director of student services in the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education; and Sam DeVilbiss, director of Trojan Academic Advising and Support Center. 鈥淚’m just so grateful the university has established the Care Team,鈥� Flowers said. 鈥淚 know we are helping our students in tangible ways. Plus, we’re creating a stronger network among the various support offices on campus and learning about all of the amazing work these offices do. Being part of the Care Team gets at the heart of why I work in higher education and I know that is true for the other Care Team members.鈥� On April 1, Adrienne Gill, a senior criminal justice major, lost her job along with millions of other Americans facing hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gill was taking two classes during the spring 2020 semester and paying for it herself since she鈥檚 reached the limit for financial aid. 鈥淚 received an email from the Care Team about two weeks after the loss of my job,鈥� Gill said. 鈥淚n the email, they stated they had received some funding to help students in need during this time. I was on a payment plan as normal, but I wasn’t able to clear my balance after the semester because I just did not have the money.鈥� With the assistance she received, Gill was able clear her school balance, pay household bills, and buy food for her children. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 getting any assistance from the state or anything,鈥� Gill said. 鈥淚 only worked, so when I lost my job it was pretty devastating. This was pretty much the only help that I had received during that time except when we got the stimulus check from the U.S. government. I was so grateful when the Care Team accepted my application and cleared the reminder of my balance, so I could continue my efforts to graduate.鈥� A majority of the students the Care Team assists are facing issues related to the pandemic. The Care Team resolved 443 unique student cases over the spring 2020 semester and anticipate even more during the fall semester. The Care Team had received nearly 700 referrals from students and employees by November. 鈥淢ore than 320 unique students requested some type of support in the first three weeks of the semester alone,鈥� Reed said. 鈥淒ealing with the Covid has been the No. 1 issue we hear about,鈥� Reed said. 鈥淪tudents need help if they or an immediate family member gets Covid-19 or if they have to quarantine. At the beginning of the pandemic, we had a lot of requests dealing with access to technology as all classes went online. Now, we are dealing with issues of study skills, classroom engagement, and mental health.鈥� The Care Team also receives requests from students who need help after losing a family member. 鈥淚 remember a student who experienced a death in the family,鈥� Reed said. 鈥淯sually students who contact us have lost somebody in their immediate family. This young woman lost a sibling, and she became the sole provider for her parents. She wasn鈥檛 working, and now had to balance finding a job with school, grieving, and food insecurity. We worked with her, and she withdrew from one class to give herself more time to focus on her family. We were also able to award her some CARES Act money to help with food and her other expenses.鈥� Care Team members have weekly meetings to discuss responsibilities, how to get in touch with students, success stories, and best practices. Students and employees who have submitted requests are asked to provide feedback so the team can continue to improve. After receiving assistance from the Care Team, Scaife graduated in May and now works with foster and adoptive children and their families as a LifeBASE teen coach at Immerse Arkansas. She鈥檚 hopeful that the Care Team can provide much-needed support for students who need aid. 鈥淢y heart goes out to those students, especially those who were downtrodden and struggling before the pandemic,鈥� Scaife said. 鈥淭he funds should be available for each student so that they can establish themselves and not have to worry about meeting their basic needs. Each student has the right to have food security, adequate and stable shelter, and a peace of mind while pursuing a degree or continuing their educational goals.鈥� Students who need assistance can contact the Care Team by filling out , while faculty and staff who are concerned about a student can fill out .]]>