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

SLUFY celebrates 40th anniversary��

Janea Snyder — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 13:10:17 +0000

The gifted and talented kids attending ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Summer Laureate University for Youth (SLUFY) are doing the cool things they don’t get to do in a typical school classroom. They’ve designed roller coasters and mixed potions. They’ve built caves, launched rockets, solved mysteries, broken codes, created art, and even cracked a few eggs in their quest to design a safe car. And while they’re having lots of fun, they’ve also learned a thing or two.�� Analyzing the aerodynamics of flying brooms? That requires physics. Mixing potions? That’s chemistry. This is the 40th anniversary for SLUFY, the state’s longest continuously running summer program for gifted and talented youth in the state. It started in 1979 as a master’s project and has continued to grow. “The individuals who envisioned Summer Laureate 40 years ago continue to inspire us,” said�� Dr. Ann Robinson, director of the Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education, which hosts SLUFY. “The dedicated teachers and staff who have maintained the program’s innovation and excellence deserve a victory lap this year. It is a story of creative collaboration between ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and the community.”�� Most of the courses are built around science, technology, engineering, and math – the STEM disciplines – or STEAM, which is STEM with art added into the mix. The two-week program ends July 19, when parents come to campus to see what their kids have been learning. SLUFY classes are taught by professionals who are masters-level graduates, master teachers, and National Board certified teachers. Teachers receive training and ongoing support from the staff and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Gifted Education professors to meet the needs of high-ability students. More than 300 K-8 students are taking part in this year’s 20-plus course offerings. Young Harry Potter fans were especially happy about two new offerings: “Advanced Charms, Potions, and Other Amazements” for third- and fourth-graders and “Mystical Magical World” for fifth- and sixth-graders.�� Brigette Pullet, who teaches K-4 students in Malvern’s Gifted and Talented program, is leading this year’s geology-based “Cave” class. Her students have learned how caves are formed, how to identify types or rocks, and how acids and bases react. Across the hall, an all-boys class experimented with stomp rockets in Lift-Off, taught by Reyes Lovins, who teaches gifted and talented students in the North Little Rock School District.�� The week started with team-building exercise in which groups competed to build the tallest marshmallow tower using dry spaghetti noodles, tape, string, and one marshmallow. The tallest tower measured 19.5 inches tall.�� “They learn to work in teams to brainstorm better ways to construct and stabilize their tower,” Lovins said. Later in the week, the children built rockets out of various materials and launched them down the hallway. Lovins taught the students how to change a single variable – such as the width or length of the rocket or type of material used – to propel their rockets farther down the hall. Little Rock student Lois Hockstra said she doesn’t much like real roller coasters, but she loves designing them in Roller Coaster Mania, taught by Nicole Rose, a teacher at Jefferson Elementary in Little Rock. The third- and fourth-graders in Rose’s class learned about stored energy and momentum before they designed roller coaster tracks using foam pool noodles cut in half lengthwise. Lois, along with Emery Considine from Baker Elementary and Ashlee Scruggins, an eStem student, tested their design using a marble as the coaster. In Karen Newburn’s “Be a Scientist” class, students had to apply scientific principles they learned to design and build egg cars. The egg represents a human passenger, and at the end of the week they will test their vehicles. The condition of their egg will determine the success of their design. Legos are always a favorite among students. Roberts Elementary School teacher Holly Jenkins incorporates construction and math principles into her Legos class to teach students how to solve practical problems. For example, students use area and perimeter to figure out how much fencing is needed to enclose a yard. An architect with Cromwell Architects Engineers of Little Rock also visited the class this week. The kids also have time each day to free build. In a matter of minutes, Daniel Whitsell, 10, of Little Rock had assembled a four-wheeled dune buggy, complete with lasers. ��“I can create almost anything with them,” he said. ��Photos: (top right) Third- and fourth-grade boys attending Summer Laureate University for Youth (SLUFY) launch stomp rockets in Ross Hall. (Above center) Students in Roller Coaster Mania at Summer Laureate University for Youth (SLUFY) use pool noodles to design a roller coaster track.�� (Above right) Elementary school students mix acids and bases while learning about caves at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Summer Laureate University for Youth. Photos by Benjamin Krain

New lease, improvement projects planned for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student center

Janea Snyder — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 19:50:18 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock and eStem High School have reached a lease agreement that provides eStem with an alternative space for its high school students to dine and relax instead of in the Donaghey Student Center.

The agreement gives eStem use of the south end of the second floor of Ross Hall, which is close to the public charter high school. The space excludes the interior lobby and balcony area that separates the south and north wings of the building, with the exception for emergency exit purposes.

“This new plan gives ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students full use of the Donaghey Student Center,” Chancellor Andrew Rogerson said. “Potential students and their families considering ��Vlog��ý Little Rock need to know that we are doing everything possible to provide an affordable and quality learning environment for our students.”

On June 11, Rogerson announced to faculty, staff, and students improvements now in the works for the DSC. Upgrades include adding multipurpose spaces and recreational spaces with e-gaming opportunities, movies, and pool tables for students. Also, Rogerson announced the addition of a new Starbucks to open on campus in spring 2020. The coffee shop will be located in the quad on the back side of the Old Student Union A building with patio seating facing Cooper Fountain.

The lease with eStem was signed May 31 by Donald Bobbitt, president of the University of Arkansas System, acting on behalf of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, and John Bacon, chief executive officer of eStem Public Charter Schools, Inc. Under the terms, the charter school will pay $7,500 monthly ($90,000 annually) to rent the Ross Hall space. The new lease took effect June 1.

The 4,385-square-foot space will serve as the dining area for eStem’s students who have been using the Donaghey Student Center for dining since the high school opened in fall 2017. The charter school will be responsible for securing its own food service vendor.

Some alterations will be made to Ross Hall – mainly construction of a wall to separate the spaces used by eStem students on the south wing from the north wing of Ross Hall, which will continue to be used by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Costs for alterations will be paid by eStem.

The lease also specifies that eStem will monitor student behavior and noise levels in Ross Hall. The new agreement is intended to eliminate congestion in the Donaghey Student Center where some college students, faculty, and staff had complained of noise and overcrowding.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock, eStem reach agreement

Janea Snyder — Thu, 09 May 2019 18:33:42 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock, eStem High School, and the University of Arkansas System Office have reached an agreement on a plan to relieve congestion in the Donaghey Student Center. Effective June 1, eStem High School will begin occupying the south end of the second floor of Ross Hall. eStem will have exclusive use of this space for dining services and recreational space. The eStem students will no longer use the Donaghey Student Center for dining or other purposes. “This resolution is a win for both institutions,” Chancellor Andrew Rogerson wrote to faculty and staff. “You and our students will have full use of the Donaghey Student Center once again, and eStem students and teachers will enjoy a private space for dining and socializing next to their school.” Administrators reached the agreement late Wednesday, May 8. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty, staff and students were notified Thursday afternoon via email. The agreement with eStem is for one year with the potential for renewal. This summer, a partition wall will be constructed on the south side of the elevator in Ross Hall for privacy. eStem will be able to access the area via the walkway between the high school and Ross Hall, which is the closest university building to eStem. Rogerson said he welcomes suggestions as the university explores longer term solutions for collaboration with eStem.

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.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock announces Donaghey Scholars for 2018-19

Janea Snyder — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 16:46:13 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock welcomes 25 new Donaghey Scholars for the 2018-2019 academic year. The Donaghey Scholars Program admissions process is highly competitive. The most promising applicants are invited to campus for an interview. Admission decisions are based on academic record, test scores, leadership ability, community service, interest in other cultures, recommendation letters, admissions essays, and the interview. This year’s incoming class of Donaghey Scholars has an average ACT score of 31. Donaghey Scholars receive a financial package that includes full tuition and fees (up to 18 hours per semester), a stipend, financial assistance to study abroad, a housing subsidy, and a new laptop. The program features an interdisciplinary core curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking, writing, discussion, and project-based learning that engages with the city of Little Rock. The students, hometown, high school and intended major are:

Emma Chambers, of Little Rock, Pulaski Academy, Studio Art
Alondra Cruz, of Little Rock, Mills University Studies High School, Business
Olivia Fitzgibbon, of Little Rock, eStem, Public Relations
Lucca Garcia, of Sheridan, Catholic High School, Nursing
Sadie Goss, of El Dorado, Parkers Chapel High School, Criminal Justice and Biology
Mohib Hafeez, of Little Rock, Lisa Academy West, Biology and Chemistry/ Pre-Med
LaTambria Hampton, of Jonesboro, Academies at Jonesboro High School, Biology and Chemistry/ Pre-Med
Jordan Hancock, of Benton, Benton High School, Art History
Meagan Herbold, of Mabelvale, Bryant High School, Physics and Mathematics
Khristina Huff, of Cleveland, Clinton High School, Biology and Chemistry/ Pre-Med
Sabah Ismail, of Fort Smith, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, Political Science
Nicholas Jaeger, of Leslie, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, Computer Science
Savannah James, of North Little Rock, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, Political Science
Amelia Jilek, of Alexander, Bryant High School, Philosophy/ Pre-Law
Greyson Kauffman, of Cabot, ��Cabot High School, Criminal Justice and Psychology
Sam Koon, of Little Rock, Little Rock Central High School, English/ Pre-Law
Sydney Kornelsen, of Fallbrook, CA, Escondido Charter High School, Chemistry
Hannah Krehbiel, of Fort Smith, Northside High School, Anthropology and Chemistry
Cecily Mobley, of Fouke, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, Systems Engineering
Karson Oakes, of Paragould, Paragould Senior High School, Computer Science
Gage Pipkin, of Jonesboro, Westside High School, Theatre
Philip Plouch, of Little Rock, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, Computer Science
Gabrielle Roberts, of Jonesboro, Academies at Jonesboro High School, Biology/ Pre-Vet
Aleigha Smith, of Ward, Cabot High School, Accounting
Ruby Trotter, of Houston, TX, Jersey Village High School, Biology and Chemistry/ Pre-Med

Photo by Benjamin Krain

��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s 2018 Racial Attitudes Conference will discuss race, ethnicity, and education

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 20:35:02 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Anderson Institute on Race and Ethnicity will examine Pulaski County residents’ views on race, ethnicity, and education during the 15th annual Racial Attitudes in Pulaski County Conference on Tuesday, April 24.�� The conference will run from 10:30 a.m. to noon in the Legends Room in the Jack Stephens Center. “The survey is focusing on education this year in part to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock schools and, in part, because education continues to be one of the most contentious areas in city conversations about race and ethnicity,” said Dr. John Kirk, director of the Anderson Institute. This year’s panel members include Dr. Corey Anderson, executive vice president of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Dr. Gary Arnold, president of Little Rock Christian Academy, Dr. John Bacon, chief executive officer of eStem Public Charter Schools, Elizabeth Eckford, author and member of the Little Rock Nine who desegregated Central High School in 1957, and Dr. Anika Whitfield, public school advocate. A panel discussion will be followed by a lunch reception and book signing by Eckford, author of “The Worst First Day: Bullied While Desegregating Central High School.” Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event. The results of the study on race, ethnicity, and education are based on 1,915 phone interviews with adults living in Pulaski County conducted by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Survey Research Center between Aug. 31, 2017, and Jan. 19, 2018. The event is free and open to the public. Please register by filling out this online form. For more information, contact Tamisha Cheatham at 501-569-8932 or tmcheatham@ualr.edu.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock STEM Education Center to host girls’ STEM conference

Janea Snyder — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 20:45:12 +0000

Middle school girls from around central Arkansas will be on the University of Arkansas at Little Rock campus on Friday, April 13, for the Girls STEM Leadership Conference organized by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s STEM Education Center. The half-day event brings together seventh- and eighth-grade girls for STEM sessions and a panel discussion led by women working in STEM fields. Participating schools include Pulaski Academy, Quest, eStem, and Mabelvale Middle School. The conference is the second such conference hosted this year at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. The first conference on March 27 served about 100 students from North Little Rock Middle School. A third conference will be held later this year. “We’re here to promote STEM education at the university and within the school districts closest to us,” said Kent Layton, interim director of STEM Education Center. The conferences aim to educate girls about career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Last year, the center served 400 girls.

Miller brings holiday cheer to nursing home residents

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 21:05:54 +0000

A former University of Arkansas at Little Rock employee is helping to bring the holiday spirit to the residents of one Little Rock nursing home.�� Rosalyn Miller, former conference services manager at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock who still serves as the advisor to Delta Sigma Theta sorority, will deliver gift bags to the 115 residents of in Little Rock. “I use my personal Mary Kay business to gather sponsors for a bag for the residents of the Good Shepherd Nursing��Facility,” Miller said. “Many who are confined to nursing homes may not have family or loved ones to visit them during the holidays. Each year, I look forward to making gift bags and delivering them to residents in a nursing facility in our community, for this is the season of giving.” Members of the eStem Public Charter Middle School cheer team will accompany Miller to hand out the gift bags on Thursday, Dec. 21. The gift bags will contain Mary Kay hydrating lotion, lip balm, ornaments and cards made by youth volunteers, and other sweet treats to soften the season for the residents. Miller’s effort to spread holiday cheer to the residents began three years ago. It’s grown from providing gift bags for 80 residents in 2016 to 115 this year.

Rosalyn Miller

“I’ve had numerous relatives who have been residents in this particular facility,” Miller said. “I actually left my job in Washington, D.C. years ago to return to Arkansas to take care of my aging parents. I saw there were plenty of residents who had no family or friends to come in to visit them. I thought this is a good way that I can let them know that there are people in the community who care.” Anyone interested in helping can donate $25, which will cover the cost of one gift bag. Each donor’s name will be attached to a gift bag. For more information, contact Miller at 501-231-4248 or rxmiller@ualr.edu.

‘Modern’ look of new eStem High School makes a positive impression

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 20:04:58 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock faculty, staff, and students were impressed with their first look at the ’ newest facility.�� The high school for 10th-12th-grade students contains 25 classrooms, five science labs, three computer labs, a music room, an EAST lab, and a parent resource center on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus. The 2017-18 school year began Aug. 15 for 466 eStem High School students, an increase of 100 students from last year. Members of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus community toured the newly renovated building during an Aug. 14 open house. �� “The renovations look phenomenal,” said Marc Glidden, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock director of campus living and assistant dean of students. “I like the modern design, and the colors are big and light.” Rather than having an orange brick exterior, the nearly 33,000-square-foot building has a mat-black facade that ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Police Chief Regina Wade found eye catching. “It’s sleek, and it’s very modern. I like it,” Wade said. “We are so excited to partner with eStem. The police department is really geared for this transition.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock employees tour eStem High School during an Aug. 14 open house. Photo by Lonnie Timmons III/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications.

Those who miss the orange brick facade can find that feature inside eStem High School, which kept the original walls of John A. Larson Hall as part of the building’s hallways. Larson Hall was renovated to house the new high school. Formerly the South Building, Larson Hall is one of the two original buildings constructed on campus when the institution moved to its current location in 1949. “I like the fact that they kept the orange brick in the halls as a connection to the old building,” said Julie Flinn, professor of anthropology, who also appreciates the industrial-style look of the building with concrete floors and exposed pipes and wires running along the ceiling. As visitors passed the entrance to each classroom, they could read a core value selected by an eStem teacher. The core value – like caring, service, and open-mindedness – represents a value each teacher wants to emphasize in the classroom. “It starts with the teachers knowing our core values and establishing that in the classroom for our students,” said Tierney Armour, eStem high school teacher. “These values are what we want reflected in the classroom.”

Symposium puts spotlight on the influence of political cartoons

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 16:33:42 +0000

Educators, students, and members of the general public are invited to a free symposium on the influence of political cartoons. The symposium, “No Laughing Matter: Political Cartoons and the Arkansas Historical Perspective,” is set for Thursday, Nov. 3, at the Little Rock Marriott Hotel and Statehouse Convention Center. It will be hosted by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture. John Deering, chief political cartoonist and illustrator for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, is among the featured symposium panelists. “The goal of the symposium is to not only educate audiences about the role political cartoons played during the course of Arkansas history, but also to speak to the wider role of economic, cultural, and historical development within the state,” said Deborah Baldwin, ��Vlog��ýLR associate provost. The Nov. 3 schedule includes:

8 to 9 a.m. “Persuasion, Comedy, and Politics: The Rhetorical Impact of Satire in Political Cartoons,” presented by George Jensen, ��Vlog��ýLR rhetoric and writing professor, and J. Bradley Minnick, ��Vlog��ýLR English professor
9:10 to 10:10 a.m. “Illustrating History: Jon Kennedy and Historical Representation,” presented by Barclay Key, a ��Vlog��ýLR history professor, and John Deering, political cartoonist and illustrator for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
10:20 to 11:20 a.m.“The Political Cartoonist as Entrepreneur: Arkansas Cartoonists Working Both Sides of Campaigns,” presented by Revis Edmonds, Department of Arkansas Heritage, Joseph Giammo, ��Vlog��ýLR political science professor, and John Deering
4:10 to 5:10 p.m. “Modernizing History: Developing and Publishing a Virtual Exhibit for the Modern Student,” presented by Chad Garrett, ��Vlog��ýLR Collections and Archives, Shannon Lausch, ��Vlog��ýLR Center for Arkansas History and Culture, and Stan James, eSTEM Public Charter School

The ��Vlog��ýLR Center for Arkansas History and Culture soon also will launch an online virtual exhibit. Once completed, the exhibit will feature drawings by cartoonists Bill Graham of the Arkansas Gazette (1948-1985) and Jon Kennedy of the Arkansas Democrat (1941-1988). The cartoons depict various topics and events from Arkansas’s history such as:

Voting
Education funding
School desegregation
Urbanization and economic development
Prison reform
Local gambling legislation

Web pages with lesson plans and other educational materials for teachers that have been designed to meet requirements of state social studies curriculums will be included in the exhibit. The and the awarded the Center for Arkansas History and Culture a $10,424 grant to develop the exhibit and the related educational symposium. �� For more details on the symposium, contact the Center for Arkansas History and Culture at 501.320.5780. Image in the upper right: Jon Kennedy editorial cartoon courtesy of the Center for Arkansas History and Culture.��

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

SLUFY celebrates 40th anniversary��

New lease, improvement projects planned for ����Vlog��ý Little Rock student center

����Vlog��ý Little Rock, eStem reach agreement