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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Nursing Professor Honored for Excellence in Teaching and Research

John Hill — Fri, 06 May 2022 13:00:31 +0000

Dr. Josy Nduku, an assistant professor of nursing at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, has been honored for outstanding teaching and research skills this spring. In her first award, the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock College of Business, Health, and Human Services awarded Nduku the Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching. Nduku serves as the RN-BSN online program coordinator, where she helps hundreds of working registered nurses complete their bachelor’s degrees. Colleagues describe Nduku’s leadership and teaching style as empowering and supportive. She inspires others to reach their full potential through setting clear goals and expectations. Aaron Baxter, a 2021 graduate of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with a bachelor’s degree in nursing, said that Nduku exemplified superior leadership and professionalism in and out of the classroom. “Whether it was behind the podium or at the bedside, she invited her students to engage in the process of learning; promoting and encouraging critical-thinking skills that would later be the fundamental principle which separates good nurses from exceptional ones,” Baxter said. “As her student, I could always count on Dr. Nduku to maintain high expectations of her students, understanding that we would one day require high expectations of ourselves to provide the safest and best of care for our patients.” Nduku believes that her passion to impart knowledge to students is what makes her a good teacher. “I want to produce students who are better than me and can practice at a higher level,” she said. “I want to inspire them to be their best selves. I also have to take into accounts the standards of practice and make sure that my teaching aligns with those in accordance with my philosophy for education.” In her second award of the spring, Nduku received the Outstanding Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Research Award for her presentation at the 2022 Arkansas Nursing Research Conference held at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (��Vlog��ýMS). Her presentation was on the “Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on Course Performance of Registered Nurses Enrolled in an Online RN-BSN Program at a Metropolitan University” with collaborators Carolyn Hunter Layne and Dr. Lakeisha Falls. The research project investigated the challenges online nursing students faced while completing their bachelor’s degrees during the pandemic. “I wanted to understand how the pandemic impacted our nursing students and what else we needed to do to help our students,” Nduku said. “We found that students were having a hard time implementing projects at a place of employment because they had so many COVID restrictions in the hospitals. Students also found it difficult to meet in person and implement the projects.” A native of Cameroon, Africa, Nduku received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing, and Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Central Arkansas.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Selects Silverstein, Siraj, Kirk as 2022 Faculty Excellence Award Winners

John Hill — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 00:19:22 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has chosen Joshua Silverstein, Noureen Siraj, and John Kirk as the 2022 winners of the Faculty Excellence Awards. Silverstein, a professor at the William H. Bowen School of Law, has won the Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching. He has gained a reputation among students and colleagues as a stellar educator who goes to great lengths to ensure the success of his students. Siraj, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry, has received the Faculty Excellence Award in Research and Creative Endeavors. With her research being cited more than 700 times since 2016, Siraj is a well-respected researcher in the development of nanomaterials for biomedical applications and solar cell applications. Kirk, George W. Donaghey Distinguished Professor of History, has been awarded the Faculty Excellence Award in Public Service. Ever since Kirk arrived at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock 11 years ago, his extensive service and research has been dedicated to unveiling the history of the Arkansas fight for civil rights against the brutality of racial injustice. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock annually celebrates the achievements of the top professors of the year who are making a difference in the community through their contributions in teaching, research and creative works, and public service. This is the highest honor ��Vlog��ý Little Rock awards its faculty members. “Our faculty excellence winners represent the university’s commitment to superb instruction, outstanding research, and community service,” Provost Ann Bain said. “Each of the winners has made immeasurable contributions to the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock community and to the lives of their students and colleagues. We thank them for their service.” Created in 1989, the Faculty Excellence Awards has provided a way to recognize the great work of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty for the past 33 years and is made possible through the valued contributions of the Office of the Chancellor, the Office of the Provost, the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor’s Circle, and the Bailey Foundation. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Board of Visitors selected the university-wide winners from the 12 faculty members who were selected as the top faculty members for the 2021-22 academic year in each of the three categories in their respective colleges and the William H. Bowen School of Law.

Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching

Silverstein’s students and colleagues describe him as a stellar educator with a wealth of knowledge and genuine interest in guiding students effectively throughout their studies. Tori Percifield, a former student, described Silverstein as “quite simply the best teacher I have ever had.” His strengths as a teacher include “immeasurable enthusiasm, meticulous organization, limitless knowledge, and genuine compassion for the students.” Those traits are repeated in former students’ letters of endorsement. They discuss Silverstein’s passion for teaching, his engaging presentation of complex topics, and his commitment to ensuring they fully comprehend the material, including his extensive use of visual aids. Michael Hunter Schwartz, former dean of the William H. Bowen School of Law, described Silverstein’s student evaluations as “the highest I have ever seen for any Bowen faculty member.” In 2021, Silverstein was chosen by Bowen students as the first law school recipient of the We HEART Faculty Award. This is the second time he has been recognized for excellence in teaching. Silverstein received a J.D. from the New York University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York.

Faculty Excellence Award in Research and Creative Endeavors

Siraj has developed a reputation as a prolific researcher in the development of nanomaterials for biomedical applications and solar cell applications. In the past five years, she has received more than $570,000 in funding from federal, state, and local agencies, including a nearly $190,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for the “Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of FRET based Ionic Materials.” Over the past five years, Siraj has published 34 peer-reviewed papers, given 59 conference presentations, mentored six Ph.D. students and 18 undergraduate students, and served on eight Ph.D. committees. Her research has been cited more than 700 times since 2016. In order to promote STEM education, Siraj begins mentoring students in middle school, at a time when some students, especially girls, begin to lose interest in the sciences. She has hosted 19 middle and high school students for their science fair projects. In 2018, Meghana Bollimpalli, one of Siraj’s mentees from Central High School, earned more than $58,000 in scholarships for her science fair project at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Meanwhile, Stuti Chaterjee, who worked in Siraj’s lab, won the 2021 Whitbeck Memorial Award, the highest award granted to a graduating student from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “Dr. Siraj is an outstanding scientist and one of the best researchers on our campus,” said Dr. Brian Berry, vice provost for research and dean of the Graduate School. “Dr. Siraj has leveraged her expertise in frozen ionic liquids to develop a very active research group. The work of this group is nationally and internationally known. Out of all the faculty members that I have observed since joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, she is one of the most promising.” She earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in chemistry from the University of Karachi in Pakistan. Siraj earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from the Graz University of Technology in Austria and completed postdoctoral research at Louisiana State University.

Faculty Excellence Award in Public Service

A scholar of the civil rights movement, Kirk has previously served five years as chair of the Department of History and four years as the director of the former Anderson Institute on Race and Ethnicity, where he helped develop the award-winning Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail. Kirk helped a dedicated Arkansan, Leatrice Russ-Glenns, gain recognition for the life of her brother, Carnell Russ, who was killed by the police in Star City, Arkansas, in 1971. Kirk researched and wrote articles about Russ in the Arkansas Times and Arkansas Historic Quarterly and helped establish the Carnell Russ Day Community Unity Festival in Star City, which offers a series of events to bring together the Black and white residents of the community. Kirk has also hosted “Arkansas Moments,” a show on K��Vlog��ýR, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s National Public Radio affiliate, for 10 years. He has researched and written more than 100 radio segments that provide lessons on civil rights and Black history. Since 2004, Kirk has served on the editorial board of the Arkansas Historical Quarterly, the premier journal for historical studies in the state. “John has been one of the finest and most prolific scholars in the fields of Arkansas and U.S. civil rights history,” said Patrick Williams, editor of Arkansas Historical Quarterly. “Over the past quarter-century, he has been among the most frequently published authors in the Arkansas Historical Quarterly, offering deeply researched and skillfully crafted studies on such topics as the desegregation of the state’s schools and public facilities, race and urban development in Little Rock, the Black Power movement, and policing and the African American community. His books and essays have repeatedly been honored for excellence, winning four of the Arkansas Historical Association’s top prizes.” Kirk’s newest book, “Winthrop Rockefeller: From New Yorker to Arkansawyer, 1912-1956,” examines the first 44 years of former Arkansas governor Winthrop Rockefeller’s life. It also looks into the history of Rockefeller’s work with civil rights and race relations. It began in New York, where he served on the executive board of the National Urban League, a leading organization in the civil rights movement. Rockefeller took an active and enthusiastic interest in its affairs and made a donation to pay for the Urban League’s new national headquarters just before he moved to Arkansas. Before joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Kirk earned the rank of a full professor at the University of London. He received a bachelor’s degree in American studies from the University of Nottingham and a Ph.D. in American history from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Faculty Excellence and Student Research Expo

John Hill — Wed, 06 Apr 2022 12:59:28 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock will host two important university events this week to showcase faculty and student work at its best. First is the 33rd annual Faculty Excellence Awards, which recognizes, encourages, and rewards outstanding work in teaching, research, and public service. ��The Academy for Teaching and Learning Excellence will also be presenting their spring and fall 2021 ATLE Awards. The 2022 Faculty Excellence Awards will be held at 5:30 p.m. April 7 in the Donaghey Student Center Ledbetter Auditorium. The event can be viewed online as well. The link to the livestream will be sent out on April 7. Each year, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock showcases the work of undergraduate and graduate students with the Student Research and Creative Works Expo. It is also an opportunity for Signature Experience awardees to feature their completed research projects. This year’s expo will be held from 2-4 p.m. April 8. Students will be presenting their work outside from the Chi Omega Courtyard to Cooper Fountain. The event will be the first in-person expo since Spring 2019 and is free and open to the public.

Kirk, Wiebelhaus-Brahm, and Glazier Win 2022 CHASSE Faculty Excellence Awards

John Hill — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 15:47:22 +0000

Every year since being established in 1989, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock celebrates the most influential and highest achieving professors in the university by presenting them with its highest award possible—the Faculty Excellence Award.�� These most prestigious and coveted awards go to the professors who are making the biggest differences in their classrooms, communities, and in the world of academia due to their teaching, public service, and research. This year, the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education (CHASSE) has chosen Dr. John Kirk, George W. Donaghey distinguished professor of history, for public service, Dr. Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm, associate professor in the School of Public Affairs, for research and creative endeavors, and Dr. Rebecca Glazier, associate professor of political science, for teaching. Kirk, Wiebelhaus-Brahm, and Glazier will also be competing for the university-wide Faculty Excellence Awards that will be announced April 7.

Faculty Excellence Award for Public Service

Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching

Dr. Rebecca Glazier

Glazier’s love for and effectiveness in teaching is apparent in the awards she has received from her students, just in the past five years: The Student Government Faculty Appreciation Award (We Heart our Faculty Awards) in 2020 and the Student Government Association Faculty Member of the Year award she received for the 2016-2017 year. Glazier has also spent a considerable amount of time learning how to be a more effective teacher and has shared her considerable knowledge with the academic world by publishing several articles and books on the subject of teaching. Her latest book, “Connecting in the Online Classroom: Building Rapport between Teachers and Students,” published in 2021, came at a critical time in teaching, when so many have needed to switch their tactics in reaching their students. “With many faculty members suddenly moving their classes online—some for the first time—building connections with online students became more important than ever,” Glazier said. “Over the past two years, I have written blog posts, given interviews, taught webinars, published peer-reviewed articles, recorded videos, and even Tweeted teaching advice in order to share my research and knowledge on online teaching.” In addition to her teaching duties, Glazier has also been overseeing the Little Rock Congregations Study, which aims to understand the impacts of faith-based community engagement, get students out of the classroom and involved in the community, and to provide relevant information regarding findings in the community. She has been overseeing the research project since 2012, engaging graduate and undergraduate students in hands-on research about the religious organizations in their community. Glazier is also heavily involved in several committees and organizations including serving as the Politics and Religion Program Chair at the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting in 2021, a member of the Chancellor’s University Plaza Content Committee, the Academic Technology and Computing Committee, the Winthrop Rockefeller Distinguished Lecture Series Committee, and more.

Faculty Excellence Award for Research and Creative Endeavors

Dr. Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm

An international expert in the field of transitional justice, Wiebelhaus-Brahm is a co-investigator on the UK Global Challenges Research Fund-supported “Strategic Network on Justice, Conflict and Development,” which links a group of academics and practitioners in the developed world with those in Colombia, Sri Lanka, Syria, and Uganda. In the Hub, he is working with Dr. Kirsten Ainley of Australian National University to study donor funding priorities that focus on justice and peacebuilding. From 2015-2017, Wiebelhaus-Brahm was a co-principal investigator on a Norwegian Research Council grant evaluating the implementation record of the recommendations of 13 Latin American truth commissions. As part of this major project, he co-led a multinational research team that conducted field research in 11 countries in Latin America and has led to two books, “Exploring Truth Commission Recommendations in a Comparative Perspective: Beyond Words” and “Latin American Experiences with Truth Commission Recommendations: Beyond Words.” Since 2020, he has co-organized the “Transitional Justice in the USA” Speaker Series in which academics, activists, and policymakers discuss justice needs and efforts past and present to address historical injustices faced by racial and ethnic minorities in the US. In Arkansas, Wiebelhaus-Brahm has worked with the Pulaski County Community Remembrance Project to memorialize lynching victims in the county. He also met with Gov. Asa Hutchinson and testified before the Arkansas legislature to advocate for a truth commission to address the state’s history of racial violence. “We awarded the CHASSE Award for Excellence in Research to Dr. Wiebelhaus-Brahm because his research is meaningful, extensive, and pedagogical,” said Dr. Jana McAuliffe, chair of the CHASSE Awards Committee. “His research projects stand out as particularly meaningful because they confront the effects of violence, war, and mass atrocity, engaging human suffering as part of the difficult process of working toward global peace. He endeavors to figure out what actually works to help communities across the world heal from violence and build healthier, safer societies.”

Nduku, McElwee, Hendon Named 2022 Faculty Excellence Winners for College of Business, Health, and Human Services

John Hill — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 14:51:48 +0000

The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock College of Business, Health, and Human Services has honored Josy Nduku, Tracey McElwee, and John Hendon as its top professors of 2022. Nduku, assistant professor of nursing, has received CBHHS’s Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, while McElwee has received the Faculty Excellence in Research and Creative Endeavors Award. Hendon, a senior instructor, has been honored with the Faculty Excellence in Public Service Award. More information about the winners:

Faculty Excellence Award for Public Service

Hendon is a 24-year veteran of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and serves as a senior instructor in the Department of Management and Human Resources. He served as a board member for the Small Business Institute from 2012 to 2017. He also served in a number of executive positions over the years, including vice president of programs, president-elect, and president. He continues to serve as a mentor and fellow. He also holds the title of Small Business Institute Fellow, which is the highest honor the organization bestows on its members. This honor goes to those who have significant and noteworthy accomplishments in teaching, research, and service involving small businesses. One of his major accomplishments is creating a link between traditional large organization human resources research and small business/entrepreneurial research. Hendon also serves as a member of the Central High School Technology Committee. His service to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock includes being on the Institutional Effectiveness Committee and several terms on the Faculty Senate. “During his time here, he has routinely gone above and beyond in his efforts to serve, amplify, and promote our university,” said Joseph Bell, professor of entrepreneurship. “He is quick to assist others in the college while at the same time shuns personal credit. His significant corporate knowledge of the university and willingness to share that information with others makes our job easier. His extensive volunteerism is a significant illustration of John’s devotion to our institution, while also demonstrating his competency and tenacity.”

Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching

Josy Nduku

Nduku also serves as the RN-BSN online program coordinator. She earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in nursing and a Doctor of Nursing Practice, all from the University of Central Arkansas. Since taking on a leadership role in the School Nursing, Nduku has also become a mentor to new faculty members and is instrumental to the program through curriculum revisions, policy updates, recruitment, and research endeavors. “The School of Nursing is fortunate to have Dr. Nduku as a leader on our team that educates over 800 nursing students every year,” said Dr. Sloan Davidson, director of the School of Nursing. “She embodies the description for the Excellence in Teaching Award and is an outstanding representative of everything our school stands for, particularly our vision of inspiring excellence, transforming care, and creating leaders.”

Faculty Excellence Award for Research and Creative Endeavors

McElwee has an impressive research agenda that has resulted in 20 peer-reviewed publications, four manuscripts under review, and four book reviews.

Tracey McElwee

“Tracey has maintained a commitment to students and service, all while maintaining a stellar publication record that rivals those at R1 institutions,” said Dr. Laura Danforth, assistant professor of social work. “Dr. McElwee is a scholar and master researcher, and is always pursuing her goal of adding to the literature in the field of social work. She has demonstrated a passion and commitment to her research agenda, loves challenges, and is one of the most perceptive and prolific researchers in our department and field.” Her research agenda includes being a part of a team of researchers, led by Dr. Taren Swindle, who received a $3.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to complete a seven-year project to address early habits in early childcare and education settings with the goal of reducing cancer. The project will reach 5,000 children and 500 teachers across Arkansas and Louisiana. McElwee is also studying the results of a research study conducted with a $10,000 grant from the Council on Social Work Education’s Policy Practice in Field Initiative through the New York Community Trust. Approximately 125 students participated in this high-impact learning experience embedded in social work and political science courses at Philander Smith College and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. In 2017, McElwee and her students assessed the state of campus food insecurity at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock after the creation of the Trojan Food Pantry. This project led to her next research endeavor involving a partnership with the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and exploration regarding how reduction in SNAP funding would affect SNAP recipients. McElwee and students in her policy course called grocery stores, food pantries, farmers markets, and SNAP recipients across all 75 Arkansas counties. In 2018, McElwee was invited to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. to present findings from this study.

Donaghey College of STEM Selects Ruhl-Whittle, Siraj, Wallace as 2022 Faculty Excellence Winners

John Hill — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 12:47:13 +0000

The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (DCSTEM) has chosen its top professors of the year. DCSTEM is honoring Dr. Laura Ruhl-Whittle, associate professor in the Department of Earth Sciences, for teaching, Dr. Noureen Siraj, assistant professor of chemistry, for research and creative endeavors, and Thomas Wallace, a senior instructor in the Department of Information Science, for public service. They will also be competing for the university-wide Faculty Excellence Awards that will be announced April 7. More information about the winners:

Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching

A popular teacher in the Department of Earth Sciences, Ruhl-Whittle is known as a creative and dedicated teacher who puts her career experience into action in the classroom with in-class activities, service learning, and scaffolded projects. She co-teaches two high-impact courses, Geology and Ecology of the Bahamas and Advanced Bahamian Research, that gives students the chance to learn about and conduct research in the Bahamas. Ruhl-Whittle has actively engaged high school, undergraduate, and graduate students in her research with projects ranging from hydrogeology to medical geology. In her hydrogeology and environmental geology courses, she works with local community partners to facilitate opportunities for students to become involved in solving Arkansas groundwater and environmental issues. Ruhl-Whittle is also an innovative thinker who is not afraid to take risks in her teaching. When the pandemic prevented the annual student research trip to the Bahamas, she developed a new assignment where students used Google Earth to create a virtual field trip of the island to share with their peers. “This exercise was interactive and engaging for the students and bridged the gap between visiting the island and learning about it from afar,” said Dr. René A. Shroat-Lewis, associate professor in the Department of Earth Sciences. Ruhl-Whittle was one of the first volunteers to participate in the Mobile Institute on Scientific Teaching in 2019. The workshops are designed to immerse faculty in an experiential learning environment where they participate as students in a classroom for a week. She then went on to co-lead the workshop in 2021. In addition, she serves as a teaching fellow with the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Academy for Teaching and Learning Excellence and has taught webinars on teaching during the pandemic. One of her former students, Zach Smith, described Ruhl-Whittle as one of the most impactful scientists in his academic and scientific career. ‘I would not be the scientist I am today had it not been for Dr. Ruhl’s teaching and mentoring,” Smith said. “Dr. Ruhl is an educator and scientist to admire because she is brilliant, working not just to further science, but also further scientific literacy in her students. She provides experiences that make her students competitive, no matter what path they choose to take.”

Faculty Excellence Award for Research and Creative Endeavors

Dr. Noureen Siraj

Siraj has developed a reputation as a prolific researcher in the development of nanomaterials for biomedical applications and solar cell applications. In the past five years, Siraj has received more than $570,000 in funding from federal, state, and local agencies, including a nearly $190,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for the “Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of FRET based Ionic Materials.” Over the past five years, Siraj has published 34 peer-reviewed papers, given 59 conference presentations, mentored six Ph.D. students and 18 undergraduate students, and served on eight Ph.D. committees. Her research has been cited more than 700 times since 2016. In order to promote STEM education, she begins mentoring students in middle school, at a time when some students, especially girls, begin to lose interest in the sciences. She has hosted 19 middle and high school students for their science fair projects. In 2018, Meghana Bollimpalli, one of Siraj’s mentees from Central High School, earned more than $58,000 in scholarships for her science fair project at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Meanwhile, Stuti Chaterjee, who worked in Siraj’s lab, won the 2021 Whitbeck Memorial Award, the highest award granted to a graduating student from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “Dr. Siraj is an outstanding scientist and one of the best researchers on our campus,” said Dr. Brian Berry, vice provost for research and dean of the Graduate School. “Dr. Siraj has leveraged her expertise in frozen ionic liquids to develop a very active research group. The work of this group is nationally and internationally known. Out of all the faculty members that I have observed since joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, she is one of the most promising.”

Faculty Excellence Award for Public Service

Wallace has actively integrated his teaching to encourage his students to become involved with the community. Since 2017, he has supervised students who intern with local organizations like First Orion, Team SI, and Arkansas Times. In the annual capstone project for information technology students, he oversees student teams who develop websites and apps for state agencies, nonprofits, and local companies. Upon deployment of the projects, Wallace works with these organizations to create a long-term maintenance strategy.

Thomas Wallace

In addition, Wallace leads a week-long annual residential coding camp at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock called “GIRL Code.” This camp attracts 16 students every summer and encourages girls in 7th-9th grade to pursue careers in STEM. Now entering its sixth year, the program has attracted the support of large technology companies like Windstream and CJRW. “As I look to the future, I hope to continue to build these bridges between the university and the community and provide more opportunities for students to build their skill set while learning to support their community,” Wallace said. “I appreciate and value the chance to shape their careers and highlight the value of using one’s abilities to build a strong community around them.” He has also served as a front-end web developer for the Center for Arkansas History and Culture since 2019, developing interface elements for a mapping renewal project funded by a National Endowment of the Humanities grant.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Honors Briscoe, Agarwal, and MacFarlane as Top Professors of 2021

John Hill — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 16:15:03 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has selected Drs. David Briscoe, Nitin Agarwal, and Bronwyn MacFarlane as the 2021 winners of the Faculty Excellence Awards.�� Briscoe, professor of sociology, has been named the 2021 recipient of the Bailey Teaching Award and will receive a $5,000 award. Briscoe began his teaching career at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 1992 and has consistently been honored for excellence in teaching and public service over the past three decades. Agarwal, Maulden-Entergy Endowed Chair and Distinguished Professor of Information Science, was named the Faculty Excellence in Research and Creative Endeavors winner and will receive a $5,000 award. Agarwal is an internationally known researcher who pioneered work in the social computing discipline. He launched the Collaboratorium for Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies (COSMOS), which was designated last year as a research center by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. MacFarlane, professor of gifted education, received the Faculty Excellence in Public Service Award and will receive a $5,000 award. She has contributed extensively to public service in the field of gifted education and serves as a nationally elected and recognized leader in the National Association for Gifted Children. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock annually celebrates the achievements of the top professors of the year who are making a difference in the community through their contributions in teaching, research and creative works, and public service. This is the highest honor ��Vlog��ý Little Rock awards its faculty members. “Our faculty excellence winners represent the university’s commitment to superb instruction, outstanding research, and community service,” Provost Ann Bain said. “Each of the winners has made immeasurable contributions to the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock community and to the lives of their students and colleagues. We thank them for their service.” Created in 1989, the Faculty Excellence Awards has provided a way to recognize the great work of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty for the past 32 years and is made possible through the valued contributions of the Office of the Chancellor, the Office of the Provost, the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor’s Circle, and the Bailey Foundation. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Board of Visitors selected the university-wide winners from the 12 faculty members who were selected as the top faculty members for the 2020-21 academic year in each of the three categories in their respective colleges and the William H. Bowen School of Law. Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching – Dr. David Briscoe, professor of sociology�� Briscoe has created a legacy of teaching excellence at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock that stretches for nearly three decades. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in criminal justice from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and a Ph.D. in sociology from Southern Illinois University.

Dr. David Briscoe

He began teaching at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 1992 and has been consistently honored for excellence in teaching and public service. Briscoe has been awarded nearly 60 honors; earned professional development certification from Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard Divinity School, Princeton Theological Seminary, Oxford Round Table; and was twice named a Distinguished Teaching Fellow for the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Academy of Teaching and Learning Excellence. He has received the Graduate and Retention Advocate Award four times and received the Faculty Excellence in Public Service Award in 2020. Briscoe is known as an advocate for students with disabilities and was voted among the Best of the Best Professors three times by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student body. He serves on the National Phi Kappa Phi Awards Committee, the Chancellor’s Race and Ethnicity Advisory Committee, the Centennial Campaign Cabinet, and the Institutional Effectiveness Committee.�� As the NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative, Briscoe assists with the certification and undergraduate education of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s student-athletes, serves on a number of committees at the Sun Belt Conference, and served as a panelist at the 2019 Inaugural Diversity Summit. He is also well-known and admired for his role as a national volunteer for the Boy Scouts of America. As a member of the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America, Briscoe became the inaugural national chairman of Learning for Life, an academic and character development program serving more than 1.7 million students throughout the United States. He also has the distinction of being the first African American in the state to serve on the Boy Scouts’ national executive board as well as the first African American in the country to be selected as the Alumnus of the Year in 2013, where he was chosen from among 50 million alumni of Boy Scouts. Faculty Excellence Award in Research – Dr. Nitin Agarwal, Maulden-Entergy Endowed Chair and Distinguished professor of Information Science Agarwal is an internationally distinguished researcher whose pioneering work in the social computing discipline has significantly advanced this fledgling area and helped open many doors for innovation for the scientific community. His primary research interests are in social computing, (deviant) behavior modeling, studying group dynamics, influence, trust, collective action, social-cyber forensics, health informatics, data mining and privacy aims to be at the vanguard of the ever-evolving online behaviors.

Dr. Nitin Agarwal

At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, he created the Collaboratorium for Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies (COSMOS), which was designated as a research center by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education in 2020.�� “STEM education needs to be research-driven so that we can expose our students to cutting-edge technologies to prepare them as the next generation workforce that is capable of developing innovative solutions to real-world problems,” Agarwal said. “Our students are the lifeblood of research projects at COSMOS. Our mission is to conduct competitive research, transition research from publications to practice, and inspire thought leaders that communicate science to society and contribute to the social good.” COSMOS has produced more than two dozen projects, published 10 books and more than 200 publications, and three important tools: Blogtrackers, YouTubeTracker and Focal Structure Analysis. In the past year, COSMOS has assisted the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office track scams and disinformation related to COVID-19 that led to the development of COVID-19 Misinformation Tracker. “Our research examines some of the very complex and interdisciplinary problems that challenge science and society alike,” Agarwal said. “For a meaningful impact, we partner with educators, researchers, businesses, practitioners, journalists, policymakers, defense and security agencies across our state, nation, and the world.” Since joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2009, Agarwal has brought in more than $10 million in funding for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock from sponsors like the U.S. Army Research Office, U.S. Office of Naval Research, U.S. Air Force Research Lab, U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, U.S. National Science Foundation, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Most recently, Agarwal edited a IEEE Internet Computing special issue on cyber social health that highlights developments of social media analytics used to gain a better understanding of online human behavior, as research in social media analytics has seen significant development of new and advanced techniques. and his co-editors, Drs. , , and , introduce a conceptual design that demonstrates modeling at cognitive, neural, and social levels for cumulative measurements in prediction, explainability, and mitigation of misinformation.�� Faculty Excellence Award in Public Service – Dr. Bronwyn MacFarlane, professor of gifted education Bronwyn MacFarlane has contributed extensive public service in the field of gifted education. She has served as a nationally elected and recognized leader in the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) in the roles of chair of the STEM Network with more than 1,000 members and chair of the Counseling and Guidance Network, which serves over 700 members.��

Dr. Bronwyn MacFarlane

For three years, MacFarlane wrote the popular column “The Curriculum Corner” in NAGC’s national magazine, “Teaching for High Potential.” She also serves as an editorial assistant and guest editor for the academic journal “Roeper Review.”�� MacFarlane has served as chair or a representative on more than 25 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock committees, on over 15 national and state education committees, and has held or continues to hold several state and national leadership positions in gifted education. In Little Rock, MacFarlane is a regular volunteer judge and guest speaker for events like the Central Arkansas Regional Science Fair, Arkansas 4-H, and Girls in STEM Leadership Conference. She provided expert commentary in interviews to the local media for parents to support children’s learning and mental health during the pandemic.�� MacFarlane has received national and international recognition in the field of gifted education. Some of her awards include the Early Leader Award from the National Association for Gifted Children in 2018, the Wedge Distinguished Scholar Award at Western Kentucky University in 2017, and the Challenger Award from the Arkansans for Gifted and Talented Education Association in 2016 for her cutting edge book “STEM Education for High Ability Learning.”�� She twice received the Faculty Excellence Award for Research, for the College of Education in 2014 and for the College of Education and Health Professions in 2019. She has been named a Distinguished Teaching Fellow for the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Academy of Teaching and Learning Excellence, received the New Faculty Teaching Commendation, and twice received the Graduate and Retention Advocate Award.�� “Public service is integrated into my work, and my activities focus on ways to develop talent in different settings,” MacFarlane said. “My service activities at each level, whether local, university, state, national, or international, can be best summarized as contributing my time and expertise to supporting the talent development of others. Whether I am volunteering locally, evaluating federal projects and university programs, or speaking to parents and teachers about education, I am always focused on doing what I can to support someone’s talent development and growth.”

William H. Bowen School of Law honors faculty excellence recipients

John Hill — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 19:12:10 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock annually celebrates the achievements of the top professors of the year who are making a difference in the community through their contributions in teaching, research and creative works, and public service. This is the highest honor ��Vlog��ý Little Rock awards its faculty members. Created in 1989, the Faculty Excellence Awards have provided a way to recognize the great work of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty for the past 32 years and is made possible through contributions by the Office of the Chancellor, the Office of the Provost, the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor’s Circle, the Bailey Foundation, and UMR. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Board of Visitors will select the university-wide winners from the faculty members who were selected as the top faculty member for the 2020-21 academic year in each of the three categories in their respective colleges. Congratulations to William H. Bowen School of Law’s Faculty Excellence Award winners for 2021. Michael Flannery – Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching Over the past five years, Professor Michael Flannery has published case books and corresponding teacher manuals on family law, decedents’ estates, and elder law. In 2016, Flannery published “The Sexual Exploitation of Children” casebook and the companion teacher’s manual. He developed a course on the subject that he has taught at Bowen for the past four years. It is this class his students mention in their nomination. “This class is so much more than the law. He makes it personal. He digs deeper into the lives of the individuals,” said Deepali Lal, a third-year law student at Bowen. “He posts pictures of the defendants to place faces on the cases so you remember that you are not just dealing with fact patterns but with people with families and friends. His passion for this topic is contagious and courageous.” The casebook was inspired by Flannery’s own interest in children’s rights and his belief that law students should be introduced to the law related to sexual abuse of children as a viable area of practice. Rather than addressing sexual exploitation as a small part of a wider class or assigning it as a paper topic, he wanted his students to know they could follow their passion and commitment to make a difference in the development of the law and the lives of abused children. “The best thing about Professor Flannery is that he cares,” said Lisa Roam, a third-year student at Bowen. “He cares about what he’s teaching but also how we, as future attorneys, can make a difference.” Flannery joined Bowen’s faculty in 2003 and was named the Judge George Howard Jr., Distinguished Professor of Law in 2010. He earned the Faculty Excellence Award for Research in 2017, 2010, and 2006, and earned the Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching in 2012. Flannery also received the 2016 John DiPippa Scholarship Award for “The Sexual Exploitation of Children” casebook. “My goal was to create a comprehensive casebook that professors at other law schools could adopt and use to teach a full, doctrinal course on this subject,” Flannery said. “Never did I imagine, however, the impact that my students’ insights and opinions on the subject would have on me personally. I have learned so much more from my students about what is important in teaching this material than my students will ever learn from me or my casebook.” Professor Joshua Silverstein – Faculty Excellence Award for Public Service Professor Joshua Silverstein, who arrived at Bowen nearly 17 years ago, is deeply committed to each of the three professional responsibilities of law professors—teaching, scholarly research, and service to the university and the broader community. In fact, Silverstein is one of only four professors in the history of the law school to receive all three awards. In his nomination, Silverstein’s colleagues point to his extensive work related to the amendment of University of Arkansas Board of Trustees Policy 405.1. This policy governs tenure and academic freedom for the University of Arkansas System. In this effort, Silverstein spent hundreds of hours working to defeat the amendments to the policy. This included, in part, drafting counter proposals, publication of articles and updates, proposing four separate state statutes relating to free speech and academic freedom, and testifying before the state legislature’s education committee. “Tenure is critical to the healthy functioning of a university, and higher education plays a critical role in Arkansas,” said Jim Vander Putten, associate professor of education at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “Professor Silverstein’s work to preserve academic freedom within the University of Arkansas is precisely the type of work that merits the Faculty Excellence Award in Public Service.” In addition to this work, Silverstein drafted a proposed constitutional amendment to end sovereign immunity in Arkansas and volunteered over 170 hours of pro bono legal service (with 114 of those hours coming since the start of 2019), including working on two cases challenging the construction to widen Interstate 30 through Little Rock. Silverstein’s students, past and present, frequently mention his dedication. He participates in the Black Law Students Association Minority Pre-Law Bootcamp and currently serves as the faculty advisor for five student organizations: Phi Alpha Delta, the Young Democrats, the Student Bar Association, the American Constitution Society, and the Bowen Business and Tax Law Society. In addition, Silverstein regularly assists students with career placements by giving advice and providing letters of recommendation. Silverstein represents the law school on the Resource Development Committee of the Arkansas Access to Justice Commission. This work includes publicizing Pro Bono Week/Month in Arkansas. He has volunteered his time to the Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Violence in reviewing the organization’s “Bench Guide on Crimes of Sexual Violence.” In addition, he presents on legal topics to members of the public and the legal community and makes frequent media appearances on current legal issues. “Professor Josh Silverstein is a dedicated public servant,” said Professor Tom Sullivan. “His devotion to his profession and its relationship to both the governed and those who govern is demonstrated through his willingness to expend hours to share his excellent training and professional experience with the communities he serves.” Distinguished Professor Thomas Sullivan – Faculty Excellence Award for Research/Creative Endeavors Professor Thomas Sullivan has been a member of Bowen’s faculty since 1988. He teaches primarily criminal law and procedure. Over the last five years, he has published seven articles on due process, criminal defense, and appellate advocacy. In nominating him, his colleagues point to his expertise in appellate practice and procedure as well as his insight, scrupulous scholarship, and lucid writing. “Professor Sullivan is unarguably the leading author of Arkansas-focused law review articles on the subject of criminal law,” said Timothy Bunch, managing public defender for the Fourteenth Judicial District. “His scholarly contributions to the bench and bar of Arkansas cannot be over-emphasized.” Sullivan’s commitment to criminal and appellate law has led him to create the courses he regularly teaches at Bowen: Criminal Procedure/Trial; Criminal Procedure/Post-Trial; Arkansas Criminal Trial Practice; and Law and Psychiatry. He was also the founding editor of the Journal of Appellate Practice and Process, which was published by the law school for 20 years before moving to the University of Arizona last year. Sullivan has also maintained a limited practice of law, providing representation to indigent litigants in criminal cases, either in a pro bono capacity or by appointments by federal and state courts. “Throughout my experience at Bowen, my representation of individuals in criminal matters has informed both my writing and my teaching,” Sullivan said. In addition to his teaching and writing, Sullivan regularly lectures on criminal law, the death penalty, and other legal concepts to forensic psychiatry fellows through the ��Vlog��ýMS/DBHS Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship Program. “Professor Sullivan’s dedication to exploring the relationships and interactions between the mentally ill and the legal system is noteworthy,” said Dr. Robert Forrest and Dr. Raymond Molden, both of Forensic Psychiatric Consultants. “He was pivotal in our own education and career pursuits in forensic psychiatry. We are a testament to his scholarship.”

DCSTEM recognizes Kattoum, Ruhl-Whittle, Agarwal as Faculty Excellence Winners

John Hill — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 17:50:17 +0000

The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) has selected its 2021 Faculty Excellence winners. “The committee would like to extend our deepest congratulations to the three DCSTEM Faculty Excellence Winners,” said Dr. Rene Shroat-Lewis, chair of the awards selection committee. “We were humbled reading each nominee packet that clearly showed their dedication and persistence in their respective category. This is certainly a reflection of not only hard work, but ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s strong commitment to providing an environment conducive to excellence in research, teaching, and service.” Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching – Ronia Kattoum, instructor of chemistry

Faculty Excellence nominee Ronia Kattoum. Photo by Ben Krain.

Kattoum is known as one of the most popular and effective teachers in the Department of Chemistry. She serves as the Freshman Programs coordinator, where she trains graduate teaching assistants, and the Education Minor coordinator, where she works with chemistry majors who are education minors on the path to teach grades 7-12. “Ms. Kattoum is one of the best-recognized instructors in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chemistry Department,” said Dr. Anindya Ghosh, chair of the Department of Chemistry. “Her outstanding teaching capabilities and contributions in the areas of fundamental, general, and organic chemistries have benefitted and shaped the future of our students tremendously.” Her efforts to introduce modern teaching tools in her classes include the use of clicker technology to promote active learning, an online homework platform to enhance student learning outside the classroom, and the creation of a series of tutoring videos to help nontraditional students who can’t normally make it to office hours and tutoring sessions. Kattoum said that one thing that has inspired her to be a good teacher is a card she received from one of her students that read: “The kindest of hearts expect no reward, but deserve it all the more.”�� “This statement continues to resonate with me. When I set my heart on teaching, it was for the sheer award of knowing that I can touch people’s lives and inspire them to be the best versions of themselves,” Kattoum said. “I love chemistry and just simply want to spread the joy of discovery to others. However, this award still means the world to me. Although we may never be able to measure the impact that we have on this world and we may never know what some of our students have accomplished because of our influence and effort, this award will always serve as a reminder to keep pushing forward, even on the most difficult days. To remember that one act of kindness or one word of encouragement could change the trajectory of one student’s life who could impact thousands of more lives for the better.” Faculty Excellence Award in Public Service – Dr. Laura Ruhl-Whittle, associate professor in the Department of Earth Sciences

Faculty Excellence nominee Laura Ruhl. Photo by Ben Krain.

Ruhl-Whittle’s notable public service includes protecting Fourche Creek Watershed, which surrounds ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and most of the city of Little Rock. “While Dr. Ruhl serves by mentoring student researchers, leading field trips, and supporting and participating in volunteer clean-up efforts within the watershed, her major contribution to public service is aiding in the development of a watershed management plan,” said Dr. Beth McMillan, chair of the Department of Earth Sciences. The watershed plan will serve as a guide for resource managers, policy makers, and community organizations to restore and protect the quality of lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands. Ruhl-Whittle is using her research and expertise on the water quality to gather and supply data from Fourche Creek for the Water Management Plan.�� “I think service is a vital part of my role as a faculty member,” Ruhl-Whittle said. “I have performed service in my discipline, to the university, college, and departments, as well as applied my expertise to a community problem. It has been rewarding in every aspect from the human interactions to helping my community. I will continue my work to improve the Fourche Creek Watershed, which is a priceless resource to the community, University, and the State of Arkansas.” Faculty Excellence Award in Research – Dr. Nitin Agarwal, Maulden-Entergy Professor of Information Science

Faculty Excellence nominee Nitin Agarwal. Photo by Ben Krain.

Agarwal is an internationally renowned researcher whose pioneering work in the social computing discipline has significantly advanced this fledgling area and helped open many doors for innovation for the scientific community. His primary research interests are in social computing, (deviant) behavior modeling, studying group dynamics, influence, trust, collective action, social-cyber forensics, health informatics, data mining and privacy aims to be at the vanguard of the ever-evolving online behaviors. “STEM education needs to be research-driven so that we can expose our students to cutting-edge technologies to prepare them as the next generation workforce that is capable of developing innovative solutions to real-world problems,” Agarwal said. “Our students are the lifeblood of research projects at COSMOS. Our mission is to conduct competitive research, transition research from publications to practice, and inspire thought leaders that communicate science to society and contribute to the social good.” At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, he created the Collaboratorium for Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies (COSMOS), which was designated as a research center by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education in 2020. COSMOS has produced more than two dozen projects, published 10 books and more than 200 publications, and three important tools: Blogtrackers, YouTubeTracker and Focal Structure Analysis. In the past year, COSMOS has assisted the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office track scams and disinformation related to COVID-19 that led to the development of COVID-19 Misinformation Tracker. “Our research examines some of the very complex and interdisciplinary problems that challenge science and society alike,” Agarwal said. “For a meaningful impact, we partner with educators, researchers, businesses, practitioners, journalists, policymakers, defense and security agencies across our state, nation, and the world.” Since joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2009, Agarwal has brought in more than $1o million in funding for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock from sponsors like the U.S. Army Research Office, U.S. Office of Naval Research, U.S. Air Force Research Lab, U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, U.S. National Science Foundation, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “Dr. Agarwal has identified key issues and approaches in understanding the interplay between what people write in blogs and what they do in real life that are critical to grasping the fundamentals of conflict in the new information environment,” said Dr. Rebecca Goolsby, program officer at the Office of Naval Research. “His work has clear implications for understanding crowd behaviors and the emergence of ‘crowdwar’ – phenomena that are now emerging in Ukraine and elsewhere.” The DCSTEM awards committee included Shroat-Lewis, Haydar Al-Shukri, Ivan Conde, Lakeshia Legette-Jones, Mamdouh Bakr, Scott Hearnsberger, Shanzhi Wang, Soheil Saedi, Xiaowei Xu, and David Manry. Kattoum, Ruhl-Whittle, and Agarwal will compete for the university-wide Faculty Excellence Awards, which will be announced April 15.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock honors Geissler, Ghosh, and Briscoe as top professors of 2020

John Hill — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 13:58:20 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has selected Drs. Gary Geissler, Anindya Ghosh, and David Briscoe as the 2020 winners of the Faculty Excellence Awards.�� Geissler, professor of marketing and advertising, will receive a $10,000 award as the winner of the Bailey Teaching Award. Additionally, Ghosh, professor of chemistry, was named the UMR Faculty Excellence in Research and Creative Endeavors winner, while Briscoe received the Faculty Excellence in Public Service award. They will both receive $5,000. “For more than three decades, we’ve recognized the hard work of our outstanding faculty members through the Faculty Excellence Awards,” said Chancellor Christina Drale. “It signifies the value we place on excellent teaching, research and creative activity, and service to our community. Though this has been a year filled with uncertainty, it helps us all to remember that we can be certain of the unwavering commitment of our faculty who spend every day making a difference in the lives of our students.”�� Created in 1989, the Faculty Excellence Awards has provided a way to recognize the great work of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty for the past 31 years and is made possible through the valued contributions of the Office of the Chancellor, the Office of the Provost, the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor’s Circle, Bailey Foundation, and UMR. The winners are selected by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Board of Visitors. “Our faculty excellence winners represent the university’s commitment to superb instruction, outstanding research, and community service,” Provost Ann Bain said. “Each of the winners has made immeasurable contributions to the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock community and to the lives of their students and colleagues. We thank them for their service.” In addition to the Faculty Excellence Awards, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has selected the Department of Management in the College of Business as the first university-wide winner of the new Department Student Success and Retention Awards. This award recognizes exceptional activities that involve broad, collaborative participation within academic departments or schools to support student success and improve retention at the undergraduate level. The awards are funded by gifts from Bain and Dr. Daryl Rice, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs.�� An announcement of the winners can be found at the Faculty Excellence Awards website.

Bailey Teaching Award

Dr. Gary Geissler, professor of marketing and advertising, has been selected as the 2020 Faculty Excellence in Teaching award winner for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “There are many outstanding professors and great colleagues throughout the university. To be singled out for the university teaching award is a tremendous honor that I will always treasure,” Geissler said. “I am very appreciative of the university and the award sponsors, judges, and organizers. It has been a privilege to teach and mentor so many excellent students at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for the past 18 years. The diversity of our students and their unique backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are real strengths. I attribute any personal success to my students’ successes.” A key teaching method that Geissler has used extensively throughout his career is the client-based class project. He has directed around 200 of these semester-long projects, greatly benefiting many students and well over 170 businesses, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. “Dr. Geissler’s teaching is innovative and emphasizes experiential learning,” said Roger Dorsey, associate professor of accounting. “In particular, his use of class projects involving real-world businesses, non-profit organizations, and government agencies has been enormously beneficial to students. Dr. Geissler exemplifies the sort of teaching that prepares students for life and career success.” In recent years, Geissler has demonstrated his high-quality, high-involvement teaching approach by sponsoring, mentoring, and leading teams of students who won two different National Marketing Championships and finished as the top American team in a major, international competition. In the past, he led a team of students who won Taziki’s National Marketing Challenge competition. Additionally, Geissler led a team to win AT&T’s Campus Brand Challenge. The team developed and implemented an integrated marketing communications plan for AT&T. “Dr. Geissler is the most active and involved professor that I have ever had the privilege of being mentored and taught by,” said Brandi Glover, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate and former student of Geissler’s who was a member of the AT&T Campus Brand Challenge National Champion Team. “There is no length that he would not go within his power in order to help a student achieve their goals and aspirations.” Most recently, a team of Geissler’s students were one of three finalists from throughout the world who competed in the Facebook Global Digital Challenge as part of P2P: Challenging Extremism, an initiative mandated by the White House National Security Council.

UMR Faculty Excellence in Research and Creative Endeavors

Dr. Anindya Ghosh, professor of chemistry, is being honored as the 2020 Faculty Excellence in Research and Creative Endeavors award winner for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “The award is a great honor,” Ghosh said. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock has given me the best possible platform to work on my research and succeed in it. I am proud of my university and the Chemistry Department. It is also a success for my students. I am lucky to have some excellent undergraduate and graduate students who helped me to become a better researcher and instructor.” The primary focus of his current research is the development of novel catalysts and synthetic pathways that are strongly related to sustainable development. Using readily available reagents or renewable polymers, Ghosh and his co-researchers are developing catalysts that are highly useful in remediation of organic and biological pollutants.�� “His research efforts speak for themselves as a major contributor to developing new and novel methods that are being used in the Green Chemistry approaches to develop safer and cleaner chemical synthetic methods,” said Dr. Jeffrey Gaffney, professor emeritus of chemistry. “Dr. Ghosh’s research contributions are also leading the way to developing safer, more economic, and less environmentally impacting synthetic methods at the heart of the Green Chemistry movement, which is needed if we are to develop sustainable chemistry in the future.” Ghosh’s recent research in the area of green chemistry, catalysis, and novel material research has resulted in six peer-reviewed articles and one book chapter in 2019 alone. He brings his research directly into the classroom and actively uses green chemistry experiments in his courses.�� Ghosh enjoys giving back by mentoring young students in scientific research. He regularly hosts middle and high school students in his laboratory who are conducting research projects related to his research areas. As a major adviser, Ghosh has supervised four master’s degree students and five doctoral students. Currently, he runs a research group of five graduate students and eight undergraduate students. “I am really passionate about my research,” Ghosh said. “I believe in my work and the people who I work with, and together we make it possible. I can only excel if my students excel in their research activities and future endeavors.” While at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Ghosh authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications and has 21 patents with three more pending. Ghosh was part of the scientific advisory committee which wrote a successful National Science Foundation EPSCoR ASSET III proposal of $24 million for the state of Arkansas. He has been co-leading a team of 20 researchers from 10 different universities in Arkansas for this proposal to develop novel materials for pollution remediation using cellulose as the starting material.�� He is also a part of a team of researchers that recently secured $5.1 million in funding from the Department of Defense. In a collaborative effort between ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Ghosh’s role as a co-principal investigator is to develop novel, injectable, stimuli-sensitive polymeric materials for use in bone scaffolds.

Faculty Excellence in Public Service

Dr. David Briscoe, professor of sociology, is being honored as the 2020 Faculty Excellence in Public Service award winner for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “I received this coveted award in honor of my parents, the late David and Marjorie Briscoe, who led me down the pathway to service,” Briscoe said. “Public service is so important because it offers everyone an opportunity to share some aspect of themselves with others.” Briscoe has been serving the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock community for almost three decades. After earning undergraduate (‘80) and graduate (85′) degrees from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and a Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (’93), Briscoe returned home to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, where he has been teaching since 1992. “Dr. Briscoe gives his life and his all to this university and to its students,” said Dr. Krista Lewis, chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. “He is very well-loved by his students and is known for his genuine interest in supporting people. It seems that hardly a week passes in which I am not contacted by students, community members, or organizations who wish to reach out just to praise the service and care that Dr. Briscoe has extended to them.” Briscoe is known to enthusiastically advocate for students with disabilities and was voted among the Best of the Best Professors three times by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student body. He serves on the National Phi Kappa Phi Dissertation Selection Committee, the Diversity Council, the Athletics Committee, and the Anderson Institute on Race and Ethnicity. Briscoe is also well-known and admired in his role as a volunteer for the Boy Scouts. As a member of the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America, Briscoe became the inaugural national chairman of Learning for Life, an academic and character development program serving more than 1.7 millions students. “David Briscoe is an outstanding leader to the Quapaw Area Council and the Boy Scouts of America,” said Marcal Young, scout executive. “His leadership has inspired others to serve and help change lives in thousands of youth in our program. Dr. Briscoe has been instrumental in building a vibrant boy scouting program in Arkansas and across the nation.”

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��Vlog��ý Little Rock Honors Briscoe, Agarwal, and MacFarlane as Top Professors of 2021

��Vlog��ý Little Rock honors Geissler, Ghosh, and Briscoe as top professors of 2020