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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock grad explores use of blockchain for state’s agricultural operations

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 13 Dec 2019 15:05:25 +0000

Picking out the best fresh produce can be a difficult task for many shoppers looking for the best food for their families, but a University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate student is researching ways to make the process much easier for shoppers and local food producers.�� Karen Watts DiCicco of Bryant will graduate Saturday, Dec. 14, with a master’s degree in information science. As part of her graduate work, she’s studying how local food producers can use blockchain technology to safely and securely store and share their data. “Imagine going to the store or the farmers market and looking at two apples,” Watts DiCicco said. “One apple has a QR code you can scan with your smartphone to learn when it was picked, if it’s organic, if any pesticides were used, etc. Will you go with the apple that you can scan and know the origin of the produce or the apple that you know nothing about? Shoppers, especially those who shop local, want to know where their food comes from.” For her master’s thesis, Watts DiCicco investigated how blockchain applications are used in agriculture. Originally developed for bitcoin, a blockchain is a growing list of records, called blocks, that are linked using cryptography. Blockchains are resistant to modification and are becoming an increasingly popular way to store, share, and protect data. In the spring, Watts DiCicco will continue her education and research as a doctoral student in computer and information science at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. In addition to agricultural research, she’ll research strategies to fight disinformation campaigns online using blockchain technology with the Collaboratorium of Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies (COSMOS), where she works as a graduate assistant. The research group is led by Dr. Nitin Agarwal, Maulden-Entergy Endowed Chair and distinguished professor in the Department of Information Science. The two will publish a book chapter in 2020 entitled, “Blockchain Technology-based Solutions to fight Misinformation: A Survey.” Armed with the knowledge of what works and doesn’t work regarding agricultural-related blockchain programs, Watts DiCicco’s next step is to create a survey for consumers, farmers, restaurant owners, and farmers markets in the Little Rock area through her work at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. This will help her determine what information customers want to see when shopping for food and what information local food producers want to track. The project is being created with financial support from Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s office. “My goal is to create a pilot program using blockchain technology with 6 to 10 local food producers,” she said. “They will enter their agricultural information on a blockchain application that I create. Consumers will be able to know where their food comes from, and producers will receive data analytics from their data.” Following her pilot study, Watts DiCicco will do a follow-up survey to see how her app can be improved and how it can be used by other agricultural vendors in the area. She also plans to conduct workshops and webinars that will educate the public on the benefits of using blockchain. “A lot of people still think blockchain is only for bitcoin,” she said. “A lot of people don’t realize that Walmart and other large corporations already use blockchain. Using blockchain is about trust and authenticity. Blockchain will be a value for them.” Watts DiCicco first joined ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2009 as a freshman majoring in information science. As the mother of two sons with special needs, she found it difficult to go to school full time, work, and raise her sons. She left school in 2010, got her cosmetology license, and opened Artistik Salon, which catered to children and adults with special needs.

Karen Watts DiCicco(left) and Michael DiCicco (right)

“I had people travel from all over the state because they couldn’t go anywhere else to have their children’s haircut,” Watts said. “A lot of the children have sensory issues, so it could easily be too loud or crowded, so I catered to each child that came in. It was really hard to close in 2017, but I really wanted to finish my degree. It was a really hard decision since I helped a lot of kids.”�� After returning to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2016, Watts DiCicco graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in information science and a graduate certificate in data science in 2018. In January, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture hired her as the division’s first digital and IT innovation manager. She explores new and emerging technologies and how they can be implemented with Division of Agriculture applications. While an undergraduate at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Watts traveled the country competing in hackathons – events in which coders compete or collaborate to create usable software within a limited time. In August, she married her ��Vlog��ý Little Rock hackathon partner, Michael DiCicco. The family lives in Bryant.

Grad believes ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has prepared him for future career of public service

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 18:28:53 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate is grateful for the personalized yet flexible college education he received that helped him gain experience in politics, public policy, and nonprofits that will be invaluable to his future career.�� Dylan Wright of Little Rock will graduate Dec. 14 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and minors in economics, math, and creative writing. “I think the biggest reason that I attended ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is that I got the Donaghey scholarship,” Wright said. Donaghey Scholars receive a financial package that includes full tuition and fees, a housing subsidy, a stipend, a study abroad experience, and a new laptop computer. “I knew I would have a lot of opportunities to be flexible in my education,” Wright said. “I got to study abroad and take a bunch of classes in different areas. Dr. Jessica Scott and Dr. Simon Hawkins from the Donaghey Scholars Program have been amazing and helped me through any problems I’ve had.” The Little Rock native has also studied human rights and social movements at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina. During his study abroad trip, Wright researched queer cinema in Argentina and the role it plays in citizen’s LGBTQ rights under the mentorship of Dr. Erin Finzer, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and assistant professor of Spanish. He presented his research at the Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies conference in Mexico in March.�� In another research project, Wright is working with Dr. Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm, associate professor in the School of Public Affairs, to study the implementation of more than 1,000 recommendations of truth commissions in 13 Latin American countries. The truth commissions investigated histories of human rights violations. Wright and Wiebelhaus-Brahm have presented their research at the Law and Society Association conference and will present at the Midwest Political Science Association meeting in Chicago next year with support from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s presidential Studies Program. “Dylan has done some amazing things at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” Wiebelhaus-Brahm said. “He’s�� supported some of the most important nonprofits in our community. He’s worked on several election campaigns, ranging from mayoral to presidential. There are great things in his future.” Wright remains thankful to the research opportunities he had with his mentors. “Dr. Brahm and Dr. Finzer have been the two professors who have been the most active in guiding my interests and helping me explore the topics I’ve been interested in, including human rights, international relations, and social justice,” Wright said. “The professors here have done a really great job of providing me with guidance and resources and passion for different areas that I am now interested in and want to pursue.” During his time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Wright has become an active volunteer in the Little Rock nonprofit world. He has served on the advisory board for Lucie’s Place and the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Diversity Council. He has also volunteered with El Zócalo Immigrant Resource Center, Heifer International, and the Clinton Presidential Library.�� “I started out as an English major, but I didn’t feel fulfilled,” Wright said. “I switched my major to political science. As I became more politically aware, I wanted to become more active in local organizations who are doing important work. I tried to dedicate as much of my time as I could to volunteering.” In the political arena, Wright has interned for the Democratic Party of Arkansas, the Clinton Foundation, the Human Rights Campaign: Project One America, and two political campaigns. After graduation, Wright plans to attend a joint graduate program where he will attend law school while studying public policy. While he’s keeping his options open, Wright’s future career will most likely involve law, politics, and public policy. “I’m applying to graduate programs, but I do know I want my career to be nonprofit or public-service oriented,” Wright said. “I really want to spend my career helping people.”

Graduate Student Spotlight on Infinity Wallace

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 14:33:08 +0000

Infinity Wallace is a first-generation student who will graduate on Dec. 14 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. She graduated this past May with a bachelor’s degree in social work, and is currently enrolled in the Master of Social Work program.�� Tell us a little bit about yourself. I’m originally from Little Rock and graduated from Hall High School. I have lived in places such as Memphis, Nashville, and New Orleans. I have three sisters on my mom’s side and three brothers on my dad’s side. Why did you choose ��Vlog��ý Little Rock? It’s complicated. My mom had a drug problem and experienced domestic violence with my dad. I wanted to stay close to home to be near my sisters while my mother and father were in prison. They have since been released. My sisters are now 21, 26, and 30. While my parents were incarcerated, we had to take care of ourselves. Why did you choose your major? While growing up, I had a hard time in school and at home and couldn’t make academics a priority. The struggle was even harder for my peers. At least I had my sisters as resources because there wasn’t a lot of help in school. It’s hard to focus on school when you have so many problems with drugs and poverty in the community.�� I wanted to make a change in the world, so I talked to someone in the psychology department from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, and they suggested social work. I took criminal justice electives and learned that people of color are overrepresented in prisons and jails. What were your favorite courses? I loved the policy course taught by Dr. Michael Pelts. I learned about policy and how we are all affected by it. Being a first-generation student, I didn’t know about politics and the broader system. This course taught me about policy and how we can affect change. In my juvenile mentor class with Dr. Tusty ten Bensel and Mrs. Raptopoulos, I learned about at-risk youth and the juvenile justice system. In addition to being a mentor, we also got to go to the courthouse and meet with judges. What activities and work are you involved in? I write spoken word poetry and performed at events such as the Arkansas Literary Festival. I’m a juvenile mentor in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Criminal Justice program, a graduate assistant and intern in the School of Social Work, an ILEAD Life Skills Coach at Children International, and a relief hotline advocate at Women and Children First Domestic Violence Shelter. How would your friends describe you? Dependable, strong, determined, and caring. I always hear I have a good heart. I get this from my mom. Who were some of your mentors? My sisters and several teachers from high school and college. Ms. Diggs at Hall High School and Ms. McAdoo from Central High helped me with my poetry. Dr. Pelts and Dr. Burse at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock went the extra mile to help out. Their doors were always open. What is your favorite memory of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock? When I graduated in May, it was the best memory in my life. I am the first person in my family to get not one but two degrees! I wasn’t going to walk in December since I had already done it in May, but now I’ve changed my mind. My family and friends will all be there. What do you plan to do after graduation? I want to stay home, help our community, and maybe work in a juvenile detention center. Some day, I want to run for president! The policy course I took here has inspired me to do so much. My passion was already there, but the policy course cemented it. What would help our community? People deserve the resources if they don’t have them. If you haven’t experienced this, you don’t know how severe the pain is. I know from first-hand experience what it is like not to have shelter, food, and clothes. I’ve stayed in every shelter in Little Rock. I want to help all people, such as people of color who are oppressed and over-represented in the criminal justice system. Most people are oblivious and feel they don’t need to act on anything. We need to provide shelter, quality education, employment, and more resources and opportunities to underserved communities.�� What makes you different? My ability to use my past experiences as a way to make life better. Some of us don’t make it out. God wanted me to make a difference. Infinity is a great name. Why were you named that? My mom was being creative and said it was a Christian’s destiny to go to heaven for infinity. My sisters’ names are Heaven, Destiny, and Kristian. This story was compiled by Toni-Boyer Stewart.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock 2019 fall commencement set for Dec. 14

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 21:51:50 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will celebrate its fall 2019 commencement ceremony Saturday, Dec. 14, in the Jack Stephens Center, located at South University Avenue and 28th Street. A total of 1,048 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students are eligible to participate in commencement. The ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. to honor graduating students from the College of Education and Health Professions, George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology, College of Business, College of Social Sciences and Communication, College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences, and the William H. Bowen School of Law. Dr. Jin Wook Lee, assistant professor of systems engineering and the 2019 winner of the Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, and Dr. Dean Kumpuris, chair of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Board of Visitors, will provide greetings during the ceremony. Additionally, the law school will hold a hooding ceremony and reception at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, at Bowen’s Friday Courtroom for its 10 fall graduates. Professor Lynn Foster and Bowen alumnus Hunter Mullins, an attorney with PPGMR law firm in Little Rock, will serve as the keynote speakers for the ceremony, which will be shared live on Facebook. The Jack Stephens Center will be open for guests at 8 a.m. Saturday. Guests are encouraged to arrive early to avoid parking congestion. More information is available on the commencement website. There’s also an , and a site for students participating in Bowen Law commencement. Graduating students should arrive one hour prior to the ceremony. A offers more information.

Graduate Student Spotlight on Malik Williams

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 14:53:41 +0000

Meet Malik Williams, a native of Waldo, Arkansas (pop. 1,283), who will graduate this December with a bachelor’s degree in business information systems. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will celebrate the graduation of Williams along with hundreds of other students during a commencement ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Jack Stephens Center.�� Tell us about a little bit about yourself. I’m an only child who is still a little country. I love hanging out with close family and friends, learning new things, and traveling to different places. I work part-time at the Genius Bar at the Apple store in Little Rock while going to school full-time. My mom taught me how to cook, clean, do laundry, and mind my Ps and Qs. My dad taught me the importance of hard work and said that I could do anything I set my mind to. Why did you choose ��Vlog��ý Little Rock? When I was in 10th grade, the TRIO Talent Search college prep program helped me learn about colleges and universities in the state. My career coach helped me fill out college and scholarship applications. It was a choice between Southern Arkansas University and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. I chose ��Vlog��ý Little Rock because it is in the capital city and had the top business school in Arkansas. My mom wanted me to stay at home, but I felt like I needed a challenge and wanted to get out of my comfort zone. TRIO and all of the wonderful mentors helped me do just that. I can definitely say that I would not have been so exposed to so many opportunities if I had stayed in my hometown. Another thing that helped my decision was the Dr. Charles W. Donaldson Summer Bridge Academy (SBA) for high school students. I came up here for three weeks before the beginning of my freshman year to attend this program. This program pairs students with mentors that help them with their weaknesses in different areas to get them ahead of the curve in the first year of college. Why did you major in business information systems? During my freshman year, I was undecided, but I knew I wanted to do something in the business field that would help me make a good living. I chose business information systems because it is a versatile degree that contains all aspects of business mixed with information technology. I’ve always been interested in technology. (I’m the IT person in our family.) What kind of careers can you do with a business information systems major? There are so many choices such as marketing, management, project management, database administration, business analysis, coding, and software development and others. What companies are you interested in? Apple, Blue Cross Blue Shield or Southwest Power Pool would be great companies to work for. I’d like to stay in Little Rock to build a foundation, but would consider relocating. How would your professors describe you? I think they would say I am laid back and easygoing. I’m versatile and soak in new information like a sponge. My job at Apple has helped me develop people skills. Who were your mentors? My mom and dad are my life coaches. My cousin Montrell Turner is a business information systems graduate from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and has always had good advice for me. My hometown friend Corrigan Revels helped me early in my college career. The Summer Bridge Academy program helped me stay on track and connected me to the right people. What was your biggest challenge in college? Procrastination, and the balance of social life, school, and family. You have to figure out what is important. Learning about “delayed gratification” helped me put things into perspective. I listen to podcasts that motivate me and help me self-reflect. What was the toughest decision you had to make? Working part-time while going to school full-time. My parents wanted me to focus solely on school. What advice would you give to incoming students? Stay focused and keep a good balance. Don’t overwhelm yourself, because stress is real. Take care of everything on the front end and network. You can’t get by without help. Most of all, never lose sight of the goal and reason why you made the decision to come to college. This story was compiled by Toni Boyer-Stewart.

KATV Reporter Uses Law Degree to Advocate for Arkansans

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 09 Dec 2019 17:20:07 +0000

A KATV reporter is using the skills and knowledge she learned at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law to serve as a better advocate for Arkansans.�� Janelle Lilley Cline, a 34-year-old weekend anchor who lives in Little Rock, will graduate with a Juris Doctor during ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s fall commencement ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at Jack Stephens Center.�� As a journalist who covers the Arkansas legislature, Cline feared her gap in legal knowledge was impacting her ability to accurately report complex issues to the public.�� “I’d ask different legislators about a bill, and I would get completely different answers about how the law would affect Arkansans,” she said. “As a journalist, you want to fact check what people are telling you, but I couldn’t do that with the law. I wanted to understand the law better and how proposed laws would affect Arkansans.” On Nov. 7, 2014, Cline searched the internet on “how to go to law school” and learned she needed to take the LSAT (Law School Admission Test) to apply. She took the test four weeks later and entered Bowen’s part-time law school program, the only program of its kind in the state, on a full ride in August 2015. “Bowen is the only law school I applied to, and they offered me a full scholarship,” Cline recalled. “I love my job, and I didn’t want to leave it. I decided to go to law school even if it meant working and going to school at the same time. It was worth it.” During law school, Cline had some life-changing experiences; she got engaged and married fellow Bowen law student, Jason Cline, a member of the Arkansas National Guard, in January 2017. The birth of their son, Luke, caused Cline to miss a final exam. “I had my son during the first day of exams in April 2018,” Cline said. “I missed my insurance law exam because I was having a baby. I had to call my professor and tell her I wouldn’t make it, but I was able to take the exam the next week. I have a funny picture of me in the hospital studying insurance law in between contractions.” Cline counts Bowen professors Lindsey Gustafson, André Douglas Pond Cummings, and Michael Flannery as her mentors. Gustafson recalls Cline as an active student who made class discussions interesting. “Despite her busy life and the demands on her time, Janelle was always prepared to engage in and raise the level of discussion in class,” Gustafson said. “She is incredibly hard working, curious, and detailed in her learning. Beyond that, she is a kind, generous human being. She was a joy and will do great things in the world, and by that I mean great things for the world.” Cummings described Cline as a gifted law student and talented news anchor who inspired his own son to study broadcast journalism in college. “I fully expect that Janelle will become an important and consequential legal reporter and news anchor that could very well successfully practice entertainment law or First Amendment law if she so chooses,” Cummings said. “When I mentioned to Janelle that my teenage son was interested in a career in broadcast journalism, she immediately set him up with a two-week internship at KATV, which my son completed this summer. My son loved the experience.” At Bowen, Cline was able to gain practical legal knowledge through work opportunities. She served as a law clerk for Steel, Wright, & Collier and completed externships with Chief Judge Rita Gruber in the Arkansas Court of Appeals, Judge Carlton Jones in the Eighth South Judicial Circuit, and the Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. She’s especially grateful for the experience she gained working for Judge Gruber.�� “I will cherish my externship with Judge Rita Gruber for as long as I live,” Cline said. “Judge Gruber is everything I hoped a judge would be. She is thoughtful and serious about her job and was open to my recommendations in the memoranda I would write for her. It was memorable and so rewarding. I learned so much working in the actual court. It’s completely different than covering it as a reporter.”�� Cline says she fell in love with journalism completely by accident while attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. “As an undergrad, I was a double major in political science and communication studies,” Cline said. “I had to do an internship that satisfied the requirements for both, and I thought, ‘What’s better than NPR?’ That’s communication and politics all in one.” On her first day at NPR, Cline hit the ground running. Her new boss handed her a sheet with directions from MapQuest, a press release, and an audio recorder with instruction to complete her first assignment. “I called my mom and cried because I didn’t know how to be a journalist,” she said. “I was never planning on being a journalist. I overreported, but they helped me craft a story. That night, I heard my story on the radio, and I knew I had to do this for the rest of my life. From then on out, it was journalism forever.” As for her goal of being a better journalist, Cline’s legal knowledge has been especially helpful in reporting complex issues including legislation, court cases, and crimes. She recalls broadcasting for 10 hours straight in 2017 when reporting on the eight executions originally scheduled in Arkansas for April 2017, four of which were carried out. “During the executions, you had dozens of court cases making their way through the system with appeal after appeal,” Cline said. “I was able to explain to viewers why each appeal was happening, who was making the decision, and condense the legal arguments for the viewers. I never would have been able to do that without going to law school.” Earlier this year, Cline was part of a group of KATV journalists who won a Mid-America Emmy for their news special, “Arkansas Growing: The Journey from Legalization to Cultivation,” covering Arkansas’s legalization of medical marijuana and its impact on employment law. “I came to Bowen because I saw this deficiency in myself and my reporting, and I’m walking away feeling so much more confident in my ability to understand the law,” Cline said. “Being in law school has made me a better reporter. The questions I ask are sharper, and I know more going into interviews. I’m a little sad to graduate because it was such a good experience. I love learning, and I’ll be sad not to engage in my legal education every day.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to honor student who died of cancer with posthumous degree

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 16:06:37 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will honor a Benton student who passed away from cancer last year with a posthumous business degree during the university’s fall commencement ceremony on Dec. 14.�� Tandie Kenser, 51, of Benton passed away Aug. 24, 2018. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock senior was only 23 credits shy of completing her dream of graduating from college. Kenser’s mother, Gennie Adair, will travel from her home in Vancouver, Canada, to receive her daughter’s degree. “I feel very honored to get her degree, and Tandie would be too,” Adair said. “It’s wonderful that the university is doing this for her. She had one more year to go, and I really thought she would live long enough. I used to pray that she would live long enough to walk down that stage, but she just didn’t make it.” When Kenser was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in 2011, her doctors told her she only had a few years left to live. Kenser considered how she wanted to spend her final years and decided to rectify her only regret: never earning a college degree. “There’s so many people who think they are too old or it’s too late, but it’s not,” Kenser said in a 2018 interview. “I didn’t want to be anywhere else. I love walking on campus. I like every professor I’ve had. It’s brought me joy.” In 2015, Kenser joined ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with the goal of earning a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in business analytics. With no time to waste, she immediately signed up for 18 credit hours. Shannon Gwinn, director of Student and Career Services in the College of Business, advised her to start with nine credit hours, a well-intentioned suggestion that was immediately rebuked. “She pointed her finger at me, and said, ‘Not only am I going to take 18 hours, I’m going to make a 4.0,’” Gwinn recalled, adding that it was the start of a beautiful friendship.�� “Tandie would be thrilled and honored to receive her degree,” Gwinn said. “It was her ‘bucket list,’ and she knew she didn’t have much time to earn her degree. Life threw a lot to Tandie, and she overcame it all except for cancer. I can only imagine the party she would be throwing for her family and friends to celebrate this.” Kenser did get the opportunity to celebrate her educational achievements. She completed 90 of the 120 credit hours she needed to graduate and was taking two additional classes when she entered hospice care on June 14, 2018. “She called me every single day,” Adair said. “She had never complained until the last phone call when she was taking summer classes. She called me and said, ‘I don’t know what I’ve read.’ She was so sad that she couldn’t comprehend what she read. That was the beginning of the end.” Instead of a funeral, Kenser told her family she wanted a party to celebrate life. The celebration, which included a mock graduation, was held June 30, 2018, at the home of Kenser’s daughter, Jessie Wright, in Bismarck, Arkansas, with faculty, staff, and classmates from the College of Business in attendance. Dean Jane Wayland recalls how excited Kenser was to wear a graduation cap and gown that ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Campus Bookstore gave her as a gift. “Tandie was an incredible woman,” Wayland said. “She embraced learning all she could even during the most difficult times during her illness. She participated fully in all the opportunities of the college and encouraged her fellow students. She made friends easily and instilled joy to all around her.” During her college career, Kenser strived to be the best. She maintained a 4.0 GPA, all while serving as ambassador for the College of Business who constantly hosted study sessions for her classmates.

Tandie Kenser (seated) and her mother, Gennie Adair (center) visit Cindy Wallace (left) and Shannon Gwinn (right) in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock College of Business. Photo by Ben Krain.

“Tandie was simply amazing in so many ways,” Gwinn said. “She formed study groups with other students for almost every class she was in. She never gave a student an answer, but brought them along in the journey of learning how to achieve the answer. She was responsible for bringing the Reality Fair to our college.” Similar to the Game of Life board game, participants in a Reality Fair choose a career with a salary. They go to stations to make selections for housing, transportation, insurance, healthcare, and then must make a balanced budget. “We have continued to do the Reality Fair and have expanded it to high schools,” Gwinn said. “We went to Hall High School this semester, and it was well received from the students. That is because of Tandie and her passion for financial literacy.” Adair recalled a time when her daughter had undergone eight hours of chemotherapy and insisted that she be taken directly to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock afterward so that she could attend an extra-credit lecture about earthquakes. “She always wanted to keep that 4.0,” Adair said. “She felt she would let me down if she got less than 100 percent. I told her that was garbage. She could never let me down. The one thing I can say about going to the university is that she absolutely loved it. I really believe this is what kept her alive long past her expected survival. She only had a 25 percent chance of living two years, and she lived seven years and a month.” Last year, Adair started a scholarship in her daughter’s name to benefit non-traditional students attending the College of Business, and she is looking forward to meeting the first recipient of the scholarship during her trip to Arkansas. Adair and Kenser, who were both working single mothers during their lives, wanted to help single parents who are going to college. “I would say to younger students that it’s never too late to do what you want,” Adair said. “I didn’t go into policing until I was in my 30s. I was about the oldest one in the police academy at the time, and I was in the top of my class. Tandie and I are so alike in so many ways. When you want something when you are older, you do it because you want to, not because you have to. I think we are all capable of things far greater than we think we are. Hopefully, Tandie’s scholarship fund will help someone every year who really needs it. Tandie knew about the scholarship and was really thrilled that people would know how hard she tried to finish.” While Kenser will not get to walk across the stage to receive her own diploma this fall, her mother believes she found a sense of peace in the months before she died and no longer held any regrets about pursuing a college degree. “Life is not fair,” Kenser said in 2018. “Fair is just a four-letter word at our house. I’m not a sad person, though I leak a little now and then. I never thought I was getting out of this alive, so I’m redirecting. I’ve been able to give things away and see people enjoy them. I have a lot of love from my family and support from my school, and I know that I’ve been very blessed. I don’t have one thing that I wanted to do that I haven’t done.”

Doctoral student creates software that can detect emotions

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 22 May 2019 12:47:32 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate has created a computer program that can identify emotions on a person’s face in real time.�� Suzan Anwar, of Little Rock, graduated May 11 from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with a Ph.D. in computer and information science. In August, she will begin a new position as an assistant professor of computer science at Philander Smith College, where she has taught robotics courses for the past year. �� Anwar and her dissertation advisor, Dr. Mariofanna Milanova, professor of computer science, created a face analysis package that uses face and eye detection and eye tracking software to recognize emotions like happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, fear, and surprise. The second part of the system can track the position of a person’s head and what their eyes are looking at when they feel a specific emotion. The software has the potential for a variety of real-world applications. “I’d like for it to be used in the medical field to help kids with special needs,” Anwar said. “It can be used in marketing to see what products are grabbing people’s attention. In education, you can use it for non-native speakers to see what emotions they experience while learning a new language.” The software has already been used to ensure that weary truck drivers do not fall asleep at the wheel. “A trucking company uses it to give alerts to truck drivers who are falling asleep while driving,” Anwar said. “An alarm will go off on the driver’s phone, and the trucking company will receive a call to say they have a driver asleep.” Anwar also sees a future for the application in security to identify people who are about to commit a criminal act. “We’ve previously worked on a project for airport security,” she said. “We can link facial and emotion recognition with behaviors to learn if a person is acting suspiciously. When we see images or videos of attacks in the news, the people responsible are often acting suspiciously. If someone had noticed, I think eventually we could avoid a lot of these attacks.” Anwar earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science in Iraq, where she worked as a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at Salahaddin University for 12 years. “My husband (Jarjees Khaidir) started here in 2009 while I was back in Iraq completing my master’s degree,” she said. “He encouraged me to apply to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock after he saw how good the Department of Computer Science is.”

Suzan Anwar is a graduate student researching real-time facial recognition and eye-gaze estimation. Photo by Ben Krain.

Now that her studies are completed, Anwar, her husband, and three children are going on a trip to visit her family in Iraq before she begins her faculty position at Philander Smith in August. The couple has two daughters, 14 and 17, as well as a 4-year-old son, whom Anwar calls her “Ph.D. baby,” since she had him during her first year of doctoral studies. As an instructor and research assistant at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Anwar’s research all began with a memorable trip to Arkansas Children’s Hospital. “I had a course with Dr. Milanova, and you have to submit a project at the end of the semester,” she said. “We took a trip to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, where the researchers showed us a computer with a special camera. Children with autism would sit in front of the computer, and it would do emotion detection and eye gaze analysis. The problem is that kids don’t want to sit still for the research. The researchers asked if we could develop software that can detect emotions and gaze estimation on a tablet.” After a year, Anwar and Milanova completed a program that can track the children’s emotion and eye gaze all while they are playing games on a tablet. “The kids don’t even know the system is working while they are playing on the tablet,” Anwar said. “Children with autism don’t often look people in the eye. Sometimes, they only communicate through games. We saw that children show emotion while they are playing on the tablet, and the researchers are hoping to learn how this can help children with autism communicate better.” At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Anwar has won several awards, including the Outstanding First Year Ph.D. Student Award and the Top Ph.D. Student Award from the Department of Computer Science. Additionally, she has won the Applied Innovation Award and Outstanding Publication Award at the College of Engineering and Information Technology Open House.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock grad uncovers history of oldest state law enforcement agency in Arkansas

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 21 May 2019 16:29:30 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate has honored his family’s legacy by devoting his graduate research to uncovering the history of the Arkansas Highway Police.�� Cody Besett, 27, of Rogers, graduated May 11 with a Master of Arts in public history with an emphasis in archives and digital collections. Since his father and grandfather were both officers with the Arkansas Highway Police, he was inspired to write his thesis about the state law enforcement agency. “I have a personal tie to the Arkansas Highway Police,” Besett said. “My grandfather retired from the agency many years ago, and my father will retire from there in a few years. My dad thought it was interesting, but he knew it would be quite an undertaking.” Besett wanted to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the formation of the agency but found it difficult to locate official documents related to the agency. “My father gave me contacts for retired officers and administrators, and I did some oral histories with them. That was very beneficial because some of the official documents don’t exist,” he said. “The Center for Arkansas History and Culture has some records. There was an auditor in the 1950s who complained that the agency didn’t keep records long enough. There have been many iterations of this agency, but there are not many official records. My greatest source was a Highway Department magazine that was put out by the employees.” The Arkansas Highway Police is the oldest state law enforcement agency in Arkansas. Established as the State Road Patrol in 1929, its duties involve speed enforcement, protection of the highways, hazardous materials enforcement, and federal motor carrier safety. “Actions of state law enforcement agencies, like the AHP, have made a measured impact on the history of 20th century Arkansas,” he said. “The AHP has played a less visible role at times, but one that is important to the safety, construction, and maintenance of the highway system and drivers in Arkansas.” In 1933, the agency was transferred to the Revenue Department. When the State Road Patrol dissolved in 1937, the enforcement duties were split between inspectors with the Arkansas Highway Department and Arkansas State Police officers. The enforcement of weight standards was transferred from the Revenue Department to the Weights and Standards Division of the Arkansas State Police in 1953. A decade later, the division was transferred back to the Highway Department. The current Arkansas Highway Police Division of the Highway Department was created in 1979. In 1989, the Transportation Safety Agency transferred to the Highway Department and an additional 34 officers to the Arkansas Highway Police. One figure that ��Besett found particularly vital to the history of the Arkansas Highway Police was John Bailey, who spent 27 years in Arkansas law enforcement and served as both chief of the Arkansas Highway Police and director of the Arkansas State Police. “Chief John Bailey is the only officer in my knowledge to serve as the head officer of both the highway and state police in Arkansas,” Besett said. “He worked very hard to build the image of the Arkansas Highway Police. He emphasized hiring educated officers. He used standardized training for police officers and wanted to use the most up-to-date training tactics. He took his ideas on recruitment and training when he became chief of the Arkansas State Police.” While there have been calls over the years to merge the Arkansas Highway Police with the Arkansas State Police, Besett said the agency’s unique duties have kept it alive over the decades. “Arkansas is very unique in that we have two major state police forces, and they are not under the same umbrella,” he said. “In my opinion, it is the state highway police’s specialization that makes them special and keeps them from getting absorbed by the state police.” Besett earned his bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Lyon College in Batesville. He worked as a social studies teacher in Farmington until 2017, when his wife got a job in Little Rock after finishing medical school. While at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Besett has gained valuable experience as researcher and interviewer with the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas, where he conducted oral history interviews with women in Arkansas. He also interned with the Arkansas State Library, where he was responsible for making digital scans of historic state documents for preservation efforts. He feels he has gained the most experience working as a graduate assistant in the Center for Arkansas History and Culture. “I knew I wanted to go back to school, and I chose ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. I’ve really enjoyed my two graduate assistantships,” he said. “The value of those positions has certainly kept me here. The program at the Center for Arkansas History and Culture has really ticked off all the boxes for everything I need to learn to become an archivist. Dr. Deborah Baldwin sat down with each of us and reviewed our resumes. I feel like I am fully prepared to apply for full-time positions after working my two graduate assistantships.” Now that his graduate education is complete, Besett plans to work in archival sciences. He also enjoys his work as an archival digitization specialist with Ancestry.com, where he captures digital images of microfilm records to assist people looking for vital records in Arkansas, including birth, marriage, death, and divorce certificates. In the upper right photo,��Cody Besett stands between two Arkansas Highway Patrol vehicles. Photo by Ben Krain.��

Helgestad looks forward to giving back to the community through dentistry

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 20 May 2019 13:06:56 +0000

Ingrid Helgestad, 22, of Bryant, has been considering becoming a dentist since she was 14. To encourage this goal, Helgestad’s parents, Karl and Tara Helgestad, took her on a mission trip to Guatemala with St. James United Methodist Church when she was 17. She can remember the exact moment when she decided to become a dentist.�� “When we went to Guatemala, I asked specifically to assist in the dentistry portion. I assisted Dr. Tina Nichols,” Helgestad said. “Since they don’t have enough time to do bridges, the dentists pull all the teeth and the patients get dentures. I remember standing there holding 20 bloody teeth for one woman who was getting dentures. Even though these people were in pain, they were leaving with so much hope because they were about to get their health back. This is when I solidified that dentistry is what I wanted to do in college.” Helgestad graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on May 11 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and is well on her way to becoming a dentist. She already works as a registered dental assistant with Dr. Kathleen Good Ederle in Little Rock and is applying to dental schools this month. “I like dentistry because I enjoy doing art and being creative, but I also enjoy business. Combining these areas together is what general dentistry is like,” she said. “Working as a dental assistant, I see how happy people get even with just a little cosmetic work to their teeth.” After graduating from Bryant High School in 2015, Helgestad decided on ��Vlog��ý Little Rock after meeting the faculty and being accepted to the Donaghey Scholars program, which covered her tuition, fees, and housing while providing a living stipend, computer, and study abroad assistance. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock was the perfect medium between a small school environment and a big school environment,” Helgestad said. “Once I got a tour of the facilities, met the professors, and received the Donaghey scholarship, it was a no brainer. I had a great experience with every professor I met.” While at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Helgestad found she had a knack for business and entrepreneurship. She was part of a medical startup company, Spiritum Solutions, with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students Noah Asher and Nick Lester. The start-up was selected for the Delta I-Fund Business Accelerator program in the fall 2017 semester and won first place in the undergraduate division of the Arkansas Governor’s Cup in April 2018. Helgestad developed a prototype for a device that reduces unplanned extubations in critical care units. “Winning the Governor’s Cup is a highlight of my college career, but the thing that sticks out the most to me at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is how close I am to my professors,” Helgestad said. “To me, that is way more important than being in a lecture hall with 400 students. Dr. Brian Berry from the Chemistry Department, Dr. David Tonkyn from the Biology Department, and Dr. Jessica Scott and Dr. Simon Hawkins from the Donaghey Scholars have always been there for me. Having support from my chairs and the Donaghey Scholars program has led to my success.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Donaghey Scholars and best friends Ingrid Helgestad, left, and Abby Resendiz, right, congratulate each other after their commencement ceremony on May 11. Photo by Ben Krain.

As someone who is very grateful for the help she received in her college career, Helgestad has given back to the community by volunteering with Girls of Promise Annual STEM Conference, Girl Scouts, CARE for Animals, Habitat for Humanity, and the 12th Street Health and Wellness Dental Clinic. “The Girls of Promise STEM Conference was my favorite volunteer experience in college,” she said. “I became a team leader, and I was kind of afraid because I was in charge of 13- and 14-year-old girls. I’ve always been an advocate for girls and women to do what they can do without feeling like they aren’t good enough. I tell these girls that they are worthy and smart and totally capable of doing anything they want to do. All the girls in my group wanted to do computer science or physics and biology, and it was really fun to see their faces light up when they talked about it.” Helgestad also continued her love of service in the dental area. At the beginning of the 2018-19 school year, she and a classmate, Brendan Frazier, started a student chapter of the Natural Teeth Ambassador program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Theoutreach program focuses on dental care that educates at-risk elementary school students and families in the Little Rock area. Last year, the ambassadors visited two elementary schools and hope to reach more this year. “It’s called the Superhero program, and we use lots of different fun activities to get kids excited about being superheroes,” she said. “They combat the bad guys, plaque and acid, with their special tools, toothpaste and floss. At the end of the program, we give them dental supplies donated by Delta Dental.” At the end of her ��Vlog��ý Little Rock education, Helgestad said that combining her love of dentistry, engineering, and business is what made the journey so special. “I definitely have enjoyed getting to incorporate business and entrepreneurship into my college experience,” she explained. “I was unsure when I first started how I was going to do that. It’s crazy that I combined everything I love into my college experience – dentistry, engineering through the medical device, and business. I’m really proud and excited that this community has supported me in doing that.”

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

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