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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Announces Two New Health Education and Promotion Degree Programs

John Hill — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 15:53:56 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has announced two new degree programs in Health Education and Promotion. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock School of Counseling, Human Performance, and Rehabilitation has created an accelerated 4+1 program for Health Education and Promotion as well as a new fully online degree for the Master of Science in Health Education and Promotion. Beginning this year, undergraduate students who are accepted for the accelerated program will begin working toward their master’s degree while completing their bachelor’s degree. This will allow students to complete their graduate degree one year early. Additionally, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has announced an online graduate degree program in health education and promotion that begins in the spring 2022 semester. “Health education is a growing field within the public health domain,” said Dr. Amar Kanekar, graduate coordinator of health education and promotion. “U.S. Department of Labor statistics show almost 60,000 health education specialists working in the United States in 2019 and a projected industry growth rate of 11 percent between 2018 and 2028. It’s an exciting opportunity for students who are interested in pursuing work in health education and promotion.” The average mean wage for health education specialists is approximately $62,000 per year. Growth is being driven by efforts to improve health outcomes and to reduce healthcare costs through teaching people healthy behaviors and explaining how to better use available healthcare services. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Master of Science in Health Education and Promotion degree is designed to provide professional educational opportunities and prepare students for careers as wellness directors and health education practitioners including certified health education specialists, researchers, health department personnel, worksite health promotion, and more. The online degree will make the program more accessible for students in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, where many students are pursuing virtual learning. “This fully online master’s degree makes a college education more accessible for international students and domestic students who prefer to study online,” Kanekar said. “The courses are designed to align its objectives with the areas of responsibilities and competencies set forth by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing to enable students to take CHES and MCHES examinations.” Certified health education specialists can work in a variety of fields related to program coordination and management, health education, community health services, advocacy, curriculum building, etc. Students have the opportunity to improve their intellectual and professional skills through advanced classroom instruction, participation in behavioral research, and an opportunity to engage in community service and learning activities. Additionally, this program has a strong research focus as a requirement via a thesis or a project that hones student research skills and prepares them for pursuing doctoral-level education. Both degrees have been approved by the Arkansas Division of Higher Education and the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas System.

Graduate Spotlight on Tyra Robinson

John Hill — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 14:47:08 +0000

Tyra Robinson will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in health education and promotion and a minor in health and exercise science. After graduation, she plans to go to graduate school to become a licensed physical therapist. Tell us a little bit about yourself. I am from McGehee, Arkansas, and graduated from McGehee High School in 2015. I played basketball in junior high and high school, and I was also a majorette. My mom and the majority of my family still live in McGehee, and my dad lives in Little Rock. Moving to Little Rock was a huge change for me. My hometown only has only one stoplight, and it seems like Little Rock has one million. How did you develop an interest in physical therapy? My mother was a beautician for many years. While she was studying to get her education degree in 2010, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and had to have her wrist replaced. I went to all the physical therapy sessions with her, and that’s when I decided I wanted to become a physical therapist. I like to help people and watch them grow. Why did you choose ��Vlog��ý Little Rock? I transferred here from University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff because ��Vlog��ý Little Rock had more opportunities in my chosen field. What were some of your favorite courses? My all time favorite course was anatomy. I love studying the human body and how it works. It was a difficult class, but that’s what made it enjoyable. Did you work while you were going to school? Previously, I worked at Walmart, and now I work as a physical therapy technician at Physical Therapy Institute, which is an outpatient clinic. A PT technician walks patients through their exercises after the physical therapist evaluates them. Basically, we are “baby” physical therapists. Who were some of your mentors? Dr. Janea Snyder was a huge help during my academic career. She helped me transfer credits, schedule my classes, and advised me on what to do to continue my education. What is your favorite memory of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock? I enjoyed watching Little Rock Trojans basketball (both men’s and women’s) teams and attended all home games. How are you going to celebrate your graduation? My family is going to have a cookout for me. Then we are going to watch the McGehee High School football team play at War Memorial Stadium. Right now, we are undefeated and #1 in the state for AAA division! What is your advice for new students? No matter what life throws at you, go with it. School can be an obstacle course, but if you stay the course you will succeed. You have to motivate yourself along the way. You are your biggest cheerleader. This commencement story was compiled by Toni Boyer Stewart.

Kanekar’s online course recognized for quality course design

John Hill — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 15:25:04 +0000

A course taught and designed by Dr. Amar Kanekar, associate professor and graduate coordinator of health education and promotion at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, has received the Quality Matters (QM) Certification Mark for course design quality. Organization and Administration in Health Education and Promotion Programs, HHPS 4378/5378, is an online undergraduate and graduate course taught during a 5-week summer session. It covers the principles and practices of organizational management and administration in health education programs. “An emerging health education specialist needs education and training in applying these principles in their practice as health education specialists as most of them work in various health care organizations,” Kanekar said. “It’s a very important course in our health education and health promotion program. Having good quality online courses for students greatly helps in student recruitment and retention.” The certification is an internationally recognized symbol of online and blended course design quality and represents Kanekar’s ongoing commitment to create learning environments and provide learners with a clear pathway to success. The certification is the result of Kanekar’s dedication to continuous improvement. The course is now listed on the . “The Quality Matters Official Review provided the opportunity to reflect on this course and examine it from the learner perspective,” Kanekar said. “From accessibility to learner engagement to assessments, the review used internationally-recognized standards and best practices to examine critical course components related to the learner experience and ultimately learner success.” The QM Official Review provided independent validation of the quality, learner-focused course design found in HHPS 4378/5378. Reviews are conducted by QM-Certified Reviewers and use the Quality Matters Rubric and associated Standards, which are based on research and best practices. A course earns the QM Certification Mark once it meets QM Rubric Standards at the 85 percent threshold or better and meets all essential standards. Kanekar is well known for innovation in online course design and development. In addition to several courses earning the QM certification, the professor is the recipient of the 2017-18 Blackboard Exemplary Course Program Award, has been a lecturer for Blackboard’s Innovative Teaching Series, and received a presidential citation for dedicated service and contributions from the National Society for Public Health Education.

Easterseals Arkansas honors graduating student as Volunteer of the Year

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 05 Dec 2018 14:05:56 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock student who is graduating this month has been recognized for his outstanding volunteer service with children in the community. Derrick Alexander, a 36-year-old senior from Little Rock, was recently honored by as a Volunteer of the Year for the Academy. He will graduate from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock on Dec. 15 with a bachelor’s degree in health education and promotion. Alexander is an intern for Easterseals Academy at Riverdale, a school for children with developmental disabilities. Alexander jokes that he was selected as a Volunteer of the Year “because I’m awesome.” “The kids love me. The staff loves me,” he said. “I am there every day except Wednesday when I am here at class. I participate in all the activities. I’m just really involved. There are 35 kids in the academy, and I know everyone of them by name.” He call himself a “jack of all trades” who has done everything from working with the students, answering phones, assisting with lessons, and supervising recess, to installing security cameras in the classroom and organizing books in the library. His favorite activity was volunteering during the Special Olympics earlier this semester. “Working the Special Olympics was very fun,” he said. “I got to see the excitement on the kids’ faces when they bowled a strike, picked up a spare, and were just having fun. Whenever they won a medal, there were a lot of laughs and a lot of fun.” Dr. Janea Snyder, assistant professor of health education and promotion and Alexander’s internship supervisor, said it was a joy to witness how much the students and staff at Easterseals adored Alexander during internship site visits. “Health education and promotion majors often have a passion to serve, and this is true for Derrick as he has also served our country,” Snyder said. “While completing his 200-hour health education internship at Easterseals, his heart for serving others and going above and beyond was recognized in him being awarded their Volunteer of the Year Award for the Academy for 2018. He is respectful, generous, and overall just a great guy.” Alexander is a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served a tour in Afghanistan as well as relief duty during Hurricane Katrina. He started at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2016 after attending University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College. He remembers visiting ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as a sixth-grader at Franklin Elementary to visit Derek Fisher, former NBA player and coach, who played for the Trojans at the time. Alexander, a father of a son and two daughters, said his own kids made him want to major in health education and promotion. “One day, I know they will go off to college, so whatever knowledge I have can help them,” he said. In the end, Alexander’s time at Easterseals has left an impression. After graduating in December, he is considering attending graduate school to study special education, a decision he says was influenced by his time at Easterseals. “Everything about the kids and their progress makes me want to work in special education,” Alexander said. “They are all very amazing, the kids and their progress. There are a lot of things about them that are amazing.” In the upper right photo, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student Derrick Alexander has been recognized by Easterseals Arkansas as Volunteer of the Year for the Academy. Photo by Ben Krain.

Kanekar to present webinar as part of Blackboard’s Innovative Teaching Series

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 13:40:08 +0000

Dr. Amar Kanekar, a graduate program coordinator of the Health Education and Promotion program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, will present a webinar on service learning in an online course as part of Blackboard’s Innovative Teaching Series. In March, Kanekar was honored as a recipient of the 2017-18 Blackboard Exemplary Course Program Award for his class, “Health Education Program Evaluation,” a senior-level online course that focuses on health program planning and evaluation. Since winning the award, Kanekar was invited to present a seminar as part of Blackboard’s Innovative Teaching Series of webcasts. Kanekar’s seminar, “E-hybrid model: Service learning in a distance learning course,” will begin at 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25. Participants will learn about creating and implementing a service-learning course in an online environment and best practices in using reflections of service-learning work. Another interesting feature of this course is an option for a photovoice project to depict community needs. Kanekar has completed the Blackboard Learn Advanced training and served as a guest speaker for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Summer Academy for Online Teaching Excellence in the past. He has also received a Quality Matters certificate for one of his online courses this year and received one of the first Open Education Resource mini grants from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2017. In continuing his recent achievements, Kanekar has also been accepted as a peer reviewer for the Society for Public Health Education journal, “Health Education and Behavior.” Additionally, his article, “Designing an E-Learning Health Promotion Course: Meeting the National Benchmarks,” has been published in Volume 4, Issue 3 of the journal “Pedagogy in Health Promotion.” For more information and to register for the webinar, visit the

Kanekar receives presidential citation from National Society for Public Health Education

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 13:37:19 +0000

Dr. Amar Kanekar, associate professor and graduate program coordinator for health education and promotion, received the National Society for Public Health Education Presidential Citation for dedicated service and contributions at the society’s annual conference April 5 in Columbus, Ohio. During his 11 years of teaching experience, Kanekar has taught more than 25 courses on public health, health education, and health promotion through distance learning, hybrid and face-to-face courses with web enhancement using instructional technology such as synchronous and asynchronous student interaction. Kanekar has received several honors related to online teaching in recent months. In March, he received certificate for his online course, Community Health Agency, from Quality Matters. Blackboard Inc., a leading education technology company for teaching, learning and student engagement, selected Kanakar as a recipient of the 2017-18 Blackboard Exemplary Course Program Award for “Health Education Program Evaluation,” a senior-level online course that focuses on health program planning and evaluation. He currently serves on the Society for Public Health Education Ethics Committee and Editorial Board for the journal Pedagogy of Health Promotion: The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. He is also on the review boards of the American Journal of Health Behavior and Journal of Health Education Teaching.

Kanekar wins Blackboard Exemplary Course Program Award

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 13:18:52 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor is being recognized for exemplary online learning and online course development. Blackboard Inc., a leading education technology company for teaching, learning and student engagement, selected Dr. Amar Kanekar, graduate program coordinator of the Health Education and Promotion program, as a recipient of the 2017-18 Blackboard Exemplary Course Program Award. The awards program recognizes faculty and course designers from schools, colleges, and universities around the world who develop engaging and innovative courses that represent the very best in technology and learning. “This is a very nice program,” Kanekar said. “Blackboard encourages faculty to create great online courses. The evaluation criteria is very challenging, so I feel very good about this course after receiving this award.” Kanekar won the award for his “Health Education Program Evaluation,” a senior-level online course that focuses on health program planning and evaluation. Students work together in an online environment to develop and evaluate a public health program. Projects from this semester’s class include heart disease, childhood obesity, smoking, and sexually transmitted diseases. For 17 years, the ECP has recognized instructors and course designers whose courses demonstrate best practices in four major areas: course design; interaction and collaboration; assessment; and learner support. Since its founding, thousands of instructors, teachers, and designers have used the ECP to evaluate and improve their courses with recognized best practices. To be considered for the honor, applicants must be a user of the Blackboard Learn learning management system. Submitted courses are evaluated by other course developers, instructional designers, teachers, and professors as well as experts using the Exemplary Course Program Rubric. “We’re very proud of this acknowledgement Dr. Kanekar is receiving from Blackboard, Inc.,” said Dr. David Montague, director of eLearning and Scholarly Technology and Resources office. “He has consistently been innovative in his attempt to use best practices as an online educator.” Kanekar is currently completing the Blackboard Learn Advanced training and served as a guest speaker for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Summer Academy for Online Teaching Excellence. “Dr. Kanekar has done his due diligence in understanding how to teach online by successfully receiving a Quality Matters Certification for one of his online courses,” Montague said. “Most recently, he received an Open Educational Resource (OER) mini grant and has given back to fellow faculty by presenting on how he has used OER to benefit both students and faculty. We certainly consider Dr. Kanekar as one of our ‘STaR Performers.’” Kanekar will be recognized at a reception at 2 p.m. on March 29 in the Donaghey Student Center Leadership Lounge.

��Vlog��ýLR student veteran plans career in health education in honor of family

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 15:29:42 +0000

When Fernandez Evans graduates from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Dec. 17, his thoughts will be on his mother who passed away shortly after he was accepted to ��Vlog��ýLR. “As I carried the grief of my mother Katrena Evette Thomas into my university years, the one thing I regret is that my mom did not get to see me graduate,” said Evans, 22, of Maumelle, Arkansas. Evans will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in health education and promotion. In January, he will start graduate school at ��Vlog��ýLR with the goal of one day becoming a professor of health education at ��Vlog��ýLR. Evans is especially grateful for his mentors in the ��Vlog��ýLR School of Counseling, Human Performance and Rehabilitation, Dr. Britney Finley and Dr. Janea Snyder, for helping with his studies. “I want to thank them for always supporting and guiding me in the right direction in this field, because I want to be just like them. They are my idols,” Evans said. Although his mother will not be able to see him graduate, he will be reunited with the older sister he has not seen in over a year and a half. Evans thinks it is fitting that his sister, Vashanti Williams, will see him graduate, since she is the one who inspired him to become a teacher. “My big sister is a teacher for people with special education in Pine Bluff,” he said. “I have wanted to be a teacher since junior high. It is going to be very emotional to meet up and celebrate an accomplishment like this.”

Facing challenges

Evans has faced many challenges on his path to higher education. He is a five-year member of the Arkansas National Guard, serving as a radio operator and communications specialist. “In my unit, I am the man in the middle who has a backpack and a phone and is telling you what the orders are,” he said. “I’m like the guy in the movies who tells you when an airstrike is coming.” During his time in the National Guard, Evans’ squad leader, Sgt. First Class Charles Beck, became like a father to him. Sadly, Beck passed away from stomach cancer in May 2015. “He was not my biological father, but he was the only father figure in my life,” he said. “He was my squad leader and a great man. He was very respectful, and he always taught me to just stay on the right path and be kind to everyone.” After the loss of his father figure, Evans’ grades slipped. However, he found support in his best friend, John Barnes, and through ��Vlog��ýLR Student Support Services. “All of our professors have motivated me, but I have to shout out to Student Support Services in the TRIO programs,” Evans said. “They always made me feel like I am never alone. Ms. Julie Shelby always helped me.”

Giving back

Going into health education, Evans has always felt an urge to help others. During his internship, Evans was able to work at a wellness center in Atlanta, Georgia, to spread awareness of HIV and work on a suicide prevention hotline for African American gay men. During his internship, Evans is thankful he met a fellow advocate, Randall Whipple, who helped him come to terms with his own identity as an African American gay man. “Randall helped me realize that there is nothing wrong with my sexuality, and he helped me realize that I make my own happiness.” As he thinks about the many people in his life who have helped him reach this point, Evans has a special message for the person who inspired him the most. “Thank you, Mom. You were afraid as I grew up that I would not make friends. You were afraid that I was not going to get out in the world and live,” Evans said. “I am living, I have friends, and I have a life that you would be proud of.”

��Vlog��ýLR online health sciences program highlighted as one of the best in the nation

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 20:14:51 +0000

The online education programs at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock continue to garner national attention as the university’s online health education and promotion program was ranked among the best in the country. Leading higher education information and resource provider AffordableCollegesOnline.org highlighted ��Vlog��ýLR among its list of for the 2016-17 academic year. ��’s Bachelor of Science in health education and promotion online degree program is designed to prepare students as health professionals in community health agencies, health maintenance organizations, as well as business and industry wellness programs. It is also designed to assist entry-level health educators in taking the National Health Education Credentialing examination. “We have had the online program for about 10 years, and the online program was very popular with our students,” said Dr. Bennie Prince, undergraduate Health and Human Performance Program coordinator. “Our faculty have a great relationship with our students and care about the quality of their teaching. A goal of our faculty is to have each course receive national certification.” To be eligible for the list, schools must be accredited not-for-profit institutions, and must offer in-state tuition rates under $25,000 per year for four-year schools. Rankings were based on more than a dozen school-specific statistics, including financial aid offerings and graduation rates. “Employment in healthcare occupations is projected to grow 19 percent, or much faster than the national average, from 2014 to 2024,” said Dan Schuessler, CEO and founder of AffordableCollegesOnline.org. “Students pursuing health science degrees can now find affordable, high quality learning options online through these schools, who are ultimately being highlighted here for their efforts to help students excel.” Graduates of the online health education and promotion program often find careers in health care facilities, counseling and patient education, teaching, nonprofit organizations, public health departments, and pharmaceutical sales, Prince said.

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

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Announces Two New Health Education and Promotion Degree Programs