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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Researchers Out to Uncover the Secrets of Personal Transformation Rooted in Heifer International’s Community-Building Efforts

John Hill — Thu, 26 May 2022 09:52:53 +0000

An interdisciplinary research team from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock is investigating the personal transformation effects of Heifer International’s efforts to end hunger and poverty and build sustainable communities across the globe. has a vision to explore the nature of personal transformation around the globe and measure its impact at the individual level. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is investigating how Heifer’s techniques have affected communities by partnering with people living in rural areas to help them move out of poverty. The research team includes ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty Dr. Julien Mirivel, lead principal investigator and professor of applied communication, Dr. Avinash Thombre, professor of applied communication, Dr. Tusty ten Bensel, director of the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology, and Dr. Kirk Leach, assistant professor of public affairs. Partnering with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock are two senior staff from Heifer International – Dr. Mahendra Lohani, senior vice president of programs for Asia, and Dr. Benjamin Wood, director of monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning. The research team is working collaboratively to combine ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s expertise in this area with Heifer’s deep knowledge of program implementation. The work is steadily progressing. Mirivel and Thombre traveled to Nepal in 2019 to meet with members of 10 communities that Heifer International has supported through 30 years of community development work. In 2021, researchers collected data in Bihar, India, and analyzed it for preliminary results. Today, the team is launching a follow-up survey in India to further understand the underpinnings of potential change within this specific context. “Meeting community members in Nepal was a transformative experience for Avinash and me,” said Mirivel. “One of the community members told me if you want to make a change in your life, you can’t just focus on your family. You have to focus on community.” The first goal of the research project is to understand the personal transformation that takes place in individuals as they move out of poverty and build sustainable communities. The researchers are also developing tools to assess personal transformation on a global scale.

Heifer International is helping this family in India in the organization’s efforts to end world hunger and poverty. Photo by Pranab Aich/Heifer International.

“Understanding the dynamics of the process of how an individual undergoes specific behavior change and transforms themselves to a higher level of being is very challenging,” Thombre said. “Collaborating with Heifer International on this research project has been personally very fulfilling as we slowly uncover the layers of self-transformation.” The researchers created a theoretical and methodological tool that measures self-transformation by focusing on seven core areas of personal change. The core areas include identity and self-perception, perception of others, communication competency, empowerment, leadership state, intercultural sensitivity, and civic and community engagement. “We have worked together to develop a conceptual model of personal transformation,” Mirivel said. “Then, we developed a methodological approach that will help us create a personal transformation index to measure personal change. Originally, the plan was that we would travel around the world to collect data, but that changed due to the pandemic.” In 2020, a third-party team collected 100 in-depth interviews and 800 surveys from women participating in Heifer International programs in Bihar, India, the third most populated state in India. Since the late 1970s, Bihar has seen lower levels of social and economic development than other Indian states, and has the country’s largest population living below the poverty line. Heifer International’s program in Bihar is supporting rural communities in targeted districts, using its values-based community development model, which includes training on the 12 Cornerstones. The research team is following up with program participants at key time intervals for the next several years. As one participant stated, “I will earn money and leave all my assets to my children and grandchildren so they can have a comfortable life after my death. If I will plant a tree, then others will sit under the shadow of the tree.”

Professors Julien Mirivel and Avinash Thombre meet with villagers in the Chitwan region of Nepal during their research into Heifer International.

The research team is eagerly awaiting the results of the Asia region follow-up survey and the Africa region initial survey. The team has already presented preliminary results at the National Communication Association Conference and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. They will also present at the International Communication Association Conference, which is to be held in Paris in May. A series of publications related to this work are also in production. “Heifer is very happy with the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock research collaboration,” Wood said. “We can’t wait to see the findings of the research and have high hopes for an easy-to-implement tool that will enable us to quantify and capture personal change.” The research, which is expected to be completed in 2024, is being supported by a $100,000 grant from Heifer International. In the future, the researchers will also conduct studies in Uganda and South America, providing data from three continents. “This is an impressive interdisciplinary team studying the nature of personal transformation in multiple international locations where Heifer International carries out its life-changing work,” said Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter, chair of the Department of Applied Communication. “The purpose of the research is to create a Personal Transformation Index to measure the impact of Heifer’s work around the globe. Their team has already developed a theoretically informed model of personal transformation. This work shows great potential for impacting work across the globe on personal transformation.” Once complete, Heifer will use the Personal Transformation Index as an internal measure to assess personal transformation in its programs around the globe. The professors’ work also received the Faculty Top Paper Award from the 72nd annual International Communication Association Conference held in May in Paris.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Heifer International launch partnership to promote sustainable agriculture, gardening practices

John Hill — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 16:33:31 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Heifer International have partnered to build awareness around regenerative agriculture and sustainable gardening practices in central Arkansas.�� “We are coming together to share our expertise in education and urban farming to create an exciting new collaboration,” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor Christina Drale said. “Nurturing growth and transformation is what we do at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. In the Campus Garden, with Heifer’s assistance, we’re not just growing food; we’re also growing the abilities of our students to create transformational change for themselves and their community. Our students are prepared to be innovators and responsible leaders in their fields, contributing to the cultural and economic growth of our state. That is the true beauty of partnerships like these. We all grow together.” The partnership, announced Feb. 26 at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Bailey Alumni Center, will provide Heifer and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock the opportunity to work together to educate students and members of the public on increasing accessibility to local, nutritious food. The partnership is one way Heifer is contributing to its mission to end hunger and poverty.�� “We currently work with small scale farmers in 21 countries around the world, including right here in Arkansas,” said Bob Bloom, chief financial officer of Heifer International. “With the Campus Garden here at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and with our Urban Farm and Heifer Ranch, we saw this partnership as a natural fit and extension of what we’re doing in our home state. The campus here at the university represents a wonderful opportunity for a partnership that shares best practices, shares resources, and conducts joint workshops.”�� The two institutions will collaborate through field days and public workshops as well as sharing resources like equipment and volunteers. Students from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Campus Garden will learn about best practices used on Heifer’s Urban Farm, which contains a community garden, farm animals, and a solar-powered aquaponic facility, and the Heifer Ranch, a 1,200-acre agricultural training facility located in Perryville. “One of our goals at Heifer’s Urban Farm is to educate visitors about sustainable, eco-friendly farm practices,” said Tom Spinnato, senior director of facilities management and global operations. “It’s exciting that we’ll get to share what we know with visitors from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and also to be part of the growing network of folks in central Arkansas who are passionate about this work. I expect we’ll learn a lot from this experience that will enrich not only what we do here at the farm, but also the passion for local food in our community.” Members of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Campus Garden Alliance, a student organization created in 2016, are looking forward to the innovative advances they hope to make at the garden through knowledge sharing with experts at Heifer International. “I think this will be an amazing opportunity,” said Lily Shaw, president of the Campus Garden Alliance. “We’ll have the opportunity to learn from Heifer’s experts. We can branch out into hydroponics and learn more about raising farm animals. In the future, I’m hoping we can access a commercial kitchen and learn how to produce commercial products that will support the Campus Garden.” The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Campus Garden began in 2012 to teach students about sustainable urban gardening and to provide healthy, local, and inexpensive food to the community. The garden donates food to the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Trojan Food Pantry to fight food insecurity and hosts community farm stand events. “It’s not just about the plants we grow. It’s about the people that participate in the garden,” said Michael DeAngelis, co-director of the Campus Garden and professor of Earth Sciences. “We provide equitable access to affordable, healthy food. We have community farm stand events where people pay whatever they can through a donation, and sometimes that is nothing. We’ve had people come to the event who told us that they didn’t get a paycheck this week, and they didn’t know how they were going to get through the week without food from the garden.” In the future, DeAngelis hopes the garden will make an even larger impact on the local community with help from Heifer. They would like to expand the garden to provide more food to the Trojan Food Pantry and other community organizations that fight hunger, like the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance. They also want to build an outdoor classroom space that will support year-round teaching, research, and community outreach activities. In the upper right photo, Heifer International CFO Bill Bloom, left, exchanges spinach grown in Heifer’s Urban Farm with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor Christina Drale, right, for honey made by bees in the university’s Campus Garden after signing a partnership launching a pilot project to build awareness around regenerative agriculture and sustainable gardening practices. Photo by Ben Krain.

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.”

‘Proponent of Change’ will discuss leading transformational change in next Leadership Lecture Series

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 14:33:43 +0000

A successful graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and proponent of change will showcase how to implement transformational change initiatives during the Department of Applied Communication’s annual Leadership Lecture Series on Thursday, Feb. 7. Tamidra Marable, a performance initiatives leader for Heifer International who received a master’s degree in applied communication from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, will present “Leading Transformational Change” at 7 p.m. in the Donaghey Student Center Ledbetter A. �� Marable began her career with a “go with the flow” mentality. Twelve years ago, she took a chance and applied for a job at Heifer International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending hunger and poverty by helping to build sustainable livelihoods within farming communities. Now, she serves as a performance initiatives leader, leading and facilitating special projects that impact both organizational and employee performance. She focuses primarily on special project work, and her ability to embrace change makes her ideal at leading initiatives within the company. She firmly believes that students should feel free to “just try things.” “That’s one thing I noticed a lot of students are anxious about,“ she said. “They tell me, ‘I don’t have this figured out. I don’t know what I want to do.’” This, along with the work she has done within Heifer, led her to her topic for the upcoming leadership lecture. In her work as an organizational change agent, she recognizes the world is changing so quickly that it requires both people and businesses to take a more strategic approach to manage change. The third in a yearlong series of four lectures, this session will explore transformational change through practical examples that focus on the necessary skills and tools that support leading transformational change initiatives. “Organizations don’t have the luxury to move incrementally anymore. They have to be about transformational shifts,” Marable said. Within her lecture, she will discuss how remaining fluid and embracing change within the workplace can open doors in a constantly shifting economy. “Change is a constant. How we manage our way through it makes the difference,” she said. The final lecture of this year’s series will be presented by Tonya Oaks Smith, executive director of university communications and marketing at Louisiana Tech University, at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 9. In this lecture, listeners will unpack their perceptions and learn to hold public communication to a higher standard. Smith has previously served as executive director of marketing and communications at Henderson State University and director of communications at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s William H. Bowen School of Law. She received a master’s degree in applied communication from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $5 for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students and employees. To register and purchase tickets, visit the.

Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center offers free Food Product Boot Camp

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 14:36:48 +0000

The , based at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, will hold a free one-day Food Product Boot Camp on April 27.�� The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Heifer International, 1 World Avenue in Little Rock. The boot camp is geared towards people looking to launch a new food product or beverage, farmers looking to expand their offerings, and any food producer already in business. The event will help business owners position food products for success. The presenter is Marty Butts, owner of, a consulting firm that specializes in working with small-scale and startup food businesses. The boot camp will offer practical tips for maximizing local and direct-to-consumer sales, expanding to new markets, and building a brand. Participants will also learn how to identify wholesale partners and develop good relationships within the industry. The boot camp is offered for free thanks to a Portable Assistance Grant from the Small Business Administration. The event is co-sponsored by Heifer International and the Arkansas Agriculture Department. Participants can pre-register by filling out this.

Workshops to look at starting a food business, farmers market booth

Janea Snyder — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 13:00:35 +0000

The will present “The ABCs of Starting a Food Business” and “Running a Great Farmers Market Booth” on March 15 at in Little Rock. Local foods advocate and small business owner Martin Butts of Daytona, Fla., will lead both workshops. Butts brings 15 years of food entrepreneurship experience and a passion for local foods to the table. He owns and operates Small Potatoes, a consulting firm that specializes in working with small-scale and startup food businesses of all types. “The ABCs of Starting a Food Business” will be from 9 a.m. to noon, followed by “Running a Great Farmers Market Booth” from 1-4 p.m. The workshops are free, but pre-registration is required.

�� Martin Butts

“The information presented will be practical, actionable and based on real-life experience I’ve had working with producers and farmers,” Butts said. “I want you to walk out with at least one thing that will improve your business that day.” Recommended for anyone wanting to start a restaurant or other food-based business, launch a food product or grow a home-based operation, the morning “ABCs” session will focus on the ingredients necessary for a new food or beverage business to thrive. Butts will share his recipe for success, along with tips for launching any type of new food enterprise. Topics will include commercialization, packaging, labeling, pricing strategies, production, and distribution. Just in time for the 2018 season, the afternoon farmers market workshop will offer ideas for a new booth and ways to enhance an established one, whether the product for sale is farm-fresh produce or something completely different. Through hands-on exercises, Butts will demonstrate low-cost techniques for creating an attractive and effective product display. He also will share customer service and selling techniques to help farmers market vendors connect with shoppers and turn them into loyal customers. People can registration or by��or calling the center at (501) 683-7700. Butts says he has worked with “hundreds of stores and at dozens of markets” and wants to share his experience to help prospective, new and veteran “foodpreneurs.” “Sometimes a small bit of insight from someone that’s been there can make a big difference in your approach,” he said. “The most common thing I see people doing wrong is undervaluing their product, specifically, undervaluing their own labor to make and sell the product,” Butts said. “I’ve seen really great products fail because when the time comes for them to scale up, get distribution, hire staff and buy equipment, they can’t do it without dramatically increasing their price. “Price your product with your future growth in mind,” he said. “Small-scale and artisan products aren’t ever going to win a price war with national brands, but the market is willing to pay a premium price for exceptional products. If you’re product is great, people will pay for it. Price it that way from the start.” Butts will return to Little Rock April 27 to lead ASBTDC’s full-day food product boot camp, “Breaking Out in the New Food Economy.” The boot camp will look at maximizing local and direct-to-consumer sales, expanding to new markets, building a brand, running an online store, identifying wholesale partners and developing good relationships within the industry. All three workshops are co-sponsored by Heifer International and the . The events are part of ASBTDC’s effort to boost food and beverage businesses in four central Arkansas counties. The project is funded by a Portable Assistance grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Based at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center assists entrepreneurs at every stage of business development and growth. Core services include no-cost consulting and market research. Learn more at Contributing Writer: Gwen Green / Communications Coordinator / Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with SBA through a partnership with the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock College of Business and other institutions of higher education. All programs are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for limited English proficient individuals. Reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact Shannon Roberts at (501) 683-7700.

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

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Researchers Out to Uncover the Secrets of Personal Transformation Rooted in Heifer International’s Community-Building Efforts

����Vlog��ý Little Rock, Heifer International launch partnership to promote sustainable agriculture, gardening practices