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

Graduating Student Finds Inspiration for Law Career at Bowen

John Hill — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 14:20:19 +0000

When future lawyer Johanna Baker Wade was an undergraduate student at Henderson State University, she recalls two events that shaped her life. First, this is where she met her husband, a student at Ouachita Baptist University at the time. “I was a Reddie, and he was an OBU tiger,” she said. “These schools are directly across the street from each other, so I married the enemy.” Second, she recalls a memorable mock classroom visit by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law that convinced her to go to law school. “The total nerd inside of me thought it was so fun,” she said. “Before then, I didn’t know much about being a lawyer. No one in my life has been a lawyer but my life has been affected by lawyers in a positive way. A lawyer is the reason my stepfather was able to adopt me. It took a lawyer advocating for us, to better my life. Coming to law school helped me understand how big a deal it really was. It has made me aware of how important it is to be a lawyer, to be ready to advocate and do good in the world.” The Magnolia, Arkansas native will graduate this month from the William H. Bowen School of Law. After graduation, her top priority is to study for and pass the bar exam. Inspired by her time as a law clerk in the Sixth Judicial District Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Baker Wake is planning to pursue prosecutorial work. “It has shocked me how much I have enjoyed being in the prosecuting attorney’s office,” she said. “I love transactional law, but I want to give litigation a shot by working in a prosecuting attorney’s office.” While at Bowen, Baker served as president of the Christian Legal Society and a senator with the Student Government Association. She was also a student mentor, assisting first-year law students in their clerk searches, as well as an academic fellow who mentored first-year law students. She is grateful to professors andre douglas pond cummings, Philip Oliver (retired), Jessie Burchfield, Aaron Schwabach, and others for inspiring her at law school. Throughout her time at Bowen, Baker has gained plenty of legal experience through clerkships at the Bowen Tax Clinic; Winburn, Wilson, Schader & Shram; and the Sixth Judicial District Office of the Prosecuting Attorney. “It is paying your dues as best as I can explain it,” she said. “I am very grateful for every clerkship I have done. For every attorney that was willing to tell me hard truths and give me feedback that was invaluable. I’ve learned what it really takes to work at a law firm and to be a lawyer. It’s not something you can learn just in a textbook. It’s been very eye opening in a good way.” As the end of the law school looms, Baker Wade recalls her time at Bowen with fondness and feels that she’s “accomplished something pretty cool.” “Law school is a great decision,” she said. “These past couple of weeks, I’ve realized how fast it’s gone by and how much I enjoyed my time here. It taught me a lot, and it’s an accomplishment I am really proud of.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock hosts photo exhibit on Arkansas Delta by alum Beverly Buys

John Hill — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 17:56:57 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host a photography exhibit by alumna featuring photos from the Arkansas Delta. The exhibit, “Evocations From the Arkansas Delta, 2011-2021,” will be on display March 29 to April 23 in the Focus Gallery at the Windgate Center of Art and Design at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. The images were created using the historical photographic printing process of cyanotype and are part of Buys’ “Delta in Blue” photo series. Buys graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with a Master of Arts in photography in 1994. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in art education from Henderson State University and an MFA from the University of Memphis. She worked as a professor of photography at Henderson State University from 1997 until her retirement in 2014 and served as director of the Russell Fine Arts Gallery at Henderson from 1997 to 2009. Buys was awarded the Polly Wood Crews Scholarship by the Arkansas State Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in 2016 and the 1998 Arkansas Arts Council Fellowship Award in Visual Arts. She has been included in state and national juried exhibitions and has shown her work in many one-person shows. She is represented by Justus Fine Art Gallery in Hot Springs, Arkansas.�� The exhibit is on display from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Focus Gallery in the Windgate Center of Art and Design on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus. For more information, contact Focus Gallery Director Joli Livaudais at jklivaudais@ualr.edu.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to host 31st Arkansas College Art History Symposium March 10-12

John Hill — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 17:05:29 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host the 31st Annual Arkansas College Art History Symposium March 10-12. Dr. Alison Kettering, professor emerita of art at Carleton College, will give the keynote presentation, “Black in Rembrandt’s Time: The Culture of Race in 17th-century Dutch Art,” at 6 p.m. Friday, March 12, via the artWORKS zoom lecture. With a special interest in 17th-century Dutch art, Professor Kettering has taught a wide range of courses on early modern art throughout Western Europe, gender issues in Western art, portraiture, and the theory and methodology of art history. She is a past president of Historians of Netherlandish Art and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Historians of Netherlandish Art. The three-day virtual art history symposium also features 11 presentations by college students at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, University of Central Arkansas (UCA), Arkansas State University (ASU), and Henderson State University (HSU). “The annual Art History Symposium is a way to highlight some excellent student research in Arkansas colleges and universities,” said Dr. Floyd Martin, professor of art history at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and a founder of the symposium. “For many students it is the first time they have an opportunity to present their work to an audience beyond a single class. While we will miss the informal discussions and interactions of a normal symposium, we are glad we can offer virtual talks this year.”

Keynote Speaker Alison Kettering

Wednesday, March 10: Messages of Hope and Hopelessness 2 p.m. – Madison Seiter, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, “Contemporary Art of Africa: Visual Narratives of Struggle, Activism, and Identity in Willie Bester’s Two and Three-Dimensional Works” 2:30 p.m. – Olivia Fleming, UCA, “Helen Zughaib’s Syrian Migration Series: Examining the World’s Largest Refugee Crisis through Art” 3 p.m. – Laurel Gaither, ASU, “The Conscious Insider:�� René Magritte & Surrealism” 3:30 p.m. – Maegan Wise, UCA, “Lifting Voices: Suffrage Rugs and Sharon Louden” Thursday March 11: Feminine Perspectives in Art History 2 p.m. – Jordan Hancock, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, “William Blake’s Ideas of Femininity Told through Pity and Enitharmon” 2:30 p.m. – Marti Jo Boren, ASU, “Women of the WPA and Different Versions of the Natural State” 3 p.m. – Skylar Stickford, HSU, “Power of the Female Nude” 3:30 p.m. – Cassy Christ, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, “Reconstructing History:�� Developing Feminist Identities through Non-traditional Materials and Applications” Friday March 12- Session 3: Nonwestern Traditions, Craft and Culture 2 p.m. – Mackenzie Nunnally, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, “The Esoteric Craft of Kabyle Women: Traditions of Pottery, Textiles, and Geometric Motifs” 2:30 p.m. – Avery Rudolph, UCA, “Angkor Wat” 3 p.m. LeAnne Roberson, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, “The Old and the New:�� How Shawn Hunt’s Transformation Mask helps make Native American Art More Accessible” The Arkansas College Art History Symposium was born through friendship and an awareness that undergraduate students in the state of Arkansas did not have an opportunity to present their research — an important experience for future art historians. Martin and Dr. Gayle Seymour, associate dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication at the University of Central Arkansas, are the symposium founders and visionaries. The 30-year friends saw a need and established the Arkansas College Art History Symposium in 1991. The symposium experience echoes the expectations given to professional historians. Students have the opportunity to formally present their work, network with students in the state with similar interests and give greater attention to the discipline. The symposium also provides a unique opportunity for art history faculty from colleges and universities across the state to interact. ��The art history symposium is free and open to the public. Participants may join the virtual event . Members of the public may register for the March 12 .

Taggard Receives Young Professional in Procurement Award

John Hill — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:12:39 +0000

Desiree Taggard, director of Procurement Services at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has received the 2020 Young Professional in Procurement Award from the National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP). “It was flattering to receive such a huge honor,” Taggard said. “I want people to look at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as a beacon of light for higher education buying in Arkansas. We are seeing the payout from four years of continuing improvement.” The Young Professional in Procurement Award recognizes outstanding young procurement professionals for their contributions to their institutions, the higher education community, NAEP, and the procurement profession. “W�� value Desiree‘s service, hard work, and dedication to our organization,” said NAEP President Travis Ball. Taggard joined ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as assistant director of Procurement Services in 2016 after previously working for the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. She was promoted to director of Procurement Services in 2018. She was nominated for the award by her team in Procurement. “Desiree has led her Procurement Services team by example, proving that hard work and dedication are the keys to success,” said Mary Worthy, assistant director of card services. “Procurement Services was restructured under Deisree’s leadership for the betterment of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. She saw the need to have two teams serve our campus more efficiently, and they are the expense and procurement team.” Over the past two years, Taggard has partnered with other financial leaders in the University of Arkansas System to design, implement, and manage the system’s transition from Banner to Workday. “My team is what makes me successful in procurement,” Taggard said. “I have an amazing team who supports me, and I would never have been able to make it through the implementation of Workday and all the other changes over the past few years if I didn’t have such an amazing team that allows me to focus on the needs of the campus. We all work well together, and that’s what makes me successful.” Keifran Melvin, travel administrator in Procurement Services, said that Taggard has been a strong leader and given the team a voice while implementing many advancements in Procurement.�� “Desiree has not only shaped the way people think when it comes to everyday life, but she has also shaped the way they think when it comes to purchasing,” Melvin said. “W�� have had the most change this year moving from a complete paper process, to a partially electronic process, and now to a fully electronic process. She also allowed our expertise in our fields of Procurement to grow by allowing our team to sit in on the writing and organization of our new procedures and policy updates.” Taggard has a bachelor’s degree in music and minor in accounting from Henderson State University and is currently pursuing a graduate certificate in business at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. �� Taggard lives in Jacksonville with her husband, Michael, and children, Derek, a sophomore civil engineering major at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Leah, and Chase.

A special calling: ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumna Brenda Harrison writes a children’s book inspired by her nephew��

Janea Snyder — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 15:20:13 +0000

When Brenda Harrison’s 3-year-old great nephew Oliver Goodwin was born with Down syndrome, she didn’t worry a bit. As a longtime special education teacher and graduate of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Master of Education in special education program, Harrison knew she was prepared to be a resource for Oliver.�� “When my nephew was born, I kept thinking about the little things Oliver was doing. I’d look at him playing and feeding himself,” she said. “Down syndrome babies are so lovable. The little things they do are things we tend to take for granted.” His journey inspired Harrison to write “Oliver’s Adventures,” a children’s book based on Oliver’s life. The book, illustrated by Dennis Davide, was published by Xlibris and is available from and . Her first book signing will be held on Saturday, Aug. 3, at 2 p.m. at , at 1001 Wright Ave. in Little Rock. “Years ago, I said I’m going to write a novel,” Harrison said. “I remember being in church one Sunday during the time I was writing the book, and the preacher preached about faith and believing anything is possible. That gave me some encouragement, and I thought ‘I’m gonna do this.’ Through prayer and faith, I got it done in about three months.” Harrison never envisioned she would be an author, or even a teacher. “My goal in high school was to be a nurse. When I got to be a high school senior, it shifted to special education simply because growing up, I used to see adults with disabilities, but I didn’t know what it was about. My heart would break, and I wanted to be able to do something to help. I wanted to help individuals who needed help who couldn’t help themselves.” And that’s exactly what Harrison has been doing for the past 37 years – teaching in special education classes. For the past seven years, she has taught at Little Rock’s J.A. Fair High School, and this year she’ll be teaching at Pinnacle View School in Little Rock. She earned an undergraduate degree from elementary education at Henderson State University with a minor in special education. Then in 2006, at the age of 48, Harrison enrolled at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to pursue a master’s degree. She graduated in December 2008 with a Master of Education in special education. “I waited until my daughter was an adult and returned to grad school, something I’ve always wanted to do,” Harrison said. “I was working full-time and went straight through, summers included.” At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Harrison met Dr. Jennifer Hune, associate professor of special education and graduate advisor in the School of Education “She was truly an inspiration to me,” Harrison said. “I enjoyed my time getting my master’s degree.”�� Simply put: “I grew,” she said. Hune was the first person Harrison called when she passed her master’s certification exam. “Mrs. Harrison was one of those students who absolutely wanted to teach children with disabilities,” Hune said. “She wanted to be better so she could help her students be better. That was the part of her that I adored. My program is not one that’s easy. I give my students�� a lot to think about. I teach them all of the content and capabilities that will help them be good special educators. If they don’t have the skills, they don’t need to be in the classroom. Children like Oliver deserve people who know how to work with them and how to engage in the strategies that help them.” Oliver is the son of Jansen and Dee Goodwin of Little Rock. Harrison recently visited Oliver’s preschool class at ��Vlog��ýMS Kids First, a pediatric day health care program for children with special health care needs. Harrison read the book to Oliver, to whom she dedicated the book, and donated a copy of her book to his class. “You have to know how to help and receive them,” Harrison said of children born with special needs. “If your receive them as a person of worth and take the time to teach them, these little people will bloom and blossom.” In the photo above right, Brenda Harrison reads to her great nephew, Oliver Goodwin, who inspired Harrison to write a children’s book. Photo by Benjamin Krain

Alumni Spotlight: Sarah Miller

Janea Snyder — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 22:15:37 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock alumna Sarah Miller (‘16) has found the perfect combination between her passion for theater and love of working with nonprofits. She currently manages , which is part of the Central Arkansas Library System’s (CALS) Main Library campus. There, she coordinates the theater’s many offerings of films, music performances, plays, readings, lectures, speakers, and children’s activities. “I love the idea of organizations existing for the sole purpose of serving others,” Miller said. “I served a few different organizations through college. After I graduated, I realized the public sector was where my home was, where I felt most comfortable.” Miller, a native of Arkadelphia, graduated from Henderson State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater in 2014. She learned to act and do technical work and discovered her passion for directing. “I loved the creation aspect of it,” she said. In 2015, she moved to Little Rock and enrolled in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Graduate School and completed her Master of Public Administration with a graduate certificate in nonprofit management in December 2016. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock prepared me for nonprofit work in ways I didn’t even realize,” she said. “I understand responsibility in money management, how important a strategic mindset is, and most importantly, that it is ok to constantly be asking, ‘Why are we doing it this way?’ You either come away from the question with a better understanding of why that system is in place, or you get to be a part of a change that could make a meaningful impact. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock really challenged me to constantly be thinking, researching, pushing for better ways to impact the most people.” During her graduate studies, she began to understand the setbacks and hardships that nonprofits face, especially smaller ones. “I thought there had to be more solutions out there,” she said, “and I aimed to find those solutions and one day become a resource for those nonprofits.” Miller already is serving as that resource. In May 2017, she joined Board of Directors and also took on the volunteer position as the theater’s volunteer coordinator. The Weekend Theater is also a nonprofit and is run by volunteers. When she’s not working or volunteering, she enjoys reading, hanging out with her beagle mix, Bron, and playing the ukulele, a hobby she picked up five years ago. She also spends time volunteering for various youth organizations. For the past few years, she has worked with the Arkansas Young Playwrights Competition, which encourages high schoolers to write original plays for the chance to have their play staged. She also has volunteered for Y.E.S (Youth Entrepreneur Showcase) Arkansas, judging middle school students’ proposals for business start-ups. “The whole purpose of volunteering is the chance to make this world a little better than how we found it,” she said. “That type of work brings you clarity and purpose. Any time someone tells me they are in a rut or struggling with a big decision, my advice is to put in some volunteer hours for a cause they care about. Volunteering almost always makes you feel better about your place in the world at the end of the day.” Pictured��top right is��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate Sarah Miller who manages the Central Arkansas Library System’s Ron Robinson Theater and volunteers at The Weekend Theater. Photo Credit: Lonnie Timmons III/ University Communications

Singleton named to accreditation committee for America’s small Business Development Centers

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 13:54:51 +0000

Michael Singleton, associate director of the (ASBTDC) based at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has been named to the Accreditation Committee for .�� His three-year appointment was confirmed in September by the America’s Small Business Development Centers Board of Directors. Singleton, of Little Rock, has been with ASBTDC since 2004. He started at the Henderson State University office before moving to the Lead Center at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2007. Composed of members from across the nation, the 20-person committee oversees the accreditation process for the nationwide network of Small Business Development Centers to ensure high performance and quality services. ASBTDC assists companies at every stage of business development and growth, providing free consulting and market research services plus affordable educational events for the business community. The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration through a partnership with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Business and other institutions of higher education. All ASBTDC programs are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for limited English proficient (LEP) individuals.

‘Nasty Woman’ exhibit coming to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 13:56:40 +0000

An art exhibit celebrating the female voice in art will be shown June 14 to Aug. 25 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. “The show explores topics dealing with the woman’s perspective, from reflection on historic female figures to contemporary issues surrounding the female body, the political climate, and varied iterations of the experience of being a 21st century woman,” said Margo Duvall, assistant professor of art at Henderson State University and the show’s curator. The “Nasty Woman” exhibit will be on display in Gallery 1 of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Fine Arts Building. A closing reception featuring talks with Duvall and participating artists will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18. The work of three ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty members will be featured in the “Nasty Woman” exhibit. Several of the artists included in the exhibition have studied art at and graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Mia Hall, interim chair of the Department of Art and Design, Joli Livaudais, assistant professor of photography, and Heidi Hogden, visiting professor of painting, are among the 36 female artists from across the nation whose work was selected for the show. Livaudais’ work, “The Mother, Exhumed,” is a life-size casting of a woman’s upper body made from epoxy resin and photographs of bees and beehives. “It ought to be a really great show, and I am proud to be in the company of so many fierce women artists,” Livaudais said. The title of the show, “Nasty Woman,” which was first displayed at Henderson State in March to celebrate Women’s History Month, stems from comments made during the 2016 presidential election.

Joli Livaudais’ work, “The Mother, Exhumed,” will be on display at the “Nasty Woman” exhibit at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.

During the third debate in October 2016, President Donald Trump responded to a comment made about him by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, who was answering a question about social security, by remarking,.” On Twitter, #NastyWoman was trending within minutes. “While it was first mentioned in a derogatory context, it has become a uniting force among women across the globe,” Duvall said. “For many, it represents strength, unity, and the ability to use one’s voice to be heard. The participating artists interpret their reactions through a dynamic use of photography, printmaking, painting, sculpture, and video pieces.” Participating artists include: Zina Al-Shukri, Heather Beckwith, Darcie Beeman-Black, Megan Berner, Cynthia Buob, Beverly Buys, Susan Chambers, Melissa Cowper-Smith, Norwood Creech, Nancy Dunaway, Margo Duvall, Melissa Gill, Mia Hall, Louise Halsey, Diane Harper, Tammy Harrington, Heidi Hogden, Robyn Horn, Erin House, Jeanie Hursley, Catherine Kim, Kimberly Kwee, Joli Livaudais, Angie Macri, Hannah May, Rosemary Meza-DesPlas, Catherine Siri Nugent Laura Raborn, Emily Rogers, Dina Ropele Santos, Dominique Simmons, Kasten Searles, Katherine Strause, Brittany Wilder, Kat Wilson, and Miranda Young-Rice. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Art Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free. For more information, contact Brad Cushman at becushman@ualr.edu or 501.569.8977 or Margo Duvall at duvallm@hsu.edu or 870.230.5207. In the upper right photo, Zina Al-Shukri’s charcoal drawing, “Gushing with Confidence and Jealousy,” is one of the works on display in the��“Nasty Woman” exhibit at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.��

��Vlog��ý Little Rock professors’ work chosen for “Nasty Woman” exhibition

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 16:13:11 +0000

The work of three University of Arkansas at Little Rock faculty members from the Department of Art and Design has been selected for the “Nasty Woman” exhibition at Henderson State University.�� Mia Hall, interim chair of the Department of Art and Design, Joli Livaudais, assistant professor of photography, and Heidi Hogden, visiting professor of painting, are among 32 female artists from across the nation whose work will be on display March 1-31 in the Russell Fine Arts Gallery at Henderson State. The exhibit, which is held in celebration of Women’s History Month, explores women’s perspectives — from reflection on historic female figures, to contemporary issues involving the female body, the political climate, and varied iterations of the experience of being a 21st century woman. Livaudais’ work, “The Mother, Exhumed,” is a life-size casting of a woman’s upper body made from epoxy resin and photographs of bees and bee hives. “It ought to be a really great show, and I am proud to be in the company of so many fierce women artists,” Livaudais said. The title of the show, “Nasty Woman,” stems from recent events. During the third presidential debate in October 2016, President Donald Trump responded to a comment made about him by Hillary Clinton, who was answering a question about social security, by remarking,.” On Twitter, #NastyWoman was trending within minutes. “While it was first mentioned in a derogatory context, it has become a uniting force among women across the globe,” Margo Duvall, assistant professor of photography at Henderson State, said in a press release. “For many, it represents strength, unity, and the ability to use one’s voice to be heard. The participating artists interpret their reactions through a dynamic use of photography, printmaking, painting, sculpture, and video pieces.” An opening reception will be held in the gallery from 2-4 p.m. March 1. The reception will include poetry readings, discussions of the work, and a chance to meet with participating artists. The gallery is on the first floor of the Russell Fine Arts Building at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. It is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Gallery admission is free. In the upper right photo,��Joli Livaudais’ work, “The Mother, Exhumed,” will be on display at the “Nasty Woman” exhibit at Henderson State University.��

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

Graduating Student Finds Inspiration for Law Career at Bowen

����Vlog��ý Little Rock hosts photo exhibit on Arkansas Delta by alum Beverly Buys

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to host 31st Arkansas College Art History Symposium March 10-12