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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock instructor honored for service to deaf community

Janea Snyder — Fri, 05 Jul 2019 14:44:43 +0000

Jami Hollingsworth, a senior instructor in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s School of Counseling, Human Performance, and Rehabilitation, was recently honored for her longtime community service by the Arkansas Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Hollingsworth received the Barbara E. Northup Excellence in Community Involvement Award at the nonprofit organization’s conference in Little Rock on June 20-22. The award is named in memory of Barbara E. Northup, a longtime instructor in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Interpreter Education program and member of the . Since 1992, Hollingsworth has taught classes in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Bachelor of Arts in Interpretation: ASL/English and the Associate of Science in American Sign Language Studies programs. “Jami is an amazing asset to the Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Interpreting communities at the local, state, national and international levels,” said Jennifer K. Holtz, director of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s School of Counseling, Human Performance and Rehabilitation. Hollingsworth has been an active board member of the since 1992, serves on its Licensure Advisory Board, and was an evaluator of support service providers for Arkansas Rehabilitation Services. She has held numerous leadership posts within the interpreting community by serving on the board of the Arkansas Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, including a term as vice president from 1993-1995; three terms as treasurer, 1999-2001, 2001-2003, and 2007-2009; and as secretary, 2009-2011. Hollingworth regularly provides training and presentations on support service provider training, educational interpreting, ASL seminars, and state interpreter credential testing. She has also mentored students since 1999 at numerous deaf-blind camps in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. In the photo top right, Jami Hollingsworth (center) receives the Barbara E. Northup Excellence in Community Involvement Award from Katelyn Wilson (left), president of the Arkansas Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, and Ernest Northup, husband of Barbara Northup, for whom the award is named.

Newlywed Game will raise funds for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Interpreter Education program

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 06 Mar 2019 15:20:42 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is recreating “The Newlywed Game” to raise scholarship funds for students studying to become interpreters in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Interpreter Education program. The fundraiser will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 8, at First Pentecostal Church, 1401 Calvary Road in North Little Rock. All proceeds will go to the Barbara E. Northup Interpreter Scholarship Fund. Northup was a longtime ��Vlog��ý Little Rock instructor who was dedicated to both the interpreter and deaf communities and lost her life to breast cancer. The scholarship will be used to support hard-working students with financial need as they work toward becoming interpreters in the. Hosting the show is Barbara’s husband, Ernest Northup, who will ask the “not-so-newlywed” couples hilarious questions to see how well they truly know each other. The cost of attendance is $10. Children under 10 get in for free. Cash and checks will be accepted. Refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact Linda Stauffer at 501-569-8508 or lkstauffer@ualr.edu.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Interpreter Education program to perform hit songs in American Sign Language

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 17:49:10 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Interpreter Education program invites the community to experience hit songs of the decades through the beauty of sign language. The Interpreter Education program and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Sign Language Klub will host “See-a-Song” from 6-9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Building on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus. Members of the Artistic Interpreting Class will transform some of the most popular songs throughout the decades into American Sign Language. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock employees and students have put on the annual family friendly event since the early 1980s, where audience members with a talent for sign language are invited to perform on stage with the Artistic Interpreting Class. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided. For more information and for those who are interested in performing during “See-A-Song,” contact Jami Hollingsworth at jjhollingswo@ualr.edu or 501-569-3169.

Just Communities of Arkansas honors Anderson with Humanitarian Award

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 18 May 2018 13:58:10 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor and advocate for the deaf and hard of hearing has been recognized by Just Communities of Arkansas as a recipient of the 2018 Humanitarian Award. Dr. Glenn Anderson, associate professor in the American Sign Language and English Interpreter Education program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, received the award May 8 at the Jack Stephens Center. Since 1964, the has honored one or more individuals who have demonstrated a significant commitment to building inclusive communities. These honorees have had a meaningful impact in improving social justice and human rights efforts through their work and community service. Fellow honorees included Rhonda Aaron, founder and president of Sister Friends United, and Sherman Tate, community leader and mentor. Dr. Robert Johnston received the award posthumously in recognition of his lifetime of public service and commitment to social justice. Anderson was also the recipient of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s 2018 Faculty Excellence Award for Public Service and a $5,000 prize. His significant contributions to the black deaf community are undeniable. Anderson often guest lectures, makes presentations, and writes journal articles on black deaf history and linguistic variations among black American Sign Language users. He was a keynote speaker during a at the Arkansas State Capitol building kicking off Deaf History Month. Anderson said the ceremony was an important way to remember the accomplishments of those who are deaf and hard of hearing in Arkansas. “Many deaf people have many accomplishments that the public might not be aware of,” he said. “This is an opportunity for us to come together to celebrate, recognize, and honor deaf people for their achievements and accomplishments.” In 2017, Gallaudet University, the world’s only university in which all programs and services are specifically designed to accommodate deaf and hard of hearing students, awarded Anderson the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree during Gallaudet’s 147th commencement. Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Anderson became deaf at the age of seven. Encountering barriers and obstacles during his childhood, his parents told him, “You have to be twice as good as anyone else to be successful.” He received a Ph.D. in rehabilitation counseling from New York University, a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from the University of Arizona, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Gallaudet College. Anderson also lays claim to several pioneering roles. He is the first deaf person hired by Michigan Rehabilitation Services to work as a vocational rehabilitation counselor (1970), the first African-American alumnus of Gallaudet to earn a doctoral degree (New York University, 1982), and the first African-American deaf person to serve as chair of the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees (1994 to 2005). His career has included coordinating a referral and counseling center in New York City and helping to establish a continuing education program to benefit deaf adults interested in returning to school and completing their college degrees. In 2008, he joined the Interpreter Education faculty within the Department of Counseling, Rehabilitation and Adult Education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. From 1982 to 2008, he served as director of training at the University of Arkansas Rehabilitation Research and Training Center for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. He was also a professor in the University of Arkansas’s Department of Rehabilitation, Human Resources, and Communication Disorders and served as coordinator of the master’s degree program in rehabilitation counseling with persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. He published numerous articles in professional journals and books, including the 2006 book/DVD entitled, “Still I Rise! The Enduring Legacy of Black Deaf Arkansans Before & After Integration.” Anderson was appointed by President George W. Bush as a member of the National Council on Disability from 2002 to 2005. Anderson served on the Board of Directors for the National Black Deaf Advocates from 2012 to 2015. During Gallaudet University’s 150th anniversary celebration in 2014, Anderson was named one of the university’s 15 visionary leaders. In 2016, he was appointed to the Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education, the national accrediting board for interpreter education programs.

Foster, Glazier, and Anderson named Faculty Excellence Award winners

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 14:58:55 +0000

Lynn Foster, Rebecca Glazier, and Glenn Anderson have been selected as the 2018 winners of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Faculty Excellence Awards. Each of the three professors will receive a $5,000 award as winners of the Faculty Excellence Awards in the categories of teaching, research and creative endeavors, and public service. “The amount of resolve, persistence, and pride our faculty exhibit in their scholarly work on campus and in the greater community is a testament to the vision of our university,” said Dr. Velmer Burton, executive vice chancellor and provost. “Faculty like the ones we honored during this ceremony mold our students into earnest creators, leaders, and change agents.” The winners were honored during an April 12 awards ceremony at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology Auditorium. Fourteen additional faculty members who earned Faculty Excellence awards at the college level also were honored, and they will each receive $1,000. The 15 members of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Board of Visitors reviewed the achievements and selected the winners. Since 1989, when the first award was given, the event has provided a way to recognize the great work of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty and is made possible through the valued contributions of the Bailey Foundation, Office of the Chancellor, the Office of the Provost, and the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor’s Circle. More about the winners:

Faculty Excellence in Teaching

Lynn Foster is the Arkansas Bar Foundation professor of law at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s William H. Bowen School of Law. In the classroom, Foster utilizes a team-based learning method focused on problem solving and skills assignments to maximize comprehension. In 2014 and 2015, she revised the Property I and II courses to include team-based learning and assessment by creating class structures with clear expectations and manageable assessment tools. After assessing her curriculum revision, Foster discovered that students perform better when there is more team-based learning and assessment built into the course. “I feel very grateful, and I am grateful for all my great students over the years,” Foster said. “It’s a complicated course, but I have seen team-based learning increase what our students have learned.” A decade ago, Foster started the Arkansas Real Estate Review, an Arkansas Bar Foundation publication that summarizes Arkansas’s appellate real estate decisions with commentary provided by real estate attorneys. Foster’s students gain property law experience by working with attorneys to write abstracts for the publication. She is the recipient of the Charles W. Goldner Teaching Award, two William H. Bowen School of Law Faculty Excellence awards for Public Service, the first Law School Outstanding Service award, and the Arkansas Bar Association Golden Gavel, Continuing Legal Education, and Presidential Excellence awards.

Faculty Excellence in Research and Creative Endeavors

Dr. Rebecca Glazier is an associate professor of public affairs and advisor to the Model Arab League. Her research centers on religion and politics, framing and foreign policy, and pedagogy. Glazier’s work on religion and politics has included a focus on providential beliefs, religious peacemaking, and the impact of religious organizations on congregants’ political and community attitudes and behaviors. Her articles on providential religious beliefs have influenced the work of other scholars of political science. She has worked closely with organizations from around the world to collect survey data from over 160 peacemakers. “I feel very surprised and humbled by this award,” Glazier said. “The other researchers are doing incredible work. I try to do work that brings real change to the world, and I appreciate the university and the College of Social Sciences and Communication for supporting that.” She recently submitted a grant through Notre Dame’s Global Religious Research Initiative to support the project’s next phase involving fieldwork in Sri Lanka, Israel, and Palestine. Glazier was a principal investigator on the Little Rock Congregations Study. The study began in 2012 with a survey of five Little Rock congregations during the 2012 presidential election. In 2016, she partnered with the Clinton School of Public Service, where students collected surveys from more than 1,500 respondents at 17 congregations around Little Rock. “A big part of my research is the Little Rock Congregations Study, work that wouldn’t be possible without the wonderful places of worship in Little Rock that open up their hearts and their sacred spaces for this research,” Glazier said. “It is also such a joy to get to work with students on research. Over 60 students were part of the 2016 Little Rock Congregations Study. They are a huge part of the work that I do and make it so much more rewarding.” Glazier has written 12 peer-reviewed articles, four book chapters in edited volumes, and received numerous grants from internal and external sources leading to numerous citations. She has won best paper awards at several conferences including those of the Arkansas Political Science Association, the American Political Science Association, and the Midwest International Studies Association.

Faculty Excellence in Public Service

Dr. Glenn Anderson is an associate professor in the School of Counseling, Rehabilitation and Adult Education who has received national attention for his contributions to the field of interpreter education. “This award is not something that I was expecting, and I really appreciate the recognition from the scholarship committee and from the university,” Anderson said. “There are four deaf faculty members working in the College of Education and Health Professions, so it’s nice when a deaf faculty member can be recognized for their work.” Anderson’s significant contributions to the black deaf community are undeniable. He often guest lectures, makes presentations, and writes journal articles on black deaf history and linguistic variations among black American Sign Language users. From 1982 to 2008, he served as director of training at the University of Arkansas Rehabilitation Research and Training Center for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. He currently serves on the Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education, the national accrediting board for interpreter education programs and is a past member of the National Council on Disability and Board of Directors for National Black Deaf Advocates. In 2010, Anderson was one of 20 national advocates for individuals with disabilities interviewed by the Federal Communications Commission and featured in the documentary, “Celebration Progress: Americans with Disabilities Act’s 20th Anniversary.” Anderson received the National Black Deaf Advocates Lifetime Achievement Award at its 30th anniversary gala in 2012. In addition to the award, the board of directors voted to establish a scholarship in Anderson’s honor to provide financial support for deaf African American students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate postsecondary education programs. In 2017, Anderson participated in a federal think tank administered by the Center for Advanced Training in Interpreter Education at St. Catherine University. The project focused on incorporating learning principles into interpreter education training practices from the 2014 book “Make It Stick.” Anderson also lays claim to several pioneering roles. He is the first deaf person hired by Michigan Rehabilitation Services to work as a vocational rehabilitation counselor (1970), the first African-American alumnus of Gallaudet to earn a doctoral degree (New York University, 1982), and the first African-American deaf person to be appointed as a Gallaudet trustee (1989) and to serve as chair of the Board of Trustees (1994 to 2005). In the upper right photos, the winners of the 2018 Faculty Excellence Awards are Lynn Foster (left), Rebecca Glazier (middle), and Glenn Anderson (right). Photos by Ben Krain.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Interpreter Education program to perform Disney songs in American Sign Language

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 19 Oct 2017 13:15:41 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Interpreter Education program invites the community to experience classic Disney songs through the beauty of sign language. The Interpreter Education program will host “A Disney See-a-Song” from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert in the Fine Arts Building on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus. Members of the Artistic Interpreting Class will transform some of Disney’s most popular songs into American Sign Language. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock employees and students have put on the annual family friendly event since the early 1980s, where audience members with a talent for sign language are invited to perform on stage with the Artistic Interpreting Class. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Jami Hollingsworth at jjhollingswo@ualr.edu.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock professor assists group working to standardize Chinese Sign Language education

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 25 Aug 2017 15:00:56 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor traveled to China this summer on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to advise a group of hearing impaired Chinese professors who are working to standardize Chinese Sign Language and start interpreter education programs in Chinese universities. Dr. Linda Stauffer, professor and program coordinator for the bachelor’s degree program in American Sign Language/English interpreter education at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, traveled to China June 13 for a 10-day trip as both an interpreter and a representative of interpreter education. “In China, the country is so vast that the dialects of sign language vary drastically,” Stauffer said. “Deaf people from the North and the South cannot communicate easily.” The group of Chinese professors, led by Dr. Zheng Huan of Chongquing Normal University, spent the past seven years creating a standardized version of Chinese Sign Language that they hope will eventually be taught to hearing impaired students in all of China. The group also plans to create an interpreter education program at the university level. “Right now, there are no interpreter education programs in Chinese colleges,” Stauffer said. “Interpreters are grown out of the community, but there is no standard education or testing.” Stauffer spoke to the group about the history of sign language in the U.S., about bachelor degree programs in interpreter education, and about national certification standards for interpreters.

Dr. Linda Stauffer visits with a group of professors and students working to standardize Chinese Sign Language and develop interpreter education programs in China.

“I think they were very fascinated by my talk,” Stauffer said. “They see they have a long way to go, but they are very excited for the future,” Stauffer said. “My goal is to become a resource for the group as they may need me in the years ahead.” Stauffer hopes to return to China and help the group start interpreter education programs in local universities. Dr. Amy Knopf, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumnus who is now the chair of the St. Cloud State University Department of Community Psychology, Counseling and Family Therapy, asked Stauffer to go to China as an interpreter. The group met with the to discuss opportunities for education exchanges and cultural immersion between the university and the institute. Interpreting during the trip was an interesting experience for Stauffer as it included four languages. Speeches were often interpreted from Chinese to Chinese Sign Language to English to American Sign Language and vice versa. “Even though we didn’t speak each other’s language, we could share some deaf culture stories in a way that transcended language,” Stauffer said. “Sometimes, shared experiences trump languages.”

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

����Vlog��ý Little Rock instructor honored for service to deaf community

Newlywed Game will raise funds for ����Vlog��ý Little Rock Interpreter Education program

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Interpreter Education program to perform hit songs in American Sign Language