- University News Archive - 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock /news-archive/tag/julie-ohara/ 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Fri, 10 May 2019 14:07:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Donaghey Scholar readies for next step in her future /news-archive/2019/05/10/julia-ohara-graduation/ Fri, 10 May 2019 14:07:08 +0000 /news/?p=74277 ... Donaghey Scholar readies for next step in her future]]> When Julie O鈥橦ara graduates on May 11, she will leave behind a legacy of success at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. With an acceptance to the University of Pittsburgh in hand, her energy is focused on a future in international politics. O鈥橦ara, a political science major from Little Rock, has been involved in local politics since she was a teenager. 鈥淚 actually started volunteering with the Democratic Party or Arkansas when I was 14,鈥 O鈥橦ara said. 鈥淚 worked with various campaigns. Through those interactions, I realized how much I enjoyed getting to talk to the community.鈥 As a high schooler, O鈥橦ara decided to attend 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock after hearing about her older sister鈥檚 experience as a Donaghey Scholar. 鈥淢y oldest sister went through the Donaghey program, so I had a really good idea about what I would get out of it,鈥 O鈥橦ara said. 鈥淥ne of my favorite things about it was the Socratic-style classes that let you actually discuss the material rather than have it lectured to you.鈥 O鈥橦ara has had the opportunity to present her research at multiple national conferences. 鈥淚 attended the Southern Political Science Association鈥檚 conference twice, once to present research that I worked on in a methods course and again to present my final project for the Donaghey Scholars Program,鈥 O鈥橦ara said.
Julia O'Hara, who is graduating from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock with a bachelor's degree in political science, stands outside the Senate chambers in the Arkansas State Capitol building. Photo by Ben Krain.

Julia O’Hara, who is graduating from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock with a bachelor’s degree in political science, stands outside the Senate chambers in the Arkansas State Capitol building. Photo by Ben Krain.

Throughout her time as a student, O鈥橦ara has continued to be active in state politics, thanks to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 location in Arkansas鈥檚 capital city. 鈥淗aving grown up in Little Rock, I knew the opportunities for studying politics that I would get here,鈥 O鈥橦ara said. 鈥淚 had built up connections through volunteering and internships.鈥 When reflecting on her time at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, O鈥橦ara points to her interactions with its non-traditional student body as one of the university鈥檚 biggest strengths. 鈥淲e have such a nontraditional student body,鈥 she said. 鈥淎t 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, you get diversity in ideas and experiences.鈥 After finishing her Ph.D. in political science, O鈥橦ara plans to continue her research in international politics at a professional level.]]> Donaghey Scholars to present final projects May 7-9 /news-archive/2019/05/06/donaghey-scholars-projects/ Mon, 06 May 2019 22:12:02 +0000 /news/?p=74231 ... Donaghey Scholars to present final projects May 7-9]]> 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 Donaghey Scholars spring graduates will present their final project presentations May 7-9. The 45-minute presentations will take place in Dickinson Hall Room 209 and will showcase the projects the honors students have worked on the past year.聽The final projects are an integral part of the Donaghey Scholars curriculum. 鈥淭hey must be a substantial piece of individual work, and as such are a crucial component to Scholars life after college. They aren鈥檛 just learning about how to do things; they are doing them, and that makes them competitive to employers and graduate schools,鈥 said Simon Hawkins, director of the Donaghey Scholars program. 鈥The range is always staggering, from chemistry research to novel drafts to political analyses to important work for community groups. It is particularly pleasing to see so many projects have a community focus.鈥 Historically, about a third of the projects have been centered on the community. Many projects are research-oriented, such as examining the water quality in Fourche Creek or studying the soil in different enclosures at the Little Rock Zoo, while other students have gathered data specifically for community organizations, such as the Historic Arkansas Museum. Still others provide direct services for community groups, designing web pages for schools and developing fundraising programs for nonprofits. Over the years, several 聽entrepreneurial students have turned their final projects into thriving businesses, Hawkins said. The presentation schedule is as follows: Tuesday, May 7 10-10:45 聽Luke Tyhurst – Rykos: Interactive Problem Solving for the Modern World 11-11:45 聽Julie O’Hara – The Effects of Elite Discourses on Secessionist Movements 12-12:45 聽Ingrid Helgestad – The Evolution of a Novel Medical Device: Solving the Problem of Unplanned Extubations in ICUs 1-1:45 p.m. 聽Jessica Morris – Evaluating Variations in Soil Composition Among Enclosures at the Little Rock Zoo 2-2:45 p.m. 聽Nicole Ursin – Understanding Museum Demographics: Historic Arkansas Museum Wednesday, May 8 12-12:45 聽Willow Moyer – Gibbs Elementary Website Project and Web Portfolio 1-1:45 聽Alex Palmer – Medical Marijuana and Federalism 3-3:45 聽Grishma KC – Characterization of a Novel Multi-Copper Cyanobacterial Laccase 4-4:45 聽Taemora Williams – Grassroots Fundraising: A Sustainable Development Plan for Partners in Knowledge Thursday, May 9 9-9:45 a.m. 聽Mirah Dievernich – Cell Phone Use in the Neonatal 聽Intensive Care Unit 10-10:45 a.m. Abigail Resendiz – Vascugenix Business Plan: Bringing a Medical Device to Market 11-11:45 a.m. Maxwell Campbell – Potential Impacts of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds on the Fourche Creek Ecosystem 12-12:45 p.m. 聽Arooba Ilyas – Purification of Water Using Different Adsorbents 3-3:45 p.m. 聽Tyler Maxwell – De Novo Biosynthesis of Resveratrol in Metabolically-Engineered Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803  ]]> Three 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students win awards at Model Arab League /news-archive/2019/03/14/bilateral-model-arab-league/ Thu, 14 Mar 2019 13:19:40 +0000 /news/?p=73689 ... Three 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students win awards at Model Arab League]]> Three University of Arkansas at Little Rock students won awards during the Feb. 15-17 in Houston.聽 The Model Arab League is a student leadership development program created by the. It is a simulation of an international organization, the League of Arab States, which has 22 member countries. Julie O鈥橦ara, senior political science major, won the Outstanding Delegation Award, while Solane Nemera, senior political science major, and Sydney Brazil, junior philosophy major, won the Distinguished Delegation Award. 鈥淲inning an award was a huge surprise because Solane Nemera and I were in a committee with very talented and prepared delegates,鈥 Brazil said. 鈥淚 thought we did a great job, but it was still a shock to win an award at my first Model Arab League conference.鈥 Brazil and Nemer represented Egypt on the Special Council on Women and Children, where they spent a majority of time discussing the impact of displacement and conflict in preventing children from accessing a stable education and evaluating ways in which the Model Arab League can reduce the number of children who are out of school. 鈥淭he amazing thing about the Model Arab League is that you are debating about very relevant issues,鈥 Brazil said. 鈥淣egotiating with other delegates and working on draft papers really gets your adrenaline pumping, while passing a resolution that offers a potential solution gives you such a sense of accomplishment.鈥 More than 20 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students participated in the conference. They met with the Egyptian Consulate to help them prepare to represent Egypt during the conference. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students also represented Kuwait and Morocco. 鈥淚 applied for Model Arab League because it sounded really fun,鈥 Brazil said. 鈥淚 have always been interested in international relations and was curious as to how diplomacy worked. My experience thus far has been so amazing. I鈥檝e made new friends, learned about a part of the world I wasn鈥檛 very familiar with, and improved my presentation and critical thinking skills. It has added so much value to my life through awareness of issues in other parts of the world and truly awesome friends.鈥 Students who competed in the Bilaterial Model Arab League include Anna Aguilar, Mariam Bouzihay, Nora Bouzihay, Sydney Brazil, Angela Burton, Colin Davies, Landon DeKay, Molly Edwards, Ravan Gaston, Jorge Gonzalez, Dorothea Greulich, Leon Kockaya, Faith Madkins, Kristen Miller, Claire Mitchell, Solane Nemera, Jonathan Nwosu, Jessica Olson, Julie O鈥橦ara, Hope Roberts, Madison Rogers, Makell Swinney, and Issac Thomas. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students will next compete in the National University Model Arab League Conference April 4-7 at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.]]> 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students investigate migrant crisis in Europe /news-archive/2018/07/12/study-abroad-migrant-crisis-europe/ Thu, 12 Jul 2018 15:05:24 +0000 /news/?p=71079 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students investigate migrant crisis in Europe]]> A group of University of Arkansas at Little Rock students saw firsthand how the growing migrant crisis has changed Europe in recent years.聽 Dr. Rebecca Glazier and Dr. Christopher Williams, professors in the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock School of Public Affairs, led 10 students to Europe June 4-20, where they visited London, Paris, and Berlin to learn more about the challenges Europe faces in light of the migrant crisis. The students who attended the study abroad trip, 鈥淚dentity, Migration, and a Changing Europe,鈥 include political science majors Charlana Benefield, Jorge Gonzalez, Julie O鈥橦ara, Leon Kockaya, Elizabeth Ray, Madison Rodgers, Paige Topping, and Allie Woodville, as well as Colin Davies, a criminal justice major, and Abigail Resendiz, a business major. 鈥In recent years, Europe has seen massive increases in both intra-European migration and migration from Middle Eastern and North African countries. This has forced many Europeans to grapple more deeply with questions of national identity and with deep societal prejudices,鈥 Glazier said. 鈥淭he course was designed to provide students with firsthand experience to develop a deeper understanding of the effects that nationalism and large-scale immigration have on societies.鈥 The group first traveled to London, where they shared a Ramadan meal at the Central Mosque of London and attended a play about the crisis in the refugee camp in Calais, France. In Paris, they visited the famed Louvre museum, visited le Grande Mosqu茅e du Paris, spoke with recent immigrants, and met with French National Assembly member Pac么me Rupin. In Berlin, the group visited experts in human trafficking and migration and toured the as well as the WWII-era concentration camp and the remains of the Berlin Wall. They also took in the World Cup match between Mexico and Germany. 鈥淭he refugees that occupied this camp originated from countries all over the world, ranging from Syria and Afghanistan to Iran, Iraq, and Moldova,鈥 said Topping, a senior political science major. 鈥淩eports of the experiences of refugees around the world have been and continue to be profoundly compelling. However, seeing their experiences and living conditions face-to-face truly triggers unparalleled human emotions and responses.鈥 Asylum seekers in Germany are allowed to stay in the country if they are granted political asylum, refugee status, subsidiary protection, or if the agency declares a deportation prohibition. Refugees in Germany can apply for four different kinds of protection from the German government, including asylum protection, subsidiary protection, refugee protection, and protection from persecution if they can provide evidence that they are being persecuted in their homeland.
The study abroad students visit the Grand Mosque of Paris. The group (L to R) includes Back Row: Julie O'Hara, Elizabeth Ray, Dr. Rebecca Glazier, Madison Ray, Abigail Resendiz, Colin Davies, Leon Kockaya. Front row: Allie Woodville, Jorge Gonzalez, Charlana Benefield, and Paige Topping.

The study abroad students visit the Grand Mosque of Paris. The group (L to R) includes Back Row: Julie O’Hara, Elizabeth Ray, Dr. Rebecca Glazier, Madison Ray, Abigail Resendiz, Colin Davies, and Leon Kockaya. Front row: Allie Woodville, Jorge Gonzalez, Charlana Benefield, and Paige Topping.

鈥淲hile most refugees are thankful to Germany for taking them in, they are all, for the most part, anxiously awaiting for their homelands to become safe enough to return to,鈥 Topping said. 鈥淲hile Germany is extremely accepting of refugees and provides housing, food, recreational sports areas, playgrounds, and German classes for children and adults alike in areas such as Templehof, it does not take away from the very grim reality that most of the refugees living at Templehof had to leave their professions, homes and families behind in order to pursue a life in Germany safe from persecution鈥 In the final leg of the journey, the group returned for a few more days in London, where they toured Parliament, Palace of Westminster, and met with political leaders in the United Kingdom. Although the students read two dozen academic readings and testimonials about what it is like to be a migrant in Europe, none of that compared to the actual experience of meeting migrants and hearing their stories. 鈥淲e went to Iftar with a group of Turkish refugees living in Berlin,鈥 said O鈥橦ara, a 21-year-old senior from Little Rock. 鈥Before dinner, we sat with them in small groups and they told us their stories. The first person I spoke to had been a civil engineer when he was working in Turkey. This man has five children, all still in Turkey, and his youngest was born shortly after he fled oppression. He is able to see her and talk to her through the phone, but he has never been able to hold her in his own hands. As far as he knows, he may never meet her in person. If he had stayed in Turkey he risked becoming a political prisoner, where he would not have been allowed to meet or see his family. He said to me, 鈥楢t least in Berlin I have hope.鈥欌 O鈥橦ara heard many more memorable accounts from the migrants, and she realized that, despite talks by European countries of coming up with a solution to the migrant crisis, it is not something that will be easily solved. Meanwhile, millions of people are left struggling while the political debate continues. 鈥The refugee crisis in Europe is too deep to be coated with band-aid solutions and left to fester. Europe will change drastically in the coming years because of this migration,鈥 O鈥橦ara said. 鈥Watching them talk about their fears for the future and seeing the heartbreak they faced day in and day out because of circumstances so far beyond their control is something that I will never forget, but, beyond that, the strength and unwavering hope they showed is something that will stick with me forever.鈥 Students learned about the efforts to sustain migrant populations by the United Kingdom and European Union organizations, as well as the living conditions of displaced migrants and asylum seekers. Students also discussed migration issues and policy possibilities for alleviating tensions between residents in Europe. Throughout their busy schedules, students were asked to consider political and social policies that are currently enacted as well as their own solutions to Europe鈥檚 migrant crisis. 鈥淚 think the conversations that the students had with immigrants and refugees are experiences that will stay with them. We thought critically about migration policy, how to best integrate immigrants, and about what societies might owe to refugees fleeing violence,鈥 Glazier said. 鈥淚 don’t think we came to any easy answers, but I do think the students gained both substantive knowledge and empathy.鈥 The professors and students kept a travel blog of their journeys that can be viewed online. In the upper right photo,聽the study abroad group met with a member of the Scotland Nationalist Party, Alison Thewliss, while touring Parliament.]]>