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

U.S. Department of Education Awards ��Vlog��ý Little Rock $581K Grant to Provide Child Care Funding for Low-Income Students

John Hill — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 14:20:00 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has been awarded a federal grant worth more than $581,000 from the U.S. Department of Education that will help pay child care expenses for low-income students to help them complete their college education. “The child care support provided by this grant will help our students who are parents and is another example of our institution’s commitment to student success,” Provost Ann Bain said. “This grant is particularly exciting because the baseline data to support the need for grant funds involved our faculty and our students, and the final grant submission was a collaboration between Dr. Daryl Rice and graduate student Cassie Jo Gehring.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock received a (CCAMPIS) four-year grant of $581,128. The program supports the participation of low-income parents in postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based child care services. Funding will be available to students who are eligible to receive Pell Grants. Students receiving these grants typically come from households whose family incomes are less than $50,000 annually, though most Pell Grant money goes to students with a total family income below $20,000. At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, 39 percent of undergraduate students from the fall 2021 semester are Pell Grant recipients. “The grant will allow us to pay support for child care to Pell-eligible students with children using established and licensed child care providers,” said Dr. Daryl Rice, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs for student success. “The amount is based on a sliding scale. The program will also provide assistance in accessing child care support from other sources, such as the Arkansas Department of Health’s voucher program and child care provided by Early Start, Head Start, and the Little Rock School District.” A priority will be given to single parents. Parents who are going to college face a tougher road than traditional college students and have lower student retention and graduation rates. Single mothers are particularly hard hit. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, there are nearly 2.1 million single mothers in college today, many of whom are women of color. Only 8 percent of single mothers who start college earn an associate or bachelor’s degree within six years, compared with about half of women who are not mothers. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research also shows that providing support for parents in college, such as free child care, financial assistance, and social skills training, would allow more student parents to graduate in less time. During the spring 2021 semester, four Master of Public Administration (MPA) students in Dr. Kirk Leach’s social entrepreneurship course did background research for the grant, including a phone survey of local child care providers about capacity, prices, availability, and partnership opportunities with the university. The students include Andrea Neloms, Cassie Jo Gehring, Heather Reed, and Jenifer Tindle. Dr. Rice and Gehring wrote the final proposal and are co-principal investigators for the grant. “Being a parent while a student myself, I thought of how difficult it must be for those who don’t have resources or support to advance themselves through higher education,” said Gehring, associate director of advancement services at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “As a student at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, I have participated in many service-learning projects. I was inspired to think that the research I am doing as a student and my connections in my personal and professional life can come together to make a real-world change that will make a real impact for students who are looking to make a better life for themselves and their children.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock previously had a child care center that closed down in 1993. A 2020 survey of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students, faculty, and staff found that 46 percent reported having primary responsibility for a child under 18. There is a current and anticipated demand for child care, specifically for children five and under. A third of respondents (33 percent) currently have a need for after school care for a child between the ages of 5-12. Student respondents indicated that child care issues have had a direct impact on coursework and class attendance. More than a third of respondents reported that they have had to drop or withdraw from a class due to child care issues. In addition to funding for child care, students accepted for the program will also have access to student success resources in the Office of Student Retention Initiatives, including success coaching, peer mentoring, and a licensed social worker. “It isn’t often that a person’s educational career and professional career intersect,” said Heather Reed, director of Student Retention Initiatives and a MPA student who helped write the grant. “This is one opportunity where the research team for the Social Entrepreneurship MPA course with Dr. Leach led to the university being awarded a grant that will be put into direct action to support students. This is a humbling experience as a graduate student and professional to see theory to practice in action with the end result helping promote student success.” The child care funding will be available to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students beginning in the spring 2022 semester. A full-time director will be hired to run the program in the Office of Student Retention Initiatives. All students who are eligible for the program will receive an email with more information later this semester. Students can also or visit this website for more information. If you’d like to donate to help support ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students with child care needs, please donate via this link. In the upper right photo, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has been awarded a federal grant worth more than $581,000 from the U.S. Department of Education that will help pay child care expenses for low-income students. Pictured, from left to right, are three of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock employees responsible for researching and writing the Child Care Access Means Parents in School grant: Heather Reed, Dr. Daryl Rice, and Cassie Jo Gehring. Photo by Angie Faller.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Announces Events to Recognize Diversity Month

John Hill — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 18:38:18 +0000

To celebrate Diversity Month, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Diversity Council has scheduled a variety of events set to take place throughout the month of March. Presentations will include discussions on a range of topics, research findings, and historical events. Addressing Microaggressions – Noon, Wednesday, March 3 The Academy for Teaching and Learning Excellence (ATLE) will present this upcoming Lunch and Learn session as an opportunity for faculty to engage in conversations about how to deal with microaggressions in the classroom. Disability and Diversity – Noon, Thursday, March 4 The director for the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Disability Resource Center, Reed Claiborne, will present a discussion on disability and the things that frame perceptions of disabilities such as legal definitions, media portrayals, historical treatments, and more. Anti-Blackness, Social Feelings, and Public Policy: 1964-2020 – 6 p.m. Thursday, March 4 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock English Department’s Cooper Honors Program will present a talk with Dr. Lisa Corrigan, associate professor of communication and director of the Gender Studies program, who will discuss her latest book, “Black Feelings: Race, Affect, and the Long Sixties.” Building Collaborative Relationships to Improve Race Relations – 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 9 A panel of researchers from the Little Rock Congregations Study (LRCS) will discuss findings relevant to race relations from their Fall 2020 survey with 35 community congregations. The panel will consist of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock professors Gerald Driskill, Rebecca Glazier, and Kirk Leach. In partnership with the Clinton School of Public Service, the panelists will also present a process of facilitating community dialogues on key issues found within their survey results. Modern Warriors of World War I: American Indians in the Great War – Noon, Wednesday, March 10 Presented by Erin Fehr, an archivist with the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Sequoyah National Research Center, this event will highlight the sacrifice and bravery of American Indians and Alaska Natives that served in World War I. It will inform audience members about things such as how they used their language to create a code that was never broken by the Germans. The Sequoyah National Research Center created a to identify all 12,000 American Indians that served in World War I, which can be found online as part of the ’s website. New Funds for Minority Businesses in Little Rock – 2 p.m. Thursday, March 11 The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center will present a panel discussion on new funding opportunities available in Little Rock for minority businesses. We Sing! A Celebration of Women’s Heritage – 3 p.m. Sunday, March 14 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Choirs will host a live-streamed performance celebrating Women’s Heritage Month, featuring historically informed music performances, poetry reading, a speaker with commentary on notable women of the suffrage movement, and a special musical oratory presentation with Dr. Linda Holzer and Dr. Yslan Hicks. Putting the Pieces Together: A look at how Universal Design for Learning, Open Educational Resources, and Affordable Learning Content work together to benefit students and faculty – 3 p.m. Monday, March 15 in the Ottenheimer Library Presented by e-Learning Specialist Hannah Hurdle, will discuss the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Open Educational Resources (OER), and Affordable Learning Content (ALC) frameworks for inclusive learning. Entrepreneurship: My Journey into the Unknown – 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 16 Entrepreneurial Education Specialist Pamela Reed, with the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, will present a panel discussion featuring minority entrepreneurs. Connecting & Utilizing Social Media for Each Generation – 1 p.m. Thursday, March 18 Jennifer McDannold, coordinator of student orientation and transitions, will present information about each generation, focusing on social media and marketing tricks as well as best practices for Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. “This is Not Who We Are:” Discussing Whiteness, Denial, & Division – 10 a.m. Monday, March 29 Laura Casey, a student success coach with the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Student Retention Initiatives (SRI) team, will host a discussion on the experiences of whiteness and confronting denial. She will be utilizing references such as Ibram Kendi’s book “How to Be an Antiracist” in her presentation to unpack what denial mixed with whiteness looks like. Exploring Our Power and Privilege – 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 30 Sharon Downs, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock assistant vice chancellor for student affairs, will present this final event to encourage conversation on the concepts of power and privilege.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock working with local congregations on the 2020 Little Rock Congregations Study

John Hill — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 21:03:00 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is working with churches and congregations in Little Rock for the 2020 Little Rock Congregations Study. This year’s study asks congregation members about the community issues that are important to them. One of the long-term goals of the research is to bring together congregations and nonprofit organizations that would like to partner together to tackle Little Rock’s biggest problems. “We are excited to work with these congregations through this community-based research project, because we see it as a mutually beneficial way that the university and the community can connect,” said Dr. Rebecca Glazier. “Our students get a hands-on research experience they will never forget, and participating congregations get a professional report on the attitudes and well-being of their members. The students are contributing so much passion and creativity to this project to make it possible to do community-based research in the middle of a pandemic.” The is led by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock professors Rebecca Glazier, Gerald Driskill, and Kirk Leach, in consultation with the project’s Clergy Advisory Board, a group of eight clergy members in Little Rock who advise the Little Rock Congregations Study. Currently, 36 congregations are participating in the study, and thousands of congregation members will have the opportunity to complete the survey distributed through their place of worship. The online survey will be available until Nov. 1. “As a student researcher that is passionate about helping people, I am excited about how the data we collect will impact congregations and nonprofits,” said Alanna Tatum, a Master of Public Administration student from North Little Rock. “This study is going to connect people that want to serve to people that need to be helped in our community.” Every congregation that participates will receive a report that includes data on demographics; worship service attendance; mental, physical, and spiritual health; congregational and community engagement; perceptions of community and racial unity and division; and ways members desire to serve the community. The report will also connect congregations and nonprofit organizations with similar community service goals. “We ask questions about how they are doing spiritually, the community issues that matter to them, and where they would like to get involved,” Glazier said. “The reports the students will help produce will include information on how to connect with nonprofits and other congregations working on the issues that matter most to each congregation’s members, so we hope our work will help facilitate collaboration.” Glazier and her student researchers have been surveying and interviewing religious leaders since the summer and in the current stage of the research, they are now surveying individual congregation members. Some of the study’s early research looked at how religious leaders in Arkansas are growing more concerned with the issue of race relations in the U.S. After hosting a Little Rock Religious Leaders Summit last year, the Little Rock Congregations Study research team decided to address questions of race and social justice. “The work which we are doing gives us the opportunity to bring our community closer together both religiously and socially. Throughout our studies, we are striving to discover the impact religious, religious institutions, and their ideals have in the city of Little Rock,” said Issac Thomas, a political science and history major from Ashdown, Arkansas. “I believe that the research we do now will be a precept by which the social issues facing not only our own city, but the wider world, can be mitigated.” Community members who are interested in learning more about the Little Rock Congregations Study research project can or may contact Glazier at raglazier@ualr.edu.

Little Rock Congregations Study shows more clergy are concerned about race relations

John Hill — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 21:32:06 +0000

Research from the at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock shows that religious leaders in Little Rock are growing more concerned with the issue of race relations. The Little Rock Congregations Study is led by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock professors Rebecca Glazier, Gerald Driskill, and Kirk Leach, in consultation with the project’s Clergy Advisory Board, a group of eight clergy members in Little Rock who advise the Little Rock Congregations Study. Glazier, a professor of political science, and her student researchers are surveying religious leaders over the summer as part of the 2020 study. After seeing the protests that enveloped the community after the death of George Floyd, Glazier turned to the Today, there are no longer any faith leaders in Little Rock who are responding that the issue of race relations is “moderately important” or “slightly important.” A recent look at the results shows that 30 percent of clergy identify the issue of race relations as “important,” while 70 percent identify it as “very important.” “I think the clergy in Little Rock have been concerned about race relations for many years,” Glazier said. “We see a trend of increasing importance in this issue that has been going on for years. I think it reflects a growing awareness of this issue in our society. As we have seen more instances of police brutality caught on video, you see our society saying this is unacceptable. You’ve seen the Black Lives Matter movement grow. We’re seeing how important racial justice issues are.” After hosting a Little Rock Religious Leaders Summit last year, the Little Rock Congregations Study research team decided they would more directly address questions of race and social justice during the 2020 study. Among other topics that faith leaders emphasized at the summit, racial division rose to the top again and again. “When we look at the data we have collected over the years, they tell a story of a city that is deeply divided,” Glazier said. “Little Rock has a history of racial violence, segregation, red-lining, and hate. It is no surprise that the vast majority (86 percent) of 2020 responding clergy strongly agree or agree that ‘Little Rock has a problem with racial division.’” Clergy, historically, have played an important role in civil rights in the United States in terms of mobilizing and healing. Many of the religious leaders participating in the study have talked about their roles as leaders in the current crisis. “I think they can continue to play a very critical role at this moment in history,” Glazier said. “The clergy that I have been talking to for years have said we’ve heard a lot of talk about the need for social justice and better race relations, but we haven’t seen a lot of actions. I believe the religious leadership think now is the time to take more action. They are leading conversations across racial lines, holding meetings with police, protesters, and legislators, holding peaceful protests, and talking about working peacefully toward reconciliation. The call is very much to action and not just to words.” During an interview with Pastor Billy Burris of St. Peter Missionary Baptist Church, Burris recalled the many activities he participated in during a single day, which included a prayer call, an interview on a radio station, and a meeting with other pastors and the chief of police. “We are just trying to help, trying to be a conduit, if you will, between law enforcement and the community, and doing what we can for the peaceful protests,” Burris said. Hope remains strong among religious leaders in Little Rock that the situation will improve. Sixty percent of early clergy respondents agree or strongly agree that race relations are likely to improve in Little Rock in the future. “Places of worship and people of faith have always played a powerful role in mobilizing people to fight for justice and in healing past wounds,” Glazier said. “The early results from our 2020 study reveal that there is still a lot of hope in our city. Communities of faith are key to making that happen.” In the upper right photo, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock professors and student researchers, from left, Gerald Driskill, Jessica Olson, Jasmine Pugh, Kaylyn Hager, and Rebecca Glazier are researching how partnerships between churches and nonprofit organizations can provide services to the community. Photo by Ben Krain.

Little Rock Congregations Study seeks to benefit, connect congregations through new survey

John Hill — Fri, 15 May 2020 20:13:55 +0000

When Rebecca Glazier first began the Little Rock Congregations Study in 2012, her goal was to learn about faith-based community engagement and to provide her students with an opportunity to learn outside the classroom. In 2020, her goal is to use the results to make a difference in the community by bringing together congregations and nonprofits who want to tackle Little Rock’s biggest problems. “Last year, we brought in over 50 clergy leaders in Little Rock and asked what are the most important issues facing the city,” Glazier said. “We learned that one of the key things congregations struggled with was connecting across these issues and finding other congregations and nonprofit organizations that were working on the same issues. They wanted a better way to work together to help solve problems facing the community.” The 2020 will move completely online. This move will allow significantly more people to participate in the survey and for the data to be compiled more easily. “We have learned that when congregations serve the community, it creates a culture of service that also leads members to serve in their own places of worship,” Glazier said. “We have learned that growing congregations are significantly more likely to be led by clergy who are engaged in the community.” The surveys have been prepared by an interdisciplinary research team at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, including Glazier and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock professors Dr. Gerald Driskill and Dr. Kirk Leach, in consultation with the , a group of eight clergy members in Little Rock who advise the Little Rock Congregations Study. Graduate and undergraduate student researchers are also part of the Little Rock Congregations Study team. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students participating in a course on religion and community will be working on this project and helping to write reports that will be shared with each congregation and with the broader community during the fall 2020 semester. Researchers are working with individual congregations to send the survey to all of their members. “We know being physically distant from each other in places of worship has been hard,” Leach said. “This survey provides an opportunity for leaders and members to reconnect and share how they are doing.” Every congregation will receive a report that includes data on demographics; worship service attendance; mental, physical, and spiritual health; congregational and community engagement; perceptions of community and racial unity and division; and ways members desire to serve. A unique feature of the report is that leaders will learn of other congregations and nonprofits that share a desire to collaborate on specific community needs. The research team is currently recruiting places of worship to participate. “I think the work of the Little Rock Congregations Study provides a great opportunity for all of us to learn more about what congregations and other religious groups are contributing to the community and also more comprehensive information about what the members of our individual congregations care about and value,” said Lindy Vogado, associate pastor at Second Presbyterian Church and member of the Clergy Advisory Board. “We hope the information we gain from this study will help us to serve our neighbors better.” The most important data congregations will receive in Glazier’s opinion is information that will hopefully build partnerships between congregations and nonprofits who wish to combine resources to take on a community issue affecting Little Rock. “Leaders will receive data on whether their members think their place of worship should be involved in helping to solve the community issues they see as most important and whether the members would be willing to volunteer on those issues,” Glazier said. “Because we know how important collaboration is to religious leaders, for each of the top three community issues of concern to their congregants, we will include the contact information for other congregations and nonprofits currently working on those issues. These reports will provide immediate, valuable data to leaders to know what matters to their members and how to get engaged.” “We continue to learn that we are better together,” Driskill said. “We can tackle the most difficult challenges when we collaborate. This survey will aid us all in working together toward bigger dreams–toward building hope.” The surveys are expected to be available to fill out online between Oct. 1 to Nov. 2. Congregations who are interested in participating in the 2020 Little Rock Congregations Study may contact Glazier at raglazier@ualr.edu.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock study explores need to form partnerships between nonprofits, congregations

John Hill — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 14:43:30 +0000

While many nonprofits and religious congregations partner together to help people in need in the Little Rock area, more partnerships are needed to meet the city’s growing demand for services, according to the results of a University of Arkansas at Little Rock study. The Little Rock Congregations study is an ongoing research project led by Dr. Rebecca Glazier, associate professor in the School of Public Affairs, stemming from research begun in 2012 about the effects of religious organizations on community engagement in Little Rock. Her research partners include Dr. Kirk Leach, assistant professor in the School of Public Affairs, and Dr. Gerald Driskill, professor of applied communication. Glazier recently released the results of the 2019 survey, which focused on surveying and interviewing nonprofit leaders to learn more about how and when collaborations with congregations occur. “We were surprised and excited about how open nonprofits are to working with congregations in Little Rock,” Glazier said. “The lens that we brought to this part of the research was to fulfill a need that we’ve heard about congregations wanting to work with more nonprofits. We saw an overwhelming amount of nonprofits that wanted to partner with congregations. We were worried that many might have policies that prevent them from working with religious organizations, but that wasn’t the case.” Researchers spoke with 118 nonprofit leaders in the Little Rock area, out of 329 that were contacted. The survey found that 70 percent of the respondents have partnered with congregations in the past. All of the respondents who’ve partnered with congregations expressed interest in partnering again. An additional 20 percent of respondents have not had a partnership with a congregation, but expressed interest in doing so, while 7 percent of respondents have no desire to partner with a congregation, and 3 percent reported their nonprofit’s policies don’t allow collaboration with a religious organization. “A lack of interest is not preventing partnerships,” Glazier said. “Nonprofit policies are not preventing partnership. Nonprofits are actively seeking partnerships. Our conclusion from this data and from the clergy study in 2018 is that more partnerships will happen as more connections across organizations are made. We hope to facilitate such connections throughout 2020.” The vast majority of respondents (79 percent) are collaborating with other organizations, including congregations, to deliver needed social serves in Little Rock. Of the nonprofit leaders surveyed, 19 percent said they collaborate to connect with the community, 17 because of the topic, and 13 percent as a cost-reduction strategy. The community services provided by nonprofits are more diverse than those offered by local congregations. In 2018, the study found that marriage and relationship counseling are the most popular services (61 percent) offered by Little Rock-based congregations followed by food pantries (48 percent) and education services (34 percent). On the other hand, the most common service offered by nonprofits is education (30 percent), followed by healthy eating (17 percent). The diverse range of services provided by Little Rock nonprofits include community gardens, pregnancy testing, and entrepreneurial support, which are all topics that never came up in previous research with congregations.There is a great potential for the expansion of partnerships between nonprofits and congregations to meet the rising needs of the Little Rock community. Out of those surveyed, 80 percent reported an increase in demand for their services. Glazier feels that two key areas for future collaboration include education, one of the highest service areas offered by both nonprofits and congregations in Little Rock, and food initiatives. “Many congregations host food pantries and many nonprofits focus on healthy eating education,” Glazier said. “Working together, the two types of organizations could get more and healthier food and better nutrition information to people in need in our community.” Since the study began in 2012, more than 170 students have conducted research. When the project began, the researchers investigated the impact of community engagement by congregations. Since 2018, they’ve looked more closely at the role of nonprofit organizations. The 2019 study focused on surveying and interviewing nonprofit leaders to learn more about how and when collaborations with congregations occur. Researchers looked at the impacts of local faith-based community engagement while also providing relevant and meaningful information and resources to the community, such as an interactive map of the city’s food pantries. “Churches may have been more focused on people in their congregations in the past, but now, more than ever, they’re raising their heads and looking around their community for opportunities to serve,” said Lauri Currier, executive director of The Call. The Little Rock Congregations Study will continue this year with a survey of congregation members in Little Rock. The surveys will include questions about community issues church members see as most important to the city, what issues they would like their congregations to be active in, and if they are willing to volunteer. Congregation leaders can use the results to prioritize their community engagement initiatives, while the researchers will connect congregations and nonprofits that are interested in working on the same issues. “We want to facilitate partnerships between nonprofits and congregations,” Glazier said. “We’ve heard them say they want to make more connections to help the community and to really make a difference for our city. We can make the process so much easier by connecting congregations and nonprofits together.” In the upper right photo, from left, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock professors and student researchers Gerald Driskill, Jessica Olson, Jasmine Pugh, Kaylyn Hager, and Rebecca Glazier are researching how partnerships between churches and nonprofit organizations can provide services to the community in the Little Rock Congregations Study. Photo by Ben Krain.

‘Nonprofits’ the topic of next ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown lecture

Janea Snyder — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 22:46:57 +0000

The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown Lecture Series continues Wednesday, Feb. 27, with a talk on “Nonprofit Capacity Building Strategies” by Dr. Kirk Leach, assistant professor in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s School of Public Affairs. The lecture begins at 6 p.m. at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown, 333 President Clinton Ave. Leach will discuss collaboration and social entrepreneurship in the context of nonprofit capacity building. The goal for the discussion is to engage nonprofits in a shared learning environment, to learn with, and from each other. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown Lecture Series features ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty discussing issues in science, health, community, the arts, and other topics every Wednesday from 6-7 p.m. All lectures are free and open to the public, but individuals are encouraged to RSVP by emailing downtown@ualr.edu. For more information, contact Ross Owyoung, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown director, at 870-501-2700 or rlowyoung@ualr.edu.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown lecture series kicks off Feb. 6

Janea Snyder — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 19:56:59 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown kicks off its lecture series on Wednesday, Feb. 6, with Chancellor Andrew Rogerson giving the inaugural lecture. The weekly lecture series will feature ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty discussing issues in science, health, community, the arts. and other topics. The lectures will be presented on Wednesdays from 6-7 p.m. at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown, 333 President Clinton Ave. Dr. Rogerson’s lecture – “Tales of A Wandering Microbiologist,” – will give attendees the opportunity to discover the enthralling life of microbes. Before becoming chancellor of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Rogerson spent 30 years as a researcher and professor at eight universities and two government laboratories. He has worked on a diverse range of research projects all united by the fact they have involved microbes. Rogerson’s research was funded by various federal agencies including the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The schedule is as follows: Feb. 13 – “The Art of Positive Communication: How Small Behaviors Create Your Best Moments,” Julien Mirivel, dean of the College of Social Sciences and Communication This talk is an introduction to the art of positive communication. It is built on the premise that “the spoken word, spoken honorably and well, can make a difference that no other form of communication can equal.” In the talk, Mirivel shares a simple model to inspire audience members to communicate more positively. With personal examples and stories, the talk will invite everyone to practice concrete behaviors that will have a positive effect at work, at home, and in the community. By the end of the talk, every person in the audience will be able to create their best moments and to connect with others more deeply. Feb. 20 – “Poverty, Food, and Nutritionism,” Don Willis, assistant professor of sociology Food is more than its nutritional and caloric content. It can shape our identity, our social relationships, and even act as a resource to blur or distinguish people across social categories. Dr. Willis will discuss a particular form of poverty—namely, food insecurity—and how it impacts lives and health through social, or non-nutritional pathways, such as one’s sense of social positioning in an unequal world. In asking this question, he also grapples with more fundamental questions about the character of food itself, and its role in shaping social experiences such as trust and belonging. Come for a fresh take on the role of food in shaping unequal lives. Feb. 27 – “Nonprofit Capacity Building Strategies,” Kirk Leach, assistant professor, School of Public Affairs Dr. Leach will discuss collaboration and social entrepreneurship in the context of nonprofit capacity building. The goal for the discussion is to engage nonprofits in a shared learning environment, to learn with, and from each other. March 6 – “Religion and Community Engagement in Little Rock,” Rebecca Glazier, associate professor, School of Public Affairs Attendees will learn about religion, politics, and community engagement in Little Rock. Using data from more than 2,000 congregants and 200 clergy in Little Rock, Dr. Glazier will share information about the benefits of faith-based community engagement and take suggestions for questions and topics for the 2020 Little Rock Congregations Study survey of congregants. March 13 – “Deviant Mobs of the Internet: Bots, Trolls, and Misinformation,” Nitin Agarwal, Maulden-Entergy Endowed Chair and Distinguished Professor of Information Science Social media platforms are widely used for sharing information. Although social media use is generally benign, such platforms can also be used for malicious activities, including the dissemination of propaganda, hoaxes, and fake news to influence the public. The availability of inexpensive and ubiquitous mass communication tools has made such malicious acts much more convenient and effective. This talk will touch upon various research efforts that demonstrate how disinformation campaigns work, examine the critical link between blogs and other social media platforms (viz., YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, VKontakte, etc.), and the different media orchestration strategies. Using socio-computational models that leverage social network analysis and cyber forensics, prominent information actors, and leading coordinators of disinformation campaigns are identified. Further, the talk will highlight tactics, techniques, and procedures used by the deviant groups to propagate disinformation. The talk will further illustrate application of the research methodology to prominent cases of massive disinformation campaigns in the Baltic region and NATO’s military exercises, conducted primarily through blogs but strategically linking to a variety of other social media platforms. March 27- “The Climate Reality Project: Need for Change and Reasons for Hope,” Dr. Jessica Scott, assistant director of the Donaghey Scholars Program Must we change? Can we change? Will we change? These three questions will be the focus of Dr. Scott’s presentation on climate change and the work of The Climate Reality Project. Although climate change is often misunderstood by the public, more than 97 percent of climate scientists agree that it is real and caused by the burning of fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas. Understanding climate change can be overwhelming because our atmosphere, oceans, soil, and weather are driven by a complex network of interconnected factors. Dr. Scott’s talk, targeted at non-scientists, will not only summarize the evidence for climate change, but will also give an overview of what we know about its impacts and the policy and industry changes that experts predict will be necessary to mitigate these effects. All lectures are free and open to the public; however, individuals are encouraged to RSVP by emailing downtown@ualr.edu. For more information, contact Ross Owyoung, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown director, at 870-501-2700 or rlowyoung@ualr.edu. More information is available online.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown opens, announces lecture series

Janea Snyder — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 22:24:41 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock celebrated the opening of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown on Wednesday, Jan. 16, with a reception and unveiling of the historic Joe Jones’ 1935 mural, The Struggle in the South.

Chancellor Andrew Rogerson welcomed more than 200 people who attended the event at the new center at 333 President Clinton Ave., which will host weekly lectures, some non-credit classes, and provide rental space.

“From the beginning of my tenure at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, there was a lot of encouragement for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to develop a visible, engaged presence downtown,” Dr. Rogerson said. “We understand the importance of making our vital urban campus relevant and accessible here in the heart of the city. We wanted a space that honored the past, engaged the present, and imagined the future, and that is what this multi-use space reflects.”

The new center will serve as a bridge to the main campus and will provide university information, student recruitment and promotion of outstanding programs.

“We will have informative and entertaining lectures, lunchtime panel discussions, career-enhancing short courses, and certificate programs of benefit to the downtown community, and a place for our faculty to offer the community highlights of their cutting-edge research,” Rogerson said.

Newly elected Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, an alumnus of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, spoke at the grand opening and praised ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s efforts.

“I’m so grateful to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for having the forethought to bring this downtown center to fruition,” he said. “A great thriving city must have a great thriving university. This space will connect all areas together.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown Director Ross Owyoung announced the center’s weekly lectures series, beginning Feb. 6, and Extended Learning classes beginning in March. The non-credit extended learning classes include two-day writing workshops, led by Sally Crisp, faculty emerita in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Rhetoric and Writing, and Sherry Rankins-Robertson, associate professor of rhetoric and writing.

“Telling Your own Stories” will be offered March 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. “Writing Family Stories” will be offered April 13 from 1 to 3 p.m.

The weekly lectures will feature ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty members discussing issues in science, health, community, the arts and other topics. The lectures will be presented on Wednesdays from 6-7 p.m. at . The schedule is as follows:

Feb. 6 – “Tales of A Wandering Microbiologist,” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor Andrew Rogerson

Before becoming chancellor of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Andrew Rogerson spent 30 years as a researcher and professor in eight universities and two government laboratories. Fascinated by the hidden, and continually engaged in the possibilities of the invisible, Dr. Rogerson has worked on a diverse range of research projects all united by the fact they have involved microbes. Rogerson’s research was funded by various federal agencies including the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This fun lecture requires no prior knowledge of science. Enjoy a rare opportunity to discover the enthralling life of microbes through the life’s work of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s chancellor.

Feb. 13 – “The Art of Positive Communication: How Small Behaviors Create Your Best Moments,” Julien Mirivel, dean of the College of Social Sciences and Communication

This talk is an introduction to the art of positive communication. It is built on the premise that “the spoken word, spoken honorably and well, can make a difference that no other form of communication can equal.” In the talk, I share a simple model to inspire the audience to communicate more positively. With personal examples and stories, the talk will invite everyone to practice concrete behaviors that will have a positive effect at work, at home, and in the community. By the end of the talk, every person in the audience will be able to create their best moments and to connect with others more deeply.

Feb. 20 – “Poverty, Food, and Nutritionism,” Don Willis, assistant professor of sociology

Food is more than its nutritional and caloric content. It can shape our identity, our social relationships, and even act as a resource to blur or distinguish people across social categories. Dr. Willis will discuss a particular form of poverty—namely, food insecurity—and how it impacts lives and health through social, or non-nutritional pathways, such as one’s sense of social positioning in an unequal world. In asking this question, he also grapples with more fundamental questions about the character of food itself, and its role in shaping social experiences such as trust and belonging. Come for a fresh take on the role of food in shaping unequal lives.

Feb. 27 – “Nonprofit Capacity Building Strategies,” Kirk Leach, assistant professor in the School of Public Affairs

Dr. Leach will discussing collaboration and social entrepreneurship in the context of nonprofit capacity building. The goal for the discussion is to engage nonprofits in a shared learning environment, to learn with, and from each other.

March 6 – “Religion and Community Engagement in Little Rock,” Rebecca Glacier, associate professor in the School of Public Affairs

Attendees at this talk will learn about religion, politics, and community engagement in Little Rock. Using data from more than 2,000 congregants and 200 clergy in Little Rock, Dr. Glazier will share information about the benefits of faith-based community engagement and take suggestions for questions and topics for the 2020 Little Rock Congregations Study survey of congregants.

March 13 – “Deviant Mobs of the Internet: Bots, Trolls, and Misinformation,” Nitin Agarwal, Maulden-Entergy Endowed Chair and Distinguished Professor of Information Science.

Social media platforms are widely used for sharing information, but they can also be used to disseminate propaganda, hoaxes, and fake news to influence the public. The availability of inexpensive and ubiquitous mass communication tools has made such malicious acts more convenient and effective. This talk will touch upon various research efforts that demonstrate how disinformation campaigns work and examine the critical link between blogs and other social media platforms ( YouTube, Twitter, Facebook). Using socio-computational models that leverage social network analysis and cyber forensics, leading coordinators of disinformation campaigns are identified. The talk also will highlight tactics, techniques, and procedures used by groups to propagate disinformation. Prominent cases of massive disinformation campaigns in the Baltic region and NATO’s military exercises will be discussed.

All lectures are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Ross Owyoung, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown director, at 870-501-2700 or rlowyoung@ualr.edu.

More information is available online.

Photos by Benjamin Krain

��Vlog��ý Little Rock researchers study impact of faith-based community engagement in Little Rock

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 18:27:21 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is researching how places of worship in Little Rock work with nonprofit organizations to promote community engagement and provide social services to vulnerable populations. The Little Rock Congregations Study is part of an ongoing research project led by Dr. Rebecca Glazier, professor in the School of Public Affairs, stemming from research begun in 2012 to study the effects of religious organizations on community engagement in Little Rock. The interdisciplinary project brought together 59 student researchers from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock who gained invaluable research experience. More than 110 clergy members from congregations across Little Rock completed the survey, while 24 clergy were interviewed. Additionally, students wrote. Undergraduate students in Glazier’s Survey Research Methods class assisted in developing the survey and distributing it to clergy members. They also wrote stories highlighting the good work done through partnerships between places of worship and nonprofit organizations. Members of Dr. Kirk Leach’s graduate Nonprofit Management class and Dr. Gerald Driskill’s undergraduate Intercultural Communication class conducted in-depth interviews with clergy members. “Sometimes, the university can feel pretty distant from the rest of the city,” Glazier said. “The Little Rock Congregations Study gets students out of the classroom and into the community to do research that really matters. We are working hard to share findings that clergy members, congregants, and the broader Little Rock community will find valuable.”

Dr. Rebecca Glazier stands with Little Rock Congregations Study student researchers Anet Rosas-Labrada, Anna Aguilar, Rhodes Houser, Nikki Partlow-Loyall, and Josie Keathley.

The researchers have found that marriage and relationship counseling is the most common service provided by congregations, with 61 percent of responding congregations providing these services, followed by 47 percent of congregations in the study providing a food bank. Partnerships between congregations and nonprofit organizations are a common occurrence. More than 50 percent of congregations with food banks have a partner to help provide that service. Meanwhile, 60 percent of congregations who provide medical screenings or other services have a partner, likely because these types of services are more resource intensive. The most common reason for a partnership between a congregation and a nonprofit is a desire to connect with the community. “Partnerships aren’t happening out of a need for resources, as we might expect, but are more often motivated by the desire of a congregation to get beyond their own members and connect with the broader community in Little Rock,” Glazier said. Three of the student researchers, all political science majors, are taking the project a step further. They have received Signature Experience Awards from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to conduct individual research projects with the help of faculty mentors. Jordan Wallis, a Marine Corps veteran, received a grant to look specifically at veterans’ services provided by congregations and nonprofits in Little Rock. “I am excited to be able to do empirical, community-based research that will further my education and allow me to do a little bit to help fellow veterans in need,” Wallis said. Next, Paige Topping received a grant to study community outreach efforts to share the results of the Little Rock Congregations Study. “I am thankful for the opportunity to not only research issues that are important to my community, but to also connect on a local level and create long-lasting relationships and positive impacts,” Topping said. The third student, Madison Rodgers, received an honorary award to look at longitudinal data from the Little Rock Congregations Study and track community engagement over time. Updates on the continuing research can be found on the or. In the spring 2019 semester, the group will survey people who work at nonprofit organizations in Little Rock to get their perspectives on collaborating with congregations. Additionally, the researchers have received a $1,000 grant from the Arkansas Community Foundation to host a workshop in the spring 2019 semester to share the latest research findings with clergy members. They will also build a clergy advisory board to help prepare for the 2020 Little Rock Congregations Study. In the upper right photo, Dr. Rebecca Glazier (left) discusses the Little Rock Congregations Study with student researchers Anna Aguilar, Nicole Ursin, and Rhodes Houser.

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����Vlog��ý Little Rock researchers study impact of faith-based community engagement in Little Rock