/news-archive/tag/kristin-dutcher-mann/ 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Wed, 19 May 2021 14:26:56 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /news-archive/2021/05/19/moira-maguire-student-support-fund/ Wed, 19 May 2021 14:26:56 +0000 /news/?p=79082 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Receives $40,000 Donation to Create Dr. Moira Maguire Student Support Fund for History Students]]> The Dr. Moira Maguire Student Support Fund will help students in the Department of History in times of need. The fund, a quasi-endowment, will help students with housing, car repairs, utilities, food insecurity, and other expenses.聽聽 Patricia Merry, of Rhode Island, made the donation in honor of her daughter, who was always looking for ways to help students. 鈥淢oira was the most caring person I ever knew,鈥� Merry said. 鈥淎fter enjoying her time at 糖心Vlog传媒LR, she moved back to Massachusetts to be closer to family. Moira also gave generously of her time. She helped with the Feed the Hungry program in Little Rock and was a tireless worker for FuRR, Feline Rescue and Rehome. This past year Moira organized a campaign to distribute backpacks loaded with school supplies to students in need.鈥� Maguire was born in Boston and went to high school in Reading, Massachusetts. In 1982, the family moved to Little Rock when her parents received job offers to build Channel 16. Maguire graduated from Mount St. Mary Academy. She earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree from George Washington University, a master鈥檚 degree from Northeastern University, and a Ph.D. in history from American University. After spending six years conducting research for her dissertation in Ireland, Maguire taught in the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Department of History from 2000 to 2015. She also served as dean of liberal arts at Schenectady County Community College and dean of social sciences for Holyoke Community College. She is remembered by the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Department of History as a tireless and fierce advocate for students.聽 鈥淭he fund’s unique purpose couldn’t be more fitting for its namesake,鈥� said Dr. Jess Porter, chair of the Department of History. 鈥淒r. Maguire had a heart of gold and was a true servant to her students and her community. She worked so hard for her students in the classroom, but also as an advisor. I know there are many, many history graduates out there that benefited from her time and attention. Our students face so many challenges and it seems like this has become even more acute during the past two years. To be able to draw upon this fund in a student’s time of need is something that Moira would cherish.鈥� Dr. Kristin Dutcher Mann, a professor of history and friend of Maguire鈥檚, recalls how she would often hear Maguire on the phone helping students find temporary housing, ensuring they had groceries, and helping secure scholarships. 鈥淢oira took time to research the specific circumstances of each student’s journey to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and to ask questions that would help determine the most advantageous paths for them to follow to complete their degrees,鈥� Dutcher-Mann said. 鈥淎s a first-generation college student, she understood the challenges that many of our students often face. Throughout it all, she aimed to cultivate skills of organization, self-reliance, critical thinking, and writing in her students so that they would be prepared to manage whatever challenges came their way after college. I can think of no more fitting way to honor her than to establish this fund in her honor.鈥� Providing students with financial support helps increase student retention, since financial difficulties are a common barrier for students to remain in college. 鈥淪tudents can face many large and small barriers to completing their educational goals,鈥� said Heather Reed, director of student retention initiatives. 鈥淢aking funds available for students can help meet needs such as car repairs, food, and housing expenses. Donations such as the Moira Maguire Student Support Fund can be a life saver for students. A sum of $2,500 from the donation will be used to help students beginning in the fall semester. History students who would like to apply for assistance from the fund in the fall may contact Chair Jess Porter or a history department faculty member.聽 Maguire passed away Nov. 3, 2020, from a blood clot. She was 55 years old. Memorial services for Maguire will be held on June 4 in Easthampton, Massachusetts, and June 5 in Green Harbor, Massachusetts. In the upper right photo, Dr. Moira Maguire celebrates the launch of her book in Ireland in 2010.]]> /news-archive/2020/07/22/computer-donation/ Wed, 22 Jul 2020 12:41:32 +0000 /news/?p=77245 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock community comes together to provide computers for families in need]]> Many families have felt the strain of teaching their children at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, but can you imagine trying to homeschool your children without a computer?聽 One single mother in Little Rock facing that problem reached out to Mamas Unidas LR, a nonprofit organization that empowers Hispanic parents to help their kids succeed in school and go to college. Since the pandemic began, Mamas Unidas LR has worked to meet the basic needs of the Hispanic community in southwest Little Rock by distributing hundreds of lunches and food boxes for families. 鈥淪ome of those families shared with us their need for a computer so that the kids could do homework,鈥� said Sandra Carmona Jobe, program coordinator at TRIO Programs at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and a volunteer with Mamas Unidas LR. 鈥淚 reached out to the Trojan community to see if anyone might have a solution.鈥澛犅� The inquiry brought a wide range of responses from faculty, staff, and students at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Some offered computers, tablets, and donations, while many just wanted to know how they could be of help to a family in need. One of the respondents, Kristin Dutcher Mann, a professor of history, donated her family鈥檚 old iMac to the cause. Although Mann鈥檚 family occasionally used it to surf the web and play music, she thought the computer would be of more use to the new family. 鈥淚 saw Sandra鈥檚 notice on the classifieds list, and we thought the computer would be helpful for this family,鈥� Mann said. 鈥淲e have sons at home who have been doing online coursework, and I can鈥檛 imagine trying to finish up school without a computer. We鈥檙e glad it has a new home.鈥� More than one family in need will receive a computer, since Carmona Jobe also received a second computer donation from the university鈥檚 student chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). 鈥淭he ACM Student Chapter of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock was grateful for the opportunity to assist an area family in this time of recommended isolation by donating a computer,鈥� ACM Vice President Gaige Ehrenworth said. 鈥淲e are acutely aware of how important digital resources are in this time of social distancing and working from home.鈥� ACM President Denver Ellis said that the organization has been working on ways to become more involved in serving the community over the past year, and donating a computer was a great way to do that. 鈥淢ore than ever, education is going to be delivered virtually and the chapter was happy to assist one family to stay engaged,鈥� Ellis said. 鈥淚t is part of the mission of the ACM Student Chapter to promote technical excellence and to do so throughout the communities we serve. We only wish we had the resources to meet more of our community’s needs for computing resources.鈥� The single mother who made the original request for a computer was thankful for the gift.聽 “My family and I are very thankful to the person that donated the computer, because it has become very useful and essential to my kids’ ability to do their homework during this pandemic,鈥� she said.聽 Carmona Jobe said that both families who received the computers are grateful for the help and the ability to provide a better at-home education for their children. 鈥淭he 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock community has never failed me when I need help for the community,鈥� Carmona Jobe said. 鈥淚 had individuals posting the information on other pages and reaching out to friends to help a stranger. I wanted to especially thank Mrs. Kristin Dutcher Mann and the Association for Computing Machinery for each donating a computer. We were able to assist two families with a computer, and they were very thankful for that.鈥� Mamas Unidas also started an advocacy program, Unidos Se Puede, where college students are volunteering with families in the community and serving as advocates, tutors, and translators for the families. ]]> /news-archive/2018/10/19/dia-de-los-muertos/ Fri, 19 Oct 2018 20:48:09 +0000 /news/?p=72399 ... D铆a de los Muertos Altar Exhibit opens at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock]]> A new exhibit in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock鈥檚 Ann Maners and Alex Pappas Gallery in the Fine Arts Building invites visitors to explore the widely celebrated D铆a de los Muertos holiday – or Day of the Dead. The exhibit – a partnership between 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and the Consulate of Mexico – opened Friday, Oct. 19, and will remain open through Nov. 16. It can be viewed during normal gallery hours, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The exhibit is free and open to the public. The exhibition鈥檚 altar was designed and created by educator and artist Patricia Quilant谩n, the wife of Mexican Consul Rodolfo Quilant谩n Arenas, and Consulate staff. At a private reception on Thursday, Oct. 18, Mrs. Quilant谩n explained the roots of the celebration and symbolism of some of the objects that adorn the multi-level altar. Candles and brightly colored flowers illuminate the way for the spirits of the deceased to find their way back to their families. Crepe paper chains made with alternating purple and orange links represent the circle of life and death. Purple represents mourning associated with death, and orange represents the vibrancy of life. Offerings, such as bread and tamales, are placed on altars to entice deceased loved ones to come back for a visit. The altar is placed against an arch, representing passage between life and death. Hanging from the gallery鈥檚 ceiling are dozens of decorative monarch butterflies, known for their two-way migratory pattern in North America. Mrs. Quilant谩n dedicated the altar to migrants worldwide. 鈥淲e are all migrants,鈥� she said. Day of the Dead is celebrated in Mexico on Nov. 1-2. Though the holiday originated in Mexico, it is celebrated in Latin America and the United States with colorful calaveras (skulls) and calacas (skeletons). Although the festival coincides with Halloween, the two events are very different. While Halloween inspires horror and mischief, Day of the Dead is a demonstration of love and respect for deceased family members. The celebration was named by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Junior and senior history students in Dr. Kristin Dutcher Mann鈥檚 Historian鈥檚 Craft class (History 4309) researched and wrote text panels for the exhibit as part of their coursework. They met with Mrs. Quilant谩n, assistant gallery director Nathan Larson, and College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences Associate Dean Dr. Johanna Miller Lewis to learn about exhibit design and construction. The goal of the coursework was to learn how historians sort through compelling narratives, perspectives, and evidence to craft arguments and explanations. The text panels display information about the holiday, the ofrenda, and its components, the significance of skeletons and skulls, and the work of the Mexican Consulate. Educator and artist Patricia Quilant谩n and her husband, Mexican Consul Rodolfo Quilant谩n Arenas,聽speak during an opening reception for the聽D铆a de los Muertos Altar Exhibit. Photos by Benjamin Krain  ]]> /news-archive/2018/10/16/altar-exhibit/ Tue, 16 Oct 2018 08:00:02 +0000 /news/?p=72334 ... D铆a de los Muertos Altar Exhibit to open Oct. 18 at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock]]> A new exhibit celebrating the Day of the Dead (known as D铆a de los Muertos in Spanish) opens this week in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock鈥檚 Ann Maners and Alex Pappas Gallery in the Fine Arts Building. The exhibit – a partnership between the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the – opens Thursday, Oct. 18, with a private reception at 5 p.m. The exhibit will remain open through Nov. 16 and can be viewed during normal gallery hours, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The exhibit is free and open to the public. The university has invited middle and high school social studies, Spanish and art students, as well as 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock classes, to visit the exhibit to learn more about the cultural traditions surrounding the holiday, which was named by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The exhibition鈥檚 altar was designed and created by educator and artist Patricia Quilant谩n, the wife of Mexican Consul Rodolfo Quilant谩n Arenas, and Consulate staff. Day of the Dead is celebrated in Mexico between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2. Though the holiday originated in Mexico, it is celebrated in Latin America and the United States with colorful calaveras (skulls) and calacas (skeletons). Although the festival coincides with Halloween, the two events are very different. While Halloween inspires horror and mischief, Day of the Dead is a demonstration of love and respect for deceased family members. Junior and senior history students in Dr. Kristin Dutcher Mann鈥檚 Historian鈥檚 Craft class (History 4309) researched and wrote text panels for the exhibit as part of their coursework. They met with Mrs. Quilant谩n, Assistant Gallery Director Nathan Larson, and College of Arts, Letters and Sciences Associate Dean Dr. Johanna Miller Lewis to learn about exhibit design and construction. The goal of the coursework was to learn how historians sort through compelling narratives, perspectives, and evidence to craft arguments and explanations. The text panels will display information about the holiday, the ofrenda (altar) and its components, the significance of skeletons and skulls, and the work of the Mexican Consulate. History majors Aaron Whitt and Austin Massa, along with political science major Ben Bowers, researched and wrote a panel about the role of the Mexican Consulate. They worked to distill their research into 100-200 words. 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely been a great exercise in making ourselves be concise,鈥� Whitt said. 鈥淚 think we accomplished that. It鈥檚 all pertinent information.鈥� 鈥淭he students in this class learn to read, research, and write specifically for history, so we鈥檙e getting a great, practical learning experience in how to interpret an exhibit for the public,鈥� Mann said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to be a part of the ongoing collaborations between the Mexican Consulate and 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock.鈥�  ]]> /news-archive/2017/11/22/mann-franciscan-bells/ Wed, 22 Nov 2017 15:17:50 +0000 /news/?p=68624 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock professor explores role of Franciscan bells in history of New Spain]]> Since visiting 18th-century Franciscan missions in Texas as a child, Kristin Dutcher Mann, professor of history at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has been fascinated by the role of sound and music in the history of New Spain.聽 New Spain was a colonial territory of the Spanish Empire in the Americas that was made up of Mexico, Central America, the Southwestern and Central United States, Spanish Florida, and several island nations. Mann presented her research, 鈥�Bells as Markers of Time and Space in the Missions of Northern New Spain,鈥� during the held Oct. 12-15 in Washington, D.C. The conference explored 500 years of Franciscan presence in Mexico and featured specialists on colonial Mexico, both Mexican and American, who study the influence of the Catholic church as an institution and its role in the colonization of the Americas. Mann鈥檚 research explored how bells were used as part of the Franciscan missionary evangelization efforts in the northern part of New Spain, which consists of the northern part of Mexico, the southwestern United States, and Florida. Her paper explored how bells conveyed information about religious accommodation, economic connections between the empire and frontier areas, conflicts within and between groups, and outward forms of Catholicism and interior spirituality and devotion. 鈥淏ells profoundly changed the soundscape in the borderlands region I study, and they structured time, space, religious and political interactions, as well as interior religious devotion,鈥� Mann said. 鈥淭his research is significant in that it helps us to better understand cultural and political change and the role of sound in shaping history.鈥� The paper is a chapter of an upcoming book Mann is writing that will be published by the Academy of American Franciscan History. Mann joined the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Department of History in 2002. She is also coordinator of Social Studies Education and co-director of the Academy of Teaching and Learning Excellence. She holds a Ph.D. in History from Northern Arizona University, where she wrote her dissertation on the power of song in the missions of Northern New Spain. Her book, 鈥�,鈥� was published by Stanford University Press in 2010.]]>