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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Grad School Night at Dec. 12 Basketball Game

John Hill — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 20:22:53 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Graduate School will host an event for graduate students and prospective graduate students during the men’s basketball game on Monday, Dec. 12. It will be an exciting night as the Trojans battle Little Rock rival Philander Smith University beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Jack Stephens Center. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate students will be honored throughout the night. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Graduate School will be on hand with information on the university’s more than 55 graduate programs for prospective students. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s graduate programs from certificates to doctoral programs are designed to help students advance through exceptional internships and research opportunities. Prospective graduate students will also be able to apply for free and will receive information on the Get Your Feet Wet Scholarship, which is designed to support new graduate students who have not been awarded graduate assistantships by paying tuition for one three-credit-hour course during their first semester of graduate school. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students have free admission to the game, while discounted tickets for family members of graduate students and prospective graduate students, including Philander Smith students, will be available for just $2. Tickets for free concessions will also be available. Discounted tickets can be using code “GRADSCHOOL.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Honor Dora Jane and Greg Flesher in 2022 SpectacuaLR

John Hill — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 13:44:02 +0000

Little Rock Athletics is proud to announce that Dora Jane and Greg Flesher will serve as the honorees for the 14th Annual SpectacuaLR event benefitting Trojan Athletics. The annual gala and fundraiser is set for Thursday, Oct. 27, at the Jack Stephens Center. “Both Dora Jane and Greg Flesher have been long-time friends and supporters of Little Rock Athletics, as well as our university,” said Director of Athletics George Lee. “They are well known in the Little Rock community as a family that is always committing time and energy to the betterment of our community, and that includes being supporters of Trojan Athletics for several decades. I am excited we get to honor these two wonderful friends of Little Rock Athletics at this year’s SpectacuaLR.” Ever since providing housing for former assistant tennis coach Peter Svenson back in 1986, the Fleshers have been generous in the giving of their time and resources to supporting Little Rock Athletics. They have been season ticket holders since basketball games were played at the old Trojan Fieldhouse and attending as many games as possible at the former ALLTEL Arena (now Simmons Bank Arena) and the Jack Stephens Center. Their support of the university extends campus wide as both Dora Jane and Greg have served on the university’s Foundation Fund Board. “Dora Jane and I are both so honored and so excited to be asked to be this year’s SpectacuaLR honorees,” Greg Flesher said. “We are always so proud of the achievements of all of our Trojan student-athletes. To be recognized like this is a wonderful honor, and we are so thankful for the recognition from Little Rock Athletics.” A certified public accounting and assurance services member, Greg Flesher is in his 45th year at Frost PLLC, a certified public accounting firm that has an office in Little Rock and Fayetteville as well as in four other states. He has been active in supporting groups around the Capital City as he is the current president of the George W. Donaghey Foundation and is past president of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, the Arkansas Repertory Theater, and the Downtown Rotary Club 99 of Little Rock. Frost PLLC is where Greg met his future wife Dora Jane as she began working there a year after Greg started. She would go on to work at BKD and Jacuzzi Brothers before starting her own accounting firm, then went on to volunteer as the chief financial officer at Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids (PARK). The couple is also active in their church, and Dora Jane serves as co-chair of their church’s sponsorship of an Afghan refugee family of 10 relocating to Little Rock. Dora Jane also has served on boards with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Foundation (serving as a past president), PARK Foundation, and the Single Parent Scholarship Fund. Dora Jane Flesher graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting while Greg Flesher is an alumnus of Hendrix College with a Bachelor of Arts in business with an emphasis in accounting. The couple has three children, all married, with two grandchildren and a third expected in November. Over the past 13 years, SpectacuaLR has brought in nearly $3 million since its inaugural event in 2009. These generous donations are used to help fund the 15 Trojan athletic programs, annually benefitting over 270 student-athletes who represent Little Rock Athletics and Little Rock’s Team. To reserve a table or order your tickets for SpectacuaLR 2022, or for more information on how to become a sponsor, please contact Tyson Baldwin, Little Rock’s associate athletic director for external operations, at 501-350-4653 or twbaldwin@ualr.edu.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Hosts 2022 Summer Camps

John Hill — Mon, 16 May 2022 20:09:00 +0000

With the summer fast approaching, families are on the lookout for fun, engaging, and educational summer programming that will keep kids and young adults on their toes. Look no further than the University of Arkansas at Little Rock! ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is hosting a variety of summer camps in writing, music, virtual reality, athletics, as well as the ever popular Summer Laureate University for Youth (SLUFY) for gifted and talented students. Check out our comprehensive list of summer camps below to find the right fit for your family! Emerging Writers Institute Dates: June 6-10, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Grades 6-8 Dates: June 6-10, 1:30-5 p.m. Grades: High School Dates: June 27 to July 1, 8 a.m. to noon. Grades 3-5 Cost: $150 Contact: Greg Graham, gxgraham@ualr.edu ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Summer Concert and Jazz Band Concert Band Rehearsals: May 31, June 2, June 7, and June 9 from 6-8 p.m. Jazz Band Rehearsals: June 1, 3, 6, and 8 from 6-8 p.m. Final Performance: June 10 The free summer bands are open to all high school students and community members. Contact Dr. Ken Goff for more information at kggoff@ualr.edu. Summer Laureate University for Youth (SLUFY) Dates: July 11-22 Time: 12:30-5:30 p.m. Monday – Friday Cost: $325 Contact: 501-569-3410 or giftedcenter@ualr.edu Dates: Aug. 1-5, 12-5 p.m. Grades: 7-12 Cost: $125 for camp or $450 for camp and purchase of Oculus Quest 2

Middle school students participate in a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Virtual Reality Summer Camp at the Emerging Analytics Center in 2021. Photo by Ben Krain.

Trojan Athletics summer camps

Camp 1: June 13-16, Noon-4:30 p.m., Ages: 8-18, $220 Camp 2: July 25-26, Noon-4:30 p.m., Ages 8-18, $120 Mini Camp: June 6-8, Grades 1-4, 9:30-11:30 a.m., $70 Individual Camp: June 6-8, Grades 5-12, 12:30-5:30 p.m., $90 Advanced Skills Camp: June 18, 12:30-5:30 p.m., Grades 9-12, $50 Team Camp: June 9-10, Grades 9-12, $180 for 1 day, $360 for 2 days Team Camp: July 27-28, Grades 9-12, $180 for 1 day, $360 for 2 days Hitter/Setter Camp: June 20-21, Grades: 8-12. $70 Serve/Serve Receive Camp: June 22-23, Grades: 8-12. $70 Defensive Specialist Camp: June 24, Grades 8-12. $70 Individual Camp: July 5-8, Grades: 4-12. $175 Junior High Team Camp: July 18-19 Senior High Team Camp: Aug. 1-2 Contact Coach Van Compton at 501-607-2056 for team camp registration questions. June 12-16, Grades: 7-12. Camp costs $275 for commuters and $375 for those who stay on campus.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Wrestling Coach Erisman Helps Save Life of Choking Child

John Hill — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 12:50:27 +0000

April 3 started out as a typical Sunday for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Wrestling , but the day would end with what Erisman describes as a miracle. While driving his sons and their friend to New Life Church Greater Little Rock in North Little Rock, Erisman noticed a woman parked in front of a bank in Maumelle struggling to help a young girl. Erisman immediately turned his car around to help. “I had three little boys with me, and I told them to close their eyes because I didn’t know what I was getting into,” Erisman said. “I came around their van and saw a young girl who appeared to be conscious, and her mother was talking to 911, exhausted and crying.” Rachel Brewer had bought her daughter, Ava, some donut holes. While going through Zips Car Wash, Rachel noticed her daughter was gagging and choking. Rachel got Ava out of the car to help her, but Ava passed out. While Rachel spoke to 911, Erisman arrived and began the Heimlich maneuver. “At this point, I was by myself with a woman who was trying to save her daughter and what felt like a lifeless body,” Erisman said. “Then I saw a lady I knew pull out of the car wash. Her son plays soccer with my son, and she just so happened to have previously been a CPR instructor at Baptist Health.” The arrival of Catie Tugwell on scene seemed like a Godsend to Erisman, who worried that Ava wasn’t responding to the Heimlich maneuver. “It didn’t look good. We didn’t know if she would make it at that point,” Erisman said. “When Catie got there, things changed. We started doing CPR, and we saw the life come back to her face. There was a while that we didn’t think that was going to happen.” Shortly after Ava started responding, the Maumelle Fire Department and an ambulance arrived. First responders took over Ava’s care, and she was taken to the hospital. Thankfully, Ava recovered and was released from the hospital that evening. “It’s probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Erisman said. “I was exhausted. It was probably only 8-10 minutes, but it was like I had wrestled the national tournament eight times over in one day. I was grateful that God gave me the whereabouts to see it and the courage to follow through.” Rachel Brewer shared her story with THV11, who honored Erisman and Tugwell as . “I love that these amazing people were honored and recognized last night! Thank you, Lord, for orchestrating them being there when we needed them,” Rachel Brewer posted on Facebook. Once the ambulance took Ava to the hospital, Erisman texted his wife, Kelli, who he was sure must be worried that the family hadn’t made it to church. In another twist, it turns out that the Brewers and Erismans go to the same church. Looking back on the day, Erisman is certain that God had a hand in saving Ava’s life. “I’m very punctual when it comes to going to church, and I was okay with being late to church for the first time ever,” Erisman said. “I think God’s timing allowed me to be in that position. I don’t really want any of the credit. All I did was act on God’s prompting. I remember praying in the middle of it. What are the odds that I would be there? What are the odds that someone who has taught CPR shows up at the right moment? It’s a miracle for Ava to be okay after being without oxygen for that long.”

Celebrate Homecoming Week Feb. 6-12

John Hill — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 20:32:39 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will celebrate Homecoming 2022 with a variety of on-campus activities Feb. 6-12. Homecoming Week kicks off with a wrestling match vs. Arizona State at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 6, in the Jack Stephens Center. Military and first responders will be recognized, and the loudest student organization will take home a $100 prize. Homecoming Week continues with Maroon Monday, where you can meet members of the Homecoming Court from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Chi Omega Courtyard. Next, All ��Vlog��ý Little Rock departments are encouraged to show their Trojan spirit by decorating their offices in maroon and silver for the Trojan Office Door Contest. Winners will be announced on Friday, Feb. 11. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock community will give back with a day of service and canned food drive for the Trojan Food Pantry from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8, at Cooper Fountain, followed by a movie night featuring “Love and Basketball” at 6 p.m in Donaghey Student Center Ledbetter Hall. Homecoming Week continues with Hoop Night from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9, in the Donaghey Student Center Fitness Center, followed by Karaoke Night from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10 in the Donaghey Student Center Ledbetter Hall. On Friday, Feb. 11, the hilarious Cardboard Boat Regatta will begin at 1 p.m. in the Donaghey Student Center Aquatic Center. This event will consist of students sailing in their handmade cardboard boats, hoping to stay afloat for as long as possible before their ships inevitably sink. Homecoming Day will kick off with tailgating at 10 a.m. on Campus Drive outside of the Fine Arts Building, followed by the Little Rock Women’s Basketball Team battling Arkansas State at 2 p.m. in the Jack Stephens Center. All senior players will be honored during the halftime presentation. Visit the Homecoming 2022 website for more information and a full list of events.

SpectacuaLR Raises More than $433,000 for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Student-Athletes in Record-Setting Night

John Hill — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 16:25:10 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock raised more than $433,000 to support the university’s over 270 Trojan student-athletes during a record-setting night for on Oct. 7. The 13th annual SpectacuaLR event honored Cindy and Warren Simpson, long-time supporters of Trojan Athletics and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Warren Simpson currently serves on the Trojan Athletic Council, the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Board of Visitors, and is a past president of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Foundation Board. “We are so grateful and appreciative of everything Cindy and Warren have done for our department and their support of our Little Rock student-athletes,” said Director of Athletics George Lee. “It’s only fitting that with everything they’ve done that this year’s event set the record for money raised. It certainly would not have possible without their continued help and support.” This year, The Massey Family Charitable Foundation, Harriet A. and Warren C. Stephens, Dillard’s, and Becky and Gus Blass served as presenting sponsors for the event, which brought in more than 600 attendees that had the opportunity to meet and talk with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student-athletes for whom these funds will directly benefit. This year’s event also featured a casino theme, with Fisher Court transforming into a SpectacuaLR casino with attendees able to redeem their chips for raffle tickets. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock serves as a strong economic engine for our local economy and what is best for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and Little Rock Athletics is best for our city,” Warren Simpson said. Over the past 13 years, SpectacuaLR has raised nearly $3 million since its inaugural event in 2009. Those generous donations are used to help fund the 15 Trojan athletic programs, benefiting more than 270 student-athletes that represent Little Rock’s Team.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Announces Partnership with NOCAP Sports

John Hill — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 15:55:25 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Athletics has announced that Trojan student-athletes are now able to start maximizing on name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities through the NOCAP Sports athlete marketing platform. NOCAP Sports offers ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student-athletes a portal to major brands and companies eagerly looking to sign up collegiate influencers at no cost to the athlete. Both athletes and local brands interested in influencer marketing opportunities can sign up at . “This is an exciting time for all in college athletics, and we want to ensure that Little Rock student-athletes are able to capitalize in the most effective way possible,” said Director of Athletics George Lee. “Our partnership with NOCAP will enable our student-athletes to maximize their name, image, and likeness opportunities, while also gaining the best branding and financial literacy education.” NOCAP’s platform automates the monitoring of NCAA and university compliance rules to proactively protect every student-athletes’ eligibility and eliminate the compliance and documentation burden for all parties involved. Student-athletes that sign up will receive exclusive access to some of the most lucrative brands and deal opportunities in the industry and access to NOCAP’s education partners to teach every athlete financial literacy, social media best practices, branding, and entrepreneurship. Most recently, NOCAP ushered in the in this new NIL era.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Receives NCAA AASP $100,000 Grant for Greg and Marilyn Brown Academic Center

John Hill — Thu, 22 Jul 2021 14:37:56 +0000

The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is one of 13 schools nationally selected to receive a NCAA Accelerating Academic Success Program (AASP) single-year initiative grant for the 2021-22 academic year. The Little Rock Athletics department has been awarded $100,000 to assist with the program’s initiative to enhance the Greg and Marilyn Brown Academic Center. The funds will be used to renovate the center as well as provide technological and software enhancements for Trojan student-athletes, including more workstations and updated computers. Additionally, the department will add a graduate assistant position to assist in creating programming aimed at providing support for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student-athletes to become better prepared for life after graduation. “We’re pleased to be able to receive this grant from the NCAA to be able to further support our Trojan student-athletes,” said Director of Athletics George Lee. “We remain committed to enhancing the student-athlete experience, which includes success in the classroom. This grant from the NCAA will help add more resources for our student-athletes to continue to excel.” The AASP grant will further assist in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s commitment to ensure student-athletes succeed in the classroom as well as in competition. The Trojans continue to add to a tradition of excellence academically, coming off a spring semester in which the department boasted a 3.17 GPA with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student-athletes holding a combined GPA of 3.31. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has extended its streak of semesters above a 3.0 department GPA to 18-straight as an impressive 71 percent of the Trojans’ 248 student-athletes finished the spring 2021 semester with a 3.0 GPA or higher.

Webb is Finding The Joy in Running Again Through Marathons

John Hill — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 13:47:19 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Assistant Track and Cross Country Coach is most famously known for setting the American record in the mile, but now the former Olympian is taking on a new challenge in life and is running with it – literally. This summer, Webb competed in his first half-marathon and full marathon races. The 38-year-old coach said he was excited to take on a new challenge in his running career, all while staying in shape and setting a good example for his family and student-athletes. “I’ve been involved with middle and distance running my whole adult life, but I’ve never run a marathon,” Webb said. “I think it will help me be a better coach. I wanted to give myself some accountability with my own fitness. I think it’s hopeful to give myself a checkpoint and remind myself that the measure of success is seeing yourself get better. I try to teach that to our athletes. That’s what makes it fun. I can’t compete at the same level as I did at the mile distance, but this is a fun way to get physically fit. I didn’t want to abandon those gifts that I’ve been blessed with. I’m trying to be a good example to my family and athletes here at Little Rock.” Webb ran his first half-marathon in May at the Great American River Run in Memphis, Tennessee. He did well for his first time, finishing fourth with a time of 1 hour, 13 minutes, and 14 seconds. After his success in the half-marathon, Webb was ready for his next challenge, his first full marathon. Since the track season had just finished at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, the timing seemed perfect. Webb and his wife Julia discussed which road race he should compete in, and Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota, kept coming up. Sadly, by the time he decided to enter, registration for Grandma’s Marathon had already passed, but several friends in the running community helped Webb, including Amby Burfoot, a former executive editor of Runner’s World magazine. “I was fortunate and blessed enough to have some people help me get into the race,” Webb said. I want to thank Amby Burfoot and Sarah Culver and all the people at Grandma’s for helping me.” While Webb was thrilled to compete in Grandma’s Marathon, he said the experience was very different from the half-marathon. “I’ve heard the cliché before that it’s so different than the half. It’s so true,” Webb said. “I’d say I’m a guy who likes to learn by doing. I got what I asked for, which was to get out there and learn by doing. It’s very difficult once you get past the half-marathon point. That’s long enough as it is, and to do it twice is crazy. There was a bunch of walking in there, and I slowed down quite significantly at the end.” Webb finished Grandma’s Marathon in two hours and 48 minutes. It was about 20 minutes past his goal, but Webb had a great time at the event. “It was an overall great experience,” Webb said. “Duluth is beautiful and I got to enjoy that. The event itself was very well done. Speaking of grandmas, my oldest daughter came with me to watch the race and her grandma Mary and her aunt Molly came to watch. We had Joanie’s grandma watching me run at Grandma’s Marathon. Joanie got to stay and visit with her grandmother for a week, but I had to bounce out right after the race to get back home and help with our new daughter, who was just a month old at the time.” Webb is a busy man. He is a full-time college coach and the father to four daughters, including the newest arrival to his family, two-month-old baby Bridget. Finding the time to exercise can be a challenge, but Webb had made it a priority in his life. “I do the best I can, just like anybody who has a full-time job that wants to have a commitment to stay fit,” Webb said. “Both Julia and I support each other in fitness, and we make sure that stays a priority for us. I get up for early morning runs and find the time to do it. I can’t run as much as a professional runner would run. I have other things that keep me in shape. Physical fitness should be on the list of things you should be prioritizing, and this is a fun way to incorporate it into my life. We do team trainings with the student-athletes.” With the new school year starting next month, Webb says most of his time will soon be devoted to practices and workouts with his student-athletes and getting ready for the fall cross country and track seasons. December is the next time he expects to compete in a marathon, but he already has a goal in mind. “My goal for the first marathon was to beat two hours and 30 minutes,” he said. “It was a little ambitious for the first one, but I’d love to run under two hours and 30 minutes in my next marathon. I always want to improve and get better. A lot of this started with me just jumping into workouts with our student-athletes. I wanted to be fitter and get myself back in shape to be healthy. That’s how it started, just getting back to the joy of running.”

Little Rock Athletic Communications Receives National Recognition

John Hill — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 14:03:58 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Athletic Communications department received national recognition by the College Sports Information Directors of America in its 2020-21 CoSIDA Publications and Digital Design Contest. Little Rock Athletics was recognized as the Trojans’ women’s basketball game notes were ranked fifth in the nation among all winter sports, a category that includes men’s basketball, women’s basketball, wrestling, swimming and diving, and ice hockey. The Trojans were the only school from the state of Arkansas to be recognized in the awards announcement. This is believed to be Little Rock’s first-ever CoSIDA Publications and Design Contest award. Game Notes are publications designed to provide the most up-to-date information, records, and statistics to members of the media for every game. They are often used by television and radio broadcasters to enhance broadcasts and by journalists to supplement stories. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s game notes submission was from the Feb. 12-13 games against Arkansas State, a weekend series the Trojans swept over the rival Red Wolves. Patrick Walsh, responsible for the design and content of Little Rock’s women’s basketball game notes, is the associate director of communications for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and is the primary contact for women’s basketball, volleyball, cross country, and track and field. Walsh was honored by CoSIDA last year with the Bob Kenworthy Community Service Award, an honor presented annually to a CoSIDA member for civic involvement, community service and accomplishments within and/or outside of the sports information profession. Walsh, a 15-year veteran in the profession, just completed his second year in Little Rock. This marks Walsh’s sixth national publications award from CoSIDA.

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

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Grad School Night at Dec. 12 Basketball Game

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to Honor Dora Jane and Greg Flesher in 2022 SpectacuaLR

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Hosts 2022 Summer Camps