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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown joins 2nd Friday Art Night line-up

Janea Snyder — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 15:03:02 +0000

Art patrons will now have one more option for their monthly art walks through Little Rock’s River Market District and Creative Corridor. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown will be participating in 2nd Friday Art Night for the first time, beginning April 12. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown, at 333 President Clinton Ave., will host a dance pop-up event showcasing the partnership between with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Theater Arts and Dance and . Performances will begin outside, weather permitting, and move indoors. Afterward, visitors can see Joe Jones’ 1935 historic mural, “The Struggle in the South,” which is housed at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown. “We are looking forward to being a part of this vibrant initiative,” said Ross Owyoung, director of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown. “The 2nd Friday Art Night brings together a diverse group of individuals who share a common passion for the arts, and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown can showcase how the arts influence education and how education influences the arts.” The takes place in downtown Little Rock on the second Friday of every month from 5-8 p.m. Regular hosts include Historic Arkansas Museum, Old State House Museum, Central Arkansas Library System’s Butler Center and Cox Creative Center, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Bella Vita Jewelry, Matt McLeod Fine Art Gallery, Nexus Coffee and Creative, Gallery 221, and Mariposa Studio.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock offers workshops for lifelong learning

Janea Snyder — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 21:27:38 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Extended Education program is offering a series of how-to workshops led by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty and staff. This spring’s schedule includes two writing and communication workshops and one technology session. Workshops will be held at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown, 333 President Clinton Ave. The workshops are taught by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty and staff and are open to the public. is available at ualr.edu/extended. For more information, contact Christine Cotton, director of Extended Education, cecotton@ualr.edu. Spring 2019 Workshops

Saturday, March 23 – Telling your Own Stories, 1-4 p.m., Sherry Rankins-Robertson, associate professor or rhetoric and writing, and Sally Crisp, emeritus professor of rhetoric and writing, $35
Saturday, March 30 – Mastering your iPhone, 9-11 a.m., Ross Owyoung, director of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown, $19
Saturday, April 13 – Writing Family Stories, 1-4 p.m., Sherry Rankins-Robertson, associate professor or rhetoric and writing, and Sally Crisp, emeritus professor of rhetoric and writing, $35

‘Positive Communication’ topic of next ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown lecture

Janea Snyder — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 17:58:01 +0000

The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown Lecture Series continues on Wednesday, Feb. 6, with a talk on “The Art of Positive Communication: How Small Behaviors Create Your Best Moments” by Julien C. Mirivel, dean of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s College of Social Sciences and Communication. The lecture begins at 6 p.m. at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown, 333 President Clinton Ave. Miravel’s talk will offer an introduction to the art of positive communication, 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 will share a simple model to inspire audience members to communicate more positively. With personal examples and stories, he will show how concrete behaviors can have a positive effect at work, at home, and in the community. By the end of the talk, audience members will be able to create their best moments and to connect with others more deeply. 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

Alumni and Development Office welcomes new staffers

Janea Snyder — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 15:39:09 +0000

Three new people have joined the Office of Alumni and Development. Anneliese N. Armstrong has been hired as director of Alumni Membership and Programming for the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association; Sarah Miller is the new director of development and external relations for the College of Business; and Ross Owyoung will be working as an event fundraiser. Armstrong, a Little Rock native, will work to engage alumni and friends of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and expand membership of the Alumni Association. Armstrong received two degrees from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock – a Bachelor of Arts in speech communication (2015) and Master of Arts in applied communication studies (2018). During her undergraduate time on campus, she was involved with Chi Omega Fraternity, Inc., serving as new member educator. Previously, she worked as the experiential education coordinator for the College of Pharmacy at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Miller is also a two-time ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a master’s degree in professional and technical writing. She previously worked for the American Heart Association as the corporate market director for the Central Arkansas Go Red For Women movement and Festival of Wines. Owyoung will help plan and coordinate events like Taste of Little Rock. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Arkansas and is a graduate of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service with a master’s degree in public service. During his time at the Clinton School, Owyoung completed an international public service project in Bocas del Toro, Panama, where he worked with Give and Surf, a non-profit that empowers indigenous communities through education and community development. He previously worked with Jericho Way Day Resource Center as a research consultant and with The Venture Center where he conducted an economic impact analysis of startup entrepreneurs and businesses. Anneliese Armstrong, Sarah Miller and Ross Owyoung are the newest members of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Office of Alumni and Development. Photos by Benjamin Krain

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

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown joins 2nd Friday Art Night line-up

����Vlog��ý Little Rock offers workshops for lifelong learning

‘Positive Communication’ topic of next ����Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown lecture

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