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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Celebrates Student Work at Student Research and Creative Works Expo

John Hill — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 13:32:47 +0000

More than 90 undergraduate and graduate students showcased their academic work at the Student Research and Creative Works Expo held April 8 at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. This year’s event took place outside beneath tents between the Ottenheimer Library and the Physics building. It was the first in-person expo in three years. The projects, some of which were inside the library, covered such major areas as applied bioscience, art history, biology, business information systems, chemistry, computer science, criminal justice, engineering, fine arts, history, mechanical engineering, mechanical engineering technology, philosophy, physics, political science, public administration, and theatre. The gathering also featured research projects by winners of the Signature Experience Awards. The grants fund a signature experience, such as a research project, creative activity, or community project. The goal is to enrich the students’ academic experience at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Among those who completed creative work was Meaghan Herbold, a senior physics major. She presented her project “Applied Physics for the Design and Construction of Articulated, Electronic Wings.” Massive 14-foot-long red wings made of poplar wood, bamboo, faux fur, and goose feathers dominated a spot in the library. Herbold builds and designs costumes based on pop culture. She applied physics to construct the wings to be worn by a human. “I studied ornithology papers and I studied the anatomy of birds,” she said. What she learned was “impractical for human application and this design is more efficient.”

Emma Chambers showcases her homemade paint during the 2022 Student Research and Creative Works Expo.

Nearby, senior Emma Chambers, who is completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting, presented her creative work project, “Sourcing from Nature: Making and Using Paint from Locally Sources Pigments.” “This is Arkansas-based paint,” she explained, pointing to sample colors that ranged from dark brown to pale yellow. Chambers collected soil and rock from Bauxite to make the paint which she used in three paintings. Chambers’ mentor is Krista Schoenin. Cool, windy conditions outside challenged a few students to keep their research posters upright. But for Michael Flowers, a senior mechanical engineering technology major, it was near perfect weather for his research project “Cost Benefits of Adding Wind-turbine Generator.” “This is a feasibility study to see how adding a vertical axis wind turbine can add efficiency to a solar panel array to reduce lithium battery storage,” Flowers said. By using a wind-powered generator, he predicted that about 6.4 solar panels would not be needed, and that battery storage requirements would be reduced by half thus creating “a more effective renewable energy.” Flowers worked on the research with fellow students Stephen David and Garrett Phelps. Dr. Mamdouh Bakr is their mentor. Ruby Trottor’s research focused on “Nanomaterial Effects on Degradation of Polymer Biomaterials.” The senior chemistry and Spanish major said biomaterials degradation is a very important aspect to consider when they are used for medical purposes – depending on how long the materials need to remain in the body. “At the intersection of materials chemistry and biomedical research, our polymer and graphene nanomaterials have shown remarkable promise in bone tissue regeneration technologies,” Trotter said. “Through an investigation of the degradation profiles of the polymer along and with graphene, we have determined that graphene materials may slow the degradation of the polymeric biomaterial.”

Chancellor Christina Drale, center, reviews student research projects during the 2022 Student Research and Creative Works Expo. Photos by Ben Krain.

The expo is a place where “students see themselves as researchers,” said Dr. Jeremy Ecke, director of undergraduate research at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “We get students in contact with a faculty mentor as early as we can so it’s about building a community of research.” Ecke said the event also highlights “the diversity of our student population, various cultures, and ethnic populations. To be able to see yourself in this space and see people thriving is encouraging to our future students.” For Robert Elliott Hagberg, a business major contemplating switching to engineering, it was a chance to explore new areas. “I was hoping to strike up some good conversations with people on topics that I’m interested in,” he said. “I had a great time, and I got to talk to people and learn a lot of new stuff. I like art, construction, and design.”Several students and faculty members said they were glad that the research expo was in-person versus virtual (recorded videos) as it had been in recent years due to COVID-19. “It’s a great opportunity to practice my presentation skills,” said Tayler Gamble, a senior majoring in biology and chemistry. Her research focused on “Studies in the hydridic reduction reactions of alkynyl hydrazones via sigmatropic rearrangement to form allenes.” “So, in our lab we use the methods of synthetic chemistry to produce allenes,” Gamble said, explaining that allenes are an integral part of the synthesis of many pharmaceuticals and numerous natural products. “In order for us to produce these allenes, we first have to create alkynyl hydrazones which are molecules that will act as precursors to the final rearrangement step that will allow us to produce allenes.“ Gamble’s mentor is Dr. Brian Walker. Some faculty members said the event gives them the opportunity to support students. “I love having it in person because I can go up, we can talk to each other, and I can see and sometimes touch the work,” said Johanna Lewis, an associate dean in the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Science, and Education. “T�� enthusiasm is much better in real life. I am constantly amazed and delighted by our students.” For music professor Rolf Groesbeck, it was a chance to support those who are taking or have taken his classes and learn about the work that‘s happening on campus. “About three-fourths of the students exhibiting here are my students or my former students,” he said. “Plus, I appreciate the opportunity to see what other departments are doing.” This story was written by Bobbie Handcock.

Registration Open for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s 2022 Student Research and Creative Works Expo

John Hill — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 13:33:21 +0000

Registration is now open for students who want to show off their academic research and other projects during the 2022 Student Research and Creative Works Expo. This year, the expo will be held on Friday, April 8, as an outdoor event between the Fine Arts Building and the Center for Performing Arts. Whova, a free event app, will be used to support an online program and promote networking. Registration will close on Friday, March 18. Winners of the 2021-22 Signature Experience Awards do not need to apply for the expo unless they are presenting an additional project outside of their grant project. The Expo will be open to the public, allowing members of the Little Rock or campus community to attend the presentation of students’ projects. Both undergraduate and graduate students may apply for the Student Research and Creative Works Expo .

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Honors Winners of 2021 Student Research and Creative Works Expo

John Hill — Fri, 07 May 2021 14:16:19 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has selected the winners of the 2021 Student Research and Creative Works Expo. The annual event features the latest innovative research, service or professional work, and creative projects by the student researchers at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. The expo also featured presentations by the 2021 winners of the Signature Experience Awards, which provides students with grants to fund a signature experience, including a research project, creative activity, or community project, to enrich the students’ academic experience at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “In its fourth year, the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Signature Experience has matured into a foundational pillar of undergraduate and graduate student research and creative work with the generous support of the Donaghey Foundation,” said Dr. Jeremy Ecke, director of undergraduate research at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. The winners include: Undergraduate Creative Works Cristie Armstrong, first prize, “The Album Keeper” Logan Sellen, second prize, “Goodbye: An Exploration of Death and Grieving in a Time of Separation” Andrew Chun and Caleb LeFevre, third prize, “From Campus Tree to Campus Table” Economics Josiah Johnson, first prize, “Estimating the Impact of Small Businesses on Crime in the Local Community” Aleigha Smith, second prize, “NBA and the Tax Problem” Maximilian Holzmueller, second prize, “Detecting Plant Diseases with AI” Education Sarah Carlat, first prize, “The American Canon is Outdated” Engineering Elias Perez Reyes, first prize, “Crossbow Loading Mechanism” Chance Melby, second prize, “��Vlog��ý Little Rock Classified: An Intentionally Vulnerable Web Application Focused on Teaching K-12 and Undergraduate Students about Web Application Security” Phillip Bryan, third prize, “Continuous Improvement Web Application” Humanities Jaelan Nelson, first prize, “The History Behind Lorraine Hansberry’s Famous Play A Raisin in the Sun” Lindsey Carl, second prize, “The Mermaid Hunter” Alyia Goudeau, third prize, “Beyzus: The Duality and Complexity of the Nature of Beyoncé Giselle Knowles” Life Sciences Avery McLean, first prize, “The Future of Agricultural Herbicide Regulation: The Biological Evaluation and International Response in Regard to Impending Glyphosate Regulation” Tram Nguyen, first prize, “Removal of Estrogens from Drinking Water Using Graphene Oxide-Based Filtration Membranes” Gabrielle Roberts, second prize, “Enzymatic studies of F104G SaMTAN mutant enzyme from Staphylococcus aureus” Mataya Duncan, second prize, “Active Transport Processes of Dictyostelium discoideum Rab32C” Physical Sciences Hannah Krehbiel, first prize, “Novel FRET-based ionic materials for bio imaging applications” Tripti Shukla, second prize, “Refolding of S. aureus MTA nucleosidase to analyze biological activities” Stuti Chatterjee, second prize, “Tunable sized combination nanodrugs based on ionic materials” Kajal Desai, second prize, “Revisiting the chemical stability of molybdenum disulfide membranes” Lauren Langmaid, third prize, “Studies in the hydridic reduction reactions of alkynyl hydrazones via sigmatropic rearrangement to form allenes” Mariela Saavendra-Duran, third prize, “Carbon storage in Fourche Creek Wetlands” Hayley Turner, honorable mention, “Ouch! Determining Factors that Affect Kidney Stone Growth, Formation, Mineralogy, and Morphology” Shannon Bione, honorable mention, “Dirt on the street: Environmental and Health Impacts of Urban road dust” Shiraz Atif, honorable mention, “Cigarette litter-derived carbon materials for the adsorption of dye pollutants from water” Social Sciences Landon DeKay, first prize, “Community Issues in Little Rock: The Interplay of Religion, Politics, and Income” Savannah James, second prize, “The Effects of Political Party Issue Focus” Alex Corrales, second prize, “Statute of Limitations Reform: A Window of Hope” Graduate Education Codi Blackmon, first prize, “Begin Again: Reassessing Graduate Orientation” Engineering Awaad Al Sarkhi, first prize, “Building a Data Washing Machine for Unsupervised Entity Resolution of Unstandardized References Sources” Humanities Mackenzie Nunnally, honorable mention, “Women in Ceramics: Forms of Femininity” Life Sciences Ashley Esparza, first prize, “Localization and Functional Characterization of Dictyostelium discoideum Rab32c” Quinshell Smith, first prize, “Nanostructured Antibacterial Aluminum Foil Produced by Hot Water Treatment against E. coli in Meat” Qingfang He, second prize, “Molecular Mechanisms and Anatomical Development of Transfer Cells” Ilham Kadhim, third prize, “Up-regulation of Osh6 boosts an anti-aging membrane trafficking pathway toward vacuoles” Physical Sciences Zach Smith, first prize, “Calculating the Urban Contribution of Surface Water Quality through Cl and 87Sr/86Sr Mixing Models within the Fourche Creek Watershed” Thuy Le, second prize, “Conductive thin film characterization” Social Sciences Melissa Herrington, first prize, “Image-Based Sexual Abuse and Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery as Intimate Partner Violence” In the upper right photo, Josiah Johnson, a finance and economics major, completed a statistical analysis of the spillover effects and general efficacy of small business initiatives in small towns featured in the TV show Small Business Revolution for his first-place project for the Student Research and Creatives Works Expo. Photo by Ben Krain.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Student Research and Creative Works Expo Begins April 16

John Hill — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 17:29:25 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s 2021 Student Research and Creative Works Expo will debut to the public Friday, April 16, featuring the latest research and innovations of student researchers at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.�� The event will be hosted virtually through Whova, a free event app. The expo will be open to the public through July 12, allowing members of the Little Rock and campus community to attend the presentation of students’ projects. Judging will take place from April 16-19. Both graduate and undergraduate students are eligible to present their ongoing research projects, service or professional work, and creative projects. Student researchers are exploring everything from using combination therapy to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria to the creation of micro droids inspired by the “Star Wars” universe to an assessment of the university’s graduate student orientation program. The expo will feature presentations by the 2021 winners of the Signature Experience Awards, which provides students with grants to fund a signature experience, such as a research project, creative activity, or community project, to enrich the students’ academic experience at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “In its fourth year, the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Signature Experience has matured into a foundational pillar of undergraduate and graduate student research and creative work with the generous support of the Donaghey Foundation,” said Dr. Jeremy Ecke, director of undergraduate research at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “As we look forward to our second virtual expo and celebrate the adaptivity and endurance of our students, we have made several important changes. Shifting to a mainly web-based platform will allow attendees and judges to experience enhanced portfolios with handouts, pictures, asynchronous videos, and even live-streaming presentations.” Some of the projects at the Student Research and Creative Works Expo include: In a project entitled, “Wireless Charging with Magnetic Resonance,” students Christa Hindman, Joshua Maxwell, Alexandria Smith, Samuel Zargari, and Hirak Patangia are exploring a more efficient method to charge electric vehicles. In “Detecting Plant Diseases with AI,” Maximilian Holzmueller plans to build and train a machine learning model to identify common plant diseases in hydroponic produce. The goal of the project is to develop a plant disease detection application and a business case with a local startup (Agrowponics). If the business model is feasible and Agrowponics is satisfied with the final concept and the analysis, it will be rolled out as a complementary service for the company’s customers. In “Estimating the Impact of Small Businesses on Crime in the Local Community,” Josiah Johnson is utilizing a contest among small towns for a $500,000 revitalization award to study the spillover effects and general efficacy of small business initiatives in small towns. By surveying towns nominated for the TV show “Small Business Revolution,” the project compares and quantifies the impact of the award on various economic outcomes of winning towns relative to non-winning nominees. The results of this project will be of interest to investors and policy makers for future small business initiatives and programs in the U.S. “As we have come to expect with the Student Research and Creative Works Expo, this year’s projects highlight the innovation and diversity of student research at its best,” Ecke said. “Please join us on April 16 to learn more about the many exciting projects at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.” To register for the event, you can sign up . Once you have been registered, participants will receive notification from an expo committee member and can sign in or create an account to join the event . A brief video outlining the registration process and Whova event platform is available .��

��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s 2021 Student Research and Creative Works Expo Registration Opens

John Hill — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 15:03:54 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Student Research and Creative Works Committee has announced the opening of registration for the 2021 Student Research and Creative Works Expo scheduled to take place April 15. The event will be hosted virtually through Whova, a free event app. Both graduate and undergraduate students are eligible to present their ongoing research projects, service or professional work, and creative projects. The Whova App was used to host this event for the first time last year. Workshops will also be held throughout March in order to prepare the presenters for the virtual environment. The Expo will be open to the public, allowing members of the Little Rock or campus community to attend the presentation of students’ projects. Students can register to present. Registration will close on March 31. Winners of this year’s Signature Experience Awards are already set to present, and grantees are encouraged to register as well.

A Call to Ministry: Lauren Humphrey uses graphic design skills to illustrate Bible for African children

Janea Snyder — Thu, 02 May 2019 19:14:06 +0000

Lauren Humphrey came to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock on a Chancellor’s Leadership Corps scholarship to study graphic design. During her time on campus, she discovered another passion: a desire to work in ministry. “I felt called, but not specifically,” she said. “I know that I want to go into ministry, and I would love to do international missions. I always say I’d pack up now and leave if I could.” Humphrey, 22, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, will graduate on May 11 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design, but she won’t be gone from campus too long. She will return this fall to begin a 10-month internship with Christian Ministry, which hosts weekly worship gatherings, discipleship groups, retreats, and mission trips for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students. Chi Alpha staff are full-time missionaries who disciple students on campus. Humphrey’s internship is through the Assembly of God and will help her earn credentials to be appointed as an Assembly of God minister. Humphrey will work with students and then lead an international mission trip in summer 2020. “After, I will ask the Lord if He will have me to serve in the States or in Africa,” she said. Humphrey fell in love with international mission work on a Chi Alpha mission trip. Each summer, Chi Alpha takes teams of 15 to 20 students to Africa or Asia for a month. Humphrey traveled to Zambia one summer and to Sri Lanka and Thailand another. Upon returning from Asia, she got a tattoo of the world’s continents on her forearm. It’s a visual reminder that “the Lord is reminding me that I’m unlimited, that He is everywhere.” Humphrey’s campus pastor, Cody Griggs, suggested she go on her own for a longer period of time if she was considering full-time international missions. “It was a test of calling – seeing if I could manage a budget, find ministry opportunities, enjoy living among a different culture, and feel a calling from the Lord to go back long term,” she said. “I got a calling to devote my life to ministry. I would love to go back to Africa. It’s my dream, but I want to be in the Lord’s will. I want to be where the Lord would have me.” Last summer, Humphrey spent three months in Zambia, working with two ministries: , a Christian nonprofit that establishes churches in the region, and , which serves homeless and orphaned children. The Zambia Project also provides medical services, builds water wells, and translates Bibles into other village languages. Humphrey stayed in Mongu, which has a school, a hospital, a center where caretakers learn how to care for malnourished children, and a therapy department that helps children with physical and mental disabilities. “While I was there, I was talking to one of the physical therapists who said it would be really good if they had a Bible for kids,” she said. “T�� only printed Bible in Mongu is like the King James that uses old English type language that is very hard for children to understand, and it’s not illustrated,” she said. Humphrey heard similar sentiments from other missionaries in the area and decided to use her graphic art skills to create an illustrated Bible for African children. The project was part of her Bachelor of Fine Arts thesis project that she presented in April. Although English is the official language of Zambia, the Lozi dialect is more commonly used in Mongu. Humphrey found an online New International Version of the Lozi Bible which she used. Illustrating the entire Bible would be difficult to accomplish in a year, so she started with the Book of Luke, one of the Gospels in the New Testament. “T�� book is aimed at the second-grade level,” she said. “Those are kids who can read and want to know more about Jesus, but they also need illustrations and bright colors to stay captivated. With the help of an adult reader, it could also be read to little children, and they would also enjoy the illustrations.” Humphrey selected stories to illustrate and Bible verses to highlight. She needed to test prototypes and experiment with book binding when she learned about ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Signature Experience Awards program, which provides funding for undergraduate students to work on research or creative works with a professor. With the grant, she purchased a thermal binding machine, paper, and ink. Her finished project was a 72-page, full-color book she displayed at the Student Research and Creative Works Expo on April 18. Her mentor was Kevin Cates, associate professor of graphic design. “T��se probably won’t be sent to Zambia since it would be much more economical for them to be printed in South Africa,” she said of the publication. However, Humphrey hopes to start a nonprofit called Translation Hope so she can raise funds to pay for Bible printing and distribution. In addition to being a student leader in Chi Alpha, Humphrey has worked on The Forum student newspaper as a designer, section editor, editor, and then executive editor. She also has interned in the Chancellor’s Office. Off campus, she works part-time for the after-school program at Lakewood United Methodist Church in North Little Rock and volunteers with the children and youth ministries at Otter Creek Assembly of God in Little Rock. Humphrey is the daughter of Anthony and Kim Humphrey of Fort Smith. Top right photo: Lauren Humphrey exhibits her illustrated children’s Bible at the Student Research and Creative Works Expo on April 18 in the Jack Stephens Center. Above photo: Lauren Humphrey binds pages together in a Bible she illustrated for children in Zambia. The project was part of her BFA in graphic design thesis project. Photos by Benjamin Krain

��Vlog��ý Little Rock student explores “theater of cruelty”

Janea Snyder — Wed, 01 May 2019 22:19:31 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock theater major Selena Gordon has performed in musicals, plays, and even national films, but this semester she worked to create a performance of a different kind – one meant to awaken her audiences’ unexpressed emotions. Gordon spent this semester creating “Wake-up!” – a performance that uses overbearing sensory aspects, such as lights, sound, and gestures to stir emotions. “I wanted to make the audience confront issues that society tends to shy away from or ignore because they’re too difficult to talk about,” she said. “Such things include racism, sexual assault, gun control, mental illness, abuse, discrimination in all of its forms, and the political state of the country today.” It’s all part of a “theater of cruelty” experience that Gordon created and debuted at the Fringe Festival on campus in April. Recorded excerpts from the performance also were part of Gordon’s poster presentation at the Research and Creative Works Expo on April 18 in the Jack Stephens Center. Gordon, a Fort Smith native, is a member of the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps. During her time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, she has participated in Department of Theatre Arts and Dance productions, including “T�� All Night Strut” in 2017 and “As You Like It” in 2018. In 2017, Gordon also landed an acting job in the faith-based film “God’s Not Dead 3,” which was filmed in central Arkansas. Last fall, Gordon was one of about 100 undergraduates who received up to a $1,000 grant to conduct original research, creative works, and community service projects this semester as part of the Signature Experience Awards program created by Chancellor Andrew Rogerson. The awards – now in their second year – are designed to foster research and creative works among undergraduate students. Gordon proposed a project in which she would apply the theories of French dramatist Antonin Artaud, which she studied in Lawrence Smith’s Dramatic Criticism and Theory class, to a script she had written. Smith served as Gordon’s faculty mentor for the project. “I learned about Antonin Artaud, who is the mastermind behind the idea (of theatre of cruelty), and I was instantly captured by his life and his theories,” she said. “Artaud believed that theatre had become too focused on words and that we had trapped ourselves in this box of repetitive works that had already been seen before and had been done for too many years. He wanted new works that moved people, that linked to the present world. His answer for escaping this loop was a theatre of cruelty.” Selena Gordon, center, presents her “Theater of Cruelty” project to a judge during the Research and Creative Works Expo on April 18, 2019. Photo by Benjamin Krain

��Vlog��ý Little Rock student tackles fishing problem with engineering know-how

Janea Snyder — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 21:16:32 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock senior Li Morrow grew up fishing in her native China, using just a glass jar with bread in it. “I would tie a string around it and drop into one of the local creeks, ditches or flooded fields then jerk it up if a minnow swam into it,” said Morrow, 33, who will graduate on May 11 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering technology . “If it was muddy the fish would often come up to the surface near the bank and I would scoop them up with a little net.” Morrow became a U.S. citizen in 2013 and now lives in Lonoke. After a friend took her trout fishing, she was hooked. “I started driving up to the Little Red River below Greers Ferry Dam at every opportunity,” she said. “I love it.” There was just one problem. The plastic tackle boxes were too clunky. Morrow searched for a wearable tackle box but couldn’t find one. She tried wearable fishing vests but found them difficult to organize her lures and gear. “I realized that I actually needed very little fishing tackle to be successful, and I got tired of dragging around a heavy tackle box whenever I would move to a new location,” she said. Morrow did what one might expect a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock mechanical engineering technology student to do: she designed and manufactured her own tackle box, which she will debut at the university’s Student Research and Creative Works Expo on April 18 in the Jack Stephens Center. Last fall, Morrow was one of about 100 undergraduates who received up to a $1,000 grant to conduct original research, creative works and community service projects this semester as part of the Signature Experience Award Program created by Chancellor Andrew Rogerson. The awards – now in their second year – are designed to foster research and creative works among undergraduate students. Morrow initially bought several small lure boxes, modified them by cutting out sections, and ran a belt through it so she could wear it as she moved around to different fishing spots. For the prototype, she used The SolidWorks® software to build the layout and test functionality, and she used a 3D printer to create prototypes ad test alignment. “It has compartments that are specifically designed to accommodate off-the-shelf fishing gear such as 3-½ inch diameter spools of fishing line, standard power bait bottles, six- and eight-inch- long hook removers, and line repair equipment, all of which fit nicely into the tackle box,” she said. The box measures 9.8″ x 8.6″ x 3.0″. It’s small, inexpensive, easy to use, wearable, and it floats. With only one layer, all the fishing gear is also easy to access. The primary tackle box material is a rigid homopolymer polypropylene, which offers a high strength-to-weight ratio, good chemical resistance, weldability, and it is inexpensive. The final manufacturing process would involve an injection molding with the latches and hinges will be snapped into place, and the straps welded. Morrow says her trout fishing tackle box may be a solution for other trout fishermen, and she hopes someone will be interested in buying her design. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student Li Morrow designed and built a custom wearable tackle box. / Photo by Benjaim Krain

Fringe Festival to showcase original student plays, performances

Janea Snyder — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 15:27:07 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock students will stage their original plays and performance pieces during the university’s Fringe Festival, taking place April 2-5. Performances will begin nightly at 7:30 p.m. in the Haislip Theatre in the Center for the Performing Arts on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus. Doors open at 7 p.m., and admission is free and open to the public with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. This year’s festival – presented by the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance – includes 12 new plays, monologues, and choreographic work from 11 playwrights. The festival is divided into two events: “PG to OMG” will be presented April 2 and April 4, and “Women’s Voices” will be presented April 3 and April 5. Many of the students created their work during the special topics course “Page to Stage” taught last fall. The student playwrights and directors have revised their written work this semester and brought the pieces to life onstage. Other work in the festival was generated in Dr. Lawrence Smith’s Introduction to Theatre and Dance course and by student majors interested in poetry and creative writing. “T�� works in the festival offer a range of content and theatrical styles,” said Stacy Pendergraft, associate professor and artistic director for the Fringe Festival. “Students have been free to explore subject matter that inspires and challenges their ideas of theatre-making.” Fringe V is directed by students and alumni, and for the first time the festival has a design component. Theatre major Thomas Jackson’s scenic design serves as his senior capstone project. In addition, Conor Van Lierop serves as lighting designer, and Blake Morris serves as sound designer. Students Mykenzie Gordon, Jessi Ley, Thomas Jackson, and Conor Van Lierop received Signature Experience Awards to support their creative works. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock freshman Gage Pipkin wrote and directed an original 10-minute play called “Prisoners,” which will be staged on two nights of the festival. “I am so glad to be involved with something that is presenting unconventional works,” Pipkin said. “A ton of work has been put in by all of those involved, and much of the work is student driven from the page to the stage.” The festival is for mature audiences age 18 and older because of adult themes, strong language, and sexual content.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock awards $100,000 to students for research, creative works

Janea Snyder — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 16:19:24 +0000

More than 100 undergraduates at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will receive $1,000 grants to conduct original research, creative works, and community service projects this year as part of the university’s Signature Experience Award Program. Award winners will complete their signature experiences by the end of the 2019 spring semester and present their work at the 2019 Undergraduate Research and Creative Works Showcase on April 18. Students can use their grants to pay expenses related to their projects, which are designed to contribute to their academic development. This year, 144 students applied for the grants, representing an 82 percent increase in applications over last year, said Dr. Jeremy Ecke, chair of the Department of English and director of the Signature Experience program. Of the 144 applicants, 112 student projects received funding, and an additional 20 unfunded applications were recognized as Honorary Signature Experience projects and applicants were invited to present at the April showcase. To receive an award, undergraduate students must have a minimum 2.5 grade point average and have a faculty member to mentor the project. “The growth of the Signature Experience over the past two years reflects the serious engagement of our students and faculty in the support and development of undergraduate research and creative endeavors,” Ecke said. “T�� Signature Experience is a direct embodiment of the university’s five strategic goals: it directs resources toward student success, research, and creative endeavors while fostering community engagement and promoting projects that support diversity and global citizenship.” This year’s applicants come from all of the university’s colleges and reflect a diverse range of topics. Students are researching topics ranging from breast cancer and traumatic brain injury to soil composition in the Little Rock Zoo, bank erosion in Coleman Creek, adaptation of Micronesian immigrants, and culturally based responses to homelessness in French and U.S. cities. Chancellor Andrew Rogerson announced the program in 2017 to inspire students to conduct original research and creative projects with guidance of faculty mentors. Last year, 79 students received awards. Congratulations to the following students: College of Arts, Letters and Sciences

Luke Johnson, biology, mentored by John M. Bush. “Phages in different types of water and their effects”
Kimberly Maurer, English, mentored by Paul Crutcher. “Breaking “Single Story” Silence: Celebrating Positive, Diverse Girlhood”
Bonnie R. Young, dance, mentored by Stephanie Thibeault. “Fortune Favors the Bold: Confidence in Dance”
Thuy Le, chemistry, mentored by Noureen Siraj. “A portable nanosensor for nitroaromatic detection”
Katherine Ashley Hall, theatre arts, mentored by Yslan Hicks. “Cross-dressing: The Transformative Power of Costumes on Shakespeare’s Stage”
Robert Hill, chemistry, mentored by Noureen Siraj. “Tunable Porphyrin Nanoparticles As Combination Drug For Cancer Therapy.”
Emily Anderson, biology, mentored by Shanzhi Wang. “Enzymatic Characterization of Bgp from B. burgdorferi, the Main Causative Agent in Lyme Disease in the U.S.”
Reem Al-Shukri, biology, mentored by Alexandru Biris. “Plasmonic Nanovectors for Selective Targeting and Killing of Cancer Cells”
Humam Shahare, biology, mentored by Noureen Siraj and Tito Viswanathan. “Use of Ionic Liquid Electrolyte to Enhance the Supercapacitance of Doped Carbon Materials”
KateLin Carsrud, English, mentored by Jeffrey Condran. “Braddock Avenue Books Spring Catalogue at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference, Portland, Ore., March 2019”
David Alan Cline, physics, mentored by John Nichols. “Development and Implementation of a Miniature Musical Tesla coil”
Chandrasimha Reddy Penthala, chemistry and biology, mentored by Wei Zhao. “Synthesis of NiFe-Based Metal-Organic Framework Nanosheets on Nickel Foams for Water-Splitting Electrocatalysis”
Sarah Harper, art education, mentored by Timothy Garth. “Curating Connections: Museum Skills and Pk-12 Learning Engagement”
Caleb Alexander-McKinzie, English/legal studies, mentored by Heather Hummel. “Blood Orange Review and Braddock Avenue Books Literary Reading at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference, Portland, Ore., March 2019
Grayson Treat, English, mentored by Heather K. Hummel. “T�� Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference Undergraduate Resource Guide”
Madeleine Logan, biology, mentored by Robert Sikes. “Minimizing Stress in Wild vs Domesticated Mammals: The Effects of Anesthesia and Handling Time”
Bonn Belingon, chemistry, mentored by Shanzhi Wang. “Potential Use of Enzyme Glucose Oxidase (GOx) as an Antimicrobial Agent”
Tyler Maxwell, biology and chemistry, mentored by Qingfang He. “De novo Biosynthesis of Resveratrol in Metabolically Engineered”
Madison Brown, English, mentored by Jeffrey Condran. “Presenting the 2019 Equinox Literary Magazine at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference, Portland, Ore., March 2019”
Kathryn Bates, English, mentored by Jeffrey Condran. “Funding Undergraduate Literary Magazines: An Investigation at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference, Portland, Ore., March 2019”
Noemi Garcia, biology/Spanish, mentored by Stephen Grace. “Gene Discovery for Health Promoting Phytochemicals in the Medicinal Plant Echinacea”
Jessica Yvonne Ley, theatre arts, mentored by Lawrence D. Smith. “T�� Default: An Exploration of Heteronormativity through Stage Performance”
Serena Mykenzie Gordon, theatre arts, mentored by Lawrence D. Smith. “A Theatre of Cruelty Experience”
Caroline Kornelsen, chemistry, mentored by Noureen Siraj and Tito Vishwanathan. “Synthesis of a Betaine Ester Surfactant via a Novel “Green” Method of Esterification”
Grace Young, biology, mentored by Robert Sikes. “Minimizing Stress in Wild vs Domesticated Mammals: The Effects of Anesthesia and Handling Time”
Jessica L. Morris, biology, mentored by Scott Woolbright. “Evaluating Variation in Soil Composition among Habitats at the Little Rock Zoo”
Carol Ann Bowerman, biology and chemistry, mentored by Nawab Ali. “T�� Investigation of Silver-coated Gold Nanorods as an Effective Nano-drug Vessel”.”
Maxwell Rollins Campbell, biology/music, mentored by Carl R. Stapleton. “Effects of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds on Ostracod Densities in Fourche Creek”
Arooba Ilyas, biology/chemistry, mentored by Noureen Siraj. “Tea Waste as an Adsorbent for Water Purification”
Ryan Mann, biology, mentored by Shanzhi Wang. “T�� Affects of Caspase-1 Cleavage on Alpha-Synuclein”
Travis Jumper, chemistry, mentored by Anindya Ghosh. “A Novel Synthetic Chemical Pathway for the Formation of Amides”
Lauren Humphrey, graphic design, mentored by Kevin Cates. “Children’s Bible for residents in Mongu, Zambia”
Aaron Prosser, graphic design, mentored by Kevin Cates. “Organo Guys Action Figures”
Tracy V. Cook, English, mentored by Jana McAuliffe. “Brief Thoughts of the 21st Century”
Tina Hesabizadeh, interdisciplinary studies, mentored by Gregory Guisbiers. “Synthesis of Selenium-based Nanostructures”
Vardah Asad Sheikh, physics, mentored by Tansel Karabacak. “Nanorod Arrays for Flexible Photodetector Applications”
Lyle P. Arnett, Physics, mentored by Tansel Karabacak. “Growth of Metal Oxide Nanostructures (MONSTRs) by Hot Water Treatment/Deposition”
William James Avery King, molecular biotechnology, mentored by Alexandru Biris. “Evaluation of Gold Nanoparticles with Various Aspect Ratios for Use as Artificial Extracellular Matrices for Growing Neural Cells”
Thomas Jackson, theatre arts, mentored by William Marshall. “Scenic design for Fringe Festival”
Conor Van Lierop, theatre arts, mentored by William Marshall. “Lighting design for the Fringe Festival”
Brandy Rochelle Mimms, dance performance, mentored by Stephanie Thibeault. “Deaf can Dance.”
Taylor S. Green, theatre arts and dance, mentored by Lawrence D. Smith, “T�� Elaine Twelve: Aftermath of the Massacre of 1919”
Emily Nichole Fendley, French / anthropology and nonprofit leadership studies, mentored by Rosalie M. Cheatham. “Homelessness: Causes, Culturally-based Responses and NGO Engagement in Mid-sized French and US Cities”

College of Education and Health Professions

Emilia Zsuzsanna Rak, social work, mentored by David J. Namir. “Change Your Days”
Wesley C. Smith, nursing, mentored by Jeffrey K. Carmack. “An Assessment of Time Spent Teaching Hearing and Non-hearing Patients”
Tamara J. Martin, communication sciences and disorders, mentored by Dr. Donna J. Kelly. “Investigation of Interdisciplinary Assessment Measures of Acute and Persistent Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) Sequela in Adults”
Darleene Rua and Michelle Henderson, nursing, mentored by Leigh Snead. “Students’ Perceptions and Skills Performance in Two Student-led Emergency Simulated Scenarios”
Jessica Swatzel, communication sciences and disorders, mentored by Dana Moser. “Effects of Applying Brain Stimulation during Language Intervention?”
Darrien Adams, health education and promotion, mentored by Janea Snyder. “Growing Healthy Communities Projects (Wellness Fair & Garden to Grill Cooking Class)”
Emily Junkans, communication sciences and disorders/ Spanish, mentored by Jeremy Ecke. “Language and Identity: Academic English and International Students”

Stuti Chatterjee, biology, mentored by Philip H. Williams. “Island project – Automated water quality sensors/wildlife webcam”

College of Business

Emelie Blennow, marketing, mentored by Dr. Casey Rockwell. “Analysis of Ethical and Legal Implications of Autopilot vehicles. Is Tesla the new Pinto?”
Maximillian Holzmueller, economics and Finance, mentored by Moiz Bhai. “A Case Study in Agrowponics”
Alexander Reid Palmer, Human Resource Management, mentored by John Hendon, “Medical Marijuana and Federalism”

College of Social Sciences and Communication

Nicholas J. Popowich, journalism, mentored by John A. Kirk. “Documenting the Black Power Movement in Arkansas”
Rhonda Thomas, professional and technical writing, mentored by Heidi Skurat Harris. “Alexander’s Stray Mare: Tracing an Ancestor from Georgia to Pre-territorial Arkansas”

Julie O’Hara, political science, mentored by Joseph Giammo. “T�� Effect of Elite Discourses on Secessionist Movements”
Dylan Wright, political science/Spanish, mentored by Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm. “T�� Language of Truth: Exploring the Discourse of Latin American Truth Commission Recommendations”
Jordan Wallis, political science, mentored by Rebecca Glazier. “God and Country: Veteran Services in the Little Rock Religious Community”
Mary Katelyn McBrayer, applied communication, mentored by April Chatham-Carpenter. “Disrupting the Cycle of Mental Illness: Building up Intergenerational Family Resilience through Positive Communication”
Robin A. Freeman, applied communication, mentored by Avinash Thombre. “Understanding Communication Strategies for Women without Children”
Octavious Harris, criminal justice/law enforcement, mentored by Trisha N. Rhodes. “Exploring Predictors of Sentencing for Male and Female Prisoners in Arkansas”
Michael Meziere, criminal justice, mentored by Molly Smith. “Examining the Relationship between Religiosity, Rape Myth Acceptance, and Sexual Misconduct”
Asiah Bradley, criminal justice and psychology, mentored by Molly Smith. “Correlates of Sexual Misconduct Victims’ Use of Campus Resources”
Morgan Paige Topping, political science, mentored by Rebecca Glazier. “How Social Media can Increase Participation in Community-based Research: The Case of the Little Rock Congregation Study”
Rosalinda Roper, political science/international studies, mentored by Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm. “Exploring Variation in International Response to Refugee Crises”
Madeline Burke, international studies, mentored by Casey Rockwell. “T�� Unregulated Regulators”

CSSC & CALS

Nicole Ursin, anthropology/history, mentored by Juliana Flinn. “Adaptation of Micronesian Immigrants”
Katherine Roberts, philosophy/interdisciplinary, mentored by Jana McAuliffe. “Diversifying the Discipline: An analysis of the 2019 Arkansas High School Ethics Bowl”
Emma Beth Williams, professional and technical writing/legal studies, mentored by Jana McAuliffe. “An Axiology of Public Philosophy: A Study in Public Intellectualism”
Solomon Ra’phael Davis, international studies/philosophy, mentored by Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm. “Making Human Lives Better: How Material and Symbolic Reparations Improve Post Civil War Peace”

Engineering & Information Technology

Andrew Mark Cherry, mechanical systems engineering, mentored by Jin Wook Lee. “A Quadcopter with Improved Lift Capabilities”
Rebecca L. Bishop, geology, mentored by Rene A. Shroat-Lewis. “Monitoring Coral Patch Reefs of San Salvador Island, Bahamas for Diversity and Disease”
Christopher Flocken, computer science, mentored by Steven Minsker. “Functional Programming Design”
Lamarcus Coleman, computer science/mathematics, mentored by Mariofanna Milanova. “Applying Deep Reinforcement Learning to Economic Event Prediction”

Ahmed Alazzawi, systems engineering, mentored by Kamran Iqbal. “Altered Muscle Synergies While Walking Under Higher Postural Constraints”
Josh Carlat, computer science game option, mentored by Sean Orme. “A Look into the Feasibility of Teaching Game Engine Design at the Undergraduate Level”
Nikki Mullen, mechanical systems engineering, mentored by Andrew Wright and Alex Biris. “Characterization of Nanoparticle Scaffolding Polymer”
Luke Tyhurst, information science, mentored by Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm. “Developing an Online Platform: From Market Research to a Minimum Viable Product”
Zezhang Lin, computer science, mentored by Chia-Chu Chiang. “Automatic Customization of Web Pages to Enhance User Experience”
David M. Hough, environmental geology, mentored by Thomas Colby. “Investigating the Age and Significance of a Rare Occurrence of Metagabbro in the Ouachita Mountains, Central Arkansas, USA”
Jason Spencer, geology, mentored by Michael DeAngelis. “Mineralogical, Petrological and Geochronological Investigation of the Blue Ball Lamproite Dike near Waldron, Arkansas, USA”
Cody Smith, geology, mentored by Michael DeAngelis. “Reproducing and Improving the Sol-Gel Synthesis of Nanoscale Enstatite (Mg2Si2O6) and Diopside (CaMgSi2O6)”
Li Zhou Morrow, mechanical engineering technology, mentored by Ashokkumar M. Sharma. “Design and Development of a Unique Transparent Fishing Tackle Box”

Michael Tyler Kee, geology, mentored by Laura Ruhl. “Evolution of Contaminants in Weathered Coal Combustion Residuals: an Environmental Case Study”
Julian Reid Ervin, environmental geology, mentored by Laura Ruhl. “Microplastics in Fourche Creek Wetlands”
Derrick Fuell, mechanical engineering technology, mentored by Srikanth B. Pidugu. “A Novel Macro-mixer for Medical Applications”
Jacob H. Jackson, mechanical engineering technology, mentored by Ashokkumar M. Sharma. “Water Recycling System for a Hydraulic Ram Pump”
Denver Ellis, computer science, mentored by Jan P. Springer. “Improving Versatility of Smart Mirrors Through Facial Recognition and Rotational Measurements”
Joshua Ray, environmental engineering, mentored by Lashun Massey.“A Novel Collaborative Approach to Addressing Environmental Engineering”
Kajal Shukla, computer science, mentored by Mariofanna Milanova. “Boosting Deep Learning Risk Prediction for Electronic Health Records”
Zaire Idalis Husband, computer science/information assurance, mentored by Jan P. Springer. “Multi-Factor Authentication”
Taima Zidan Suid, computer science with mathematics minor, mentored by Jan P. Springer. “Multi-Factor Authentication”
Malik Shakur El-Amin, computer science, mentored by Jan P. Springer. “MockSOC – A prototype Special Operations Center”
Sam Willis, computer science, mentored by Mariofanna Milanova. “Computer Vision System to Identify and Quantify Waste”
Chance Melby, computer science, mentored by Jan P. Springer. “Analysis of Red Team Coordination: Finding the Correct Attack Methodology”
Adam Ness, systems engineering/mathematics, mentored by Marc D. Glidden. “Ramifications of Bank Deserts on Financial Literacy”
Christopher F. Bohner, mechanical engineering technology, mentored by Ashokkumar M. Sharma. “Design-for-manufacturing, construction, and testing of a thermochemical system to generate power from municipal solid waste”
Pablo J. Centeno, mechanical engineering technology, mentored by Ashokkumar M. Sharma and Srikanth B. Pidugu. “Pick and place robot”
Bryan S. Wilson, mechanical engineering technology, mentored by Ashokkumar M. Sharma. “Design, construction, and testing of a re-designed gasifier”
Jonathon M. Horn, geology, mentored by Margaret E. McMillan. “Analysis of short-term changes in bank erosion and sediment transport in Coleman Creek, Little Rock, AR, using ��Vlog��ýV aerial surveys”
Patrick W. Paladino, geology, mentored by Margaret E. McMillan. “Analysis of Short-term Changes in Bank Erosion and Sediment Transport in Coleman Creek, Little Rock, AR, Using Field Surveys”
Mandolin Harris, geology, mentored by Laura Ruhl. “Evolution of Karst Spring Water in the Ozark Mountains: Impacts on Water Quality”
Elias Perez Reyes, mechanical engineering technology, mentored by Srikanth B. Pidugu. “Effective Thermal Conductivity of Open Celled Copper Foam metals”
Alexandria L. Smith, electronic and computer engineering technology, mentored by Hirak Patangia. “An Evaporative Energy Harvester”
Sherif A. Selim, mechanical engineering technology, mentored by Kailash C. Jajam. “Additive Manufacturing of Multiphase Syntactic Foams Modified with Glass Microballoons and Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs)”
Alex Alvarez, mechanical engineering technology/Spanish, mentored by Sandra Leiterman. “BB-8 in STEM Ed”
Nigel Kelly, mechanical systems engineering/mathematics, mentored by Alexandru Biris. “Fabrication of Hafnium Thin Films for Optical Applications”
Ashley Strohmeyer, electrical and computer engineering technology, mentored by Alexandru Biris. “Fabrication of Titanium Disilicide Films Using Pulsed Laser Deposition”
Eric Nelson Sutherland Jr., mechanical systems engineering, mentored by Soheil Saedi. “An Investigation on the Effects of Heat Treatment Process on Phase Transformation of NiTi Shape Memory Alloys”
Evan Angle, computer science/physics, mentored by Albert Baker. “Can Enhanced VR Display Resolution Impact Application Effectiveness?”

Honorary Signature Experience Award winners

Gary Morries, biology, mentored by Scott Woolbright. “Survey of Climate Relict Populations of Varied Groundsnakes (Sonora semiannulatum) from Rare Arkansas Glade Ecosystems.”
Madison Victoria Rodgers, political science, mentored by Rebecca Glazier. “Engagement and Religion among Little Rock Congregations: The Reciprocal Relationship between Community Involvement and Political Involvement”
Christopher Tate, post-bac nursing, mentored by Leigh Snead. “Students’ Perceptions and Skills Performance in Two Student-led Emergency Simulated Scenarios”
Elizabeth Jarrott, nursing, mentored by Leigh Snead. “Students’ Perceptions and Skills Performance in Two Student-led Emergency Simulated Scenarios.”
Laura Ruiz Astorga, international studies and psychology, mentored by Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm. “Women’s Empowerment in Conflict-Affected Societies”
Victoria Yvonne McHargue, biology/chemistry/ American sign language, mentored by John Bush. “Using Bacteriophages for Potential Bio-remediation for a Water Source”
Allie Woodville, political science and anthropology, mentored by Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm. “T�� Syrian Refugee Crisis and Information Technology: From a Public Involvement Perspective”
Katie Matthews, biology, mentored by Scott Woolbright. “Soil Microbial Communities Associated with a Prairie Restoration in Northwest Arkansas.”
Taylor Hudson, mechanical engineering technology, mentored by Ashokkumar M. Sharma. “Design Modification, Construction and Testing of Ram Pump – A Performance Improvement Study”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock student Sylvia Szwedo talks about her chemistry project during the 2018 Student Research and Creative Works Showcase. Photo by Benjamin Krain

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

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Celebrates Student Work at Student Research and Creative Works Expo

Registration Open for ����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s 2022 Student Research and Creative Works Expo

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Honors Winners of 2021 Student Research and Creative Works Expo

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Student Research and Creative Works Expo Begins April 16

����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s 2021 Student Research and Creative Works Expo Registration Opens