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

Graduate Avery McLean is headed to law school with an eye on environmental law and public policy

John Hill — Wed, 26 May 2021 13:01:24 +0000

On Dr. Simon Hawkins’ desk in the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program office, there hangs an unusual item – the picture of a one-year old bull that lives in Manitoba, Canada.�� The picture as well as the bull that shares his name is a source of pride for Hawkins. A student, Avery McLean, asked her parents to name one of the calves from the family’s farm after her mentor. “Hawkins was one of our family’s 2020 calves,” said McLean, a Donaghey Scholar from Pilot Mound, Canada. “Every year we name the calves off a certain letter of the alphabet. It was H in 2020, so I asked my parents if we could name the bull after Dr. Hawkins. That bull lives on a commercial ranch in Manitoba, and Dr. Hawkins loves to show off a picture of his bull.” McLean is graduating this month from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with a bachelor’s degree in biology, a minor in political science, and plans to make the world a better place through environmental law. McLean grew up on her family’s cattle farm in rural Canada. Her hometown of Pilot Mound has about 500 residents and lies five miles north of the North Dakota border. She knew that she would have to leave home to receive the education she craved. At 15, McLean enrolled at the Institut Collegial Vincent Massey Collegiate in Winnipeg, Canada. From there, she was recruited as a swimmer to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “I think everything happens for a reason. I worked with a swimming recruiter in high school, and the assistant coach at the time reached out to me and thought I would be a great fit for the program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” McLean said. “When I was on campus, they told me about the Donaghey Scholars Program. I was on the honor track in high school, and it would be a great opportunity.” Since her family has friends in the cattle business in Arkansas, McLean’s parents were more comfortable with her attending college 20 hours away from home. “It’s also been of help to my family because I have been able to attend Simmental breeders conferences,” she said. “Simmentals are beef and dairy cows that have origins in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. We talk about what is going on genetically. I think genetics is a very cool thing, especially in bovine creatures. My parents are in pursuit to breed the perfect polled (no horns) Simmental. My mom is a vet, so she has all of these charts that show what pairings will lead to these characteristics throughout the generations.” As a student-athlete on the swimming and diving team, McLean served as one of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock representatives on the Sun Belt Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She also shares her passion for swimming with the children in her hometown during summertime. “At home, I have served as the head coach of the summer swim team,” she said. “It’s a small community. There are 500 people max. Any time I would come home, I would have 20 kids join my summer program. It’s crazy to have that many kids in the area want to spend an hour a day swimming. I loved sharing that with these kids.” After graduation, McLean is headed to Penn State University to study environmental law with a generous scholarship that covers 90 percent of her tuition and fees. “The plan is to study environmental law, which will enhance my biology degree,” McLean said. “There is the potential to do a master’s degree in agricultural policy or a Ph.D. in addition to the law degree. I will decide if I want to pursue one of those degrees after my first year of law school.”

Graduate Photo of Avery McLean by DJ Webb from Barefoot Mama Studios.

Among her many pursuits, McLean has also served as a team leader and committee chair for Girls of Promise for three years. “Girls of Promise is a great initiative,” McLean said. “I signed up as a team leader and I fell in love with the conference. All of the girls I led are getting ready to graduate from high school. Those girls become your children during the conference. After the conference, I was asked to join the committee. I was the youngest team leader, and now I push for all Little Rock students to be team leaders. I like to see people who are not much older than those students come in there and give them advice on what classes to take and the people who can help you.” As her parents’ only child, McLean knows that she will eventually move back home to help run the family farm. While visiting Texas, McLean met a Texas A&M educated world-renowned Simmental advocate who manages a cattle farm owned by a successful lawyer. She found that fortuitous visit as proof that she can have the life and career she’s always dreamed of. “I realized I could still have a career and run the family farm,” she said. “I can have someone on the ground so I can still pursue my dreams in policy making, politics, and law. The agricultural community is very important to me. Who am I to say to make these changes when I’ve left my community and abandoned it?” McLean became interested in politics during middle school. During the Canadian national election, McLean recalls that one of her teachers became upset. She was certain that taxes would be raised because the newly elected politicians didn’t understand the agricultural industry. “My teacher asked me if I was going to run for prime minister,” McLean said. “I started to think about how I can get a chance to be a part of the national conversation. I figured that lawyers, accountants, and doctors are the ones that people typically vote for. I don’t want to be a general lawyer because the environment is the next step that the world needs to concentrate on, and agriculture is a big part of the environment. People are so often uneducated about the issues we want to make policies on. I want to be in the conversations when these policies are made.”

Chatterjee named 2021 Whitbeck Memorial Award winner

John Hill — Thu, 13 May 2021 15:00:34 +0000

The impressive achievements of future doctor Stuti Chatterjee have earned her the honor of the 2021 Edward L. Whitbeck Memorial Award at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.�� Frank L. and Beverly Whitbeck established the award in memory of their son, Edward Lynn Whitbeck, who was a senior at Little Rock University, the predecessor of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, at the time of his death in 1965. Each scholar receives a personalized plaque and a monetary award. “The Whitbeck Award is given to the outstanding graduating senior,” said Dr. Simon Hawkins, director of the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program. “Stuti is outstanding in so many ways, but more than that, she is inspirational. She represents the best of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Stuti’s education has changed her. It has given her so much, and she has given so much back to the university and the larger community.” Chatterjee, a Donaghey Scholar from Bryant, earned the Whitbeck Award while double majoring in chemistry and biology at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. After graduation, Chatterjee will be taking a gap year to work and to study for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) before going to medical school in the fall 2022 semester. “I think that medicine is one of those fields where you never stop learning,” she said. “It’s also one of the most giving fields. Showing empathy and compassion is something you don’t get to do at all jobs.” While at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Chatterjee worked with Dr. Noureen Siraj, assistant professor of chemistry, to study the use of nanodrugs for effective cancer cell therapies. “I created a more non-invasive approach to treat cancer cells,” Chatterjee said. “Usually nanoparticles that are used to treat cancer are made out of gold. It works, but it’s very expensive. We are looking for organic elements that can be exchanged for gold in nanoparticles.” Chatterjee has received two SURF (Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship) grants and three Signature Experience Awards from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to fund her research. Her research project, “Tunable sized combination nanodrugs based on ionic materials,” has earned Chatterjee a second place award at the Student Research and Creative Works Expo at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as well as an honorable mention for the INBRE (Idea Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence) Conference this year. She was also named the 2020 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Student for the Department of Chemistry. Even though she has received many accolades for her research on how to treat cancer using nanotechnology, Chatterjee is planning to specialize in pediatrics. A native of India, Chatterjee moved to Arkansas with her family when she was just 10 years old. Her father had received a job offer in Arkansas, and the move also provided the opportunity for better medical treatment for her brother, Sanidhya. “My brother had a brain hemorrhage when he was a child,” she said. “My parents thought he would have a better chance for treatment in the U.S. That is another thing that made me want to go into medicine. It was a doctor’s mistake that caused his hemorrhage, but it was also a doctor that fixed it. I saw firsthand the damage it can cause, but I also saw how that medical knowledge can be used to help someone.” Chatterjee also thanked her parents, Monish and Atima Chatterjee, for being a huge source of support as she finished her bachelor’s degrees.�� “I want to include my parents as role models who helped me succeed in college,” she said. “They have supported me so much by calling me and bringing in food. They have made my life easier by helping me do what I need to do.” In the healthcare field, Chatterjee also works with Dr. Meghan Wilson, a rehabilitation medicine physician at ��Vlog��ýMS who has tetraplegia from a spinal cord injury. Chatterjee assists Dr. Wilson with daily activities as well as clinical work by writing notes, performing patient exams, and conducting rounds on patients. “Stuti is able to empathize and show compassion when needed but is also focused and gets things done in an efficient manner,” Wilson said. “She asks questions about different diagnoses and is genuinely interested in my approach throughout the day. Her compassion and curiosity are what make her stand out from her fellow coworkers. Whether our team has 12 or 5 patients, Stuti is able to work with the same enthusiasm. She has also been kind and supportive when I have gone through difficult times, and I believe she has a genuine passion for helping others.” A firm believer in empowering women in STEM, Chatterjee volunteered with Girls of Promise while at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, though she has been an advocate for much longer. “When I was in high school, there were no women in my robotics program,” she said. “I started my own all-girls robotics team. It seemed like a boys club, and I didn’t want that to deter the girls from participating. We ended up going to the world competition.” During her time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Chatterjee has also served on the Student Government Association and learned Python to code a camera to monitor the Arkansas River for a professor’s research project. In healthcare, she worked as a research associate at ��Vlog��ýMS. Her supervisor, Dr. Michael Wilson, hired her to copy edit his book, “Behavioral Emergencies for the Healthcare Provider.”�� “Looking back at my achievements, I have been driven not only by my passion for science but by using that passion to give back to the community,” Chatterjee said. “Through my involvement within various organizations and performing well in academics, I hope to inspire and pave the way for the future classes of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.”

Donaghey Scholars leader selected for Leadership Greater Little Rock program

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 13:49:42 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock employee with a love of helping the community has been selected for the 35th class of Leadership Greater Little Rock. As the associate director of the Donaghey Scholars Program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Dr. Jessica Scott sees the Leadership Greater Little Rock program as an opportunity to find out how she can better help the Little Rock community and as a way to make connections to provide more opportunities for the students she mentors at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.�� Established in 1985 by the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Greater Little Rock brings together about 50 community leaders from businesses, nonprofits, and governments for a nine-month community leadership program. This program has empowered participants with a comprehensive understanding of the region’s challenges and opportunities.�� “Working with the Donaghey Scholars program, I have made it a priority to help our Scholars engage with the city more broadly and to give them more experience in the community through volunteer, internship, and job opportunities,” Scott said. “Those are the kinds of experiences that can help invest our students in the city of Little Rock, hopefully encourage them to stay here after they graduate and continue contributing to the community.”�� The 2019-20 Leadership Greater Little Rock program kicked off with a two-day retreat Oct. 6-7. Each month, the class of 54 people meets at a different central Arkansas location to explore topics through expert speakers, panelists, tours, and group presentations. The program covers a full slate of topics, including government, economy, education, social services, and more.�� Scott, a Benton native, left Central Arkansas to attend college, where she earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in anthropology and a Ph.D. in environmental dynamics from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. After returning to Little Rock in 2011 to begin her career at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Scott became invested in helping the city.�� “Since I’ve been back in Little Rock, I have really tried to make sure I am an engaged member of the community,” she said. “After graduate school, I realized the importance of giving back to the community, and I decided I needed to be more civically engaged. We have a responsibility to the communities that we are a part of to help make them better.”�� It’s a lesson that she passes on.�� “We have a responsibility to be actively engaged in our communities, and that is something I try to teach my students,” Scott said. “One of the nice things about this leadership program is that the other members of the class represent different organizations in the area. This gives me so many opportunities to make connections that can eventually turn into opportunities for my students and potential collaborations for the university. I think that is priceless.”�� Scott’s colleague, Dr. Simon Hawkins, director of the Donaghey Scholars program, said that Scott’s work in Little Rock serves as an inspiration to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students.�� “Jessica works tirelessly not only to improve the safety of the city and to ensure equitable growth, but to build connections between the university and the larger community,” Hawkins said. “She is always looking for opportunities to make connections between the university and community groups, drawing on her impressive network of contacts to introduce interested figures in the city and the university to each other, whether that be finding mentors or potential internships to students, guest lecturers for colleagues courses, or partnerships for programs. The city and the university are stronger because of her work.”�� Scott currently serves as a board member for the Arkansas Zoological Foundation and Just Communities of Arkansas. Most recently, she has enjoyed volunteering on Little Rock Mayor Scott Frank’s subcommittee on public safety and accountability, which has given her a great opportunity to learn about how the city of Little Rock runs.�� “I want to figure out where my skills and talents can best be used in the city,” Scott said. “I think Little Rock has so much potential to grow and to really be a model Southern city. Right now, we have a lot of challenges, but I am excited about the work the mayor is doing in the community, and I want to support that.”

Helgestad looks forward to giving back to the community through dentistry

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 20 May 2019 13:06:56 +0000

Ingrid Helgestad, 22, of Bryant, has been considering becoming a dentist since she was 14. To encourage this goal, Helgestad’s parents, Karl and Tara Helgestad, took her on a mission trip to Guatemala with St. James United Methodist Church when she was 17. She can remember the exact moment when she decided to become a dentist.�� “When we went to Guatemala, I asked specifically to assist in the dentistry portion. I assisted Dr. Tina Nichols,” Helgestad said. “Since they don’t have enough time to do bridges, the dentists pull all the teeth and the patients get dentures. I remember standing there holding 20 bloody teeth for one woman who was getting dentures. Even though these people were in pain, they were leaving with so much hope because they were about to get their health back. This is when I solidified that dentistry is what I wanted to do in college.” Helgestad graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on May 11 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and is well on her way to becoming a dentist. She already works as a registered dental assistant with Dr. Kathleen Good Ederle in Little Rock and is applying to dental schools this month. “I like dentistry because I enjoy doing art and being creative, but I also enjoy business. Combining these areas together is what general dentistry is like,” she said. “Working as a dental assistant, I see how happy people get even with just a little cosmetic work to their teeth.” After graduating from Bryant High School in 2015, Helgestad decided on ��Vlog��ý Little Rock after meeting the faculty and being accepted to the Donaghey Scholars program, which covered her tuition, fees, and housing while providing a living stipend, computer, and study abroad assistance. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock was the perfect medium between a small school environment and a big school environment,” Helgestad said. “Once I got a tour of the facilities, met the professors, and received the Donaghey scholarship, it was a no brainer. I had a great experience with every professor I met.” While at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Helgestad found she had a knack for business and entrepreneurship. She was part of a medical startup company, Spiritum Solutions, with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students Noah Asher and Nick Lester. The start-up was selected for the Delta I-Fund Business Accelerator program in the fall 2017 semester and won first place in the undergraduate division of the Arkansas Governor’s Cup in April 2018. Helgestad developed a prototype for a device that reduces unplanned extubations in critical care units. “Winning the Governor’s Cup is a highlight of my college career, but the thing that sticks out the most to me at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is how close I am to my professors,” Helgestad said. “To me, that is way more important than being in a lecture hall with 400 students. Dr. Brian Berry from the Chemistry Department, Dr. David Tonkyn from the Biology Department, and Dr. Jessica Scott and Dr. Simon Hawkins from the Donaghey Scholars have always been there for me. Having support from my chairs and the Donaghey Scholars program has led to my success.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Donaghey Scholars and best friends Ingrid Helgestad, left, and Abby Resendiz, right, congratulate each other after their commencement ceremony on May 11. Photo by Ben Krain.

As someone who is very grateful for the help she received in her college career, Helgestad has given back to the community by volunteering with Girls of Promise Annual STEM Conference, Girl Scouts, CARE for Animals, Habitat for Humanity, and the 12th Street Health and Wellness Dental Clinic. “The Girls of Promise STEM Conference was my favorite volunteer experience in college,” she said. “I became a team leader, and I was kind of afraid because I was in charge of 13- and 14-year-old girls. I’ve always been an advocate for girls and women to do what they can do without feeling like they aren’t good enough. I tell these girls that they are worthy and smart and totally capable of doing anything they want to do. All the girls in my group wanted to do computer science or physics and biology, and it was really fun to see their faces light up when they talked about it.” Helgestad also continued her love of service in the dental area. At the beginning of the 2018-19 school year, she and a classmate, Brendan Frazier, started a student chapter of the Natural Teeth Ambassador program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Theoutreach program focuses on dental care that educates at-risk elementary school students and families in the Little Rock area. Last year, the ambassadors visited two elementary schools and hope to reach more this year. “It’s called the Superhero program, and we use lots of different fun activities to get kids excited about being superheroes,” she said. “They combat the bad guys, plaque and acid, with their special tools, toothpaste and floss. At the end of the program, we give them dental supplies donated by Delta Dental.” At the end of her ��Vlog��ý Little Rock education, Helgestad said that combining her love of dentistry, engineering, and business is what made the journey so special. “I definitely have enjoyed getting to incorporate business and entrepreneurship into my college experience,” she explained. “I was unsure when I first started how I was going to do that. It’s crazy that I combined everything I love into my college experience – dentistry, engineering through the medical device, and business. I’m really proud and excited that this community has supported me in doing that.”

Donaghey Scholars to present final projects May 7-9

Janea Snyder — Mon, 06 May 2019 22:12:02 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Donaghey Scholars spring graduates will present their final project presentations May 7-9. The 45-minute presentations will take place in Dickinson Hall Room 209 and will showcase the projects the honors students have worked on the past year.��The final projects are an integral part of the Donaghey Scholars curriculum. “They must be a substantial piece of individual work, and as such are a crucial component to Scholars life after college. They aren’t just learning about how to do things; they are doing them, and that makes them competitive to employers and graduate schools,” said Simon Hawkins, director of the Donaghey Scholars program. “The range is always staggering, from chemistry research to novel drafts to political analyses to important work for community groups. It is particularly pleasing to see so many projects have a community focus.” Historically, about a third of the projects have been centered on the community. Many projects are research-oriented, such as examining the water quality in Fourche Creek or studying the soil in different enclosures at the Little Rock Zoo, while other students have gathered data specifically for community organizations, such as the Historic Arkansas Museum. Still others provide direct services for community groups, designing web pages for schools and developing fundraising programs for nonprofits. Over the years, several ��entrepreneurial students have turned their final projects into thriving businesses, Hawkins said. The presentation schedule is as follows: Tuesday, May 7 10-10:45 ��Luke Tyhurst – Rykos: Interactive Problem Solving for the Modern World 11-11:45 ��Julie O’Hara – The Effects of Elite Discourses on Secessionist Movements 12-12:45 ��Ingrid Helgestad – The Evolution of a Novel Medical Device: Solving the Problem of Unplanned Extubations in ICUs 1-1:45 p.m. ��Jessica Morris – Evaluating Variations in Soil Composition Among Enclosures at the Little Rock Zoo 2-2:45 p.m. ��Nicole Ursin – Understanding Museum Demographics: Historic Arkansas Museum Wednesday, May 8 12-12:45 ��Willow Moyer – Gibbs Elementary Website Project and Web Portfolio 1-1:45 ��Alex Palmer – Medical Marijuana and Federalism 3-3:45 ��Grishma KC – Characterization of a Novel Multi-Copper Cyanobacterial Laccase 4-4:45 ��Taemora Williams – Grassroots Fundraising: A Sustainable Development Plan for Partners in Knowledge Thursday, May 9 9-9:45 a.m. ��Mirah Dievernich – Cell Phone Use in the Neonatal ��Intensive Care Unit 10-10:45 a.m. Abigail Resendiz – Vascugenix Business Plan: Bringing a Medical Device to Market 11-11:45 a.m. Maxwell Campbell – Potential Impacts of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds on the Fourche Creek Ecosystem 12-12:45 p.m. ��Arooba Ilyas – Purification of Water Using Different Adsorbents 3-3:45 p.m. ��Tyler Maxwell – De Novo Biosynthesis of Resveratrol in Metabolically-Engineered Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

��Vlog��ý Little Rock community competes in Little Rock Marathon

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 12:56:22 +0000

Nearly 70 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty, staff, and students spent a rainy weekend staying active and healthy while competing in the Little Rock Marathon March 2-3.�� The top ��Vlog��ý Little Rock runners included Karl Lenser, campus wellness coordinator, who came in 40th out of 3,200 racers in the Half Marathon with an average of 6:56 per mile. “Overall, I was pleased that I finished, which is always my No. 1 goal, and that my time was pretty good for an old guy,” Lenser said. “The race attracted runners from almost every state plus 17 countries. It was a competitive field of runners.” Simon Hawkins, director of the Donaghey Scholars Program, finished 63rd in the Marathon with a time of 3:32:29 and an average of 8:07 per mile. Rebecca Nugent, student activities coordinator at William H. Bowen School of Law, was also a top ��Vlog��ý Little Rock competitor after finishing 110th in the Half Marathon with a time of 1:41:21 and an average time of 7:44 per mile. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock sponsored participants in the Little Rock Marathon with a discounted entry fee, training sessions, and T-shirts. A ��Vlog��ý Little Rock team of volunteers also braved the weather to host a hydration station between the sixth and seventh mile marker of the Little Rock Marathon course near the Dassault Falcon jet facility. “The group braved cold temperatures for hours, a continuous drizzle, and some flurries with the trademark Trojan spirit and big smiles,” said Dr. Abhijit Bhattacharyya, dean of the Graduate School.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock volunteers host a hydration station between the sixth and seventh mile marker of the Little Rock Marathon.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock participants and their times include: 5K Adam Clements, 1:02:47 Jeremy Clements, 1:03:22 Sarah Clemonts, 1:02:52 Serhan Dagtas, 28:15 Natalie DeHart, 52:30 Tierra Isbell, 39:38 Elizabeth Jarrott, 40:08 Moyosooreoluwa Kemi-Rotimi, 38:21 Andrea Lambert, 39:29 Christopher McKenney, 28;14 Joshua Millner, 27:46 Zhu Qing Nim, 35:37 Ashley Pearson, 38:14 Russ Riegel, 35:21 Sabrenna Rodgers-Lee, 56:35 Carson Runnells, 39:45 Allison Smith, 1:02:59 Donna Smith, 1:03:21 Kalyca Spinler, 42:12 Brenda Thomas, 1:09:44 Connie Wordlaw, 1:04:01 10K Abbas Al-Wahhamy, 1:20:43 Mark Baillie, 1:06:53 Ahmad Bajwa, 1:18:41 Kassandra Castrillo, 1:17:43 Chia-Chu Chiang, 1:27:47 Aaron David, 59:10 Jonas David, 1:24:29 Samantha Devilbiss, 1:17:42 Kishma Francis, 1:49:20 William Harbison, 49:31 Jennifer Ivory, 1:49:20 Lakeshia Jones, 1:06:53 Bronwyn MacFarlane, 1:43:55 Londie Martin, 1:10:42 Erin Mason, 1:21:16 Elvis Mull, 1:19:20 Shakarie Murphy, 1:57:11 Don O’Donnell, 1:27 Rachel Pelissier, 1:38:33 Kyle Pierson, 44:29 Elizabeth Rivera, 1:00:44 Half Marathon Matthew Erwin, 2:07:09 Kristina Farmer, 2:41:56 Bailey Fohr, 2:35:02 Shannon Gwinn, 3:17:09 Ryan Miller, 1:50:05 Joshua Millner, 2:14:39 Josuanne Nduku, 3:12:26 Rebecca Nugent, 1:41:21 Don O’Donnell, 3:28:10 Kyle Pierson, 2:59:59 Wintersage Red Horse, 2:26:51 Sabrenna Rodgers-Lee, 3:57:12 Jessica Scott, 2:34:34 Gregory Sorenson, 2:02:30 Full Marathon Simon Hawkins, 3:32:29 Billy Spann, 5:50:53 Christy Spann, 4:24:40 Nathan Street, 3:34:06 David Trower, 6:20:16 Austin Yockey, 4:22:02 In the upper right photo,��Dr. Simon Hawkins and Dr. Jessica Scott of the Donaghey Scholars Program proudly show off their Little Rock Marathon medals.��

Graduating student plans to make difference by teaching in high-needs urban schools

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 17:39:28 +0000

When Jessica Tate, a 22-year-old native of Nashville, Arkansas, spent this summer teaching English as a second language in China, what she experienced led her to make a life-changing decision.�� “What I saw in China blew my mind,” Tate said. “I went to five different schools over the course of my internship, so I got to see the disparities in educational access. It gave me a totally new perspective.” Tate will graduate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Saturday, Dec. 15, earning two Bachelor of Arts degrees in international studies and Spanish. For many years, Tate assumed she would join the United Nations as an interpreter following her graduation, or perhaps a think tank to do research on international policies. But the internship she completed in China, a part of her requirement for her international studies degree, changed those plans. “The internship legitimately changed my life,” she said. “There was one school where we had to teach in this building that seemed so disconnected from the rest of campus. I remember being in this building that was meant to be a gym. I didn’t have access to a computer, projector, or desks. I only had a small board, and I had to squat down in order to write anything to teach. It was really that experience that opened my eyes to that I should be doing something that is fulfilling to me.” Tate applied and has been accepted to a four-year teacher residency position with the, a nonprofit organization operating in Dallas, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. The mission of Urban Teachers is to prepare highly effective teachers who are committed to teaching students in school districts that need them most. In June, Tate will move to Baltimore, where she will teach secondary mathematics in high-need schools, all while earning her state teacher license and earning a Master of Science degree in education from Johns Hopkins University School of Education. After graduating high school at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts in 2014, Tate started at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as a recipient of the Donaghey Scholars Program. The campuswide honors program includes full tuition and fees, a living stipend, financial assistance toward a study abroad program, a housing subsidy, and a new laptop computer. “I was very fortunate to have the Donaghey Scholars Program,” she said. “I get to graduate debt free, and I am very thankful for that. Meeting new people was the most enjoyable part.” Dr. Simon Hawkins, director of the Donaghey Scholars Program, described Tate as an inspiring student who always rises to the challenge. “Jessica is one of those inspiring students who takes advantage of everything ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has to offer, both in the classroom and the world,” Hawkins said. “She is the model of a well-rounded student who always seeks challenges, whether it be teaching English in Mongolia or learning photography and piano or tackling world quality research with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty. She is driven by a desire to understand the world. Many of her experiences have been hard and have pushed her personally and intellectually, but she has always risen to the challenge.” She credits Dr. Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm and Dr. Joseph Giammo, professors in the School of Public Affairs, as two of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock professors who helped her the most. “I have been very lucky to have some professors like Dr. Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm and Dr. Joe Giammo. Dr. Brahm has helped me a lot to try to figure out my life. He’s been a great mentor to have, and I have learned a lot from him. He is one of the most knowledgeable people I know. He cares about his students and wants to see the best for them. Dr. Giammo was very helpful and understanding. I enjoyed his classes, and he was a good mentor.” Working with Wiebelhaus-Brahm also gave Tate amazing research experience. She completed three research projects with him. The most memorable project was to evaluate the effectiveness of a hybrid peace operation in South Sudan, a project that she presented in the university’s Student Research and Creative Works Expo and the College of Social Sciences and Communication Research Symposium. During the six months between graduation and her move to Baltimore, Tate plans to get a job and earn some money, but she also has some major life events to look forward to. As part of her graduation present, Tate and her mother will travel to the Philippines to visit her mother’s family. “My mom and I are going to the Philippines for a whole month as part of my graduation present to visit the homeland and visit my family,” Tate said. “My mom and I have been planning this for a long time. It’s part of the reason I studied so hard. I wanted to do this for my mom. I’ve never been there before, and I’m going to meet my family for the first time over there.” On May 17, 2019, Tate will marry her fiancé, Zachary Cochran, a senior economics major at the university who will graduate next May. They met at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock when Cochran was taking a Spanish class and needed a tutor, who turned out to be Tate. “I was reading a book, ‘The End of Poverty,’ she said. “He looked at the book, and said ‘I know that book.’ We talked about how much we like the Penguin publishing company. We hit it off first thing. It happens when you have two bookish people. We even have these book dates where we go to Barnes and Noble to sit down and read.” In the upper right photo, graduating senior Jessica Tate is an avid reader and origami artist. Photo by Benjamin Krain.��

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