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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock and Arkansas Federal Credit Union to Host Financial Wellness Fair

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 13:24:11 +0000

Students and the campus community can learn to create financial goals and make smart money choices at the free Financial Wellness Fair to be held 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, at the Donaghey Student Center Leadership Lounge and Meeting Room D.�� The event will provide the tools necessary to make sound financial decisions and maximize income. Participants will learn effective ways to manage money, including strategies for navigating difficult financial situations and how to identify threats to financial health. Financial aid, banking services, savings, student loan debt, budgeting, identity theft, and keeping financial information safe. The fair is sponsored by the Arkansas Federal Credit Union and hosted by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock STEM Education Center.�� Ultimately, event organizers hope to inspire participants to develop a long-term financial plan that considers the connection between money decisions made today and how those decisions will affect tomorrow.�� Participants whose goal is to expand their financial savviness will benefit from topics on consumer credit, debt reduction, investing, home buying, estate planning, tax planning, insurance needs, unemployment and retirement/social security. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Lakeshia Jones at lljones3@ualr.edu.

Arkansas educators bring robotics to life at STEM workshop

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 18:44:32 +0000

A dozen Arkansas middle and high school teachers spent a day on the other side of the classroom learning how to build and program robots as part of a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professional development workshop at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.�� Parallax Inc., the maker of ActivityBot 360 robot, and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s STEM Education Center hosted the free one-day workshop on Aug. 2, where Arkansas educators learned how to build the ActivityBot 360 and program the robot using a simple programming language, BlocklyProp. “Parallax has chosen ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as one of their summer training sites,” said Sandra Leiterman, math specialist in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock STEM Education Center. “The goal of the workshop is for all the educators to incorporate what they learn into their computer science and robotics classes.” Educators gained an introduction to circuit building using real-world electronic components and learned how to use the robot and programming language in semester-long courses. At the end of the workshop, the teachers got to keep the robot to use in their classrooms. Nicholas Murry, who teaches automation and robotics at Dunbar Middle School, is planning to get about 20 robots to use with his 60 students. “I thought the workshop was very productive and useful for my classes,” Murry said. “The robot comes with a kit that you can follow step-by-step and is standard for everyone to build it. The kids will enjoy this. I want my students to get the experience of programming and controlling a robot, learning how to code it, and how it can benefit people in real life.”�� Miguel Rodriquez, a Parallax employee who taught the workshop, said he loves seeing educators see how it easy it can be to build a robot and come up with fun activities that can be used in the classroom. Some of the most popular student projects he’s seen include having the robots emit a hissing sound when someone is standing in the robot’s path or dance when a certain song is played. He’s seen many robots dancing in sync to the “Baby Shark” song. “Learning to program can be a steep curve, but Blockly makes that learning curve not as steep,” Rodriguez said. “Students won’t have to worry so much about syntax. The ActivityBot 360 is really easy to program, and it can be used in real-world projects. In one commercial application, farmers used it to modify drones to pollinate their crops.”

Students travel far and wide to learn new robotics skills at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 13:30:57 +0000

Cody Gay, a soon-to-be seventh grader from Red Cross, Georgia, was determined to learn more about robotic sensors this summer to improve his skills.�� After not finding any summer camps near his home, Gay’s father searched online and found the VEX IQ Advanced Robotics Camp at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, which focuses on advanced building and programming strategies and the use of sensors. “I liked that I learned how to program sensors,” Gay said. “That’s what I came here to do and for the experience.” As part of their summer vacation, the Gay family camped in Burns Park in North Little Rock, giving Cody, now entering his fourth year of competitions, the chance to advance his understanding of robotics. It’s a move that seems to be paying off as Gay’s team, “Technobros,” took first place in the camp’s competition on July 12. “I’m excited and proud of my team for winning. Robotics is different, and you can make a good career out of it,” Gay said. “I’m thinking about going into engineering or something that involves STEM.” Sandra Leiterman, math specialist in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, said the robotics summer camp program, now in its third year, is teaching students the skills they need to enter STEM careers that are in high demand. Last year, an estimated 2.4 million STEM jobs went unfulfilled, according to the “This camp went quite well. We are really impressed with how well the students focused on sensors,” Leiterman said. “Robotics automation and computer programing is the wave of the future. These kids are primed to learn so many transferable skills – hard work, teamwork, and communication – that they will use in their future careers.”

Teams of students in grades 3-8 prepare their robots to compete in the filed challenge in the VEX IQ Advanced Robotics Camp. Photo by Ben Krain.

A third of the camp’s students traveled more than two hours from the Lakeside School District in Lake Village. Jennifer Armstrong, a gifted and talented teacher, and Christine Davenport, a computer technology teacher, brought 12 fourth-through-eighth-grade students from the school district’s robotics program to learn some new skills at the camp. “Our robotics program has about 35 students, and each team member will take back what they learn to teach to our program’s eight competitive teams,” Armstrong said. “The world is heading toward STEM careers,” Davenport added. “Having this background will be immensely important to them in the future. So many careers will require coding skills.” Jaiden Rutan, a rising eighth-grader on a team called “Robonados,” said he was looking forward to putting his new skills to work in the upcoming school year. “I like how we are able to get used to the game before the competition began,” he said. “I learned how to use new sensors in my robots, which will be great in upcoming competitions.” Jimmy Skaletski, a rising ninth-grader, traveled from Germany to attend the camp.�� “My dad is related to one of the robotics teachers, and I wanted to learn how to build robots using a new program,” Skaletski said. “In my school, we have an extracurricular robotic program, but it’s different than VEX IQ. I enjoyed learning new programming skills, and driving the robots is fun.” ��

��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty members work to improve student success, graduate rates

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 14:45:44 +0000

More than 30 faculty members from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock spent four days learning strategies to improve student success and increase graduation rates on campus.�� The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Academy for Teaching and Learning Excellence, the STEM Education Center, and the Office of the Provost hosted the Mobile Summer Institute on Scientific Teaching May 20-23 at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown. This training workshop was driven by the reality that less than half of undergraduate students in the U.S. complete their degrees, which is particularly true for historically underrepresented groups. This workshop was an immersive experience where faculty members participated in an active learning environment while engaging with research-based evidence on learning and effective teaching practices. Dr. Mark Baillie, assistant professor of chemistry and STRIVE director with the STEM Education Center, led the workshop along with a team of education reform leaders from across the country. The trainers included Peggy Brickman, Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Georgia; Kirsten Coe, assistant professor of biology at Middlebury College; Troy Nash and Breonna Martin, biology lecturers at Mercer University; Tarren Shaw, biology lecturer at the University of Oklahoma; and Suann Yang, assistant professor of biology at SUNY Geneseo. Chris Etheridge, assistant professor of multimedia storytelling, said the workshop providing him with many examples to measure active learning in his classes. “I have always thought of mass communication as a field that has excelled in active learning,” Etheridge said. “We like to get students out of the classroom and into the real world to learn by doing. The traditional styles of teaching – lectures, quizzes, exams, and research papers — is what I know because it’s how I learned. When I reflect on my time as a student, the times where I felt I learned the most, were the times where I was actively engaging with complex and challenging topics related to the course. Now, I have a lot more in-class techniques and ideas for assignments that will clearly measure learning.” Faculty members wrapped up the four-day workshop with a strategic planning session, where participants brainstormed what they can do to improve student success across the campus and what they need from university administrators to increase their impact. Chancellor Andrew Rogerson, Provost Christina Drale, and many college deans and department chairs attended the session to hear ideas from faculty members. “We had more than 20 administrators from the university attend and hear how the faculty members want to make the university better and increase student success,” Baillie said. “It was a nice venue to begin having these conversations and to open up the lines of communication between faculty and administration.” Groups of faculty members gave three-minute presentations on the top ideas that faculty members think can best help to increase student success and teaching practices. The ideas include establishing a childcare center on campus; establishing programs and activities that foster a sense of community on campus; increasing opportunities for professional development and mentoring for faculty members; optimizing more spaces on campus for student-centered learning; implementing new innovative practices in the classroom, and course relief for professors who are developing and implementing these innovative teaching methods. Dr. Kirk Leach, assistant professor of public administration, attended the workshop in search of new tools and ideas to restructure his nonprofit management course. “I wanted to get a firmer grounding on active teaching methods and a framework to evaluate my teaching effectiveness,” Leach said. “The workshop was phenomenal. The facilitators were very knowledgeable and generous with their time. They spent a lot of time on small group sessions guiding us through the process of backward design and how to implement it in course design. I’ve learned how to develop a more engaged classroom, where students are empowered and have ownership in their learning.”

New lecture series offers unique dual view on medical research, issues

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 17:18:33 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is offering a new seminar series giving people a unique experience to hear from those working to improve human health from both the clinical and research perspective. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock STEM Education Center, in partnership with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, has started the Friends of Medicine 2019 seminar series. One research guest and one clinical guest are invited to share their story for 20 minutes followed by a question-and-answer session. The next session, “Studying the Brain,” will begin at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, at Fribourgh Hall room 102. Dr. Antiño Recio Allen, assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy at ��Vlog��ýMS, will talk about research on the effects of space radiation on cognition and brain physiology. Next, Dr. Analiz Rodriguez, director of neurosurgical oncology at ��Vlog��ýMS, will inform the crowded on cutting-edge treatments for brain cancer. The April 17 seminar will feature Dr. Jason Stumhofer, associate professor at ��Vlog��ýMS, who will give a presentation on Malaria-related immune cell response and memory. His lecture partner, Dr. Brandy Utter, a family physician at Conway Regional Medical Center, will discuss how hospitals guide patient care. The final seminar on April 24 will feature Dr. Roger Pechous, assistant professor at ��Vlog��ýMS, who will reveal what scientists can learn from studying the Plague. Additionally, Dr. Steven Cherney, orthopedic surgeon at ��Vlog��ýMS, will discuss how research in clinical orthopedic trauma surgery can lead to improved patient outcomes. The seminar series began on March 27 with a lecture on ovarian cancer. Dr. Jia Liu, assistant professor at ��Vlog��ýMS, detailed how viruses are used to treat ovarian cancer, while Stephanie Carper, a former ��Vlog��ý Little Rock employee, spoke about her journey from diagnosis to surviving ovarian cancer. During an April 1 session on public health, Dr. Chris Hopkinson, a primary care physician with an interest in community healthcare, talked about an international perspective on healthcare from an English physician. Meanwhile, Dr. Tiffany Weinkopff, assistant professor at ��Vlog��ýMS, spoke about research on infectious diseases, parasites, and the immune system. All seminars are held from 4-5:30 p.m. in Fribourgh Hall Room 102. Fill out the to RSVP for an upcoming seminar.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock STEM Education Center to host girls’ STEM conference

Janea Snyder — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 20:45:12 +0000

Middle school girls from around central Arkansas will be on the University of Arkansas at Little Rock campus on Friday, April 13, for the Girls STEM Leadership Conference organized by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s STEM Education Center. The half-day event brings together seventh- and eighth-grade girls for STEM sessions and a panel discussion led by women working in STEM fields. Participating schools include Pulaski Academy, Quest, eStem, and Mabelvale Middle School. The conference is the second such conference hosted this year at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. The first conference on March 27 served about 100 students from North Little Rock Middle School. A third conference will be held later this year. “We’re here to promote STEM education at the university and within the school districts closest to us,” said Kent Layton, interim director of STEM Education Center. The conferences aim to educate girls about career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Last year, the center served 400 girls.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to host Arkansas Science Olympiad April 6-7

Janea Snyder — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 14:37:42 +0000

This weekend more than 300 middle- and high-school students from across Arkansas will convene at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for the 8th annual Arkansas Science Olympiad, which is coordinated through the university’s STEM Education Center. The opening ceremony begins at 6 p.m. Friday, April 6, in Dickinson Hall lobby, and competitions run Saturday, April 7, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. around campus. Students will compete for prizes and the chance to advance to the National Science Olympiad to be held May 18-19 at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. This year’s Science Olympiad features 42 events – 21 for middle school students (grades 6-8) and 21 events in the high school division (grades 9-12). Each event presents a challenge that students have to solve within a time limit. Medals will be awarded in each event, and trophies awarded to highest-scoring teams. New this year is the Raye Montague Trophy, which will be awarded to the highest-ranking majority female team. The award is named in honor of Arkansas native Raye Montague, an engineer for the U.S. Navy who in 1970 created the first computer-generated rough draft of a naval ship. She was given a month to complete the assignment and finished the task in 19 hours. (Raye Montague is also the mother of David Montague, director of eLearning and professor of criminal justice at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.) “One of the goals of Science Olympiad is to encourage more women to participate in the sciences, and we encourage them through competition,” said Eric Kaufmann, professor and director of undergraduate studies of mathematics and statistics, and state director of the Arkansas Science Olympiad. The competition started with just seven teams in 2011; this year 29 teams are competing. This is also the first year for multiple regional tournaments with earlier competitions held at Northwest Arkansas Community College and ASU-Newport. Participating schools include Central Arkansas Christian School in North Little Rock, Benton High, Sylvan Hills High in Sherwood, Parkview Science and Arts Magnet in Little Rock, Lisa Academy West, Lisa Academy North High, Lisa Academy��North Middle, Lisa Academy Chenal, Haas Hall Academy in Fayetteville and Bentonville, Little Rock Central High School, County Line High in Branch, Nettleton Junior High and High schools, The Academies at Jonesboro, Little Rock Christian Academy, Cabot Junior High and Annie Camp Junior High��in Jonesboro. “It’s definitely growing,” Kaufmann said. “Our entire goal was to get students excited about science, and there’s an enthusiasm in these students. Science Olympiad just brings it out.” About three dozen ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty have a hand in this year’s events – from devising the competitions to running them. Scientists from ��Vlog��ýMS, the Arkansas Geologic Survey, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, Museum of Discovery, Central Arkansas Astronomical Society, and the Little Rock Zoo also are helping run the events. In addition, about two dozen undergraduate and graduate students will be assisting as community service. “It’s really a tremendous outreach program,” said Thomas Clifton, interim dean of the College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “Our community partners really help us make this event a success, and our own students get very involved. It’s our hope that every middle school or high school student who participates in Science Olympiad feels the excitement that comes from solving a problem and reaching a goal.” Here’s just a few of the creative challenges the students will have waiting for them when they get to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock: Battery Buggy – Students bring their pre-built buggy to the event and are given a set distance their buggy must travel. They must design a cart to travel that exact distance in the quickest time and stop at the target point. Mystery Architecture – Student have 30 minutes to design, build, and test a structure (bridge, tower, or cantilever beam) using unknown materials. Wright Stuff – ��Students design, build, and launch rubber-band powered balsa wood airplanes. The plane that stays in air the longest is the winner. Game-On: ��Students are given a theme and have 50 minutes to design and develop a computer game using the program SCRATCH. Hovercraft – Students take a written test that covers mechanics, and then they build a craft, which must travel from Point A to Point B in a certain time. Missions Possible (Rube Goldberg Machine.) The challenge: Build a simple machine in the most complicated way possible. Towers – The team that designs the lightest tower that supports the most weight will be declared the winner. Potions and Poisons – Chemistry challenge based on household poisons and venoms found in nature.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock teacher coaches girls robotics team in online competition

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 21:27:32 +0000

An all-girls high school robotics team coached by a University of Arkansas at Little Rock teacher hopes to get enough votes to earn a trip to the world robotics finals in Louisville, Kentucky.�� Sandra Leiterman, a math specialist in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Educational Center, coaches two robotics teams at Mills High School. In 2016, she also helped start robotics teams at two Little Rock elementary schools, Chicot and Jefferson. While she was a sixth-grade math teacher at Fuller Middle School, Leiterman started a robotics team in 2011, even though she had no previous robotics experience. “We needed to do something to get kids more engaged in school,” Leiterman said. “Our first competition was actually a free competition at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. We were the only middle school team competing against about 15 high school teams. We ended up in the middle of the rankings, so the team’s confidence soared.” After spending a year on the co-ed robotics team, four girls sought permission from their middle school principal to form an all-girls team, and the Uncut Diamonds were born. Team members consist of Mills High School juniors Jordyn Major, Maddy Barth, and Clare Quaid as well as senior Lauren Stewart. The girls have been on the team since junior high and have been competing together for six years.��

The Uncut Diamonds, from left to right, are Maddy Barth, Clare Quaid, Jordyn Major, and Lauren Stewart.

Coaching the girls robotics team has been an inspirational experience for Leiterman, who has watched the girls grow stronger and more confident through the years. “I have seen the transformations with my own team,” she said. “Getting girls involved at a younger age really boosts their confidence. That is my passion. We have to get more girls involved in math and science, and I want to help everyone I can.” Quaid, for example, started off sixth grade wanting to be an artist. She had little interest in science but joined the robotics team because Leiterman was one of her favorite teachers. Now, Quaid loves robotics and plans to major in mechanical engineering, Leiterman said. With one team member, Stewart, graduating in May, the girls hope to make it to the world competition before their six-year-long adventure comes to an end. The girls describe themselves as “four individual girls that came together as a robotics team under the direction of one amazing coach.” They are spreading their inspirational and empowering story through the Online Challenges competition. The winning team has a chance to attend the VEX Robotics World Championship in April. Voting ends at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27. You can vote for the Uncut Diamonds by () and then clicking on the Login/Register tab on the top left side. Once you have logged in or registered, you will be sent a verification email. After activating your account, you can and cast your vote for the Uncut Diamonds. For more information, contact Leiterman at 920.227.8576 or saleiterman@ualr.edu.

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

����Vlog��ý Little Rock and Arkansas Federal Credit Union to Host Financial Wellness Fair

Arkansas educators bring robotics to life at STEM workshop

Students travel far and wide to learn new robotics skills at ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty members work to improve student success, graduate rates