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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock grad wants to be “a beacon of light”

Janea Snyder — Wed, 09 May 2018 15:21:02 +0000

Kenneth Edwards’ path to college took many detours as he struggled to find out who he was and who he wanted to be. He’s done much soul searching over the past three years, and he’s found his answers. On May 12, Edwards of Little Rock will graduate cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in sociology during the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s commencement at the Jack Stephens Center. He knows that his calling is a career working with youth, particularly those who are at-risk. He feels a connection to them because he was one of them for many years. Raised in Little Rock, Edwards spent much of his youth in and out of school and at times, homeless. “What I witnessed growing up was a lot of violence and drug,” he said.�� He found positive role models at (Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids), a Little Rock program that works to keep at-risk youth in school and on track to graduate. Edwards violated terms of attendance, though, and was kicked out of the program. At 15, he also left home and eventually dropped out of Central High School. “I got detached from school and focused on making money,” said Edwards, who went to work as a car detailer. He stayed with various relatives for periods of times, often not knowing where he would sleep at night. One of his aunts eventually took him to Clarksville, Tennessee, to live with her, but Edwards didn’t adjust well to the transition. “She tried to keep me on target to graduate in 2009, but school wasn’t my main focus. I went from hustling to make ends meet to having everything at my fingertips. I was complacent. I wanted love and didn’t know how to receive it.” With three months left to graduate, Edwards was expelled from school. He was able to finish his diploma through a homeschool academy. He moved back to Little Rock in 2010, this time intent on making some changes. He completed a nine-month program at Little Rock’s Union Rescue Mission where he focused on sobriety, discipline, and faith. He also completed a three-month, pre-employment training program through Our House. “Every time I felt like giving up, I had someone to prop me up,” Edwards said. Knowing he needed an education, he enrolled in ��Vlog��ý-Pulaski Technical College and earned an Associate of Arts. With good grades, he received a transfer scholarship to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2015. He originally wanted to be a teacher, but his sociology courses resonated with him. He credits sociology professors Dr. David Briscoe, Dr. Neveen Shafeek Amin, and Dr. Kinko Ito for helping him find his passion. “They changed my life and my mindset, literally,” he said. “I found meaning in sociology. I was able to heal from my lost victories through a different perspective. I think I’m able to see and empathize because I was shown empathy.” In college, Edwards was part of of the TRiO program, which serves first-generation college students. “Kenneth has continued to deal with and overcome formidable challenges and obstacles,” said Dr. Ge Chen, director of TRiO programs at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “He was determined to complete his bachelor degree. He has been working two jobs throughout his college years to cover education expenses, and he also has volunteered at local programs helping at-risk youth. He is a role model for many young people with similar backgrounds and experiences.” Edwards has even been back to P.A.R.K – this time as a mentor for at-risk youth. Along the way, Edwards has also reconnected with his mother, Golden Edwards, who has returned to college after dropping out when she first had Edwards. She graduates May 11 from ��Vlog��ý-PTC and plans to continue her studies at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Edwards is now applying to graduate schools and hopes to earn a master’s degree in counseling education. Eventually, he wants to work with at-risk youth. “I want to be here for these kids,” he said. “I want to be a beacon of light for them. I know that if you don’t change the environment, you become a product of it. I spent my whole life trying not to be a statistic.”

Finalists for Staff Achievement Awards announced

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 15:51:20 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Staff Senate has announced the finalists for the 2018 Staff Achievement Awards.�� A $1,000 cash award is given to the top staff member in each of three categories: Ben Fry Service to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, community service, and personal growth. The winners will be announced at the Staff Awards Ceremony at 10 a.m. Friday, April 20, in the Engineering and Information Technology Building Auditorium. “The staff members are a vital part of the success of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” said Staff Senate President Richard Harper. “The Staff Achievement Award winners underscore ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s commitment to serving the university and community through hard work. Our staff’s dedication to these principles continues to amaze me.” The winners of the Staff Senate Scholarship and Jerry Crittenden Employee Book Scholarship will also be announced. Staff members who are celebrating work anniversaries, have graduated in the past year, and retiring will also be recognized. Members of the university and community are encouraged to attend the awards ceremony and reception to celebrate the achievements of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock staff members and to wear ��Vlog��ý Little Rock colors and apparel to show school spirit. For more information, contact Angie Faller at 501-916-5905 or amfaller@ualr.edu. The finalists include: Ben Fry Service to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Tom Coffin, senior visualization and operations manager, Emerging Analytics Center
Terry Harrison, higher education program coordinator, William H. Bowen School of Law
William Wagner, operations manager, KLRE/K��Vlog��ýR

Community Service

Tiffani McAdoo, grant implementation specialist, School of Social Work/MidSOUTH
Melody Muldrow, research associate, Graduate Institute of Technology
Virginia Oswalt, administrative specialist, Department of Earth Sciences

Personal Growth

Erin Fehr, archivist, Sequoyah National Research Center
Marty Mayfield, fiscal support analyst, TRIO Student Support Services
Pamala Stanley, administrative assistant, Department of Systems Engineering

��Vlog��ý Little Rock TRIO program receives $1.2 million grant to create educational outreach center for Arkansas Delta region

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 14:10:35 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock TRIO program received a five-year Educational Opportunity Grant worth nearly $1.2 million to help Arkansans in the Delta region enroll in postsecondary education programs.�� Linda Barker, director of the TRIO Educational Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Center programs at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, received a five-year grant totaling $1,179,985 from the U.S. Department of Education. TRIO will receive $235,997 a year from 2016 to 2021 to provide services to 1,000 participants in the Arkansas Delta. “There is a need in the Delta region for our type of services, and there is not an existing center in that area,” Barker said. With the Delta Educational Opportunity Center program, TRIO staff members will travel to community partners like workforce services, veterans affairs offices, and school districts to serve people in the 12-county area. TRIO recently hired three staff members and has already started helping people in Jefferson County. Brandon Scaife, project director of the Delta Educational Opportunity Center, said the center will expand its services to additional target counties in the upcoming months. The new center will provide guidance, academic and financial aid information, and assistance throughout the year to adults who wish to advance their academic career at a postsecondary institution. Workshops, financial aid information, computer lab tutorials, entrance exam preparation, individual counseling, and computerized placement exams will be available to participants. According to the 2013 American Community Survey, Arkansas ranks second highest in percentage of low-income working families. In the Delta region, 21 percent of residents live on a low income, and 86 percent of adults do not have a post-secondary degree, which is becoming imperative to obtaining a successful career. Through participation in the program, Arkansans can access the services necessary to enroll in a post-secondary institution and create a comprehensive plan for academic and career success. In the upper right photo, members of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock TRIO Talent Search staff include: Back row (left to right) Crystin Amato, Michita Merriweather, Rachel Vanveckhoven, Elena Maina, Billy Huggins, and Jermaine Rudd. Front row (left to right): Brandon Scaife, Sandra Carmona Garcia, Linda Barker, and Shanikia Williams.��

��Vlog��ý Little Rock receives five-year grants worth more than $3.75 million to help low-income students in Pulaski and Jefferson counties

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 20:50:18 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received two five-year grants totaling more than $3.75 million to fund college readiness programs for low-income and first-generation college students in Pulaski and Jefferson counties.�� The U.S. Department of Education’s Federal TRIO Program awarded the grants totaling $3,762,035 to the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock TRIO Educational Talent Search program. The grants will help more than 1,500 middle school and high school students successfully graduate high school and prepare for college. The first grant, which serves 1,068 students in Pulaski and Jefferson counties, funds $512,408 annually for five years, totaling $2,562,040. The second grant, which serves 500 students in north Pulaski County, awards $239,999 annually for five years, totaling $1,199,995. The grants will provide funding for the 2016-17 to the 2020-21 academic years. “By hosting the TRIO Talent Search grants, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock continues to demonstrate a long-standing commitment to the central Arkansas community by making its resources available to those persons who face social and cultural barriers in educational attainment,” said Linda Barker, director of the TRIO Educational Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Center programs. Talent Search, one of eight programs collectively known as the , is uniquely designed for students traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education, including first-generation college students and other at-risk youth. The Talent Search Program will provide a comprehensive plan of activities for each participating student that identifies and explores future academic and career aspirations and provides plans for financial assistance, financial planning, and opportunities for engagement to bolster postsecondary enrollment.

Linda Barker

Recent Census Bureau data shows the great need for the TRIO Talent Search Program in these target areas. In Jefferson and Pulaski counties, 48.3 percent of families in the first target area are considered low-income, while the national average is 17.8 percent. Additionally, 76 percent of students in the target school districts participate in free and reduced lunch programs. In the north Pulaski County target area, 47 percent of families are considered low-income, and 64 percent of students participate in free and reduced lunch programs. On the academic side, only 26 percent of students in Jefferson and Pulaski counties are taking advanced placement courses. In the north Pulaski County target area, only 14 percent of students are taking advanced placement courses. In both target areas, post-secondary enrollment rates are lower than the state and national rates. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock TRIO Educational Talent Search Program will identify students who need these services and assist in removing barriers that prevent them from obtaining a post-secondary degree. TRIO will provide a variety of higher education access workshops and activities to middle and high school students in the target schools. The activities include admission and financial aid workshops, student achievement assessments, access to online tutoring programs, and college campus tours as well as leadership and motivational sessions. Participants in the program will be chosen based on target search requirements along with recommendations from target school officials. In the upper right photo, members of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock TRIO Educational Talent Search program staff include: Back row (left to right) Crystin Amato, Michita Merriweather, Rachel Vanveckhoven, Elena Maina, Billy Huggins, and Jermaine Rudd. Front row (left to right): Brandon Scaife, Sandra Carmona Garcia, Linda Barker, and Shanikia Williams.

��Vlog��ýLR introduces Student Success Workshop Series

Jenny Lambert — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 15:35:26 +0000

Departments across the University of Arkansas at Little Rock have teamed up to create a series of workshops aimed at helping students succeed in their college careers. The Student Success Workshop Series is sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Academic Advising, the federally funded TRiO programs Student Support Services and Ronald E. McNair, ��Vlog��ýLR Works, and Cooperative Education Internship and Career Services. “This workshop series is like an extension of First Year Experience and Academic Advising,” said Trakenya Dobbins, interim director of the Office of Undergraduate Academic Advising. “We have what we like to call ‘campus experts’ to lead the workshops, and they inform students on how to navigate campus in general.” Elivia Wafford, First Year Experience instructor and Yvette Palmer, academic advisor, will be spearheading the workshop “What is my Major? Career Exploration and Goals” from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, and Friday, Jan. 20, in Room 205 D of the Donaghey Student Center. Throughout this workshop, students will learn how to write SMART, or specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely goals. They will be given the opportunity to explore ��Vlog��ýLR majors amongst instructors and peers while also learning their SHAPE, or skills, heart, abilities, personality and experiences. “Before these students leave this workshop, they will learn how to officially declare their major on campus,” Dobbins said. The next workshop, “Who Am I Really? Study Strategies for College Success,” will be hosted from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, and Friday, Jan. 27, in Donaghey Student Center Room 205 D. These sessions will be led by Brandon Scott, academic mentor and administrative specialist of the federally funded TRiO program Student Support Services. In this workshop, students will complete three Myers Briggs assessments that target their personalities, best learning styles, and brain dominance. After completing the assessments, the instructor will explain how the results contribute to the best way to study at the college level. Also in this session, students will learn how to effectively read textbooks, take notes, and study for college exams. The final workshop of January will be “How Can I Get More Money for College? Financing your College Education.” This session will take place from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, in Donaghey Student Center Room 205 D. During this session, representatives from ��Vlog��ýLR Financial Aid and Scholarships will introduce students to scholarships offered by ��Vlog��ýLR and help students to find scholarships and grants in Arkansas and the U.S. Students will be provided an overview of ��Vlog��ýLR financial aid along with instructions on how to write a scholarship essay. This workshop series will be held every Tuesday and Friday until March 31. For more information, contact Trakenya Dobbins at tgdobbins@ualr.edu or 501.569.8430.

��Vlog��ýLR student veteran plans career in health education in honor of family

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 15:29:42 +0000

When Fernandez Evans graduates from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Dec. 17, his thoughts will be on his mother who passed away shortly after he was accepted to ��Vlog��ýLR.�� “As I carried the grief of my mother Katrena Evette Thomas into my university years, the one thing I regret is that my mom did not get to see me graduate,” said Evans, 22, of Maumelle, Arkansas. Evans will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in health education and promotion. In January, he will start graduate school at ��Vlog��ýLR with the goal of one day becoming a professor of health education at ��Vlog��ýLR. Evans is especially grateful for his mentors in the ��Vlog��ýLR School of Counseling, Human Performance and Rehabilitation, Dr. Britney Finley and Dr. Janea Snyder, for helping with his studies. “I want to thank them for always supporting and guiding me in the right direction in this field, because I want to be just like them. They are my idols,” Evans said. Although his mother will not be able to see him graduate, he will be reunited with the older sister he has not seen in over a year and a half. Evans thinks it is fitting that his sister, Vashanti Williams, will see him graduate, since she is the one who inspired him to become a teacher. “My big sister is a teacher for people with special education in Pine Bluff,” he said. “I have wanted to be a teacher since junior high. It is going to be very emotional to meet up and celebrate an accomplishment like this.”

Facing challenges

Evans has faced many challenges on his path to higher education. He is a five-year member of the Arkansas National Guard, serving as a radio operator and communications specialist. “In my unit, I am the man in the middle who has a backpack and a phone and is telling you what the orders are,” he said. “I’m like the guy in the movies who tells you when an airstrike is coming.” During his time in the National Guard, Evans’ squad leader, Sgt. First Class Charles Beck, became like a father to him. Sadly, Beck passed away from stomach cancer in May 2015. “He was not my biological father, but he was the only father figure in my life,” he said. “He was my squad leader and a great man. He was very respectful, and he always taught me to just stay on the right path and be kind to everyone.” After the loss of his father figure, Evans’ grades slipped. However, he found support in his best friend, John Barnes, and through ��Vlog��ýLR Student Support Services. “All of our professors have motivated me, but I have to shout out to Student Support Services in the TRIO programs,” Evans said. “They always made me feel like I am never alone. Ms. Julie Shelby always helped me.”

Giving back

Going into health education, Evans has always felt an urge to help others. During his internship, Evans was able to work at a wellness center in Atlanta, Georgia, to spread awareness of HIV and work on a suicide prevention hotline for African American gay men. During his internship, Evans is thankful he met a fellow advocate, Randall Whipple, who helped him come to terms with his own identity as an African American gay man. “Randall helped me realize that there is nothing wrong with my sexuality, and he helped me realize that I make my own happiness.” As he thinks about the many people in his life who have helped him reach this point, Evans has a special message for the person who inspired him the most. “Thank you, Mom. You were afraid as I grew up that I would not make friends. You were afraid that I was not going to get out in the world and live,” Evans said. “I am living, I have friends, and I have a life that you would be proud of.”

��Vlog��ýLR names new director of TRIO programs

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 20:59:18 +0000

In 2014, Dr. Ge Chen left behind her dream job as the senior administrator and executive director of TRIO programs at the University of Texas at Austin. Her only child, Cindy Gandhi, was working at a very intense medical residency program. So Chen retired, packed up, and moved to Little Rock to help Cindy with her three young children. Two years later, Chen’s daughter is a successful surgeon working at the Veteran Affairs office in Little Rock, and Chen is getting a second chance to work with first-generation and underrepresented students through the TRIO program. “I carry so much pride and passion for TRIO students,” she said. “This is a very diverse and talented student population, but also the population that faces formidable challenges and obstacles. With support and resources, these students can succeed and achieve their academic goals and personal dreams and become leaders of the future.” Chen began work as the new director of ��Vlog��ýLR’s TRIO, Student Support Services, and McNair Scholars programs on June 1. TRIO is a set of federally-funded college opportunity programs, including ��Vlog��ýLR’s Student Support Services and McNair Scholars Program, that motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds in their pursuit of a college degree. Student Support Services provides academic tutoring, personal counseling, mentoring, financial guidance, and other support necessary for the completion of a bachelor’s degree. The McNair Scholars program is a TRIO program with the goal of supporting undergraduate students who would like to attend graduate school and pursue their doctorate degree. ��Vlog��ýLR has approximately 260 undergraduate students participating in Student Support Services and 26 students in the McNair Scholars program. “I still have a lot to learn to be able to serve the programs and the participants effectively,” Chen said. “I want to reach out and connect with all the departments and offices at ��Vlog��ýLR so we can bring comprehensive resources to the programs and the students. I also want to learn and find opportunities to further enhance our services and maximize student learning.” Chen holds a bachelor’s degree from Northeast Normal University in the Jilin Province of China. She worked as an English instructor and director of exchange programs at Northeast Normal University in China before moving to Arkansas to pursue a graduate degree. She earned a master’s degree in secondary education and a doctorate in education in curriculum and instruction from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. After graduation, she worked as a TRIO Upward Bound coordinator at Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas. Since then, she has devoted her knowledge and expertise serving underrepresented students by improving access to higher education and promoting academic advancement. In her most recent position at the University of Texas at Austin, Chen oversaw seven student success programs. She brings extensive experience and skills in leadership, program development, budgeting, assessment, and grant writing. In addition to being a proud mother and grandmother, Chen is also an avid pingpong player, gardener, and fan of classical music. As a Chinese American, she is actively involved in promoting culture and traditions in the local Asian and Chinese communities.

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

����Vlog��ý Little Rock grad wants to be “a beacon of light”

Finalists for Staff Achievement Awards announced

����Vlog��ý Little Rock TRIO program receives $1.2 million grant to create educational outreach center for Arkansas Delta region

����Vlog��ý Little Rock receives five-year grants worth more than $3.75 million to help low-income students in Pulaski and Jefferson counties

����Vlog��ýLR introduces Student Success Workshop Series

����Vlog��ýLR student veteran plans career in health education in honor of family