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

Gilman Scholar studies Latin American politics in once-in-a-lifetime trip to Cuba

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 13:36:39 +0000

When Ryan Bourgoin chose a location to study abroad, popular study abroad options for American college students like Italy, France, and Great Britain were the farthest thing from his mind.�� Instead, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock junior political science major was interested in studying Latin American politics and wanted to travel to a country where he would be immersed in a very different culture. “I’m glad that I went to Cuba of all places and not a western European country,” said Bourgoin, of Sherwood. “I wanted a study abroad experience that would be very different from what I was used to at home. There was a lot more to be learned in a country like Cuba that has only recently opened up relations with the U.S. and transitioned out of the Castro era.” Bourgoin, one of three ��Vlog��ý Little Rock recipients of the U.S. Department of State’s , spent seven weeks this summer living with a host family in Vedado, a neighborhood in Havana’s business district, through USAC’s La Habana (Havana) study abroad program. He took courses at The Instituto de Filosofia and studied government and politics in Latin American and Latin American social revolutions. “These classes really helped me get some needed credits to help complete my major,” Bourgoin said. “Latin American politics is an area where I was not very knowledgeable. I learned how interrelated the politics of the U.S. and Latin America are. You can’t talk about anything that happened in Latin America since the 19th century without talking about America.”�� Bourgoin said it was an interesting experience to be an American living in Cuba. Even though the U.S. and Cuba have different political ideologies, the people he met with friendly and caring, yet frank. “There is still a mentality that this a political problem between governments and not people, so Cubans can treat Americans well. They are a very generous people,” he said. “It’s a very strange paradox. Cuba tries to show that they are standing up to America, but they also are interested in American products and tourism for the economic boon.” Studying abroad in a non-English speaking country not only gave Bourgoin the opportunity to improve his Spanish skills, but he also gained a new perspective on life.��

Ryan Bourgoin (right) and his classmates travel around Cuba during a study abroad trip.

“It’s very interesting to be the minority in a country that conflicts with America in a lot of its core values,” he said. “Although I’ll never truly understand the struggles that people of color face in America, I think it helps me to see the perspective of what immigrants go through in this country and get a perspective on what it is like to not be in the majority.” As part of the program, he also took a one-week tour of southern Cuba to visit historic sites such as Playa Girón (one of two landing sites for seaborne forces of about 1,500 armed Cuban exiles during the Bay of Pigs Invasion), the colonial city of Trinidad, and the Ernesto “Che” Guevara Mausoleum, who was a major figure of the Cuban Revolution. “Che Guevara’s mausoleum is like visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in America,” Bourgain said. “They take it very seriously. A lot of the older people in Cuba are still big fans of Castro, but many of the younger people thought the Castro brothers were cowards.” His trip to Cuba has inspired some potential research projects. As a Donaghey Scholar, Bourgoin will complete a year-long final project next year before he graduates. He’s interested in studying the changes Cuba underwent after the Castros’ departure from power or the effects of the U.S. embargo against Cuba. After Bourgoin graduates in May 2021, he plans to continue to travel internationally, perhaps by working as an international teacher or joining the Peace Corps, and to continue to develop his career as a writer. In the end, Bourgoin said the opportunity to learn more about the residents of Cuba was the most rewarding part of his study abroad experience. “I also enjoyed meeting the Cubans and getting to know what they thought of their country, other countries, and life in general,” he said. “Several of the Cubans told me that the only good things about Cuba was the free healthcare and education, but even though they don’t have a lot, that they find enjoyment in being able to�� walk around without worrying much about violent crime. The streets are very safe. There was also another perspective: We don’t have a whole lot here, but we have enough to share, so how could you want more?”��

U.S. State Department officials view how technology can help government agencies battle foreign propaganda

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 15:03:49 +0000

Researchers at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock demonstrated to visiting government officials how web-based, social-media tracking technology programs can help government agencies identify and analyze foreign propaganda and disinformation. , Jerry L. Maulden-Entergy Endowed Chair and Distinguished Professor of Information Science, and his research team at the Collaboratorium for Social Media and Behavioral Studies (), are one of 14 groups nationwide participating in the U.S. State Department’s tech demo program to counter foreign propaganda and disinformation threats from international terrorist organizations and foreign countries. hosted members of the Department of State Nov. 28 as part of the Other members of the delegation who joined via video conference included representatives from the Department of Homeland Security, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office, United States Central Command, and other agencies. Members of the Technology Demonstration Series are touring the country to view technologies that can help achieve its mission to “lead, synchronize, and coordinate efforts of the federal government to recognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining United States national security interests.” The work of the GEC is focused around four core areas: science and technology, interagency engagement, partner engagement, and content production. During the visit, COSMOS researchers showcased technologies like Blogtrackers and YouTubeTracker, two of COSMOS’ latest applications that help monitor conversations and discourse on social media platforms. These applications further help in tracking information actors and narratives as disinformation is disseminated through social networks including blogs, YouTube, and Twitter. YouTubeTracker demonstrates expansion in COSMOS’ research goals from understanding how people consume media via reading to including viewing-oriented information consumption. “The younger generations consume information more by viewing than reading, so they are becoming susceptible to disinformation that is prevalent on video-based social media platforms,” Agarwal said. Blogtrackers and YouTube trackers use algorithms that can quickly sift through massive amounts of social media data, but also target the right signals toward users who are trying to manipulate the data. Algorithmic warfare is becoming an increasingly hot topic as companies like Google, Twitter, and YouTube have realized that the algorithms they use to search and recommend content to their users are susceptible to manipulation by outside forces, Agarwal said. As an example, hackers could target Google’s search algorithms to make a website with false information appear higher in search results, therefore making the website look legitimate. In the upper right photo, members of COSMOS and the Department of State discuss how COSMOS’ technology can assist in the identification and analysis of propaganda and disinformation.

International STEAM delegates to visit ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Janea Snyder — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 14:46:21 +0000

An international delegation of eight women — all successful in their respective STEAM fields — will visit the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Monday, Nov. 5, as part of a “Hidden No More: Advancing Women in STEAM Fields” program. A community forum and reception talk will take place from 5-7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5, in the Windgate Center for Art + Design and is free and open to the public. The women will participate in a panel discussion beginning at 5 p.m., followed by networking with international and local leaders at 6 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. The woman are part of a program inspired by the movie “Hidden Figures,” about black female mathematicians who played a vital role in NASA’s mission to the moon. The movie led the U.S. Department of State to create the last year brings women leaders who represent “hidden talent” in their home countries to the United States to explore U.S. efforts to prepare women and girls for careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. The Hidden No More program, now in its second year, includes professionals in the arts as well. This year 48 female leaders from 48 different countries — all of whom work in the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and math — were invited to the United States to network and explore policies promoting the interests of women in STEAM. The women first convened in Washington, D.C. and then split into smaller groups to visit six smaller cities, including Little Rock. The theme for their time here in Little Rock is “STEAM Education and Youth Engagement.” The visitors included the following:

Austria – Dr. Miriam Unterlass, group leader and lecturer, Institute Of Materials Chemistry, Technical University Vienna
Chile – Carolina Andrea Fuentes Pezoa, team lead, Big Data And Analytics, Equifax Inc.
Croatia – Maja Macinko Kovac, teacher, Eugen Kvaternik Elementary School
Honduras – Michelle Fontecha Sandoval, executive director, Honduras Stem Foundation
Kyrgyz Republic – Shirin Mukanbetova, executive director, Kyrgyz Software and Services Developers Association
Netherlands – Tamar Gans, founder And CEO, Robotwise
Portugal – Maria Lopes Goncalves De Brito Amorim, principal investigator, Cell Biology and Viral Infection Group, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia
Sri Lanka – Amali Manori Ranasinghe, project scientist, coordinating secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry of Science, Technology and Research

Three of the women will participate in a panel discussion on Monday, along with Dr. Mary Good, founding dean of the George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology; Dr. Mariya Khodakovskya, interim associate dean for research and graduate studies in University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s College of Arts, Letters and Sciences; and Dr. Yang Luo-Branch, digital marketing and GIS manager at the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. The event is hosted by Global Ties Arkansas, a nonprofit which contracts with the federal government to bring international delegates to Little Rock for professional training. The group will return to campus on Tuesday, Nov. 6, to meet with Vernard Henley, assistant dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology, and Thomas Wallace,��senior instructor of information science and web design, who teaches the Girls Coding Camp at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock each summer. On Wednesday, Nov. 7, they will tour the George W. Donaghey Emerging Analytics Center where faculty and students perform innovative research in technology, infrastructure and applications for virtual reality, visualization, and interactive technologies. Thomas Coffin, senior operating manager, will provide the tour of the virtual reality cave invented by Dr. Carolina Cruz-Neira, who was recently elected as a member of the National Academy of Engineering. Anyone interested in attending the community forum is asked to RSVP to Heidi Whitman, heidi@globaltiesark.org.

First-generation college student builds legacy through education

Jenny Lambert — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 14:00:54 +0000

Nora Bouzihay, a doctoral student of education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, became the influence that she wanted to see. She was the first female in her family to graduate from high school, attend college, obtain a bachelor’s and master’s degree, and pursue a doctorate.

Bouzihay’s parents had always stressed to her and her siblings the importance of getting an education. They traveled from Morocco, a country in North Africa, to the United States as a young couple to provide a better life for themselves and the children they planned to someday have. From the start, they realized education would be the key to their children’s success.

“Go to school, get an education, the more knowledge the better,” Bouzihay recited. “That’s always been ingrained in my mind.”

‘I had to do everything on my own’

When Bouzihay completed her tenth-grade year at Nettleton High School, she made a decision that would put her educational pursuit into overdrive. She was accepted into and attended the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts (ASMSA) in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

“[ASMSA] was really amazing,” she said. “I got a lot of exposure to and preparation for college. In fact, I did my senior thesis on diabetic research here at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in the chemistry department.”

Once Bouzihay became a freshman at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, she was more than confident in her ability to succeed in higher education because of her pre-college experience at ASMSA. Bouzihay understood that she would encounter challenges that were unique to her, so she did everything in her power to ensure that none of those obstacles slowed her stride. ��

“It was tough because I had to do everything on my own like explore, network, and figure out what I needed to do to become successful,” Bouzihay said, “but I received endless support from my parents who continued to push me.”

Finding her passion

While weaving her web of connections and opportunities, Bouzihay stumbled across a program that changed the course of her quest as a future scientific researcher. Although she’d enjoyed being a part of the Donaghey and Science Scholars programs at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, it was the National Model Arab League that resonated with her inner self.

The National Model Arab League is a student leadership development program designed to give students a taste of life as international diplomats. Once Bouzihay graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with her bachelor’s in biology, she took her talents to the Clinton School of Public Service where she learned the ins and outs of diplomacy through public service.

Life in Dubai

Photo by Ben Krain — Photo composite of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate student, Nora Bouzihay, who studied in Dubai

As a requirement of the master’s program at the Clinton School, Bouzihay was tasked with choosing an international location for her public service abroad. Bouzihay was cleared to study in Dubai and spent eight months working with the country’s U.S. Department of State and United Arab Emirates.

Once again, Bouzihay was on her own. This time, however, she found herself in need. Nine days after she arrived in Dubai, Bouzihay’s appendix ruptured.

“I had to have emergency surgery,” Bouzihay said. “It got so bad that the doctor said if I didn’t have surgery right away I would die because of the rupture.”

Bouzihay’s mother rushed to the Middle East to be by her daughter’s side and helped nurse Bouzihay back to health. Once Bouzihay was able to work, she did so non stop, so much so that she was asked to extend her semester-long stay in Dubai to work on other projects, as well as projects in Morocco.

This time allowed Bouzihay to reconnect with her roots and visit her family. Her grandmother in Morocco had fallen ill and was hospitalized, so Bouzihay felt joy, comfort, and security being by her side, helping care for her grandmother.

“My grandmother always told me to finish school,” Bouzihay said. “She wasn’t traditionally educated, but she was educated through life’s experiences. She never knew how to read and write, but she had wisdom.”

Bouzihay’s grandmother passed away last spring, and to honor her legacy, Bouzihay dedicated her master’s degree to her.

Can’t stop, won’t stop

Following her experience in Dubai, Bouzihay was sure of what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. Rather than becoming a medical doctor/biomedical researcher as she’d once imagined, Bouzihay longed to work with women and children in the Middle East and North Africa to create a pathway for their future.

To turn this dream into a reality, Bouzihay started the trek to obtaining her doctoral degree. She is currently working on her Doctorate in Education at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, while serving as a graduate assistant for undergraduate academic advising and working with first-generation college students and minorities.

“It’s been a goal of mine to not stop until I get to the end,” Bouzihay said. “In the field that I want to work in, the more degrees, the more competitive you are. My parents sacrificed so much, so I can’t stop until I’m done.”

Nowara Co.

Although Bouzihay has a load of responsibilities on her shoulders, she’s made room for one more. She recently launched her own hijab/scarf company, Nowara Co.��Nowara, which means “flower,” was the nickname given to her by her grandmother. ��

“Nowara Co. was a continuation of my grandmother’s legacy to instill in and empower young girls and women to embrace their natural [beauty],” Bouzihay said.

For every three scarves Bouzihay’s company sells, one will go to a refugee in the Middle East. Although refugees receive, food, clothes, health supplies, and water, Bouzihay says they do not receive scarves.

Freedom in the hijab

About a year and half ago, Bouzihay committed to wearing the hijab daily. Although she was first uneasy of the looks and backlash she would receive from people outside of the Muslim faith, she felt fulfilled in making that decision and wanted other women to feel free and proud, just as she did, when wearing the scarf.

“I was terrified because the political era that we were in at that time was hard,” Bouzihay explained. “Everyday, it’s hard to walk outside wearing a hijab. As soon as someone sees you, they know you’re a Muslim so they already have that image of you. I knew that my life was going to change 180 degrees, and that’s very terrifying because you don’t know how it’s going to be. God blessed me with the respect from people of all corners of life. You get the people who say racial slurs every once in a while, but it all comes down to faith.” Bouzihay has been more than an inspiration to her friends and family. She’s established a legacy through education, diligence, dedication, and resilience. After graduating from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for a second time, this time with her Ph.D in 2022, she plans to take and pass her foreign service exam, head to the Middle East, and do the work that she loves.

Bowen student selected for prestigious foreign affairs campus coordinator position

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 13:05:44 +0000

A William H. Bowen School of Law student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock participated in a highly selective foreign affairs program this summer in Washington, D.C.�� Caitlin Campbell, who is also a student in the joint program with the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, was selected as one of 50 foreign affairs campus coordinators by the U.S. Department of State. Campbell, of Batesville, spent her summer interning at the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor in Washington, D.C. The is designed to create a network of State Department student contacts on college campuses across the nation. The program is designed to establish liaison relationships with students at colleges and universities across the country. “I’m most looking forward to meeting other young people in Arkansas who are interested in foreign affairs and being able to share my experiences and encourage them to pursue opportunities to serve with the Department of State,” Campbell said.

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