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

��Vlog��ýLR announces 2016 Staff Achievement Awards winners

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 17:48:43 +0000

Two years ago, Tim Lee began taking American Sign Language (ASL) classes with Connie, his wife of 35 years, who has difficulty hearing. Connie Lee is skilled at lip reading, but the husband and wife team took ASL classes so they could better communicate with each other. After completing six hours of coursework through the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Interpreter Education Program, Lee, a training specialist with the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center in the College of Business, presented an idea to produce training videos for those who are deaf and hard of hearing. The center was awarded a $95,000 grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration. He developed a course on ��Ի�� plan for those who are deaf and hard of hearing. ASL interpreters led the courses, which are posted on YouTube to maximize visibility. “Deaf people have a hard time getting employment,” Lee said. “Starting a business is the new way to join the middle class for deaf people.” For his efforts, Lee received the Personal Growth Award at the 2016 ��Vlog��ýLR Staff Achievement Awards Ceremony April 21 at the Engineering and Information Technology Building. The ceremony honored three staff members in the areas of personal development, contributions to the campus, and community involvement. It also recognized staff members for years of service, graduation, and retirement. The Staff Achievement Awards winners were nominated by the campus community, with an independent body selecting the winners. Each received a $1,000 award and a certificate. This year’s nominees included Aresh Assadi, Charlotte Beck, Kathy Oliverio, Eugene Wilkerson, Katie Becker, Sharonda Lipscomb, Chelsea Young, Drew Glover, Sarah Travis, Andrijana Vukovich, Sharon Kaufman, Karen Lee, Timothy Lee, Shawna Diaz-Davis, and Joan Reed. In addition to the training course, Lee plans to become a licensed ASL interpreter. He was just three weeks into his third course in ASL when he broke his leg in January, thus cutting his class short. However, Lee plans to continue his classes as soon as possible.

��Ben Fry Service to ��Vlog��ýLR Award

Recognized as a woman with a “no-student-left-behind attitude,” Amber Smith was named the recipient of the Ben Fry Service to ��Vlog��ýLR award. The service award was renamed in honor of Ben Fry, the longtime general manager of ��Vlog��ýLR’s public radio stations 89.1 K��Vlog��ýR and Classical 90.5 KLRE, who passed away in March. As coordinator of the Student Services Success Initiatives, Smith leads the African American Male Initiative, African American Female Initiative, the Hispanic/Latino Initiative, and the Charles W. Donaldson Scholarship Academies and Summer Bridge Programs. She has been an integral part of such campus-wide initiatives as Green Dot, Trojan Touchstones, Suicide Prevention, Sexual Assault Awareness and the Chancellor’s Committee on Race and Ethnicity. “Her personal touch with students is both unique and refreshing,” said Laura McClellan, finance director for ��Vlog��ýLR’s College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences. “She works with students who are in danger of dropping out to craft solutions to keep them enrolled and progressing toward their degree, even going so far as to pay for student textbooks. For her, a student’s problem becomes her own and she works daily to make sure students have what they need to achieve their goals.”

Service to Community Award

Pamela Bowie, assistant director of admissions at ��Vlog��ýLR, is the recipient of the Service to Community Award, which recognizes an individual who has been particularly successful in organizing community events or had major achievements in civic, service, or specialty organizations and events. Bowie has shown her deep commitment to the community through her involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arkansas. She has served as president of the organization’s auxiliary group, Big League, which plans free activities for mentors and mentees to work on their mentoring relationships. Bowie was named the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arkansas Volunteer of the Year.

��Honoring ��Vlog��ýLR staff achievements

The Staff Senate Awards Ceremony also honored 13 employees retiring from ��Vlog��ýLR, including Lavonne Colwell, James “Rusty” Johnson, Jan Austin, Debbie Gentry, Rita Sterling, Carolyn Hiet, Laura Beck, Bob Denman, Nita Copeland, Johnnie Mallory, Dennis Robinson, and Janet Roderick. In a surprise for Chancellor Joel E. Anderson, who is retiring June 30, Staff Senate President Christopher Hickman presented a slideshow of pictures from Anderson’s lifetime of service in higher education. Afterward, Anderson received a standing ovation from the audience. “We honor our retirees every year, but we thought this was a poignant time to give Chancellor Anderson a special sendoff,” Hickman said. “He has always been a magnificent supporter of Staff Senate.” The Staff Senate awarded four employee scholarships, worth $250 each, to employees continuing their education at ��Vlog��ýLR. Recipients include Colleen Dennis, Koesha Jenkins, Joshua Thomsen, and Belinda White. In addition to the employee scholarships, Tiffany McAdoo and Sara Squires were each awarded $75 as recipients of the Jerry Crittenden Book Scholarship. ��Vlog��ýLR recognized 23 graduating staff members who earned a degree from ��Vlog��ýLR during the 2015-1016 school year. The event also recognizes staff members for years of service in five-year increments. This year, staff ranging from five to 40 years of service to the university received certificates. Three people were honored for 40 years of service to the university, including Jan Dannaway, Suzanne Martin, and Patricia McCord. “I’ve seen a lot of changes, and the campus had grown a lot,” said McCord, associate registrar. “Despite all the changes, my favorite part of working here will always be helping the students.” Senior Associate Director of Athletics Gary Hogan was recognized for 30 years of service to ��Vlog��ýLR. In addition, ��Vlog��ýLR honored five people celebrating 25 years, eight people celebrating 20 years, 21 people celebrating 15 years, 33 people celebrating 10 years, and 64 people celebrating five-year anniversaries. The annual event was presented by the ��Vlog��ýLR Staff Senate and sponsored by Chancellor Joel E. Anderson and the vice chancellors. In the upper right photo, Tim Lee, a training specialist with the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, receives the Personal Growth Award at the 2016 ��Vlog��ýLR Staff Achievement Awards Ceremony with Interim State Director Laura Fine.��

Road tour event offers rare opportunity for entrepreneurs

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 13:30:13 +0000

For the first time in a decade, researchers, small business owners, and entrepreneurs have the chance to attend a road tour event right in Arkansas where they can learn how to access some of the billions of dollars in federal funding that’s annually available to small businesses. The will host the event from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 19 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Donald W. Reynolds Center for Business and Economic Development. The 15-state SBIR Road Tour will promote the (SBIR/STTR) federal programs that provide $2.5 billion every year to small companies for the development of new technologies into commercial-ready products that address critical market needs. The tour last stopped in Arkansas in 2002. It’s geared toward people who have an idea for technology innovation or research that could be commercialized and are seeking funding through SBIR/STTR federal programs. Those encouraged to attend include university researchers, small business owners, and entrepreneurs who have a research idea or an innovation that could be developed for commercialization, said Janet Roderick, state director of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center. SBIR program managers from at least nine federal agencies will speak and meet one-on-one with entrepreneurs – a rare chance for entrepreneurs to engage program managers face-to-face. “It provides an opportunity for researchers and small business innovators to meet directly with the program managers from the federal agencies, so Arkansas folks can meet and ask questions about their research and innovations and see if there is a fit for them to apply and receive the SBIR/STTR grants that are given out,” Roderick said. Agencies scheduled to participate include the Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and military branches. Rebecca Norman, innovation consultant and SBIR specialist at the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, said meeting the program managers in person gives Arkansas entrepreneurs an edge in the highly competitive award process. “Program managers can recommend how to modify a research concept to better align with a specific SBIR/STTR topic area or recognize if another agency may offer a better fit for your technology,” Norman said. “When your research is relevant to more than one agency, the best way to find out which agency to target first is to meet with the agency reps in person at the SBIR Road Tour event.” Participants can also learn about state funding opportunities and resource providers during the afternoon session. Norman will speak, and a panel will feature three Arkansas companies who have received SBIR grants, including ��Vlog��ýLR spin-out Synanomet LLC. Representatives from state agencies will provide details about state-level funding available for innovative companies. The final panel will highlight work being done at university technology transfer programs – and ��Vlog��ýLR’s Tech Launch. Registration is required and available online. The cost is $50, but ��Vlog��ýLR faculty and staff members who register for the event can attend for free. For more information and to register, visit or contact the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at 501.683.7700. The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center is a university-based economic program that assists entrepreneurs. It has seven university campus locations throughout the state, including its main site at ��Vlog��ýLR.

ASBTDC State Director Janet Roderick announces retirement

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 13:40:43 +0000

After 22 years at the helm of the (ASBTDC), State Director Janet Roderick is retiring, effective��March 31. , associate state director of ASBTDC, will serve as the interim state director. “I have had the privilege of working with a group of highly talented individuals here at ��Vlog��ýLR and with the SBTDC staff statewide who are committed to helping Arkansas entrepreneurs and small businesses succeed. I am confident the ASBTDC will continue to serve the state’s small business community well,” she said. Roderick said she was particularly proud of the program’s growth in two critical areas – utilizing market research to assist clients and supporting technology-based entrepreneurs. ASBTDC is a leader in the state and nation in using market and economic intelligence data, consumer psycho-demographic information and geographic information systems (GIS) mapping. The center subscribes to 15 market research databases and licenses Esri GIS software. “Arkansas small business owners and entrepreneurs have access to the same information and decision-making tools used by larger companies such as Nike, Home Depot and Target. These resources would typically be out of the price range of most small businesses, but through ASBTDC they pay nothing. Our consultants teach clients how to interpret the research and use it to make sound decisions,” she said. The center has provided specialty-consulting services to tech-based ventures since 2004 and added “Technology” to its name in 2008 to reflect its technology expertise and national accreditation. Looking forward, Roderick believes more small businesses need to consider international markets. “Since 90 percent of the world’s consumers live outside the U.S., small business owners should explore exporting,” said Roderick, who is also a member of the Arkansas District Export Council. Roderick was state director of the Hawaii and Alaska Small Business Development Centers before coming to Arkansas. She has been active in the national association of America’s Small Business Development Centers for 30 years, serving on the association’s board of directors and as chair of the Accreditation Committee. She is also a past president of the International Women’s Forum in Arkansas.

Export workshop set to help small businesses go global

Shanna Fitzgerald — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 15:57:45 +0000

Exporting expert Elyse Erikkson will share her eight-step approach for new exporters Oct. 15 in Little Rock. The export workshop will be hosted by the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Foreign countries represent untapped markets for expansion and diversification for Arkansas small businesses, but many business owners might see exporting as too difficult for their small companies. Eriksson, managing director of Export Connector and author of “The Riddle of the Exporter,” will debunk the myth that only large companies can export as she outlines an easy-to-follow process for successful exporting. In addition, representatives of the U.S. Export Assistance Center and Small Business Administration will be on-hand to discuss government services that can aid exporters, and a freight forwarder will share transportation and logistics tips. Lunch will be provided. “With more than 90 percent of the world’s consumers living outside the U.S., small businesses need to explore exporting opportunities, and this interactive workshop will give businesses confidence and knowledge about going global,” said Janet Roderick, ASBTDC state director. The full-day event begins at 9 a.m. at the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce and concludes at 4 p.m. Registration is required, and an early-bird registration fee of $99 is available until Sept. 29. Those interested�� or by calling (501) 683-7700. ASBTDC also is offering the workshop in Fort Smith Oct. 13 and Jonesboro Oct. 20. For more information, contact Shannon Roberts at sxroberts@ualr.edu or (501) 683-7700. Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities will be made if requested in advance. Contact Wendy Orvis at 2801 S. University Ave., Little Rock, AR 72204 or (501) 683-7700. The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration through a partnership with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Business and other institutions of higher education. Core services include free consulting and market research plus affordable training. Learn more at

ASBTDC helps secure $500,000 in federal funds for small businesses

Gloria King — Fri, 22 May 2015 21:37:24 +0000

Assisted by the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, three Arkansas companies have won federal Small Business Innovation Research funding this spring for groundbreaking product research and development. The awards total $444,999. GeneCoMe Biotech of Jonesboro and Fauxsee Innovations of Magnolia won SBIR Phase I funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A third company, Fayetteville-based Ozark Integrated Circuits, won two SBIR Phase I grants from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The agencies issued the award notices in April and May. SBIR is an important source of early-stage funding for small companies seeking to get new products or technologies from the lab to the marketplace. The highly competitive three-phase award system provides $2 billion annually to American small businesses that propose innovative ideas meeting the specific research and development needs of participating federal agencies. Interested firms apply by responding to requests for proposals from 11 federal agencies.

Rebecca Norman

The ASBTDC, with headquarters��in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Business, specializes in helping Arkansas-based, research-capable companies pursue SBIR funding and navigate the lengthy and tedious application process. “For first-time applicants, the average success rate is 15 percent,” said Rebecca Norman, the center’s innovation consultant and SBIR specialist. “To prepare a winning SBIR Phase I proposal, a company needs to have a highly detailed work plan, a qualified project team and strong interest from the commercial market. By taking advantage of ASBTDC’s free proposal development and market research services, Arkansas entrepreneurs greatly increase their chances of submitting competitive SBIR proposals.” Officers from GeneCoMe Biotech, Fauxsee Innovations and Ozark Integrated Circuits all expressed appreciation for ASBTDC’s assistance. “The ASBTDC was a tremendous help in two areas: providing basic market research and by critiquing earlier versions of the proposals. All of this was done in a very timely manner,” said Ozark IC’s CEO Dr. Matt Francis. “Rebecca Norman of the ASBTDC was essential in the proposal writing process, because of her extensive knowledge and advice,” said Brandon Foshee, president and CEO of Fauxsee Innovations. GeneCoMe Biotech Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Giuliana Medrano said, “Rebecca Norman of the ASBTDC guided me during the whole process of the grant applications, from registration of the company, to the SBIR application process, pre-award and post-award documentation. I can’t be more thankful for Rebecca’s assistance on this proposal application. She is the best innovation consultant in the state.” The funded projects have vastly different applications, from poultry production to assistance for the visually impaired to space exploration.