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

��Vlog��ýLR graduate finds success at LM Wind Power

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 16:58:54 +0000

In 2011, Kari Payton arrived at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock as a decorated athlete with a bright college basketball career ahead of her. An injury and a change of heart led Payton to give up basketball and her athletic scholarship to focus on her academic career in the George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology.

After earning one of the university’s most prestigious scholarships, the went on to a successful academic career, double majoring in systems engineering and sociology. Payton, a May graduate, already has a full-time position as an industrial engineer with LM Wind Power in Little Rock. The company, which manufactures wind turbine blades, has plants throughout the world, including sites in Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, India, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Turkey, and the U.S. The wide variety of locales provides Payton with a great opportunity to travel internationally. She flew to Bangalore, India, in June and is scheduled to go to Amsterdam in October. Payton’s work focuses on creating simulations that support operations for the company’s plants. She is learning C++ programming language, modeling software, and plant operations.

Changing pursuits

A , Payton arrived at ��Vlog��ýLR in 2011 on an athletic scholarship, but her college basketball career was short lived. An injury took her off the court her first semester, and she had little playing time during her second semester.

Kari Payton, a May graduate of ��Vlog��ýLR, is now an industrial engineer in global plant support with LM Wind Power in Little Rock. Photo by Lonnie Timmons III/��Vlog��ýLR Communications.

“It was a struggle for me,” she said. “I suffered a back injury, and I think I only recorded seven minutes of play time the whole season. I finally decided to pursue engineering and let basketball go.” After basketball, Payton stayed at ��Vlog��ýLR, earning a scholarship from the Donaghey Scholars Program. She’s thankful to Kathryn Young, director of admissions, Jennifer Moody, associate director of admissions operations, and Dr. Simon Hawkins, director of the Donaghey Scholars Program, for helping her pursue her dreams. “The people in Donaghey Scholars were very influential in me staying at ��Vlog��ýLR,” she said. “They listen to you and encourage you to follow the wildest ideas in your life. I was blessed with a scholarship, and that time was some of the best four years of my life.” The secret to Payton’s success was a combination of activities inside and outside the classroom. Although her studies were devoted to science and math, Payton also discovered an unexpected love for social science. “I took a social science class about race concepts in America in the Donaghey Scholars program, and the idea blew my mind,” Payton said. “I have never thought about anything but math and science, but one of my teachers told me I have a gift for this.” Payton graduated with two majors, a Bachelor of Science in systems engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in sociology. She thinks the sociology skills will be useful when traveling to different countries and working with people from other cultures. In addition to her coursework, Payton participated in three undergraduate research fellowships. Because of her hard work, she earned the Engineering and Information Technology Outstanding Senior award and the Systems Engineering Outstanding Senior Award in May. Payton also studied Spanish in Nicaragua and completed two internships. Her first internship is what led to her current position. She worked as a quality and operations engineering intern at LM Wind Power in 2013. While searching for a job this spring, she contacted the company to ask about open positions. “��Vlog��ýLR gave me a lot of opportunities,” she said. “Those experiences in college are invaluable. It helps you to learn how to apply your education to a professional work environment.”

Giving back to the community

Payton is a volunteer with . After serving as a mentor to an eighth-grade girl, Payton was inspired to start a pilot program to introduce students to science and engineering. “These kids are from neighborhoods where, historically, there has been a lot of crime, and I want to give them the opportunity to understand that education is very important to their lives,” Payton said. “I want them to know that if they have the skills and the interest and apply themselves, they can do anything.” Participating students took a career skills assessment test. Those who had an aptitude for technology were invited for some Saturday workshops in February and March that focused on robotics and other technical challenges. Out of the 12 students she invited, eight from junior high and high school attended Payton’s “Imagination Camp.” She plans to continue the program in the future. “It’s one of my passions to reach out to people who are underrepresented and share with them my struggles and help them get to where they want to be,” she said.

Chloe Deaton named Whitbeck Award winner

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 02 May 2016 17:38:48 +0000

A Donaghey Scholar who taught women in Nicaragua how to support themselves by making metal jewelry and selling their creations online is the recipient of the 2016 Edward L. Whitbeck Memorial Award. Chloe Deaton, 23, of Little Rock, has maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average while double majoring in Spanish and fine arts with an emphasis in metals at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The Whitbeck Memorial Award is the single greatest distinction the university annually bestows on a graduating student. Deaton will receive the award during a luncheon beginning at 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 13, at the Clinton Presidential Center Great Hall in Little Rock. Elaine Eubank, who will receive the ��Vlog��ýLR Distinguished Alumni Award, and Paul Nolte, who will receive the ��Vlog��ýLR Presidents Award also will be honored during the event. Deaton’s final project for the Donaghey Scholars program included leading a metal jewelry making class for Nicaraguan women participating in Nueva Imagen, a program teaching new life skills to women previously trapped in prostitution. Before she left, Deaton raised more than $1,700 for tools and supplies during a two-week period via social media. When she returned home, she created a business plan to help participants sell their products online. “That opportunity was the most complete I have ever felt,” Deaton said. “I cannot fully express the joy that is found in seeing these marginalized women transform into confident, hammer-wielding craftspeople. I believe that work like this project embodies the idea of citizenship. “Utilizing the skills we have all acquired at ��Vlog��ýLR to make a positive impact is perhaps the best way to give back and fulfill our duties as privileged citizens of the world.” As someone who is not afraid to take on new challenges, Deaton also created a stop-motion animated film entirely on her own for her final fine arts major project. is about a cricket tailor who helps out the bullying dung beetle mayor, who has ripped his pants at an inopportune moment. “It has an underlying message of class and equality,” she said. “The mayor does something bad to the cricket, and the cricket still does something nice when the mayor needs help.” The film was accepted into seven film festivals and won several awards, including Best Student Film at the Indie Film Festival in Switzerland, Best College Film at the Austin Student Film Festival, and the Presidential Award at the North Carolina Film Awards. Coming from a family that believes strongly in giving back, Deaton has always been active in her community. She volunteered as a facilitator at World Services for the Blind, a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a translator for Community of Grace Health Center, and a tutor at Franklin Elementary School. After doctors diagnosed Type 1 diabetes in Deaton when she was a child, her parents helped found a local chapter of the in Little Rock, where Deaton still volunteers as an ambassador. Most people would not realize just how accomplished Deaton is because she “has the potential to fly under people’s radar,” said Simon Hawkins, interim director of the Donaghey Scholars Program. “She is friendly and personable, but her demeanor is quite modest,” Hawkins said. “Sometimes getting her to list accomplishments is like pulling teeth, but her work is impressive in its complexity, detail, thoughtfulness, and commitment to others.” Deaton has worked in leadership positions in several ��Vlog��ýLR organizations. She restarted ��Vlog��ýLR’s Spanish Club and has served as president for the past three years. She also served as personnel chair of Chi Omega Fraternity and was a founding member of Delta Epsilon Iota Academic Honor Society. She is also a member of Golden Key International Honor Society, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and Sigma Delta Pi. The ��Vlog��ýLR Faculty Senate Honors and Awards Committee makes the annual selection of the outstanding senior based on the criteria of citizenship, scholarship, and leadership. 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��ýLR, at the time of his death in 1965. Each scholar receives a personalized plaque and a monetary award and will lead the graduating students during the academic processional at spring graduation. Deaton is currently keeping busy by working as a cake decorator at Natalie Madison’s Artisan Cakes and as a radiology assistant at Radiology Associates, P.A. After graduation, Deaton is getting married May 21 to her fiancé, Mr. Kaley Crum. This summer, she plans to finish her second stop-motion animated film about two Florida retirees playing on the beach and the humorous situations that arise.

��Vlog��ýLR holds bone marrow donor registration drive

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 15:36:26 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is holding a bone marrow donor registration drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 30, in the Donaghey Student Center Fitness Center basketball courts. Registration is open to anyone ages 18 to 44, the age group from which 90 percent of marrow donor matches originate. Those who register will be placed on the registry, a global bone marrow registry operated by the National Marrow Donor Program. The first 300 people who register will receive free T-shirts. The event will also feature free food, ice cream, inflatables, and a DJ. A simple swab of the cheek is all it takes to help save the life of someone with leukemia, lymphoma, or sickle cell anemia. “It’s just a cause that we really care about,” said Adam Ness, a sophomore systems engineering major and Donaghey Scholar who is organizing the drive with Shayna Underwood, a freshman environmental engineering major, and three other members of the Donaghey Scholars Program. “It’s so disheartening to know that the cure for people with blood diseases like leukemia and lymphoma is out there and in somebody who isn’t registered. People die just because potential donors haven’t been added to the registry,” Ness said. Once registered, only one in approximately 540 people become donors. Most matches are based on age and ancestry. Since patients are most likely to match someone who shares their ancestry, members of underrepresented populations can have difficulty finding matches. “It’s important for people of diverse ethnic backgrounds to be involved,” Ness said. “There is a huge need in the black, Hispanic, Latino, and Asian, especially anyone of South Asian descent, communities. Those groups are not very well represented.” The event is sponsored by the Donaghey Scholars Program, Student Government Association, and the Office of Student Housing. For more information, contact Adam Ness at 479.856.8180 or alness@ualr.edu.

Playing first (and second) fiddle: ��Vlog��ýLR home to state’s best old-time fiddlers

Shanna Fitzgerald — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 20:24:58 +0000

This was going to be a special night for Everett Elam. He was set to perform during an open mic event at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s East Hall. Even more important: Elam was ready to impress a teenaged state fiddle champion he heard was in the audience. Then Elam dropped his fiddle bow onstage. Then his newly fitted glass eye fell out. “Please do not let this girl see this,” he thought, as he frantically searched for the errant orb. The fiddle champion, Emily Phillips, now a 19-year-old ��Vlog��ýLR student from Mountain View, didn’t observe that scene, but she had taken note of Elam. In fact, she wondered why he kept staring at her. She didn’t realize he was blind. That fall 2014 night, the two ��Vlog��ýLR students began a relationship that went from mentorship, to friendship, to courtship. This year, their association led to a second consecutive in old-time music for Phillips and a second-place finish for Elam, a 27-year-old ��Vlog��ýLR student studying ethnomusicology and Spanish. In less than a year, Elam was getting accolades on a statewide stage for a style of music he never attempted to play before he was introduced to Phillips.

When Everett met Emily

During the open mic night, one of Elam’s friends challenged Phillips to compete with Elam in a fiddle contest on stage. Phillips readily agreed, but Elam was a little hesitant, worried Phillips would “crush” him — “which she did, in some ways,” Elam recalled. Elam consented to the competition, but he had a condition: He got to set the rules. Each fiddler would play one song to make the listeners dance, one to make them sad, and one to make them feel like they were in love. After announcing his melancholy tune, Elam joked, “It’s always night-time for me.” The joke set Phillips at ease. Before that evening, she had never met a blind musician, and she initially wasn’t sure how to interact with him. In keeping with the light mood, Phillips started calling out the names of Elam’s songs as well as hers, impressing audience members and her fellow fiddler with her depth of knowledge. “He was good, but he didn’t play old-time,” said Phillips, who is studying anthropology and Spanish at ��Vlog��ýLR. Old-time music just happens to be Phillips’ passion. Audience members chose Elam as the winner — but he knew better. He quickly handed the victor’s flower to Phillips and delivered a message: “I have to have a lesson from you. I have to learn how to play from you.” Phillips was intrigued. She could tell Elam had talent, “and it was really cool to me that he was interested in old-time.”

Everett Elam

Classically trained Elam, originally from Benton, started playing the violin when he was 10, but he got off to a slow start. “I absolutely hated it,” he recalled. As a child, Elam attempted to tune the instrument and ending up breaking it. Although he stuck with the violin and eventually learned to love it, he often rebelled against the classic-method training he was receiving. He wanted to do his own thing. Two years ago, he joined the , a Little Rock-based band that performs everything from funk to classic rock. He also felt the urge, and the confidence, to compete in a fiddle contest. Elam planned to play, “,” a popular and often-performed showpiece in the bluegrass and contemporary fiddle style. Elam and Phillips laugh about that plan now. A fiddler performing “Orange Blossom Special” in front of judges is a little like a guitarist expecting everyone to be dazzled when he steps into a guitar store and starts playing “Stairway to Heaven,” Elam said. The discerning audience has heard that tune before, and they’re not likely to be impressed. Phillips could play but she won’t. Ever. It’s not that she doesn’t like contemporary and bluegrass music; she just prefers a different style.

Emily Phillips

Connecting with the past Phillips’ passion for old-time fiddle music extends beyond the melodies; she loves the stories about people who played the style and the way the tunes were passed through generations. She mentioned, as an example, a musician who created his own unique method of fiddling because he had to adjust for a missing finger. Years later, others began emulating his technique. “Almost every tune has some personal story,” said Phillips, a ��Vlog��ýLR Donaghey Scholar. “It’s cool to preserve that little tidbit of history.” Phillips’ talent for traditional styles extends beyond the fiddle. In addition to winning back-to-back state fiddle titles, this year she also took first place in the open division of the Developing relationship One of the ways Phillips is preserving old-time music traditions is by giving lessons. She found a willing student in Elam. Even after the two started dating, he kept learning from Phillips. During the summer, Phillips was back home in Mountain View, and Elam stayed in Little Rock. He sent recordings; she critiqued them. The sessions sometimes got intense — they both are talented artists who take their craft seriously — but the progress was tangible. Phillips strives to get things just right. She’ll spend hours listening to a song until she masters every note and nuance. she sometimes repeats the same tune for the entire 2.5-hour drive from her hometown to Little Rock. She takes a similarly thorough approach with Elam. With Phillips’ help, Elam was ready to give one of the best performances of his life by the time he entered the August . Even with that success, the lessons continue — and Phillips isn’t the only teacher. Phillips never considered herself a runner before she met Elam, but in April, she participated in her first half marathon, serving as a guide for her more experienced boyfriend, who was running in his second. Now, jogging is part of their routine. Phillips introduced Elam to old-time music; he introduced her to running. “I’m not sure who got the better end of the deal, but I think he did,” Phillips said.

��Vlog��ýLR alumna works on MTV VMAs, nominated for Streamy

Shanna Fitzgerald — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 20:20:32 +0000

Those who caught this year’s MTV Video Music Awards — or, more specifically, who were plugged into its social media feeds — just might have recognized the work of a talented local artist. Cyrene Quiamco, a 26-year-old Little Rock resident and University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate, continues to gain national attention for her cutting-edge Snapchat art. So, while musicians Miley Cyrus and Nicki Minaj took the stage Aug. 30 during the worldwide MTV broadcast, Quiamco worked behind the scenes, promoting the event. It was the latest high-profile job for Quiamco, a former Donaghey Scholar, who also has done social media work for well-known brands such as Disney, Bud Light, Burger King, and UNICEF. Quiamco, who goes by the social media handle Cyrene-Q, was also one of five people . (Spoiler alert: Don’t click on the preceding link if you don’t want to know the winners). Photos and video footage from the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards, courtesy of Quiamco:

Business student’s app wins national competition

Taylor Aldana — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 21:29:10 +0000

Looking for something to do on campus? Alec Crow of Donaldson is so good at helping students track upcoming events at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock that he won a national competition. Crow, a business information systems major and Donaghey Scholar, built ��Vlog��ýLR Event Manager, a Windows-based application, using knowledge he gained from ��Vlog��ýLR College of Business programming classes. His app took first place in the Mobile Application Development category during the recent National Leadership Conference. Currently available in the Windows Store, the program gives the user the ability to sort through school events and instantly add them to personal calendars with a single click. Crow previously competed at nationals, but this was the first year he won. He hopes his success encourages other students to join Phi Beta Lambda next year. Crow gives credit to his mentors, associate professor Dr. Janet Bailey and Phi Beta Lambda faculty advisor Sarah Clements, for helping him succeed in this competition. The four-day National Leadership Conference brings the best of Future Business Leaders of America – Phi Beta Lambda together to compete in leadership events, share their successes, and learn through workshops and exhibits. Two other ��Vlog��ýLR students, Robert McCarville, Little Rock, and El-Noor Akther, a Donaghey Scholar, placed at state levels in Future Business Leaders of America competitions. McCarville, a double major in human resource management and professional and technical writing, earned a second-place award in the future business executive category and a third-place prize in the microeconomics category. He also competed in the national event. Akther, an English major, won a third-place award in a state-level competition for public speaking.

Left to right: Alec Crow, El-Noor Akther, and Robert McCarville place at state levels in Future Business Leaders of America.

Phi Beta Lambda is a business-oriented club designed to help students from any degree network and adjust to the business environment. The organization hosts multiple state and national conferences each year that provide students with opportunities to acquire new skills or master old ones. Phi Beta Lamba also hosts various competitions that allow students to use the skills learned in class.

Former Donaghey Scholar opens photo exhibit in Oklahoma

Gloria King — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 23:01:17 +0000

Alex Leme, a ��Vlog��ýLR alumnus and former Donaghey Scholar, recently opened his new show, “Small Town: Portraits of a Disappearing America” at the in Oklahoma City, Okla. The exhibit is open through May 2. Leme’s haunting photographs capture the mood of Cotton Plant, a once thriving small town in rural northeast Arkansas now filled with abandoned schools and crumbling buildings. His images of the town’s landscapes and its people are said to “quietly question the future of a forgotten America,” according to writer Brandy McDonnell. Leme–a multilingual Brazilian who first came to the U.S. as a stockbroker before his acceptance into the Donaghey Scholars program at ��Vlog��ýLR–is currently pursuing graduate studies in art history at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is a curatorial fellow at the UM Amherst Museum of Contemporary Art. In 2013, Leme became the first ��Vlog��ýLR Donaghey Scholar to earn the distinction of earning the prestigious Portz Prize by the National Collegiate Honors Council.

��Vlog��ýLR alumna recognized as Czech Honorary Consul

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 17:29:05 +0000

��Vlog��ýLR alumna Lenka Horakova was recently recognized as the Honorary Consul for the Czech Republic in Arkansas during a ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock.

Lenka Horakova (left) with Priscilla McChristian, ��Vlog��ýLR Chief of Staff, Office of the Chancellor

Petr Gandalovič, Czech Republic ambassador to the U.S., made the announcement of Horakova’s appointment on Friday, Oct. 31. Her duties as honorary consul will include notarization of documents for use in the Czech Republic, providing assistance for Czech citizens visiting Arkansas, trade development, tourism promotion, cultural exchange facilitation, and compatriot affairs. Horakova, a U.S. citizen, has lived in Arkansas for the past 17 years. She is a Donaghey Scholars graduate of ��Vlog��ýLR with degrees in finance and international business, and she serves on the Donaghey Scholars Alumni Society Board. She previously worked at the ��Vlog��ýLR Gov. Mike Beebe, who traveled to the Czech Republic as part of a European trade mission, credited Horakova with enhancing Arkansas’ relations with current and future European investors, saying how proud the state is to count her as an Arkansan. She is currently the European business development director for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.

Keep up with what’s happening; subscribe to ��Vlog��ýLR Now.

Alumnus Mjartan promoted to CEO and executive vice president

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 21:10:38 +0000

Dominik Mjartan, a 2002 alumnus of ��Vlog��ýLR, has been named chief executive officer of Southern Bancorp Community Partners, a development finance partner organization of Southern Bancorp Inc. He was also promoted to executive vice president of Southern Bancorp Inc., the bank’s holding company. Mjartan, a Donaghey Scholar who graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in management from ��Vlog��ýLR, joined Arkadelphia-based Southern in 2006. He most recently served as senior vice president, charged with managing corporate strategy, among other duties. Southern Bancorp CEO Darrin Williams said Mjartan had been critically important in amplifying the bank’s impact on rural communities through innovative financial tools, an effort that received positive praise in the latest issue of American Banker magazine. “It has been a real honor to be part of an organization with the discipline of a successful bank and a mission of a social enterprise,” Mjartan said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to help Southern expand services to more communities and more people, create jobs, and build economic independence.” Following graduation from ��Vlog��ýLR, Mjartan was accepted into the executive MBA program at the University of Ulster and graduated at the top of his class.

Keep up with what’s happening; Subscribe to ��Vlog��ýLR Now.

International Club blossoms under Donaghey Scholar’s leadership

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 16:39:41 +0000

Vivien-Sara Fechner’s easy leadership style and vivacious personality has helped the International Club at ��Vlog��ýLR blossom from 100 to almost 300 students — and that is just since the beginning of the 2013 fall semester.

Fechner has been a member of the club for two years and was elected president this fall.

As a newly named Donaghey Scholar at ��Vlog��ýLR, Fechner’s leadership stems from having walked many international miles in her peer’s shoes.

Fechner, a native of Berlin, Germany, first came to the United States as a high school exchange student. She enthusiastically recalls her first visit to America as finding a “great fit.” In fact, the 21-year-old still remains close to her host family to this day.

While the junior photography major holds onto the German traditions she cherishes, she also embraces learning more about other cultures.

“You travel from the other side of the world and you realize how different everything really is,” she said. “It’s not right and it’s not wrong. It’s just different.”

Striking the right balance between distinct cultures is a driving force behind Fechner’s leadership of the International Club.

Fechner said the club seeks to bridge the gap and diminish cultural divides between people who come from different backgrounds. The club serves the needs, not only of international students on campus, but of American-born students as well.

“Both have much to share and learn from each other,” she said.

International Celebration Week

One of the ways the International Club helps to foster this learning is by supporting ��Vlog��ýLR’s annual International Celebration Week. Each year, students, faculty, staff, and the greater community come together to learn about the culture of others through music, food, and educational events. This year, the celebration will be held Nov. 18-21.

“I think we all grow up thinking that the way we were raised is much the same as all people are raised,” she said. “Of course, that’s not true. But, the key is to see what you can take from those differences and grow as a person.”

International Club and Campus Community

The International Club hosts its own programs and activities as well, including off-campus events such as bowling and movie nights, weekly on-campus meetings, and serving food dishes from their home countries at “Welcome Potluck” during the university’s annual Welcome Week, “Trojan Daze.”

“I really like baklava,” Fechner said with a smile as she reflected on being introduced to the Greek sweet pastry made of layers of phyllo at the event.

In addition to social gatherings, the club also encourages information sharing among its members, stressing the importance of academics and mentoring.

In an era of globalization, Fechner said the International Club has come along at the right time. And with members from many countries from all over the globe, there is always someone or something new to learn about.

“It’s so important for us to have this group of people to refer to,” she said. “We want these cultures to mesh. Both sides can benefit. You can’t force your culture on others, but you can share freely.”

For a full listing of International Celebration Week events, go to Celebration 2013.

To find out more about the International Club, go to or email Fechner at vsfechner@ualr.edu.

Interested students may also visit the .

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

����Vlog��ýLR graduate finds success at LM Wind Power