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

A special calling: ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumna Brenda Harrison writes a children’s book inspired by her nephew

Janea Snyder — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 15:20:13 +0000

When Brenda Harrison’s 3-year-old great nephew Oliver Goodwin was born with Down syndrome, she didn’t worry a bit. As a longtime special education teacher and graduate of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Master of Education in special education program, Harrison knew she was prepared to be a resource for Oliver. “When my nephew was born, I kept thinking about the little things Oliver was doing. I’d look at him playing and feeding himself,” she said. “Down syndrome babies are so lovable. The little things they do are things we tend to take for granted.” His journey inspired Harrison to write “Oliver’s Adventures,” a children’s book based on Oliver’s life. The book, illustrated by Dennis Davide, was published by Xlibris and is available from and . Her first book signing will be held on Saturday, Aug. 3, at 2 p.m. at , at 1001 Wright Ave. in Little Rock. “Years ago, I said I’m going to write a novel,” Harrison said. “I remember being in church one Sunday during the time I was writing the book, and the preacher preached about faith and believing anything is possible. That gave me some encouragement, and I thought ‘I’m gonna do this.’ Through prayer and faith, I got it done in about three months.” Harrison never envisioned she would be an author, or even a teacher. “My goal in high school was to be a nurse. When I got to be a high school senior, it shifted to special education simply because growing up, I used to see adults with disabilities, but I didn’t know what it was about. My heart would break, and I wanted to be able to do something to help. I wanted to help individuals who needed help who couldn’t help themselves.” And that’s exactly what Harrison has been doing for the past 37 years – teaching in special education classes. For the past seven years, she has taught at Little Rock’s J.A. Fair High School, and this year she’ll be teaching at Pinnacle View School in Little Rock. She earned an undergraduate degree from elementary education at Henderson State University with a minor in special education. Then in 2006, at the age of 48, Harrison enrolled at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to pursue a master’s degree. She graduated in December 2008 with a Master of Education in special education. “I waited until my daughter was an adult and returned to grad school, something I’ve always wanted to do,” Harrison said. “I was working full-time and went straight through, summers included.” At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Harrison met Dr. Jennifer Hune, associate professor of special education and graduate advisor in the School of Education “She was truly an inspiration to me,” Harrison said. “I enjoyed my time getting my master’s degree.” Simply put: “I grew,” she said. Hune was the first person Harrison called when she passed her master’s certification exam. “Mrs. Harrison was one of those students who absolutely wanted to teach children with disabilities,” Hune said. “She wanted to be better so she could help her students be better. That was the part of her that I adored. My program is not one that’s easy. I give my students a lot to think about. I teach them all of the content and capabilities that will help them be good special educators. If they don’t have the skills, they don’t need to be in the classroom. Children like Oliver deserve people who know how to work with them and how to engage in the strategies that help them.” Oliver is the son of Jansen and Dee Goodwin of Little Rock. Harrison recently visited Oliver’s preschool class at ��Vlog��ýMS Kids First, a pediatric day health care program for children with special health care needs. Harrison read the book to Oliver, to whom she dedicated the book, and donated a copy of her book to his class. “You have to know how to help and receive them,” Harrison said of children born with special needs. “If your receive them as a person of worth and take the time to teach them, these little people will bloom and blossom.” In the photo above right, Brenda Harrison reads to her great nephew, Oliver Goodwin, who inspired Harrison to write a children’s book. Photo by Benjamin Krain

��Vlog��ý Little Rock theater student cast in NY Shakespeare company

Janea Snyder — Fri, 07 Jun 2019 20:40:57 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock theater major Keith Harper has learned that an acting career requires both talent and extensive networking. Through the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Theatre Arts, he has developed both. This summer, Harper heads to Silver Lake, New York, where he will spend six weeks performing in ’s production of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.” The acting company performs classic Shakespeare throughout western New York. Harper, 26, of Little Rock will play the roles of Adam and Audrey, which he is familiar with since he was cast in the same roles last year in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s production of “As You Like It.” That show was guest directed by Chad Bradford, a Little Rock actor based in New York City who is the associate artistic director for Shake on the Lake. Harper worked with Bradford in 2017 when Bradford directed ’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and cast Harper. Then in October 2018, Bradford directed ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s production of “As You Like It” and worked again with Harper. When it was time to cast his New York show, Bradford encouraged Harper to audition for the Shake on the Lake acting company. “I didn’t hear anything for a couple of months, and then I got an email,” Harper recalled. “I was happy and excited. It’s a paying gig!” Harper earned an Associate of Arts at University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College, where he took his first acting classes with theater instructor Sheila Glasscock who cast him in a production of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” He fell in love with theater and came to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as a transfer student. Harper received the Joan R. Taylor Scholarship and will graduate in December with a Bachelor of Art in Theatre Arts. “The theatre department at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has given me a great foundation,” said Harper, who plans to pursue a career in film and theater in Los Angeles or Atlanta. “The faculty here have been great. Stacy Pendergraft and Larry Smith are awesome.” While at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Harper has performed in the Department of Theatre Art and Dance’s productions of “Octoroon,” “Detroit 67,” and “As You Like It.” Harper also has performed in several productions at , including “The Member of the Wedding,” “Two Trains Running,” “Stick Fly,” and “12 Angry Men.” Before he leaves for New York, he will wrap up work with the Northwest Arkansas . He and other actors will perform “On the Row,” a collection of staged readings of poems from death row inmates. The group leaves leaves June 13 to perform four shows in four cities including Dallas, Texas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Wichita, Kansas; and Kansas City, Missouri. Later this month, Harper will also shoot the TV pilot “Lela’s Place,” being filmed in Arkansas. Harper plays an attorney. His residency with Shake on the Lake runs July 7 to Aug. 11. “This will be my first trip to New York, and I’m looking forward to working and building network connections and expanding my skill set,” Harper said. “I hope my art in this field reaches and inspires others to do what they love. Whatever gift God has given you, you just share it. Everything will take care of itself.” Photo top right: Keith Harper plans to pursue professional acting as a career when he graduates later this year. Photo above left: Keith Harper (seated) performed in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s production of “Detroit 67” earlier this year. Photos by Benjamin Krain

Bowen grad uses lessons from law school in nonprofit leadership

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 16:13:54 +0000

Matt Runge uses his education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law every day in his job as director of operations at Our House, a Little Rock-based nonprofit that provides services to individuals who are homeless or near-homeless. His daily workday includes a wide variety of duties including facilities management, finances, human resources, and the operation of two resale stores in Little Rock and North Little Rock. “Despite not being in the legal field, I still find myself using my skills from law school every day,” he said. “Contracts, risk management, labor laws, and other things come up, and I still use my training in law even though I’m not acting in any official capacity as counsel for Our House.” Runge earned his Juris Doctor in 2011 after completing Bowen’s part-time law program, the only part-time law school option in Arkansas. He initially didn’t set out to pursue law school, though. After graduating from Arkansas State University in 2000 with a philosophy degree, he headed to the East Coast to pursue a Ph.D. in philosophy. “When I was younger, I thought the Ph.D. route was the way to go, so I moved to Baltimore and pursued that,” he said. “I always thought I would stay in academia, but I realized after a few years that it just wasn’t working for me, and I left the program.” He stayed in Baltimore and enrolled in law school, though his time there was very brief. “Financially, it just wasn’t working out, so I came home to Arkansas and enrolled in Bowen’s part-time program,” he said. “I was also fortunate enough to get a job at a local law firm and stayed there for the entire four years I was in the program.” Runge gained professional experience while earning his degree and worked his way up from doing administrative work to paralegal duties and clerking. To this day, Runge credits Bowen’s part-time program with providing him with an affordable and flexible education, and he considers the friendships and connections he made there to be just as important. “As a part-time student, a lot of my colleagues were people like me who had been out of school for a bit and who were also working full-time,” Runge said. “It was a pretty diverse class, and I made friends with a group of good people.” For anyone fence-sitting about pursuing a law degree, Runge offers the following advice: “For me, law school taught a way of thinking, not just how to practice law,” he said. “I learned a lot about fact patterns and started seeing those every day in the world. When I find myself in situations that require risk management, I’m able to weigh the outcomes and be aware of how things might happen.”

From Colonel to Counsel: Air Force veteran starts second career in law

Janea Snyder — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 22:24:08 +0000

Lawyering runs in William “Goose” Changose’s family. His grandfather was an attorney, and his father went to law school. Changose liked law too, but law school would have to wait a few years. “After high school, I wanted to fly planes,” he said. In 1983 he graduated from the Air Force Academy, was commissioned as an officer, and then went to pilot training. For the next 23 years, he moved 16 times to bases across the U.S. and overseas. He spent lots of time in Little Rock, Japan, and the Philippines as well as Saudi Arabia and Iraq. He retired in 2006 as a colonel and commander of Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, Hawaii. Along the way, he earned a Bachelor of Science in economics from the U.S. Air Force Academy, an MBA from Golden Gate University, and a Master of Science in strategic planning from the Air War College. While law school still intrigued him, it was never the right time or place. “I was always in places where either the tuition was too high or the scheduling was impossible,” he said. “In 2005, my daughter started eighth grade in Hawaii. It was her sixth school, and she asked if she could go to the same high school for four years in a row.” He told her “Yes,” and knew it was time to retire from the military. The New York native was fortunate to get a job at Alltel Wireless and moved his family to Little Rock, where he discovered the William H. Bowen School of Law. Bowen has the state’s only part-time Juris Doctor program, which allows students to attend evening classes Monday through Thursday.

William “Goose” Changose, Jennifer Glover, and Jarred Kibbey were classmates in William H. Bowen School of Law’s part-time program, and now they work together at Natural State Law in Little Rock.

Changose enrolled in fall 2011, attending classes at night and working during the day as chief executive officer of Westrock Coffee Roasting. “While I was working for Westrock Coffee, tidbits of law would show up,” he said. “As CEO, I looked at contracts. My legal education was handy long before I even became a full-fledged lawyer.” Changose completed his law degree in 2015. “Bowen was a great experience for me,” he said. “From the first day I walked in, I liked it.” After law school, he continued working at Westrock, and fellow Bowen grad Jarred Kibbey was there too. “In the summer of 2017, we were working long days and producing a lot of coffee,” Changose recalled. “It was rewarding, but it didn’t fit with my long-term plan. One night I said to Jarred, ‘We have law degrees. Why don’t we open up a law firm?’ And Jarred said ‘Ok.’” That was the start of , which opened on May 1, 2018, with offices at 900 S. Shackleford Road in Little Rock. Changose and Kibbey were friends with Jennifer Glover, another Bowen classmate. She was already working at another law firm, but they convinced her to join them. As non-traditional students, each of the three attorneys had significant professional experience in diverse areas and have developed expertise in diverse areas of law. Changose focuses his practice on business law, veterans’ benefits, real estate zoning, aviation, and firearms law. Kibbey’s practice areas also include business law, veterans’ benefits, and firearms law as well as insurance, employment law, and HIPAA-related issues. Before law school, Kibbey had served as the senior policy advisor to the Arkansas Department of Health and as senior healthcare advisor to Gov. Asa Hutchinson. He has a Bachelor of Science in political science from UCA, a certificate in bioethics and health policy from Loyola University Chicago, and a Master of Public Health from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Glover had worked eight years as a paralegal for a family law firm before law school. She also had been a caseworker for the Division of Children and Family Services, where she experienced firsthand the value of competent legal representation for children and families. Her practice areas include family law, probate, adoption, guardianship, estate planning, and small business-related issues. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock before attending Bowen School of Law. All three attorneys are members of the Arkansas Bar Association and the Pulaski County Bar Association. The team is already putting into practice one of Bowen’s core values of creating access to justice. Most of the state’s lawyers work in Pulaski County and in Washington County in northwest Arkansas while rural state residents often lack convenient access to a lawyer. Kibbey applied for and was accepted into Bowen’s Rural Practice Incubator Project, which provides support to Bowen alumni who start law practices in rural, underserved Arkansas communities. Kibbey had grown up in Glenwood, a small town of about 2,500 residents south of Hot Springs. Natural State Law now has an office in Glenwood, and the three attorneys take turns staffing the office two days a week. “We’re getting more and more clients,” Changose said. “People come to us with problems, and we’re finding that we’re able to do a lot of good.” For Changose, the timing was perfect for the new venture. “The coffee business was running smoothly with record revenue and profits, and both of my daughters had graduated from college,” he said. “There are very few times in life when you get a chance to make a big change without the risk of ruin. This was a chance to do something I’d always wanted to do.” Top photo right: William “Goose” Changose found a second career as an attorney after his 23-year military career. Photos by Benjamin Krain

��Vlog��ý Little Rock student sees instructional design as key to improve education

Janea Snyder — Fri, 11 Jan 2019 22:39:36 +0000

Lily Valibaba envisions a classroom experience for her son that is far different than the one she had growing up. At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, she is working on a Master of Education in learning systems technology and is incorporating technology into curriculum design that will benefit future youth. “The thing about education is that you really do need a love of learning,” she said. “I have had that love most of my adult life, but not so much when I was younger. Looking back, I realized I was bored and that the educational system was meant for the average learner, but the outliers are the ones who bring on the thought-provoking change. They are the ones who shine the brightest. Those are the ones that mean the most to me. Those are the learners I want to reach.” Valibaba, 39, began questioning traditional classroom education after her son was diagnosed with autism. “I have an atypical child,” she said. “He did not learn well in the traditional environment. His autism prevented him from participating in so many things. The more atypical kids I met, the more I realized how little we shifted to their needs and how much we pushed for integration into the mainstream. “I began questioning. How can we tailor an education to meet the needs of an individual learner? How can we track progress and be notified when they need more assistance? How can we let them excel in areas while simultaneously modifying instruction to boost lower performance areas? How can learning be more inclusive? Her questions led her to blended classrooms, technology in classrooms, and eventually course/curriculum design. “I realized through my research that instructional design can be used to answer those questions and that not only atypical kids would benefit, but that any learner truly benefits from a well designed course.” Valibaba also sees a career in instructional design as a way to improve education. “The future of how and where our kids are educated is moving online,” she said. “By designing online courses and helping others bring their courses up to par, I am shaping young minds so to speak. Not shaping them to an ideally framed book of knowledge, but to think. To ask questions. To move beyond what we already think we know and extrapolate data and then apply it to real world problems and scenarios. I am helping create great thinkers and it makes me feel good! Reimagining our education system is at the cusp of a giant leap forward, and I am along for the ride.” Valibaba said she chose ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for its convenience and affordability, but “ultimately it was the faculty that pulled me in.” “I took a sociology class and that led to an anthropology class that led to my calling – people. I love to study people. I fell utterly head over heels for anthropology. My classes were not over populated, which allowed for relationships to be formed. Many of the students were non-traditional like me. My professors were accessible and willing to help.” She completed her undergraduate studies in 2015 and received a degree in anthropology with a minor in international business. She started the Master in Education in learning systems technology program in fall 2017 and is a full-time online student. “The moment I stepped on campus for my interview, I felt like I was home,” she said. “This is where I grew up as a learner. This is where I laid my foundation, and it has only grown ever since.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock, ��Vlog��ýMS announce new 2+2 degree plans

Janea Snyder — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 19:35:37 +0000

Students at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will have an easy transition should they decide to transfer to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to pursue study in an allied health specialty. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and ��Vlog��ýMS recently signed a series of 2+2 agreements that clearly outline pathways for students who earn the Associate of Arts in General Studies at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to then transfer to ��Vlog��ýMS to complete a Bachelor of Science degree. Transfer options are available in seven degree program areas:

B.S. in Ophthalmic Medical Technology
B.S. in Radiologic Imaging Sciences
B.S. in Cytotechnology (1 year)
B.S. in Nuclear Medicine Imaging Sciences (1 year) – and online
B.S. in Respiratory Care
B.S. in Medical Laboratory Sciences
B.S. in Dental Hygiene

While ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has articulation agreements with other ��Vlog��ýMS colleges, the 2+2 agreements with the College of Health Professions are new. The agreements have the potential for saving students time and money because students will know exactly which courses are needed. “The goal of 2+2 is to provide clarity about degree requirements in an easy-to-understand format, so students know exactly what courses they need to complete at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, how they will transfer to ��Vlog��ýMS, and the professional coursework required for completion of their program of choice,” said Phyllis Fields, associate dean for student affairs in the . “This provides a clear pathway that will aid the student in planning while hopefully reducing time and cost associated with earning the degree.” All of the ��Vlog��ýMS degree options are full-time programs in high-demand fields. Dental hygienists, for example, easily find work. In Arkansas, 85 percent of state’s dental hygienists are ��Vlog��ýMS graduates, Fields said. The cytotechnology program can be completed in one year at ��Vlog��ýMS, and graduates are in demand nationwide. They work in non-direct patient care in hospitals and private labs and play a vital role in the discovery and detection of cancer, pre-cancerous cell changes and diseases using a microscope. The Nuclear Medicine Imaging Sciences program also can be completed in one year and is an online only program. Employment in allied health overall is projected to grow, with 2.4 million additional jobs expected between 2016 and 2026, Field said. “We are glad to partner with ��Vlog��ýMS in preparing practitioners for these high demand fields,” said Sarah Beth Estes, interim dean of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences. “These agreements allow students to obtain a good foundation in the liberal arts while also efficiently achieving the prerequisites required to enter allied health programs.” Students in the 2+2 program must maintain a 2.5 GPA in the Associate of Arts in General Studies program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and gain admission to ��Vlog��ýMS. Advisors between the two institutions will work together with students. To learn more, visit the Trojan Academic Advising and Support Center.

Back to school for future doctor

Janea Snyder — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 17:55:27 +0000

Quinshell Smith graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in December with two degrees – a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a Bachelor of Science in biology, but she’s not ready to leave campus yet. On Jan. 22, she will return as a graduate student to begin work on a Master of Science in Applied Science. The work she is doing is all part of her plan to one day be a neurologist. Smith, 23, knew she wanted to attend college after she graduated from Hall High School in 2013, but as the first in her family to go to college, she didn’t have help sorting through the college process. “At the time, I wanted to get out of Little Rock, and I went with the school that sent me the first acceptance letter,” she said. “I didn’t do my research.” The school wasn’t a good fit, and Smith transferred to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to continue her biology studies. “I chose biology because I thought it would help me understand the human body,” she said. “I’ve always had a love of science, and I want to be a doctor.” Then she took a class with Dr. Rachel Tennial, associate professor of psychology, and decided she wanted to double major in both biology and psychology. “I just fell in love with the psychology department,” she said. “All of the professors had an open-door policy, and a lot of my research came out of the psychology department.” Smith’s passion to be a doctor stems from the death of her father at young age. “Not having my father around affected me as a girl growing up,” she said. “My father’s death, along with being raised in a single parent household, impacted my decision to pursue psychology because a lot of the things I learned in my psychology, I realized I have encountered. It helped me understand the situation and the way the people around me think. It also helped me have the capacity to forgive his killer.” Smith underwent much counseling after her father’s death, and on campus, she has worked to increase awareness of mental health. As president of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Psychology Club, she helped start Mental Health Awareness Week that brought together different campus organizations and student groups for a week of mental health related activities in October. She also organized a donation drive through the Psychology Club to benefit Methodist Behavioral Health. Smith also served on Student Government Association as a senator for the College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences. One of her most rewarding experiences at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has been the extensive undergraduate research she’s participated in alongside ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty. In one research project, she interviewed stage 3 and 4 cancer patients about their end-of-life preparations as part of a research study at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. “I had to ask the tough questions,” Smith recalled. “A lot of patients really touched me. It gave me a different perspective. I feel like this research truly prepared me for life as a doctor when I do make it to that point. Doctors have to talk about the tough stuff that people don’t want to talk about.” She also worked with psychology professor David Mastin on a sleep study, measuring how technology affects students’ sleep. “Dr. Mastin taught me how to really conduct research,” she said. “It is what I will need for my graduate research.” When the spring semester starts, Smith will work as a graduate assistant in the Academy for Teaching and Learning Excellence on campus. The assistantship will cover her graduate school tuition. Down the road, Smith plans to attend medical school, but for now she’s content with the work she’s doing to prepare. “I know I will get there,” she said. “I’m taking my time because I realized that not everything is a rush. I’m taking my time to learn every subject.” Photo by Benjamin Krain

On the road to success

Janea Snyder — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 17:42:29 +0000

For the past four months, Cynthia McLellan has logged 230 miles on her Mustang each Thursday on her weekly drive from Mena to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and back home. The trip takes six hours round-trip, but McLellan doesn’t mind too much. Every mile puts her closer to her goal to completing her college degree. McLellan has been taking online and hybrid classes in the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program. The hybrid class requires her to come to campus once a week. “This is my dream, and there’s not a sacrifice I won’t make to make this happen for myself,” she said of the weekly drive. McLellan lives in Mena, a rural community on the state’s western edge, where she has worked in social services for more than 20 years. For the past 10 years, she has been the social services director at Rich Mountain Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. “I wanted to help others to face their challenges,” she said. “It’s my love. Even if I wanted to leave it, it would follow me.” McLellan earned an associate degree in 1999 from a two-year community college in her native New Jersey. She’s always known that she needed to complete a four-year degree for her career field, but accessibility has hampered her from doing so up until now. With a job she loves, and a husband, a stepson, and grandchildren all rooted in Mena, moving wasn’t an option, and educational opportunities in her community are limited. “I am unable to relocate,” she said. “I have to work and meet my responsibilities here.” McLellan, 45, had been searching for an online program when she discovered ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Bachelor of Social Work was the perfect fit. Her previous college credits transferred to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, and she started the program in fall 2018 as a junior. She received a lottery scholarship, which helps offset tuition costs. At the time she was accepted, the online program was at maximum capacity, but there was a slot in the hybrid program, which allows students to complete courses mostly online with periodic meetings on campus. “Without this online program, I would be unable to attend college. There is no other program available to me,” she said. “With this online program, I’m able to continue working and attend college and take courses I need, and it plugs right into what I’m doing for a living. The courses I’m taking help strengthen what I do at the nursing home, and the nursing home will benefit from me getting a degree.” In the fall semester, she took five courses – 15 credit hours – while working full-time. Thursdays were the only days she spent on campus. She took advantage of the weekly trips, arriving early to meet with her academic advisors or professors. When the spring 2019 semester begins on Jan. 22, she’ll have all online classes, which will mean less drive time and more study time. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s online BSW program began in Fall 2018. Dr. Stephen Kapp, director of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s School of Social Work, says online programs are particularly helpful for training workers in high-demand areas. “In rural areas, there’s an absolute shortage of social workers,” Kapp said. “Through online programs, we’re able to build capacity in those areas.” Online classes also can be a challenge, McLellan said. “You have to be self-motivated and stay on top of deadlines,” she said. “I have to do that in the workforce anyway.” For the most part, McLellan has been impressed with the way technology provides ways for meaningful interaction between her and her professors and other students. On the first day of her Persuasive Writing class, she logged on and watched a video of professor Melvin Beavers welcoming her to class. In her Diversity class, she worked on a small group project with classmates living in Hot Springs and Little Rock. With Google Docs and Google Slides, the group often worked on projects simultaneously. “Distance learning is no longer just reading and writing,” she said. “I’m interacting with my professors and other students. We’re chatting and collaborating.” Social work is a profession to which McLellan feels a strong calling – perhaps because at one point she was on the receiving end of social services. In 1995, as a mother of four children, trying to go to college in New Jersey, McLellan struggled with poverty – even experiencing homelessness at one point. She saved enough money to stay in a motel where she could take public transportation to a community college. “After getting that degree, I was able to provide for my family,” she said. “With an education, you have power to make choices. I got myself out of poverty and broke the cycle.” Her daughter graduated from SAU last year with a 4.0 GPA and is now a kindergarten teacher. Her son joined the U.S. Army and is working toward a college degree in computer science. “It’s my turn now,” she said. “I really want that BSW for myself. It will be the icing on the cake for me.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock grad is taking the Information Technology world by storm

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 14 Dec 2018 14:10:58 +0000

As a sophomore information science major at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2010, Karen Watts of Bryant faced a difficult choice. Watts is a single mother of two children with special needs, and the youngest, Gabe, now 11, was in and out of the hospital with health issues. “I wanted to stay in school, but I couldn’t do both,” Watts said. “I had to leave after my first year at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. I got my cosmetology license, so I could work around my boys’ appointments and schedules.” Inspired to help other families, Watts opened Artistik Salon, which catered toward children and adults with special needs. The business was even recognized by local broadcast station with a Pay It Forward Award. “I had people travel from all over the state because they couldn’t go anywhere else to have their children’s hair cut,” Watts said. “A lot of the children have sensory issues, so it could easily be too loud or crowded, so I catered to each child that came in. It was really hard to close in 2017, but I really wanted to finish my degree. It was a really hard decision since I helped a lot of kids.” Watts returned to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2016 and was accepted into the Accelerated BS to MS program, enabling her to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. In addition, Watts took four graduate classes as a senior. When she graduates from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock on Dec. 15, she will earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Science as well as a Graduate Certificate in Data Science. At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, she is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, an ambassador for the College of Engineering and Information Technology, and a research assistant with the Collaboratorium of Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies (COSMOS), a research group led by Dr. Nitin Agarwal, Maulden-Entergy Endowed Chair and distinguished professor in the Department of Information Science. She credits Agarwal, Dr. Elizabeth Pierce, chair of the Department of Information Science, and all the information science professors with helping her succeed. “Dr. Elizabeth Pierce and Dr. Nitin Agarwal are my mentors, but every professor I’ve had in information science has been wonderful and supportive. Dr. Pierce supported me going to different hackathons to gain skills and network. It’s been great to continue my research with Dr. Agarwal at COSMOS. It’s a big change from working at a salon.” As part of her burgeoning hackathon career, Watts and her teammate, Michael DiCicco, beat out 28 other teams as the first place winner of CrimsonHacks in April for their multicurrency cryptocoin wallet called “Tweety Wallet.” The prototype app retrieves tweets from Twitter with hashtags that correspond to cryptocurrency. The app then runs a sentiment analysis to determine if current views of the digital currency are positive or negative. This information helps users determine if they should buy, sell, or hang on to their digital currency. In October, she also won the J.B. Hunt Use Case Award at the ��Vlog��ý Blockchain Hackathon along with DiCicco and Brenda Nyangweso. Watts and her team, sudoIntellectual, created an electronic bill of lading system for J.B. Hunt that they named “Truck Hunt.” That led the team to travel to J.B. Hunt’s corporate headquarters in Lowell, Arkansas, where they made a presentation to the company’s executives. Watts has received a promising job offer from the company, which would allow her to work with emerging technologies. “I stay busy, and I don’t sleep a lot,” Watts said of her hectic schedule. “It’s very important for my kids, Blakely, 12, and Gabe, 11. They are my life. Everything I have done is for them. I always knew I wanted to come back and finish my degree. The time came, and I was able to, and I hit the ground running. I’m the first woman in my family to get a college degree.” Watts has also interned at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service for over a year, where she has completed some innovative information technology projects. She collaborated with her boss, Amy Cole, to develop the Arkansas Extension chatbot platform, VeggieBot, which is likely the first extension chatbot developed in the U.S. A chatbot is a computer program designed to simulate conversation with people. In the case of VeggieBot, the chatbot will answer basic questions about gardening, which will free up time for the employees and provide a self-service channel that can respond at any time. Additionally, Watts created a new internal employee website. She also assisted in developing a new web app, replacing an outdated system, that assists Arkansas rice producers in managing their rice crops for a senior capstone project. She presented this project at the College of Engineering and Information Technology Open House in April and received the Mainstream Technologies Professional Presentation Award. After completing her master’s degree in December 2019, Watts plans to earn a Ph.D. in computer and information science at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, where she will research strategies to fight disinformation campaigns online using blockchain technology with COSMOS. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock has given me opportunities to be involved in a research group that opened a whole lot of new doors and helped me decide on my master’s degree,” she said. “The hackathons were another opportunity I wouldn’t have had outside ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. I don’t know of any other schools that offer the 4+1 program where I could earn my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years and work on my graduate certificate during my senior year. The professors here are incredible and full of knowledge.”

Venezuelan student finds new home at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 07 Dec 2018 13:34:56 +0000

When Katherine Zambrano first moved to Little Rock to live with her aunt, whose husband was ill, Little Rock seemed like a different world compared to her hometown of Caracas, Venezuela, with a population of more than two million people. “I came from a very big city, like Chicago or New York, and there is a lot of noise there,” said Zambrano, a 21-year-old senior. “Here, it is slow paced, and it is silent at times. It was hard to adjust, but I really love it now. The tranquility and calmness have grown on me.” Anxious to get started on her college education, Zambrano began at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock soon after she arrived in the spring 2015 semester. She is appreciative of the volunteers from International Student Services for helping her adjust to a new country. “International Student Services helped me to adjust to college life,” she said. “Student volunteers tell you about campus life and give you a tour of campus. Everything is overwhelming when you get here, so having someone welcome you and tell you where the best place to eat and hang out is very helpful.” In December, Zambrano will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in mass communication and media production and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. She plans to work as a translator and in the communications industry. While on campus, Zambrano has received a variety of work experience to prepare her for the future. She has worked in the Office of Testing Services and International Student Services.

Katherine Zambrano attends Mosaic Church where she worked as an intern translating Spanish and also works as a children’s Sunday school teacher with her husband. Photo by Benjamin Krain.

“In the International Student Services office, I have been able to work alongside incredible people who have become my friends and meet new people from all over the world,” she said. “My favorite part of being a student is getting to meet people from Argentina and Saudi Arabia and everywhere in the world. It’s great that we have such a cultured school.” On the communications side, she worked as a lab assistant for the School of Mass Communication, managing communication equipment used by students. She has also served as an intern at KATV and at Mosaic Church, where she served as a Spanish translator and created graphics. Zambrano also enjoyed working on “The Lunch Box,” a television news program produced by the School of Mass Communication, and a class documentary. “As a mass communication major, I was fortunate to work with a documentarist from HBO. He was our teacher for a semester, and we were able to make a documentary from scratch. It was great and an experience that I will never forget.” She is also actively involved in the community and volunteers at Mosaic Church, the children’s ministry at Fellowship Bible Church, and as a group leader for International Student Services. On campus, Zambrano has also served as president of the International Club and vice president of Genesis Campus Ministry, where she met her husband, David, who is studying to be a physician assistant at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The two were married at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs in 2017.

Katherine Zambrano has worked as a lab assistant in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock television production studio. Photo by Benjamin Krain.

One of her favorite teachers was Dr. Mark Giese, who retired from the School of Mass Communication in 2017. “He was the one who got me interested in media production,” Zambrano said. “I had one of his classes, and he was this person who wanted you to learn. He was very passionate toward filming and photography, and he wanted you to love it.” Zambrano is thankful to her friends in International Student Services and Counseling Services who helped her adjust to college life and make ��Vlog��ý Little Rock her new home. “I arrived in the U.S. three and a half years ago and was met with a lot of incredible people that guided me and taught me all I know now,” she said. “I knew English but that was where my knowledge stopped in terms of college, and I was met with so many people that wanted to help me succeed and that was the biggest incentive to continue going. I love the community, and people are so friendly, and people aren’t afraid to say hello and will come up and meet new people.”

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

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