The university-level Faculty Excellence winners will be announced at the April 4 ceremony at 5:30 p.m. in the EIT Auditorium in the Engineering and Information Technology Building.

More information on the CHASSE winners and excerpts from their nomination letters are below:

Faculty Excellence Award for Public Service

Dr. Edma Delgado-Sol贸rzano is an assistant professor of Spanish who is deeply involved in service in her program, at the university, and in our larger community.

In highlighting her work at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, her nomination letter states 鈥渟he is the heart and soul鈥� of supporting Spanish heritage speakers through recruiting students to the program, supervising Spanish language testing requirements, writing memos to the registrar, and advising and mentoring these students.

鈥淗er years-long work with LULAC, El Z贸calo Immigrant Resource Center, Mamas Unidas in Little Rock, the Hispanic Women鈥檚 Organization of Arkansas in Springdale, and El Centro Hispano in Jonesboro are a testament to a hard-working individual who strongly believes in setting an example for her community,鈥� her nomination letter states. 鈥淎nd these organizations have awarded her efforts with the 2023 Mentor of the Year Prize from Mamas Unidas, as Arkansan of the Day (July 17, 2023) by THV Channel 11 News, and Recognition for Community Service (October 13, 2023) from Univision Arkansas.鈥�

Faculty Excellence Award for Research and Creative Endeavors

Dr. Heidi Skurat Harris is an associate professor and graduate coordinator in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing. With a decade of experience at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, Harris has made significant impacts in the research field.

鈥淗er three primary research areas involve online instruction鈥� online writing program development and administration, and archival research on the writing and publication process of the novella 鈥楢 River Runs Through It鈥� by Norman Maclean,鈥� states her letter of nomination.

鈥淚n the last five years alone, Dr. Harris has published in four edited collections and book chapters, a bibliography, twelve journal articles, and two co-edited books (Routledge 2024),鈥� her letter continues. 鈥淚n addition, she collaborated with faculty and students from across disciplines and across the country. Her work appears in seminal books, like 鈥淔oundational Practices in Online Writing Instruction鈥� and in some of the top journals in the field, including 鈥淭echnical Communication Quarterly,鈥� 鈥淐omputers & Composition,鈥� and 鈥淐ommunication Quarterly.鈥� She has maintained this research pace while simultaneously developing and coordinating the Graduate Certificate for Online Writing Instruction (the only of its kind in the nation and recipient of the CSSC 2017 Curricular Innovation Award) and serving as the graduate coordinator for [the] department.鈥�

Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching

Dr. Neveen Shafeek Amin is the coordinator of the sociology program and an associate professor of sociology who emphasizes mentoring and student-oriented service.

鈥淸Dr. Shafeek Amin] is well versed in scientific teaching and uses evidence-based methods to improve her students’ learning outcomes,鈥� her nomination letter continues. 鈥淪he uses several pedagogical strategies with her students to encourage active learning, which has been shown to improve students鈥� retention. For instance, in her Introduction to Sociology classes, she has her students engage in service-learning activities and write reflective papers about the experience (for this work, she was named a Service-Learning Advocate by the College of Social Science and Communications in 2020.)鈥�

Her work in teaching and learning continues outside the School of Human Inquiry as well. Her nomination letter states, 鈥淭his year she was selected to serve as one of the three co-directors for the Academy of Teaching and Learning (ATLE). [Dr. Shafeek Amin] is extraordinarily well suited to this role. She has regularly attended ATLE programming since she began working at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and has received numerous recognitions from the group, including a curriculum innovation award, numerous teaching fellow awards, and a Lifetime Participation award. Her leadership in this organization demonstrates her commitment to ongoing improvement in teaching, not just for herself, but also for her colleagues. Through this work she is working to improve the classroom experience for all students by providing continuing education for the educators.鈥�

糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Social Justice Award

Dr. Daryl Tate, associate professor in the School of Education, coordinates the Learning System Technology Education Program. He is also 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 inaugural eLearning Fellow.

According to his nomination letter, 鈥淸Dr. Tate] has been a much sought-after person to address equity for all in the online environment; he has done so via his publications, scholarly presentations, media interviews, grants, and direct action with students to facilitate programming. On his grants, two of them focused on how to provide open educational resources (OER) to his students as a student retention effort鈥� In essence, his programming has a lasting impact that promotes and defends social justice in the form of access to education.鈥�

Regarding Tate鈥檚 entire body of work, his nomination letter goes on to state: 鈥淒r. Tate鈥檚 pivotal work to provide educational access using technology and pedagogy innovatively approaches student success. It also exemplifies his commitment to ensuring 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock remains relevant in producing student scholars who will function with this same focus on inclusionary access for all to learn.鈥�

糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Rising Faculty Award for Excellence

Professor Kiel Thorlton, assistant professor in the School of Mass Communication, joined the university in 2020. Since that time, he has taught 11 different classes in the area of video production.

His nomination letter states: 鈥淚n addition to his considerable teaching load, Prof. Thorlton also serves as the coordinating producer for ESPN+ in conjunction with 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock athletics. In this capacity, he is responsible for all student crews for roughly 100+ broadcasts in an academic year.鈥�

In addition to his service to the university and in the larger community, he also continues to thrive in scholarship/creative activity. 鈥淪ince 2010, Kiel has been the director, cinematographer, and owner of Falling Leaf Productions, a company that specializes in video production ranging from narrative film to commercial work,鈥� his nomination letter continues. 鈥淧erhaps the most notable of the work his company has produced is the feature film 鈥楢 Place Called Home,鈥欌�� which was released worldwide on Dec. 20, 2022. Thorlton served as the writer, director, and co-producer of the movie.

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Maria 鈥淢ayca鈥� Alvarez is graduating this semester with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in world languages with a concentration in Spanish and a passion for helping students prepare and succeed in college.

鈥淕raduating feels like reaching the summit of a challenging mountain climb,鈥� Alvarez said. 鈥淲hen I started, there were moments of doubt, akin to the vertigo experienced when contemplating how long the journey to graduation would be. Now, I can express gratitude for not giving up and successfully reaching this milestone.鈥�

A native of Vigo, Spain, Alvarez moved to Arkansas in 2003 with her family. She started college at the University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College and transferred to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock in 2021. Along the way, she has gained valuable experience through an internship with the Central Arkansas Library System.

鈥淭his experience has been excellent, primarily focused on programs celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month,鈥� Alvarez said. 鈥淭his opportunity has allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the library system and discover the diverse range of activities they offer.鈥�

鈥淪panish majors at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock complete internships to help prepare them for the workplace,鈥� said Dr. Edma Delgado-Sol贸rzano, assistant professor of Spanish. 鈥淢ayca completed her internship with Hispanic Community Liaison Mar铆a Aguilar with the Central Arkansas Library System. She learned how to plan and deliver public programs and how to improve community outreach projects.鈥�

She credits two people for their significant roles in helping her complete her college education.

鈥淪andra Carmona Jobe stands out,鈥� Alvarez said. 鈥淪he opened the door to higher education for me, providing the encouragement I needed when I doubted myself. Additionally, Professor Edma Delgado-Sol贸rzano has been a mentor during my time at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, offering guidance and encouragement that has played a significant role in my journey to graduation.鈥�

Alvarez also had the unique experience of attending 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock at the same time as her youngest son, Alejandro Alvarez-Barreiro, who will graduate next year with bachelor鈥檚 degrees in mechanical engineering technology and world languages-Spanish, just like his mom. Alvarez-Barreiro is a music minor who plays percussion instruments, and Alvarez said her favorite times at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock have been watching her son play in university concerts.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a joy to witness the talent and dedication showcased in these performances and to share those experiences with my son,鈥� she said.

Helping Students Find the Path to College

When her oldest son entered high school in 2015 and started thinking about college, Alvarez realized that she has little knowledge about the higher education system in the U.S.

鈥淭his led me to do research and connect with other women facing similar concerns about their children鈥檚 educational futures,鈥� Alvarez said. 鈥淲e started meeting together to share information, and we thought that information would be helpful for other families. The first time we had a community meeting was in January 2018. It was a cold, rainy night, and more than 100 people showed up that day. We realized that people needed help, and that is when Mam谩s Unidas started.鈥�

Alvarez is a co-founder and president of Mam谩s Unidas (United Moms for Education) Little Rock, a nonprofit organization which provides first-generation Latino students and their families guidance on attaining post-secondary education through workshops, career counseling, college entrance exam preparation, and career fairs.

糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock faculty and staff have been a great support to Mam谩s Unidas over the years, Alvarez said. Professors have collaborated with the organization to provide math and writing workshops and college exam preparation classes.

Since 2020, Alvarez also worked as a part-time project assistant for the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock TRIO programs, where she helped provide comprehensive support to high school students and adults seeking higher education opportunities. After graduation, she will work full-time for TRIO continuing her work of expanding the educational opportunities for first-generation and non-traditional students.

鈥淚 am eager to contribute to their educational journeys and help them achieve their goals,鈥� she said.

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Delgado Sol贸rzano received the award during the Mam谩s Unidas LR 5th Anniversary Gala on June 22. The award recognizes her exceptional dedication, guidance, and support in mentoring and empowering individuals within the community.

鈥淭his award is being presented to Edma Delgado Sol贸rzano for her unwavering dedication to her students鈥� success,鈥� said Mayca Alvarez of Mam谩s Unidas LR. 鈥淎s an assistant professor of Spanish at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, she has imparted knowledge and served as an inspiring role model, guiding her students on their academic and personal journeys. Edma’s mentorship extends far beyond the classroom. She has consistently gone above and beyond to provide support and guidance to her students, recognizing the unique challenges they may face.鈥�

Delgado Sol贸rzano joined 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock as a visiting assistant professor in 2014. She is the faculty mentor to the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). From 2016 to 2019, Dr. Delgado served on the Board of Directors of El Zocalo Immigrant Resource Center and on the board of the Arkansas Humanities Council from 2017 to 2022.

She regularly collaborates with the Little Rock Chapter of LULAC, the Hispanic Women鈥檚 Organization of Arkansas (Springdale), and Mam谩s Unidas to develop and support programs aimed at increasing the educational attainment of Hispanic, first-generation, and non-traditional students in Arkansas. These activities include career fairs and panels, ACT preparation courses, and mini workshops on post-secondary education, financial aid, and other college preparatory subjects.

Delgado Sol贸rzano said that mentoring is an important part of her life, a way to pay forward the many people who helped her succeed in her own life.

鈥淚 feel a debt of gratitude for all the people who supported me when I was growing up. I benefited from a lot of mentors, and I feel like it鈥檚 an easy way to pay it forward,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 feel lucky to be in this university position where my department encourages service and my colleagues have been helpful. Professors Olimpia Underwood and Rosalie Cheatham have collaborated in a lot of these activities. I feel grateful that there is support for service at this university. I鈥檓 grateful to be here and have this platform to support students in their future careers.鈥�

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