Talburt, Acxiom chair of information quality, has been a key figure in the university鈥檚 nationally recognized Information Quality Program. With more than 200 research publications, numerous grants, patents, and collaborations across national and global platforms, he has made a lasting impact on both the academic community and the careers of countless students.

鈥淏ecause of Dr. Talburt鈥檚 leadership, our programs continue to gain recognition and remain among the strongest in the state,鈥� Provost Ann Bain said. 鈥淏ut what makes Dr. Talburt truly exceptional is his deep commitment to students鈥攊ncluding them in research, mentoring them through complex ideas, and helping them build careers that matter.鈥�

The announcement was made during a campus celebration hosted by the Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) on April 30, with university leadership and colleagues honoring Talburt鈥檚 distinguished career.

鈥淭his honor was made possible through the Vision for the Future Fund, which supports innovation in the sciences and helps us continue creating opportunities for faculty and students to do transformative work,鈥� said Lloyd Webre, director of development for the Donaghey College of STEM. 鈥淚t鈥檚 no surprise that this professorship is being named for someone who has dedicated his career to advancing a field, mentoring students, and bringing national recognition to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock.鈥�

The professorship is part of the university鈥檚 Centennial Campaign, a historic fundraising effort that has already raised more than $215 million toward its $250 million goal celebrating the university鈥檚 100-year anniversary in 2027. The endowed professorship provides additional funding for Talburt鈥檚 research areas. It represents a strategic investment in faculty excellence, student opportunity, and long-term innovation.

Dr. Jeff Connelly, interim dean of the Donaghey College of STEM, praised Talburt for his dual role as a researcher and mentor.

鈥淲hen you talk to students who鈥檝e worked with Dr. Talburt, you hear a few words come up again and again鈥攎entor, innovator, champion,鈥� Connelly said. 鈥淭hanks to his guidance, students have co-authored papers, presented at national conferences, and gone on to build meaningful careers in the field.鈥�

Talburt expressed gratitude for the recognition and reflected on the journey that brought him to this moment.

鈥淲hen I started teaching, I never imagined where this path would take me鈥攐r the incredible students, colleagues, and partners I鈥檇 have the opportunity to work with along the way,鈥� Talburt said. 鈥淭his professorship is meaningful not just because of the title, but because of what it represents鈥攖he students who challenge us to keep learning, the colleagues who make the work better, and the kind of academic environment that makes long-term, impactful work possible. I鈥檓 grateful to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock for its continued commitment to information quality and for giving me a place to grow, contribute, and hopefully make a difference.鈥�

Talburt is a nationally recognized leader in data and information quality, whose work has elevated 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock to the forefront of graduate education in the field. He currently serves as professor of information science, executive director of the Center for Advanced Research in Entity Resolution and Information Quality, and coordinator of the Ph.D. program in computer and information sciences. He is also a member of the U.S. Advisory Group to the International Organization for Standardization for data quality standards, and a senior advisor to the Chief Data Officer and Information Quality Society.

In 2021, 2022, and 2023, CDO Magazine named Talburt to its Leading Academic Data Leaders List, an honor recognizing top scholars advancing the field of data on a global scale. Talburt played a foundational role in developing 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 Information Quality Graduate Program, which includes a graduate certificate, an M.S. in information quality, and a Ph.D. emphasis in integrated computing. Under his leadership, these programs have seen dramatic growth, with U.S. News & World Report ranking 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock among the top Best Online Graduate Computer Information Technology Programs for many years.

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The university-level Faculty Excellence winners will be announced at the April 4 ceremony at 6 p.m. in the Schueck, McCarty, Lexicon Inc. Auditorium in the Engineering and Information Technology Building.

More information on the Donaghey College of STEM winners and excerpts from their nomination letters are below:

Faculty Excellence Award for Research and Creative Endeavors

Dr. Talburt is the director of the Information Quality Graduate Program at 糖心Vlog传媒 at Little Rock, a professor of information science, and Acxiom chair of information quality.

Talburt has been very active in scholarship over the past five years. He has played a major role in projects that involve graduate assistantships for master鈥檚 and doctoral programs, which provide great opportunities to students of those programs.

In addition to securing funded research grants, Talburt has historically published several research articles each year, often co-authoring with students and alumni to help 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students establish research credentials. He has also given many presentations in campus and industry talks and conferences.

Faculty Excellence Award for Public Service

Dr. Siraj is an associate professor of chemistry at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Siraj has served in numerous committees in the chemistry department, including the awards committee, the schedule committee, chemical safety committee, chemistry program technology committee, among several others. In addition to her service within the chemistry program, Siraj has also served in various university committees, such as the faculty senate honors and awards committee, the students research and creative works committee, and the college combination task force, among others.

Siraj has also been involved in professional and community service outside the university. The Central Arkansas American Chemical Society honored her with two prestigious awards in 2023; Central Arkansas Professor of the Year and Volunteer of the Year. Over the past five years, Siraj has mentored 22 middle and high school students for their science fair projects, three of whom have won awards at the Scientific Review Committee for International Science and Engineering Fair.

Siraj has played a significant role in the community by helping build pathways to STEM careers for underserved children in Little Rock, as well as encouraging students, especially female students, to follow their STEM-related interests.

Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching

Dr. Turner is an assistant professor of construction management and civil and construction engineering at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Turner has exhibited great dedication to providing an enhanced educational experience to students within her program. In 2019, Turner secured two grants that significantly advanced teaching resources within her department.

Turner employs an innovative approach when it comes to teaching, integrating traditional lectures with interactive approaches and accommodating different learning styles. She strives to foster a positive educational environment of inclusivity where students feel heard and valued. Turner goes above and beyond for students by analyzing student feedback and adapting to their educational needs.

Faculty Excellence Award for Social Justice

Dr. Moore is the Learning Assistant (LA) program coordinator at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, the director of undergraduate research, as well as the director of the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participants (LSAMP). When asked to lead LSAMP, the program had not had leadership for over a year. Moore worked hard to revive the program by recruiting more students to attend 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock as part of the LSAMP program cohort, and built a program that includes weekly activities such as career mentoring, professional training, and service opportunities.

The Learning Assistants program allows students who have recently completed a course to help the next group of students who take the class. During their first semester assisting in the classroom, LAs take a course on pedagogy to help them facilitate learning for other students. As Learning Assistants program coordinator, Moore has expanded the LA program participation from four to 12 faculty members who now use 35 LAs. Moore also partnered with Dr. Mark Baillie and Dr. Lundon Pinneo to write a grant which allows LAs to receive stipends for their leadership roles.

As director of undergraduate research, Moore has doubled the number of student applications for research grants. The diversity and number of students who have their research funded has vastly increased under his leadership.

Faculty Excellence Award for Rising Faculty

Dr. Ghosh is an assistant professor of engineering at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Over the past two years, Ghosh has demonstrated his commitment to student success, teaching three courses each semester and performing well in all of them. Ghosh has joined the Mobile Institute of Scientific Teaching and Academy for Teaching and Learning Excellence in order to become an even more effective instructor, and has established a successful research and education program in thin film fabrication and characterization.

Ghosh is known for his team-player mentality, which has facilitated the establishment of research partnerships between universities and more. Currently, Ghosh is involved with two projects with faculty from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and Arkansas State University.

Ghosh is also very involved in supporting the research endeavors of undergraduate and graduate students with his mentorship, and several of his undergraduate mentees have received signature experience grants from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship grants from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. These students have presented at the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Student Research and Creative Works Expo and received recognition for their work.

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The donation will create the Wang Graduate Assistantship Fund, which provides funding for graduate assistantships for students in one of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 information quality graduate programs in the Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. This includes the Master of Science in Information Quality program and the Information Quality Track of the Computer and Information Sciences Doctoral program.

鈥淚t has always been a tradition in my family to provide donations to help people,鈥� said Wang, founder and executive director of the Institute for Chief Data Officers at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. 鈥淚 happen to be a workaholic, and I feel that this donation to help graduate students is a good way to spend my money. Our graduate students work so hard, and they are very deserving of every opportunity that comes their way.鈥�

This significant contribution will pave the way for budding scholars to thrive as they pursue their studies, ensuring that the legacy of excellence in information quality continues to shine brightly. Wang’s dedication to empowering the next generation of information quality experts exemplifies the true spirit of mentorship and the enduring impact of a caring educator.

鈥淥ur graduate students learn valuable skills while becoming an excellent resource for the department,鈥� Wang said. 鈥淭hey assist professors with teaching and research projects. As teaching assistants, they learn how to help students complete their courses satisfactorily. As research assistants, they learn how to complete research projects for academia and industry partners.鈥�

Wang is a pioneer and leader in the research and practice of chief data officers and has put the term information quality on the intellectual map with myriad publications. He has been instrumental in the establishment of the Ph.D. and Master of Science in Information Quality degree programs at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, serving as a visiting university professor of information quality from 2005 to 2009 at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock.

In 2016, he founded the Institute for Chief Data Officers at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, and he served as the state of Arkansas鈥檚 first chief data officer under former Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Just this year, he launched a comprehensive certification program for chief data officers. The 120-hour certification course covers data strategy, governance, curation, quality, monetization, valuation, and analytics.

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