Dr. Rebecca Glazier, a professor of political science in the School Public Affairs, published a paper, 鈥淟ong-Term Effects of COVID-19 on Political Science Teaching,鈥� in the journal PS: Political Science and Politics.

She surveyed about 300 political science faculty who are members of the American Political Science Association (APSA). The data reveals a picture of faculty who are doing more for students and feeling strained by their efforts. Those with more experience teaching online before the pandemic held a more favorable view of online teaching when they were surveyed during the pandemic. The results found that the attitude of most faculty members (about 80 percent) towards online teaching became more positive (46.2 percent) or stayed the same (31.9 percent) during the first two years of the pandemic.

鈥淲e thought that teaching during COVID would make a lot of people hate online teaching,鈥� Glazier said. 鈥淎s a whole, it didn鈥檛 make people more negative. The people who were most affected were those that had to teach online for the first time as a result of COVID-19.鈥�

About 22 percent of those surveyed now have a more negative attitude regarding online teaching because of the pandemic.

鈥淭eaching for the first time during COVID was really hard for a lot of faculty members. They were all of a sudden being thrown into teaching online with a week鈥檚 warning,鈥� Glazier said. 鈥淭hat is what made some people hate online teaching. If you give people some training and preparation, people don鈥檛 hate online teaching.鈥�

Glazier and her co-author, Dr. J. Cherie Strachan of the University of Akron, are both members of the Political Science Education group of APSA. Glazier received a Small Research Grant from APSA to support her project.

In addition to studying attitudes toward online teaching, Glazier said her research also found that faculty members developed some positive teaching habits during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Faculty members reported spending more one-on-one time meeting with students to discuss personal problems, though women consistently reported giving more of their time to students both before and during the pandemic. Many faculty members also reported becoming more empathetic during the pandemic.

鈥淚t has made me more aware that many of my students have challenges that I do not know about which affect their performance,鈥� one respondent stated.

Glazier said most of her research project鈥檚 big-picture findings 鈥� attitudes toward online teaching and faculty becoming more empathetic and spending more one-on-one time with students 鈥� 鈥渆xtend across all disciplines and are something that all faculty are dealing with.鈥�

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Glazier鈥檚 book, 鈥�,鈥� was published by Temple University Press in July. This book shows the benefits of religious people taking action in their communities.

Through more than a decade of multi-method data collection through the Little Rock Congregations Study, Glazier, who serves as director of the research project, has surveyed more than 4,000 congregants and nearly 500 clergy in Little Rock to gather opinions from members and leaders on community issues and engagement. Together with interviews and case studies, her findings indicate that active congregants are happier and more civically involved.

鈥淭丑别 book uses qualitative and quantitative data from clergy and congregants over 12 years of research to make the case that community engagement benefits everyone,鈥� Glazier said. 鈥淢embers are happier and healthier, places of worship have warmer and more giving cultures, and society is less divided and more democratic. I鈥檓 grateful to the congregations, clergy, and community members who contributed to this research and opened up their sacred spaces to make all this possible.鈥�

Glazier started the Little Rock Congregations Study in 2012 with a single class of students at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock working with just five congregations in Little Rock. In 2016, they partnered with the University of Arkansas-Clinton School of Public Service, received a grant from the American Political Science Association, and expanded to work with 17 congregations.

During 2020, the Little Rock Congregations Study moved data collection online due to the COVID-19 pandemic and were able to work with 35 congregations, producing personalized reports for each congregation. Altogether, more than 200 students at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and the Clinton School have conducted research through the Little Rock Congregations Study, all of whom are listed in the book.

The book also provides detailed case studies of real congregations in Little Rock鈥攂ig and small, Black and white, Christian and Muslim鈥攕o that diverse places of worship can see different models for community engagement that might fit their interests and membership.

鈥溾�楩aith and Community鈥� is an excellent study of the realized mutual benefits that communities and houses of worship experience when congregations emphasize community engagement,鈥� said Corwin Smidt, a senior research fellow at the Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics at Calvin University. 鈥淩ebecca Glazier also makes a case for how the joint endeavor of professors and students engaging in studies of their local communities can be both academically advantageous and beneficial for the community in which such educational institutions are located.鈥�

Glazier will speak about her book during a Central Arkansas Library System Legacies and Lunch meeting Oct. 2 at noon at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Downtown, 333 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock.

People who are interested in using the Little Rock Congregations Study research surveys to learn more about their own congregations can receive the surveys for free. Visit this article or contact Glazier at raglazier@ualr.edu for more information.

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With the 2024 presidential election just months away, the Little Rock Congregations Study is doing something it鈥檚 never done before 鈥� giving away their research surveys for free to anyone who would like to use them.

鈥淔or the first time ever, we are making our surveys free and publicly available, so that any congregation, whether in Little Rock or around the world, can use them to survey their own members,鈥� said Dr. Rebecca Glazier, director of the Little Rock Congregations Study. 鈥淭丑别re are survey firms who charge people thousands of dollars for surveys, and ours is totally free. The questions are vetted by congregations, clergy, social scientists, and researchers. Our research shows that community engagement helps everyone, and we want everyone to be able to use this survey to learn about their members and how they want to get involved to help their community.鈥�

The survey has about 75 questions and takes approximately 12 minutes to fill out. However, congregations can edit the survey to fit their individual congregation鈥檚 needs. For example, if a congregation is considering adding a preschool or starting a new volunteer program, they can add questions to find out how congregants feel about these issues.

鈥淎s a social scientist, I believe that data is powerful,鈥� Glazier said. 鈥淐ongregations can learn more about their members and especially how they feel about the importance of various community issues and what issues they want to get involved in. We think community engagement can help make people, congregations, and democracy better, and we want to spread that message as far and wide as possible.鈥�

The survey can also help congregations understand the spiritual health of their members. Previous Little Rock Congregations Study research shows that congregations with members who are actively engaged in the community experience better spiritual health.

鈥淲hen congregation members are involved in the community, they feel better, have better spiritual health, and feel closer to God,鈥� Glazier said. 鈥淔inding out what issues your members care about can help you pick the best community programs to dedicate your time and efforts to. Our data show that the end result will be well worth it.鈥�

In 2012, the Little Rock Congregations Study began with Glazier and a single class of students at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock working with just five congregations in Little Rock. In 2016, they partnered with the Clinton School of Public Service, received a grant from the American Political Science Association鈥檚 Alma Ostrom and Leah Hopkins Awan Civic Education Fund, and expanded to work with 17 congregations.

During 2020, the Little Rock Congregations Study moved data collection online due to the COVID-19 pandemic and were able to work with 35 congregations, producing personalized reports for each congregation. Altogether, more than 200 students at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and the Clinton School have conducted research through the Little Rock Congregations Study.

Those interested in looking at the survey can visit this website. Glazier is available to help people interpret their data or generate sample reports. For more information, contact Glazier at raglazier@ualr.edu.

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Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I was raised in Jacksonville, Arkansas, and graduated from Cabot High School. During high school, I enjoyed keeping up with politics. My goal is to become a foreign service officer.

Why did you choose 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock?

I chose 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock because it is a large enough school, but small enough where you are not just a number. For instance, my friends and I often hang out at Starbucks and the library.

Why did you choose to major in Political Science?

Initially, I was going to major in theatre, but I took an AP government class in high school that ignited my interest in politics. A year earlier, we traveled to Italy and Greece where I fell in love with traveling. Political science has combined my passions for government, politics, and hopefully travel!

You interned at the Iraqi embassy and helped prep diplomats. Tell us about that experience.

During Summer 2022, I worked with Iraqi diplomats on congressional affairs in the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Members of this committee include Senators Robert Menendez, Mitt Romney, Tim Kaine, and Ted Cruz. This experience gives me hope because policymakers work better together behind the scenes than how they are portrayed in the media. I also got to learn about policy from an Iraqi perspective.

Your goal is to become a foreign service officer. What does a foreign service officer do? 

Foreign service officers serve the diplomatic needs of the United States in embassies worldwide. There are five career tracks: Consular, Economics, Management, Political, and Public Diplomacy. I would love to be stationed in Scandinavia or Brussels, Belgium, since it is the headquarters for the European Union.

Who were some of your mentors?

Dr. Rebecca Glazier encouraged me to join the Model Arab League, which gives students insight into the Middle East and Arab world. Drs. Jessica Scott and Simon Hawkins helped me with life planning. Dr. Stephanie Davis helped me with graduate school applications.

What are your favorite memories?

The pancake breakfast was great because we played games at the table while we ate. We had a lot of fun and laughs.

One of my favorite experiences was participating in the study abroad program in Prague, Czechoslovakia. I interned at a non-profit organization called Act for Others. This organization promotes charitable activities that enable the disabled to integrate into society. Part of this internship included helping plan a small Christmas market with local vendors and entertainment.

Where are you going to graduate school?

I am entering the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in New York. The Maxwell School is one of the nation鈥檚 top-ranked schools for public affairs. A former Donaghey Scholar and current foreign service officer helped me research graduate schools.

What advice would you give incoming students?

Do your work and attend class. Do something out of your comfort zone and make connections. Because of my connections, I participated in the Model Arab League and interned at the Iraqi embassy!

This profile was compiled by Toni Boyer.

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The American Political Science Association (APSA) has honored Glazier with the . The award honors a political scientist for their significant civic and community engagement work, which merges knowledge and practice and has an impact outside of the profession or academy.

鈥淚 strive to have an impact with my research that reaches beyond academia,鈥� Glazier said. 鈥淭丑别 community-based work I have been doing with the Little Rock Congregations Study since 2012 is a great example of that. I am so honored to know that this work is being recognized on a national level.鈥�

Glazier is being acknowledged for her work with the Little Rock Congregations Study, a community-based research project she founded to engage students in hands-on research with places of worship in Little Rock. The project seeks to understand how congregational community engagement impacts the community, places of worship, and their members.

From 2020 to 2023, the Little Rock Congregations Study has been researching faith-based racial justice and reconciliation. In a 2020 study of nearly 2,300 people from 35 diverse congregations across Little Rock, researchers found that the No. 1 issue participants wanted their congregation to do something about was race relations. Further research with clergy members found that 88 percent of them said that Little Rock has a problem with racial division, while 64 percent believe race relations will get better and that clergy are able to help make that happen.

In subsequent years, the Little Rock Congregations Study researchers have held multiple conferences and focus groups with Little Rock congregations and created a free resource guide to help Arkansas congregations engage the community through faith-based racial justice and reconciliation work.

Glazier is also writing a book on the impact of faith-based community engagement for Temple University Press. The book, which will be published in 2024, capitalizes on more than a decade of research from the Little Rock Congregations Study to make the case for congregations to get involved in their communities.

鈥淚n the meantime, we continue to work on faith-based racial justice resources, to share those with congregations, and to measure their impact,鈥� Glazier said. 鈥淚 am grateful to work with such an amazing research team, including over 200 student researchers, who have been part of the Little Rock Congregations Study since 2012. They have really amplified the impact of this work, and I don’t think I would be receiving this award without them.鈥�

The APSA recognizes the work of scholars who have made outstanding contributions to political science research, teaching, and service. Glazier has been a member of APSA for the past 18 years, during which time she has served as the co-chair of the Teaching and Learning Conference, program chair for the Religion and Politics organized section, program chair for the Political Science Education organized section, as well as multiple award and nominating committees.

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Glazier will give two lectures, which are free and open to the public, at 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 9 and 10, at Westover Hills Presbyterian Church, 6400 Richard B. Hardie Dr, Little Rock. The lectures will be followed by a moderated question-and-answer session with Glazier.

The Dec. 9 lecture is entitled, 鈥淔aith and Community: How Engagement Helps Everyone.鈥� Glazier will share key findings from her forthcoming book on how getting involved in the community contributes to greater individual well-being, healthier congregations, and stronger democracies.

As the director of the Little Rock Congregations Study, she has been researching faith-based community engagement in Little Rock for more than a decade and has a wealth of insights from statistics, interviews, and in-depth case studies to share.

The Dec. 10 lecture, entitled 鈥淲hy and How Religion Can Lead on Race,鈥� will bring together social science and faith-based perspectives to describe the imperative people and places of faith have to engage the topic of race relations.

鈥淭丑别 were endowed in 1967 by Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Cotham IV in memory of their late son,鈥� said Reverend Robert Lowry, pastor and head of staff at Westover Hills Presbyterian Church. 鈥淭丑别 lectures are given each year featuring a scholar of religion, theology, or biblical studies. 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of Westover Hills Presbyterian Church and the 56th Cotham Lectures.鈥�

Previous lecturers have included bestselling authors Rachel Held Evans and Amy Jill Levine, noted biblical scholars James Mays (Union Presbyterian Seminary), Robert Williamson (Hendrix College), and Eric Barreto (Princeton Seminary), and theologians Dietrich Ritschl (Pittsburgh Seminary) and Murdo Ewen McDonald (University of Glasgow, Scotland).

Glazier is the author of 鈥淔aith and Community: How Engagement Strengthens Members, Places of Worship, and Society,鈥� which will be released by Temple University Press in 2024. She has twice won 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock’s highest award for research. This year, she was honored by the American Political Science Association with its Distinguished Award for Civic and Community Engagement.

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Professor Rebecca Glazier will be teaching a Calderwood Seminar, an upper level course where students will produce public writing on the topic of religious freedom.

The was started at Wellesley College and focuses on preparing students to write for real-life situations. These seminars utilize active learning strategies and are centered around short writing assignments. Students will work in a collaborative environment to take turns writing and peer editing public-facing pieces. At the end of the semester, students will have a portfolio of public writing.

The tentative class plans include working with religious freedom non-governmental organizations, sharing student work through the Little Rock Congregations Study website, attending Ramadan Iftar at a local mosque, and possibly getting students on K糖心Vlog传媒R. Because of the small seminar nature of the course, space is limited, but there are a few spots remaining.

Contact Glazier for more information at raglazier@ualr.edu.

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Glazier was named to EdTech鈥檚 list of 鈥�.鈥� The list highlights higher education leaders, authors, podcasters, creators, and social media personalities who are helping drive online conversation.

鈥淢y focus has really been on increasing connections in online spaces, and I am so glad to see that perspective elevated in the Higher Ed IT environment,鈥� Glazier said. 鈥淚 am really honored to be in such great company on this list, and I am grateful that my ideas about the importance of building rapport and using technology to connect with students are gaining traction.鈥�

For the 2023 list of higher ed IT influencers to follow, EdTech: Focus on Higher Education has spotlighted 30 individuals who are lending their voice to promote the continued adoption and integration of technology. They come from various backgrounds with different levels of experience and take a number of approaches to spreading their message, but all are eager to share what they鈥檝e learned to make higher education better for everyone involved.

Glazier was recognized for her book, 鈥淐onnecting in the Online Classroom,鈥� which demonstrates how connecting with students in online classes through even simple rapport-building efforts can significantly improve retention rates and help students succeed.

鈥淚 love teaching! For me, technology is a tool to facilitate connection, not an end in itself,鈥� Glazier said. 鈥淲hen students are learning in a high-rapport environment where they feel connected and cared about, they are much more likely to succeed. I want to help make that happen for more students and I am grateful that my ideas are valued by the Higher Ed IT community. The success of my book is further evidence of the importance of rapport.鈥�

In addition, she hosts workshops, appears on podcasts, and serves as a consultant to help improve instructor-student rapport in virtual settings. Her most recent research with Dr. Matthew Pietryka at Florida State University on engaging students through collaborative research projects has been featured on the as well as the .

鈥淚 am always working to build rapport and connection with students in my own classrooms, and I love sharing those ideas through workshops and professional development talks around the country.鈥�

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鈥淲e had our most successful national conference ever, and I am so impressed with our team,鈥� said Dr. Rebecca Glazier, professor of public affairs and faculty advisor for Model Arab League. 鈥淚 am so impressed with the team that we have worked so hard to build over the past decade. Their hard work is really paying off, and it is evident in these national awards and leadership positions. I am excited to see what our team does next and look forward to recruiting more students who want to travel and learn about the Middle East!鈥�

Chloe McGehee and Owen Haynes, who served as justices on the Arab Court of Justice, won the Outstanding Advocates Award for their representation of Morocco in the Arab Court of Justice. Individually, McGehee won the Outstanding Justice Award and Haynes won the Distinguished Justice Award.

Additional students who won awards for their representation of the country of Qatar include:

• Yvonne Rodriquez and Jack Schlotter 鈥� Distinguished Delegation Award, Joint Defense Council
• Rebecca Little 鈥� Distinguished Delegate Award, Council of Arab Social Affairs
• Amelia Loken, Distinguished Delegate Award, Summit of Arab Heads of State

For the first time ever, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock will also participate in the national leadership team for the 2024 National Model Arab League Conference. Caleb Mimms will serve as the assistant secretary general, the No. 2 leadership position, while Owen Haynes will chair the Arab Heads of State Committee.

The Model Arab League is a student leadership development program created by the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations. It is a simulation of an international organization, the League of Arab States, which represents 22 countries.

In addition to Model Arab League, the students also attended a briefing at the Embassy of Qatar, a tour of the U.S. Capitol Building, and a visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Anyone who is interested in joining Model Arab League during the 2023-24 school year should contact Professor Glazier at raglazier@ualr.edu.

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Lytle, associate professor of criminal justice and criminology, won the Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching, sponsored by the Bailey Family. Glazier, professor in the School of Public Affairs, has won the Faculty Excellence Award in Research and Creative Endeavors, sponsored by Dr. Jaafer Golzar and family, while Grace, associate professor of biology, received the Faculty Excellence Award in Public Service.

With the addition of two new awards this year, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock also honored Dr. Mark Baillie, assistant professor of chemistry, as the inaugural recipient of the Rising Faculty Excellence Award, sponsored by the Bowen Family, as well as Dr. John Kirk, George W. Donaghey distinguished professor of history, as the recipient of the Faculty Excellence Award in Social Justice, sponsored by Just Communities of Arkansas.

鈥淥ur winners鈥� dedication to scholarship, teaching, research, public service, and social justice has made a profound impact on our institution and the broader academic community,鈥� Provost Ann Bain said. 鈥淭丑别y have demonstrated a commitment to excellence that inspires us all and sets a high standard for future generations of educators. On behalf of the university, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all of the award recipients and thank you for embodying the spirit of excellence that defines our institution.鈥�

糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock annually celebrates the achievements of the top professors of the year who are making a difference in the community through their contributions in teaching, research and creative works, public service, and social justice. This is the highest honor 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock awards its faculty members. Each winning faculty winner will receive a $5,000 prize.

Created in 1989, the Faculty Excellence Awards has provided a way to recognize the great work of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock faculty for the past 34 years and is made possible through the valued contributions of the Office of the Chancellor, the Office of the Provost, the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Chancellor鈥檚 Circle, and the Bailey Foundation.

The 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Board of Visitors selected the university-wide winners from the 19 faculty members who were selected as the top faculty members for the 2022-23 academic year in each of the five categories in their respective colleges and the William H. Bowen School of Law.

Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching

Dr. Robert 鈥淏ob鈥� Lytle is an associate professor of criminal justice and criminology, as well as the graduate coordinator for the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology. Lytle has been praised by students and colleagues for his dedication to students and his passion in the classroom.

There are several examples of Lytle鈥檚 excellence in teaching. One of those in particular can be found in his instruction of doctoral level statistics courses in the criminal justice and criminology Ph.D. program. Students often find these courses to be daunting and difficult, but students and colleagues alike have praised Lytle for his ability to teach these courses and teach them well.

One student in particular said Lytle transformed a terrifying advanced statistics course into one that was manageable and even enjoyable. Fellow colleagues and students also highlight the labeled binders he creates for each of his statistics students. These binders include everything from the syllabus and extra credit assignments to 125 pages of content written by Lytle concerning material used in the statistics classes and even a statistics refresher. The binder can be used in both upper-level criminal justice and criminology statistics courses, and the binders are built in such a way that they can be reorganized and added to as the student sees fit.

Lytle has also served in several different roles in his seven years at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. He is also the graduate coordinator for his school and has also served as the school assessment coordinator for over five years. Lytle has chaired thesis committees for five students and served as reader on six additional thesis projects while at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. He is currently serving as chair on six dissertation committees and as a reader on 14 additional dissertations.

Since 2016, Lytle has published 14 peer reviewed articles, with four of these articles being written in conjunction with students. This shows his dedication in teaching, but also mentoring students in their own research. To culminate, Lytle is currently the co-principal investigator on four external grants and contracts totaling over $1 million. This provides undergraduate and graduate students opportunities to actively engage in research projects that would not be available without Lytle鈥檚 dedication to teaching and student success through classroom instruction and research outside the classroom.

Faculty Excellence Award for Research and Creative Endeavors

Dr. Rebecca Glazier is a professor in the School of Public Affairs. She is known for her research on religion and politics, as well as pedagogical research in higher education.

Glazier is noted and praised for the Little Rock Congregations Study (LRCS) she founded 11 years ago. The LRCS is a longitudinal study of religion with goals of improving the understanding of the impacts of faith-based community engagement, getting students out of the classroom and into the community to learn and give back, and providing relevant and meaningful findings to the community. She has received over $30,000 in grants from community groups related to this study, and two of her peer-reviewed articles have been co-authored with students she mentored through the study.

Glazier is also highly committed to the scholarship of teaching and to learning how to improve teaching from students. She has published seven peer-reviewed articles and three book chapters on building rapport in the classroom, along with the book 鈥淐onnecting in the Online Classroom: Building Rapport between Teachers and Students鈥� with Johns Hopkins University Press (2021). This has made her very influential in the pedagogical circles in higher education. Over the last five years, Glazier has published 20 peer-reviewed articles, three book chapters, and one-solo authored book with several additional pieces of work on the way.

Faculty Excellence Award for Public Service

Dr. Stephen Grace is an associate professor of biology at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Grace is a plant physiologist specializing in plant biochemistry and is a founding director of the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Campus Garden.

The 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Campus Garden was founded in 2013 with the intent to bring together students, staff, faculty, and community members who share an interest in sustainability and gardening. The primary mission of the garden is to create a viable urban farm that provides fresh local food to organizations and individuals and to create an educational facility on urban land use, food studies, and sustainable agriculture for students, faculty, staff, and community members.

As director, Grace oversees service, teaching, and outreach activities, coordinates food delivery to food banks and other organizations, and serves as faculty advisor for the Campus Garden Alliance. The success of the garden has also created several partnerships with internal and external organizations, such as the Trojan Food Pantry, Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, Arkansas Interfaith Power and Light, University District, Full Circle FarmsCorps, as well as several local businesses, such as the Root Cafe, River Valley Horticultural Products, and Arkansas Grown.

Over the past six years, the garden has received grants and funding worth more than $60,000. External funding and grants have been provided by the Pulaski County Conservation District, L鈥橭real, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Alumni Association, and the AHRA Emergency Relief grant. Grace鈥檚 work with the garden exemplifies the university鈥檚 role within the broader community.

Faculty Excellence Award for Rising Faculty

Dr. Mark Baillie is an assistant professor of chemistry in the School of Physical Sciences at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Baillie has been praised for teaching, service, and research and scholarship.

Baillie has focused much of his career on the science of teaching. There are numerous examples of his efforts, but one example is the drastic reduction of DFW rates, the percentage of students in a course or program who receive a D or F grade or who withdraw, in his general chemistry class. His class has less than half the DFW rate observed in traditional classes, but students perform at the same level on the nationally normed standardized exams in the class. This shows there has not been a reduction in class standards.

Baillie brought expertise from the National Institute on Scientific Teaching and with this expertise has provided Mobile Institutes on Scientific Teaching (MoSI) workshops to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock faculty and graduate students. Over the past four years, he has trained 87 faculty members and 18 graduate students. The focus of these workshops is fostering a more engaging learning environment for students through the use of evidence-based practices and active learning. Baillie also co-founded the university鈥檚 first Learning Assistant (LA) program in the Chemistry department with the School of Physical Sciences. This program uses students to serve as peer mentors and active learning collaborators. It has also been replicated in other units across campus.

Baillie鈥檚 primary scholarship has been on teaching and learning. He led an interdisciplinary team that was awarded a prestigious $2 million NSF grant to promote active learning in STEM classrooms at the university.

Faculty Excellence Award for Social Justice

Dr. John Kirk is the George W. Donaghey distinguished professor of history in the Department of History at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. He is an internationally recognized scholar of the civil rights movement, and he has worked continually over the years to help the public and students understand the struggle for social justice.

Kirk has taught several courses related to racial justice including the classes Introduction to Race and Ethnicity and Civil Rights Movement since 1954. He also played a key role in establishing the minor in race and ethnicity at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Students have praised his courses as transformative, and he has aided students with their own publications on social justice.

Outside the classroom, Kirk is a noted civil rights scholar and advocate for social justice. His scholarship is extensive and includes 鈥淭丑别 Civil Rights Movement: A Documentary Reader,鈥� a consultancy for a Netflix series on schools and race, a CNN podcast on the 1959 fire at the Arkansas Negro Boys Industrial School, and an AETN documentary on Little Rock鈥檚 West 9th Street.

Kirk has produced more than 400 鈥淎rkansas Moments鈥� radio segments, published his work in newspapers and magazines, conducted numerous media interviews, generated racial attitudes reports, and organized several community conferences. On top of this extensive work, he developed the award-winning Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail, which was adopted as part of the national US Civil Rights Trail in 2018.

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