He was 16 when he left home, recruited to the United States to play baseball and pursue an education. It meant leaving behind family, familiarity and everything he had ever known.

In a new country, baseball was his one constant.

It became his balance, carrying him through the early years of adjustment 鈥� learning a new environment, building a new routine and figuring out life away from home. But Cano understood this was more than a chance to play college baseball in the United States. It was an opportunity to earn a degree.

Cano is graduating with a degree in criminal justice, a career path he plans to pursue when his playing days are over.

鈥淚 know there will be life after baseball,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he reason I chose criminal justice is I鈥檝e always been fascinated with how law and the process of law works. And I have a lot of respect for law enforcement and what they do.鈥�

Baseball opened the door for Cano, but his education will carry him forward long after his playing days.

鈥淚 always know baseball isn鈥檛 going to be everything,鈥� Cano said. 鈥淚 came to the United States when I was 16 because of baseball, and I鈥檓 still doing what I love. But the reality is, if I would鈥檝e stayed in Colombia, this probably wouldn鈥檛 have happened.鈥�

Cano came to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock as a transfer student-athlete from Western Oklahoma State University. As a Trojan, he鈥檚 continuing to build on the foundation he laid for himself since he began playing the sport. Since his arrival in the U.S., he鈥檚 spent time learning how to adjust to the changes. But baseball was familiar and kept him focused. Over the past two seasons, he has become a steady presence for the Trojans, taking on a larger role in 2025 despite missing time due to injury. This season, he鈥檚 playing a major role, hitting .321 with 52 hits and seven home runs across 42 games, providing a reliable, steady presence in the middle of the lineup while anchoring first base with a .985 fielding percentage.

That steadiness, he said, didn鈥檛 come from avoiding challenges, but from learning how to move through them. Moving away from his native country at 16 forced him to grow up quickly.

鈥淭he biggest challenge was being away from home,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 had to grow up real fast. Colombia is a developing country, so coming here and seeing all of this 鈥� it鈥檚 a dream for a lot of people. As long as you put in the work, it鈥檚 a dream that could last forever.鈥�

Over time, that perspective shaped how he approaches everything around him. Baseball, school, and daily life all require the same mindset: adjust, reset, and keep moving forward.

鈥淚鈥檓 a baseball player, and that鈥檚 my mindset in class,鈥� Cano said. 鈥淚 view everything as a challenge that I have to solve.鈥�

Baseball, he said, has shaped how he handles challenges when they come.

鈥淏aseball taught me endurance and patience with challenges,鈥� Cano said. 鈥淚f I鈥檓 struggling with an assignment, I have to figure out the best way to get out of it. It made me a critical thinker.鈥�

That鈥檚 also how Cano views leadership: not in speeches or titles, but in how a team responds when things don鈥檛 go perfectly.

鈥淓veryone will have a bad day, and it鈥檚 up to your team to pick you up when you do,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he team is most successful when everyone can step up for each other.鈥�

During the thrilling 2025 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional, Cano put together the best stretch of his college career. Over five games, he had 10 hits, four home runs, and drove in 15 runs, earning Most Valuable Player honors. He homered in three straight games, including a two-run shot in the second inning against host and top-ranked LSU that helped spark Little Rock鈥檚 regional semifinal win. That swing later earned Play of the Year at the Trojan TOP Awards, where Cano was also named Baseball MVP.

As graduation approaches, Cano said he is aware of how far he has come 鈥� and how many people back home are part of that journey with him.

鈥淭his is the dream,鈥� he said. 鈥淣o matter why you鈥檙e here, this is the dream 鈥� to do it in the United States.鈥�

For him, that dream has meant responsibility, change, and growth, but also gratitude.

鈥淚t鈥檚 cool for the experience of another country and the environment,鈥� Cano said. 鈥淏ut you still have to take care of school. It鈥檚 why you鈥檙e here. For my family and friends back home, this is everything to them for me to be doing this, and I don鈥檛 take it for granted.鈥�

The post Angel Cano Turned Opportunity into a College Degree at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock appeared first on News.

The Little Rock native will graduate in May with a double major in general biology and law enforcement 鈥� bringing together her interests in health care and public service.

Ward has long been passionate about helping others, developing an early interest in the medical field, especially working with children. She describes herself as compassionate and nurturing, with a strong desire to help heal others. Her interest in law enforcement emerged later, during her sophomore year of college.

鈥淢y parents worked in law enforcement for more than 50 years combined,鈥� Ward said. 鈥淚 was fascinated by their work and wanted to learn more on my own, so I took the initiative to enroll in criminal justice classes.鈥�

Ward enjoys studying the law and has also explored an interest in forensic science. As she continued her coursework, she pursued an associate degree in law enforcement.

She chose 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock because of its proximity to home and strong scholarship opportunities.

鈥淏eing able to receive 50% off tuition for the first two years of college was a blessing,鈥� Ward said. 鈥淔or the past four years, I haven鈥檛 had to pay out of pocket for tuition, thanks to my scholarships and, most of all, God.鈥�

The university also holds personal significance for her, as both of her parents are alumni.

On campus, Ward has been actively involved in a variety of organizations, including serving as the Trojan Food Pantry coordinator and as a member of the Chancellor鈥檚 Leadership Corps, Student Activities Board, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., and the Black Scholars Collective.

鈥淭aylor has been a great asset to us in the office, for the Trojan Food Pantry and CLC,鈥� said Teresa Esparza, a student success coach at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. 鈥淪he has always embraced what鈥檚 asked of her, whether it鈥檚 representing the pantry and the university at the Arkansas College Hunger Summit, appearing on THV11, or supporting CLC initiatives. She has remained engaged in the program while managing her academics and other extracurricular activities. I have no doubt her ambitious attitude will lead her to great things.鈥�

Ward offers this advice to future 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students:

鈥淐ollege isn鈥檛 easy. If it were, everyone would have degrees. It takes sacrifice, time, consistency, and hard work. This is a time to learn who you are and work toward who you want to become. Make mistakes and learn from them, but be wise in your choices. Stay disciplined and keep working toward your goals. Most importantly, enjoy every part of college. The four years go by quickly, but the experiences are worth it.鈥�

After graduating, Ward plans to apply to a physical therapy program.

The post Purpose in Action: Taylor Ward Prepares for a Career Helping Others appeared first on News.

Ferdinand joined a nationwide group of young leaders for the annual summit, which brings together delegates from across the country to promote global engagement and learn how local issues relate to international policy.

Ferdinand joined fellow youth advocates in meetings with U.S. lawmakers held June 23-24 in Washington, D.C., including Sen. John Boozman and Rep. French Hill, to discuss community-based solutions and share stories from her academic and volunteer work, which emphasizes the importance of reentry support for formerly incarcerated individuals.

鈥淩epresenting Arkansas on a national stage was both humbling and powerful,鈥� Ferdinand said. 鈥淚 shared stories from my community in Little Rock and urged policymakers to invest in solutions that create dignity, opportunity, and second chances. It was a significant experience to bring what I鈥檝e learned in class to a national platform. This is an issue that I am very passionate about, and it was a great opportunity to go to Capitol Hill to meet with leaders that I鈥檝e only previously seen on TV.鈥�

Ferdinand鈥檚 academic work focuses on the role of social support in reducing recidivism. Alongside her studies, she serves as a graduate assistant in 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 School of Criminal Justice and Criminology, a team member of the City of Little Rock Re-Entry Program, and a global youth ambassador with Theirworld.

鈥淭his opportunity reminded me that research is not just theory, it鈥檚 a tool for change,鈥欌�� she said. “By speaking with lawmakers, I felt the impact of bringing academic knowledge, community experiences, and policy solutions together.”

Originally from Nigeria, Ferdinand is pursuing her Ph.D. and expects to graduate in 2027. She was recently recognized with the William H. McNeill Teacher Scholarship by the World History Association and frequently presents her work at academic and professional conferences.

Ferdinand has found a passion for policy advocacy and plans to continue representing Arkansas in future UNA-USA events. She sees this experience as a launching point for future work in global outreach and community development.

鈥淚 think I represented Arkansas well,鈥� Ferdinand said. 鈥淢y research is really coming to light, and it was a beautiful experience.鈥�

The post 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Student Represents Arkansas at U.S.-UN Advocacy Summit appeared first on News.

In 1994, Golden started his 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock career as a research coordinator at the Criminal Justice Institute. He has gone through the ranks of professorship and a term as graduate coordinator. He will retire in June as head honcho of criminal justice, serving out his final year as interim director of the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology.

鈥淚鈥檝e been fortunate that I stayed in one place for a long time,鈥� Golden said. 鈥淢y greatest achievement would be that I tried to give back to my university, my community, and my discipline. I had a lot of great students along the way. I鈥檝e been around long enough to have had students who were children of former students. It鈥檚 been a lot of fun.鈥�

Many of Golden鈥檚 co-workers had great things to report about his time at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock.

“I’m happy that I’ve had the pleasure of working with Jim for the past eight years,鈥� said Dr. Robert Lytle, associate professor of criminal justice. 鈥淗is joy for community-facing research and collegiality have been important for what was, when I first started, a pretty young faculty. Whenever junior faculty and graduate students get lost in the trees of the job, Jim was particularly good at reminding us there is more to the forest of scholarship and education.”

Over the years, Golden has taught everything from research methods and statistics to cybercrime and terrorism classes. Golden developed a reputation as the guy who would teach any subject, remarking that his overall favorite class was called Disorganized Crime, which looked into gangs and disorganized crime.

鈥淚鈥檝e kind of been the guy that would take a stab at teaching classes that nobody else wanted to teach,鈥� he said.

After spending three years in the U.S. Army, Golden started his criminal justice career, not as an academic, but as a police officer in Jonesboro. By 1985, Golden was a detective sergeant, but his parents, who had bought a police scanner to monitor crime in the area, had already started a campaign for Golden to move into the safer world of academia.

鈥淭here was an opening for an instructor position at Arkansas State, and I was approached by the chair of the sociology department,鈥� Golden said. 鈥淎 lot of my mentors sat me down and told me that I could stay in the department and wait for someone to die until I got a promotion, or I could go to Arkansas State where I could have a positive impact on many more people. It was a conspiracy!鈥�

After four years as an instructor, Golden headed to Sam Houston State University to earn his Ph.D., where he and his wife ended up renting an apartment from a woman who had taught Golden鈥檚 father when he attended graduate school at the University of Arkansas. Golden鈥檚 father subsequently served as one of his inspirations for becoming a professor.

鈥淚鈥檓 a second-generation college professor,鈥� Golden stated. 鈥淚 started teaching at Arkansas State in 1985 and was fortunate enough to spend two years on the faculty with my father, who taught counselor education and psychology.鈥�

Funnily enough, Golden seems to come from a family that aggregates doctoral degrees. Golden, two of his siblings, and three of his first cousins all hold doctoral degrees.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what was in the water in Greenway, Arkansas, (Golden鈥檚 father and sister鈥檚 hometown) but it鈥檚 unusual to find six first cousins with Ph.D.s or M.D.s,鈥� he said.

In addition to his father, Golden identified two of his co-workers, the late Dr. Charles Chastain and Dr. Mary Parker, as the people who have most influenced his career.

鈥淭hey have both influenced how I have taught and a lot of what I have taught more than anyone else,鈥� Golden said. 鈥淲ith both Charles and Mary, I could go to them and ask them questions about anything. In fact, my management style this year as interim director has been 100-percent based off Mary Parker鈥檚 style of leadership.鈥�

Parker, a professor of criminal justice, also had good things to share about her time working with Golden.

鈥淚t has been an honor and a privilege to work with Jim for a lot of years (neither of us is saying how long),鈥� Parker said. 鈥淗e is the perfect combination of professional and academic, and he has had an incredible influence on our students. I will miss him terribly and thank him for everything he has done for me, our school, and our students!鈥�

Once he鈥檚 retired, Golden plans to spend more time volunteering at his church, spending time with his six-year-old granddaughter Harper Finley Smith, working as a ham radio operator, and traveling around seeing new sites and visiting his old favorites.

鈥淚鈥檓 an amateur photographer so I want to go on photo tours,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want to visit my childhood homes of Silverton and Durango. I want to spend some time traveling across the country to go to New England and visit lighthouses. I鈥檝e got a bucket list of places to go. I want to be able to stop at places that have odd things like the world鈥檚 biggest watermelon and travel along Route 66.鈥�

The post Golden Years: Longtime Criminal Justice Professor Will Enjoy Retirement after 30 Years of Service at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock appeared first on News.

Dr. Tusty ten Bensel, associate dean of CBHHS and professor of criminal justice, and Dr. Robert Lytle, the graduate coordinator for the school, received a three-year $324,987 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant in 2021 to study the perceptions of Muslims in Arkansas who have been the target of discrimination, harassment, or interpersonal crime, along with the impacts such behaviors have on victims.

The 2023 summer student researchers include Eliyah Campbell of the University of Alabama, Anna Goyette of Washington University, Gracie Hess of Longwood University, Larissa Nichols of the University of Florida, Dalal Shalash of Ohio State University, Sam Strickland of Florida State University, Zion Soloman of Rogers State University, and Jimmi Winn of University of Central Oklahoma. This year鈥檚 cohort participated in the design, implementation, analysis, and reporting of this project through the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program.

鈥淕etting research experience as an undergrad sets you apart,鈥� said Solomon, a senior psychology major. 鈥淚 wanted to see if research is something I want to do in the future, and I wanted to experience working with people who are as excited about being in a learning environment as I am. They taught us about such a variety of things, it鈥檚 all going to be useful at some point.鈥�

This year鈥檚 cohort build upon the work of the 2022 summer cohort, who analyzed qualitative interview data with members of the Muslim community in Central Arkansas to identify common patterns and themes in experiences with anti-Muslim sentiment and hate crime.

鈥淭his year’s cohort focused on quantitative methods to produce a data analysis of public perceptions of anti-Muslim discrimination,鈥� Lytle said. 鈥淗owever, they are also part of an ongoing project to gather experiences with anti-Muslim sentiment and hate crime from a larger sample of Muslims in Arkansas.鈥�

The students completed a literature review of research on anti-Muslim sentiment and victimization as well as a data analysis using a publicly available opinion poll – the American National Election Study (ANES). The literature review incorporated more than 100 research articles on four topics 鈥� hate crime offending, hate crime victimization, help-seeking and crime reporting, and Islamophobia.

鈥淭he data analysis looked at public perceptions of Muslims as a group targeted for discrimination in the United States – essentially a measure of the belief that Muslims experience discrimination in the U.S,鈥� Lytle said. 鈥淚n addition to a written report on the findings of the literature review and data analysis, the students also presented their findings in a public presentation on the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock campus. The written report will be finalized over the coming weeks. Some of the students have expressed interest in presenting the results at academic conferences in the coming year.鈥�

During the summer program from June 5 to July 29, the student researchers participated in research and content workshops, alumni presentations, experiential activities, collecting and analyzing data, writing a research brief on findings, and participating in a final presentation for internal and external stakeholders. Three criminal justice professors and three graduate assistants at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock served as mentors for the students.

Strickland, who is a senior psychology and law major, said participating in the program helped build her research, statistical analysis, and academic writing skills.

鈥淢y goal is to get a Ph.D. in clinical and forensic psychology,鈥� Strickland said. 鈥淵ou need to have a really great understanding of different groups of people so you can provide meaningful and worthwhile treatment to your patients. This is a gem of a program, and it touched my heart. I really wanted to challenge myself this summer and see how I would grow as a researcher and a person.鈥�

Hess, a senior, said that the summer research project was a perfect way to combine her majors of criminal justice and sociology.

鈥淚 was really excited to put my research skills to the test,鈥� Hess said. 鈥淚 think that this topic combines my two majors well. I also wanted to learn more about graduate school and more about in-depth research. I think the biggest thing I鈥檝e learned is that the research is never over. It鈥檚 applicable to many areas like policy and law.鈥�

During the upcoming 2024 summer research program, undergraduate students will interview police officers, prosecutors, and policy makers. The reports from the research project will be used to provide information for policy change, dispel myths about Islam, empower victims, identify help-seeking resources that need to be better supported, and help add training, education, and awareness in the community.

The post Student Researchers Investigate Muslim Hate Crimes in Arkansas appeared first on News.

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hey 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he 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.

The post 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Honors Lytle, Glazier, Grace, Baillie, Kirk as 2023 Faculty Excellence Winners appeared first on News.

The next Woman to Watch at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock of 2023 is Dr. Tara Martin, assistant professor in the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology.

Tell us about yourself and your background.

I was raised in a factory town in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. I received my B.S. in Psychology from the College of William & Mary and my M.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of South Carolina. Like a lot of criminal justice students, I was planning to work for the FBI, but after an internship with the Bureau of Justice Statistics, I decided on a more research-oriented career. I continued my education at the University of South Carolina, earning a Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice. Before coming to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, I worked as a statistician with the South Carolina Attorney General鈥檚 Office in the Crime Victim Services Division.

What is your current position and professional duties at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock?

I teach classes in all of our SCJC programs. One of my favorite classes to teach is Research Methods because I love teaching skills that can be applied in many different situations.

My responsibilities also include conducting research in the field of criminal justice and criminology. My research focuses primarily on intimate partner violence and crime measurement, and I have published articles in Justice Quarterly, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, and Criminal Justice Policy Review.

I also get to mentor graduate students by working with them on research projects and serving on thesis and dissertation committees.

What brought you to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock?

SCJC at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock had everything I was looking for in a professor position! I liked that I could teach at every level from associate to Ph.D. I was excited to work with graduate students, and I liked that the smaller class sizes would allow for more interactive learning activities.

I would also have the opportunity to continue doing high-quality research, and SCJC has great relationships with local criminal justice agencies, which meant I would have the ability to work on applied research that directly benefited the field. Finally, the people I met during my interview really solidified my desire to come to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Our School has a wonderful team of people!

What are some of the exciting projects that you are working on at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock?

I am working on several exciting projects with graduate students at the moment. I am conducting a content analysis about how female victims of intimate partner homicide are portrayed in the news media with one of our M.A. students, ChristiAnna Page. Darlynton Adegor, a Ph.D. student, and I are finalizing a paper examining the relationship between citizenship status and willingness to report crime to the police. Additionally, Lacey Roughton, a Ph.D. candidate, Dr. Kilby Raptopoulos, and I have a paper under review that examines the relationship between social altruism and crime.

Another project I am excited to be working on is an evaluation of the Little Rock Police Department鈥檚 Crime Gun Intelligence Center Initiative. I enjoy this project because I get to work with practitioners in the field, and the research helps the City of Little Rock!

What woman has inspired you the most and why?

All of the women in my family have inspired me and taught me different lessons that have shaped who I am. My mom raised me and my brother as a single mother, and she taught us how to be kind and hard-working. My nana taught me perseverance and generosity, while my aunts taught me how to have fun and instilled a love of learning. Most importantly, though, they all modeled strength and independence, which gave me the confidence I needed to get where I am today.

What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

Advocate for yourself in all spaces.

Name something about yourself that most people would be surprised to learn.

All five of my top songs from 2022 were from “Encanto.”

What is your favorite quote and why?

鈥淣ever be afraid to sit awhile and think.鈥� 鈥� Lorraine Hansberry, “A Raisin in the Sun”

We are always running from one activity to the next, and sometimes it鈥檚 good to just sit and think.

Is there anything else you鈥檇 like to add?

Introduction to Criminal Justice is a Core class, and we would love to see you in Ross Hall!

The post Women to Watch at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock 2023: Tara Martin appeared first on News.

Meet Lacey Roughton, a doctoral candidate who will graduate from the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology in May.

What made you decide to pursue criminal justice?

I wanted to pursue criminal justice because I had a strong interest in understanding motives of crime or why people engaged in criminal and antisocial behavior. I think understanding the “why” is an important step in creating changes for better outcomes. I also wanted to invest in my future, and pursuing higher education in an interesting field seemed like a great path for me.

What made you choose 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock?

I chose 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock because it was conveniently located and offered a program that suited my needs when I began the master鈥檚 program. I enjoyed my first year in the program so much that I switched to the MA/Ph.D. program at the start of my second year because of the accessibility and related opportunities.

What opportunities have you gotten through 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock that you might not have had otherwise?

I felt very fortunate to be accepted into the master鈥檚 program in the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology. After completing my first year there, I became aware of how special the experience was for me and heard about opportunities that may be available. I asked some questions about the doctoral program during an advising appointment and realized that continuing my education there would be a great option.

I applied for the Ph.D program and was awarded a graduate assistant position that funded my tuition, which made my pursuit of a doctorate degree possible. I was also placed at a local agency to complete an internship, which allowed me to gain relevant work experience in the field that I might not have had otherwise.

What do you plan to do after graduation?

After graduation, I hope to continue agency work that involves applied research. I also hope to continue my personal research agenda related to police officer decertification.

Do you have any advice for prospective criminal justice students?

My advice to prospective criminal justice students would be to put in the necessary effort to gain what you want from your experience/education. Identify your goals and work toward them. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.

Who have been your mentors in criminal justice?

My mentors have been Dr. Trisha Rhodes, Dr. Tusty ten Bensel, and Dr. Tabrina Bratton. They have provided so much insight, expertise, and many opportunities for growth along my journey. I would also have to include Dr. Jim Golden because he provided initial access for me to start my dissertation project, which inspired a whole line of research and possible career trajectory for me.

You won one of the ADPCCJ Dissertation Grants. Can you explain the process leading up to you winning the ADPCCJ Dissertation Grant? How did you learn about it, and did you get any help from faculty members during the application process?

My dissertation is about police officer decertification. The project is examining the process of decertification in one state and factors that influence case outcomes. Outcomes are decided by a police officer standards and training commission and could include a police officer retaining their certification to work in law enforcement or permanent revocation of the law enforcement certification in the state.

The Association of Doctoral Programs in Criminology and Criminal Justice (ADPCCJ) funds doctoral students to support research training, data collection, and more. There are several stipulations and disqualifiers. The award amounts vary based on a proposed budget for applications submitted for consideration and the association’s determinations about available award funds and how to disperse them across eligible applicants.

I was informed about the opportunity by my faculty advisor, Dr. Tusty ten Bensel, and started drafting my application soon after. Dr. Tusty reviewed my application and offered suggestions for improving it before I submitted the application packet. She also wrote a letter of recommendation in support of my application. I was notified shortly after I sent the application packet that it was received by the association. There was a bit of a waiting period while applications were reviewed. After several weeks, I received an email notification that I received an award.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I’m very grateful for the opportunities I’ve had access to through the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. I am almost finished with my doctorate and, before my acceptance into the program, I had believed that it was unattainable and out of reach.

The post Criminal Justice Month Student Profile: Lacey Roughton appeared first on News.