University of Central Arkansas

Kweisi Mfume, the former president and CEO of the national NAACP, will be the featured speaker for UCA's month-long celebration of Black History Month.

The address will take place on Thursday, Feb. 7th at 7 p.m. at the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall on the UCA campus.

Mfume served on the Baltimore City Council before being elected to the U.S. House of Representative in 1986. As a member of Congress, Mfume consistently advocated landmark business and civil rights legislation, and he successfully co-sponsored and helped to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act and strengthened the Equal Credit Opportunity Law. He also served as chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus.

In 1996, Mfume became president and chief executive officer of the NAACP, and for the next nine years, he significantly raised the national profile of the NAACP while helping to restore its prominence among the nation's civil rights organizations. Mfume is credited with helping to raise over $100 million in outside contributions for the organization while at the same time developing its national Corporate Diversity Project and establishing 75 new college based NAACP chapters. His five point program of advocacy included civil rights enforcement, educational excellence, economic empowerment, health advocacy and youth outreach. In 2006, he was a candidate for the United States Senate from the State of Maryland.

Mfume received his undergraduate degree from Morgan State University and a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University. He also has received ten honorary doctorate degrees and hundreds of other awards, proclamations and citations. His former best-selling autobiography is entitled "No Free Ride."

A business plan and feasibility study by a recent UCA graduate has been named among the finalists in the Small Business Institute Case of the Year competition.

Modupe Ladeji, who graduated in December with an MBA from UCA, was recognized for his business plan and feasibility study for an oil and gas exploration consulting firm in his native country of Nigeria.

"His feasibility study on the oil and natural gas industry in Nigeria fit in well with the current natural gas exploration in the Conway area," said Don Bradley, professor of marketing at UCA and executive director of the Small Business Advancement National Center. "This is the first time I have ever submitted something to the national contest, and it ended up being one of the finalists. He was up against hundreds of schools from across the U.S. and Canada, and this is a prestigious award for UCA to be considered for."

The winners of the competition will be announced on Feb. 16 at the SBI national conference in San Diego.

Ladeji is now a project coordinator for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. in Bentonville, Ark.

He completed his project in Bradley's entrepreneurship class at UCA.

"This really shows the internationalization of our MBA program," Bradley said. "Through that class, we do projects all over Arkansas, the U.S. and around the world through Winrock International. If anyone wants a feasibility study, that's what we do. We encourage anyone who wants a business feasibility study to contact us."

Debbie Barnes and Shawn Key of UCA's College of Education received a $8,990 grant from the Arkansas Department of Education for a high school redesign collaboration project that is part of UCA's Educational Renewal Zone initiative.

The UCA researchers will work with teachers in the Osceola, South Mississippi County, and Turrell School Districts, as well as with the Crowley's Ridge Education Service Cooperative (CRESC). The intent of this project is to undertake a multi-district approach that will strengthen the districts' Curriculum-Instruction-Assessment (CIA) alignment.

"In order to fully develop their curriculum document, partnering schools need assistance with identifying rigorous, relevant instructional strategies that lend themselves to practical, pragmatic situations teachers encounter in the classroom," according to Barnes and Key. "Accordingly, partnering districts, representatives from the CRESC, and representatives from UCA will work together toward the goal of empowering teachers with the knowledge necessary to implement instructional strategies that work to develop literacy in the disciplines."

Jacob M. Held, assistant professor of philosophy at UCA, has several articles due for publication this year, including "Disrespect and/or Distribution? Axel Honneth, Nancy Fraser, and the Normative Foundations of Social and Political Philosophy" in Radical Philosophy Review; "'Til Things Get Better: Hope and Redemption in Black," in Johnny Cash and Philosophy: Ring of Truth, edited by John Huss and David Werther, Open Court Press; "'The Rules of Acquisition Can't Help You Now,' What Can the Ferengi Teach Us About Business Ethics?" in Star Trek and Philosophy, edited by Jason T. Eberl and Kevin S. Decker, Open Court Press; and a book review of "William Ian Miller ? Eye for an Eye," in Philosophy in Review.

M. Douglas Voss, assistant professor of marketing and supply chain management in UCA's Department of Marketing and Management, co-authored an article published in the January issue of the Arkansas Trucking Report entitled, "Listen to Your Customers." The article detailed research results pertaining to the criteria most desired by shippers when choosing between motor carriers, with specific emphasis on motor carriers' supply chain security capabilities. Results indicate that delivery reliability and rates are the most important criteria. Security was the least important criteria but is significantly more important to managers than to front-line traffic managers. This indicates that supply chain security is currently viewed to be strategically important for shippers but this importance has not translated into operational actions.

Retired Conway businessman Michel Fortier has donated $135,000 to the UCA College of Education to establish the Mary Jane Fortier Memorial Distinguished Scholars Fund.

The gift, established in memory of Fortier?s late wife, will provide scholarships for students studying in the college?s new doctoral program in leadership studies.

"Mr. Fortier's generous gift will allow the College of Education to support the work of worthy doctoral students," said Patty Phelps, interim dean of the College of Education. "We appreciate his leadership vision and his willingness to invest in our new Ph.D. program."

Last fall, the Arkansas Department of Higher Education approved UCA's newest doctoral program. The program will begin admitting students in the fall. UCA also offers doctorates in physical therapy, school psychology and communication sciences and disorders. A clinical doctorate in physical therapy is also available.

Fortier said he was inspired to give to the new program because he believes that leadership traits -- particularly visionary strategic planning, empathy and intellect -- transcend all disciplines, whether in business, government or education.

"My career had nothing to do with education, but after I retired, I became interested in the status of education in Arkansas, and in other states - particularly with regard to minorities and the poor," Fortier said. "I am interested in developing leaders -- not necessarily principals and superintendents, but individuals who will establish a more optimistic program that will make a decided change in the status of education in the state."

A World War II veteran, Fortier is the founder and former CEO and board chairman of 4TA Fortier Inc. The Conway-based company is now equally co-owned by four of his children. Prior to becoming a successful entrepreneur, Fortier held five administrative and managerial positions for Bryant air conditioning company, and served as vice president for sales and strategic planning for Universal Nolin. He is a 1942 graduate of Purdue University, and holds a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering.

Fortier?s gift is also being recognized as a major contribution to UCA?s first comprehensive fundraising campaign, ?New Vision, New Century: The Centennial Campaign for UCA,? which was publicly announced last fall.

"Mr. Fortier?s generosity to the College of Education?s new doctoral program will help many students not only further their education, but also become strong leaders for the state. We are especially grateful that he chose to make his gift a part of UCA?s first major fundraising campaign," Vice President of Advancement and Development Kelley Erstine said.

For more information on donating to the Mary Jane Fortier Memorial Distinguished Scholars Fund, contact the UCA Foundation at (501) 450-5288 or toll free 1-800-981-4426.

Debbie Barnes, Lee Ann Burrow, Sue Farris and Mary Mosley of UCA's College of Education received a $20,000 grant from the Arkansas Department of Education to study the Pathwise Classroom Observation System, which is one component of the Arkansas Mentoring Program.

The Pathwise system is an assessment tool for the evaluation of the classroom performance of student teachers and first-year teachers, and it is grounded in 19 essential teaching criteria, research, and good teaching practices.

"This system is responsive to an individual's personal teaching style, and gives all prospective and new teachers an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities naturally, in a variety of ways," according to the study's authors. "It is a constructive assessment that fosters growth and the professional development of student and first-year teachers by recognizing their strengths as well as their weaknesses. When weaknesses are identified, observers can provide coaching to the teacher."

The Conway Athletic Awards Commission has awarded former UCA football All-American Monte Coleman the 2007 Elijah Pitts Award for career achievement. Coleman starred for the Bears from 1975 to 1978. In 1979, he became the first UCA player drafted by the NFL. He played linebacker for the Washington Redskins, winning three Super Bowl titles during his 16 seasons. Coleman is a member of the UCA Sports Hall of Fame and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

Bill Johnson will be honored with the first ever Joe. B. McGee Award for meritorious service to Conway athletics. Johnson was the radio voice of Bears football for 41 years, retiring in 2006. Johnson has been inducted into the UCA Sports Hall of Fame as well.

Also honored with the 2007 Marvin Delph Award for Conway sportsman of the year is Hendrix College basketball standout Tori Huggins. All awards will be presented February 17th.

Awarded annually since 2000, previous winners of the Marvin Delph Award include former UCA standouts Zak Clark and Carone Harris. Previous winners of the Elijah Pitts Award include UCA legends Warren Woodson and Scottie Pippen.

Robin Becker, an instructor in UCA's Department of Writing, recently had her short story "How Roller Coasters Work" published in the Winter 2007-08 issue of The Griffin. In addition, her story "Smokingland" was named a finalist in Glimmer Train's "Family Matters" short story competition.

David R. Harvey, chair of the Department of Writing at the University of Central Arkansas, will continue the College of Fine Arts and Communication?s Arts and Presidency Series on Jan. 27 at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock.

Harvey?s presentation, ?Presidential Discourse on Nuclear Weapons?, is set for 3 p.m. in the Garden View Room. Admission is free and open to the public.

Based on his research on the rhetoric of the Cold-War nuclear debate (1945-1989), Harvey will examine how presidents and presidential contenders talk about nuclear weapons and how that talk has affected strategic policy and politics in the United States. Harvey argues that there is an interesting ?rhetorical gap? surrounding nuclear issues since while nuclear-age presidents always assert that controlling nuclear weapons is their highest priority, the public typically does not understand and is often uninterested in the issue.

The UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication began its Arts and Presidency series in 2005. It includes three presentations each academic year at the Clinton Center. Previous presenters have included President Clinton?s National Endowment Association Chair William Ivey, Arkansas author Ellen Gilchrist, opera star Denyce Graves, historian/Pulitzer prize-winning author Garry Wills, renowned opera singer Heidi Grant Murphy and poets Sharon Olds and Terry Wright.

The final Arts and Presidency event of the 2007-08 season will be a concert by the UCA Chamber Players on Feb. 24.

For more information, call the Office of the Dean, College of Fine Arts and Communication, at (501) 450-3293 or e-mail MCastens@uca.edu.

Rahul Mehta of UCA's Physics and Astronomy department received a $20,000 grant from the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium for a study involving the spectroscopic and morphometric analysis of bones under simulated microgravity using a hindlimb suspended animal model.

According to Mehta, "This project will allow us to understand the short- and long-term effects of space travel on human bones and help NASA astronauts in their future missions to the moon and maybe Mars that are being planned for year 2020 and beyond."

The interdisciplinary study also will involve collaboration with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Allicia Kellogg of Springdale, a senior at UCA, for the second year in a row has been awarded a Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) worth $3,900 by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.

Kellogg's study, entitled "Investigation of the Molecular Biology of GL1 and GIS in Rubus," will examine how prickles develop in plants in order to gain insights into how cells control their growth.

Kellogg's research project will be supervised by JD Swanson of UCA's Biology department. Swanson also supervised Kellogg's winning grant project from last year, which was entitled, "Histology and Molecular Biology of Developing Rubus Thorns."

Mark Spitzer, assistant professor of writing at UCA, recently had his poem "Somewhere off in Alabam" accepted for publication in the late spring 2008 issue of the literary journal 5 AM.

The following faculty from UCA's College of Business recently received awards for excellence in teaching, research, or service: Victor Puleo received The Excellence in Teaching Award; Tim Bisping received The Excellence in Research Award, and Stephanie Watson received The Excellence in Service Award.

Nelda New, the graduate program director in UCA's Department of Nursing, recently completed her Ph.D. in Nursing at the University of Colorado at Denver Health Sciences Center. Her research dissertation title was "The development and outcomes of a co-created diabetes mellitus self-management education intervention: A pilot study".

This month's edition of "Tales from the South," a program on KUAR public radio, will be co-hosted by UCA writing lecturer Elaine Tomlinson Corum and features three of her students from UCA's University College reading essays they wrote in her Introduction to College Writing course last spring.

The show's first story is by Kathy Wages, who tells about "The Scar" she got many years ago in a troubled relationship. Next, Woody Flucht takes listeners back to his high school years in a story about a hunting trip to Tuff Nut Hunting Club called "I Remember." Finally, Joyce Tucker introduces us to a childhood friend of hers in "My Best Friend Joe."

Listen to these students tell their true stories this Thursday evening, Jan. 24, at 7 p.m. on KUAR at 89.1 FM in Central Arkansas, 94.5 FM in Monticello, and 94.7 FM in Batesville and Forrest City. Or listen to the live streaming audio at kuar.org. "Tales from the South" features true stories told by the people who lived them and showcases Arkansans.

UCA's Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre will hold open auditions on Saturday, Feb. 16 for roles in the 2008 AST Summer Festival. The auditions will take place from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, and those who intend to audition must call 501-269-4815 to schedule an appointment. All AST acting roles are paid positions.

Auditions also will be held that day for 2008 AST Student Internships. The AST Festival is seeking hard-working, qualified applicants to work in a number of capacities, including acting, stage management, assistant stage management, properties management, costume/wardrobe crew, set construction, sound, and lights. Interns will be paid a flat fee of $1,200 for seven weeks of work. Free housing will be offered on campus for those requiring it.

In addition, The NYU Graduate Acting School will audition candidates to begin work in New York in the fall of 2008. For this audition, no NYU application or audition fee is required.

Students interested in technical internships will be seen on Saturday, Feb. 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Reynolds Performance Hall at UCA in Conway for a brief interview. Interviewees should bring a resume and any pertinent examples of their work. To schedule an appointment for a production interview, call 501-269-4815.

Karyna Johnson of Huntsville, a senior at UCA, has been awarded a $2,194 Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.

Johnson's study will examine the effects of structured musical activity sessions on the development of a five year old, high-functioning child with autism. Autism is a developmental disability affecting the way a person communicates and relates to people around them. Although children with autism exhibit varied musical abilities, research has shown music possesses the ability to stimulate meaningful social interaction, social communication, and imagination for all children, regardless of musical ability. The study will seek to discover if structured musical activity sessions create a higher level of social-functioning as well as a creative outlet for the child with autism.

"As a future music educator, I believe music education should have three major focuses: helping people understand and appreciate music both culturally and aesthetically, enriching people's lives through shared and individualistic musical experience, and helping them learn to communicate their thoughts and needs through music as therapy, entertainment, and art," Johnson said. "One of the ways I hope to help current and future educators is by presenting my findings during UCA's Education Day in the fall of 2008. I hope to use this study as a starting point for my education in music therapy and to open the door for further study in the profession."

Johnson's research project, "The Effects of Structured Musical Activity Sessions on the Development of a Child with Autism: A Case Study," will be supervised by Paige Rose of UCA's Music department.

Bruce Hutchinson, professor of digital filmmaking in UCA's Department of Mass Communication and Theatre, recently had his article, "Understanding Character Motivation: A Process-Oriented Approach to Realism," published in a collection entitled Narration and Spectatorship in Moving Images, edited by Joseph Anderson and Barbara Anderson. The same article was also translated into German and published in the book Emotion-Empathie-Figur: Spielformen der Filmwahrnehmung, edited by Thomas Schick and Tobias Ebbrecht.

Lynn Burley, associate professor of linguistics and writing, earlier this month presented a paper, "Semantics as a Tool for the Creative Writing Teacher," at the 82nd Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America in Chicago. Her paper was part of a symposium on Introducing Linguistics in the Secondary School Classroom. Burley also serves on the LSA's Committee on Language in the School Curriculum, whose mission is to explore and pursue ways in which the linguistics community can have an effect on school instruction in language-related topics, including linguistics.

Nina Roofe, a clinical instructor in UCA's Family and Consumer Sciences Department, has published a book entitled "Growing Christian," about parenting a premature baby. It is a practical guide to dealing with prematurity through the experiences of Nina and her son, Christian, and it addresses the human and emotional aspects as well as the medical challenges of parenting a premature child.

The Arkansas Department of Education awarded $483,000 to three education researchers at UCA's Mashburn Institute who will investigate ways to improve teaching methods for at-risk adolescent students.

The research project will be directed by Mark J. Cooper, Kathleen Atkins, and Patty Kohler-Evans of UCA's Department of Early Childhood and Special Education.

"This initiative will have a direct impact on the lives of Arkansas adolescents who struggle in school," Atkins said. "This collaborative effort involving UCA's Mashburn Institute and the Arkansas Department of Education is a tremendous example of how a partnership between the two institutions can improve the quality of education in Arkansas. It is our hope that the visionary seeds planted by the many stakeholders will promote success among future high school graduates who become successful university graduates and successful members of the workforce."

The goal of this project is to increase capacity within the state of Arkansas to improve academic outcomes for adolescent learners at-risk for school failure by ensuring access to high quality, research-validated instruction. This will be achieved by providing high quality professional development to general educators, special educators, alternative learning environment educators, and university educators. At the present time, approximately 100 educators who represent seven school sites and several region education centers participate in the statewide initiative. A percentage of those participants are presently preparing to become certified professional developers capable of building and sustaining an infrastructure designed to prepare all Arkansas teachers to use instructional methodologies designed to maximize learning among adolescent learners who struggle.

A primary purpose of UCA's Mashburn Institute is to prepare all Arkansas teachers to work more effectively with struggling adolescents. This grant award continues to position UCA as a leading institute responsible for preparing teachers to use research-validated instruction designed to mazimize the potential for adolescent learners.

The University of Central Arkansas yesterday announced the names of 1,449 students who qualified for the undergraduate Dean's List, and 832 students who qualified for the undergraduate Presidential Scholars List, based on their academic performance during the Fall 2007 semester.

"The impressive number of UCA students qualifying for the Dean's List and Presidential Scholars List is an indication of the high level of academic commitment and achievement at UCA," said UCA President Lu Hardin. "It reflects not only the hard work of the students, but also the contributions by faculty and staff toward promoting a healthy learning environment at UCA."

Recognition on the UCA Dean's List requires the achievement of at least a 3.5 grade point average with a minimum course load of 12 credit hours. Recognition as a UCA Presidential Scholar requires the achievement of a 4.0 grade point average with a minimum course load of 12 credit hours.

The UCA Dean's List and Presidential Scholars List is compiled and certified by the Division of Undergraduate Studies under the leadership of Associate Provost and Dean Sally A. Roden.

The full Fall 2007 UCA Dean's List and Presidential Scholars List are available at:

http://www.uca.edu/divisions/academic/undergradstudies

Brittany Carson of Ward, a senior at UCA, has been awarded a $1,900 Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.

Carson's research project, "Determining FtsZ's Function in Mitochondrial Fission," will be supervised by Kari Naylor of UCA's Biology department in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Three professors from UCA's College of Business last month presented papers at the Academy of Business Administration's 2007 Global Trends Conference in Puerto Rico. Jim Bell, a professor in the Management Information Systems department, presented a paper on his research titled, "The International Student and Statistics Anxiety." Bill Friedman, an associate professor of MIS, presented his contributions in a paper titled, "Decision Analysis." Rebecca Gatlin-Watts, a professor in the Marketing and Management department, delivered a paper on "Foreign Language in Business Schools."

The UCA Office of Minority Student Services has organized three events to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the occasion of the federal holiday marking his birthday.

The UCA President's Office will co-sponsor the Minority Student Services Prayer Breakfast tomorrow at 9 a.m. in the Student Center Ballroom featuring keynote speaker Pastor E.C. Maltbia of the True Holiness Saints Center. RSVP to Tiffany Block at tblock@uca.edu.

The UCA campus will be closed on Monday for the federal holiday, but that morning UCA students will march together in the City of Conway MLK March from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. UCA participants will meet at the Faulkner County Library at 9:30 a.m. to take a shuttle to downtown Conway. Lunch will be provided.

The Alpha Phi Alpha/SPBC Unity March and Banner Competition will take place on Tuesday during X-period (1:40 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.) in the Doyne Health Center. After the march, the Rev. David Cox will deliver a speech in front of Main Hall.

For more information, contact the Office of Minority Student Services at 450-3135.

The UCA Sugar Bears and Bears will host a unique basketball doubleheader tonight at the Farris Center.

The Sugar Bears will play Texas-San Antonio in Southland Conference action beginning at 5:15 p.m. at the Farris Center. Immediately following the game, the Bears' road game against Texas-San Antonio will be shown live in the arena via Fox Sports Southwest. (The television broadcast begins at 7 p.m. on Channels 24 and 263 in Little Rock.)

The City of Conway's Silver Moon Cinema screen will be set up at midcourt and the game will be viewed by the fans in the Farris Center. Larry's Pizza will sponsor the "Watch Party" and provide free pizza to all UCA students.

"We thought this would be a great chance for our fans to come out and watch an exciting live Sugar Bears game and then a regionally televised Bears game all in one place," said UCA athletic director Brad Teague. "We appreciate the cooperation of the City of Conway and Conway Corporation for helping us put this together."

Admission for the women's game will cover both events. Concessions stands will be open for both games.

Eric Deitz of Little Rock, a senior in UCA's Honors College, has been awarded a Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. The grant is $2,650, and UCA will add matching funds in the amount of $1,250.

Deitz's research project, "Spark", is a short film dealing with issues of tolerance in our society. Bruce Hutchinson and Mike Gunter of the UCA Department of Mass Communications and Theatre will serve as faculty mentors for the project.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health Region VI awarded a $3,500 grant to Letha J. Mosley and Felicia D. Taylor of UCA's Occupational Therapy and Health Science departments for a project entitled "Living Legacies: Learning and Choosing Healthy Lifestyles."

Their research is focused on increasing awareness of healthy lifestyle choices that might prevent or decrease obesity and obesity-related conditions among African-American women in the Central Arkansas region. If participants in the study apply certain recommendations, the outcome may be an improvement in health and decreases in risk factors for such chronic conditions as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Some students in UCA's Department of Occupational Therapy will be able to participate in this research as part of their Introduction to Research course, giving them first-hand knowledge and opportunities for practical application of content and skills acquired during the course.

Living Legacies will be held in three counties (Faulkner, Pulaski, and Lincoln), strengthening the UCA's connection and collaborative efforts in these communities. The outcomes of this study may provide additional support needed to secure additional external funding that will be necessary to implement the program throughout other counties in Arkansas.

The UCA Logistics program officially launched yesterday by convening the first-ever meeting of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) Central Arkansas Roundtable with featured speaker Julie Flom, Process Leader in Field Operations for Target Corporation.

M. Douglas Voss, assistant professor of Marketing & Logistics in UCA's College of Business, introduced the new UCA Logistics program to about 50 supply chain management leaders who gathered for the roundtable at the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce. Voss will serve as vice president of the roundtable, which is the first of its kind in Central Arkansas.

CSCMP is the preeminent worldwide professional association dedicated to the advancement and dissemination of research and knowledge on supply chain management. With over 9,000 members representing nearly all industry sectors, government, and academia from 67 countries, CSCMP members are the leading practitioners and authorities in the fields of logistics and supply chain management.

David Ekrut of Cabot, a senior mathematics major at UCA, has been awarded a Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. The grant is $2,650, and UCA will add matching funds in the amount of $1,250.

David's research project, "Generalized compatibiity for two dimensional nonlinear diffusion equations," is a generalization of current symmetry methods most often used to derive exact solutions of nonlinear differential equations. Danny Arrigo of the UCA?s Mathematics Department will serve as faculty mentor for the research.

NAFSA: Association of International Educators awarded a $7,300 grant to Lynn Ramage Schaefer of UCA's Intensive English program for a project designed to strengthen intercultural communication and international student Involvement at UCA.

The project's goals are to establish a procedure for intercultural training to the staff of Baridon Hall, where the majority of UCA's international students live; to strengthen the Conversation Partner Program; and to help international students become more involved in activities on the UCA campus. It also aims to provide a heightened understanding of, and respect for, cultural differences and a resulting improvement in communication among international and American students living in Baridon Hall and on the campus in general.

"The impact of this NAFSA grant will be to strengthen our international support services," said Jim Brosam II, Associate Vice President of International Affairs at UCA. "The funding will assist our international students through programming to better adjust to the campus community, city of Conway and to the State of Arkansas."

Mark Spitzer, assistant professor of writing, recently had his book Riding the Unit: Nonfiction 1994-2004 published by Six Gallery Press, Pittsburgh.

John Bratton, professor of Insurance and Risk Management in UCA's College of Business, recently had an article entitled "Personal Excess Liability Policy and Rental Property Exposures" published in the January 2008 issue of the Society of Financial Service Professionals Risk Management Newsletter. The paper is co-authored with Victor A. Puleo, Jr., CFP?, assistant professor of Insurance and Risk Management and CFP? Program Director in UCA's College of Business and Samuel T. Bennett, CIC, associate faculty member of the National Alliance for Insurance Education.

The University of Central Arkansas Sociology Department and Humanities and World Cultures Institute will partner with the Ozark Folk Center State Park to host the first annual Ozark Seed Swap on March 1st from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Ozark Folk Center State Park Conference Center in Mountain View.

Arkansas farmers and gardeners have a legacy of heirloom seeds that are in danger of being lost, and this event will bring them together to share those seeds and thereby encourage the production of diverse varieties for posterity. All are invited to bring some seeds and stories to swap with other Ozark seed savers and yarn spinners. Even if you have no seeds to swap but want to get started, come along to mingle with gardeners and farmers who can help.

The seed swap is a part of the Conserving Arkansas? Agricultural Heritage Project, through which UCA students will assist UCA anthropology professor Brian Campbell in saving a master set of heirloom seeds to distribute for the next season and maintaining a database of local varieties. The results of this project will be the collection of information on endangered seeds, promotion of a seed sharing resource, rejuvenation of traditional Ozark seed swaps and passing on of seeds, study of the feasibility of expanding consumer-supported agricultural systems, and publication of results of the study in anthropological journals and the popular press.

UCA alumnus Demetrius Richmond is one of six finalists in Essence magazine's "Will You Marry Me" contest, in which readers vote for their favorite marriage proposal.

A video of Richmond's surprise proposal to Chrissy Hannon is available at Essence's website, where readers can cast their votes online through February 13th. Richmond and Hannon are both higher education professionals and graduate students completing their second year of doctorate programs at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Several UCA students and staff earlier this month participated in the national flag football tournament sponsored by the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) at the University of Texas in Dallas.

Deane Amyx, UCA Director of Intramural Sports, was selected to serve on the NIRSA operations committee. UCA students Joe Sloan and R.J. Hawk were selected as football officials, with Sloan being named All-American Official for the tournament. Of the 50 student officials worked the tournament, only six were named All-American.

Three UCA teams participated in the national tournament. They included ouTKAst, a men?s team made up of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity members; and two female teams called Arkansas Angels and Usual Suspects. The ouTKAst and Usual Suspects qualified for the tournament by winning the Arkansas State Flag Football championship held at UCA in October. The Arkansas Angels qualified by being runner-up at the Region Five tournament held at Southeast Missouri State University. All three UCA teams made it through pool play at the national level, but lost in the quarter-finals.

According to Gary Roberts, UCA dean of students, "UCA has one of the most active intramural sports programs in Arkansas and the southern region. We offer 17 intramural sports with over 9300 participants. We are proud of the work of Deane Amyx and the students who represent UCA."

John Vanderslice, assistant professor of writing at UCA, has had his short story collection Island Fog selected as a semifinalist for the Spokane Prize for Short Fiction, sponsored by Eastern Washington University Press.

Michael B. Hargis, assistant professor in UCA's Department of Marketing and Management, will present a manuscript entitled "Work-family conflict or segmentation? A meta-analytic comparison of opposing theories" at the annual conference for the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology in San Francisco in April. The manuscript, co-authored with Jesse Michel of Michigan State University, has been recognized as one of the top 20 submissions to the conference and will be showcased during the feature session at the conference.

Jesse Butler, an assistant professor in UCA's Department of Philosophy and Religion, recently had an article entitled "Cancer, HIV, and Terrorism: Translating Public Health Models for Prevention and Control to Counter-Terrorism" accepted for publication in the first issue of the new international interdisciplinary journal Critical Studies on Terrorism. The article is co-authored with Morris Foster, a medical anthropologist at the University of Oklahoma.

Male volunteers, age 65 years and above, are being recruited to assist with a Motion Analysis study conducted by UCA's Physical Therapy Department.

To participate, you must be able to: 1) stand from sitting on a bench without using your arms; and 2) stand from sitting without using your arms and immediately walk.

You will be asked to wear shorts to allow the researcher to place small reflective markers on your skin with tape. This will allow cameras to ?read? the markers and produce a digital computer image of you performing the two tasks.

The study will take place at the Physical Therapy Motion Lab, Room 107 in UCA's Physical Therapy Center and will last approximately one hour. Data collection will begin this month.

You are asked not to eat or drink caffeine two hours prior to participation in the study. You are asked not to apply lotion or cologne to your skin to ensure proper adherence of the markers.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Myles Quiben
PT Center, Room 313
MQuiben@uca.edu
501-450-5557

Kyla Bailey, a music education senior at UCA, last month performed as a soloist with the Fujian Symphony Orchestra in China on Christmas Eve.

Her appearance was arranged by UCA director of orchestras Israel Getzov. Bailey performed Christmas carols with the symphony and sang solos on many pieces, including "Silver Bells," "Joy to the World" and "O Holy Night."

According to an article in the Conway Log Cabin Democrat, Getzov said, "She's going on her final year at UCA and I think it's important for her to get real-world experience, that's especially important for students who are going to be starting a career soon like she is."

Getzov has an ongoing partnership with the Fujian Symphony Orchestra, and he often brings UCA students to China.

Bailey is auditioning for graduate schools in Maryland, Colorado and Kentucky to pursue her master's degree in opera performance.

Sydney Yeager of Smackover, a senior at UCA, has been awarded a Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. The grant is $2,650, and UCA will add matching funds in the amount of $1,250.

Yeager's in-depth research project, "Which Doctor is the Witch Doctor?", is a comparative ethnomedical analysis of Western scientific medicine and traditional Ozark healing practices. Brian Campbell of the UCA Sociology Department will serve as faculty mentor for the research.

Yeager is pursuing Bachelor of Science degrees in Sociology and History along with a double minor in Anthropology and Interdisciplinary Studies at the UCA Honors College. She is the daughter of Jim and Crystal Yeager of Smackover.

Micah Abrams, assistant professor of Chemistry at UCA, is one of four national recipients of the 2008 Hewlett Packard Outstanding Junior Faculty Award from the American Chemical Society. The award is "designed to recognize early success and academic potential in computational chemists who are on the tenure track, but had not yet received tenure," and it includes a check for $1,000, a special gift from Hewlett Packard and recognition at the Computers in Chemistry poster session awards ceremony at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society next spring in New Orleans. Abrams also published four articles last semester, including a feature article with Daniel Crawford of Virginia Tech that graces the cover of the Journal of Physical Chemistry A, as well as a book chapter in an American Chemical Society Symposium Series with David Sherrill of Georgia Tech.

Lynn Burley, associate professor of writing and linguistics in UCA's Department of Writing, has been invited to be the linguistics consultant on a video project, "Grammar Tips for Children," with Schlessinger Media, a distributor of educational videos, DVDs and audiobooks. Burley is the script consultant on a series of grammar videos targeted to students in grades 5-12.

UCA history professor Randall L. Pouwels last month published a new edition of World Civilizations, the textbook he wrote with Philip Adler. Upon Adler's retirement, Pouwels took over sole authorship of the book. With his extensive training in the history of African and Islamic civilizations, Pouwels has devoted particular attention to adding new material on Asian and African civilizations. The book is widely used in freshman- and sophomore-level courses around the country.

Doug George, assistant professor of sociology at UCA, has been notified that his article, ?Forming a more perfect union: Racial perceptions of unity and division in the United States,? has been accepted for publication in the journal Sociological Focus. This research analyzes interviews from the Lilly Survey of Attitudes and Friendship to assess attitudes on bridging U.S. cultural differences. Although interviewees identify freedom as the principle that unites Americans and racial issues as those which divide, racial variations exist.

The Spring 2008 Community Education curriculum at the University of Central Arkansas includes classes on everything from literature and foreign languages to scuba dving and photography. A full brochure is available online at www.uca.edu/aoep/communityed, or call 450-3118 for more information.

The literature enrichment series about world classics begins with Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina" and will include presentations by Judith Killen on Russia in the 19th century and aspects of Tolstoy's life.

Jerry Mayo, a former UCA student now with Hendrix College, will teach a weight loss class titled "Choose to Lose: A Healthy Lifestyle Approach to Weight Reduction and Control." Mayo is a consultant for the TV show "The Biggest Loser," and his new book, "101 Weight Loss Tips," is expected to be released this month.

UCA's new Community Language School will present two courses: "Spanish for Beginners" and "Beginners Plus Spanish." The UCA Community Language School also offers classes for adults and children in Spanish, Chinese, French, Japanese, German, Italian and American Sign Language. More information is available at: www.uca.edu/wlan.