University of Arkansas at Little Rock

UA Little Rock's Alison Stephens finished fifth in the discus throw at the Canada Olympic Trials on June 27. Stephens, who just finished her second year with the Trojans, threw 139-8 (42.58m) to place fifth overall in the competition. It marked her first-ever Olympic trials competition.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock thrower Alison Stephens competed against the best in the Sun Belt Conference during the spring. Now she'll compete against the best from her home country of Canada with a trip to Tokyo on the line. Stephens will compete in the discus throw at the Canadian National Track and Field Championships in Montreal, Quebec on June 27.

Several students from the UA Little Rock Department of Chemistry have been honored by the Central Arkansas American Chemical Society.

In celebration of Internet Safety Month, UA Little Rock is profiling students researchers working in this area. Tell us about yourself? My name is Ethan O'Leske. I was born and raised in Little Rock, AR, and am currently pursuing a B.S. in Computer Science at UA Little Rock. From my early adolescence, I was drawn to technical skills like software development and programming, because it helped me understand the technology I interacted with everyday. As I reflect on my three years spent at UA Little Rock, I find that these skills have drawn me towards cybersecurity, in large part due to work at a research center on campus, the Emerging Analytics Center.

Joel Little, a political science and legal studies major from Benton, has been named the recipient of the 2021-22 Stonewall Scholarship at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

One University of Arkansas at Little Rock student is diving deeper into the results from the 2020 Little Rock Congregations Study (LRCS) to investigate the influence of income, politics, and religion on how people prioritize important community issues. Landon DeKay, a senior graduate with a degree in political science, received a Signature Research Grant from UA Little Rock to examine how LRCS study participants prioritize healthcare, race relations, and income equality.

Adeola Adesoba, a graduate student at UA Little Rock, has been selected for a competitive summer internship with IBM.

More than 50 University of Arkansas at Little Rock student-athletes finished the spring 2021 semester with a perfect 4.0 GPA. It was another impressive performance in the classroom for UA Little Rock student-athletes over the last four months, finishing the spring 2021 term with a department GPA of 3.17. It extends the Trojans' impressive streak of semesters above a 3.0 GPA to 18-straight as the department boasts an overall GPA of 3.31. An impressive 70.97 percent of Little Rock's 248 student-athletes finished the spring 2021 semester with a 3.0 GPA or higher with 54 achieving a perfect 4.0 GPA. Additionally, 10 of Little Rock's 15 programs finished with a team GPA of 3.00 this past spring, six of which were during the heart of their competition seasons.

UA Little Rock announces its Spring 2021 Chancellor's List, recognizing students with superior academic performance in a semester. To be eligible for the Chancellor's List, students must earn at least nine credit hours and at least a 3.9 GPA.

Chance Melby, a Donaghey Scholar from Cabot, first got hooked on cybersecurity when he interned with the Cabot Public School District Technology Department during high school. "Originally, I was accepted into the Donaghey Scholars Program and that solidified my choice into going to UA Little Rock," Melby said. "I also heard the Computer Science Program was one of the best in the state. I saw the opportunities that computer science and the City of Little Rock could give me. I wanted to get my foot in the door and learn new things. I knew UA Little Rock was a place where I could excel." He graduated this semester with a bachelor's degree in computer science with a focus on cybersecurity and is looking forward to a future career in cybersecurity. UA Little Rock is starting its first bachelor's degree program in cybersecurity this fall. Melby has been instrumental in the development of the Cyber Arena, which provides cloud-based cybersecurity education for K-12 students in Arkansas.

Three University of Arkansas at Little Rock students have been selected as nationwide winners of Acxiom's Diversity Scholarship Program. The UA Little Rock student winners include Adeola Adesoba, a graduate student in information science from Nigeria, Grace Crossette-Thambiah, a doctoral student in computer and information science specializing in data quality from Los Angeles, and Gabrielle Wilber, a junior business information systems major from Little Rock. The Acxiom initiative offers $5,000 scholarships to U.S.-based students from diverse backgrounds who are enrolled in a full-time post-secondary technology degree program. The program encourages women, veterans, minorities and individuals with a disability to apply for scholarships to support the next generation of technology talent.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock dedicated a new student mural in the lobby of Ottenheimer Library during a ceremony on May 11. The new mural, entitled "Koi," is eight feet wide and 16 feet long. Emma Chambers, the student artist who created the mural, hopes the peaceful painting of fish swimming in a koi pond will bring a sense of calm and tranquility to all who see it.

The impressive achievements of future doctor Stuti Chatterjee have earned her the honor of the 2021 Edward L. Whitbeck Memorial Award at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Frank L. and Beverly Whitbeck established the award in memory of their son, Edward Lynn Whitbeck, who was a senior at Little Rock University, the predecessor of UA Little Rock, at the time of his death in 1965. Each scholar receives a personalized plaque and a monetary award. "The Whitbeck Award is given to the outstanding graduating senior," said Dr. Simon Hawkins, director of the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program. "Stuti is outstanding in so many ways, but more than that, she is inspirational. She represents the best of UA Little Rock. Stuti's education has changed her. It has given her so much, and she has given so much back to the university and the larger community."

Zoe Harris, a second-year student at the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, has been named the 2020 Dean's Fellow of the Year.

Babatunji "Ted" Ogunjobi is graduating this month with a master's degree in business information systems from UA Little Rock and a perfect 4.0 GPA. Even though he had previously founded three startup companies, Ogunjobi had never joined a business program before UA Little Rock. "I chose the Business Information Systems Program because the curriculum blends acquiring business management and technology skills relevant for the technology driven world we live in today," he said. A native of Nigeria, Ogunjobi is putting his business skills and entrepreneurial mindset to good use as a senior business program manager at Microsoft. "There I will join the team in the quest to build products that empower every individual and organization in the world," Ogunjobi said.

After studying at UA Little Rock as an exchange student in 2013, Tuja Khaund, a native of Dibrugarh, India, couldn't stay away. "It was very exciting at first," Khaund said. "I had never been out of my country. It was one of the biggest challenges. We got to learn about different cultures and people and we made a lot of friends. It was quite the journey." After her study abroad experience, Khaund returned to Little Rock as a full-time computer science student in 2014. Now she is graduating with a Ph.D. in computer and information science and a new career as a senior data scientist at Walmart Inc.

Parker Lehnen, a native of Van Buren, Arkansas, graduated this semester with a bachelor's degree in applied communication. He eventually wants to work in higher education so he can advocate for students with disabilities. He also aspires to speak at conferences on Autism awareness.

Carletta Rainey is achieving a lifelong dream of completing her bachelor's degree as she graduates this month from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a bachelor's degree in applied communication. Rainey works as a nurse at the UAMS Women's Health Clinic and is a U.S. Army veteran who has served overseas in South Korea and Kuwait. "As a transfer student who stopped out for many years, she came to UA Little Rock in 2019," said Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter, chair of the Department of Applied Communication. "Facing the odds against her with a recent cancer diagnosis, she has overcome these odds to complete her education."

Avery McLean has graduated from UA Little Rock with a bachelor's degree in biology, a minor in political science, and plans to make the world a better place through environmental law. McLean grew up on her family's cattle farm in rural Canada. Her hometown of Pilot Mound has about 500 residents and lies five miles north of the North Dakota border. She knew that she would have to leave home to receive the education she craved. At 15, McLean enrolled at the Institut Collegial Vincent Massey Collegiate in Winnipeg, Canada. From there, she was recruited as a swimmer to UA Little Rock.

Zachary Stine, of Little Rock, is a spring 2021 graduate with a Ph.D. in computer and information science from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. As a member of the Collaboratorium for Social Media and Behavioral Studies (COSMOS), Stine has conducted research on computational social science, machine learning, natural language processing, cultural analytics, digital humanities, and network science. Stine will work in COSMOS as a postdoctoral fellow next year while he continues his research and mentors students. His ultimate goal is to enter academia as a professor of computer or information science.

Jennifer Tippit, of Benton, Arkansas, graduated in the spring 2021 semester with a bachelor's degree in applied communication. She transferred to UA Little Rock from UA-Pulaski Technical College and is the first in her family to get a bachelor's degree.

Uchenna "Uche" Umoga graduated this spring with a master's degree in computer science. He worked with Dr. Nitin Agarwal in COSMOS (Collaboration for Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies).

Graduate Cassie Gehring is ending the spring semester on several high notes. Not only is she the first person in her family to earn a graduate degree, but Gehring has recently been promoted and is writing a grant proposal that could help single parents at UA Little Rock afford childcare. Gehring, a native of Helena who now lives in Searcy, is has graduated from UA Little Rock with a Master of Public Administration degree and a graduate certificate in nonprofit management.

Ten Little Rock wrestlers were placed on the Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll, as announced by the league office this Wednesday. Out of the wrestling schools that compete in the conference, the Trojans had the second-highest number of student-athletes that made the list.

Little Rock wrestling's Paul Bianchi was honored as a 2021 DI Scholar All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, topping off his esteemed career as a Trojan.

Hayden Arnold, a senior at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has been named the Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year.

Little Rock junior Anton Albers has been named a 2021 Division I PING All-Central Region selection, announced today by the Golf Coaches Association of America. Albers was one of two Sun Belt players named All-Region, earning the first national accolade of his career.

Aaron Barkley, a member of the baseball team at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, was named a second team all-league honoree.

Tricia Pierce receives All-Conference Honors.

Little Rock's Ryan Curington and Tricia Pierce were recognized Wednesday as the Sun Belt Conference announced its outdoor track and field all-conference honors.