University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Ally DeSordi came to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with two passions: swimming and teaching. Four years later, the Omaha, Nebraska native and senior Little Rock Trojans swimmer will graduate from UA Little Rock on Dec. 13 in K-12 Health and Physical Education and carries with her the lessons, mentors, and experiences that shaped her into the teacher she's becoming.

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock student is transforming the way people learn about the insect world through technology with the launch of a new mobile application, Insects AR, now available on the Google Play Store.

Alex Tarpley, a junior civil and construction engineering major, spent the summer interning in Dublin, Ireland, where he gained life-changing experience that expanded his outlook on life, sharpened his professional skills, and deepened his passion for engineering.

Little Rock track and field athlete Brooklyn Marcee has earned one of the Ohio Valley Conference's most prestigious distinctions, being named an OVC Scholar-Athlete, an award given to only six student-athletes conference-wide who embody the highest standard of academic excellence, athletic achievement and leadership.

Two University of Arkansas at Little Rock students, Axton Tackett and Braden Carr, have been selected for the inaugural Arkansas Civic Leadership Academy, a statewide program backed by the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute that prepares the next generation of civic leaders.

Ginger Johnson, a May graduate of the Master of Social Work program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has been named a recipient of the 2025 Love of Learning Award from The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society.

Emma Dorsey, a senior accounting major at UA Little Rock, spent her summer gaining hands-on experience that will help launch her career in accounting. The Little Rock native, who plans to graduate in May 2026, completed a competitive internship with Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, where she worked as an administrative cost and budget intern.

After building a commanding lead through two rounds, Little Rock cruised to the Everett Buick GMC Invitational title Tuesday afternoon at Chenal Country Club. The Trojans blistered the Founders Course, finishing at 34-under par for the week. After shooting 11-under and 12-under on Monday, Little Rock added another 11-under round in Tuesday's finale. UAB placed second at 13-under, followed by Lipscomb at 12-under.

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate student has been recognized nationally for her academic excellence and commitment to lifelong learning. Michelle Keithley, a graduate student in the Professional and Technical Writing program, has been awarded a 2025 Love of Learning Award from the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Keithley, a native of Springfield, Missouri, is one of only 155 recipients nationwide to receive the $1,000 award this year.

A UA Little Rock graduate student spent her summer interning with Siemens Healthineers, where her strong work ethic and technical writing skills impressed her team so much that the company has extended her internship beyond the summer.

Little Rock junior Eleonore Aernouts continued her strong fall season with a runner-up finish Tuesday at the Lady Red Wolves Classic, hosted at Sage Meadows Golf Club. Aernouts shot 6-under par across three rounds, finishing three strokes behind ULM's Tessa Ion, who claimed medalist honors at 9-under.

Hannah Jones, a graduate student in mechanical engineering at UA Little Rock, spent her summer interning at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, gaining hands-on experience that brought her closer to her dream of a career in aerospace engineering.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is welcoming 25 new and talented students to the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program for the 2025-26 academic year. The new cohort of Donaghey Scholars represent the best and brightest students at UA Little Rock. Members receive a financial package that covers full tuition and fees, a stipend, financial assistance for a study abroad program, a housing subsidy, and a new laptop. The program is run by Dr. Simon Hawkins, director, and Dr. Jessica Scott, associate director.

A UA Little Rock student spent the spring semester immersed in Spanish culture, where she gained experiences and life skills that she says will help her in any future career path.

For Auriel Del Carmen, studying abroad at the University of Nottingham in England was more than just a chance to complete his final semester of college in a unique and unforgettable setting. It was an opportunity to see history come alive, build lifelong friendships, and gain the global perspective he hopes to bring into his future career.

Hannah Jones, a graduate student in mechanical engineering at UA Little Rock, spent her summer interning at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, gaining hands-on experience that brought her closer to her dream of a career in aerospace engineering.

UA Little Rock student Emilia Berry spent her summer overseas, where she gained invaluable experience that will shape her future career as a speech-language pathologist.

Braden Carr, a junior at UA Little Rock, had a summer filled with professional development and international learning opportunities that are helping prepare him for a career in public service.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate Brittany Rose has written a successful $16,270 grant on behalf of World Services for the Blind (WSB) to fund a life-changing program for blind and visually impaired students.

UA Little Rock student Josh Wynne-Hudson spent part of his summer studying thousands of miles from home and came back with lessons that will shape his future career.

Gabriella O'Neil, a Master of Business Administration student at UA Little Rock, spent her summer putting her classroom knowledge into practice during an internship with Baptist Health in Little Rock.

Dogs may be humanity's oldest companions, but their evolution from wild wolves is still full of mysteries. New research from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock is helping solve one of them by showing how domestication may have altered far more than behavior. Jacob Hansen, a graduate student in biology, and Dr. Raffaela Lesch, assistant professor of biology, have published a groundbreaking study demonstrating that domestication reshaped the canine larynx, the organ responsible for sound production. It's the first anatomical test of a major scientific concept called the neural crest domestication syndrome (NCDS) hypothesis. "This is the first study to test whether selection for tameness affects the voice box," Hansen said. "We found measurable differences between the larynges of dogs and wolves, which supports the idea that domestication doesn't just change behavior but also changes anatomy." The team's research, which was published in the Royal Society Open Science journal in July, offers rare anatomical insight into how domestication impacts the development of the voice box via neural crest cells, which are embryonic cells that influence everything from skull shape to vocal folds. While the NCDS hypothesis has previously been used to explain behavioral and physical changes in domesticated animals, no one had applied it to the larynx before. To conduct the study, Hansen and Lesch used CT scans to analyze and compare the larynges of domestic dogs and wolves. They identified 108 specific anatomical landmarks and worked with international collaborators to gather laryngeal specimens from across Europe. Their co-authors include Nicole D. S. Grunstra, W. Tecumseh Fitch, Andrew C. Kitchener, and Michaela Gumpenberger. "We saw significant differences in the size and shape of the larynx and vocal folds between dogs and wolves," Hansen said. "Dogs, particularly mesocephalic breeds with medium-length snouts, had smaller larynges and shorter vocal folds." Those differences suggest that the evolution of dogs' friendly and expressive behavior may have come with vocal trade-offs. Lesch, who mentored Hansen throughout the project, said the findings help validate a core prediction of the NCDS hypothesis: that selection for tameness reduces neural crest cell migration, which in turn influences multiple body systems. "The larynx is largely derived from neural crest cells," Lesch said. "The fact that we see structural changes in this organ supports the idea that domestication has widespread anatomical effects. This occurs not just on the visible features like ears or snouts, but on deeper systems that affect communication." Their work also hints at larger implications. Some researchers believe humans underwent a process of "self-domestication," evolving to become more sociable and cooperative over time. If so, studies like this could provide a biological roadmap to investigate how human anatomy may have changed as a result, according to Lesch. Co-authors hail from research institutions in the U.S. and Europe, including Austria's University of Vienna and the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, as well as the National Museums Scotland, reflecting the international collaboration behind the study.

Skylar Boone, senior graphic design major, spent her summer studying abroad in Thailand, where she says the experience gave her confidence, independence, and a new outlook that will help her grow personally and professionally.

For Miesha Robinson, earning a college degree isn't just about personal success-it's about creating a brighter future for her two-year-old son, Malachi. As a single mother balancing work, school, and parenthood, Robinson is pursuing a marketing degree with concentrations in professional sales and digital marketing at UA Little Rock, thanks in part to the university's Corporate Partnerships Program.

Tyler Burns, a senior civil and construction engineering major at Little Rock, is making the most of his college experience, all while balancing leadership roles, research opportunities, and hands-on industry experience.

Spencer Knight, a senior double majoring in electrical and computer engineering and physics at UA Little Rock, spent his summer exploring the future of space exploration as a computer research and development intern at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

Colleen Gilliland, who graduated from UA Little Rock in May with a bachelor's degree in biology, used a $4,000 grant from the Arkansas Division of Higher Education for the Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program to conduct research on the effects of bulimia on human teeth.

From web design to professional writing, Hannah Darden has always followed her curiosity about creativity and human behavior. The Little Rock native is now a second-year graduate student at UA Little Rock in professional and technical writing, building on her bachelor's degree in web design and development and interning this summer with local agency CJRW.

Four UA Little Rock students in the Department of Applied Communication recently received recognition for their work and significant contributions to the community.

Nineteen students from UA Little Rock's School of Art and Design spent two immersive weeks this summer studying contemporary Japanese art and culture in Tokyo and Kyoto. Led by Professors Michele Noiset and Clark Valentine, the May 19-30 study abroad trip offered hands-on experiences with calligraphy, tea ceremonies, temple architecture, and modern art museums. The trip encouraged students to reflect on the intersections of tradition, technology, and visual storytelling.