University of Arkansas at Little Rock

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has announced the newly elected members of the Student Government Association for the coming 2021-22 academic year.

After traveling from Nigeria to earn a graduate degree at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Oluwaseun "Seun" Johnson is graduating this month with a master's degree in information science and a new career at Intuit, Inc.

After just three years at UA Little Rock, Landon DeKay, of Maumelle, has completed his studies one year ahead of schedule and will graduate with a bachelor's degree in political science this month.

Freshman Breya Clark cleared 5-5 (1.65m), finishing eighth with the fourth-best mark in school history at the Maroon and White Invitational hosted by Mississippi State April 30. Clark then broke the triple jump record as Little Rock saw two school records fall on the final day of the Maroon and White Invitational May 1.

After a 20-year career with the U.S. Marine Corps, Kevin Barnes, a native of Bauxite who now lives in Jacksonville, returned to Arkansas to pursue a nursing career.

Junior Ka'Neisha Jackson from Elk City, Oklahoma topped her own school record in the 400m hurdles by 0.03 seconds on the final day of the Maroon and White Invitational hosted by Mississippi State May 1. She placed third in the race.

UA Little Rock golfer Logan Pate earned third team All-Sun Belt Conference honors, announced May 6 by the league office.

Little Rock senior pitcher Aaron Funk has been named the Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week, announced April 27 by the league office. The honor is the third of Funk's Trojan career as Little Rock has now tallied Pitcher of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks.

UA Little Rock junior golfer Anton Albers earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors, announced May 6 by the league office. Albers is a first team all-conference selection.

Junior Helensia Green added her name to the Little Rock record books on the final day of the Maroon and White Invitational May 1.

Freshman Alison Stephens from Chatham, Ontario, Canada, smashed her own school record in the discus by over seven feet as action opened up April 30 at the Maroon and White Invitational hosted by Mississippi State.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has selected the winners of the 2021 Student Research and Creative Works Expo. The annual event features the latest innovative research, service or professional work, and creative projects by the student researchers at UA Little Rock. The winners were announced at a virtual ceremony on May 3.

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 political science major from Maumelle, received a Signature Research Grant from UA Little Rock to examine how LRCS study participants prioritize healthcare, race relations, and income equality.

A rising star in student journalism at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship from Arkansas Press Women's annual scholarship contest. Alexandria Brown, a junior mass communication major with a concentration in journalism from England, Arkansas, has aspirations to work as a broadcast reporter after her graduation from UA Little Rock in 2022.

Five members of the Little Rock swimming and diving team were placed on the 2021 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Scholar-Athlete Team in recognition of their efforts both in the pool and in the classroom, as announced by the league April 29. The Trojans honored by the league include senior Palmer Ristroph, junior Lea Zengerling, and sophomores Fernanda Gamez, Annya Grom, and Brianna Ridings.