University of Arkansas at Little Rock

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate has honored his family's legacy by devoting his graduate research to uncovering the history of the Arkansas Highway Police. Cody Besett, 27, of Rogers, graduated May 11 with a Master of Arts in public history with an emphasis in archives and digital collections. Since his father and grandfather were both officers with the Arkansas Highway Police, he was inspired to write his thesis about the state law enforcement agency.

The Top Paper award recognizes the highest class grade for the summer 2018 semester at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law announces its spring 2019 graduates.

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate has created a computer program that can identify emotions on a person's face in real time. Suzan Anwar, of Little Rock, graduated May 11 from UA Little Rock with a Ph.D. in computer and information science. In August, she will begin a new position as an assistant professor of computer science at Philander Smith College, where she has taught robotics courses for the past year. Anwar and her dissertation advisor, Dr. Mariofanna Milanova, professor of computer science, created a face analysis package that uses face and eye detection and eye tracking software to recognize emotions like happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, fear, and surprise. The second part of the system can track the position of a person's head and what their eyes are looking at when they feel a specific emotion. The software has the potential for a variety of real-world applications.

Juliann Fiallos, a junior geology/biology double major from Ansonia, Connecticut, spent several months this spring examining the levels and impact of microplastics in the Fourche Creek wetlands. Microplastics are microscopic pieces of plastic that are released into the environment as plastic products slowly begin to break down.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock junior distance runner Hunter Paul has been named to the CoSIDA Google Cloud first team Academic All-District for the 2018-19 track and field/cross country seasons.

Riley Pittman, a senior at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has received First Team All-Sun Belt honors for his outstanding performance during the 2019 baseball season.

Chandler Fidel has received First Team All-Sun Belt honors for his outstanding performance during the 2019 season.

Aaron Ramos, a sophomore at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, was named a second team selection for the All-Sun Belt Conference for the 2018-19 men's golf season.

Justin Warren, a recent graduate of UA LIttle Rock, was named a first team selection for the All-Sun Belt Conference for the 2018-19 men's golf season. Warren closed his final season in Little Rock taking his place as one of the top golfers in program history. He finished the 2018-19 season with a 71.41 scoring average - the lowest ever by a Trojan and ranking fourth in the Sun Belt Conference. Warren finished at par-or-better in 21 of his 32 rounds this season with five top-10 finishes, including setting the program record for lowest round (64) and lowest 54-hole tournament total (11-under 202). For his career, Warren competed in 22 events over two seasons for Little Rock with a 72.86 scoring average, ranking second all-time for career average. Nearly half of his 65 career rounds were at par-or-better, accomplishing the feat 32 times, with six top-10 individual finishes. The Picton, Australia native will now begin his professional career after qualifying for the PGA Autralasia Tour earlier this year.

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock senior who graduated with three bachelor's degrees has been accepted to medical school and is on her way to fulfilling her dream of becoming a doctor. Erica Olson, of Gassville, Arkansas, graduated from UA Little Rock on May 11 with bachelor's degrees in biology, chemistry, and Spanish. The budding doctor, who received a $7,500 Class of 1954 Scholarship from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, will begin taking classes at UAMS in the fall with plans to become a family physician. "It has been my dream for almost a decade that I would like to become a family physician," Olson said. "Everyone is excited about specializing in surgical processes, but for me, I like the appeal of growing with the patients. I like the consistency of establishing bonds and being able to work with people throughout their life and their children's lives. I'm open to looking at other specialties in medical school, but I think that is where my heart lies."

Chandler Fidel received Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week honors for his outstanding performance in Friday night's game one win over Texas State, announced Tuesday by league officials. This is the first time the junior has received this honor in his career. Fidel was masterful in his 13th start of the season, throwing 124 pitches in nine innings of work, allowing just three runs and six hits on the night. The Garland, Texas native fanned 12 hitters, which tied a career high. Fidel leads the conference in innings pitched with 86.1 on the year and ranks third in total strikeouts with 88. The ace has held opposing hitters to a .237 average this season, which is seventh in the conference. Little Rock gets back to action tonight when they take on Central Arkansas in the final contest of the Governor's I-40 Showdown. First pitched scheduled for 6 p.m. at Dickey-Stephens Park.

Four UA Little Rock students were inducted into Sigma Lambda Chi, the international honor society for construction in a ceremony on May 10. The students inducted were Gozde Gursoy, Erica James, Donna Mantione, and Honorary Inductee Larry Blackmon. Sigma Lambda Chi was established in 1949 and is comprised of 67 chapters across the United States and Australia. UA Little Rock's chapter of Sigma Lambda Chi was founded in 1999 by Michael Tramel, who serves as its faculty advisor. It has received a "gold" rating since 2017 due to the hard work and dedication of its members. Inductees will receive a stole and cord for their graduation regalia.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock volleyball player Taylor Lindberg's career will continue professionally as the setter has signed a professional contract with club Liigaploki of the Finland Volleyball League. "I'm very excited to be able to continue my volleyball career and follow in my father's footsteps in playing professionally over in Europe," Lindberg said. "I would like to say thanks to all my teammates, coaches, friends, and family for the support over the years. This is a new beginning for me, and I am thankful for coach Lodi and Liigaploki for giving me this opportunity." Linderg closed her Little Rock career by rewriting the Trojan record books as a four-year starter for head coach Van Compton. Lindberg finished with 3,065 career assists, ranking second all-time, becoming the second player in program history to surpass 3,000 assists. Playing in 113 matches, Lindberg also tallied 414 kills, 698 digs, and 241 blocks with 73 service aces. Lindberg's 2018 season was one of the top in program history as she became the first Trojan to surpass 200 kills, 700 assists, and 200 digs in a season, finishing with 218, 799, and 251, respectively. Playing every serve of the season, Lindberg registered three triple doubles on the year, finishing in the top-10 nationally, helping lead Little Rock to the sixth postseason appearance in program history.

Little Rock swimming senior Ann Kharlamova has been named the winner of the 2019 Kevin A. Crass Heart of a Trojan award. The honor was announced at the Trojans' Senior Honors Luncheon on May 7. The award, which began in 2017, is given annually to a Little Rock student-athlete based on athletic performance, community service, leadership and dedication to their team. Kharlamova is the third winner of the award, joining Cory Malcom (baseball - 2017) and Fali Garuba (soccer - 2018). "We are incredibly pleased to recognize Anna as this year's Kevin A. Crass Heart of a Trojan Award winner as she embodies Kevin's example of what it means to be a member of Little Rock's Team," said Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque. "Her leadership ability and performance for our swimming program over the last four years has been remarkable, coupled with her community service endeavors and efforts to be an ambassador of Little Rock Athletics exemplifies what this award stands for."

University of Arkansas at Little Rock senior baseball player Riley Pittman was named to the CoSIDA Google Cloud Academic All-District First-Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America. The North Richland Hills, Texas native is a marketing major and currently holds a 3.74 GPA. He is the second Trojan to receive the recognition under the tenure of Head Coach Chris Curry, the last being Hunter Owens in 2017. Pittman recently broke Little Rock's all-time record for career home runs, currently sitting at 25 for his career. The senior is hitting .331 with a team-high 12 home runs, 47 RBI, and 105 total bases on the season.

A team of UA Little Rock students is trying to promote a safer work environment with the introduction of "Leap into Safety," an affordable virtual reality safety simulator designed to make the operators more adept at operating powered equipment safely. The team includes Trenton Burroughs, information science major, and Denver Ellis, computer science major, as well as web design students Ryan Hood and Sunny Singh. For their efforts, the students won first place in the Best Hardware Hack category at theCrimsonHacks competition March 23-24 at the University of Alabama. Each team member won an Elegoo Super Starter Kit, which includes Arduinos, sensors, motors, and other fun programmable hardware.

The Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers (AAWL) has awarded two female law students from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law bar examination preparation scholarships. AAWL celebrated their annual scholarship winners during an April 5 meeting at the Little Rock Club, where Joann Maxey, general counsel of the University of Arkansas System, served as the guest speaker. The 2019 scholarship recipients include Victoria Percifield and Sydney Rasch from Bowen.

The University of Arkansas Little Rock Department of Theatre Arts and Dance and Ballet Arkansas held its first-ever combined dance concert April 25-28. This event is the launch of the partnership between the UA Little Rock dance program and Ballet Arkansas. The university's annual spring Bodyworks concert showcases choreography by dance faculty and Ballet Arkansas company member Deanna Stanton. A special highlight of the concert was the premiere of "Collision," choreographed by Ballet Arkansas Executive Director Michael Fothergill and performed by UA Little Rock students and Ballet Arkansas company members.

UA Little Rock theater major Selena Gordon has performed in musicals, plays, and even national films, but this semester she worked to create a performance of a different kind - one meant to awaken her audiences' unexpressed emotions. Gordon spent this semester creating "Wake-up!" - a performance that uses overbearing sensory aspects, such as lights, sound, and gestures to stir emotions. "I wanted to make the audience confront issues that society tends to shy away from or ignore because they're too difficult to talk about," she said. "Such things include racism, sexual assault, gun control, mental illness, abuse, discrimination in all of its forms, and the political state of the country today."

A Donaghey Scholar who is passionate about preserving and sharing history through her work at museums has been chosen as this year's recipient of the Edward L. Whitbeck Memorial Award at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Nicole Ursin, 21, of Batesville, has earned a 4.0 GPA while double majoring in anthropology and history with a minor in nonprofit leadership studies, all while working at nine different museums and historical organizations throughout her college career. The Whitbeck Memorial Award is the single greatest distinction the university annually bestows on a graduating student through a competitive application process that comes with a $2,000 prize. Ursin will receive the award during a luncheon beginning at 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 10, at the Clinton Presidential Center Great Hall in Little Rock.

Several University of Arkansas at Little Rock students raised money for a homeless shelter through an "Open Closet" fundraiser. Members of UA Little Rock's Alliance and AWARE student organizations held a fundraiser where people would shop for gently used clothes at discounted prices. All funds raised were donated to Lucie's Place in the Little Rock, the only homeless shelter for LGBTQ+ youth in Arkansas.

Marquisa Wince, a Juris Doctor candidate at the William H. Bowen School of Law and a Master of Public Service candidate at the Clinton School of Public Service, has received the B.A. Rudolph Scholarship at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. The B.A. Rudolph Foundation awards the $12,000 scholarship annually to a woman who is a rising second-year student at the Clinton School of Public Service and who best embodies the mission and values of the foundation. The B.A. Rudolph Foundation established the scholarship in 2015 in honor of the organization's namesake, B.A. Rudolph, a 1978 graduate of the University of Arkansas and a member of Bill Clinton's gubernatorial and presidential staffs.

Nicole Ursin, a senior anthropology major at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has been conducting original research on a community of Micronesian immigrants in Texas.

A dream team of student entrepreneurs from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has won two of the top honors at the Arkansas Governor's Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition, a statewide business plan competition for college and graduate students sponsored by Arkansas Capital Corporation. The Vascugenix team won first place in the Winrock Automotive Undergraduate Division and a $25,000 prize. The team also captured first place and a prize of $5,000 in the undergraduate Innovate Arkansas Innovation Division for a total of $30,000 in prize money. Team members include UA Little Rock students Noah Asher, senior finance and economics major and Donaghey Scholar; Abigail Resendiz, senior international business and management major and Donaghey Scholar; and Zach Cochran, senior economics major. Martial Trigeaud, a UA Little Rock adjunct professor and business consultant at the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, serves as the team's mentor.

After winning the undergraduate and innovation divisions at the Arkansas Governor's Cup last week, a dream team of student entrepreneurs from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has continued their winning streak by taking home $40,000 at e-Fest 2019. Team Vascugenix earned third place and $20,000 April 11-13 at e-Fest 2019, a venture pitch competition that is part of the Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The students also placed first in the innovation division, earning them an additional $20,000.

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock student is promoting mental health awareness with one inspirational smiley-faced mug at a time. Emilia Rak, a junior social work major, knows what it's like to live with mental health disorders and the challenges and stigma that can come from people who don't understand. "I've struggled with mental health issues for several years, and I would become severely depressed," Rak said. "I had a very good friend, Renee. Her mother passed away a few years ago. She loved coffee, so at her funeral they had a coffee bar. Often, when I was feeling depressed, Renee told me that I had to have a coffee date with her mom in the morning. It was my promise not to harm myself until morning. For many years, my promise to my good friend was the only thing that kept me alive."

Robin Freeman is one of more than 100 UA Little Rock students who received a $1,000 grant to conduct original research, creative works, and community service projects this semester as part of the university's Signature Experience Award program. Freeman is investigating the experiences of women without children and the communication strategies they employ to cope with stigma in society. Freeman presented her research at the Southern States Communication Association Undergraduate Honors Conference earlier this month and at the Student Research and Creative Works Expo held April 18 in the Jack Stephens Center.

Hayden Arnold, a sophomore pitcher on the University of Arkansas at Little Rock baseball team, garnered Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week for his outstanding performance in Little Rock's 3-0 week. Arnold was masterful in his start against Coastal Carolina, tossing seven scoreless innings while only allowing three hits and punching out seven Chanticleers. After allowing a hit to the first hitter of the game, Arnold retired 17 straight batters. The sophomore threw 113 pitches to earn the 14-0 win over Coastal Carolina. Arnold now leads the team with a 3.35 ERA, .234 opponent batting average, and a perfect 3-0 record. This is the first time in his career he has been named Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week.

Little Rock senior Ronjanae DeGray has been named one of 10 selections to the Division I-AAA Athletic Director's Association (ADA) 17th annual Scholar-Athlete team. DeGray, the 2018-19 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, played a pivotal role in helping Little Rock to a share of the conference regular season title with a 15-3 mark in Sun Belt play as well as leading the Trojans to the Sun Belt tournament title and the program's sixth NCAA tournament appearance.