Samuel Brown, a UALR student from Benton, has been selected as an award winner at this year’s “Posters on the Hill” competition for his innovative comparative interpretation of William Faulkner’s “The Sound and the Fury.”

This is the second consecutive year that a UALR student has been chosen for the competition.

The 16th annual “Posters on the Hill” session on April 23 and 24 is sponsored by the Council on Undergraduate Research on Capitol Hill. The event is designed to help members of Congress understand the importance of undergraduate research by talking directly with students. There will be two student presentation sessions, a luncheon panel and poster session for arts and humanities students, and an evening poster session and reception for science and social sciences students.

Brown, a graduate of Benton High School, will attend a luncheon with the Arkansas congressional delegation and will meet with key representatives of committees related to undergraduate research. Brown is majoring in English with a minor in secondary education and is in the final semester of his senior year.

He became interested in William Faulkner while taking a “Faulkner and Hemingway” seminar offered through the William G. Cooper Jr. Honors Program in English.

“After reading ‘The Sound and the Fury,’ I knew I wanted to work on that novel for my Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program project,” Brown said. “I like how this novel in particular keeps unfolding with each successive read, offering new insights into our American mythologies.”

He will be accompanied to Washington by his faculty sponsor and mentor, Dr. James Levernier, professor of English.

“Last year, an undergraduate in the history department was the first UALR student to receive this recognition and now an English major has won,” said Dr. Pat Pellicane, vice provost for research and dean of the graduate school. “I hope that this could become an annual occurrence.”

UALR students conducting an undergraduate research project are eligible to apply for the annual competition. Applications and more information can be found at the Council on Undergraduate Research website.