The UA Little Rock College of Social Sciences and Communication will host its annual Research and Creative Works Showcase Feb. 26-27 in Donaghey Student Center Ledbetter Hall. 

The showcase will highlight the research of students, faculty, and staff from the College of Social Sciences and Communication and feature guest speakers and workshops.

An awards reception will be held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27, in the Student Services Center Auditorium to honor the showcase’s participants as well as reveal the winners of six student awards and one faculty member award.

The event will feature three spotlight sessions on the art of positive communication, online learning, and crime in Little Rock.

Dr. Julien Mirivel, interim dean of the College of Social Sciences and Communication, will present “The Art of Positive Communication” from 8:30-10 a.m. Feb. 26 in Donaghey Student Center Ledbetter C. With personal examples and stories, the session will invite participants to practice concrete behaviors that will have a positive effect at home, work, and in the community.

The second spotlight session, “If We Build It, They Will Come: Building Sustainable Online Programs,” will begin at noon Feb. 26 in Donaghey Student Center Ledbetter C. The panel provides ideas for administrators and faculty members who are considering or offering fully or partially online programs.

The panelists include Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter, chair of the Applied Communications department; Dr. Elizabeth Sherwin, chair of the Department of Psychology; Dr. Mary Parker, chair of the Criminal Justice department; and Dr. Heidi Skurat-Harris, associate professor of rhetoric and writing. They will discuss challenges in building online programs, how to assess effectiveness of programs, and the major takeaways from their experiences.

The “Crime in Little Rock” panel will feature scholars from the UA Little Rock Department of Criminal Justice who will review the trends and spread of crime citywide along with applications from several issues central to the discussion about crime in Little Rock, including research on gang violence, inmate reentry, and campus crime.

The panel will begin at noon Feb. 27 in Donaghey Student Center Ledbetter C. Panelists include Criminal Justice faculty members Dr. James Golden, Dr. Tusty ten Bensel, Dr. Timonthy Brown, and James Hurst.

View a schedule of the College of Social Sciences and Communication Research and Creative Works Showcase here.