A student marketing team from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock was ranked as the top American university team in a global competition designed to counter digital recruitment by terrorist organizations.

Led by marketing and advertising Professor Gary Geissler, the UALR team was made up of students Shannon Carroll, Quay Allen-Smith, Cathy Heathscott, Hillary Darby, and Glen Ritta.

The team headed to Washington, D.C., Jan 30 to Feb. 3 to compete against other finalists in the Facebook Global Digital Challenge, a contest Facebook and U.S. Department of State officials created with EdVenture Partners.

Keeping in mind the 7 billion people who live on the Earth’s seven continents, the UALR team named its campaign #7Strong.

UALR students chose the focus of their social media campaign based partly on research that suggests collaboration and equality alarm violent extremists.

“They fear that people will unite against them and cooperate and collaborate,” Geissler said. “The idea of #7Strong is that there’s strength in numbers.”

A team from Finland ultimately won the competition, but the UALR squad was the highest ranked American entry in the contest. In addition to participating in the competition, the team presented its concepts to leaders at the FBI headquarters.

“Our team made the most of a rare opportunity to visit top officials of the FBI ‘behind the glass’ on the seventh floor of their headquarters,” Geissler said. “We met with two executive assistant directors, showed our videos, and discussed our campaign. They absolutely loved our program. We were also taken on a wonderful tour of the FBI headquarters.”

After visiting the Eisenhower Executive Office Building for a national security briefing, the team met President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

“After our meeting, we gathered on the stairs outside of the building for a group photo. At that moment, President Obama and Vice President Biden emerged from the West Wing and proceeded to climb the stairs past our students,” Geissler said. “They were very gracious in engaging the students with a brief conversation. Apparently, it is very rare to have them both together in the same place.”

Upper right photo: President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden greet a University of Arkansas at Little Rock student team competing in the Facebook Global Digital Challenge in Washington, D.C. Photo by UALR student Cathy Heathscott.