A different kind of exhibit is on display in the Maners Pappas Gallery at UALR featuring a retrospective of graphic design work produced by Kevin Cates, associate professor of art.
The exhibit, “Pragmatism + Design + Practice,” displays projects Cates created for clients locally and beyond since 2006.
“Cates’s work is art that is deeply rooted in collaboration with clients as well as their needs and expectations,” said Brad Cushman, gallery director and curator of UALR’s art galleries.
“The result is not only a piece of art that is visually appealing but it also inspires students to turn their passions into careers,” added Cushman.
According to the Walker Art Center, one of the five most-visited modern/contemporary art museums in the United States, designers are becoming producers: authors, publishers, instigators, and entrepreneurs employing their creative skills as makers of content and shapers of experiences.
This is evident in a website Cates designed for illustrator, Chris Bachalo, an internationally recognized artist in the comic industry.
Clean lines and a straight-forward infrastructure highlights the true focus of the website – the artist’s illustrations. Cate’s web design creates a digital space where visitors are wowed by the creativity of the artist’s work while also enjoying immediate access to important information.
The exhibit will run through Wednesday, April 29. Gallery hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday and 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information, contact Brad Cushman, Gallery Director and Curator at becushman@ualr.edu or 501.569.8977.
Each year, UALR sets aside an evening during the spring semester to celebrate the contributions and achievements of its faculty.
For the past 27 years, the event has provided a way to recognize the great work of UALR faculty in the areas of teaching, research, and public service.
This year’s Faculty Excellence Awards Ceremony will take place at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 16, in the Engineering and Information Technology (EIT) auditorium.
A reception will follow in the EIT lobby. The free and public event is made possible through the valued contributions of The Bailey Foundation, Pepsi Beverages Co., and the UALR Chancellor’s Circle.
Winners are selected by a panel of national judges who review the achievements of the college-level winners. University award winners will be announced at the ceremony.
The college-level winners nominated for the UALR Faculty Excellence award include, in alphabetical order:
- Nitin Agarwal
- Russel Bruhn
- Terrance Cain
- Nita Copeland
- Gerald Driskill
- Jeffrey Gaffney
- Gary Geissler
- Betholyn Gentry
- Ken Gallant
- Rebecca Glazier
- Christy Jackson
- Mariya Khodakovskaya
- Janea Snyder
- John Mark Squires
- Kelly Terry
- Shaun Thomas
- Thomas Tudor
UALR will be the host site this month for a conference on hydraulic fracturing and environmental pollution designed for leaders in academia, industry, and government.
The conference will be held April 20 to 21. Conference organizers say it is the first of its size and scope for UALR.
The National Science Foundation awarded UALR a $35,773 grant to host the event.
According to the grant’s principal investigator, Dr. Lashun K. Thomas, the conference was created to bring together experts from all sectors to promote ideas, address fracturing efficiency, and discuss ways to mitigate the environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing.
Thomas said she hopes the conference will provide a platform to present current research findings and exchange ideas for future directions.
Hydraulic fracturing is a commonly used technology for well stimulation to increase oil and gas production.
There is an urgent need for the development of improved fracturing fluids and methods to achieve better fracturing efficiency as well as minimize potential environmental impact, according to Thomas.
“This technology brings tremendous benefits to people in many states, including Arkansas,” she acknowledged.
“However, pollution is a major concern for residents, especially the potential for water contamination for residents living in regions of the Marcellus Shale in New York and Fayetteville Shale in Arkansas.”
Thomas, an assistant professor in UALR’s Department of Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering who is administering UALR’s new environmental engineering program, is joined by co-investigator, Dr. Hansong Tang, an associate professor of civil engineering at the City University of New York.
The grant is effective Dec. 1, 2014, through Nov. 30, 2015.
The project title is “Reducing the Impact of Hydraulic Shale Fracturing and Natural Gas Drilling on Environments: Development of Green Fracturing Fluids and Sustainable Remediation and Containment Technologies.”
The 12th annual Annual Racial Attitudes Conference will kick off a week of events celebrating diversity at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock campus beginning Monday, April 13. Continue reading “Annual Racial Attitudes kicks off first Diversity Week April 13-17”
Artwork by students taking studio art and design classes in the UALR Department of Art is on display until April 19 in Gallery I of the Fine Arts Building.
The students submitted their individual work for the Annual Student Competitive.
Pieces represent all studio disciplines being taught at UALR including drawing and design, painting, printmaking, graphic design and illustration, photography, textiles, metals and furniture design, sculpture, and ceramics.
Local artist and master Printmaker, Delita Martin, served as the juror for the competition. Martin received a bachelor of fine arts degree in drawing from Texas Southern University and a master’s degree in drawing and printmaking from Purdue University.
The winners were announced at a reception for the students on March 17.
Students competed for a variety of awards including the cash and prizes from local companies and scholarships.
Sydney Adams earned the Wilma And Jack Diner Scholarship Award of $1000 while Kenneth Guthrie landed the Alexa Mena, Student Competitive Cash Award in the amount of $300. Byron Buslig was awarded the Charles D. Massey Scholarship for $250.
The UALR Friends Of The Arts awards went to Robert Simons, Benjamin Deaton, Shawnett Thomas, and Spencer Zahrn.
See the full list of winners:
Local Business Awards
Rayna Mackey of Cantrell Gallery)
Carmen Bradford of Hearne Fine Art)
Wai K. Lo of Gallery 26
Art Supplies And Materials (courtesy of Art Outfitters)
Spencer Zahrn
Spencer Zahrn
Emily Shiell
Adam Eastham
Douglas Frank (Alman Co.)
Starving Artist Awards
Nathaniel Roe of Trio’s Restaurant)
Carly Fehlberg and Kenneth Guthrie of Boulevard Bread Co.
Savanah Johnson and Catherine Kim of The Root Café
Cash And Scholarships
Friends Of The Arts Purchase Awards
Robert Simons for “On Gaines” – $150
Benjamin Deaton for “Shoebox” – $350
Friends Of The Arts Diner Purchase Award
Shawnett Thomas for “Wrong Prince” – $125
Spencer Zahrn for “Coven (West)” – $850
Wilma And Jack Diner Scholarship Award
Sydney Adams – $1000
Alexa Mena, Student Competitive Cash Award
Kenneth Guthrie – $300
Charles D. Massey Scholarship
Byron Buslig – $250
Dr. James Hendren, an entrepreneurial champion for the advancement of technology startup companies and job development in Arkansas, will be honored at 5:30 p.m. Thursday April 30, at the Pleasant Valley Country
Club.
Hendren, the former CEO and chairman of one of Arkansas’s earliest high-tech companies, Arkansas Systems Inc. (ARKSYS ), now known as Euronet, will receive UALR’s prestigious Fribourgh Award, sponsored by the UALR College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences.
Tickets are $75 per person, of which $60 is tax deductible, to benefit the Science and Mathematics Leadership Endowed Scholarship Fund for undergraduate students.
For reservations, go to ualr.at/fribourgh or contact Joseph Lampo at 501.569.8326 or jwlampo@ualr.edu.
More about James Hendren
Hendren, an innovator in sophisticated software development in both the defense and finance industries, grew ARKSYS from a small, home-grown company to an internationally known corporation.
“James has truly made outstanding contributions to STEM education and economic development in Arkansas,” said John Chamberlin, founder of ARKSYS.
Hendren served on the Arkansas Science & Technology Authority board of directors and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. At the commission, Hendren led the charge to include high-tech startup companies in economic development strategies for the state.
As the founding chairman of the Arkansas STEM Coalition and chairman of Accelerate Arkansas and the Arkansas Venture Center, Hendren continues to be a key player in spearheading efforts to create jobs in Arkansas.
He is also an avid volunteer serving in a variety of capacities at UALR including serving as the former Executive in Residence for the College of Information Sciences and System Engineering (EIT) for 10 years. Hendren earned a bachelor of science, master of science and Ph.D. in physics from the University of Arkansas.
More about the Fribourgh Award
Created in 2010, the Fribourgh Award honors the late Dr. James H. Fribourgh, a former UALR professor and administrator. Professor emeritus Fribourgh spent more than 45 years at UALR, serving as chair of Life Sciences, interim chancellor, vice chancellor for academic affairs, and distinguished professor of biology.
UALR’s final Artspree event of the 2014-15 season will feature a musician regarded as the “greatest flute player alive” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 10, in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall of the Fine Arts Building.
Flutist William Bennett will perform including a rendition of Piano and Flute Sonata in A Minor) from opus 64 by Mel Bonis accompanied by pianist Kaeko Suzuki.
General admission is $15 and $10 for non-UALR students. Admission for UALR students, faculty, and staff is free.
By raising the profile of the flute to that of an instrument capable of a wide range of tonal colors, dynamics, and expression, Bennett is considered one of the foremost musical artists performing today.
He studied in London with Geoffrey Gilbert, and in France with Jean-Pierre Rampal and Marcel Moyse.
According to Artspree Director Naoki Hakutani, Bennett is a legend in the music world and in many circles is considered the greatest flute player alive.
His long list of accomplishments include earning the title of “Flute of Gold” from the Italian “Falaut” Flute society and the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (O.B.E) for his distinguished Services to Music from Queen Elizabeth II.
Prior to the April 10th performance, Bennett will host a free master class featuring students from UALR and local high schools at 12:15 pm. Thursday, April 9.
For more information, contact Hakutani at 501.683.7230 or nxhakutani@ualr.edu.
Artspree is funded in part by the UALR Chancellor’s Circle Foundation and KLRE Classical 90.5.
Seventeen UALR students recently volunteered their time at the annual Keep Little Rock Beautiful cleanup at Curran Conway Park.
Curran Conway Park is the site of Hogan Field, home of the UALR Trojan Baseball Team.
This event attracted a total of 57 volunteers who put in a total of 228 volunteer hours.
UALR student volunteers are residents of West Hall and members of the swim and golf teams. Other volunteers were from Interfaith Arkansas, the City of Little Rock, and the Fair Park neighborhood area.
Youth and staffers of UALR Children International also participated in the event, and they helped clear vegetation from areas surrounding the Oak Forest Community Garden, which is located on the east side of the park.
World Services for the Blind provided coffee and donuts in the morning, and Fair Park Residents Association cooked hot dogs in the afternoon. Lunch was donated by Sodexo.
Keep Little Rock Beautiful sponsored the cleanup and provided volunteers with tools, equipment, gloves, and t-shirts.
Keep Little Rock Beautiful is a nonprofit organization founded in 2005. It is a volunteer-based community organization that dedicates itself to litter prevention, recycling and waste reduction, beautification and community improvement.
UALR alumna Candace L. Randle admits incredible opportunities have opened up throughout her professional career, the latest being her current role as communications director and national press secretary for the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) in Washington, D.C.
Today, the CBC has the largest membership in its history, with 46 members of Congress representing 22 states, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands.
Randle, a native of Camden, is a spokesperson and media liaison for the caucus and its chairman, G.K. Butterfield. She develops and coordinates national media, communications, and public relations strategies to build awareness of the CBC and its congressional members.
Randle has spent the duration of her career as a writer in the fast-paced world political and governmental affairs, as well as the business and entertainment arenas.
“I have always had a passion for politics and an interest in how government works,” she said.
Immediately after Randle received her master’s degree from UALR, she was hired to work in communications and media for then-Gov. Mike Beebe. Within the year, she was presented with an opportunity to work for Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign.
“Making the decision to relocate away from friends and family in Arkansas to Washington, D.C., was possibly the single biggest decision I have ever had to make for my career,” said Randle.
In addition to writing for Clinton’s political team during the 2008 primary election, she wrote for former Vice President Al Gore during the 2000 presidential campaign.
Randle worked in Sen. Mark Pryor’s office following the 2008 primary, and she has also served as an aide in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.
Before transitioning to the CBC, Randle worked as director of corporate communications and public affairs for The RLJ Companies, founded by Robert L. Johnson, who established Black Entertainment Television.
In 2005, Randle received her Masters in Public Administration from UALR while working a full-time job during the day and attending classes during the evenings.
“I always felt UALR professors respected me as a professional and supported me just as equally as a student,” she said.
She notes that the professors at UALR encouraged her writing skills, leading her to contribute to numerous political campaigns, businesses, the Arkansas-based PowerPlay Magazine, and now for Capitol Hill.
“My experience at UALR was one of the most supportive academic experiences I may have ever had as a student,” she said.
The UALR Rwandan Students Association will again host a Walk to Remember to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda on Tuesday, April 7.
The walk is an annual worldwide event to raise awareness of the slaughter that was inflicted on the Tutsi in 1994 where some 800,000 people were killed in just 100 days.
The event starts at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in front of UALR’s Ottenheimer Library with a minute of silence to remember the lives that were taken during the genocide.
Afterwards, students will walk through campus towards the Engineering Information and Technology building before returning to the library.
Following the walk, the Rwandan Students Association will hold a 6 p.m. documentary film screening about the journey to forgiveness the Rwandans are experiencing as the killers and the survivors learn to live together again.
The film will be at 6 p.m. in Ledbetter Hall, Room C, of the Donaghey Student Center.
Walk to Remember activities are hosted throughout four continents, in 10 countries, and in over 20 locations with over 25,000 participants to-date.
The UALR Rwandan Students Organization organizes the annual event. The group consists mostly of Rwandan undergraduate students.
“The members of the association are like family to one another,” said Junior Cerise Inganji, the organization’s president.
“It feels good to know that there are other Rwandans on campus that we can directly relate to, especially in this period of national grief.”
The Walk to Remember started in Rwanda in 2009 by a youth organization as a platform to educate youth about the genocide in an effort to ensure such a tragedy may never happen again.