Construction professionals, engineers, and executives from numerous central Arkansas companies participated in the first Facilities Education Scholarship Golf Fest – destined to be an annual event – for the UALR Department of Facilities Management Educational Scholarship. The fund will supplement UALR’s employee tuition discount for groundskeepers, skilled trade’s workers, and custodians.
UALR soccer players travel to Burns Park in North Little Rock for practice and home matches, a round-trip that can take up to an hour each day. Track and field athletes practice frequently at Forest Heights Middle School and travel for all of their outdoor meets.
Not for long.
Dave Millay, associate vice chancellor for facilities management, is a frequent visitor to the construction site of UALR’s new outdoor recreation and sports complex.
The facility will feature an eight-lane synthetic track, a regulation turf soccer field, areas for field events such as javelin, shot put and discuss. Meanwhile, there will be seating for 300 spectators and areas to add up to 600 more seats, plus a parking area for 118 cars. Most importantly UALR’s track and field and soccer teams will have a permanent, on-campus facility to call home.
Intramural sports will also benefit tremendously. Kenny Early, director of Campus Recreation, says the facility will support flag football, soccer, softball, ultimate frisbee and kickball, to name a few.
In December 2010, Coleman Dairy gifted of the 10-acre parcel of land, valued at $115,000, to make the construction of the facility possible.
Related:
Coleman Sons Donate Dairy Land to UALR for Sports Complex
The following is courtesy of guest contributor, Amy Manning Burns, director of communications and public relations for the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.
On Sept. 20, the Departments of English and Rhetoric and Writing hosted a reading by local author Kevin Brockmeier. Brockmeier read from his latest novel, “The Illumination,” where a person’s wounds or illness begins to illuminate for everyone to see. The characters are no longer able hide their pains from the world.
His other novels include “The Brief History of the Dead,” “The Truth About Celia,” two story collections, “Things That Fall From the Sky” and “The View From the Seventh Layer,” and two books aimed at younger readers, “City of Names” and “Grooves: A Kind of Mystery.” He has also received the O. Henry Award three times, a Guggenheim Fellowship and an NEA grant among others. He also has taught at UALR and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
Brockmeier, who lives in Little Rock, read to a crowd of about 150 in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall and signed books afterward. Marcia Smith, instructor of rhetoric and writing and associate director of the Donaghey Scholars Program, said that she once asked Brockmeier to meet with her book club in Hot Springs. “I told him there were only 15 people in the club, but he said that was okay and was happy to do it,” she said.
At the end of his reading, Brad Minnick, associate professor of English, told the crowd that Brockmeier was a “meticulous keeper of lists.” As evidence, Brockmeier announced that he had brought copies of a list of his 50 favorite books of all time to share with the audience. The list was organized alphabetically by author’s last time, and he put an asterisk beside his favorite books.
Charles Anderson, professor of rhetoric and writing, said that Brockmeier’s writing is a literary feast. “When I read ‘The Illumination,’ there were times that I could read only a few pages in a sitting, because there was so much to digest,” said Anderson. “His writing offers the kind of stylistic experience that forces readers to simply stop now and again to absorb and fully appreciate the beauty of the language.”
Over the weekend, the Department of Health Sciences, Counseling and Career Planning, and Health Services sponsored a series of wellness fairs for the University District. Residents who live in neighborhoods surrounding UALR were invited to participate in health screenings and assessments. Mayor Mark Stodola came out to kick off the event.
One of the biggest perks was getting a free one-year membership to the UALR Fitness Center at the Donaghey Student Center. Donna Quimby, health sciences chair, told us that they had a great response, issuing 255 ID cards.
Some of the senior citizens in the area already have begun taking advantage of this great resource. The oldest is 93-year-old Ms. Pumphrey who drove herself to the fair.
Meanwhile, an entire family did their health assessments and registered for membership together, then sought help from the on-site counselors to learn more about goals and barriers, so they could provide the necessary motivation for one another. What a great support group!
The wellness fair was part of a Growing Healthy Communities initiative designed to help communities enact policy and other changes to make healthy lifestyle choices more accessible. Earlier this year, the UD team presented a gardening workshop and gave away raised garden beds to the community. You can read more about that experience in my “Urban Farming in the UD” blog post.
The fall semester marked a new milestone for UALR and for the 175 freshmen destined to be leaders of their class, their communities, and hopefully the world.
Continue reading “CLC Adds 175 Freshman Leaders”
On Sept. 9, 1999, Alex Biris arrived in the United States to visit family and friends before he started his doctoral studies. During the trip, he heard from a professor in someplace called Arkansas. The professor had read some of Alex’s research papers. Would Alex like to do his Ph.D. in Little Rock?
He didn’t know anything about Arkansas or Little Rock except it was the home of then-President Bill Clinton.
“I came without expecting too much,” Biris said. “But I fell in love with Arkansas. I fell in love with Little Rock, and I fell in love with UALR.
Twelve years to the day he arrived from Romania, the 36-year-old Biris became UALR’s first Sturgis Chair in Nanotechnology, thanks to a $1 million endowment by the Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable Trust.
The audience in the EIT auditorium for the investiture ceremony was filled with public officials, the city’s business elite. Mayor Mark Stodola was there and state Sen. Joyce Elliott. University officials from the Board of Visitors, vice chancellors, deans, faculty, and staff looked like proud parents or grandparents.
They have watched this wunderkind blossom into a world-class scientist who has built a high technology laboratory from the ground up and put Little Rock and central Arkansas on the map as a force in the fledgling science of nanotechnology.
His own parents – his research scientist father and high school principal mother – couldn’t make the trip for the investiture ceremony. But they watched it via Skype on their son’s smart phone.
His discoveries and patents are creating new products and companies, and his teaching and mentoring of kids as young as junior high are helping to grow a new generation of Arkansas scientists.
All he wants is to thank his adopted hometown.
“UALR, Little Rock and Arkansas have given so much to me. Also, I met my wife here,” he said. Thank you to UALR for giving me so much. This is a wonderful university.”
Looking for a way to give back to your local community? The 2011 Service Fair is 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7, and offers the opportunity to explore more than 30 service organizations in one location at the DSC.
Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Arkansas Foodbank Network, Arkansas Hospice, Lighthouse for the Blind, Big Brother Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity of Saline County, Youth Home, and many more will be represented.
By volunteering, you’ll learn things you might never learn in a classroom. And while the service is its own reward, it’s also something wonderful to add to your résumé.
Get a taste of what it’s like from last year’s coverage…
This post was originally published Sept. 15, 2010.
Because of a personal interest in the nonprofit sector, I always try to stop by our annual Service Fair coordinated by the Office of Community Engagement. When I previously worked at a nonprofit, I participated in this fair. It’s an opportunity for students and the campus community to explore local nonprofit agencies and volunteer opportunities that they have to offer.
A number of agency representatives told me how worthwhile it is for them to come to UALR. They like meeting our students and seem somewhat surprised at how interested they are in community service. Many of our scholarship recipients are expected to contribute community service hours, as are our freshmen and other students who participate in service-learning opportunities. More faculty have incorporated service learning into their curricula.
It was good to see so many of our students at the Service Fair today inquiring about organizations and thinking about how they could get involved.
If you were on campus Thursday, Aug. 25, there’s a good chance you either heard about or attended Burgers at Bailey. This annual start-of-the-semester event invites all students, faculty and staff to gather on the shady lawn of the Bailey Alumni and Friends Center and enjoy free burgers and drinks in celebration of the new academic year.
The event is sponsored by the Alumni Association and the Office of the Chancellor. Bancorp was also on hand, along with The Faded Rose restaurant which graciously donated the hamburger meat. Volunteers from UALR Children International, the Donaghey Scholars Alumni, Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, student athletes, and members of the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps were there to grill the meat and serve the guests.
This year brought about some changes. One of the first changes people noticed was the addition of live music. The Happy Tymes Jazz Band was invited to perform, and sounds of New Orleans-style jazz filled the air as people enjoyed their lunch. I was told by several people that they loved the music and hope this is a yearly occurrence.
The other noticeable change was the size of the crowd. Burgers at Bailey had record attendance this year, with nearly 1300 people coming. Derek Boyce, membership coordinator for the Alumni Association said they cooked 1200 burgers and then ran out. The remaining 50 people in line were given a voucher for a personal pan pizza from US Pizza. Boyce said, “Next year we’ll have at least 1500-2000 burgers to grill.”
Despite the fact that some people missed out on the burgers, the event was deemed a success. Good weather, free food, great conversation, live music…what’s a better way to spend your Thursday lunch hour?
It’s Welcome Week which means we have a lot of fresh faces still finding their way around campus. Meanwhile, the rest of us often get in a routine and frequent the same buildings everyday.
But really, it doesn’t matter which category you fall into. I’m talking to every impatient stomach among us, hungry for a convenient lunch or snack. Yes, I hear your growl. “Feed my belly!”
So, let’s talk options.
You probably know that the DSC food court offers a nice variety of food choices– Taco Bell, Quizno’s, and Starbucks.
The Diamond Cafe brings us more of a cafeteria-style selection with home-style entrees, pizza and pasta, soups and salads, along with desserts.
But did you know that you can find great lunches or snacks in the Engineering (EIT) and College of Business buildings on the north side of campus? If you thought the DSC was your only food source, you need to check these places out.
EIT has the SubConnection on the first floor that offers a selection of hot and cold sub sandwiches on freshly baked bread. Chips and bottled drinks are available, and they have a coffee station, too.
Over in the Reynold’s College of Business building, there’s a similar C-Store aptly named “Business Brewing.” They have sandwiches, salads, chips, and sodas, and a personal favorite, Starbucks coffee.
Housing also has a C-Store in the Commons, and soon, construction will begin on the Trojan Grill next door to West Hall.
The meals are great, and they’re convenient. Most of them are open until 7 p.m. weeknights, so if you’re coming from work for an evening class, you can stop by and grab a quick dinner before class to tide you over. See a complete schedule on the Sodexo site.
If you’re looking for some options off campus but nearby, many of our University District restaurants offer discounts to UALR students and employees. U.S. Pizza on Fair Park, and Popeye’s, Subway, and Papa John’s on University Avenue will give a discount if you show your Campus ID. If you know about others, tell us about them below!
Last Friday, I had the privilege of watching, and occasionally helping, freshmen move into the brand new West Hall. Seven years ago, I was a nervous and excited UALR freshman myself. However, I never lived on campus and my one-bedroom apartment certainly didn’t look as nice as this.
The excitement of moving into a new place was evident, and it was so much fun to see the students bring in their belongings with the help of their families.
I managed to squeeze into the elevator with the Mullenix family as they moved daughter Elyssa up to her fifth-floor room. Elyssa is a member of the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps and plans to major in pre-med. With the help of her parents and grandparents, Elyssa moved her numerous boxes and bags into her new home-away-from-home. Elyssa said she’s excited to live on campus and start her classes.
I have a feeling her mom and dad are a little sad to see her leave home, though.
A few floors down, I met roommates Andra Onecic and Britiany Floyd, both graduates of Bryant High School. Britiany said moving into the residence hall was a “new beginning” and is eager to start the Applied Design program. They were both so happy to set up their new rooms and were even happier to have help from their whole family.
And I have to say, they might win the award for most color coordinated room!
Even though it can be stressful and scary to start college and move away from home, Andra and Britiany were confident the experience will be a great one. It helps that they already love their roommate.
Good luck to Elyssa, Andra, Britiany and all the other new students as they start their college career.