UALR Artist-in-Residence Tatiana Roitman is profiled in the February issue of Little Rock Soiree.

Roitman joined the faculty in Fall 2010, and she is currently teaching Introduction to Music, Music Fundamentals, and individual piano lessons while performing chamber music and making appearances across the country.

In the article, she talks about how she met her husband Philip Mann, music director for the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, and how they’ve been embraced by the cultural community in Arkansas.

“The ASO is a cultural treasure that everyone in Arkansas should be proud of. I can tell you that the performances I’ve been to have been electric and inspiring, and people around the country are paying attention to what is happening here,” she said. “We’re lucky to have such a great orchestra here that enriches, inspires and helps connect Arkansas.”

Read the full text of the article in Little Rock Soiree or view the digital version of the magazine here.

On Thursday, Feb. 17, celebrated poet and playwright Ntozake Shange will make an appearance on campus as part of UALR’s Black History Month celebration.

Shange is best known as the author of “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf,” a collection of poems that became a Tony Award-winning Broadway production.

“For Colored Girls” is the film adaptation produced by Tyler Perry that features a terrific cast, including Janet Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Phylicia Rashad.

At 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15, the film will be screened and discussed in Ledbetter Hall Rooms B and C in the DSC. Free pizza and soda will be served, and admission is free.

Shange’s book signing and discussion will follow on Thursday, Feb. 17, at 6 p.m. in the same location.

For more information about Black History Month, contact Kara L. Matthews, minority student advocate, at the Office of Campus Life at 501-569-3308.

The Office of Campus Life always does a great job of putting together fun (read quirky) activities that help students bond with friends or break the ice to make new ones.

Last week’s welcome activities attracted large crowds, and I’m going to guess it was the toilet-racing that brought them in. It takes a certain skill, dare I say precision, to steer a toilet within an inflatable track.

Jef Ferguson, our resident videographer, captured some highlights and talked to Director of Campus Life Dr. Jan Austin:

Campus Life has activities happening all of the time, so check their calendar often or follow their Facebook feeds.

The following post is courtesy of guest contributor Sharon Downs, director of UALR’s Disability Resource Center.

The UALR Concert Choir, under the direction of Dr. Bevan Keating, sang at the gubernatorial inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011, at the Capitol.

We performed “Good News” by Moses Hogan, and “Irish Blessing.” Because of the weather and road conditions, the high school choir slated to perform had to cancel, so we added “Cantate Dominum” to the schedule at the last minute.

We sang from the third floor rotunda, and the acoustics were beautiful.

What an honour it was to perform for the governor for such an auspicious occasion! (Dr. Keating is Canadian, so the spelling of ‘honour’ is for him.)

You can also get a quick view of the choir singing in KARK’s coverage of the inauguration on arkansasmatters.com.

The Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission has scheduled “A Day of Service” on campus Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday.

Governor Mike Beebe is scheduled to open the ceremony. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel will be the keynote speaker. He will be introduced by Miss Arkansas and first runner-up in last Saturday’s Miss America Pageant 2011, Alyse Eady.

Student volunteers will serve the homeless and others with limited resources in the DSC. Services including health screenings, job counseling and other support will be provided. Central Arkansas Transit Authority will provide free bus service to UALR for any who choose to access it that day.

Please join us as we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Participate in “A Day On, Not a Day Off.”

Classes haven’t started yet, but UALR staff and faculty enjoyed an extended weekend after a winter storm dumped about 6-8 inches of snow on central Arkansas.

I walked around campus taking some photos, and found a surprising number of folks enjoying the winter wonderland.

Bertha Smith and Jason Norgaar thought these conditions were just right for a good size snowman.

Bertha, who is studying studio art, and Jason, a chemistry major, made the most of this (by Arkansas standards) unusual amount of snow.

I asked if their snowman deserved a name, and after some discussion, he… or she… was dubbed “Jackie.” Clearly a trendy dresser, maybe Jackie Sn”O”w would be a fitting tribute to another fashion icon.

As far as style goes, the UALR campus is always beautiful, but never more so than when it’s wearing white.

More photos are available on our Flickr page.

Also worth noting, our office used a new method of communicating about inclement weather. The alert system allows us to send voice and text messaging to users subscribed to the system. If you haven’t already, you might want to sign up for this service and be the first to receive UALR emergency and weather notifications.

Of course, not all of our staff enjoyed time off during the snow days&#151instead some braved the elements to make the parking lots and sidewalks safe for our return. Thanks to the hard-working Facilities Management crew for your service on these days and everyday.

I received a call over the holiday break from a freelancer asking whether UALR offers classes in a particular field. He wanted to expand his employment options.

A report by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and Workforce predicts a 3 million worker shortfall by 2018. These jobs will require an associate’s degree or more. Those without a degree could have a difficult time.

*Figure 1.1 in “Education Pays 2010.” Click to view larger.

Some facts to consider:

• The U.S. Census Bureau reported in February that over an average adult’s working life, high school graduates can expect to earn $1.2 million; those with a bachelor’s degree, $2.1 million; and people with a master’s degree, $2.5 million.
• A March BusinessWeek article reported the unemployment rate in February among those with at least a bachelor’s degree was 5%, compared to the 15.6% unemployment rate among those with only a high school diploma.
• The College Board’s Education Pays 2010: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society reports that college graduates are more likely to have health and retirement benefits, and that the unemployment rate for college graduates was less than half the rate of high school graduates in 2009.

Dollars aside, the bigger benefit I got from a college degree was the chance to explore outside Muskogee, Okla., to question what I thought, and to learn more about what I wanted to know and about what I didn’t know I should know.

All of these thoughts certainly justify pursuing an advanced degree, but sometimes it’s easier to relate to a real life person who has done it. Meet Wade Mobbs. Wade just completed his degree in systems engineering and crossed the stage during the commencement ceremony in December. We talked to him almost two years ago, and he told us why he made the decision to go back to school:

If you don’t have a college degree, 2011 is a good year to put higher education at the top of your resolutions list. It’s not too late to enroll for spring.

*Figure 1.1 in “Education Pays 2010”

“Commencement” is a great term that reminds us that graduation is really not an ending but a new beginning. Nearly 1,000 graduates closed one chapter last Thursday as we honored their hard work and commitment toward a higher education at the Jack Stephens Center.

Fellow graduates helped each other with final touch ups in the robing room.

There were Kodak moments.

Anticipation grew in the line, producing chill bumps.

The Jack was packed, the energy palpable.

We wish our December grads the very best as you begin the next chapter. We are proud of you. Represent!

Watch the online video of the commencement ceremony or order the DVD.

View the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette photo gallery.

The following is courtesy of guest contributor Daniel McPherson, annual giving manager for the Office of Development.

For a couple of hours last Tuesday, you’d have thought UALR had stolen a piece of New York City. That’s because Hot Dog Mike, Little Rock’s only mobile hot dog vendor, set up shop on campus to sell his produce.

Above: Hot Dog Mike Hot Dog Justin (left) with Hot Dog Mike

Hundreds lined up outside of the development office for an opportunity to taste the dogs and meet the man (Mike Juiliano). In addition to serving the masses for lunch, Hot Dog Mike’s visit inspired a few UALR employees to make a gift to the campus campaign. As the venture to bring him on campus was a joint effort by the Campus Campaign Steering Committee and Sodexo, Mike’s visit was a win-win for both. The first words out of his mouth after selling out of hot dogs were, “Where is you guys’ cafeteria? I think I’m going to stay and eat.”

Above: Dr. Tom McMillan and Tonya Oaks Smith promoting the Campus Campaign

Moreover, this was a win for UALR. While most of the hot dog carnivores were UALR employees, several drove from off-campus or out of town, stepping foot onto UALR’s campus for the first time. “Drove up from Pine Bluff and waited darn near an hour! They were well worth it!” tweeted one customer. Much of Mike’s business comes from his loyal followers on Twitter, which is where he posts his location for each day. To learn more about Hot Dog Mike or to see where he will be serving next, follow him on Twitter: @hotdog_mike.

As to his impressions of his first time at UALR, one need only read one of his last tweets of the day: “Thank you UALR, thank you UALR and thank you UALR! Did I say thank you UALR? Love you all mean it!”

We love you too, Mike, and we want to say thanks to everyone who gave to the campaign. If you missed it, we hope you’ll show your support for UALR by donating to the campus campaign.

Chances are, if you walked through the DSC these last few months, you came across the stockpile of cans and boxed food that the Student Government Association was collecting. Why were they doing this? Well, it wasn’t the first time. The second annual “Reach 12,000” was a community service project for the fall 2010 semester.

The goal was to collect at least 12,000 canned goods and other non-perishable items. The 12k figure symbolizes the average number of enrolled students at UALR. A total of over 14,200 items were received as a result of this campaign, which will make a tremendous difference for Arkansas families in need.

Video courtesy Benny Scroggin

All proceeds collected will be donated to the Arkansas Foodbank.