Department of Applied Communication Recognizes Outstanding Students, Alumni, and Community Partners

Four UA Little Rock students in the Department of Applied Communication recently received recognition for their work and significant contributions to the community.

Each spring, the department offers two awards that honor deserving undergraduate and graduate students in the program. The awards — the Distinguished Student Scholar Award and the Students Making a Difference Award — were presented at a ceremony in May to the following students.

Distinguished Scholar Award Winners

Savannah Brinkley and Geneva Galloway each received the Distinguished Student Scholar Award, honoring graduating seniors or graduate students in the department who have reached the level of “distinguished student scholar” in applied communication. 

Brinkley was honored for her work in her master’s project titled “The Role of Social Media and Video Games in Online and Offline Relationships.” Galloway was given the award for her master’s project titled “City of Little Rock’s R.O.C.K. Academy Program Assessment.”

Brinkley and Galloway each communicated the results of their respective projects in multiple ways, including at the university’s Student Research and Creative Works Expo, gaming spaces, and to the city of Little Rock. Brinkley and Galloway were honored because their work helped enable the fostering of “better social worlds through positive communication, and sharing such scholarship/work with external audiences,” according to the Department of Applied Communication’s criteria for this award.

Students Making a Difference

A second award, the Students Making a Difference Award, was presented to William Scott Graves and Hansa Dinesh Maroo for the positive impact their work had on community improvement. Graves works with those struggling with addiction at multiple recovery centers. Maroo works with international students wanting to pursue higher education.

“It is a privilege to honor students, alumni, and community partners who live out our department’s mission of ‘co-creating better social worlds through positive communication’ in their personal and professional lives,” said Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter, chair of the Department of Applied Communication. “This year, we proudly recognize these student scholars and changemakers making a real impact through applied communication in their communities.”

Community Partners and Alumni Making a Difference

The department also recognized a community partner that works with the university to implement positive change in the community. 

This year, the department honored the Arkansas Department of Transportation with the Community Partner Award for their work in training over 16 cohorts of staff members in communication skills through faculty-led workshops in emotional intelligence, conflict management, difficult conversations, and coaching.

The Community Partner Award was established to recognize active partnerships between community organizations and the department’s faculty and students. 

Additionally, the department presented the annual Alumni Making a Difference Award to two distinguished alumni: Nathan Jeffers and Dr. Robert Mock. Jeffers was recognized for his work in the community, exemplifying the department’s mission in healthcare settings. Mock was honored for his long-term work in both academic and student affairs in higher education.

These awards, both established by the department in 2018, recognize the work of alumni who embody the department’s mission. Nominees are selected who “best represent transformative work within their communities.” Honorees will also provide leadership lectures on campus in the coming year.