[{"id":94952,"date":"2026-10-12T12:06:03","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T17:06:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/?p=94952"},"modified":"2026-10-12T12:06:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T17:06:04","slug":"ua-little-rock-students-explore-the-future-through-new-artificial-intelligence-degree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/12\/ua-little-rock-students-explore-the-future-through-new-artificial-intelligence-degree\/","title":{"rendered":"UA Little Rock students explore the future through new artificial intelligence degree"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From asking a chatbot a question to encountering facial recognition technology or riding in a self-driving car, today\u2019s students are interacting with artificial intelligence in more ways than ever before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock\u2019s new Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence want to do more than simply use AI. They want to understand how it works and explore what they can build with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This fall marks the inaugural semester for the <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/academics\/undergraduate\/artificial-intelligence-ai\/\">new major<\/a>, which gives students the opportunity to study topics ranging from AI governance and machine learning to natural language processing, robotics, and deep learning. The <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/02\/02\/ua-system-board-approves-new-bachelors-degrees-in-early-childhood-education-and-artificial-intelligence-at-ua-little-rock\/\">120-hour program <\/a>combines technical coursework with hands-on projects and includes two capstone courses that allow students to apply their knowledge.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For freshman Anshika Singh, the new degree comes at a time when her curiosity about technology is becoming a career goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Singh, an India native who has lived in Little Rock for the past four years, initially planned to major in computer science, but as she learned more about the growing role of artificial intelligence in technology careers, she decided she wanted to study AI more directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI was originally planning to major in computer science, but the more I looked into it, the more I realized AI was reshaping what those jobs even look like,\u201d Singh said. \u201cA lot of roles that used to be purely computer science are folding in AI skills now. I wanted to actually understand the technology driving that shift instead of just adjacent to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new program appealed to Singh because of its emphasis on machine learning and the opportunity to specialize in a field she sees transforming the technology industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She is particularly interested in understanding the technology behind AI tools she already encounters in everyday life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m really looking forward to digging into the history of AI \u2014 how it actually got started \u2014 and then comparing how today\u2019s models like Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini work under the hood,\u201d Singh said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Her curiosity also extends to applications such as facial recognition and self-driving cars. After riding in a self-driving vehicle, Singh said, AI became less abstract and more tangible because she had experienced the technology firsthand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She hopes to eventually work as an AI engineer, building and deploying machine learning models to solve real-world problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Junior Coy Stone also sees the new degree as a way to turn a longstanding interest in technology into a career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A transfer student from Southern Arkansas University, Stone initially came to UA Little Rock intending to study computer engineering. During his first advising meeting, however, he learned about the new AI program and realized it aligned closely with what he hoped to do professionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI actually transferred to UA Little Rock for computer engineering, but it was in hopes to work with AI,\u201d Stone said. \u201cWhen I was in my first advising meeting I was told about the new AI degree, and it sounded perfect for everything I wanted to do with my career.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stone is particularly interested in machine learning and the process through which computers can learn to identify patterns and solve problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe way that a computer can \u2018think\u2019 its way through a problem is a concept I still struggle to grasp, so learning exactly how it all works is going to be really fun to study,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He is also interested in the potential applications of AI in health care, particularly ways the technology could assist doctors and contribute to improved patient outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stone said he wants to use his education to do meaningful work that can make a difference in other people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Joud Musallam, pursuing an AI degree represents another step in a longer educational journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Musallam began her education in Jordan before continuing her studies in the United States and earning an associate degree in technology and engineering. She said artificial intelligence has been an area she has wanted to study since she first began college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When she learned that UA Little Rock was offering a bachelor\u2019s degree specifically in AI, she knew she wanted to pursue it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBeing able to officially major in artificial intelligence at UA Little Rock feels really meaningful to me,\u201d Musallam said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She&#8217;s especially interested in learning how AI works beyond simply using the technology and exploring how it can be applied responsibly to real-world problems and different industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As UA Little Rock expands its academic offerings in artificial intelligence, students entering the new program will have the opportunity to study a rapidly evolving field alongside faculty engaged in AI and machine learning research. The university has existing research strengths in areas including artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, and cybersecurity, providing opportunities for students to connect classroom learning with research and applied projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat makes this program especially exciting is that it is built on a strong foundation of AI and machine learning research already taking place at UA Little Rock,\u201d said Dr. Brian Berry, vice provost of research and dean of the Graduate School. \u201cOur students won\u2019t just learn how to use the AI tools that exist today; they will have opportunities to understand the science behind them, work alongside faculty engaged in cutting-edge research, and develop the skills to build what comes next. This program will help prepare the AI builders of the future who can create, improve, and responsibly deploy the technologies that will shape our economy and society for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new degree has also drawn interest from industry leaders who see opportunities to strengthen partnerships with the university and prepare students for the growing demand for AI skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn the past, we might have had to go outside the state to look for some of these programs,\u201d said Michael Goad, manager of cybersecurity and access management at Southwest Power Pool. \u201cTo see a program like this here locally, we\u2019re excited to get to partner with UA Little Rock and for what this partnership looks like in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Singh, Stone, and Musallam, the new degree offers different paths into the same rapidly evolving field, united by a shared desire to understand not just what the technology can do, but what they can do with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI just know I want to do something meaningful, something that can actually impact the lives of others around me,\u201d Stone said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From asking a chatbot a question to encountering facial recognition technology or riding in a self-driving car, today\u2019s students are interacting with artificial intelligence in more ways than ever before. Students in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock\u2019s new Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence want to do more than simply use AI. They <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/12\/ua-little-rock-students-explore-the-future-through-new-artificial-intelligence-degree\/\" class=\"more-link\">&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  UA Little Rock students explore the future through new artificial intelligence degree<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2764,"featured_media":94956,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1926,1922],"tags":[35714,25799,2218],"class_list":["post-94952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-research","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-donaghey-college-of-stem","tag-student-success"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.6 (Yoast SEO v28.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UA Little Rock students explore the future through new artificial intelligence degree - News - UA Little Rock<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/12\/ua-little-rock-students-explore-the-future-through-new-artificial-intelligence-degree\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UA Little Rock students explore the future through new artificial intelligence degree\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"From asking a chatbot a question to encountering facial recognition technology or riding in a self-driving car, today\u2019s students are interacting with artificial intelligence in more ways than ever before. Students in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock\u2019s new Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence want to do more than simply use AI. They ... 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Rock"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/33af8c06812ac996edc07a2ac8c0688c","name":"Molly Coleman","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/957d030cd74975ecef323bee4cc5c61b8ce91b52459d38d169b7115d03dfeaed?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/957d030cd74975ecef323bee4cc5c61b8ce91b52459d38d169b7115d03dfeaed?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/957d030cd74975ecef323bee4cc5c61b8ce91b52459d38d169b7115d03dfeaed?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Molly Coleman"},"url":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/author\/mcoleman4\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2764"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94952"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94952\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94955,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94952\/revisions\/94955"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":94932,"date":"2026-10-09T09:55:48","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T14:55:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/?p=94932"},"modified":"2026-10-09T11:17:24","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T16:17:24","slug":"bbq-at-bailey-celebrates-20-years-of-trojan-tradition-student-athletes-and-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/09\/bbq-at-bailey-celebrates-20-years-of-trojan-tradition-student-athletes-and-community\/","title":{"rendered":"BBQ at Bailey Celebrates 20 Years of Trojan Tradition, Student-Athletes, and Community"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With plates piled high, a sea of maroon and silver on full display, and generations of Trojans filling the patio of the Bailey Alumni and Friends Center, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock community celebrated the 20th annual BBQ at Bailey on Oct. 7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hosted by the UA Little Rock Alumni Association, the annual event brings the campus and the Little Rock community together to celebrate the start of a new academic year while recognizing the accomplishments of the university\u2019s student-athletes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year\u2019s celebration welcomed nearly 2,000 attendees and was supported by more than 130 volunteers, including alumni, students and representatives from local businesses and corporate partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Christian O\u2019Neal described BBQ at Bailey as another way the university\u2019s spirit extends beyond campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBBQ at Bailey is another way we are <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/26\/ua-little-rock-invites-community-to-paint-the-town-maroon\/\">painting the town maroon<\/a>,\u201d O\u2019Neal said. \u201cIt\u2019s an extension of our school spirit and the community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left\" id=\"h-celebrating-100-years-and-looking-ahead\">Celebrating 100 years and looking ahead<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The event held added significance as the university <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/centennial\/\">celebrates its Centennial<\/a>. Chancellor Christina S. Drale reflected on the university\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/07\/01\/ua-little-rock-to-celebrate-100-years-of-impact-during-centennial-year\/\">100-year history<\/a> and its role in serving Little Rock and Arkansas as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/tag\/centennial-celebration\/\">Our Centennial Year<\/a> gives us an opportunity to honor those who helped build this institution, to recognize all those who have benefited from what we\u2019ve built, and to celebrate a century of creating opportunity for students and serving Little Rock and the state of Arkansas,\u201d Drale said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She also highlighted the university\u2019s recent momentum, including a fourth consecutive year of <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/09\/ua-little-rock-begins-second-century-with-continued-enrollment-growth\/\">enrollment growth<\/a>, a freshman class that has grown more than 70% over the past four years, and continued investments in academic programs and campus facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere is a lot happening at UA Little Rock, and all of you are part of it,\u201d Drale said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left\" id=\"h-recognizing-trojan-athletes\">Recognizing Trojan athletes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Student-athletes and coaches were central to the celebration, continuing the event\u2019s tradition of recognizing the Trojans who represent the university in competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Director of Athletics Frank Cuervo highlighted another championship season for Trojan Baseball, including the team\u2019s postseason run to the NCAA Super Regionals, the final 16 teams in the country. He also looked ahead to the upcoming basketball season, including a new era for Little Rock Basketball under new Coach Travis Ford and the Trojans\u2019 first season competing in the United Athletic Conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the celebration was about more than wins and championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs proud as we are of the wins and championships, we\u2019re even more proud of the students who represent Little Rock every time they compete,\u201d Cuervo said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Little Rock Athletics recently posted a 3.49 department-wide GPA, with 129 earning Dean\u2019s List honors and 71 posting a perfect 4.0 GPA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left\" id=\"h-a-tradition-that-brings-the-community-together\">A tradition that brings the community together<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">BBQ at Bailey has become a place where generations of Trojans come to reconnect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Loris Fullerton, a 1974 graduate and member of the UA Little Rock <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/development\/alumni-association\/\">Alumni Association<\/a>, the event is a chance to see that connection extend well beyond the university\u2019s current students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI love BBQ at Bailey! I think this is one of the best crowds I\u2019ve seen out here,\u201d Fullerton said. \u201cIt\u2019s wonderful to see such strong support from across the community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For 2026 graduate Wren Miller, coming back to campus meant reconnecting with familiar faces and the people who supported her along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMy favorite part of UA Little Rock is the community,\u201d Miller said. \u201cI really love coming back onto campus and seeing familiar faces and the people who helped me pave my way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That same connection continues for current students like Mary Taylor, a sophomore and member of the Little Rock dance team, who sees the event as a chance to celebrate both where the university has been and where it is headed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe best part of BBQ at Bailey is seeing the community come together and have fun and celebrate these last hundred years of the university, and the many years it has to come,\u201d Taylor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That combination of history, community, and student achievement has kept BBQ at Bailey a tradition for two decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As UA Little Rock celebrates its 100th year, the 20th BBQ at Bailey gave Trojans another opportunity to celebrate the university, its students and student-athletes, and the connections that have carried the institution through its first century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis was a fantastic year for BBQ at Bailey, our 20th year of the event, celebrating 100 years here with the Centennial Campaign,\u201d said Guy Choate, president of the UA Little Rock Alumni Association. \u201cIt says a lot about the institution itself and how great it is for this community and the value it provides for our students and alumni.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With plates piled high, a sea of maroon and silver on full display, and generations of Trojans filling the patio of the Bailey Alumni and Friends Center, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock community celebrated the 20th annual BBQ at Bailey on Oct. 7. Hosted by the UA Little Rock Alumni Association, the annual <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/09\/bbq-at-bailey-celebrates-20-years-of-trojan-tradition-student-athletes-and-community\/\" class=\"more-link\">&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  BBQ at Bailey Celebrates 20 Years of Trojan Tradition, Student-Athletes, and Community<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2906,"featured_media":94936,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1925,1926],"tags":[112,2383,33343,36048,5112,6730],"class_list":["post-94932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-featured","tag-alumni-association","tag-bbq-at-bailey","tag-centennial-campaign","tag-centennial-celebration","tag-christian-oneal","tag-christina-drale"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.6 (Yoast SEO v28.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>BBQ at Bailey Celebrates 20 Years of Trojan Tradition, Student-Athletes, and Community - News - UA Little Rock<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/09\/bbq-at-bailey-celebrates-20-years-of-trojan-tradition-student-athletes-and-community\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BBQ at Bailey Celebrates 20 Years of Trojan Tradition, Student-Athletes, and Community\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With plates piled high, a sea of maroon and silver on full display, and generations of Trojans filling the patio of the Bailey Alumni and Friends Center, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock community celebrated the 20th annual BBQ at Bailey on Oct. 7. 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said Aaron Duvall, the university&#8217;s executive director of Workforce Development. &#8220;We can&#8217;t wait to bring on&#8221; more student-interns next year, and he hopes there will be even more partners participating after 135 worksites hosted youth this summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The internship program doubled to roughly 500 students this summer, which demonstrates &#8220;the need is there,&#8221; and UA Little Rock hosted the interns for an orientation in June, alongside partners like the city and the Pulaski County Cooperative Extension Office,\u00a0Duvall said. &#8220;We were kind of the hub.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Partnering with the city on this program &#8220;is a win-win for our community and our campus,&#8221; said Emily Cox, vice chancellor for University Affairs. &#8220;Welcoming all 500 city interns to campus for a dedicated day of financial literacy education equips these young people with vital real-world skills while introducing them to higher education opportunities right in their backyard.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through an &#8220;engaging, hands-on Real-Life Financial Simulation, SYEO interns stepped into the driver\u2019s seat of adulthood and faced financial decisions that many adults encounter every day,&#8221; noted Monica Montgomery,\u00a0Community Programs Career Workforce Development coordinator for the city. &#8220;With a fixed income and a budget to manage, interns were challenged to make choices about housing, groceries, childcare, transportation, utilities, and other everyday expenses.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Interns discovered how one financial decision can impact another, and unexpected expenses and &#8220;surprise events&#8221; added to the realism, she said. &#8220;The simulation went beyond simply talking about financial literacy \u2014 it allowed interns to experience it.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students were able to\u00a0build confidence, decision-making skills, and financial awareness, according to Montgomery. &#8220;For many young people entering the workforce, earning a paycheck is only the beginning: understanding how to manage that paycheck, plan for expenses, save for the future, and prepare for the unexpected are critical skills for long-term success.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The Real-Life Financial Simulation was another example of how SYEO is preparing Little Rock\u2019s youth not only for their first job, but for the many responsibilities and opportunities that come with adulthood,&#8221; added Montgomery.\u00a0&#8220;Through partnerships, hands-on experiences, and meaningful workforce development opportunities, the city of Little Rock continues to invest in preparing the next generation to climb, navigate, and conquer their future.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The summer program introduces Little Rock youth ages 16-21 to the \u201cworld of work,\u201d Duvall said, adding that UA Little Rock hosted 10 students for six-week internships in Workforce Development, the Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, Little Rock Athletics, and other departments. Additional UA Little Rock\u00a0departments could participate in the future, as students learn basics of professionalism &#8212; from proper work attire to appropriate email communication &#8212; through the experience and are compensated financially for their work.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">UA Little Rock&#8217;s cohort of 10 interns &#8212; who contributed to the revamp of the university&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/17\/trojan-career-closet-expands-access-for-ua-little-rock-students\/\">Career Closet<\/a>, construction of the soon-to-open <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/11\/new-natural-history-museum-at-ua-little-rock-will-be-scientific-outreach-to-community\/\">Museum of Natural History<\/a>, and various duties in the athletic department, among other tasks &#8212; &#8220;were wonderful,&#8221; Duvall said. &#8220;Good kids, and they were willing to work.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They also benefited from career training through <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/careers\/\">University Career Services<\/a>, participating\u00a0in a professional development career workshop that\u00a0covered topics like workplace etiquette, drafting emails, and resume building, added\u00a0Duvall. &#8220;The goal was to help them bridge the gap between their summer experience and their future career goals.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has been recognized as Partner of the Year by the city of Little Rock Department of Community Programs. The recognition, announced this summer, is for the university&#8217;s participation in the Summer Youth Employment Opportunity (SYEO) program. University leaders were excited about the award, because &#8220;we&#8217;re always looking for <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/09\/ua-little-rock-recognized-as-partner-of-the-year\/\" class=\"more-link\">&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  UA Little Rock Recognized as Partner of the Year<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3905,"featured_media":94931,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1925,1926],"tags":[25799,2042,35628,27432,36019],"class_list":["post-94928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-featured","tag-donaghey-college-of-stem","tag-trojan-career-closet","tag-university-career-services","tag-workforce-development","tag-workforce-development-center"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.6 (Yoast SEO v28.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UA Little Rock Recognized as Partner of the Year - News - UA Little Rock<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/09\/ua-little-rock-recognized-as-partner-of-the-year\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UA Little Rock Recognized as Partner of the Year\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has been recognized as Partner of the Year by the city of Little Rock Department of Community Programs. The recognition, announced this summer, is for the university&#8217;s participation in the Summer Youth Employment Opportunity (SYEO) program. University leaders were excited about the award, because &#8220;we&#8217;re always looking for ... UA Little Rock Recognized as Partner of the Year\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/09\/ua-little-rock-recognized-as-partner-of-the-year\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UALittleRock\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-10-09T13:34:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-09T13:34:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2026\/10\/image001.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"533\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ryan Anderson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ryan Anderson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/09\\\/ua-little-rock-recognized-as-partner-of-the-year\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/09\\\/ua-little-rock-recognized-as-partner-of-the-year\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ryan Anderson\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/46d1747780eb1bb0a9a9ec5ad3609279\"},\"headline\":\"UA Little Rock Recognized as Partner of the Year\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-09T13:34:41+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-09T13:34:42+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/09\\\/ua-little-rock-recognized-as-partner-of-the-year\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":617,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/09\\\/ua-little-rock-recognized-as-partner-of-the-year\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/image001.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Donaghey College of STEM\",\"Trojan Career Closet\",\"University Career Services\",\"Workforce Development\",\"Workforce Development Center\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Community\",\"Featured\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/09\\\/ua-little-rock-recognized-as-partner-of-the-year\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/09\\\/ua-little-rock-recognized-as-partner-of-the-year\\\/\",\"name\":\"UA Little Rock Recognized as Partner of the Year - News - UA Little Rock\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/09\\\/ua-little-rock-recognized-as-partner-of-the-year\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/09\\\/ua-little-rock-recognized-as-partner-of-the-year\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/image001.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-09T13:34:41+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-09T13:34:42+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/09\\\/ua-little-rock-recognized-as-partner-of-the-year\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/09\\\/ua-little-rock-recognized-as-partner-of-the-year\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/09\\\/ua-little-rock-recognized-as-partner-of-the-year\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/image001.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/image001.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":533,\"caption\":\"Aaron Duvall (left), executive director of Workforce Development for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and Emily Cox (right), the university's vice chancellor for University Affairs, receive the Partner of the Year award from the city of Little Rock Department of Community Programs and Monica Montgomery, Community Programs Career Workforce Development coordinator for the city. 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The event will showcase nanotechnology research taking place across UA Little Rock through faculty presentations, student research posters, laboratory tours, and opportunities for networking and interdisciplinary collaboration. Registration for the event is now closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nanotechnology involves studying and manipulating materials at an extremely small scale, often at the level of individual atoms and molecules, with applications spanning fields such as medicine, electronics, energy, and advanced materials.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dr. Gregory Guisbiers, associate professor of physics and astronomy at UA Little Rock, launched Nano Day in 2025 as a way to bring together researchers and students working across disciplines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen I started Nano Day at UA Little Rock in 2025, one of my goals was to create a space where our faculty members and students could come together to share ideas, highlight the exciting nanoscience and nanotechnology research being conducted across our campus, and build new connections,\u201d Guisbiers said. \u201cNanotechnology is inherently interdisciplinary, bringing together physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, materials science, and many other fields.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year\u2019s event will feature an invited presentation from Dr. Saw Hla of Argonne National Laboratory, a leading researcher in nanoscience and nanoscale materials. His presentation will give attendees an opportunity to learn about cutting-edge developments in nanotechnology and engage with an internationally recognized scientist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students will also have the opportunity to showcase their own work through judged poster presentations, interact with researchers, and learn more about different areas of nanotechnology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEngaging directly with the scientific community and interacting with internationally recognized researchers are invaluable experiences that complement their academic education and help prepare them for future careers in science and technology,\u201d Guisbiers said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to research presentations and laboratory tours, Nano Day will provide opportunities for attendees to network and build connections across disciplines. The event will conclude with an awards ceremony recognizing student poster presentations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Students, faculty, researchers, and members of the scientific community will come together at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Friday, Oct. 9 to explore the rapidly evolving world of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Nano Day 2026 will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Ledbetter A, B, and C of the Donaghey Student <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/08\/ua-little-rock-to-celebrate-nanotechnology-research-at-nano-day-2026\/\" class=\"more-link\">&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  UA Little Rock to Celebrate Nanotechnology Research at Nano Day 2026<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2764,"featured_media":94926,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1926,1922],"tags":[25799,35324,35322],"class_list":["post-94924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-research","tag-donaghey-college-of-stem","tag-learning-environment","tag-program-excellence"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.6 (Yoast SEO v28.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UA Little Rock to Celebrate Nanotechnology Research at Nano Day 2026 - News - UA Little Rock<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/08\/ua-little-rock-to-celebrate-nanotechnology-research-at-nano-day-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UA Little Rock to Celebrate Nanotechnology Research at Nano Day 2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Students, faculty, researchers, and members of the scientific community will come together at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Friday, Oct. 9 to explore the rapidly evolving world of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Nano Day 2026 will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Ledbetter A, B, and C of the Donaghey Student ... UA Little Rock to Celebrate Nanotechnology Research at Nano Day 2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/08\/ua-little-rock-to-celebrate-nanotechnology-research-at-nano-day-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UALittleRock\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-10-08T19:55:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-08T19:55:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2026\/10\/planetarium-portrait-2025_103.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Molly Coleman\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Molly Coleman\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/08\\\/ua-little-rock-to-celebrate-nanotechnology-research-at-nano-day-2026\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/08\\\/ua-little-rock-to-celebrate-nanotechnology-research-at-nano-day-2026\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Molly Coleman\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/33af8c06812ac996edc07a2ac8c0688c\"},\"headline\":\"UA Little Rock to Celebrate Nanotechnology Research at Nano Day 2026\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-08T19:55:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-08T19:55:17+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/08\\\/ua-little-rock-to-celebrate-nanotechnology-research-at-nano-day-2026\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":363,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/08\\\/ua-little-rock-to-celebrate-nanotechnology-research-at-nano-day-2026\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/planetarium-portrait-2025_103.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Donaghey College of STEM\",\"Learning Environment\",\"Program Excellence\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Featured\",\"Research\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/08\\\/ua-little-rock-to-celebrate-nanotechnology-research-at-nano-day-2026\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/08\\\/ua-little-rock-to-celebrate-nanotechnology-research-at-nano-day-2026\\\/\",\"name\":\"UA Little Rock to Celebrate Nanotechnology Research at Nano Day 2026 - 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Nano Day 2026 will be Friday, Oct. 9, on the UA Little Rock campus. 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Nano Day 2026 will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Ledbetter A, B, and C of the Donaghey Student ... 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Path Leads UA Little Rock Alum to Education Leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dr. Jeremy Owoh never planned on becoming an educator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A three-time University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate, Owoh spent his first three years of college studying marketing before resetting his sights on education, which offered him a different opportunity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI have always believed in the power of education to change the trajectory of a person&#8217;s life,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat ultimately drew me to teaching, though, was the opportunity to work directly with young people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Changing his mind about his major proved beneficial. It would eventually take Owoh from the English classroom to leadership roles at the local, district and state levels. Today, he serves as superintendent of the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District and has been named the 2027 Arkansas Superintendent of the Year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Owoh, the recognition is less about the title and more about the people who helped shape his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI never entered education thinking about awards or titles; I entered because I wanted to make a difference for students,&#8221; he said. &#8220;To be recognized in this way more than two decades later caused me to reflect on all the people, experiences, and students who have shaped my career.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Finding a Path at UA Little Rock<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Owoh&#8217;s career developed, UA Little Rock became an important part of his growth as an educator and leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owoh earned three graduate degrees from UA Little Rock: a master&#8217;s degree in secondary education in 2005, an Educational Specialist degree in educational leadership and administration in 2008, and a Doctor of Education in educational administration and supervision in 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each came at a different stage in his career, allowing him to connect what he learned with his work in Arkansas schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat stands out most is the connection between what I was learning and what I was experiencing professionally,\u201d Owoh said. \u201cGraduate education is especially powerful when you can take an idea from a class, examine it critically, and then see its application in a real school or district.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His experiences at UA Little Rock challenged him to think more deeply about literacy, leadership and the role educators play in student success. He also points to the Little Rock Writing Project as having a lasting influence on his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a teacher, Owoh became increasingly interested in the systems surrounding students, from curriculum and teacher support, to school culture and leadership. Moving into administration allowed him to broaden his impact while remaining focused on teaching and learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMy studies strengthened my understanding of literacy and instruction, while also helping me think more broadly about organizations, systems, policy, and leadership,\u201d Owoh said. \u201cMy graduate education helped prepare me to navigate that complexity while keeping students at the center of the work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Leading With Students in Mind<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owoh considers his time in the classroom fundamental to the way he leads today. Later roles expanded that perspective, teaching him about school culture, relationships, systems, and education policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Together, those experiences shaped a leadership philosophy built around service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLeadership is not about position, it is about responsibility,\u201d Owoh said. \u201cAs superintendent, my responsibility is to create the conditions in which students can thrive, and employees can do their best work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That philosophy can also be seen in his continued emphasis on literacy, connecting his beginnings as an English teacher with his graduate education at UA Little Rock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen we strengthen literacy, we are doing much more than improving a test score,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are giving students greater independence, confidence, and access to the world around them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately, Owoh wants JNPSD students to leave prepared to determine their own futures, whether that means attending a university, pursuing technical education, joining the military, starting a business, or entering the workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur responsibility is not to choose that path for them,\u201d Owoh said. \u201cIt is to make sure they have the knowledge, skills, confidence, and opportunities to choose it for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A Partnership Comes Full Circle<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owoh&#8217;s relationship with UA Little Rock did not end when he earned his doctorate. He later returned as a faculty member, working with other educators developing their own knowledge and leadership. Today, that relationship continues through a partnership between JNPSD and the UA Little Rock <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/education\/\">School of Education<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">JNPSD became the School of Education&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2023\/09\/22\/teacher-residency-program\/\">first partner<\/a> as UA Little Rock worked to transform its teacher education program. By fall 2023, the district welcomed the university&#8217;s inaugural cohort of district-paid <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/tag\/trojan-teacher-residency-program\/\">teacher residents<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dr. Rachel Eells, director of the UA Little Rock School of Education, said Owoh&#8217;s early support was instrumental in building the partnership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDr. Owoh&#8217;s dedication to excellence and willingness to sustain and nurture this relationship created a foundational model for impactful collaboration,\u201d Eells said. \u201cWe are so grateful to work with him, and are not at all surprised that he has received his well-earned honor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Owoh, investing in educators and students remains a source of motivation more than two decades after he first entered a classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEvery year brings another group of students whose futures are being shaped by what happens in our schools right now,\u201d Owoh said. \u201cThat creates both urgency and purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s a career that has taken Owoh somewhere he never expected when he first entered college. Perhaps that&#8217;s why his advice to aspiring education leaders comes from experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTitles will change, initiatives will come and go, and careers will take unexpected turns,\u201d Owoh said. \u201cIf your decisions remain grounded in serving students well, you will have a foundation that can guide you through all of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dr. Jeremy Owoh never planned on becoming an educator. A three-time University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate, Owoh spent his first three years of college studying marketing before resetting his sights on education, which offered him a different opportunity. \u201cI have always believed in the power of education to change the trajectory of a <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/08\/unexpected-path-leads-ua-little-rock-alum-to-education-leadership\/\" class=\"more-link\">&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Unexpected Path Leads UA Little Rock Alum to Education Leadership<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2036,"featured_media":94922,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1926],"tags":[112,28389,3510],"class_list":["post-94918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-alumni-association","tag-college-of-humanities-arts-social-sciences-and-education-chasse","tag-school-of-education"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.6 (Yoast SEO v28.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Unexpected Path Leads UA Little Rock Alum to Education Leadership - News - UA Little Rock<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/08\/unexpected-path-leads-ua-little-rock-alum-to-education-leadership\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Unexpected Path Leads UA Little Rock Alum to Education Leadership\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dr. Jeremy Owoh never planned on becoming an educator. A three-time University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate, Owoh spent his first three years of college studying marketing before resetting his sights on education, which offered him a different opportunity. \u201cI have always believed in the power of education to change the trajectory of a ... 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Bates"},"url":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/author\/jbates\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2036"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94918"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94918\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94921,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94918\/revisions\/94921"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":94904,"date":"2026-10-07T10:20:29","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T15:20:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/?p=94904"},"modified":"2026-10-09T11:21:57","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T16:21:57","slug":"ua-little-rock-hosts-ai-intherock-for-machine-learning-and-production-discussion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/ua-little-rock-hosts-ai-intherock-for-machine-learning-and-production-discussion\/","title":{"rendered":"UA Little Rock Hosts AI InTheRock for Machine Learning and Production Discussion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The University of Arkansas at Little Rock welcomed the Central Arkansas AI community back to campus for an AI InTheRock monthly meetup, this time to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are being used in production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAI in Production\u201d marked the second time UA Little Rock has hosted an <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/21\/ai-in-the-rock-comes-to-ua-little-rock-to-explore-ai-in-education-industry-and-innovation\/\">AI InTheRock meetup<\/a>, which creates open spaces for people across industries and backgrounds to connect, share ideas, and discuss the growing role of AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Sept. 30 event brought together attendees for food, networking, presentations, and an open discussion among the audience and presenters. It featured presentations from Ouachita Labs and Arkana Laboratories on production machine learning, clinical AI, GPU infrastructure, and the use of AI models in renal pathology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The event reflects UA Little Rock\u2019s broader efforts to connect its academic expertise with the growing real-world applications of AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAI is rapidly moving from something we study and experiment with to something that is actively transforming how organizations operate and solve problems,&#8221; said Dr. Tansel Karabacak, dean of the <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/cstem\/\">Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics<\/a>. &#8220;At UA Little Rock, we want to be a place where students, faculty, industry partners, and the broader community can come together to explore these applications, learn from one another, and responsibly turn AI innovation into real-world impact for Arkansas.&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Matt Olson, co-founder of AI InTheRock, emphasized the importance of the discussion as AI continues to move beyond its familiar role as a search tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAI in production is an important conversation right now because it affects everyone,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s not just a search tool; it can actually run processes. It can communicate with people. That&#8217;s why everyone should know about AI&#8217;s role in production.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That shift also changes how people should think about AI and what it can do. Olson said one common misconception is viewing AI simply as a tool for finding information, rather than as technology that can help people solve problems, navigate situations, and accomplish tasks that previously were not possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt&#8217;s not just a search tool. It can craft deals, listen to conversations, help mitigate situations, and come up with solutions,\u201d Olson said. \u201cI believe it&#8217;s less about artificial intelligence and more about a superpower, not a super intelligence. It&#8217;s a powerful tool that can give you the ability to do things you couldn&#8217;t do before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next AI InTheRock event, \u201cAI Distilled,\u201d will be Oct. 21 at Little Rock&#8217;s Skyline Event Venue. <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/19\/ua-little-rock-school-of-business-to-honor-brandon-pierce-as-distinguished-alumni\/\">Phil Brandon<\/a>, UA Little Rock alumnus and founder and CEO of Rock Town Distillery, will discuss how the local distillery has used AI in its operations. For more information about upcoming AI InTheRock events, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intherock.ai\/\">AI InTheRock<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The University of Arkansas at Little Rock welcomed the Central Arkansas AI community back to campus for an AI InTheRock monthly meetup, this time to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are being used in production. \u201cAI in Production\u201d marked the second time UA Little Rock has hosted an AI InTheRock meetup, which <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/ua-little-rock-hosts-ai-intherock-for-machine-learning-and-production-discussion\/\" class=\"more-link\">&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  UA Little Rock Hosts AI InTheRock for Machine Learning and Production Discussion<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2906,"featured_media":94907,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1925,1926,1922],"tags":[35714,25799,35495],"class_list":["post-94904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-featured","category-research","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-donaghey-college-of-stem","tag-innovation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.6 (Yoast SEO v28.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UA Little Rock Hosts AI InTheRock for Machine Learning and Production Discussion - News - UA Little Rock<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/07\/ua-little-rock-hosts-ai-intherock-for-machine-learning-and-production-discussion\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UA Little Rock Hosts AI InTheRock for Machine Learning and Production Discussion\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The University of Arkansas at Little Rock welcomed the Central Arkansas AI community back to campus for an AI InTheRock monthly meetup, this time to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are being used in production. \u201cAI in Production\u201d marked the second time UA Little Rock has hosted an AI InTheRock meetup, which ... 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Little Rock Launches Centralized Platform for Professional and Continuing Education"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is making it easier to find and access professional development, continuing education, and workforce training through a new centralized system for professional skills and non-degree programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Modern Campus brings UA Little Rock\u2019s professional skills training and continuing education opportunities together, connecting programs from across disciplines through a single platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWith the expansion of training administered by Corporate and Community Education, including Leadership Academy, AI programs, Human Resources Essentials, and Medical Spanish, a student information system like Modern Campus became a necessity,\u201d said Dr. Aaron Duvall, executive director of workforce development. \u201cThis tool will allow us to better market and administer workforce programs, making the entire process easier and more enjoyable for our learners.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The platform will enable UA Little Rock\u2019s Corporate and Community Education to manage registration, program information, student records, payments, corporate training, credentialing, and communications in a single system. Bringing these functions together will create a more seamless experience for learners, who can register for programs, manage their information, and access their training records all in one place. The system\u2019s enhanced data reporting allows UA Little Rock to meet Arkansas Division of Higher Education reporting requirements, better understand learner engagement, and use data to improve programs and guide future decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The catalog brings together professional skills and continuing education opportunities from across UA Little Rock, including offerings from Corporate and Community Education, Spanish and the Arkansas Public Administration Consortium. The platform will add additional programs from the School of Education and other departments as it expands. Current offerings include professional development and certification opportunities such as Medical Billing and Coding and Paralegal certification through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ed2go.com\/\">ed2go<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The platform also supports workforce training for organizations, giving corporate clients a centralized way to manage employee training. Through the corporate portal, clients can register employees for contracted programs, manage rosters, and track training progress. Customized offerings such as Leadership Academy and AI Transformation and Leadership allow organizations to provide training tailored to their workforce needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As UA Little Rock continues to expand its professional skills, continuing education, and workforce development offerings, Modern Campus will make it easier for learners and organizations to manage their training. By bringing professional skills and non-degree programs together, the platform gives learners a centralized record of their training and a connected way to keep building skills and reaching professional goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is making it easier to find and access professional development, continuing education, and workforce training through a new centralized system for professional skills and non-degree programs. Modern Campus brings UA Little Rock\u2019s professional skills training and continuing education opportunities together, connecting programs from across disciplines through a single <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/06\/ua-little-rock-launches-centralized-platform-for-professional-and-continuing-education\/\" class=\"more-link\">&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  UA Little Rock Launches Centralized Platform for Professional and Continuing Education<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2906,"featured_media":94903,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1925,1926],"tags":[36022,35495,2218],"class_list":["post-94899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-featured","tag-corporate-and-community-education","tag-innovation","tag-student-success"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.6 (Yoast SEO v28.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UA Little Rock Launches Centralized Platform for Professional and Continuing Education - News - UA Little Rock<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/06\/ua-little-rock-launches-centralized-platform-for-professional-and-continuing-education\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UA Little Rock Launches Centralized Platform for Professional and Continuing Education\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is making it easier to find and access professional development, continuing education, and workforce training through a new centralized system for professional skills and non-degree programs. Modern Campus brings UA Little Rock\u2019s professional skills training and continuing education opportunities together, connecting programs from across disciplines through a single ... 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said Reynolds, a\u00a0first-generation college student pursuing a bachelor&#8217;s degree in world languages with a concentration in Spanish and a minor in digital arts. &#8220;It&#8217;s a really big position &#8212; a lot of different perspectives to take into account &#8212; but they elected me for a reason, and I&#8217;m going to bring my own experience, as well as the experiences of other students, to voting and decision-making.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reynolds will serve a one-year term on the honor society&#8217;s 12-member national board, which began serving Sept. 1. The newly elected board, with representatives from higher education institutions around the country, will gather in Chicago for a meeting later this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">UA Little Rock&#8217;s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/15\/ua-little-rock-hosts-first-on-campus-phi-kappa-phi-induction-ceremony-in-over-two-years\/\">Phi Kappa Phi chapter<\/a> is actually the oldest in Arkansas, and &#8220;it&#8217;s a very difficult organization to get into,&#8221; inviting juniors and seniors in the top 7.5% of their class, said Dr. Rex Wilkins, president of the chapter. Reynolds joined as a junior, and &#8220;she exemplifies a student who puts in the time and effort to be successful.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reynolds is especially eager to build leadership skills as a board member, including as chair of the Philanthropy Committee, and she feels her experiences beyond only her sterling academic record &#8212; such as interning with&nbsp;Seis Puentes &#8212; gave her an edge in her board election.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;In college, I&#8217;ve pushed myself to do things I&#8217;m afraid of, and the more I do, the less anxiety I get, so I always tell other students to say &#8216;Yes&#8217; to things, even if they&#8217;re nervous,&#8221; she said. &#8220;You can look at opportunities as meant for someone else, but you don&#8217;t know until you try &#8212; they might be meant for you, too.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reynolds, for example, is stepping outside her comfort zone next semester when she studies abroad in Spain \u2014 her first time traveling outside the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;It will push me, but immersing yourself in a language and culture is the best way to learn,&#8221; said Reynolds, who plans to become an&nbsp;an ESL teacher. &#8220;I want to understand my students not just on a base level, but their culture, so I can help them the best way I can.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among the&nbsp;most proactive students in his classes, Reynolds &#8220;takes the initiative, tries, makes mistakes, and learns from them, which is what we want,&#8221; said Wilkins, an assistant professor of Spanish. &#8220;She leads by example (with her) determination and passion &#8212; she wants to better herself, her university, and her community &#8212; and I hope she&#8217;ll inspire other Trojans to participate and see they can be like her.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plenty of Gen. Z students battle feelings of isolation, but Reynolds &#8220;is committed to creating a warm, inviting atmosphere &#8212; she&#8217;s friendly and approachable &#8212; and I&#8217;ve gotten really good feedback from her,&#8221; he said. For example, for a course this semester, Reynolds is acting as a learning assistant, and her suggestion to use some online resources to foster better student engagement has improved the course experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reynolds is passionate about&nbsp;language learning, education, and student success. She started at UA Little Rock majoring in elementary education, but realized she could be an asset to students who don&#8217;t speak English as a first language, which changed her academic plans.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I value their education, and I want to make a difference in the classroom,&#8221; said Reynolds, who plans to pursue a <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/publicaffairs\/mpa\/\">master&#8217;s degree in public administration<\/a> &#8212; perhaps from UA Little Rock &#8212; so she can eventually move into an administrative role. After an extensive internship with Seis Puentes &#8212; supporting Hispanic and immigrant families in Central Arkansas through outreach and administrative projects &#8212; she plans to continue volunteering with the nonprofit because &#8220;we do such great, important work.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A native of Clarksville whose family moved to Benton when she was in high school, Reynolds chose UA Little Rock because &#8220;it&#8217;s very community oriented &#8212; I value that &#8212; and I heard really good things&#8221; from teachers and fellow students, she said. She also felt she could &#8220;make connections and experience opportunities, and I&#8217;ve taken advantage of all of them here.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reynolds &#8220;rises to the occasion every time&#8221; she&#8217;s faced with a new opportunity, Wilkins said. &#8220;She&#8217;s committed, honest, forthright, and trustworthy.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a learning assistant for Wilkins, she&#8217;s acting as a &#8220;middle ground&#8221; between he and students and diving deeply into course material to facilitate discussions, she said. Being a member of the campus chapter of Phi Kappa Phi has also afforded her leadership avenues, scholarship opportunities, and networking ability.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;It&#8217;s definitely been a great decision&#8221; to attend UA Little Rock, Reynolds said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve had self-doubts about things, but everything I&#8217;ve tried has worked out for the better and given me a wide variety of skills for my career.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>University of Arkansas at Little Rock senior Michaela Reynolds has been elected Undergraduate Student Representative for the Board of Directors of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation&#8217;s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. &#8220;I&#8217;m really excited and proud to represent the university, but also undergraduates across the <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/05\/ua-little-rock-student-selected-for-national-board-of-directors-of-the-honor-society-of-phi-kappa-phi\/\" class=\"more-link\">&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  UA Little Rock Student Selected for National Board of Directors of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3905,"featured_media":94898,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1926],"tags":[28389,35323,2218],"class_list":["post-94895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-college-of-humanities-arts-social-sciences-and-education-chasse","tag-leaders-in-the-classroom-and-communities","tag-student-success"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.6 (Yoast SEO v28.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UA Little Rock Student Selected for National Board of Directors of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi - News - UA Little Rock<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/05\/ua-little-rock-student-selected-for-national-board-of-directors-of-the-honor-society-of-phi-kappa-phi\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UA Little Rock Student Selected for National Board of Directors of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"University of Arkansas at Little Rock senior Michaela Reynolds has been elected Undergraduate Student Representative for the Board of Directors of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation&#8217;s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. &#8220;I&#8217;m really excited and proud to represent the university, but also undergraduates across the ... 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Reynolds is a first-generation college student pursuing a bachelor's degree in world languages with a concentration in Spanish and a minor in digital arts. She plans to be an ESL teacher. 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especially with unanticipated expenses, said Saisha Dockery, scheduled to graduate in May 2027 with her bachelor&#8217;s degree in criminal justice. &#8220;If you have a goal or dream of getting an education, it&#8217;s worth it.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through the Corporate Partnership Program, employees of partnering organizations receive a 10% tuition scholarship, a $25 per-credit-hour textbook stipend, and waived application fees \u2014 all funded by donors \u2014 making participation free. Employees can begin or complete undergraduate or graduate degrees or certificate programs at UA Little Rock while continuing to work full time, and more than 2,000 individuals have participated.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than 150 employers are now corporate partners, including recent additions\u00a0Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance,\u00a0Black River Technical College,\u00a0Engineering Compliance &amp; Construction Inc. (ECCI),\u00a0First Orion, Immerse Arkansas,\u00a0Lennox Commercial Factory-Stuttgart, and\u00a0Lone Star Communications, Inc. The Corporate Partnership Program reaches all areas of the state &#8212; the\u00a0Camden Fairview School District, Jasper Public Schools, Mena Public Schools, Mena Regional Health System, and Texarkana\u00a0School District are all partners &#8212; and with UA Little Rock&#8217;s extensive catalogue of online courses, the program is accessible even to those in rural Arkansas.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The Corporate Partnership Program is an increasingly powerful way for UA Little Rock to serve our community, strengthen our workforce, and expand access to higher education,&#8221; said Dr. W. Cody Decker, vice chancellor for Student Affairs &amp; Chief Data Officer.\u00a0&#8220;The program demonstrates what is possible when we work together to remove barriers and make a college degree more affordable and attainable for working adults. We are proud of the program&#8217;s remarkable growth, but we are even more proud of the\u00a0opportunities it creates for employees and their families and the stronger future it promises for our region.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dockery is a care coordinator for CHI St. Vincent in Little Rock, and she&#8217;s grateful they participate in this program.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;My purpose is to help people,&#8221; and a criminal justice degree opens new job possibilities for her she would not have otherwise considered, she said. &#8220;I can knock on doors, and they will open.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dockery, who has an associate degree from the University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College, is a nontraditional student, so she worried she &#8220;would not be able to keep up&#8221; as she studied for her bachelor&#8217;s degree. However, those concerns proved unfounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When she visited the UA Little Rock campus, &#8220;the atmosphere, the help, and the community (showed me) I&#8217;ll be OK here,&#8221; she said. The university &#8220;offered everything I needed.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dockery described the academic advising as amazing and said she has loved working with her instructors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I never had an instructor where I didn&#8217;t want to take the class; they easily translate information so you can retain what you need and not be overwhelmed,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I have no complaints, nothing but smiles.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dockery also plans to pursue a master&#8217;s degree, and she&#8217;s excited to achieve the personal milestone of graduation while also being a role model to her children and grandchildren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;It&#8217;s rewarding, but also a great message,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Don&#8217;t sell yourself short.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those interested in learning more about UA Little Rock\u2019s Corporate Partnership Program may visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/admissions\/corporate\/\">website<\/a> for more information.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;By removing financial barriers to higher education, our Corporate Partnership Program empowers working Arkansans to advance their careers and helps local businesses retain top talent,&#8221; said Matthew Bellew, UA Little Rock&#8217;s corporate partnerships coordinator. &#8220;It&#8217;s a zero-cost strategy for employers that delivers immediate dividends in workforce growth and employee satisfaction.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">UA Little Rock&#8217;s Corporate Partnership Program\u00a0supports growth for individuals and businesses alike. Those interested in building a successful future together with the university through this initiative should contact Bellew at\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:msbellew@ualr.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">msbellew@ualr.edu<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<a>501-916-5652<\/a>\u00a0to discuss participating.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The University of Arkansas at Little Rock&#8217;s Corporate Partnership Program, which provides affordable and accessible higher education to working Arkansans, has more than 600 students participating this fall, and 321 people have\u00a0graduated with assistance through the program. It &#8220;has helped me a great deal,&#8221; especially with unanticipated expenses, said Saisha Dockery, scheduled to graduate in <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/02\/ua-little-rock-corporate-partnership-program-expands-reach-and-impact\/\" class=\"more-link\">&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  UA Little Rock Corporate Partnership Program Expands Reach and Impact<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3905,"featured_media":94894,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1925,1926],"tags":[28370,35827,33,29226,2218],"class_list":["post-94888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-featured","tag-college-of-business-health-and-human-services","tag-corporate-partnerships-program","tag-scholarships","tag-school-of-criminal-justice-and-criminology","tag-student-success"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.6 (Yoast SEO v28.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UA Little Rock Corporate Partnership Program Expands Reach and Impact - News - UA Little Rock<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/02\/ua-little-rock-corporate-partnership-program-expands-reach-and-impact\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UA Little Rock Corporate Partnership Program Expands Reach and Impact\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The University of Arkansas at Little Rock&#8217;s Corporate Partnership Program, which provides affordable and accessible higher education to working Arkansans, has more than 600 students participating this fall, and 321 people have\u00a0graduated with assistance through the program. 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Dockery is studying for her bachelor's degree in criminal justice through the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's Corporate Partnership Program and encourages others to explore the program -- \"if you have a goal or dream of getting an education, it's worth it.\" Submitted photo"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/02\/ua-little-rock-corporate-partnership-program-expands-reach-and-impact\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"UA Little Rock Corporate Partnership Program Expands Reach and Impact"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/","name":"News","description":"UA Little 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to AI Pitch Competition at UA Little Rock"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Arkansas entrepreneurs with innovative ideas for transforming business operations and accelerating growth with artificial intelligence (AI) will have a chance to win up to $50,000 in services at an upcoming pitch competition at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hosted by the\u00a0Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center\u00a0(ASBTDC), along with UA Little Rock\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/business\/\">School of Business<\/a>, Tech Launch, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/workforcedevelopment\/\">Workforce Development Center,<\/a> the Amazon Web Services (AWS) AI Pitch Competition is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Oct. 15 in the Reynolds Business Center on the UA Little Rock campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The public is invited to attend &#8212; admission is free &#8212; and the competition is open to\u00a0Arkansans who are in business or have a business idea, across all industries, not limited to AI companies or technology startups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;AWS and Small Business Development Centers around the country are teaming up with other local partners in 2026 to hold AI pitch contests like this one, where entrepreneurs can pitch an\u00a0idea to solve an operational challenge, increase revenue, expand market reach, or create scalable efficiencies,&#8221; said ASBTDC State Director Laura Fine. &#8220;We are excited to build on the success of our first Arkansas competition that took place in the spring.&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paul Cowart and Ron Merrill of Privagent had the winning pitch in that inaugural event, held in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;It was a great experience for us &#8212; it helped us refine our message, (as well as) the look and feel of the company &#8212; and it gave us confidence,&#8221; said Merrill. &#8220;It opens doors, and it&#8217;s a real prize, too, that can really launch a company.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Privagent, an organization discovery platform, has worked with multiple &#8220;enterprise-level clients,&#8221; and part of the confidence to work with such clients is owed to their pitch competition experience, added Merrill. &#8220;The opportunity is real &#8212; the sponsors are great to work with &#8212; (so) swing for the fences.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pitch competition was &#8220;awesome, a very accepting environment,&#8221; said Cowart. &#8220;It seems scary, but it really isn&#8217;t, (so) just go for it.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Winning was &#8220;validating, (a sign) that we might be onto something, and definitely a confidence boost,&#8221; added Cowart. &#8220;It showed us we had a good idea, and I recommend (this competition) to anyone.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To pitch, entrepreneurs must apply for a spot in the competition, and those selected will pitch their concept in front of judges with the chance to win AWS Partner funding allocated toward technical resources, architecture support, and solution development services delivered by nClouds in collaboration with AWS (subject to program eligibility and scope). All competitors will receive expert feedback on how to bring their concepts to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe invite current and future Arkansas entrepreneurs to share your ideas for creatively applying AI in a business setting,\u201d said Fine. &#8220;Everyone who is selected to pitch will have a great opportunity to win services to help turn your concept into something real.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Privagent uses tools, including AI, to build system workflows that enable employees to perform at the highest level, and going through the pitch competition &#8220;helped us mature, (because) we took it really seriously,&#8221; Merrill said. &#8220;We worked very hard to refine our message to be clear and concise.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Indeed, they crafted a script, rehearsed repeatedly, and timed it to hit the five-minute mark, as recommended, said Cowart, who resides with his wife in Bryant. &#8220;We had it pretty dialed in, (so) our presentation was smooth and fluid.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Merrill and Cowart didn&#8217;t have prior pitch experience, so anyone considering pitching in this competition shouldn&#8217;t allow inexperience to dissuade them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;It&#8217;s really all about good communication,&#8221; Merrill said. They utilized a brief slide deck &#8212; &#8220;big and bold, like a billboard&#8221; &#8212; that was also &#8220;easy to understand and looked professional.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Visit&nbsp;<a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/luma.com\/7as4nooi\" target=\"_blank\">luma.com\/7as4nooi<\/a>&nbsp;to get more details, sign up to pitch, or register to attend.&nbsp;For questions about the event, contact ASBTDC\u2019s Laterika Tooks-Staton at&nbsp;<a>501-804-4530<\/a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"mailto:lstooks@ualr.edu\" target=\"_blank\">lstooks@<wbr>ualr.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Arkansas entrepreneurs with innovative ideas for transforming business operations and accelerating growth with artificial intelligence (AI) will have a chance to win up to $50,000 in services at an upcoming pitch competition at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.\u00a0 Hosted by the\u00a0Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center\u00a0(ASBTDC), along with UA Little Rock\u2019s School <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/01\/entrepreneurs-invited-to-ai-pitch-competition-at-ua-little-rock\/\" class=\"more-link\">&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Entrepreneurs\u00a0Invited to AI Pitch Competition at UA Little Rock<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3905,"featured_media":94887,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1925,1926],"tags":[28370,24765,36019],"class_list":["post-94884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-featured","tag-college-of-business-health-and-human-services","tag-school-of-business","tag-workforce-development-center"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.6 (Yoast SEO v28.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Entrepreneurs\u00a0Invited to AI Pitch Competition at UA Little Rock - News - UA Little Rock<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/01\/entrepreneurs-invited-to-ai-pitch-competition-at-ua-little-rock\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Entrepreneurs\u00a0Invited to AI Pitch Competition at UA Little Rock\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Arkansas entrepreneurs with innovative ideas for transforming business operations and accelerating growth with artificial intelligence (AI) will have a chance to win up to $50,000 in services at an upcoming pitch competition at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.\u00a0 Hosted by the\u00a0Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center\u00a0(ASBTDC), along with UA Little Rock\u2019s School ... 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The competition returns Oct. 15, in the Reynolds Business Center on campus. The public is invited to attend -- admission is free -- and the competition is open to Arkansans who are in business or have a business idea, across all industries, not limited to AI companies or technology startups. 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