[{"id":94004,"date":"2026-04-27T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/?p=94004"},"modified":"2026-04-24T10:02:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T15:02:36","slug":"ua-little-rock-student-turns-personal-experience-into-award-winning-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/27\/ua-little-rock-student-turns-personal-experience-into-award-winning-research\/","title":{"rendered":"UA Little Rock Student turns Personal Experience into Award-Winning Research"},"content":{"rendered":"\nThere is a photograph Peter Zokoro returns to in his research presentations: two children hunched over their schoolwork late at night, their only light a flickering kerosene lamp. He does not use it for dramatic effect. He uses it because he has lived it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zokoro, a master\u2019s student in mechanical engineering at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, grew up in Nigeria, where electricity is not a given. That experience became the foundation of his research, research that recently earned him first place at one of the largest engineering conventions in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou feel the impact of energy in its absence,\u201d Zokoro said. \u201cNot in its abundance. In its absence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In April, Zokoro won first place in the Technical Research Exhibition at the 2026 National Society of Black Engineers Annual Convention in Baltimore, competing in both poster and oral presentation categories against students from universities across the nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His research focuses on biomass gasification, a thermochemical process that converts waste materials into syngas. Syngas can then be utilized to generate energy, produce green hydrogen and support chemical synthesis. The approach addresses two global challenges at once: the approximately 750 million people worldwide who lack access to electricity, and the roughly 2 billion tons of solid waste generated annually. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He earned his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Lagos State University in Nigeria, graduating top of his class with First Class Honors. He moved to the United States in 2024 to pursue his master\u2019s degree, hearing from a friend back home how supportive UA Little Rock faculty are, his choice was made. He quickly immersed himself in campus life while exploring his academic path, earning a graduate teaching assistantship early on to cover expenses. He also joined the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the campus chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), where he now serves as treasurer and international chair, helping build mentorship pipelines and organize professional development opportunities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During this time, he found his research focus through Dr. Ashokkumar Sharma, his thesis advisor. Sharma\u2019s work centered on two challenges that were deeply personal to Zokoro, challenges he had lived \u2013 access to energy and the growing problem of global waste \u2013 prompting him to take action. As his learning and research progressed, he began building a research team, recruiting undergraduate students and introducing them to his vision, inviting them to contribute to the project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPeter Zokoro is one of the most driven graduate students I have mentored,\u201d said Sharma. \u201cHis innovative bioenergy and machine learning research, along with his leadership and mentorship of undergraduates, reflects both depth and originality. His first-place award at the 2026 NSBE Conference reflects his academic and community impact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Baltimore, Zokoro arrived with the research to match his ambitions. Supported by Dr. David Montague, NSBE chapter co-advisor, and other UA Little Rock students in attendance, he earned first place. Their presence made the achievement all the more meaningful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSeeing familiar faces from UA Little Rock in that room while I was presenting meant more than I can put into words,\u201d Zokoro said. \u201cUA Little Rock may not be the biggest school in the room, but we showed up and we won\u2014that matters for every student here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pride he felt was shared by others within the UA Little Rock community, including his mentors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cZokoro exemplifies the hard work and dedication of UA Little Rock students. His innovative research resonated with audiences, and his award for best presentation came as no surprise,\u201d said Montague.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zokoro graduates this May, but the vision behind his research continues to expand \u2014 shaped by his lived experiences and the support he found at UA Little Rock. He hopes to help build a future where clean energy is accessible everywhere and give new purpose to materials often thrown away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor developed nations like the U.S., the vision is energy independence,\u201d Zokoro said. \u201cReducing and eventually eliminating dependence on fossil fuels by generating clean energy from the waste we already produce. And beyond that, imagine being able to export the green hydrogen generated from this process to other countries and companies that need it. That is a completely new value chain\u2014new economic opportunities built on something we currently throw away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Zokoro, the photograph of two children studying by kerosene light is not just a presentation slide; it is the reason behind his work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There is a photograph Peter Zokoro returns to in his research presentations: two children hunched over their schoolwork late at night, their only light a flickering kerosene lamp. He does … UA Little Rock Student turns Personal Experience into Award-Winning Research<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2906,"featured_media":94005,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1923,1925,1926,1922],"tags":[25799,35323,4478,35482,2218],"class_list":["post-94004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-culture","category-community","category-featured","category-research","tag-donaghey-college-of-stem","tag-leaders-in-the-classroom-and-communities","tag-mechanical-engineering","tag-national-society-of-black-engineers","tag-student-success"],"yoast_head":"\nUA Little Rock Student turns Personal Experience into Award-Winning Research - 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\/04\/27\/ua-little-rock-student-turns-personal-experience-into-award-winning-research\/\" \/>\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 turns Personal Experience into Award-Winning Research\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There is a photograph Peter Zokoro returns to in his research presentations: two children hunched over their schoolwork late at night, their only light a flickering kerosene lamp. 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Little Rock Receives Gift to Support Long-Term Success of Planetarium"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The University of Arkansas at Little Rock continues to build support for the future of its Shellam Flake Planetarium, with a new $50,000 gift focused on sustaining the facility for years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The gift from UA Little Rock alumnus and retired attorney James Bruce McMath and his wife, Becky, contributes to the Shellam Flake Planetarium Endowment Fund.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As UA Little Rock prepares to reopen the planetarium this fall, the endowment ensures the facility has the long-term support needed for operations, programming, and staffing, positioning it as a lasting destination for students and the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For McMath, the investment is deeply personal, rooted in a lifelong fascination with the night sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI am a space race baby,\u201d McMath said. \u201cI was eight when Sputnik launched, and I followed it with the same enthusiasm as some people follow a sports team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That early curiosity grew into a serious pursuit. What began as a telescope for his son turned into a lifelong passion, including building telescope mirrors and conducting amateur research. Today, McMath operates a robotic telescope and has contributed more than 130,000 observations of variable stars to an international database.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He sees the planetarium as a way to share that sense of discovery with others, especially at a time when fewer people have experienced the night sky in its full form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe reality is, without question, the greatest natural spectacle is the Milky Way stretching across the night sky,\u201d he said. \u201cBut these days, few people have ever truly seen it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A planetarium, he said, can help bridge that gap by giving people a broader understanding of the universe and their place within it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA planetarium can open people\u2019s eyes and minds to the reality of our situation here on our little planet,\u201d McMath said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Supporting the endowment is also a way for McMath to give back to UA Little Rock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUA Little Rock was an important element in my personal development, and I have not done much to pay it back,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He also sees the planetarium as a key connection point between the university and the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe planetarium will be an ambassadorial and educational tool for the university,\u201d McMath said. \u201cIt is an investment in the community that will build pride in the university among city residents and help people better understand our place in the universe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their support helps position the planetarium as a long-term asset for both the university and Central Arkansas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn more about the Shellam Flake Planetarium at <a href=\"http:\/\/ualr.edu\/planetarium\">ualr.edu\/planetarium<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The University of Arkansas at Little Rock continues to build support for the future of its Shellam Flake Planetarium, with a new $50,000 gift focused on sustaining the facility for <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/27\/ua-little-rock-receives-gift-to-support-long-term-success-of-planetarium\/\" class=\"more-link\">…<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> UA Little Rock Receives Gift to Support Long-Term Success of Planetarium<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":93994,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1925,1926],"tags":[112,35323,36040],"class_list":["post-93993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-featured","tag-alumni-association","tag-leaders-in-the-classroom-and-communities","tag-planetarium"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UA Little Rock Receives Gift to Support Long-Term Success of Planetarium - 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\/04\/27\/ua-little-rock-receives-gift-to-support-long-term-success-of-planetarium\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UA Little Rock Receives Gift to Support Long-Term Success of Planetarium\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The University of Arkansas at Little Rock continues to build support for the future of its Shellam Flake Planetarium, with a new $50,000 gift focused on sustaining the facility for ... UA Little Rock Receives Gift to Support Long-Term Success of Planetarium\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/27\/ua-little-rock-receives-gift-to-support-long-term-success-of-planetarium\/\" \/>\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=\"2026-04-27T13:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2026\/04\/McMath.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"UA Little Rock\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"UA Little Rock\" \/>\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\\\/04\\\/27\\\/ua-little-rock-receives-gift-to-support-long-term-success-of-planetarium\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/27\\\/ua-little-rock-receives-gift-to-support-long-term-success-of-planetarium\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"UA Little Rock\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/841beab92c4de6b8988cb3708c29b192\"},\"headline\":\"UA Little Rock Receives Gift to Support Long-Term Success of Planetarium\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-27T13:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/27\\\/ua-little-rock-receives-gift-to-support-long-term-success-of-planetarium\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":428,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/27\\\/ua-little-rock-receives-gift-to-support-long-term-success-of-planetarium\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/McMath.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Alumni Association\",\"Leaders in the Classroom and Communities\",\"Planetarium\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Community\",\"Featured\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/27\\\/ua-little-rock-receives-gift-to-support-long-term-success-of-planetarium\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/27\\\/ua-little-rock-receives-gift-to-support-long-term-success-of-planetarium\\\/\",\"name\":\"UA Little Rock Receives Gift to Support Long-Term Success of Planetarium - News - UA Little Rock\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/27\\\/ua-little-rock-receives-gift-to-support-long-term-success-of-planetarium\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/27\\\/ua-little-rock-receives-gift-to-support-long-term-success-of-planetarium\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/McMath.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-27T13:00:00+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/27\\\/ua-little-rock-receives-gift-to-support-long-term-success-of-planetarium\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/27\\\/ua-little-rock-receives-gift-to-support-long-term-success-of-planetarium\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/27\\\/ua-little-rock-receives-gift-to-support-long-term-success-of-planetarium\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/McMath.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/McMath.png\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630,\"caption\":\"UA Little Rock alumnus and retired attorney James Bruce McMath and his wife, Becky, contributed a $50,000 gift to the Shellam Flake Planetarium Endowment Fund. 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Stephanie Wyatt, an investigative genetic genealogist and a graduate student in UA Little Rock\u2019s Applied Communication program, recently played a key role in identifying the woman long known as the Conway County Jane Doe \u2014 a victim whose identity remained a mystery for more than three decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In February 2026, the 32-year-old woman was identified as Jamie Ann Moore, bringing long-awaited answers to a case that had remained unsolved since 1994.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wyatt\u2019s interest in communication is rooted in her professional background. She holds an undergraduate degree in public relations and previously worked in human resources before transitioning into genetic genealogy. She currently works for the Arkansas Department of Transportation while pursuing her graduate degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Returning to school was not always something Wyatt saw as attainable. She said her mother is the only person in her family with a college degree, and she will be the first to earn her master\u2019s degree. \u201cThere was a lot of self-doubt at first,\u201d Wyatt said. \u201cBut the support I found at UA Little Rock gave me the confidence to believe I could be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wyatt\u2019s path into genetic genealogy began as a personal project. Her father\u2019s adoption sparked her interest in the field of genealogy as she searched for answers about her family\u2019s medical history. However, this search quickly expanded beyond her own story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wyatt turned her self-taught skills toward helping others who were searching for similar answers about their history. For nearly a decade, she volunteered to assist individuals searching for biological family members, including adoptees and those with unknown parentage. Over time, that work evolved into something more complex: helping identify individuals who could not identify themselves, such as those with amnesia or medical conditions preventing speech, and eventually, victims in cold cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2019, Wyatt joined a team of investigative genetic genealogists at Parabon NanoLabs, where she began applying her skills to criminal investigations and unidentified remains cases across the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wyatt later volunteered with the Arkansas State Police after the case of Conway County Jane Doe stalled despite earlier DNA testing efforts. Drawing on her experience, she said she believed there were still leads worth pursuing and a path toward identification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI reached out because I felt like there was still progress to be made, even if it was slow,\u201d Wyatt said. \u201cWhen you\u2019ve been in this field long enough, the DNA starts to act like a roadmap. The matches and the amount of shared DNA can tell you where to look, and I had a feeling about where to start.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wyatt said the work begins with a DNA profile, which is then compared to distant relatives in public databases. By grouping shared matches and tracing common ancestors, she and other investigators are able to reconstruct fragmented family trees and narrow down an unidentified person\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s like putting together a puzzle without knowing what the final picture looks like,\u201d she said. \u201cYou group pieces together, find patterns, and eventually, something connects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even a single distant match can be enough to move a case forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn this case, there was one match in the DNA database that helped push us forward toward identification,\u201d Wyatt said. \u201cJust one person made that possible, and they probably don\u2019t even know. They\u2019re not closely related, and it\u2019s possible they never even knew Jamie existed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This, she said, is why it is so important for people who have had their DNA tested to upload their results to the databases that make this kind of work possible. There are three databases used for this sort of research: GEDmatch, FamilyTreeDNA, and DNA Justice. Anyone who wants to participate can help investigators by uploading their results and opting in to law enforcement matching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEspecially with unidentified human remains, people don\u2019t realize how many have been separated from their family but aren\u2019t on any list as reported missing,\u201d Wyatt said. \u201cThis was the case with Conway County Jane Doe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wyatt said she hopes more people understand both the role the public can play and the realities of the process. Even small contributions, like uploading DNA data to public databases, can make a difference \u2014 often without people even realizing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn most cases, if you choose to assist, you probably won\u2019t even realize you\u2019re helping,\u201d she said. \u201cBut those small pieces can be what allow us to move a case forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She added that investigative genetic genealogy is a careful, step-by-step process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not an instant answer,\u201d she said. \u201cSometimes we\u2019re narrowing it down from hundreds of people to a much smaller group, and it takes time and additional information to get to one name.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond science, Wyatt\u2019s work also depends heavily on communication \u2014 a skill she continues to develop through her studies at UA Little Rock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her role involves translating complex genetic findings into clear, actionable information for investigators, many of whom are not specialists in DNA analysis. She said her studies in applied communication have helped her navigate relationships with law enforcement while working on sensitive, often emotional cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re working with people who may have been on these cases for decades,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of emotion tied to that, so how you communicate matters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Wyatt, identifying Moore was both a breakthrough and a reminder of the weight of the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s very bittersweet,\u201d she said. \u201cThere is that celebratory moment that you finally found the connection, but it\u2019s very fleeting because you realize there are painful implications as well. Jamie got her name back, and Jamie\u2019s family is now processing that loss.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wyatt said she is grateful for the opportunity to play a role in helping family members find not only answers, but peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As investigators continue working the case, Wyatt hopes her efforts highlight the potential of investigative genetic genealogy and the need for more resources to support it in Arkansas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Wyatt, the goal remains simple \u2014 to help give people their names back and bring a measure of peace to the families still searching for answers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What began as a quest to learn more about her family\u2019s heritage has led one University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate student to help identify more than 60 previously <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/27\/ua-little-rock-graduate-student-helps-identify-cold-case-victim-after-more-than-30-years\/\" class=\"more-link\">…<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> UA Little Rock Graduate Student Helps Identify Cold Case Victim After More Than 30 Years<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2764,"featured_media":93997,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1925,1926,1922],"tags":[42,25799,35323,2218],"class_list":["post-93974","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-featured","category-research","tag-biology","tag-donaghey-college-of-stem","tag-leaders-in-the-classroom-and-communities","tag-student-success"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UA Little Rock Graduate Student Helps Identify Cold Case Victim After More Than 30 Years - 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\/04\/27\/ua-little-rock-graduate-student-helps-identify-cold-case-victim-after-more-than-30-years\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UA Little Rock Graduate Student Helps Identify Cold Case Victim After More Than 30 Years\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What began as a quest to learn more about her family\u2019s heritage has led one University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate student to help identify more than 60 previously ... 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Coleman"},"url":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/author\/mcoleman4\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93974","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=93974"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93974\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93975,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93974\/revisions\/93975"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93997"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":94001,"date":"2026-04-24T09:18:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T14:18:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/?p=94001"},"modified":"2026-04-24T09:18:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T14:18:25","slug":"ua-little-rock-faculty-inducted-into-arkansas-research-alliance-academy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/24\/ua-little-rock-faculty-inducted-into-arkansas-research-alliance-academy\/","title":{"rendered":"UA Little Rock Faculty Inducted Into Arkansas Research Alliance Academy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Two University of Arkansas at Little Rock faculty members have been inducted into the Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA) Academy, a distinction recognizing leading researchers whose work is driving innovation and economic growth across the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Anindya Ghosh, professor of chemistry and associate dean of the Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and Dr. Philip Huff, associate professor of computer science and director of the Cyberspace Operations Research and Education Center (CORE), were among six researchers selected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ARA Academy represents leading researchers from universities across the state and has contributed more than $1 billion to Arkansas\u2019s economy. Members are advancing industry-focused research in key areas such as advanced manufacturing, energy, cybersecurity, and sustainable design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ghosh, one of the nation\u2019s leading researchers in green chemistry, said the recognition reflects the university\u2019s strong and growing research environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m honored to be inducted into the Arkansas Research Alliance Academy,\u201d Ghosh said. \u201cARA does an outstanding job of supporting research through funding and by connecting researchers with the right resources and partnerships to move ideas forward. This recognition motivates me to push that work forward in ways that benefit Arkansas while preparing students for meaningful careers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His work in green chemistry, catalysis, and materials science focuses on practical, sustainable solutions that reduce pollution, support clean energy, and create more environmentally responsible materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Huff said he is excited to be part of a community working to expand research opportunities across Arkansas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI appreciate ARA\u2019s commitment to advancing research and innovation across Arkansas, and I\u2019m honored to be part of a community working to expand those opportunities,\u201d Huff said. \u201cThrough this connection, the CORE Center can collaborate more closely with industry to keep our cybersecurity and AI research grounded in real-world needs. This supports UA Little Rock\u2019s mission to provide high-impact student research experiences that deliver real benefits to our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Huff leads the CORE Center and focuses on advancing cybersecurity for critical infrastructure while building partnerships between academia and industry. He is also the chief scientist and co-founder of Bastazo, an Arkansas-based cybersecurity startup that uses artificial intelligence to strengthen cybersecurity defenses and help organizations prioritize and address vulnerabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through their work, UA Little Rock researchers continue to create opportunities for students while contributing to innovations that benefit communities and industries across Arkansas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Two University of Arkansas at Little Rock faculty members have been inducted into the Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA) Academy, a distinction recognizing leading researchers whose work is driving innovation and <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/24\/ua-little-rock-faculty-inducted-into-arkansas-research-alliance-academy\/\" class=\"more-link\">…<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> UA Little Rock Faculty Inducted Into Arkansas Research Alliance Academy<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2764,"featured_media":94003,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1925,1926,1922],"tags":[2224,35704,25799,35323,2218],"class_list":["post-94001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-featured","category-research","tag-arkansas-research-alliance","tag-cyberspace-operations-research-and-education-center","tag-donaghey-college-of-stem","tag-leaders-in-the-classroom-and-communities","tag-student-success"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UA Little Rock Faculty Inducted Into Arkansas Research Alliance Academy - 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\/04\/24\/ua-little-rock-faculty-inducted-into-arkansas-research-alliance-academy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UA Little Rock Faculty Inducted Into Arkansas Research Alliance Academy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Two University of Arkansas at Little Rock faculty members have been inducted into the Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA) Academy, a distinction recognizing leading researchers whose work is driving innovation and ... UA Little Rock Faculty Inducted Into Arkansas Research Alliance Academy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/24\/ua-little-rock-faculty-inducted-into-arkansas-research-alliance-academy\/\" \/>\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=\"2026-04-24T14:18:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-24T14:18:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2026\/04\/Huff-and-Ghosh.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\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\\\/04\\\/24\\\/ua-little-rock-faculty-inducted-into-arkansas-research-alliance-academy\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/24\\\/ua-little-rock-faculty-inducted-into-arkansas-research-alliance-academy\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Molly Coleman\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b4c50280636b780e6a82d2a4f4d66223\"},\"headline\":\"UA Little Rock Faculty Inducted Into Arkansas Research Alliance Academy\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-24T14:18:23+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-24T14:18:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/24\\\/ua-little-rock-faculty-inducted-into-arkansas-research-alliance-academy\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":398,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/24\\\/ua-little-rock-faculty-inducted-into-arkansas-research-alliance-academy\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/Huff-and-Ghosh.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Arkansas Research Alliance\",\"Cyberspace Operations Research and Education Center\",\"Donaghey College of STEM\",\"Leaders in the Classroom and Communities\",\"Student Success\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Community\",\"Featured\",\"Research\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/24\\\/ua-little-rock-faculty-inducted-into-arkansas-research-alliance-academy\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/24\\\/ua-little-rock-faculty-inducted-into-arkansas-research-alliance-academy\\\/\",\"name\":\"UA Little Rock Faculty Inducted Into Arkansas Research Alliance Academy - 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From raising a child as a single mom to balancing long clinical hours and coursework, the North Little Rock native relied on determination and perseverance to reach this milestone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cooper will earn her Associate of Science in Nursing from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in May. She earned an associate\u2019s degree in liberal arts and sciences from Pulaski Technical College in May 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cooper followed a strategic academic path to achieve her nursing degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI did 2+2. I did two years of prerequisites at Pulaski Tech and the two-year nursing program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock,\u201d she explained. \u201cI plan to complete the Bachelor of Science in Nursing by December 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although nursing ultimately became her passion, Cooper said circumstances initially required her to think practically about her future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBecoming a mother at 18 motivated me to pursue a stable career, which led me to nursing,\u201d she said. \u201cDuring my journey, I developed a true passion for the field, and this experience has shaped both my career and who I am today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond academics, Cooper managed parenting and household finances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBalancing school while raising a child and handling bills on my own made it even more challenging,\u201d she said. \u201cI spent long hours studying, and the library truly became a second home for my son and me. I am very thankful for the support I received along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She received an Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship and used resources such as the CARE Team, the Academic Challenge Scholarship, and the campus food pantry at UA Little Rock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her coursework and clinical experiences allowed her to develop practical nursing skills that strengthened her confidence in patient care. Throughout her college experience, Cooper said family support \u2013 especially from her big sister, Shacora Cooper \u2013 played a key role. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShe is like a second mother to me without the title, as well as a sister, friend, and my personal therapist,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During her time in college, Cooper has built community and celebrated personal milestones. She was on the Little Rock Dance Team during her first year of college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI enjoyed being at the games, being loud, and cheering on the basketball players,\u201d she said. \u201cMy son also enjoyed coming with me to the games, which made the experience even more special.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cooper also pushed herself physically outside the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI ran my first 10K in February at the Little Rock Marathon,\u201d she said. \u201cThat was a big accomplishment for me, and it showed me that I can push myself to do things I did not think I could do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cooper said graduating with her associate\u2019s degree in nursing and later earning her bachelor\u2019s will mark a historic moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> \u201cI hope I\u2019ve created a cycle of education and financial stability that continues with my son and future generations,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After graduation, Cooper wants to spend more time with her son and involve him in activities he enjoys. She also plans to celebrate her accomplishment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy first plan is to take a vacation and get some rest, maybe even a week-long nap,\u201d she said. \u201cAfter that, I plan to work as a registered nurse in the operating room while also finishing my remaining bachelor\u2019s coursework.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cooper said her university experience helped her prepare for professional success and personal growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhile going through nursing school, I was able to build meaningful connections with people and network,\u201d she said. \u201cI also had the opportunity to volunteer and gain valuable hands-on clinical skills. I learned how to be punctual, organized, and how to manage my time wisely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cooper hopes her story encourages others to pursue their dreams despite obstacles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEveryone has a story or something in life that can hold them back, but I encourage people to find their purpose and stay determined,\u201d she said. \u201cDon\u2019t make excuses for why you cannot do something, make reasons for why you should.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For Kadeshia Cooper, the road to becoming a nurse has been anything but easy. From raising a child as a single mom to balancing long clinical hours and coursework, the <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/24\/balancing-motherhood-and-medicine-kadeshia-cooper-reaches-nursing-milestone\/\" class=\"more-link\">…<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> Balancing Motherhood and Medicine: Kadeshia Cooper Reaches Nursing Milestone<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":93999,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1925,1926],"tags":[36044,35323,36026,25167,2218],"class_list":["post-93998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-featured","tag-commencement-2026","tag-leaders-in-the-classroom-and-communities","tag-pat-walker-center-for-nursing","tag-school-of-nursing","tag-student-success"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Balancing Motherhood and Medicine: Kadeshia Cooper Reaches Nursing Milestone - 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\/04\/24\/balancing-motherhood-and-medicine-kadeshia-cooper-reaches-nursing-milestone\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Balancing Motherhood and Medicine: Kadeshia Cooper Reaches Nursing Milestone\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For Kadeshia Cooper, the road to becoming a nurse has been anything but easy. From raising a child as a single mom to balancing long clinical hours and coursework, the ... 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Rock Wrestler Cael Keck Graduates With Honors, Plans to Give Back Through Coaching"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>From helping build a young program to earning top honors in the classroom, Little Rock wrestler Cael Keck will graduate summa cum laude from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock this May with a degree in business management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keck is a six-time dean\u2019s and chancellor\u2019s list honoree, a 2023-24 NCAA Division I Scholar All-American, and a 2024 Pac-12 Conference placer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Keck said he chose UA Little Rock for both its wrestling program and strong academic opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat really swayed my decision was the coaches,\u201d he said. \u201cI trusted them from the jump, not just in their ability to coach, but in the type of people they are. It was also only the program\u2019s second year, so I was excited about the chance to help build it from the start.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over his time at UA Little Rock, Keck said being a student-athlete shaped his daily life and helped him develop discipline and structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou have to have discipline and time management, especially when things get bumpy,\u201d he said. \u201cI think the most important thing to being a successful student-athlete is finding a routine that prioritizes balancing school and athletics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keck also grew as a leader off the mat, organizing Little Rock wrestling\u2019s volunteer efforts at the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind. The team worked twice a week with the school\u2019s elementary wrestling program, assisting students with gear and leading them through drills to build confidence and skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He said wrestling taught him how to handle adversity and adapt in difficult situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s also taught me to appreciate hard work and staying disciplined,\u201d he said. \u201cThose are things I\u2019ll carry into my career and life after college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keck credits his coaches and teammates with having a lasting impact on his experience at UA Little Rock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are like a family, and they\u2019ve helped me grow as a wrestler and as a person,\u201d he said. \u201cBeing in that kind of environment has played a major role in who I am today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After graduation, Keck plans to return to Kansas City to coach youth wrestling at the same club where he competed growing up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From helping build a young program to earning top honors in the classroom, Little Rock wrestler Cael Keck will graduate summa cum laude from the University of Arkansas at Little <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/24\/little-rock-wrestler-cael-keck-graduates-with-honors-plans-to-give-back-through-coaching\/\" class=\"more-link\">…<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> Little Rock Wrestler Cael Keck Graduates With Honors, Plans to Give Back Through Coaching<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":93978,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1925,1926],"tags":[28370,36044,35323,17184,2218],"class_list":["post-93976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-featured","tag-college-of-business-health-and-human-services","tag-commencement-2026","tag-leaders-in-the-classroom-and-communities","tag-little-rock-wrestling","tag-student-success"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Little Rock Wrestler Cael Keck Graduates With Honors, Plans to Give Back Through Coaching - 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\/04\/24\/little-rock-wrestler-cael-keck-graduates-with-honors-plans-to-give-back-through-coaching\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Little Rock Wrestler Cael Keck Graduates With Honors, Plans to Give Back Through Coaching\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"From helping build a young program to earning top honors in the classroom, Little Rock wrestler Cael Keck will graduate summa cum laude from the University of Arkansas at Little ... Little Rock Wrestler Cael Keck Graduates With Honors, Plans to Give Back Through Coaching\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/24\/little-rock-wrestler-cael-keck-graduates-with-honors-plans-to-give-back-through-coaching\/\" \/>\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=\"2026-04-24T13:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2026\/04\/Cael-Keck.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sydney Ambrus\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sydney Ambrus\" \/>\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\\\/04\\\/24\\\/little-rock-wrestler-cael-keck-graduates-with-honors-plans-to-give-back-through-coaching\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/24\\\/little-rock-wrestler-cael-keck-graduates-with-honors-plans-to-give-back-through-coaching\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sydney Ambrus\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d5a5faa4af62b94789436560e8af26dd\"},\"headline\":\"Little Rock Wrestler Cael Keck Graduates With Honors, Plans to Give Back Through Coaching\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-24T13:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/24\\\/little-rock-wrestler-cael-keck-graduates-with-honors-plans-to-give-back-through-coaching\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":380,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/24\\\/little-rock-wrestler-cael-keck-graduates-with-honors-plans-to-give-back-through-coaching\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/Cael-Keck.png\",\"keywords\":[\"College of Business, Health, and Human Services (CBHHS)\",\"Commencement 2026\",\"Leaders in the Classroom and Communities\",\"Little Rock Wrestling\",\"Student Success\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Community\",\"Featured\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/24\\\/little-rock-wrestler-cael-keck-graduates-with-honors-plans-to-give-back-through-coaching\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/24\\\/little-rock-wrestler-cael-keck-graduates-with-honors-plans-to-give-back-through-coaching\\\/\",\"name\":\"Little Rock Wrestler Cael Keck Graduates With Honors, Plans to Give Back Through Coaching - 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Invited to Build, Compete, and Innovate at UA Little Rock AI Hackathon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is calling on students from across Arkansas and surrounding states to take part in one of the region\u2019s most exciting innovation events\u2014the second annual <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/cstem\/summer-programs\/#h-ai-hackathon\">AI Hackathon & HealthTech Startup Week<\/a>, happening June 8\u201312 on campus. With the application deadline set for April 30, now is the time to apply and be part of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This isn\u2019t a typical coding camp. The UA Little Rock AI Hackathon & HealthTech Startup Week is a five-day immersive experience where students ages 16\u201326 form interdisciplinary teams to tackle real-world healthcare challenges using cutting-edge AI tools, all with the guidance of expert mentors and the backing of industry giants like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nvidia.com\/en-us\/\">NVIDIA<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/about.google\/company-info\/\">Google<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Entrepreneurs, marketers, creatives and coders are all encouraged to apply, regardless of experience or background. Participants should be available for all five days, bring a laptop and agree to a media release. No coding experience is required\u2014teams are intentionally formed to bring together a variety of skills and perspectives. Open to students from all disciplines, the program highlights how the most impactful ideas often emerge through collaboration across different backgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Participants will compete for a share of $20,000 in prizes by pitching their team\u2019s AI-powered healthcare solution to a panel of judges at the end of the week. Beyond the cash prizes, participants can earn industry-recognized AI certifications in areas like coding and marketing, while also gaining access to mentorship from healthcare professionals, AI engineers, entrepreneurs and innovators\u2014an opportunity often reserved for graduate students and working professionals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is an opportunity to build valuable real-world skills through hands-on experience with professional AI tools, collaborate with peers and industry experts, and strengthen both technical and communication abilities, all while forming lasting connections with fellow students, mentors and industry partners that can open doors long after the event ends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLast year, we had 40 participants and 40 volunteers,\u201d Marla Johnson, UA Little Rock’s technology entrepreneur-in-residence, said. \u201cThis year, we raised enough to expand the AI Hackathon & HealthTech Startup Week to 150 students, including providing dorm rooms for those traveling from far and wide. It is a true labor of love of so many UA Little Rock faculty and staff. We\u2019re pumped.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With hands-on experience, expert mentorship, industry-backed tools and the chance to compete for $20,000 in prizes, UA Little Rock\u2019s AI Hackathon & HealthTech Startup Week offers far more than a typical summer camp. This opportunity is a launchpad for students ready to turn ideas into real-world impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Coder, creative, entrepreneur or simply curious about innovation in healthcare, this five-day experience is designed to meet attendees where they are and push them further. Join a collaborative, high-energy environment where technology, teamwork and purpose come together by registering <a href=\"https:\/\/forms.gle\/wXyAkYXQ2Rn23LoZ7\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is calling on students from across Arkansas and surrounding states to take part in one of the region\u2019s most exciting innovation events\u2014the second <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/24\/students-invited-to-build-compete-and-innovate-at-ua-little-rock-ai-hackathon\/\" class=\"more-link\">…<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> Students Invited to Build, Compete, and Innovate at UA Little Rock AI Hackathon<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2906,"featured_media":93969,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1923,1925,1926],"tags":[25799,35323,2218],"class_list":["post-93968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-culture","category-community","category-featured","tag-donaghey-college-of-stem","tag-leaders-in-the-classroom-and-communities","tag-student-success"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Students Invited to Build, Compete, and Innovate at UA Little Rock AI Hackathon - 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\/04\/24\/students-invited-to-build-compete-and-innovate-at-ua-little-rock-ai-hackathon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Students Invited to Build, Compete, and Innovate at UA Little Rock AI Hackathon\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is calling on students from across Arkansas and surrounding states to take part in one of the region\u2019s most exciting innovation events\u2014the second ... Students Invited to Build, Compete, and Innovate at UA Little Rock AI Hackathon\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/24\/students-invited-to-build-compete-and-innovate-at-ua-little-rock-ai-hackathon\/\" \/>\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=\"2026-04-24T13:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2026\/04\/hackathon-2025_122-Enhanced-NR.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=\"Samantha Koros\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Samantha Koros\" \/>\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\\\/04\\\/24\\\/students-invited-to-build-compete-and-innovate-at-ua-little-rock-ai-hackathon\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/24\\\/students-invited-to-build-compete-and-innovate-at-ua-little-rock-ai-hackathon\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Samantha Koros\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/4d2d71db64fc5dad90eaff1ce9387967\"},\"headline\":\"Students Invited to Build, Compete, and Innovate at UA Little Rock AI Hackathon\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-24T13:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/24\\\/students-invited-to-build-compete-and-innovate-at-ua-little-rock-ai-hackathon\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":468,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/24\\\/students-invited-to-build-compete-and-innovate-at-ua-little-rock-ai-hackathon\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/hackathon-2025_122-Enhanced-NR.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Donaghey College of STEM\",\"Leaders in the Classroom and Communities\",\"Student Success\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Arts & Culture\",\"Community\",\"Featured\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/24\\\/students-invited-to-build-compete-and-innovate-at-ua-little-rock-ai-hackathon\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/24\\\/students-invited-to-build-compete-and-innovate-at-ua-little-rock-ai-hackathon\\\/\",\"name\":\"Students Invited to Build, Compete, and Innovate at UA Little Rock AI Hackathon - News - UA Little Rock\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/24\\\/students-invited-to-build-compete-and-innovate-at-ua-little-rock-ai-hackathon\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/24\\\/students-invited-to-build-compete-and-innovate-at-ua-little-rock-ai-hackathon\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/hackathon-2025_122-Enhanced-NR.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-24T13:00:00+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/24\\\/students-invited-to-build-compete-and-innovate-at-ua-little-rock-ai-hackathon\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/24\\\/students-invited-to-build-compete-and-innovate-at-ua-little-rock-ai-hackathon\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/24\\\/students-invited-to-build-compete-and-innovate-at-ua-little-rock-ai-hackathon\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/hackathon-2025_122-Enhanced-NR.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/hackathon-2025_122-Enhanced-NR.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":800,\"caption\":\"Participants in the Coding for Wellness AI Hackathon competition present their team pitches to judges and community members during an event on campus. 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For Sheneice Hughes, that idea has played out over a career centered on investing in others and watching them grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After nearly three decades in public service, Hughes is preparing to retire from her role as chief administrative officer and deputy director of airport finance, people, and culture at Dallas Love Field. She will officially retire on May 12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hughes didn\u2019t set out to work in aviation. A native of Pine Bluff and a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where she studied <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/psychology\/\">psychological science<\/a>, she planned to go into training and development, focusing on workplace environments. That changed after an internship with the city of Little Rock opened the door to municipal government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLeadership is not in a book,\u201d Hughes said. \u201cIt\u2019s about showing people you care about what\u2019s important to them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That belief carried her to Dallas, where she worked in the mayor and city council office. There, she saw firsthand how decisions were made and how leadership shaped a city’s direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI got to see leadership from behind the curtain,\u201d she said. \u201cThey were making the rules, not just following them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her move to Dallas Love Field started as a six-month assignment from the mayor and city council office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It didn\u2019t take long for her to find her role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Within months, Hughes identified gaps in communication and customer service and began building solutions, including a centralized contact system for travelers and expanded use of social media. She stayed for 13 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Love Field, she focused on a simple idea: if employees feel supported, travelers will too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf employees aren\u2019t happy, they\u2019re not going to make your customers happy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That approach shaped how teams operated across the airport. Hughes regularly brought employees together to talk through what travelers needed and how expectations were changing. She also paid attention to small details that affect the passenger experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPeople don\u2019t think anything is clean unless they see you cleaning it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her leadership was tested during the COVID-19 pandemic, when travel slowed, and budgets tightened. Hughes worked to find cost savings while keeping employees in place, knowing they would be needed when passengers returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt all came down to making sure I could keep the employees,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over time, she focused on opening doors for others, especially those who may not have considered careers in aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m most proud of bringing people into the industry who never knew about it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She also saw shifts in leadership, particularly for women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As she steps away, Hughes hopes the culture she helped build continues through the people she mentored and the leaders who have grown within the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy job is to create leaders,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her advice to students and young professionals is simple: stay open, be ready to adjust, and use every tool available to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBe prepared for your opportunity,\u201d she said. \u201cUse every tool you have to your advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf you put good people in the world, good people will come back to you.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Leaders aren\u2019t built by what\u2019s written in books, but by the people who show them what leadership looks like. For Sheneice Hughes, that idea has played out over a career <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/23\/sheneice-hughes-reflects-on-career-of-leadership-and-impact-at-dallas-love-field\/\" class=\"more-link\">…<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> Sheneice Hughes Reflects on Career of Leadership and Impact at Dallas Love Field<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2036,"featured_media":93966,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1925,1926],"tags":[28389,36004,35323,2218],"class_list":["post-93965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-featured","tag-college-of-humanities-arts-social-sciences-and-education-chasse","tag-department-of-psychological-science","tag-leaders-in-the-classroom-and-communities","tag-student-success"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Sheneice Hughes Reflects on Career of Leadership and Impact at Dallas Love Field - 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\/04\/23\/sheneice-hughes-reflects-on-career-of-leadership-and-impact-at-dallas-love-field\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sheneice Hughes Reflects on Career of Leadership and Impact at Dallas Love Field\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Leaders aren\u2019t built by what\u2019s written in books, but by the people who show them what leadership looks like. 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Every Bar: How Brooklyn Marcee Balanced Athletics, Leadership, and Business"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For Brooklyn Marcee, the dream of competing as a collegiate athlete started early \u2014 and it became the foundation for a college journey defined by discipline, leadership, and determination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marcee will graduate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in May with a Bachelor of <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/business\/\">Business Administration<\/a> in management. Beyond leaving college with a degree, the Quitman, Texas, native leaves with experience balancing athletics, academics, leadership, and entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“Being a collegiate athlete has always been a dream of mine,” she said. “I have been in sports since the age of two, so it has been great getting to experience what all my hard work has brought me. I will forever be grateful for the time I had here.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Athletics and campus involvement shaped much of Marcee\u2019s college experience. While a member of the track and field team competing in women\u2019s pole vault, she also managed multiple responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“Throughout college, I was a full-time student-athlete on the track and field team, ran my own business as a freelance makeup artist, and was involved in organizations on campus such as the Student Activities Board, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and served as a mentor for CLC (Chancellor’s Leadership Corps),” she said. “Having the opportunity to balance all of this has taught me discipline, time management, and the importance of building relationships with those around you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marcee said earning her degree has been deeply rewarding, even during difficult moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“It has definitely been challenging and overwhelming at times, but I knew it would all be worth it in the end,” she said. “I think staying grounded, grateful, and building relationships with those around me is what helped push me through those times. Because how lucky am I that I get to be overwhelmed by something I once prayed for.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her support system included her teammates, family members, and mentors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“My parents have always been my number one supporters,” she said. “They are always pushing me to be the very best version of myself, and I know that I can always count on them.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She also credits mentors Corrigan Revels and Will Kendall for helping guide her development on the track and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“Corrigan Revels has been like a mentor to me for the past four years and has pushed me to get involved and grow in my leadership abilities,” she said. “Coach Kendall has not only pushed me to be the best I can be in my sport, but in life as well. He has taught me to trust the process and embrace the highs and lows.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Revels praised Marcee\u2019s commitment and determination throughout her college career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“Brooklyn’s work ethic and commitment to her obligations are highly admirable,” he said. “It takes true discipline to uphold a solid academic performance, deliver as a student athlete, and serve as a Chancellor’s Leadership Corps Peer Mentor for 3 years. I look forward to seeing what comes during the next chapter of her life.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marcee\u2019s dedication earned her numerous honors, including three OVC Academic Medals of Honor, seven OVC medals in the women\u2019s pole vault \u2014 six silver and one bronze \u2014 and the OVC Scholar Athlete Award in 2025. She was also named a UA Little Rock Homecoming Royal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After graduation, Marcee plans to focus fully on a passion she began years before college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“I plan to continue to pursue my business as a freelance makeup artist specializing in bridal,” she said. “I started this business in my freshman year of high school. Now that I am finishing college, I can fully commit to this passion of mine, getting to make women feel beautiful and empowered on one of the most important days of their lives.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As she prepares for the next chapter, Marcee said she\u2019s confident in the foundation she built in college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“I loved the close atmosphere UA Little Rock gave me,\u201d she said. \u201cWhether that was with organizations, professors, classmates, etc. It allowed me to meet new people and grow in ways I didn\u2019t think I could have.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marcee describes her college experience as supportive, opportunity-driven, and impactful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“Supportive because I felt like I had a strong support system while being here the past four years,” she said. “Opportunity-driven because there are so many opportunities to get involved on campus here, and ways to prepare you for what is after graduation. Impactful because I was able to make meaningful connections and grow into the person I am today.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For Brooklyn Marcee, the dream of competing as a collegiate athlete started early \u2014 and it became the foundation for a college journey defined by discipline, leadership, and determination. Marcee <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/22\/clearing-every-bar-how-brooklyn-marcee-balanced-athletics-leadership-and-business\/\" class=\"more-link\">…<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> Clearing Every Bar: How Brooklyn Marcee Balanced Athletics, Leadership, and Business<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":93952,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1925,1926],"tags":[451,28370,36044,35323,2218],"class_list":["post-93950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-featured","tag-chancellors-leadership-corps","tag-college-of-business-health-and-human-services","tag-commencement-2026","tag-leaders-in-the-classroom-and-communities","tag-student-success"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Clearing Every Bar: How Brooklyn Marcee Balanced Athletics, Leadership, and Business - 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\/04\/22\/clearing-every-bar-how-brooklyn-marcee-balanced-athletics-leadership-and-business\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Clearing Every Bar: How Brooklyn Marcee Balanced Athletics, Leadership, and Business\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For Brooklyn Marcee, the dream of competing as a collegiate athlete started early \u2014 and it became the foundation for a college journey defined by discipline, leadership, and determination. 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UA Little Rock’s <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/trojanworks\/\">Trojan Works<\/a> work study program offers flexible hours for students to help with study-work-life balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trojan Works strives to increase retention by providing financial assistance through professional work and unique experiences that prepare students for success beyond graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTrojan Works helped me get a paying job on campus,\u201d said Skylar Boone, a Trojan Works student. \u201cSince I didn\u2019t qualify for federal aid, they were able to help me find a job where I could get the experience I would need when I graduate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once hired by Trojan Works, students are paired with a mentor who answers questions about working for UA Little Rock. Mentors help new student workers understand payroll schedules and tax withholdings, while also offering seasoned workers valuable insights into financial literacy<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTrojan Works helped me learn more about the financial side of a job,\u201d said Olivia Osborn, a Trojan Works student. \u201cI\u2019ve had jobs before but this one prepared me for work after graduation.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can find program positions in <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/humanresources\/jobs\/\">Workday<\/a>. For more information, email <a href=\"mailto:trojanworks@ualr.edu\">trojanworks@ualr.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Need a little extra financial help? UA Little Rock’s Trojan Works work study program offers flexible hours for students to help with study-work-life balance. Trojan Works strives to increase retention <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/21\/trojan-works-helps-students-earn-learn-and-stay-on-track\/\" class=\"more-link\">…<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> Trojan Works Helps Students Earn, Learn, and Stay on Track<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2392,"featured_media":93941,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1925,1926],"tags":[35323,2218,36043],"class_list":["post-93940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-featured","tag-leaders-in-the-classroom-and-communities","tag-student-success","tag-trojan-works"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Trojan Works Helps Students Earn, Learn, and Stay on Track - 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\/04\/21\/trojan-works-helps-students-earn-learn-and-stay-on-track\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Trojan Works Helps Students Earn, Learn, and Stay on Track\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Need a little extra financial help? 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