[{"id":94682,"date":"2026-08-27T10:00:59","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T15:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/?p=94682"},"modified":"2026-08-27T10:01:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T15:01:00","slug":"single-parent-scholarship-helps-ua-little-rock-alumna-pursue-her-dreams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/27\/single-parent-scholarship-helps-ua-little-rock-alumna-pursue-her-dreams\/","title":{"rendered":"Single Parent Scholarship helps UA Little Rock Alumna Pursue her Dreams"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

University of Arkansas at Little Rock alumna Asia Amos knows what it means to overcome obstacles. As a single parent and transfer student, she changed her major, paid for school out of pocket, and balanced college with work and motherhood \u2014 all while determined to prove to herself and her son that anything is possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI feel like that little girl that was 19 years old and pregnant and lost and confused would be proud of the woman I am today,\u201d Amos said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Amos is building a career in the financial technology sector, always striving to grow and improve, and she encourages other single parents to pursue higher education, drawing from her own journey. Recently, she shared her experience completing her degree and receiving support from the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund (ASPSF)<\/a> on Arkansas Style<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amos began her higher education journey at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, where she studied elementary education. However, when she became pregnant, she made the difficult decision to pause her studies and enter the workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Driven by her desire to earn a degree and encouraged by her mother, Amos later returned to school, selecting UA Little Rock. Starting over as a single mother wasn’t easy, but she found a welcoming campus and valuable resources to support her. She also rediscovered old interests and decided to pursue political science, instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earning her degree became even more complex as she juggled classes, childcare, full-time work, and the responsibilities of motherhood, so Amos had to quickly learn how to manage it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust being transparent, it was hard,\u201d Amos said. \u201cI had times where I cried at night. I had times where my son and I both were crying at night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By her final semester, the financial strain of being a single parent in school intensified. Amos paid for tuition out of pocket while also covering rent, a car payment, gas, insurance, food, and all the expenses of raising her son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s when her mother suggested she apply for the ASPSF. Although Amos wasn’t convinced she would receive it, she did \u2014 and it came right on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe single parent scholarship came right when needed,\u201d Amos said. \u201cI was able to pay off my past-due balance on that plan, so that way I was able to change my class right in time for me to graduate and complete my education in December.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more than three decades, ASPSF has helped low-income single parents in Central Arkansas build more secure futures for themselves and their families through education. In addition to scholarships, the organization provides mentorship, career-focused workshops, emotional support and other resources to help parents succeed in school, work and life. ASPSF has also broadened its reach beyond traditional college pathways to provide scholarships for those pursuing skilled trades. Applications for fall 2026 scholarships<\/a> are open through Sept. 1 for eligible single parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt did give me an increase of hope, an increase of community and guidance and things like that,\u201d Amos said. \u201cThey\u2019re more than just a scholarship where they just give you money. They give you resources.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Amos, that support extended well beyond financial assistance. The resources and guidance she received through ASPSF, together with the encouragement and services offered by UA Little Rock, helped her navigate the unique challenges of single parenthood in college and gave her a sense of community as she worked toward graduation. That commitment to student success is one reason UA Little Rock was named an Outstanding Education Partner<\/a> by ASPSF in 2025, recognizing the university\u2019s dedication to understanding and supporting the unique needs of single-parent students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earning her degree was not the end of Amos\u2019 journey \u2014 it was a stepping stone toward a bigger future. She now hopes to attend the William H. Bowen School of Law<\/a> and pursue a career as a corporate attorney, a goal she has worked toward for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Partnerships like ours are about more than helping a student get across the finish line. They\u2019re about making it possible for students to keep building toward what comes next,” said Jenn Morehead, CEO of ASPSF. “Asia earned her degree, she\u2019s building a career, and she has her sights set on law school. We\u2019re proud to play a small part in helping her get there, and grateful to UA Little Rock for being the kind of partner that understands how important that support can be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her degree provided the foundation for her next chapter, but more importantly, it gave her a powerful example to share with her son. For Amos, earning her degree was never just about personal achievement; she wanted her son to see what\u2019s possible when he sets a goal and persists, even when the path gets tough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It gives me that confidence to now instill in him that you can do anything you put your mind to,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She hopes her message extends beyond her own family. Having experienced firsthand the challenges of balancing parenthood, work, and higher education, Amos wants other single parents to know that pursuing a degree is possible, even when the journey is difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe main thing I want single parents to know is just to keep going,\u201d Amos said. \u201cLife is hard, but at the end of the day, you have to keep pushing forward and keep striving for what you want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

University of Arkansas at Little Rock alumna Asia Amos knows what it means to overcome obstacles. As a single parent and transfer student, she changed her major, paid for school out of pocket, and balanced college with work and motherhood \u2014 all while determined to prove to herself and her son that anything is possible. … Single Parent Scholarship helps UA Little Rock Alumna Pursue her Dreams<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2906,"featured_media":94687,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1926],"tags":[112,35323,2227,2218,535],"class_list":["post-94682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-alumni-association","tag-leaders-in-the-classroom-and-communities","tag-school-of-public-affairs","tag-student-success","tag-william-h-bowen-school-of-law"],"yoast_head":"\nSingle Parent Scholarship helps UA Little Rock Alumna Pursue her Dreams - 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\/08\/27\/single-parent-scholarship-helps-ua-little-rock-alumna-pursue-her-dreams\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Single Parent Scholarship helps UA Little Rock Alumna Pursue her Dreams\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"University of Arkansas at Little Rock alumna Asia Amos knows what it means to overcome obstacles. 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Achieving her degree \"gives me that confidence to now instill in him that you can do anything you put your mind to,\u201d Amos said."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/27\/single-parent-scholarship-helps-ua-little-rock-alumna-pursue-her-dreams\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Single Parent Scholarship helps UA Little Rock Alumna Pursue her Dreams"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/","name":"News","description":"UA Little Rock","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/#organization","name":"UA Little Rock","url":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2024\/12\/ua-little-rock-logo-yoast.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2024\/12\/ua-little-rock-logo-yoast.png","width":696,"height":696,"caption":"UA Little Rock"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UALittleRock\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/ualrvideo","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/university-of-arkansas-at-little-rock\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ualr\/"],"description":"The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a metropolitan research university that provides an accessible, quality education through flexible learning and unparalleled internship opportunities.","email":"ask@ualr.edu","telephone":"501-916-3000","legalName":"UA Little Rock"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4d2d71db64fc5dad90eaff1ce9387967","name":"Samantha Koros","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/43fc0575707bd2562cfafa14c6272ed1fb5a02915def80a826f51f931c5ed4be?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/43fc0575707bd2562cfafa14c6272ed1fb5a02915def80a826f51f931c5ed4be?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/43fc0575707bd2562cfafa14c6272ed1fb5a02915def80a826f51f931c5ed4be?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Samantha Koros"},"url":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/author\/skoros1\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94682","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\/2906"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94682"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94682\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94690,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94682\/revisions\/94690"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94687"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":94675,"date":"2026-08-26T15:54:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T20:54:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/?p=94675"},"modified":"2026-08-26T15:54:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T20:54:14","slug":"ua-little-rock-invites-community-to-paint-the-town-maroon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/26\/ua-little-rock-invites-community-to-paint-the-town-maroon\/","title":{"rendered":"UA Little Rock Invites Community to ‘Paint the Town Maroon’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is calling on businesses and organizations across the community to help Paint the Town Maroon and show their Trojan pride during a <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/centennial\/\">milestone year <\/a>for the university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is plenty to celebrate at UA Little Rock. With growing enrollment, a revitalized campus, successful Little Rock athletic teams, and the university\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/07\/01\/ua-little-rock-to-celebrate-100-years-of-impact-during-centennial-year\/\">Centennial<\/a> underway, Paint the Town Maroon invites the greater Little Rock community to be part of the momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The new community spirit initiative encourages local businesses and organizations to display UA Little Rock banners at their locations, creating a visible show of support for the university and its students throughout the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trojan alumnus and local business owner Bryan Hosto helped bring the idea to life, working with UA Little Rock to develop an effort that gives businesses a simple way to show their connection to the university. The UA Little Rock School of Business Advisory Board and UA Little Rock <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/development\/alumni-association\/\">Alumni Association<\/a> are partnering with the university to take this initiative into the community and encourage businesses throughout the area to participate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUA Little Rock and the Little Rock community are deeply connected, and Paint the Town Maroon is a fun, visible way to celebrate that relationship,\u201d said Christian O\u2019Neal, vice chancellor for university advancement. \u201cThere is tremendous momentum at UA Little Rock right now, and we want our community to be part of it. Seeing maroon throughout the city sends a message to our students, alumni and friends that Little Rock is proud of its university.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Businesses can choose between two banner sizes to best fit their storefront, office or other location. There is no cost to participate. Members of the School of Business Advisory Board and Alumni Association will be reaching out to area businesses and distributing banners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Businesses and organizations can also request a banner and pick it up at the Bailey Alumni and Friends Center on campus. Participants are encouraged to prominently display their banners and help create a sea of maroon across Little Rock throughout the centennial year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Paint the Town Maroon builds on UA Little Rock\u2019s ongoing connections with the community it serves. Local businesses employ UA Little Rock graduates, provide internships and career opportunities for students, partner with the university, and support Little Rock Athletics. The initiative offers another way for the community to demonstrate that relationship and celebrate a university and city whose futures are closely connected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs we celebrate 100 years of UA Little Rock, we\u2019re also looking ahead to what comes next,\u201d O\u2019Neal said. \u201cThis university and this city have a shared future, and Paint the Town Maroon is a simple way for all of us to celebrate that connection.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Businesses and organizations interested in participating can request a banner by emailing Angela Parker at <a href=\"mailto:amparker@ualr.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">amparker@ualr.edu<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is calling on businesses and organizations across the community to help Paint the Town Maroon and show their Trojan pride during a milestone year for the university. There is plenty to celebrate at UA Little Rock. With growing enrollment, a revitalized campus, successful Little Rock athletic teams, and <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/26\/ua-little-rock-invites-community-to-paint-the-town-maroon\/\" class=\"more-link\">…<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> UA Little Rock Invites Community to ‘Paint the Town Maroon’<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":94681,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1925,1926],"tags":[112,33343,3272],"class_list":["post-94675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-featured","tag-alumni-association","tag-centennial-campaign","tag-little-rock-athletics"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.3 (Yoast SEO v28.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UA Little Rock Invites Community to 'Paint the Town Maroon' - 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\/08\/26\/ua-little-rock-invites-community-to-paint-the-town-maroon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UA Little Rock Invites Community to 'Paint the Town Maroon'\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is calling on businesses and organizations across the community to help Paint the Town Maroon and show their Trojan pride during a milestone year for the university. There is plenty to celebrate at UA Little Rock. With growing enrollment, a revitalized campus, successful Little Rock athletic teams, and ... 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There is plenty to celebrate at UA Little Rock. With growing enrollment, a revitalized campus, successful Little Rock athletic teams, and ... 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at Bailey Celebrates 20th Year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will celebrate the 20th anniversary of one of its favorite traditions when BBQ at Bailey returns Wednesday, Oct. 7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The milestone event comes during UA Little Rock\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/07\/01\/ua-little-rock-to-celebrate-100-years-of-impact-during-centennial-year\/\">Centennial<\/a> academic year, bringing generations of Trojans together to celebrate <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/centennial\/\">100 years <\/a>of the university and 20 years of a tradition centered on food, fellowship, and Trojan pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This year\u2019s Celebration of Champions will once again put Trojan student-athletes in the spotlight, recognizing their accomplishments while welcoming students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the university to campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The annual picnic will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Bailey Alumni and Friends Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCelebrating 20 years of BBQ at Bailey during our Centennial makes this year especially meaningful,\u201d said Christian O\u2019Neal, vice chancellor for university advancement. \u201cFor two decades, this event has been about bringing Trojans together, and that\u2019s exactly what we want to do during our Centennial year. We\u2019re excited to celebrate our student-athletes, welcome alumni back to campus, and recognize the employers and community partners who continue to invest in UA Little Rock and our graduates.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As part of the Centennial celebration, UA Little Rock is expanding its outreach to alumni and university partners, including former student-athletes, <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/donagheyscholars\/\">Donaghey Scholars<\/a> alumni, Greek alumni, corporate and foundation partners, and graduates working for some of the region\u2019s leading employers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This year, representatives from the top employers of UA Little Rock graduates will also volunteer throughout BBQ at Bailey. Their participation recognizes the organizations that employ Trojans and the important connections between the university, its graduates, and the Arkansas workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The top employers of UA Little Rock graduates include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>University of Arkansas at Little Rock<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Arkansas Children\u2019s Hospital<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Baptist Health<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Walmart Inc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Little Rock School District<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>State of Arkansas<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Southwest Power Pool Inc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Acxiom Corporation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Simmons Bank<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Friday, Eldredge & Clark LLP<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dillard\u2019s Inc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard PLLC<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bank OZK<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Whole Hog Cafe will cater the event, with vegetarian burgers available, and cookies from Community Bakery will be served. DJ Klassik Entertainment, owned by UA Little Rock alumnus Jonathan Nunn, will provide music, while the Trojan Pep Band will join the festivities. The Buzz will broadcast live from BBQ at Bailey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Guests can also take photos at a special UA Little Rock backdrop, find their commemorative bricks on the alumni patio, enjoy lawn games, and register for special door prizes.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sign up to <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/1ayKI6Kt5JAG0h0suYZucCIuMkinM-Y4wOwMcgSlmxlQ\/viewform?ts=6a8c7373&edit_requested=true\">volunteer<\/a>, and sign up to <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/1OCve3lMbSSxHnCCWf-StT083usMBXK3_SAeT56DTl7I\/viewform?ts=6a8c7e99&edit_requested=true\">attend<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will celebrate the 20th anniversary of one of its favorite traditions when BBQ at Bailey returns Wednesday, Oct. 7. The milestone event comes during UA Little Rock\u2019s Centennial academic year, bringing generations of Trojans together to celebrate 100 years of the university and 20 years of a tradition <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/26\/bbq-at-bailey-celebrates-20th-year\/\" class=\"more-link\">…<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> BBQ at Bailey Celebrates 20th Year<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":94674,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1923,1925,1926],"tags":[112,2383],"class_list":["post-94668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-culture","category-community","category-featured","tag-alumni-association","tag-bbq-at-bailey"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.3 (Yoast SEO v28.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>BBQ at Bailey Celebrates 20th 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\/08\/26\/bbq-at-bailey-celebrates-20th-year\/\" \/>\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 20th Year\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will celebrate the 20th anniversary of one of its favorite traditions when BBQ at Bailey returns Wednesday, Oct. 7. 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Drale. From faculty and staff, to students and community members — seasoned experts to eager neophytes — “this workshop is for you to expand your horizons.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trojan Forge, which had its grand opening Aug. 25, features a handful of 3D printers, a sewing machine, heat presses, sublimation printers, embroidery machines, vinyl cutters, a buttonmaker, a laminator, a soldering iron kit, cameras, a sound booth and podcast studio, and various crafting supplies, among other offerings. The opening of Trojan Forge was one of many <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/10\/ua-little-rock-welcomes-students-with-welcome-week-2026\/\">Welcome Week<\/a> events on campus <a href=\"https:\/\/events.ualr.edu\/all\/tags\/Welcome%20Week\">marking the start<\/a> of the 2026-27 school year, as the university celebrates its <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/07\/01\/ua-little-rock-to-celebrate-100-years-of-impact-during-centennial-year\/\">100th anniversary<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Located in Ottenheimer Library, Trojan Forge fulfills the university’s goals of access, experience, attainment, research, and community engagement, and “you can’t get much better than that,” Drale noted during Tuesday’s ribbon cutting ceremony. Dedicated to professional readiness, Trojan Forge will help students gain the confidence and develop the skills necessary to enhance their career prospects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Roughly a year ago, a prototype event engaged more than 200 students, demonstrating the desire for a space like this that would not only offer unique tools, but act as a gathering spot, said Brandon Sollars, Learning Commons coordinator.  “We want them to feel inspired to create and innovate.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Members of the Ottenheimer Library Vision Partners Program — student ambassadors and partners for the campus library — were critical in the development of Trojan Forge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“I enjoy the idea of students creating something for students, and this group doesn’t just advocate for students, but does real work,” such as the Trojan Forge project, said junior Ella Campbell, who became a Vision Partner in January 2025. “We had a makerspace at my high school” — the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.asmsa.org\/\">ASMSA<\/a>) in Hot Springs — “that so many people used, (not only) as a place where people came to create things, but (find) community, and I thought, ‘I’d love to see a space like that on campus here.'” <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There can never be enough ways for a campus community to gather together, so “any space that does that is amazing, and needed,” said Campbell, a native of the Hot Springs area majoring in environmental geology and anthropology. “I’m really excited to see the space evolve” as campus and community members find variegated uses for the tools inside, and more equipment gets added via requests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 3D printers will “definitely” be highly popular, as they offer “so many different uses, and anyone can use them,” but Campbell is most intrigued by the sewing machine, she said. “I’m an amateur sewist, but I really love the buttonmaker, too.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trojan Forge also received a $5,000 grant from <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2025\/10\/20\/trojan-champions-2\/\">Trojan Champions <\/a>Fund to “kickstart all the amazing projects we’re going to have,” Sollars said. “We’re going to invite faculty, staff, and students to pitch ideas, and then we’ll fund materials for those projects” with the grant money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The better experiences students have on campus, the more likely they are to become involved alumni after graduation, so the grant is an investment in the present and the future, noted Guy Choate, president of the <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/development\/alumni-association\/\">Alumni Association<\/a>. A makerspace like Trojan Forge is “a differentiator” for UA Little Rock, so helping fund it is “a no-brainer for us,” and it contributes “the cycle of building a better university.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trojan Forge will also engage the larger community with various monthly themes that invite use of its equipment and technology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“We want to develop 12 months of programming” to offer throughout this <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/centennial\/\">centennial<\/a> celebration year of UA Little Rock, and far into the future, Sollars noted. “We’re going to start in September with a 3D printing workshop,” with additional details on that event — and others — available on the <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/library\/trojan-forge-makerspace\/\">Trojan Forge website<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trojan Forge, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s new makerspace, will encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration among students, providing them access to high-level technology and equipment in a communal space open to all.  It will develop the next generation of the state’s workforce through hands-on learning and teamwork, said Chancellor Christina S. Drale. From faculty and <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/25\/ua-little-rocks-trojan-forge-a-new-space-for-collaboration-and-community\/\" class=\"more-link\">…<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> UA Little Rock’s Trojan Forge a New Space for Collaboration and Community<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3905,"featured_media":94667,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1925,1926],"tags":[112,36048,35495,35323,62,2218],"class_list":["post-94664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-featured","tag-alumni-association","tag-centennial-celebration","tag-innovation","tag-leaders-in-the-classroom-and-communities","tag-ottenheimer-library","tag-student-success"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.3 (Yoast SEO v28.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UA Little Rock's Trojan Forge a New Space for Collaboration 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\/08\/25\/ua-little-rocks-trojan-forge-a-new-space-for-collaboration-and-community\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UA Little Rock's Trojan Forge a New Space for Collaboration and Community\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Trojan Forge, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s new makerspace, will encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration among students, providing them access to high-level technology and equipment in a communal space open to all.  It will develop the next generation of the state’s workforce through hands-on learning and teamwork, said Chancellor Christina S. Drale. From faculty and ... UA Little Rock’s Trojan Forge a New Space for Collaboration and Community\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/25\/ua-little-rocks-trojan-forge-a-new-space-for-collaboration-and-community\/\" \/>\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=\"2026-08-25T22:19:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-26T14:10:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2026\/08\/Trojan-Forge-2026_127.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"805\" \/>\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=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/25\\\/ua-little-rocks-trojan-forge-a-new-space-for-collaboration-and-community\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/25\\\/ua-little-rocks-trojan-forge-a-new-space-for-collaboration-and-community\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ryan Anderson\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8f642c78068d68577d4b4539b8c2afe2\"},\"headline\":\"UA Little Rock’s Trojan Forge a New Space for Collaboration and Community\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-25T22:19:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-26T14:10:19+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/25\\\/ua-little-rocks-trojan-forge-a-new-space-for-collaboration-and-community\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":713,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/25\\\/ua-little-rocks-trojan-forge-a-new-space-for-collaboration-and-community\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Trojan-Forge-2026_127.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Alumni Association\",\"Centennial Celebration\",\"Innovation\",\"Leaders in the Classroom and Communities\",\"Ottenheimer Library\",\"Student Success\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Community\",\"Featured\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/25\\\/ua-little-rocks-trojan-forge-a-new-space-for-collaboration-and-community\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/25\\\/ua-little-rocks-trojan-forge-a-new-space-for-collaboration-and-community\\\/\",\"name\":\"UA Little Rock's Trojan Forge a New Space for Collaboration and Community - News - UA Little Rock\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/25\\\/ua-little-rocks-trojan-forge-a-new-space-for-collaboration-and-community\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/25\\\/ua-little-rocks-trojan-forge-a-new-space-for-collaboration-and-community\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Trojan-Forge-2026_127.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-25T22:19:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-26T14:10:19+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/25\\\/ua-little-rocks-trojan-forge-a-new-space-for-collaboration-and-community\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/25\\\/ua-little-rocks-trojan-forge-a-new-space-for-collaboration-and-community\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/25\\\/ua-little-rocks-trojan-forge-a-new-space-for-collaboration-and-community\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Trojan-Forge-2026_127.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Trojan-Forge-2026_127.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":805,\"caption\":\"Students, faculty and staff participate in a grand opening ceremony of Trojan Forge at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Aug. 25. The markerspace in the Ottenheimer Library provides access to tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters, vinyl cutters, screen-printing equipment, and woodworking tools. The space is designed to bring students from different majors together to experiment, build projects, and collaborate. 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for others, it meant returning to a familiar campus in a new role, taking on fresh responsibilities, or beginning their final year as a student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is an unmistakable rhythm to the first day of classes: students double and triple check their schedules, coffee cups make their way across campus, friends stop to catch up between classes, and student organizations welcome new and returning Trojans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The rain may have moved the celebration indoors, but it didn’t dampen the first-day excitement as students gathered for the First Day of Class Photos\/Centennial Celebration \u2014 the first day of classes in a yearlong celebration of the university’s <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/07\/01\/ua-little-rock-to-celebrate-100-years-of-impact-during-centennial-year\/\">100th anniversary.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Students filled the Donaghey Student Center Foyer Monday to take first-day photos, wave Trojan flags, listen to music from a DJ, and celebrate the university’s <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/centennial\/\">centennial<\/a> with themed cupcakes from Community Bakery while signing the centennial banner. This event was just the beginning, with additional centennial celebrations planned throughout the academic year, while <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/10\/ua-little-rock-welcomes-students-with-welcome-week-2026\/\">Welcome Week<\/a> events <a href=\"https:\/\/events.ualr.edu\/all\/tags\/Welcome%20Week\">continuing<\/a> throughout this week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For freshman Nancy Giron, the first day was already bringing some of the experiences she was hoping for when she arrived on campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s been a really good first day,\u201d she said. \u201cI almost got lost on my way to my classes, but I managed to find my class, and I even made a new friend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Giron plans to major in psychology and is looking forward to learning more about campus and meeting new people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For sophomore civil engineering major Christion Livingston, the first day was also a new beginning, as Livingston transferred to UA Little Rock from Arkansas State University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been exploring,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s actually my first day on campus, so I\u2019ve just been soaking it all in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Livingston said he is looking forward to success in his classes, including chemistry lab, while making new friends and taking advantage of new opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Rana Olwan, the start of this semester marks another new chapter at the university she already knows well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Olwan completed both her bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees at UA Little Rock, graduating with the latter last semester. Now, she is beginning her first semester as a Ph.D student in computer science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m most excited for being involved in Student Government Association, Graduate Student Association, and many other activities I wasn\u2019t able to do during my master\u2019s and bachelor\u2019s,\u201d said Olwan, who is serving as a graduate senator in the Student Government Association and as the DCSTEM (Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) senator in the Graduate Student Association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While some students are just beginning their UA Little Rock journeys, senior management major Ainsley Kendall is entering her final term as SGA president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is my second and final term as SGA President, and I\u2019m super super excited about what SGA is going to be able to do for our students because we\u2019ve really grown,\u201d Kendall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kendall is already looking ahead to a busy semester of student activities, including a pickleball event hosted by SGA later during Welcome Week, as well as Winterfest on Nov. 17. She served on the <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2025\/10\/09\/winter-fest\/\">Winterfest<\/a> committee last year and is excited to help <a href=\"https:\/\/events.ualr.edu\/alumni\/event\/winter-fest-2026\">bring back the event<\/a> for another year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Monday’s mix of first-time students, transfer students, graduate students, and campus leaders reflected the many different beginnings represented on the first day of the university\u2019s centennial year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As students posed for photos and signed their names to the centennial banner, they were not only celebrating UA Little Rock\u2019s history, but beginning another chapter of it themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The first day of class means something different to everyone. For some University of Arkansas at Little Rock students, Monday marked the beginning of their college experience; for others, it meant returning to a familiar campus in a new role, taking on fresh responsibilities, or beginning their final year as a student. There is an <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/24\/first-day-new-beginnings-ua-little-rock-starts-its-centennial-year\/\" class=\"more-link\">…<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> First Day, New Beginnings: UA Little Rock Starts Its Centennial Year<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2764,"featured_media":94663,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1926],"tags":[36048,2002],"class_list":["post-94660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-centennial-celebration","tag-student-government-association"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.3 (Yoast SEO v28.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>First Day, New Beginnings: UA Little Rock Starts Its Centennial 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\/08\/24\/first-day-new-beginnings-ua-little-rock-starts-its-centennial-year\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"First Day, New Beginnings: UA Little Rock Starts Its Centennial Year\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The first day of class means something different to everyone. For some University of Arkansas at Little Rock students, Monday marked the beginning of their college experience; for others, it meant returning to a familiar campus in a new role, taking on fresh responsibilities, or beginning their final year as a student. There is an ... 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First Day, New Beginnings: UA Little Rock Starts Its Centennial Year","og_url":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/24\/first-day-new-beginnings-ua-little-rock-starts-its-centennial-year\/","og_site_name":"News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UALittleRock\/","article_published_time":"2026-08-24T22:00:41+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-24T22:00:42+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":811,"url":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2026\/08\/first-day-of-class-2026_111.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Molly Coleman","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Molly Coleman","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/24\/first-day-new-beginnings-ua-little-rock-starts-its-centennial-year\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/24\/first-day-new-beginnings-ua-little-rock-starts-its-centennial-year\/"},"author":{"name":"Molly Coleman","@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/b4c50280636b780e6a82d2a4f4d66223"},"headline":"First Day, New Beginnings: UA Little Rock Starts Its Centennial Year","datePublished":"2026-08-24T22:00:41+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-24T22:00:42+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/24\/first-day-new-beginnings-ua-little-rock-starts-its-centennial-year\/"},"wordCount":641,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/24\/first-day-new-beginnings-ua-little-rock-starts-its-centennial-year\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2026\/08\/first-day-of-class-2026_111.jpg","keywords":["Centennial Celebration","Student Government Association"],"articleSection":["Featured"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/24\/first-day-new-beginnings-ua-little-rock-starts-its-centennial-year\/","url":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/24\/first-day-new-beginnings-ua-little-rock-starts-its-centennial-year\/","name":"First Day, New Beginnings: UA Little Rock Starts Its Centennial Year - News - UA Little Rock","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/24\/first-day-new-beginnings-ua-little-rock-starts-its-centennial-year\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/24\/first-day-new-beginnings-ua-little-rock-starts-its-centennial-year\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2026\/08\/first-day-of-class-2026_111.jpg","datePublished":"2026-08-24T22:00:41+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-24T22:00:42+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/24\/first-day-new-beginnings-ua-little-rock-starts-its-centennial-year\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/24\/first-day-new-beginnings-ua-little-rock-starts-its-centennial-year\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/24\/first-day-new-beginnings-ua-little-rock-starts-its-centennial-year\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2026\/08\/first-day-of-class-2026_111.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2026\/08\/first-day-of-class-2026_111.jpg","width":1200,"height":811,"caption":"Despite rain showers, University of Arkansas at Little Rock students couldn't help but smile at the start of a new school year Monday as they made their way around campus. 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Find out at the upcoming AI in the Rock @ UA Little Rock event on Wednesday, Aug. 26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hosted by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/cstem\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (DCSTEM)<\/a>, the event will bring together Central Arkansas\u2019 growing AI community to explore how AI is transforming education, industry, innovation, and the broader community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intherock.ai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AI in the Rock<\/a> is a monthly meetup that brings together the Central Arkansas community to learn, share ideas, and explore real-world applications of AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This month\u2019s event, \u201cAI @ UALR x FlowZone by TruEx,\u201d will highlight AI initiatives at UA Little Rock as well as a real-world collaboration involving FlowZone by TruEx.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCentral Arkansas has an opportunity to be a leader in how we use AI, and that starts with connecting the people who are learning, building and experimenting with the technology,\u201d said Matt Olson, co-founder of AI in the Rock. \u201cUA Little Rock is an important part of that ecosystem, and we\u2019re excited to bring the AI in the Rock community to campus to learn from what the university is doing and share ideas about where we go next.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>UA Little Rock leaders will offer perspectives on the university\u2019s AI efforts. Dr. Brian Berry, vice provost of research and dean of the Graduate School, will discuss the university\u2019s broader AI strategy, faculty collaboration and long-term vision. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs chair of the AI Council at UA Little Rock, I am committed to cultivating a cohesive, cross-disciplinary AI ecosystem,” said Berry. “Our vision is to bridge academic expertise with community needs, ensuring that we not only equip our students with future-ready skills, but also serve as a catalyst for innovation across Central Arkansas.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marla Johnson, inaugural tech entrepreneur-in-residence, will cover <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/06\/16\/arkansas-students-reimagine-healthcare-at-ua-little-rock-ai-hackathon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AI Hackathon events<\/a>, industry collaborations, the startup ecosystem and experiential learning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAfter riding emerging tech waves \u2014 web, mobile, social, online video, search \u2014 and training people across the country to turn new tech into new opportunity, I’m now equipping the next generation of Arkansas innovators with AI skills \u2014 professionals inside existing companies and students launching brand-new ones,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cI’m doing it so they can solve real problems that matter, not just chase what’s trendy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Executive Director of Workforce Development Dr. Aaron Duvall will examine workforce transformation, employer expectations and how Arkansas businesses can prepare for an AI-driven future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“AI is changing the skills employers value and the way work gets done,” Duvall said. “For Arkansas businesses, the opportunity is to prepare now by investing in their people, identifying where AI can improve their operations, and building a workforce that knows how to use these tools effectively and responsibly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The event will also highlight UA Little Rock\u2019s growing academic offerings in AI, including the <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/computerscience\/bachelor-of-science-in-artificial-intelligence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence<\/a>, AI-focused courses, graduate programs and industry-ready certificates. Attendees will learn how these programs prepare students with the skills and experience needed to navigate an increasingly AI-driven workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAI is rapidly transforming how we learn, conduct research, innovate and work, and UA Little Rock has an exciting opportunity to help shape that transformation in Arkansas,\u201d said Dr. Tansel Karabacak, dean of DCSTEM. \u201cThrough our academic programs, interdisciplinary research and partnerships with industry and the community, we are preparing students not simply to use AI, but to become the innovators and problem-solvers who will help define how it is applied responsibly in the real world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The conversation will also explore the challenges of using AI, including responsible AI use, human oversight, deepfakes and misinformation, and lessons learned through practical applications of the technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The event will take place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Engineering and Information Technology (EIT) Building. It is free and open to everyone, with food and beverages provided. Space is limited, so please register in advance. Visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intherock.ai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">event page<\/a> to learn more and RSVP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What happens when artificial intelligence (AI) moves from the screen into the real world? Find out at the upcoming AI in the Rock @ UA Little Rock event on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Hosted by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock\u2019s Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (DCSTEM), the event will bring together <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\/\" class=\"more-link\">…<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> AI in the Rock Comes to UA Little Rock to Explore AI in Education, Industry, and Innovation<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2906,"featured_media":94651,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1925,1926,1922],"tags":[35714,25799,35495],"class_list":["post-94648","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 v28.3 (Yoast SEO v28.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>AI in the Rock Comes to UA Little Rock to Explore AI in Education, Industry, and Innovation - 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\/08\/21\/ai-in-the-rock-comes-to-ua-little-rock-to-explore-ai-in-education-industry-and-innovation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"AI in the Rock Comes to UA Little Rock to Explore AI in Education, Industry, and Innovation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What happens when artificial intelligence (AI) moves from the screen into the real world? Find out at the upcoming AI in the Rock @ UA Little Rock event on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Hosted by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock\u2019s Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (DCSTEM), the event will bring together ... 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Re\/Align specializes in sports therapy, with a focus on injury prevention and rehabilitation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the internship, Thomas observed Lopez as he worked with patients, learning how he evaluated their needs and developed individualized treatment plans. Under his guidance, she also gained experience with patients and learned techniques such as scraping, cupping, and mobility stretching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis experience gave me a better understanding of how physical therapists work with athletes and how mobility and recovery can impact performance,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cMost importantly, it confirmed my interest in pursuing a career in physical therapy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thomas said one of her biggest takeaways was recognizing the importance of understanding human anatomy and how different parts of the body work together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe body does not work in isolation; every muscle, ligament, and tendon is connected and can influence how the body moves as a whole,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cUnderstanding how these structures work together and how movement in one area can affect another is essential to effectively evaluating and treating patients.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The experience also gave Thomas an opportunity to connect what she has learned at UA Little Rock with her future career. She applied terminology from her Science of Biology course during the internship and looks forward to taking anatomy this fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI am very excited for this semester because I will be taking anatomy, and I am confident that it will allow me to better understand what I learned from Re\/Align,\u201d Thomas said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a student-athlete, Thomas also found that the strength and athleticism she developed through track and field helped her while working with patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI learned that physical therapists need to be mobile, strong, and comfortable using their own body weight when working with patients,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cMy experience as an athlete helped me feel more comfortable using my strength while also learning how to apply it safely and effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thomas\u2019 connection to Re\/Align began when her brother sought treatment from Lopez for a shoulder injury that had restricted his range of motion. Thomas accompanied her brother to an appointment and struck up a conversation with Lopez about her interest in becoming a physical therapist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Impressed by Lopez\u2019s approach to working with athletes, Thomas asked if she could return to Re\/Align for observation hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI was amazed by the results and immediately knew I wanted to learn more about his approach,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cI asked Israel if I could come to Re\/Align for observation hours, and the rest is history!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond the clinical experience, Thomas said the relationships she built during her internship were among the most meaningful parts of the summer. She met people from a variety of backgrounds and learned from their experiences and perspectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese connections showed me the importance of building relationships and being open to learning from everyone I encounter,\u201d Thomas said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The internship ultimately reinforced Thomas\u2019 goal of becoming a physical therapist by showing her the impact physical therapists can have on their patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI saw firsthand how proper treatment, guidance, and understanding of the body can help someone recover, move better, and return to doing what they love,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cIt made me realize that being a PT is not just about treating injuries, but also about helping people become the best version of themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For other UA Little Rock students interested in internships, Thomas recommends taking advantage of every opportunity to learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI would tell students to be a sponge and soak up as much information as possible, especially when you are doing something you genuinely love,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cEvery experience is an opportunity to learn something new, so stay curious and be willing to ask questions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She also encouraged students to build meaningful relationships and be themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“Everyone is their own brand, and how you present yourself, communicate with others, and let your personality shine can take you a long way,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cMost importantly, be yourself, stay open to learning, and take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking ahead, Thomas is excited about classes that will bring her closer to her goal of becoming a physical therapist. She is also looking forward to fall training with her track and field teammates and coaches and continuing to grow as an athlete and teammate. Thomas will also serve as an ambassador for the Chancellor\u2019s Leadership Corps, an organization she said has played an important role in her college experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>University of Arkansas at Little Rock senior biology major Madison Thomas strengthened her passion for physical therapy this summer through an internship at Re\/Align, where she gained hands-on experience working with athletes and other patients. Thomas, a native of Houston and member of the Little Rock Trojans track and field team, interned at Re\/Align in <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/21\/ua-little-rock-student-athlete-takes-next-step-toward-physical-therapy-career\/\" class=\"more-link\">…<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> UA Little Rock Student Athlete Takes Next Step Toward Physical Therapy Career<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":94647,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1926],"tags":[25799,34715,2218],"class_list":["post-94644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-donaghey-college-of-stem","tag-internships","tag-student-success"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.3 (Yoast SEO v28.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UA Little Rock Student Athlete Takes Next Step Toward Physical Therapy Career - 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\/08\/21\/ua-little-rock-student-athlete-takes-next-step-toward-physical-therapy-career\/\" \/>\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 Athlete Takes Next Step Toward Physical Therapy Career\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"University of Arkansas at Little Rock senior biology major Madison Thomas strengthened her passion for physical therapy this summer through an internship at Re\/Align, where she gained hands-on experience working with athletes and other patients. Thomas, a native of Houston and member of the Little Rock Trojans track and field team, interned at Re\/Align in ... 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Little Rock Welcomes Large Group for Fall Move-In"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Even triple-digit temperatures couldn’t stop enthusiastic University of Arkansas at Little Rock students from eagerly finding their homes for the new school year during the university’s move-in days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sophomore Caleb Shirley enjoyed his freshman year in East Hall so much he decided to live there again, with the same roommate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“It’s nice to be on campus — I met a lot of people — and all the food spots are pretty nice,” said the political science major. “I like all my political science teachers — they’re really good at what they do — and just the whole nice environment on campus.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moving the second time was also “a lot smoother,” than when he was a freshman on campus for the first time. It’s “super organized, and the police are doing a great job” directing traffic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a sophomore, Shirley plans to be more active on campus, including getting involved with student government, as he wants to attend UA Little Rock’s William H. Bowen <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/law\/\">School of Law. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“I want to join more clubs, extend myself, and meet more people,” said the Wynne native. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The university estimates more than 1,100 students will be living on campus this year, an increase of roughly 6% from fall 2025, according to the Dean of Students, Dr. Richard E. Harper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/07\/27\/undergraduate-credit-hours-up-12-as-ua-little-rock-prepares-to-welcome-the-first-fall-class-of-its-second-century\/\">Preliminary enrollment figures<\/a> show combined undergraduate and graduate headcount up 5% and nearly 300 students for this fall, with student semester credit hours up 11% compared with the same time last year. Undergraduate enrollment continues to lead that growth, with headcount up 7%, or more than 325 students, and undergraduate credit hours increasing 12%, as of late July. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Freshman Chase Cearns was attracted to UA Little Rock for several reasons, including the campus, which is “really pretty (and offers) a lot of nature.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cearns — an accomplished speech and debate competitor from Cabot High School who was selected for the Arkansas Governor’s School — plans to major in English, and he appreciates that “everyone has been really helpful” as he moved into West Hall. He was also intrigued by the litany of <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/10\/ua-little-rock-welcomes-students-with-welcome-week-2026\/\">Welcome Week<\/a> events as an opportunity to make new friends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The university began moving students in Wednesday, August 19, and <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/housing\/movein\/\">move-in continues<\/a> through Sunday, August 23, with classes beginning Monday, August 25. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Freshmen Sophie French and Jacey May were both drawn to the university in large part by its strong and growing <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2024\/09\/25\/national-rankings\/\">nursing program<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“I’ve heard the nursing program is really good, and I want to help people” as\u00a0a\u00a0Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)\u00a0nurse, said French, who is from Mayflower. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“A lot of nice people have been helping us” move into East Hall, she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>May’s boyfriend and several other friends are all enrolling at UA Little Rock this fall, and “everyone has been warm and welcoming,” she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to the nursing program, May was attracted to UA Little Rock by an impressive campus tour. The university is also “close to home” for the Little Rock<strong> <\/strong>resident, and she’s excited for “new experiences” as a college student living on campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Even triple-digit temperatures couldn’t stop enthusiastic University of Arkansas at Little Rock students from eagerly finding their homes for the new school year during the university’s move-in days.  Sophomore Caleb Shirley enjoyed his freshman year in East Hall so much he decided to live there again, with the same roommate.  “It’s nice to be on <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/20\/ua-little-rock-welcomes-large-group-for-fall-move-in\/\" class=\"more-link\">…<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> UA Little Rock Welcomes Large Group for Fall Move-In<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3905,"featured_media":94638,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1926],"tags":[4310,35636,2218],"class_list":["post-94634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-admissions","tag-enrollment","tag-student-success"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.3 (Yoast SEO v28.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UA Little Rock Welcomes Large Group for Fall Move-In - 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\/08\/20\/ua-little-rock-welcomes-large-group-for-fall-move-in\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UA Little Rock Welcomes Large Group for Fall Move-In\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Even triple-digit temperatures couldn’t stop enthusiastic University of Arkansas at Little Rock students from eagerly finding their homes for the new school year during the university’s move-in days.  Sophomore Caleb Shirley enjoyed his freshman year in East Hall so much he decided to live there again, with the same roommate.  “It’s nice to be on ... UA Little Rock Welcomes Large Group for Fall Move-In\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/20\/ua-little-rock-welcomes-large-group-for-fall-move-in\/\" \/>\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=\"2026-08-20T21:40:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-20T21:47:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2026\/08\/7X5A0230.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=\"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\\\/08\\\/20\\\/ua-little-rock-welcomes-large-group-for-fall-move-in\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/20\\\/ua-little-rock-welcomes-large-group-for-fall-move-in\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ryan Anderson\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8f642c78068d68577d4b4539b8c2afe2\"},\"headline\":\"UA Little Rock Welcomes Large Group for Fall Move-In\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-20T21:40:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-20T21:47:01+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/20\\\/ua-little-rock-welcomes-large-group-for-fall-move-in\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":529,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/20\\\/ua-little-rock-welcomes-large-group-for-fall-move-in\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/7X5A0230.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Admissions\",\"Enrollment\",\"Student Success\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Featured\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/20\\\/ua-little-rock-welcomes-large-group-for-fall-move-in\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/20\\\/ua-little-rock-welcomes-large-group-for-fall-move-in\\\/\",\"name\":\"UA Little Rock Welcomes Large Group for Fall Move-In - News - UA Little Rock\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/20\\\/ua-little-rock-welcomes-large-group-for-fall-move-in\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/20\\\/ua-little-rock-welcomes-large-group-for-fall-move-in\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/7X5A0230.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-20T21:40:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-20T21:47:01+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/20\\\/ua-little-rock-welcomes-large-group-for-fall-move-in\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/20\\\/ua-little-rock-welcomes-large-group-for-fall-move-in\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/20\\\/ua-little-rock-welcomes-large-group-for-fall-move-in\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/7X5A0230.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/7X5A0230.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":800,\"caption\":\"Several University of Arkansas at Little Rock students took a break during move-in day August 20 to enjoy the Welcome Back BBQ and show some school spirit. 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This initiative marks a new chapter in preparing Arkansas child welfare professionals to better serve children and families statewide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“It’s always exciting to open a new space on campus, but it’s especially meaningful when that space will have an impact far beyond our university,” said Chancellor Christina S. Drale. “Thanks to our partnership with the Arkansas Department of Human Services, this Learning Lab will help prepare child welfare professionals to better serve children and families throughout the state. We are honored to be part of that work.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Child Welfare Learning Lab provides an innovative environment where new professionals can practice decision-making, communication, and case management through realistic simulations before working directly with families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Developed through a partnership between MidSOUTH and DCFS, the Learning Lab immerses participants in real-world scenarios reflecting on-the-job challenges. Trainees gain hands-on experience in interviewing, assessing family needs, documenting case activities, and managing complex situations, all while receiving immediate coaching and feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cToday, we are not just opening a new building, we are opening a new way of preparing child welfare professionals to serve Arkansas children and families. This space was built with one goal in mind: to bridge the gap between learning and practice,” said Tiffany Wright, Director of Children and Family Services. \u201cEvery decision matters. Every conversation matters. Every interaction has the potential to change the trajectory of a child\u2019s life. We have a responsibility to prepare our workforce the best way possible, and that is exactly what this Child Welfare Learning Lab represents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Located in a remodeled house on the UA Little Rock campus, the Learning Lab was developed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.midsouth.ualr.edu\/\">MidSOUTH<\/a> to provide a realistic setting for child welfare training. MidSOUTH led the site development and renovations while partnering with DCFS on curriculum development. DCFS championed the integration of simulation into the training experience, giving new professionals valuable hands-on experience before entering the field. Together, the partners transformed an actual house into a flexible training environment that can be reconfigured to represent different home settings and circumstances professionals may encounter in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The idea of creating a dedicated, adaptable home for child welfare training has been a long-standing goal for MidSOUTH, particularly for Dr. Greg Smith, executive director of MidSOUTH, and the Learning Lab brings that vision to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“This has truly been a partnership built on a shared commitment to improving outcomes for children and families,” he said. “The Child Welfare Learning Lab gives our newest professionals the opportunity to practice, learn, and build confidence before they encounter these situations in the field. Ultimately, every investment we make in preparing our workforce is an investment in the safety, well-being, and success of Arkansas’s children and families.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Learning Lab is a significant investment in Arkansas’s child welfare workforce, blending classroom learning, simulation, and structured field training. This approach helps new employees build confidence and competence while strengthening services for children and families across Arkansas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“The more new professionals within the Division of Children and Family Services can practice here, the more prepared they’ll be when they walk into someone’s home for the first time,\u201d said Provost Ann Bain.\u00a0 \u201cWe all know there are no easy days in child welfare. The decisions these professionals make can have a lasting impact on a child’s life, so it’s important they have a place to practice where the stakes aren’t quite so high.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The University of Arkansas at Little Rock\u2019s MidSOUTH Training Academy and the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS), celebrated the grand opening of the Child Welfare Learning Lab August 19. This initiative marks a new chapter in preparing Arkansas child welfare professionals to better serve children and families <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/19\/ua-little-rock-midsouth-and-arkansas-dcfs-open-child-welfare-learning-lab\/\" class=\"more-link\">…<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> UA Little Rock MidSOUTH and Arkansas DCFS Open Child Welfare Learning Lab<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2906,"featured_media":94626,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1925,1926],"tags":[28370,209],"class_list":["post-94622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-featured","tag-college-of-business-health-and-human-services","tag-midsouth"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.3 (Yoast SEO v28.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UA Little Rock MidSOUTH and Arkansas DCFS Open Child Welfare Learning Lab - 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\/08\/19\/ua-little-rock-midsouth-and-arkansas-dcfs-open-child-welfare-learning-lab\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UA Little Rock MidSOUTH and Arkansas DCFS Open Child Welfare Learning Lab\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The University of Arkansas at Little Rock\u2019s MidSOUTH Training Academy and the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS), celebrated the grand opening of the Child Welfare Learning Lab August 19. 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UA Little Rock MidSOUTH and Arkansas DCFS Open Child Welfare Learning Lab\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/19\/ua-little-rock-midsouth-and-arkansas-dcfs-open-child-welfare-learning-lab\/\" \/>\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=\"2026-08-19T21:58:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-19T21:58:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2026\/08\/7X5A0099.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\\\/08\\\/19\\\/ua-little-rock-midsouth-and-arkansas-dcfs-open-child-welfare-learning-lab\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/19\\\/ua-little-rock-midsouth-and-arkansas-dcfs-open-child-welfare-learning-lab\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Samantha Koros\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/4d2d71db64fc5dad90eaff1ce9387967\"},\"headline\":\"UA Little Rock MidSOUTH and Arkansas DCFS Open Child Welfare Learning Lab\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-19T21:58:37+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-19T21:58:38+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/19\\\/ua-little-rock-midsouth-and-arkansas-dcfs-open-child-welfare-learning-lab\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":617,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/19\\\/ua-little-rock-midsouth-and-arkansas-dcfs-open-child-welfare-learning-lab\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/7X5A0099.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"College of Business, Health, and Human Services (CBHHS)\",\"MidSOUTH\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Community\",\"Featured\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/19\\\/ua-little-rock-midsouth-and-arkansas-dcfs-open-child-welfare-learning-lab\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/19\\\/ua-little-rock-midsouth-and-arkansas-dcfs-open-child-welfare-learning-lab\\\/\",\"name\":\"UA Little Rock MidSOUTH and Arkansas DCFS Open Child Welfare Learning Lab - News - UA Little Rock\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/19\\\/ua-little-rock-midsouth-and-arkansas-dcfs-open-child-welfare-learning-lab\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/19\\\/ua-little-rock-midsouth-and-arkansas-dcfs-open-child-welfare-learning-lab\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/7X5A0099.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-19T21:58:37+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-19T21:58:38+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/19\\\/ua-little-rock-midsouth-and-arkansas-dcfs-open-child-welfare-learning-lab\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/19\\\/ua-little-rock-midsouth-and-arkansas-dcfs-open-child-welfare-learning-lab\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/19\\\/ua-little-rock-midsouth-and-arkansas-dcfs-open-child-welfare-learning-lab\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/7X5A0099.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ualr.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/240\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/7X5A0099.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":800,\"caption\":\"Greg Smith, executive director of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock\u2019s MidSOUTH Training Academy, discusses the new Child Welfare Learning Lab with University of Arkansas System President Jay B. 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Little Rock School of Business to Honor Brandon, Pierce as Distinguished Alumni"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>From launching Arkansas’s first legal distillery since Prohibition to helping families and businesses build long-term wealth, two UA Little Rock graduates will be recognized this fall for careers that have shaped business across Arkansas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The University of Arkansas at Little Rock <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/business\/\">School of Business<\/a> will honor Phil Brandon, founder and CEO of Rock Town Distillery, with the Distinguished Alumnus Award and Ryder Pierce, executive vice president and investment manager at Bank OZK, with the Dean’s Award for Excellence during the 2026 School of Business Distinguished Alumni Luncheon on Friday, Oct. 9, at the Statehouse Convention Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The awards ceremony will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Wally Allen Ballroom D. The luncheon celebrates graduates whose professional accomplishments, leadership, and service reflect the values of the UA Little Rock School of Business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Mark Funk, director of the UA Little Rock School of Business, said Brandon and Pierce reflect the qualities the school strives to instill in its graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“One of the greatest measures of a business school is the success of its graduates, and Phil Brandon and Ryder Pierce have built careers defined by leadership, integrity, and service,” Funk said. “They represent different generations and industries, but both have made a meaningful impact through their work and have remained connected to the university. We are proud to recognize their accomplishments and the example they set for our students.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Distinguished Alumnus Award is the School of Business’s highest honor, presented to a graduate who has made significant contributions to business while serving the Little Rock community and UA Little Rock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After earning his MBA (Master of Business Administration) from UA Little Rock, Brandon founded Rock Town Distillery in 2010, and under his leadership, Rock Town has grown into an internationally recognized, award-winning craft distillery whose bourbons, vodkas, gins, and other spirits have earned numerous national and international honors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before launching Rock Town, Brandon spent more than two decades in the telecommunications industry. He has also supported economic development and the arts through leadership roles with organizations including the Downtown Little Rock Partnership and the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Dean’s Award for Excellence recognizes a graduate from the past decade who has demonstrated exceptional promise as a business leader while remaining engaged with the university and community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A graduate of UA Little Rock with bachelor’s degrees in economics and finance, Pierce serves as executive vice president and trust investment officer at Bank OZK, where he works with clients on investment and wealth management strategies. He is also a CFA charterholder — a globally recognized financial expert who has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst credential — and is working toward an Executive MBA from Vanderbilt University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prior to joining Bank OZK, Pierce held leadership positions in wealth management and investment strategy before returning to Arkansas. A former Trojan cross country and track student-athlete, he has remained connected to UA Little Rock while building a reputation as one of Arkansas’s emerging business leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For tickets and sponsorship opportunities, contact Ginger Daril at 501-916-6437 or <a href=\"mailto:vlkays@ualr.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">vlkays@ualr.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From launching Arkansas’s first legal distillery since Prohibition to helping families and businesses build long-term wealth, two UA Little Rock graduates will be recognized this fall for careers that have shaped business across Arkansas. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Business will honor Phil Brandon, founder and CEO of Rock Town Distillery, <a href=\"https:\/\/ualr.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/19\/ua-little-rock-school-of-business-to-honor-brandon-pierce-as-distinguished-alumni\/\" class=\"more-link\">…<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> UA Little Rock School of Business to Honor Brandon, Pierce as Distinguished Alumni<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":94616,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1926],"tags":[112,28370,24765],"class_list":["post-94611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-alumni-association","tag-college-of-business-health-and-human-services","tag-school-of-business"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.3 (Yoast SEO v28.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UA Little Rock School of Business to Honor Brandon, Pierce as Distinguished Alumni - 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\/08\/19\/ua-little-rock-school-of-business-to-honor-brandon-pierce-as-distinguished-alumni\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UA Little Rock School of Business to Honor Brandon, Pierce as Distinguished Alumni\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"From launching Arkansas’s first legal distillery since Prohibition to helping families and businesses build long-term wealth, two UA Little Rock graduates will be recognized this fall for careers that have shaped business across Arkansas. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Business will honor Phil Brandon, founder and CEO of Rock Town Distillery, ... 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