Dr. Polly Walter, assistant professor of journalism in the Department of Mass Communication and Theatre, served as technical and graphic design editor for the recently published “Garland County, Arkansas: Our History and Heritage” (ISBN 978-0-9824534-0-7). The Garland County Historical Society, in conjunction with Melting Pot Genealogical Society, published the nearly 700-page book with Isabel Burton Anthony as editor. Rose Printing Company of Tallahassee printed the book in December 2009. The book contains two sections. The Garland County Historical Society wrote the first section, which contains 21 chapters that explain the history of Garland County and a source section that lists individuals who contributed articles, photos, and information about the county. The book’s second section contains about 400 family stories and photographs, which was compiled by the Melting Pot Genealogical Society with Patti Hays as supervisor. To purchase a copy, contact Garland County Historical Society (501)321-2159 or www.garlandcountyhistoricalsociety.com.
Scott Meador, assistant professor of digital filmmaking in the Department of Mass Communication and Theatre, was the lead animator for both 3D and 2D animations and graphics for the hit feature-length documentary, “House of Numbers: Anatomy of an Epidemic.” House of Numbers is a critique of the many inconsistencies in worldwide HIV/AIDS research, testing, funding, and healthcare. Meador’s primary work on the film was a 3D animation of the replication process of HIV, which was based on the generally accepted view of how HIV infects humans. The animation alone was selected for the 2009 ACM/SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival. His entry was one of 135 selected from over 800 entered. He also created 34 other animations and graphics seen throughout the film. The film itself has screened in 32 film festivals internationally and has won 12 Best of Festival or Best Documentary Awards. Excerpts from the HIV animation can be seen in the film’s trailer, which is available on Apple’s trailer website, iTunes, and the film’s website, www.houseofnumbers.com.
Several Music Department faculty members continue to lead Arkansas musically by performing with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra in Little Rock. They include: Kater Reynolds (principal viola); James Hatch (principal bass); Carolyn Brown (principal flute); Kelly Johnson (principal clarinet); Lorraine Duso (oboe, English horn); Brent Shires (horn); Larry Jones (trumpet); Denis Winter (trombone); Carl Anthony (principal keyboard). Also, Linda Hsu and Stephen Feldman routinely perform with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.
The Music Department hosted two Saturday symposia in an effort to reach out to music educators across the state. On March 6, UCA hosted choral music educators for the first Choral Conducting Symposium, directed by Dr. Ryan Fisher. On March 13, the Music Department hosted the third annual Wind Conducting Symposium, directed by Dr. Ricky Brooks and Professor Steven Smyth. Each of these symposia brought to campus a distinguished conductor and educator to work with our students and music educators from around Arkansas.
Dr. Lanette Grate of the Writing Department will be attending the College Conference on Composition and Communication in Louisville March 17-20. She will present the results of a collaborative study on student entitlement attitudes. The study and presentation are in collaboration with Dr. Francie Bolter and Professor Sophie Bradford of the Writing Department. The title of the presentation is “Grade Expectations: Student Entitlement Attitudes in First-Year Composition Courses.” In October 2009, Dr. Grate presented a paper entitled “Jane Addams: Coming to Voice at Rockford Female Seminary” at the Feminisms and Rhetorics Conference at Michigan State University in East Lansing. The essay, “Jane Addams: A Foe of Rhetorics of Control,” a socio-historical account of the way propaganda was used during World War I by the Wilson administration and the government controlled media (CPI) to suppress dissent by pacifists, has been accepted for inclusion in a book on propaganda edited by Mary Jean Braun and Gae Lyn Henderson. The book will be a collection of essays discussing the historical roots of and issues in the development of modern American propaganda.