Dr. Umadevi Garimella, director of the Arkansas Center for Mathematics and Science Education (ACMSE) at the University of Central Arkansas, received a grant for $82,350 from the Arkansas Department of Education. The grant provides funds to develop an Algebra I Licensure Endorsement Training program for math teachers in the state of Arkansas. In the spring of 2009, Dr. Charles Watson, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics at UCA, was commissioned by the Arkansas Department of Education to chair a task force of mathematics educators to design and implement a program of professional development for teachers seeking the Department of Education’s new licensure endorsement for Algebra I at Grade 8. Watson along with Belinda Robertson from the ACMSE worked with Judy Trowell, Arkansas Department of Education; Tim Brister, Harding University Mathematics instructional facilitator; Brad Etters, Conway School District,; and Jean McGehee, associate professor of mathematics at UCA, to create a five-day training program that was adopted by the Arkansas Department of Education as required for meeting the endorsement requirement. The Department of Mathematics, with the assistance of Dr. Donna Foss, professor of mathematics at UCA, works closely with the UCA College of Education to review licensure requirements and to recommend candidates for the endorsement. Dr. Watson and Ms. Robertson are working with other higher education institutions across the state to replicate the training over the next two years.
The Arkansas Center for Mathematics and Science Education (ACMSE) has received $173,000 Smart Start Grant Renewals. The principal investigator of these grants is Dr. Umadevi Garimella, director of the ACMSE. These two grant renewals provide $86,500 each to support the work of a 12-month full time mathematics instructional specialist and a 12-month full time science instructional specialists at ACMSE. The instructional specialists at UCA are part of a state-wide network of instructional specialists in other university math/science centers. The network of instructional specialists works to meet the educational goals and state standards established by the Arkansas Department of Education. The instructional specialists provide services to Arkansas school districts for the purpose of improving instruction. These services include: on-site technical assistance, models of best practices, observation and coaching of teachers, support of school districts’ curriculum development and alignment, assessment analysis and alignment, technology integration, professional development and leadership.
Drs. Ben Rowley, J.D. Swanson, Lance Bridges, Melissa Kelley, and Steve Runge from the Departments of Biology and Chemistry were awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation entitled, “Acquisition of a Flow Cytometer for Teaching and Research in the Natural Sciences”. This grant provided $82,452 for the purchase of an analytical flow cytometer. Dr. Rowley’s laboratory will use the machine to characterize changes in white blood cells exposed to low levels of mercury. Dr. Swanson’s group will be determining the effects of plant compounds on cancer cells. Drs. Bridges and Kelley will be measuring the strength of specific molecular interactions between cells while Dr. Runge and his students will be investigating the effects of low oxygen and/or low pH (acid) environments on breast cancer cells.
Dr. Yu Sun, assistant professor in the Computer Science Department, along with Jiancong Luo, Ishfaq Ahmad, recently published, “Controlling the Bit Rate of Multi-Object Videos with Non-Cooperative Game Theory,” IEEE Transactions on Multimedia, Vol. 12, No. 2, February 2010, pp. 97 – 107.
The University of Central Arkansas will be hosting the Arkansas State Science Fair April 2-3. For more information, contact Mark Bland in the Department of Biology at 501-450-5967 or mbland@uca.edu