Dr. Ryan Fisher
Dr. Ryan Fisher, an assistant professor, and Dr. Paige Rose, an associate professor of music education, have collaborated on several projects and events over the past few months. Together with recent UCA music education graduate, Sally Shewmaker, they published their research article, “Effects of manual/pedal movement, tempo, and gender on accuracy of steady beat in kindergarten students,” in Bulletin for the Council of Research in Music Education.
Rose then presented the results of a new follow-up study at the National Association for Music Education Conference held in St. Louis in March. Her research was funded by a research grant from the University Research Council. Dr. Fisher also attended the conference, presenting, “Impact of the male voice change on singing self-efficacy.”
This past spring, both professors attended the Texas Music Educators Association Conference, one of the largest music conferences in the nation with 28,000 attendees. Dr. Fisher combined with Southern Methodist University colleague, Dr. Julie Scott, to present “The effects of vocal register use and age on the vocal health of male elementary music teachers.” Dr. Rose presented “Leaving Chalkboards in the Dust,” an interactive interest session on using SMART boards in the music classroom
Dr. Paige Rose
Interactive white boards were also the topic of summer professional development provided by both professors. Rose presented a six-hour SMART board session in DeQueen. Both Fisher and Rose then combined to present a basic SMART board session and an advanced SMART board and iPad session for music educators.
Drs. Fisher and Rose also serve as directors of the Central Arkansas Children’s Choir, who traveled to Chicago in late June. The group had several Conway rehearsals in preparation for their trip to the Windy City Youth Choral Festival, where they combined with other choirs from across the world. The entire ensemble of 250 children rehearsed for two days together before their concert at the famed Orchestra Hall, home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. Rose also spent part of the summer in Washington D.C. at the 2012 NAfME Music Education Week. There she participated in division and national assembly meetings, as well as music advocacy and education policy talks with senators on Capitol Hill.
Following these back-to-back trips, Dr. Rose and Dr. Fisher hosted UCA’s fourth summer of Orff Schulwerk training, which was offered to music teachers from around the entire country. This two-week training was funded in part by a UCA Foundation Grant that the pair obtained. This marks the fourth consecutive summer of the program.
Immediately following this training, Fisher and Rose traveled to Thessaloniki, Greece for the International Society of Music Education Biennial Conference. Dr. Fisher presented research entitled, “Effects of male voice change, grade level, and experience on singing self-efficacy of emerging adolescent males.” Rose combined with former UCA alumnus, Karyna Johnson, to present research entitled, “The effects of music activity sessions on a child with autism: A case study.” This was the first time for this research to be presented internationally. Johnson, who has been honored as a “Mile High Teacher of the Year” for the state of Colorado, was a music education and Honors College graduate. A portion of Rose’s travel expenses was funded by a UCA Faculty Development Grant.
Both Fisher and Rose teach full time graduate summer courses in the newly revised and growing masters of music in music education program.
Mark Spitzer
Mark Spitzer, associate professor of creative writing, had the following works accepted for publication over the summer: the poem “Lake Conway Monster / The Evolution of” in Xavier Review, thepoem “Arkasquatch” in Gambling the Aisle, the poem “Invasive Species” in HouseOrgan, and the essay “Back to France: An American Punk in Paris Bids Adieuto an Iconic Biblio-Visionary” in ChamberFour. He was also the featured speaker at the 58th Southwestern EnergyArkansas State Science & Engineering Fair held at UCA, and his upcomingbook Monstropocalypse Opus IV was afinalist in the 2012 William Faulkner-William Wisdom Novel Contest in NewOrleans. UCA’s Toad Suck Review,which Spitzer manages and edits, received an international award from Library Journal for being one of the tenbest literary journals of 2012. Spitzer’s recent article on creative writing pedagogy and theory,was published in The Chronicle by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
John Vanderslice
John Vanderslice, associate professor of writing, published the short story “My Word” in a special Father’s Day edition of the journal Literary Mama. The story has since been optioned by English actress and movie producer Louise Dylan for the purposes of making a short film. A feature film is also possible in the future. Dr. Vanderslice will serve as co-producer of the short film and will contribute to the writing of the screenplay.
Garry Craig Powell
Garry Craig Powell, an associate professor in the Writing Department, has just published his first novel, Stoning the Devil (Skylight Press, August 2012). Set in the United Arab Emirates, where Powell used to live, the book details the troubled love lives of cast of characters of Arabs and expats. The female characters all struggle for freedom and independence in different ways. According to the illustrious Arab-American author, Naomi Shihab Nye, “Stoning the Devil is a mesmerizing read. Garry Craig Powell has an astonishing ability to create characters with swift and haunting power. His intricately linked stories travel to the dark side of human behavior without losing essential tenderness or desire for meaning and connection. They are unpredictable and wild. Is this book upsetting? Will it make some people mad? Possibly. But you will not be able to put it down.”
David Bailin
David Bailin, an instructor in the Department of Art, took part in the following exhibitions 2012 Arkansas Contemporary: Selected Fellows from the Arkansas Arts Council, August – November at the Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock and the 2012 Between Truth and Fiction: Pictorial Narratives, September – October in Koplin Del Rio Gallery in Los Angeles. Bailin’s publications include “Sign & Symbol, The 22 Magazine,” Vol2 II, pp. 38-56 or print version and ‘Who’s Who in American Art, 33rd Edition,’ Marquis Who’s Who, LLC, New Providence, RI. He will also participate in the third annual ALAartShow – A juried Exhibition scheduled for Oct. 12, 2012 to Jan. 26, 2013.
Anthony McMullen
The Department of Communication has selected Anthony McMullen as Director of Forensics. McMullen will coach the University’s award winning debate team and other competitive speaking activities. UCA competes under the auspices of the International Public Debate Association, continuing a century-long tradition of successful intercollegiate forensics competition.