The Bear Ledger

Julia Robison, associate director of student financial aid was awarded the Distinguished Service Award at the fall Arkansas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators conference on October 3.

 The Distinguished Service Award is presented to an individual who has had a significant influence upon the financial aid profession. These individuals have set high standards of excellence during their many years of service. They have demonstrated a continued commitment to assisting students in achieving their goal of higher education, and have also demonstrated leadership characteristics through their willingness to share their expertise and ideas with colleagues.

Robison has been in the profession for 22 years.

 

The first annual “Show of Hands” exhibit will be Saturday, October 26, 2013, from 1-3pm at the Doyne Health Science Center on the 3rd Floor.

The exhibit entitled “Show of Hands” marks the first semester of occupational therapy school for UCA occupational therapy students. Like the experience of hand casting, the journey toward becoming an occupational therapist is marked by periods of intense activity, excitement, frustration, pleasure, and contemplation.

Typical for endeavors associated with the field of occupational therapy, the process and outcome of hand casting reflects a complex blend of science and artistry. There is no denying the psychosocial aspect of creating an image of oneself. The occupational therapy students have taken the complex process of alginate and hydrostone casting to another level through their display of expressive hand gestures and the inclusion of objects that represent who they were, are now, and someday hope to be.

Faculty and alumni from the Athletic Training Program in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education made research and educational presentations at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Annual Meeting & Clinical Symposia, in Las Vegas, NV. Meghann Brewer, ATC, a 2012 graduate, presented a poster entitled “Quantification of Scapular Upward Rotation in Elite Volleyball Players Following a Full Season of Play.” Steve Tucker, PhD, ATC, an assistant professor, was the co-author.

Lyndsey Ingram, MS, ATC, a 2011 graduate, presented a poster entitled “Reliable Change Index of Scapular Upward Rotation”. The study was part of her thesis work at Georgia Southern University and Steve Tucker, PhD, ATC was a co-author on the study.

Clinical instructor Steve Hornor, MA, ATC and Steve Tucker, PhD, ATC were co-authors on a poster presentation by University of New Hampshire professor Erik Swartz, PhD, ATC. The study was entitled “Head and Trunk Acceleration during Intermediate Transport on Medical Utility Vehicles.”

Steve Tucker, PhD, ATC, presented an oral presentation entitled “The Acute Effects of Hold-Relax Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation with Vibration Therapy on Glenohumeral Internal Rotation Deficit.” Co-author on the study was Stephen Slone, MS, ATC a 2012 graduate of the MS Kinesiology program.

Steve Tucker, PhD, ATC collaborated with Don Walendzak, PT from East Point Physical Therapy and Burt Rogers, EdD, MBA, ATC from the University of Toledo Medical Center to present a 4-hour advanced track course entitled “Hands on Approach to Shoulder Rehabilitation.”

 

The following are the regularly scheduled meeting dates/time/location for the Strategic Planning Committee and the Strategic Budgeting Advisory Committee. The meetings are open to campus.

Strategic Planning Committee will meet at 1:40 p.m., in Wingo Hall, room 315 on the following dates:

October 3, 2013
November 7, 2013
December 5, 2013
January 2, 2014
February 6, 2014
March 6, 2014
April 3, 2014
May 1, 2014
June 5, 2014

Strategic Budgeting Advisory Committee will meet at 1:40 p.m., in Wingo Hall, room 315 on the following dates:

October 10, 2013
November 14, 2013
December 12, 2013
January 9, 2014
February 13, 2014
March 13, 2014
April 10, 2014
May 8, 2014
June 12, 2014

Dr. Mary Ellen Oslick, assistant professor of Reading/Literacy in the Department of Early Childhood and Special Education and director of the UCA Reading Success Center, will present “A Dream for Social Justice and a United Community: The Jane Addams Chaildren’s Book Award” on Monday, September 30th at 2:00 pm in LIB 215 as part of the Torreyson Library Faculty Presentation Series. Light refreshments will be served.

Educators and related other professionals are cordially invited to participate in the first ever EdCamp in Arkansas on Saturday, October 5, 2013 at the University of Central Arkansas.

What is an EdCamp? Quite simply, EdCamp is an “unconference,” which means technology-enhanced professional development that has no vendors, no keynotes, and no pre-set sessions. We’ll be discussing everything from educational technology to teacher evaluation (TESS) to parental involvement, and anything else participants want to collaborate on. The entire day is structured around the needs of the attendees on the day of the conference.

Apart from official ADE professional development credit, we will have food, door prizes, and ample opportunities to collaborate with other passionate educators.

Register at http://edcamparkansas.eventbrite.com/

Want more information? Email the EdCamp directors, Dr. Michael S. Mills (mmills@uca.edu) or Dr. Donna Wake (dwake@uca.edu) or visit http://EdcampArkansas.org.

Edcamp Poster

 

The Association of Fraternity Advisors selected Scott Isenga, director of fraternity life, a Volunteer of the Month. Isenga is a member of the Perspectives Editorial Board, a publication of the association. Isenga’s nominator said this about him, “Scott has been an incredible new addition to the Perspectives editorial board. He jumped in with two feet this spring and has proved to be a strong editor. For the summer issue, he took on editing extra articles to pitch in when we received such a large amount of content. He consistently provides thoughtful feedback for authors as well as an infusion of energy and ideas on Perspectives brainstorming calls. Scott thinks differently about content and advancing the profession, proving him an asset to the board.”

Dr. Shoudong Feng, associate professor, College of Education, Department of Early Childhood and Special Education (ECSE), was recently selected as 2013 English Teacher of the Year for College Education by the Arkansas Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts (ACTELA). Dr. Feng has been at UCA since 2002 and is currently Coordinator of the graduate Reading Program for ECSE. His responsibilities include coordinating the Reading Program, teaching graduate and undergraduate level reading courses, and advising graduate/undergraduate students. Dr. Feng will receive the award at ACTELA’s fall luncheon on October 31st.

Dr. Nancy Gallavan, professor, College of Education, Department of Teaching and Learning, has been selected as an inaugural member of the Eleanor Roosevelt Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) and will be inducted at their 49th Biennial Convocation October 24-26, 2013 in Dallas, Texas. The Eleanor Roosevelt Chapter is a new Honorary Chapter that honors men and women who have made significant and longtime contributions to Kappa Delta Pi. They have also demonstrated a commitment to its ideals and excellence in education.

Anthony McMullen, visiting assistant professor of business law and UCA debate team coach, was named Arkansas College Teacher of the Year by the Arkansas Communication and Theatre Arts Association at their annual meeting in Fort Smith recently. Anthony McMullen helped restart the UCA debate team in 2007. In addition, he is on the Arkansas Bar Association’s Mock Trial Committee, which sponsors the Arkansas High School Mock Trial Competition. In 2012, he was also named Coach of the Year at the Southern Forensics Championship Tournament. McMullen, along with Dr. Larry Dilday of the Department of Communication, will lead the UCA debate team as they start their season on September 28-29 at a competition hosted by Henderson State University.

Dr. Michael Mills, assistant professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning, has been accepted into the nationally recognized Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) Program’s Class of 2013. Mills is one of only 70 educators selected this year to join the more than 2000 educators worldwide who are passionately committed to the improvement of teaching and learning through educational technology. Mills participated in a week-long ADE Institute in Austin, Texas, in July 2013. The Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) Program began in 1994, when Apple recognized K-12 and higher education pioneers who are using a variety of Apple products to transform teaching and learning in powerful ways. Today it has grown into a worldwide community of over 2,000 visionary educators and innovative leaders who are doing amazing things with technology in and out of the classroom. More information on this group of innovative educators is available online at http://www.apple.com/education/ade. Dr. Mills joined UCA’s College of Education in August 2011.

Dr. Reinaldo Morales, associate professor, spoke to the Kadohadacho Chapter of the Arkansas Archeological Society on Tuesday, September 10 on the campus of Southern Arkansas University. He presentation explored lessons about interpreting prehistoric iconography by studying the significance and use of living art traditions.

Dr. Wendy Rickman, assistant professor, College of Education, Leadership Studies Department, served as conference chair of the Arkansas Association of School Librarians Annual Conference was recently held in Little Rock at the Holiday Inn Presidential. She also serves as current Chair of the Arkansas Association of School Librarians state organization. Conference presenters included College of Education personnel Dr. Jud Copeland, Dr. Stephanie Huffman, Dr. Shelly Albritton, Dr. Jeff Whittingham, Tracy McAllister, Erin Shaw, and Dr. Kay Bland as well as school librarians, academic librarians, and public librarians from around the state, the FBI, and several educational co-ops.

Mark Spitzer, associate professor of creative writing and recipient of the 2013 CFAC Award for Creativity and Research (finalist at the university-wide level), recently had his book Crypto-Arkansas accepted for publication by Spuyten Duyvil Books, Brooklyn. Other recent acceptances or publications include his essay “Gar vs. Sewage: A Tragedy of Waste,” forthcoming from The Oklahoma Review (as well as in Big Muddy); “First-World Problems in Third-World Countries: Trolling for Tropical Gar” in Green Hills Literary Lantern”; “Gar Rodeo in the Cajun Swamp” in Animal) and “Enter the Next Generation” in Flyway. Spitzer’s book review of Charles Bukowski’s The Flash of Lightning Behind the Mountain was accepted for publication by Oyster Boy Review. He had some other book reviews published in Terrain: A Journal of Built + Natural Environments. As a scholar in residence at the City University of Hong Kong, Spitzer recently took part in the 2013 Summer Institute for English Teachers’ Creativity and Discovery in Teaching University Writing Conference, where he taught workshops on puppet pedagogy, gave a poetry reading, and took part in the final keynote panel.

John Vanderslice, associate professor of writing, traveled to London in June to give a presentation on historical fiction to the Great Writing conference, the leading creative writing conference in the United Kingdom. In July he was the featured writer on the blog of the journal Versal, a literary review published out of Amsterdam. He also published several pieces this summer. His short fiction appeared in Gemini magazine and Whistling Fire. His memoir essay, “A Minute Inside the Ocean Cafe, July 1980,” appeared in Squalorly magazine. Meanwhile, a pastiche essay on the subject of marathon running was accepted by 1966, a journal of research-driven creative nonfiction, and will soon appear in that magazine. Also, a historical fiction, “On Cherry Street,” was accepted by Pembroke magazine and will appear this fall.

Roy Whitehead, professor, has been appointed to the editorial board of The CPA Journal. The CPA Journal is the official publication of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants.