The Bear Ledger

Gladys Sachse Endowed Scholarship awarded

Posted on June 20, 2014

The UCA College of Education is pleased to announce that Amanda Threlkeld and Theresa Thompson have been awarded the Gladys Sachse Endowed Scholarship for the 2014-2015 academic year. The Gladys Sachse Endowment provides $1,000 each to two students accepted into the UCA College of Education Master of Science degree program in Library Media and Information Technology (LMIT) and who plan to become a school librarian. Their selection out of six applicants was based upon academic achievement with consideration given to financial need. Candidates for the scholarship must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above in their education major.

Dr. Jud Copeland, associate professor in Leadership Studies, developed the scholarship award in 2007 and was able to meet personally with Gladys Sachse at Salem Rehabilitation Center before she passed away in 2009. She expressed a great interest in promoting the endowed scholarship to help students in the Library Media program. Dr. Copeland states, “What I would like to do is to promote Ms. Sachse’s endowed award with membership in both the Arkansas Library Association and the Arkansas Association of Instructional Media. I think this is a real link to our profession and it would stimulate award winners’ participation in our organizations.” As an extra added incentive this year, Dr. Copeland will pay for the award winners’ first year of ArLA and AAIM membership, saying “I feel that Miss Sachse would approve.”

Amanda Threlkeld

Amanda Threlkeld’s stated goal is to help students improve their research and digital literacy. In her role as a library media specialist, she plans to share her knowledge, training, and creativity from the LIBM program with other teachers and students.

Theresa Thompson

Theresa Thompson plans to make the library the heart of the school for all teachers, students, and parents and to foster a love of reading through storytelling and conversations about new literature to pique students interests.

Bear Boots continues

Posted on May 19, 2014

The Bear Booters are still working, but help is needed. Go to OrgSync and SIGN UP NOW! The sign-ups will be for FRIDAYS ONLY.

All UCA faculty, staff, students, and alumni are welcome to participate in service for this volunteer effort to assist tornado victims in Faulkner County. Spouses and friends are also welcome. Volunteers must be 17 years of age or older to participate. If you are interested in volunteering and participating in Bear Boots on the Ground, please click the link below for more information and to sign-up!

https://orgsync.com/52031/forms/106155

*Staff need to contact their supervisor for approval before signing up to volunteer.

Thank you for all that you do!

Good News

Posted on May 19, 2014

The following is a sampling of UCA news mentions:

Grant to help renovate UCA’s McCastlain Hall—KTHV-TV

UCA’s McCastlain Hall receives $800,000 grant for renovations—Arkansas Business

Grant to help renovate UCA’s McCastlain Hall—KNOE-TV

McCastlain makeover—Log Cabin Democrat

Grant to help renovate UCA’s McCastlain Hall—West Plains Daily Quill

Grant to help renovate UCA’s McCastlain Hall—The Daily Citizen

$800,000 grant to help pay for renovations to University of Central Arkansas’ McCastlain Hall—Daily Reporter

UCA Bear Boots Hit the Ground

UCA announces week-long disaster effort

UCA honors distinguished alumni at black tie event

UCA extends scholarship deadline

UCA Nursing Student Association awards

Posted on May 19, 2014

The University of Central Arkansas Student Nurses Association was recognized with the “Image of Nursing Award” at the National Student Nurses Association convention in Pittsburgh, PA on April 11 – 15. This school level award is granted to a nursing school for an activity which spreads a positive image of nursing at a local, state or national level.

From left to right: Dr. Barbara Williams, Chairperson of Nursing Department;
Betty Diehl, Faculty Advisor; Torie Dailey, Nursing Student Association President; and Jesse Kennedy, NSNA President

The University of Central Arkansas Nursing Student Association was recently recognized as an NSNA Stellar School Chapter at the National Student Nurses Association annual convention in Nashville, TN on April 9 – 12. This award recognizes school chapters that demonstrate ongoing involvement in NSNA for the past five years, as well as a strong commitment to shared governance and professional development of their students and faculty. This recognition is granted for five years. Seven schools from across the nation were recognized as Stellar Chapter this year. There are a total of 23 chapters that have been recognized over the past five years. 5 of the 23 schools are from Arkansas, with Arkansas having more Stellar Schools that any other state.

The six UCA students who attended NSNA convention this year include Danielle Geels, Torie Dailey, Jenna Nadler, Deanna Allen, Chris Shahan, and Angela Wilgus. They were accompanied by Betty Diehl, Faculty Advisor. Dr. Barbara Williams, Chair of the Department of Nursing attended the award ceremony.

UCA faculty and students attend Occupational Therapy National Conference

Posted on May 19, 2014

Occupational therapy students, professors, and clinicians from across the country attended the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Annual Conference and Expo in Baltimore, Maryland on April 2-4, 2014. Eight professors and 19 students (three first-year students, 14 second-year students, and two third-year students) represented UCA by attending the conference.

Hannah Colvin, Chandler Graham, Sarah Holloway and Josh Krolikowski were selected to participate in the 40th Annual Maddak Awards. The Maddak Awards are held every year at the AOTA Conference to acknowledge the creativity, ingenuity and dedication of occupational therapy professionals and students who continually look for new ways to enhance the lives of their clients. Our students competed with original innovations and inventions that could be used as a rehabilitative or adaptive device. Chandler Graham, a second-year student, won 3rd place with her hands-free fishing pole.

Dr. Lorrie George-Paschal, associate professor, Dr. Cathy Acre, assistant professor, Veronica Rowe, clinical instructor, and second-year student Hannah Colvin, along with professors in occupational therapy assistant programs at Baptist Health and Arkansas Tech University, presented on the outcomes of an intraprofessional experience among a group of occupational therapy students and occupational therapy assistant students. The significant results of the study were shared among OT practitioners and students during a research session at the national conference.

Tina Mankey, associate professor of Occupational Therapy, provided a research platform presentation entitled, “Building Evidence in Transition Services: Qualitative Inquiry of Transition Teams regarding Occupational Therapy Services”. Second-year student Stephanie Warner and third-year students Caitlin Krehel and Lacie Canizares were research assistants for the project and attended the 2014 AOTA conference to present the findings alongside Mankey.

Jennifer Moore, associate professor and interim chair, and Brittany Saviers, adjunct faculty, gave a research poster presentation on the effects of an occupation-based program among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Moore attended the program director meeting prior to conference to learn more about emerging themes in occupational therapy education and the impact of healthcare reform.

Elizabeth LeQuieu, clinical instructor II, attended the Academic Fieldwork Coordinators Forum. Forum topics included emerging issues in higher education and practice impacting fieldwork, identifying strategies to address challenges, and increased demand on fieldwork sites due to the growth of OT and OTA programs.

Rowe attended the AOTF doctoral networking reception and annual meeting. In this meeting, strategies were discussed for successful mentoring.

Major Erik Johnson, also known as the “Army OT guy”, made the introduction of the keynote speakers for the opening ceremonies of the AOTA Annual Conference and Expo. Major Johnson was a 2005 graduate of the Occupational Therapy Department at UCA. He has been deployed as an occupational therapist and is currently practicing at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The keynote address was made by three of his clients who had sustained multiple amputations from trauma while serving overseas. They depicted the success that can come through occupational therapy. Major Johnson had nothing but praise for the education he received while at UCA and his clients had nothing but praise for the services they had received while in his care.

UCA students compete in the 40th Annual Maddak Awards with support from professors
Left to Right: Josh Krolikowski, Sarah Holloway, Chandler Graham, Hannah Colvin, Dr. Jennifer Moore, Mrs. Elizabeth LeQuieu, Dr. Tina Mankey, Mrs. Brittany Saviers

UCA OT students present research at Conference
L-R: Lacie Canizares, Caitlin Krehel, and Stephanie Warner

UCA students pose with Major Erik Johnson and Keynote Speakers at the Expo

Thank-a-Teacher program

Posted on May 19, 2014

The Instructional Development Center is proud to announce another successful semester of the Thank-A-Teacher program. An announcement was made the first week in April about the program and the form was left open for student submissions until after the close of the spring semester. This program provides an avenue for students to send a brief note of thanks to any faculty member who has made a positive impact on them. (Note: Students were encouraged to use this service. Thank-A-Teacher does not take the place of university student evaluations.) Many UCA students submitted a brief note of appreciation to various UCA faculty through the Thank-A-Teacher website.

After summer classes began, the Instructional Development Center will send 165 “Thank you’s” to 128 different faculty members representing each college. For those of us who love numbers, here’s the breakdown:

– 165 “Thank Yous” Submitted

– 111 Different Students

– 128 Different Faculty Thanked

– Average Number of “Thanks” Received Per College: 26.7

– 451 “Thank Yous” submitted this academic year Year – Up 65% from last year!

The IDC looks forward to sponsoring this program again this upcoming fall semester. Faculty, be looking for your Thank You notes to arrive in campus mail over the next few weeks!

UCA staff present at technology symposium

Posted on May 19, 2014

Kimberly Klotz and Kimberly McKee

Kimberly McKee, associate in the Division of Outreach and Community Engagement, was invited to present at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Teaching with Technology Symposium held in Little Rock on July 24-25, 2014.

The presentation, “Click Here to Change the World: Using Technology to Build e-Mentoring Relationships,” focuses on the development of the University’s pilot program – D.R.E.A.M. Team. The presentation will provide a short overview of the program, a course tour to show how Blackboard is used to host the lessons and a demonstration of the various Web 2.0 tools used to enhance the learning experience. Finally, a short video will feature students sharing their thoughts about the program. The program is cutting edge and has positive implications for using technology to connect students from rural communities to the University.

The D.R.E.A.M. Team program matches “at risk” eighth grade students from a rural Arkansas school district with college students who serve as mentors. The immediate goal of the program is to improve behaviors, school attendance and grades for the eighth grade students. The long-term goal of the program is to raise the high school graduation rate in the school district. This program is unique because it is online. Weekly contact is maintained through the University’s Blackboard. Lessons are developed using the specific topics of Diversity, Responsibility, Engagement, Academics and Mentorship. The Discussion Board is used to facilitate discussion about each lesson. Face-to-face meetings and activities are held approximately every six weeks to support the mentoring relationship. The Division of Outreach and Community Engagement has taken an innovative approach to mentoring and our model has the potential to make a significant impact on the lives of students all across Arkansas.

Last year, Kimberly Klotz, project manager, Division of Outreach and Community Engagement and McKee presented at the UAMS Teaching with Technology Symposium in Little Rock and the Mid-South Distance Learning Conference in Memphis, Tenn., on the topic of Project Management for Instructional Designers.

Klotz and McKee both hold master’s degrees in Instructional Technology from the University of Central Arkansas.

Faculty and staff news

Posted on May 19, 2014

Karen Steelman, associate professor, was featured in the South African Art Times for her work with an interdisciplinary team working to preserve rock art legacy.

http://arttimes.co.za/micro-scale-technique-helps-preserve-rock-art-legacy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=micro-scale-technique-helps-preserve-rock-art-legacy

Brandi Lynch, administrative specialist II, has signed with Spencer Hill Press to publish her debut young adult novel, Lead Me Back Home, in October 2015.

Michael Yoder, associate professor of geography, has had his essay, “Foreign Direct Investment and Commercial Property Development in a US-Mexico Border City” published in the journal Urbana: Urban Affairs and Public Policy, volume XV, pp. 1-14, 2014. The article examines investment on the part of Mexican nationals in warehousing, shopping centers, and office buildings in Laredo, Texas, the leading NAFTA-related cargo crossing point of the US-Mexico border.

Brannon Watson, adjunct faculty in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, received Golf Digest’s top golf teacher in Arkansas for 2013-2014. The award was announced in the magazine’s November issue and gives a list of the top coaches in each state. Watson, founder of the Arkansas Golf Center, is the head golf instructor, master club fitter and V1 high-speed video lesson expert at the store. Arkansas Golf Center has won the title of top-100 fitter in the United States and 2012 Golf Range Association of America top-50 ranges in the standalone category. Watson is a 2005 UCA graduate, and he teaches beginning golf at UCA. He said teaching this class allows him to see about 1,000 new swings per year where other teachers are only able to see about 100.

Strickland to join AATA Hall of Fame

Posted on May 19, 2014

University of Central Arkansas head athletic trainer David Strickland will be inducted into the Arkansas Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame in the Class of 2014.

Strickland, UCA’s head athletic trainer since 1998, will join the Hall of Fame in a ceremony on April 12 at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Little Rock during the Arkansas Athletic Trainer’s Association annual meeting and symposium.

“I am greatly honored by this induction into the Arkansas Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame,’ said Strickland. “This honor is very special to me. The Arkansas Athletic Trainers’ Association has done so very much for me, but I would not be able to put in the time and effort to the profession of athletic training if not for the support of the University of Central Arkansas and the kinesiology and physical education department, athletics department and especially the faculty athletic trainers in the athletic training program.

“They have provided a combined effort to allow me to pursue and achieve my goals in athletic training leadership for the state of Arkansas as well as our district (Arkansas and Texas).’

Strickland was also recently invited to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., by the United States Olympic Committee Sports Medicine Program to attend a two-week rotation with the olympic athletes. While there, Strickland assisted the full-time staff with medical care and sports coverage of the men’s and women’s rugby, track and field, rowing and BMX sports, as well as the U.S. Paralympic athletes.

Strickland had previously been invited to the Olympic Training Center in 2001 in Colorado Springs, Colo., and worked with Taekwondo, judo and wrestling. In 2003, he was invited to work the “Titan Games,” an international event in San Jose, Calif., working with Taekwondo, wrestling and shot put.

“I definitely have no intentions of stopping now,’ said Strickland. “I have several goals still unachieved and it is comforting to know I will always have the support I need at UCA. Accepting the head athletic trainer position back in 1998 was one of the best decisions of my life. UCA is such a wonderful institution and even better people. I only hope I have given back as much as they have given me.’

Strickland graduated from New Mexico State in 1994 with a degree in athletic training, and received his master’s in human performance from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 1996. He has been the head athletic trainer and clinical instructor at UCA since 1998. Under his direction, the UCA athletic training program has grown from two certified athletic trainers to eight full-time certified athletic trainers.

The athletic training education program at UCA has achieved CAATE accreditation and is a highly respected athletic training education program and continues to produce excellent athletic trainers. The Athletic Training Program at UCA is the first AT program to offer Athletic Training as a major in the state of Arkansas.

Strickland is a past president of the AATA and held a position on the executive board from 2001-2007. As member of the AATA Governmental Affairs Committee Strickland was instrumental in several legislative efforts such as passing HB 1084, Act 1124 – Establishment of the Arkansas State Board of Athletic Training and HB 1743, Act 1214 – a bill to promote the health and safety of students in the public schools through the use of athletic trainers and professional development for coaches.

Strickland has been selected as an athletic trainer for several United States Olympic Committee programs. He has been a Test Site Administrator for the Board of Certification for athletic trainer certification. He has been the chair of the AATA annual meeting and symposium and was editor and publisher of the AATA Newsletter for several years. Strickland was appointed to the Governors Council on Fitness by Governor Mike Beebe and was also awarded the Athletic Trainer Service Award in 2012 by the National Athletic Trainer’s Association.