Mark Spitzer, associate professor of creative writing, recently had his essay “Gar Rodeo in the Cajun Swamp” accepted for publication in The Louisiana Review.
Spitzer published
Posted on February 18, 2014
Professor featured in PBS series
Posted on February 3, 2014
Dr. Duncan McKinnon, visiting assistant professor in anthropology, will appear in a PBS television series this summer entitled Time Team America.
Time Team America is a collaboration of numerous individuals conducting archaeological research in North America. The team is composed of media producers, archaeologists, and a suite of scientific specialists and experts that present dynamic stories of the rich and diverse history that defines North America.
On the series, Dr. McKinnon is one of three researchers using geophysical methods at each of the sites that Time Team America investigated. “It’s been a real pleasure working and engaging with very talented individuals as part of Time Team. One of the highlights of this experience is the focus on integration with ongoing research programs, the inclusion of field school students, and the active participation of interested volunteers in the communities we worked. All this while at the same time learning about the diverse and rich history that defines each of these sites. I’m very excited about the opportunity to be a part of this project and anxious to watch the episodes!”
The team explored and filmed four locations for each of the episodes:
• “The Lost Pueblo Villages” in Cortez, Colorado
1500-year-old Native American village in the southwest
• “The Bones of Badger Hole” in the Panhandle in Oklahoma
10,000-year -old bison kill site on the plains
• “The Search for Josiah Henson” in Bethesda, Maryland
Remains of the plantation where Josiah Henson spent his enslaved life; his memoir is thought to have been inspiration for Uncle Tom’s Cabin
• “Lost Civil War Prison” in Jenkins County, Georgia
A large Confederate prison camp where hundreds of Union POWs perished
The upcoming series was funded by grant from the National Science Foundation.
Dr. McKinnon is an anthropological archaeologist with extensive experience and training using geophysical technologies to investigate past human behavior. As a visiting assistant professor at the University of Central Arkansas, Dr. McKinnon teaches a variety of courses in anthropology, archaeology, and Native American studies where he strives to engage students in the real-world application of anthropological perspectives and diversity of the human experience.
Click on the following link to learn more about Dr. McKinnon. www.duncanmckinnon.com. To see the PBS videos, click http://www.pbs.org/time-team/home/.
Massey’s work featured for Black History Month
Posted on February 3, 2014
In celebration of Black History Month, the University Libraries are hosting an exhibit of sculptures and shadowbox artworks by UCA professor Bryan Massey Sr. in the lobby area of Mullins Library at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville through the end of March.
“After many years perfecting my skill-set, creating three-dimensional work comes to me as naturally as breathing,” said Massey. “I hope viewers see the finished work as a unique three-dimensional solution.”
He was recently selected as one of 84 artists nationally for inclusion in the book Studios and Work Spaces of Black American Artists. Massey’s sculpture, The Jazz Player, was selected and presented to former President Bill Clinton for the celebration and commemoration of the fifth-year anniversary of the Clinton Library in Little Rock in November 2009. It is now located in the Vogel-Schwartz Sculpture Garden in Little Rock. Massey also sculpted the Silas Hunt Memorial Sculpture, located between Old Main and the Pi Beta Phi Centennial Gate entrance. It was the first work of art commissioned by the university’s Public Art Oversight Committee.
– – special to the Bear Ledger
Writings published
Posted on February 3, 2014
Dr. Clayton Crockett, associate professor of Religious Studies in the Department of Philosophy and Religion, had an article published in the January 2014 issue of The Montreal Review, an online intellectual journal featuring discussion of Art, Books, and Culture. The article is entitled “The Wake of Liberalism: What is Political Theology and Why Does it Matter?,” and is available at: http://www.themontrealreview.com/2009/What-is-Political-Theology-and-Why-Does-it-Matter.php
John Vanderslice, associate professor of writing, published an excerpt from his novella “Reflexology” in the journal Double Dealer, an arm of the Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society in New Orleans. He also published short fiction in the Israeli journal Ilanot Review–for their special “Sacred Words” issue–and in the anthology Redacted Story, just out from publisher KY Story. Meanwhile, his short story “Something for Dinner” was accepted by the journal Cherry Tree for their inaugural issue.
Faculty Excellence Award
Posted on February 3, 2014
Please take a moment to nominate deserving faculty for one, two, or all three of UCA’s Faculty Excellence Awards. The nomination form is attached, and additional information may be found under “Faculty Excellence Awards” at https://uca.edu/academicaffairs/academic-information/. The deadline for submitting nominations is Monday, February 24, 2014.
The three award categories are:
– Public Service
– Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity
– Teaching Excellence
The awards will be presented during the University Service Awards Ceremony on April 10, 2014.
Professors awarded NIH grant to study bullying
Posted on January 22, 2014
Paul Nail
Three University of Central Arkansas professors have been awarded a $286,500 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study middle school bullying.
Elson Bihm
The Department of Psychology and Counseling Department announced that Drs. Paul Nail, Elson Bihm, and Joan Simon have been awarded the grant entitled, “Decreasing Bullying with Self-Affirmation: A Test of the Compensation Model.”
Nail says that he first became interested in bullying from his study of organizational psychology.
Joan Simon
According to Nail, “Leaders in dysfunctional organizations often bully employees, even when the consequences are in direct opposition to the organization’s stated goals. Our current research is directed toward finding and testing new ways to decrease bullying in middle school, hopefully before it becomes a deep-seated way of dealing with others.”
The duration of the grant is two years. The professors will specifically study the social relations in middle school children. The research will be conducted in conjunction with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
University introduces new app
Posted on January 22, 2014
The University of Central Arkansas introduced a new mobile application recently to keep students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends connected to the university.
Features of the new app include campus news, directions around campus using GPS, a faculty and staff directory and the latest information and scores from UCA Athletics.
Students now have access to schedules, grades and shuttle routes, all within the app.
The app was created by university personnel and represents a joint effort between Web Development and Information Technology.
There is no cost to download the app, which is available for both iOS and Android devices.
For additional information visit the mobile app website (https://uca.edu/mobileapp).
Employee of the Quarter
Posted on January 22, 2014
The Staff Senate Employee Recognition Committee would like to congratulate Steve McDaniel for being named Employee of the Quarter for the second quarter of the 2013-2014 academic year. Steve works in Housing & Residence Life as a Maintenance Supervisor. His service and dedication during Quarter II (October – December) is greatly appreciated.
Excerpt from his nomination:
“Steve works VERY hard to make sure our residents on campus are “taken care of” and has a wonderful attitude while doing it… even if that means working after hours or doing extra work, he makes a big impact on our students even if they don’t see him working behind the scenes. He is an excellent leader and never waits to be told to do anything, if he sees something that needs to be fixed, he does it right then. He also takes care of the maintenance staff, including his supervisors.
Steve came in on Friday when the university was closed to scrape ice and to be on campus to do work orders for the students who lived on campus. He was not asked to do this and this is not part of his job duties. Steve came in and worked the Sunday after the ice storm to help clear sidewalks and ADA ramps so that UCA staff and faculty could return to work safely the next day.”
EOQ nominations are evaluated on outstanding job performance, time frame of the performance, and overall contribution to the university.
Each winner receives recognition and prizes including $150 BearBucks and a reserved parking spot. Again, congratulations to Steve McDaniel.
CAATSA and KPED reach out to the community
Posted on January 22, 2014
During November and December of 2013, The Central Arkansas Athletic Training Students’ Association (CAATSA) held its Annual Holiday Food Drive in conjunction with the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) Kinesiology and Physical Education Department. CAATSA is supervised and mentored by Allen Crawford, MS, LAT, ATC who is an athletic trainer and instructor in the Athletic Training Program. He has served in this role for the past seven years.
The food drive is held annually on campus and has allowed CAATSA along with other UCA students to donate approximately 450 pounds of non-perishable food items to the Bethlehem House of Conway. CAATSA has held the annual food drive since 2008 and to date has donated over 2,200 pounds of non-perishable food items to various food pantries in the Conway community.
Bethlehem House serves a pantry and shelter for families in the Conway, AR community. Bethlehem House offers case management, employment assistance, life skills training, advocacy, education, vocational counseling, transportation, guidance, and the support necessary to recover from the devastation of homelessness. For more information, you can visit their website at www.bethlehemhouse.net.
In addition to the food drive, CAATSA completed another community service project during the holiday season of 2013. The CAATSA students participated in the Samaritan’s Purse: Operation Christmas Child and bought small gifts to fill shoe boxes for underprivileged children around the world. Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine. This is the first year the association has participated in Operation Christmas Child and in a short amount of time CAATSA was able to donate approximately 10 shoe boxes of toys. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has donated over 100 million shoe boxes with toys to children worldwide. For more information on Samaritan’s Purse visit www.samaritanspurse.org.
CASATA is a Recognized Student Organization at UCA. Its membership is made of students who have been accepted into the UCA Athletic Training Education program. Our objectives are to promote the profession of Athletic Training and uphold the standards of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. For more information regarding this association, contact Allen Crawford at acrawford@uca.edu.
Good News
Posted on January 22, 2014
The following is a sampling of UCA news mentions:
UCA professors awarded NIH grant to study bullying
http://thecabin.net/news/local/2014-01-17/uca-professors-awarded-nih-grant-study-bullying#.Ut6E2Nrna70
University of Central Arkansas awarded NIH grant to study bullying
http://ualrpublicradio.org/post/university-central-arkansas-awarded-nih-grant-study-bullying
UCA professors awarded NIH grant to study bullying
http://www.thv11.com/news/article/294917/2/UCA-professors-awarded-NIH-grant-to-study-bullying
MLK events lining up in Conway
http://thecabin.net/news/local/2014-01-15/mlk-events-lining-conway#.Ut_e4tLnZQI
Bailin art
Posted on January 22, 2014
In conjunction with the February-March exhibition Marking A Course: Bailin, Duffin, O’Keefe, David Bailin, instructor in the Art Department, will be the visiting artist at the University of Northern Texas, Denton, from Feb 17 – 21. Bailin will present several lectures and workshops on drawing methodology and creativity.
From March 13 – April 16, Bailin’s art will be shown in two venues: a one-person show entitled Dreams and Disasters, at the Koplin Del Rio Gallery, Culver City CA and a group exhibit, Disparate Acts: Bailin, Criswell and Peters, in the Bradbury Gallery at the Arkansas State University.