UCA News

Tom Courtway is serving as interim president of UCA after Lu Hardin submitted his resignation last week. The UCA Board of Trustees will likely call a special meeting soon to determine a process for appointing the next president of UCA. Courtway will fulfill the duties of president until a permanent replacement is named. At the time of his appointment last week, Courtway had been the vice … [Read more...]

Robin Becker, an instructor in UCA's Department of Writing, has had her short story "Coaster" accepted for publication by the journal Cottonwood. It will appear in the fall 2008 issue. "Impacts of Global Economy and Women … [Read more...]

This November, UCA will host the world premiere of The Scarlet Letter, Lori Laitman's opera adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne's literary masterpiece. Laitman, an acclaimed American composer, has teamed up with award-winning American poet David Mason to create the opera, which was commissioned by UCA. The world premiere performances will take place on Nov. 6, 7 and 9 at UCA's Donald W. Reynolds … [Read more...]

UCA English professor Michael Schaefer this summer was interviewed by National Public Radio about Stephen Crane's classic novel, The Red Badge of Courage. Schaefer discussed Crane's background, as well as the tortured feelings of the novel's main character, Henry Fleming.On the eve of battle, Fleming is "afraid of being afraid," Schaefer says. "He's wondering whether he'll run or stand and fight. … [Read more...]

U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln selected two UCA students, Preston Weyland of North Little Rock and Lee Ann Blackwell of Wabbaseka,to be summer interns in her Washington, D.C. office. Lincoln's Summer Internship Program provides students the opportunity to learn about the federal government and the nation's legislative process."I'm extremely honored to have the opportunity to host so many … [Read more...]

Mark Spitzer, assistant professor of writing, recently had his "Garfish Ode" accepted by The Oxford American. His essay "In Search of Massive Missouri Gar" was accepted by Rougarou.Debra L. Burris, an assistant professor of Physics and Astronomy at UCA, recently attended the CLEA workshop sponsored by Gettysburg College and the NSF. CLEA (Contemporary Laboratory Exercises in Astronomy) hosts a … [Read more...]

Holly Smith, a 2008 summa cum laude graduate of UCA, recently was awarded a NASA Workforce Development Fellowship valued at $6,500 through the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium for her project entitled, "Noise and Vibration Reduction in Ventilation Systems." Her work was conducted at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Tex. during ten weeks this summer. Smith plans to begin work toward her … [Read more...]

Shannon Cleveland, a sociology major at UCA, received a $6,000 scholarship from The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars to complete an internship in Washington D.C. this summer. The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars is an independent, nonprofit organization serving hundreds of colleges and universities by providing selected students challenging … [Read more...]

UCA executive chef Robert Hall was among the elite staff preparing food for athletes at the Summer Olympics in Beijing. He kept an account of his experience on a blog located at http://uca-olympicchef.blogspot.com. Hall also was recently featured by Weight Watchers in an article entitled "Olympic-Style Eating: Feeding the Olympians." He shares his cooking tips and even some recipes. Check it … [Read more...]

UCA senior Ashlen Batson won the 2008 Miss Arkansas pageant in July. Also, UCA graduates Chanley Painter and Sarah Slocum finished as second runner-up and third runner-up, respectively. Batson succeeds 2007 Miss Arkansas Katie Bailey, who is currently enrolled as a graduate student at UCA. … [Read more...]