Vanessa Rogers-Wright, an undergraduate student majoring in International Studies and Political Science, was chosen for the Critical Language Scholarship and the Freeman Award for Study in Asia (Freeman-ASIA).  Vanessa, who will be studying at Myongji University in Seoul, South Korea during Fall Semester 2021, is minoring in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Asian studies.  The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) program is a U.S. Department of State-sponsored program designed to give American college students cultural immersion experiences abroad and grow the number of U.S. students who study a foreign language. The program aims to increase fluency in languages that are significant in the global workforce.  Freeman-ASIA is sponsored by the Freeman Foundation, a private foundation with offices in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Freeman Foundation’s major objectives include strengthening the bonds of friendship between the United States and countries of East Asia. Through education and educational institutes, the Foundation hopes to develop a greater appreciation of Asian cultures, histories, and economies in the United States and a better understanding of the American people and of American institutions and purposes by the peoples of East Asia.

Greta Hacker, a UCA Honors College student majoring in Public Administration in the Department of Political Science, was honored as the 2020 Intern of the Year during the 14th Annual Internship Banquet on Tuesday, March 10, 2020 in the Student Center Ballroom.  A native of Jonesboro, Greta completed her internship with the Center for Community and Economic Development (CCED) at UCA. Shelby Fiegal, Director of the CCED, said of Greta, “She is one of the best and brightest at UCA.” Dr. Kim Hoffman, an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Director of the Public Administration Program since 2001, nominated Greta for the award.  Dr. Hoffman commented, “I can say that Greta is the best student I have had in any course, in many years.” Greta is also a Presidential Scholar, award winning member of the UCA Debate and Forensics Team, and is a peer tutor for UCA’s Center for Writing and Communication.

In May 2020, Greta was named a 2020-21 Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact, a Boston-based nonprofit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education.  Greta was one of 290 college and university students who make up the 2020-2021 Newman Civic Fellows. UCA President Houston Davis nominated Greta for the fellowship.

Itzel Velazquez, a senior double-majoring in International Studies and Political Science and minoring in Latin American and Latino studies, was named a recipient of the Newman Civic Fellowship.  Itzel was one of 262 students across the United States who were named as the 2019-2020 Newman Civic Fellows by Campus Compact, a Boston-based nonprofit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education.  Velazquez is a UCA Ambassador, President’s Leadership Fellow, secretary for the Association of Future Alumni and president of Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honors society. She is also an ambassador for the Andrew Goodman Foundation’s Vote Everywhere campaign, through which she was involved in civic engagement on campus and helped with voter registration drives.  She has also served as vice president of the Latino Student Association and on the Student Government Association Diversity Committee.

Itzel Velazquez

Danielle Casey, a senior double-majoring in Political Science and International Studies, presented a research paper at the Alpha Chi National Honor Society conference held in Louisville, Kentucky on April 6-8, 2017.  The research paper was titled, “Race, Republicanism, and Realignment: Analyzing Arkansas’ Shift in Party Loyalty.”  The faculty advisers for the UCA Chapter of the Alpha Chi National Honor Society are Amber Wilson, Torreyson Library, and Dr. Mary Beth Sullivan, Department of Political Science.