Department News

UCA Model United Nations (MUN) student organization recognized with the Bear CLAWS award

During the Friday, December 6, 2024 meeting of the UCA Board of Trustees, the UCA Model United Nations (MUN) student organization was recognized with the Bear CLAWS award. CLAWS, which is an acronym for Celebrating the Lofty Achievements of Our Wonderful Students, is awarded to one or more exceptional students or recognized student organizations during regularly scheduled board meetings. Accepting the CLAWS award presented by President Houston Davis were President Jaylan Harris, Vice President Emily Temple, AMUN Secretary-General Julien Mrad, and Secretary Kyle Urban. The faculty advisers for the UCA MUN are Dr. Mark Elrod and Dr. Mark Mullenbach.

Posted in: UCA Model UN on December 10, 2024

Department hosts 59th Arkansas Model United Nations (AMUN) Conference at UCA

The Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies hosted the 59th Arkansas Model United Nations (AMUN) conference at the University of Central Arkansas on November 22-23, 2024. More than 500 delegates from 29 high schools in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri participated in the conference. Julien Mrad served as Secretary-General, and Jaylan Harris served as Deputy Secretary-General of the conference. Several UCA students, as well as students from Hendrix College and the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, served as committee chairs, co-chairs, and legal counsels. Dr. Mark Elrod served as AMUN Conference Coordinator, and Dr. Mark Mullenbach served as AMUN Faculty Advisor Liaison.

During the opening session held in Ida Waldran Auditorium in Main Hall on Friday, November 22nd, UCA President Houston Davis gave the welcoming address to the participating delegates. In addition, six students nominated by their faculty advisors gave delegate speeches during the opening session, including Jana Abuelem (Pulaski Academy), Landen Coursey (Alma High School), Jacey Hale (Bryant High School), Seaghan Schrock (Haas Hall Academy-Fayetteville), Zaid Tell (Conway High School), and Ridhi Unni (Haas Hall Academy-Bentonville).

During the closing session, the nine students who were elected Rapporteurs in their respective committees were recognized for speeches, including Kaitlyn Billera (People’s Republic of China), Michael Redlich (Ecuador), Solomon Naraine (Mauritania), Ridhi Unni (Turkey), Nyera Ali (People’s Republic of China), Patrick Sanders (Mauritania), Landen Coursey (United Kingdom), Issac Huckaba (United States of America), and Mustfa Zia (United States of America). In addition, the Outstanding Delegates for each of the committees were recognized during the closing session — Ryder Smith (United Arab Emirates) and Kaitlyn Billera (People’s Republic of China) – DISEC; Brody Mercer (United States of America) and Andrew Hayes (Mauritania) – ECOFIN; Daniel Chen (People’s Republic of China) and Solomon Naraine (Mauritania) – SOCHUM; Ahaan Bhardwaj (Bahrain) and Vesper Schumaker (Canada) – Novice GA Committee; Jack Lowenthal (People’s Republic of China) and Dylan Mercer (United States of America) – ECOSOC; Bhavana Gudipati (Indonesia) and Nyera Ali (People’s Republic of China) – HRC; Aarush Goyal (Saudi Arabia) and Balasankar Seenivasan (Germany) – Executive Board of the WFP; Salma Eid (Sierra Leone) and Landen Coursey (United Kingdom) – Security Council; Jana Abuelem (People’s Republic of China) and Paul Jonsek (Romania) – Historical Security Council; and Shruthi Nannapaneni (Lebanon) and Mustfa Zia (United States of America) – MICJ.

Following the conference, the delegation representing the People’s Republic of China (Pulaski Academy) was presented the Outstanding Delegation award. The delegations representing the United States of America (Conway High School) and Mauritania (Rockhurst High School) were presented the Outstanding Delegation Runner-Up awards. Fourteen additional delegations were presented the Outstanding Delegation-Honorable Mention awards, including Afghanistan (Little Rock Central High School), Bangladesh (Pulaski Academy), Belgium (Maumelle Charter High School), Brazil (Bryant High School), Democratic Republic of Congo (Haas Hall Academy-Fayetteville), Ecuador (Rockhurst High School), El Salvador (Liberty High School), Germany (Little Rock Central High School), Kuwait (Pulaski Academy), Republic of Korea (Conway High School), Saudi Arabia (ASMSA), Spain (Little Rock Central High School), Sweden (Bryant High School), and Syria (Conway High School).

Posted in: AMUN on November 30, 2024

UCA students participate in 14th Arkansas Collegiate Model United Nations (ACMUN) Conference at NSU

Twelve UCA students representing the UCA Model United Nations (MUN) student organization participated in the 14th Arkansas Collegiate Model United Nations (ACMUN) Conference held at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma on Saturday, November 2, 2024. The ACMUN conference was held jointly with the Oklahoma Model United Nations (OKMUN) Conference. The UCA group, which included Abdulaziz Karamah Anike, Abbie Asher, Dice Ferguson, Jaylan Harris, Nadira Souley Issaka, Moustapha Kone, Julien Mrad, Grace Mureithi, Julia Ray, Laura Carrillo Rodriguez, Kyle Urban, and Ava Walker, represented the countries of Algeria, Ecuador, El Salvador, India, Qatar, Sierra Leone, and Ukraine. The conference included simulations of the UN General Assembly (1st Committee), UN Human Rights Council (HRC), UN Security Council, and the Council of the Arab League. Dr. Mark Elrod and Dr. Mark Mullenbach, faculty members in the Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies, served as the faculty advisors for the UCA students. The following UCA students were recognized for their performances at the 14th ACMUN Conference: Julien Mrad – Outstanding Delegate (Security Council, Algeria); Grace Mureithi – Outstanding Delegate (UN General Assembly 1st Committee, Ukraine); and Kyle Urban – Outstanding Delegate-Honorable Mention (UN General Assembly 1st Committee, Qatar).

Posted in: ACMUN on November 3, 2024

UCA Students Commemorate 2024 Constitution Day

As part of UCA’s commemoration of Constitution Day, more than 25 students in U.S. Government & Politics courses taught by Dr. Mark Elrod recited the U.S. Constitution in Griffin Planetarium on Tuesday evening, September 17, 2024. Dr. Elrod is a lecturer in the Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies. The U.S. Constitution was signed by 38 delegates representing the 13 original U.S. states in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787. The U.S. Constitution officially entered into force on June 21, 1788.

Posted in: Constitution Day on September 21, 2024

Department presents 2024 Distinguished Alumni Awards

Dr. Clay Arnold, Chair of the Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies presented distinguished alumni awards to Dakisha Wesley and Dexter Pearson during a reception hosted by the department in Buffalo Alumni Hall on Thursday, September 12, 2024. Several alumni, faculty, students, and other guests attending the reception were welcomed by Dr. Michael Hargis, UCA Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs. A graduate of the University of Central Arkansas in May 2000 with a BS degree in Public Administration, Dakisha Wesley is currently the Assistant County Manager in Buncombe County, North Carolina. Dexter Pearson graduated from UCA in May 2001 with a BS degree in Public Administration, and he is currently a Business Relationship Strategist and Real Estate Developer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington DC. During the reception, faculty members spoke about the department’s three academic programs, including political science (BA/BS), public administration (BPA), and international studies (BA). Faculty members also gave updates on the department’s undergraduate scholarly journal, The UCA Journal of Government, Public Service, and International Relations (which recently published its first volume of undergraduate student research) and the department’s Student Experiential Learning Fund (SELF).

Posted in: Distinguished Alumnus Award on September 14, 2024

Department hosts the 2024 International Affairs Summer Camp at UCA

The Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies hosted the Arkansas and the World: International Affairs Summer Camp at the University of Central Arkansas on July 14-19, 2024. Previous summer camps were hosted by the department in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2023. Forty-eight Arkansas high school students participated in a unique, interactive learning experience designed to enhance their understanding of international relations, international organizations, and diplomacy. Early in the week, students participated in educational workshops on international relations, the United Nations, and fundamentals of Model United Nations. The students represented assigned countries in interactive simulations of the UN General Assembly, including committee and plenary sessions of the UN General Assembly throughout the week. During the week-long summer camp, students participated in several group competitions, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Poster Competition and the Global Trivia Competition. The students also participated in the Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF) Letters of Hope project on Wednesday evening.

The International Affairs Summer Camp was funded by an Academic Enrichment for Gifted/Talented in Summer (AEGIS) grant awarded to the department by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE). Dr. Mark Mullenbach, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies, served as Summer Camp Director. Dr. Bailey Fairbanks, Assistant Professor of Political Science, served as the Assistant Summer Camp Director. Current and former students at UCA and the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville – including Lia Wilson, Julien Mrad, Aminatou Adeniji, Jaylan Harris, Allison Dorer, Jayden Patel, and Zachary Claesen – served on the summer camp staff as resident assistants/counselors. Guest speakers during the summer camp included Sarah Fulmer, a UCA graduate who talked about the United Nations Intensive Summer Study Program at Seton Hall University’s School of Diplomacy & International Relations; Joshua Nunley, a UCA student who discussed his study abroad program in Costa Rica; Dr. Adnan Rasool, an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Tennessee-Martin; Shane Hough, the Diplomat-in-Residence at Tulane University; and Jerry Adams, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF) in Washington DC and Little Rock.

Posted in: International Affairs Summer Camp on August 10, 2024

Political Science alumnus earns master’s degree at Texas A&M

Benjamin Kaminar, who graduated from UCA with a BA degree in Political Science in May 2004, earned a Master of Public Service and Administration (MPSA) degree from the Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M University in May 2024. After graduating from UCA, Ben earned a MA degree in International Relations and a JD degree from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas in 2007. Ben served as a Field Artillery Officer in the Texas Army National Guard from 2007 to 2018, including overseas military service in Iraq in 2009-2010. Ben served as Assistant Criminal District Attorney in Fannin County, Texas from 2011 to 2017. Since 2017, Ben has served in the Lamar County (Texas) District Attorney’s Office as Assistant County & District Attorney (2017-2021) and First Assistant County & District Attorney (2021-present). Ben is married to Sarah (Freeman) Kaminar, who earned a BA degree in Political Science from UCA in 2005 and a JD degree from Baylor University in 2009. Sarah is currently an Associate Attorney with The Moore Law Firm in Paris, Texas. The couple, along with their daughter Zoe, reside in Paris, Texas.

Posted in: Alumni News on May 19, 2024

International Studies Club hosts Spring Cultural Event

The UCA International Studies Club hosted the annual Spring Cultural Event in the Student Center Ballroom on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. The club’s faculty advisor, Dr. Gizachew Tiruneh, Associate Professor in the Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies, welcomed the UCA faculty and students attending the event featuring the country of Spain. The President of the International Studies Club, Tyler Chadwick, gave a presentation on the history of Spain. Several videos of Spanish musicians, singers, and dancers were shown. The attendees enjoyed Spanish food at the end of the event.

Posted in: International Studies Club on April 11, 2024

Department holds 2024 Pi Sigma Alpha induction ceremony

The Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies held its annual induction ceremony for the Alpha Beta Theta Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society, on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Dr. Clay Arnold, department chair, announced the 2023-2024 inductees, including Ashlyn Billingsley, Enrique Carbone, Wyatt Lawrence, Katelyn Nees, Olivia Peck, Sydney Smith, and Emily Temple. Donavon Millington served as president of the chapter in 2023-2024, along with Ashlyn Billingsley (Vice President) and Makenna Goss (Secretary/Treasurer). The department also honored the 2023-2024 Outstanding Students: Political Science – Makenna Goss, Emily Kennard, and Donavon Millington; Public Administration – Enrique Carbone; and International Studies – Jeremy Privitera and Aminatou Adeniji. Dr. Heather Yates served as Faculty Advisor for UCA’s Pi Sigma Alpha chapter in 2023-2024.

Posted in: Pi Sigma Alpha on April 10, 2024

UCA student awarded Critical Language Scholarship

Cooper Horton, a UCA student double-majoring in Linguistics and International Studies, was recently awarded the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) by the U.S. Department of State. The CLS program is an “immersive summer opportunity for American college and university students to learn languages essential to America’s engagement with the world.” Each summer, students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities spend two months learning one of thirteen languages at an intensive study abroad institute. The critical languages include Arabic, Azerbaijani, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, and Urdu. The CLS program is “designed to promote rapid language gains and essential intercultural fluency in regions that are critical to U.S. national security and economic prosperity.” The CLS program will enable Cooper to study the Russian language in Kyrgyzstan in June and July 2024. Cooper, who is also minoring in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies, previously studied the Russian language during a semester abroad program in Kazakhstan in Spring 2023.

Posted in: Student News on April 3, 2024