Audiology and Speech Pathology
For more news about the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, visit http://www.uams.edu/chrp/audiospeech/whats_new.asp
Dr. Betholyn Gentry has been recognized as “A Woman of Excellence, Who has Proven Service to UALR and the Community” by the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
The Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology has moved to new facilities in the University Plaza, suite 600. All phone numbers and e-mails remain the same.
The department of Audiology and Speech Pathology is now offering a Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders - a research-based degree designed to prepare students for positions in higher education. This program is a consortium between UALR, UAMS and the University of Central Arkansas. This degree is the second doctorate in the department. A new Doctor of Audiology degree (Au.D.) started lasted fall.
For more information, visit: http://www.uams.edu/chrp/audiospeech/
Doctor%20of%20Philosophy/phd.asp
Criminal Justice
The Department of Criminal Justice has established a newly endowed scholarship in honor of the founder of the Criminal Justice program at UALR, Dr. Charles Chastain. For more information, see the Charles Chastain Founding Chair Endowed Scholarship under scholarships on the student resources page.
Two new centers have been established in the Department of Criminal Justice: the Center for Senior Justice, headed by Dr. David Montague and the Center for Juvenile Justice headed by Drs. Tana McCoy and Stacy Moak. They join the Center for Environmental Criminology started last fall headed by Jeff Walker.
Dr. Jeff Walker has been elected to serve as President of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.
Dr. Charles Chastain is receiving national attention for his efforts to secure book donations for the prison libraries in the State of Arkansas. Professor Chastain estimates that he has brought over 30,000 books to prison libraries to date.
A new on-line Master’s of Criminal Justice program is planned for next fall.
Institute of Government
The new Center for Public Conflict Solutions, directed by Ruth Craw, was created this year in order to assist community agencies and organizations in resolving conflict and finding long-lasting solutions for public issue challenges. The Center will also promote citizen participation in public policy and educate state leaders in collaborative decision making. The Center for Nonprofit Organizations, headed by Kim Evans will provide assistance for nonprofit organizations in accessing university and state resources.
The Institute staff and faculty hosted two major meetings in Little Rock in 2006, the Southeastern Conference on Public Administration (SECOPA) meeting and the Southern Consortium of Public Service Organizations (SCUPSO) annual meeting. The former, led by Dr. David Sink, was among the largest SECOPA meetings in recent years. The latter led by Dr. Roby Robertson, was the second largest attendance for SCUPSO in its twenty-year history.
IOG continued leadership of the Third Annual Racial Attitudes study in 2006. The results of this year’s annual survey on racial attitudes in Pulaski County were released by Chancellor Joel Anderson at a spring conference with over 140 attendees. The principal authors of the study are Cindy Boland, Ruth Craw and Kim Evans, research associates in the Institute of Government. For more information visit: http://www.ualr.edu/iog/racialattitudes.htm
Dr. David Sink was the lead author of the Ten Year Plan on Homelessness in Central Arkansas.
Dr. Roby Robertson received the 2006 Paragon Award for Volunteer Leadership from the Arkansas Division of Volunteerism.
KUAR & KLRE UALR Public Radio
For more news about KUAR and KLRE Public Radio, visit: http://www.kuar.org/
KUAR was named the best radio station in Arkansas for the 5th year in a row by the Arkansas Times Readers’ Poll. KUAR’s news staff received seven awards of excellence from the 2005 Arkansas AP Broadcasters Awards, including First Place in Spot News, Non-Spot News and Feature Reporting.
UALR Public Radio has moved into its new facilities in University Plaza. The new offices and studios provide the radio stations with 3,000 additional square feet of space. Broadcast control rooms and production facilities are noticeably larger with more room for in-studio interviews. The new acoustic design and soundproofing provide for a better on-air sound. New equipment and rewired facilities also provide a cleaner sound chain. The purchase of a new digital automation system to replace the old one works with the new satellite delivery system introduced by National Public Radio in July 2006.
UALR Public Radio has hired a new program director, Wayne Angerame, for its classical music station KLRE. Mr. Angerame is a 25-year veteran of classical music programming on public radio and brings a great deal of expertise to the KLRE operations.
Mass Communication
It was announced on April 25, 2006 that David Weekley of the School of Mass Communication received two bronze Telly Awards for his STOP METH video that was originally created for the Saline County District Attorney’s office. The Telly Awards honor outstanding local, regional, and cable television commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions. Weekley received awards in the categories of Documentary and Editing.
The School of Mass Communication has moved into the newly renovated facilities on the 7th floor of Stabler Hall, providing more room and more updated classrooms and lab space. The television studio is temporarily relocated to the Cooperative Extension facility on University Avenue because the new studio could not be fully installed in time for fall classes. All School of Mass Communications facilities should be fully installed and integrated by spring 2007.
Journalism major Betsey Haney-Martin was a regional winner and national finalist in the National Broadcasting Society’s student media production competition in the Radio Spot news category. Forum editor and SMC graduate student Justin Petrucelli won first place in editorial writing in the Region 12 Mark of Excellence Competition sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists.
Social Work
The School of Social Work has created an interdisciplinary task force to develop a new graduate certificate in Gerontology. The certificate, formerly, was housed in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Throughout the history of the Gerontology program the School of Social Work has played an important role. This year the task force will conduct a needs assessment and create curriculum to offer a Certificate in Gerontology. The task force is composed of academics as well as community partners. The goal is to create a gerontology certificate that responds to the needs of this community and all of Arkansas. The hope is that social work practice be coupled with knowledge of gerontology to offer a certificate that is academically challenging and one that prepares students for meaningful careers in dealing with the aging. Faculty and staff in the School of Social Work are excited about this certificate and hopeful that it will benefit students interested in becoming professional gerontological social workers.
Speech Communication
Dr. Rob Ulmer has just published a new book titled Effective Crisis Communication: Moving from Crisis to Opportunity.
Dr. Rob Ulmer received a grant from the National Center for Food Protection and Defense to test best practices in crisis communication. This grant will support the involvement of speech communication students to assist Dr. Ulmer in carrying out and presenting the research.
Dr. Mike Hemphill, long-time faculty member in the Department of Speech Communication and former department chair has taken a position as xxx at the Clinton School of Public Service.
Dr. Carol Thompson was awarded a Fullbright Award in Pecs, Hungary where she taught courses in Political Communication, Conflict Communication, and Gender Communication.
Updated 11.17.2006
