University of Arkansas

Ani-ya Beasley, a senior majoring in African and African American studies and history, has been awarded a Curtis H. Sykes Memorial Grant of $4,000 from the Black History Commission of Arkansas. Beasley competed alongside professional researchers and large community organizations to win this grant, her first, to support research in the Arkansas State Archives. Beasley's research focuses on the Black community in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in the 19th and early 20th century.

Nine U of A students - all of whom are native Arkansans - were recently awarded scholarships thanks to the generosity of the Charles Thomas and Mary Alice Pearson Educational Foundation. The organization, founded by local attorney and businessman Thomas Pearson and his wife, Mary Alice, annually supports students in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media and the School of Law. In 2022, their support also expanded to the Department of Philosophy. "I want to congratulate the recipients of these scholarships for their academic excellence and drive for success," said Kathryn Sloan, interim dean of the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. "These students are leaders on our campus, and we're incredibly proud of their accomplishments. Thanks to the generosity of supporters like the Pearson Foundation, we can continue to financially reward outstanding student success in our college and make a high-quality public education a reality for all in our state."

On Saturday, Nov. 4, nine music students from the University of Arkansas' Department of Music, which is part of the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, competed at the statewide Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Competition hosted at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. The Young Artist competition is open to students ages 19-26 who are currently enrolled in collegiate programs. The winners will have the opportunity to compete at the national level against winners from other states. "The MTNA National Competitions are the most successful and prestigious student competitions in the country," according to the organization's website. "Each year, thousands of students compete for top prizes and national recognition. The purpose of the Music Teachers National Association Performance competitions is to provide educational experiences for students and teachers and to recognize exceptionally talented young artists and their teachers in their pursuit of musical excellence."

This past weekend, the UARK Speech and Debate team traveled to Shreveport, Louisiana, to compete in the 47th annual Red River Classic hosted by Louisiana State University, Shreveport. The team broke numerous records they had set previously, sending the largest number of competitors (15) and breaking nine out of those 15, the highest since the team's reactivation in spring of 2021. This marked a level of success for the team that they had not seen at a given regular-season tournament, bringing home a total of 16 awards across the group.

Senior Grant Viscardis has been selected as the Student Leader of the Month for October 2023. Originally from Hot Springs, Viscardis came to the U of A to study biology. He is the president for EMPOWER RSO, leads the Global Brigades to Panama as the medical chairman, volunteers at the Full Circle Food Pantry, a Patient Care Technician at CHI St. Vincent Hospital in Hot Springs and is a research assistant in assistant professor Joisah Leong's FullStackNeuro Lab addressing the causation of substance use and early life stress on the mesolimbic pathway in the brain. Viscardis is also a member of the Sigma Nu Fraternity. Viscardis said he got involved in these organizations mainly to learn how to network and communicate with others while expressing his deepest passions.

Six undergraduate students from the Department of Sociology and Criminology - Chase Freeman, Brooke Poe, Miya Fillmore, Mia Hadzidelimovic, Abby Hudson and McKenzie Taylor - attended the Southwestern Association of Criminal Justice annual conference Oct. 11-13 in Little Rock with their faculty adviser, professor Lauren Copley Sabon. The students were able to network with faculty and students from universities around the Southwest and learn about the research being done in the region. In addition, they participated in the regional crime scene investigation competition and Quiz Bowl. They were very successful in their endeavors and showed off their knowledge and critical thinking skills.

This weekend, the University of Arkansas' Mock Trial teams showcased their legal prowess at two separate tournaments. Teams Sandy and Patrick traveled to St. Louis, Missouri, for the WashU's Arch Invitational, while Teams Plankton and Squidward ventured to Oxford, Mississippi, to compete in the Chucky Mullins Invitational at Ole Miss. The U of A Mock Trial team is a trial simulation-based RSO that competes in tournaments across the nation.

The University of Arkansas Speech and Debate Society continued their overwhelming successes recently at the University of Central Missouri's Missouri Mule Tournament in Warrensburg, Missouri. Twenty-one U of A students attended the tournament and strongly represented the university with an overall win percentage of 63 percent, in which all students won at least one round. The society primarily competes in the International Public Debate Association, as well as in individual speaking events as offered, and their mission is to "allow students at the University of Arkansas to grow their skills in communication through competition and practice in competitive speech and debate." The team sets its sights next on the Red River Classic hosted by friends at LSU - Shreveport from November 3-5.

The Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas recently named their 2023-24 Fulbright College Student Ambassadors, which is part of the college's Inclusive Excellence initiatives. The Fulbright College Student Ambassador Program, which began in 2021, selects high-achieving undergraduate students to aid the college in its recruitment efforts, student outreach programs, community engagement and professional development opportunities. The program has grown to include 15 qualified undergraduate student ambassadors for the 2023-24 academic year.

More than $1.6 million in scholarships was awarded to 960 undergraduate and graduate students in Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas this fall. These scholarships are made possible by the support of donors, who include alumni, faculty, staff and friends of Fulbright College, and aid students across the college's four academic disciplines: arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. "All of us in Fulbright College strive to champion our students' academic excellence, emotional well-being, mental fortitude and financial support," said Kathryn Sloan, interim dean of Fulbright College. "Thanks to the contributions of the many friends of Fulbright College, we are able to provide our students the tools and resources needed to thrive, and for that, we are immensely thankful."

The Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences recently welcomed more than 1,800 first-year undergraduate students to the college and to the greater U of A campus community for the fall semester, adding to the 6,344-person university-wide freshman class and to the more than 32,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students at the University of Arkansas. This class marks the 151st class of freshmen welcomed to The Hill and to Fulbright College, joining the U of A from hometowns throughout Arkansas and the U.S. and across the world, to study subjects in one of Fulbright College's four academic disciplines: fine arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. "We want to welcome all incoming freshmen to the University of Arkansas, especially to the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences," said Kathryn Sloan, interim dean of Fulbright College. "We're so eager to see these students learn, research, serve, and lead during their time with us and are committed every day to their success."

University of Arkansas Honors German and engineering student Roman Dowling recently completed a highly competitive international fellowship with Research Internships in Science and Engineering Germany, or RISE. Once accepted into the program, students are matched with German host universities and institutes that align with their technical interests. Dowling became a computational multiphase flow research intern at the Technical University of Darmstadt. The University of Arkansas has a rich history with RISE and has been a part of the program since it launched in 2005. The U of A was even represented in the first cohort of students accepted into the program.

Five incoming freshmen from Arkansas will join the distinguished list of Sturgis Fellows in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences this fall. "It's such an honor to welcome the new class of outstanding Sturgis Fellows to campus each year," said Kathryn Sloan, interim dean of Fulbright College. "These students are among the best and brightest in Arkansas and are so impressive. Each has already accomplished so much, and through this fellowship opportunity will hopefully have the tools and support to further their education and reach for their next dream." "We are honored to welcome them to our Fulbright College family, and can't wait to see what each accomplishes next," she added. The Sturgis Fellowship is one of the U of A's oldest, most esteemed fellowship programs. It awards each fellow $80,000 during their four years to cover tuition, room and board, and educational tools such as computer hardware and software, high-quality musical instruments, access to professional journals, and participation at academic conferences. All Sturgis Fellows are actively pursuing a major within Fulbright College, completing an intensive academic program, and writing an independent thesis. They are also encouraged to study abroad and pursue internship opportunities during their time at the U of A. All Sturgis Fellows will graduate with honors. The fellowships and their associated opportunities are made possible by the continued support of the Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable and Educational Trust.

Senior Joanna Resendez has been selected as the Student Leader of the Month for August 2023. Originally from Richardson, Texas, Resendez came to the U of A to study political science with minors in English and legal studies. She is currently the Senior Resident Assistant of Maple Hill West and a member of Alpha Phi Omega, a national service organization that builds leadership and community through service and fellowship to all. Additionally, she is an advisoe for Lead More, which empowers upperclassmen in the development of their personal leadership styles through various initiatives throughout the year. She is also a member of the Pre-Law Society and works at the Young Law library.

More than 900 undergraduate students earned nearly 1,200 bachelor's degrees this spring in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas. These graduates were celebrated on Friday, May 12, at commencement ceremonies in Bud Walton Arena. These undergraduate students earned their degrees in areas of study that span across one of four academic disciplines in Fulbright College: fine arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. "On behalf of our faculty, staff, and the entire U of A community, we offer you a big congratulations, Class of 2023 - you did it," said Kathryn Sloan, interim dean of Fulbright College. "You survived the late-night study sessions, the group projects, the times of uncertainty, and so much more to reach this milestone." The Fulbright College commencement website includes a complete list of our Spring 2023 graduates and information about our college's featured student speaker, Alex Alvarez. Videos of the live-streamed 2023 spring commencement ceremonies are also available on the U of A's YouTube channel. Printed program books were handed out to graduates and are available online.

Twenty-nine recently graduated Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences students were selected to be part of the U of A's latest class of top graduating seniors by the Arkansas Alumni Association. They are part of the 2023 class of 71 "Seniors of Significance" from across the U of A. "Congratulations to these new alumni on this achievement. They are among the very best of Fulbright College and embody, in so many ways, our mission of peace through education," said Kathryn Sloan, interim dean of Fulbright College. "They are leaders in their classrooms, in student government, in research, in their social circles, in their communities, and beyond," Sloan added. "As new graduates, they represent the immeasurable value of a Fulbright College degree and of higher education. These 29 students are the best of us, and we're so grateful they're part of the Fulbright College alumni family." The "Seniors of Significance" recognition is part of the Arkansas Alumni Association's Senior Awards Program, which honors students' excellence in leadership, academics and co-curricular activities. More information about the significant history and legacy of the Senior Awards Program is available at arkansasalumni.org.

More than 2,000 students were named to the Spring 2023 Dean's List in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas. To qualify for the Dean's List, students must achieve at least a 3.75 grade-point average for the semester while completing at least 12 credit hours. "As we wrap up another remarkable academic year in Fulbright College, it's such a pleasure to be able to recognize the 2,231 students this semester who made the Dean's List and who make Fulbright College, the University of Arkansas, and their hometowns incredibly proud," said Kathryn Sloan, the college's interim dean. "This achievement demonstrates their academic excellence and commitment to our mission of peace through education." "I'd be remiss not to also recognize the family, friends and Fulbright College faculty and staff who support these students - and all of our students - in their education journey," Sloan added. "It's the support of these individuals who make the dream of higher education a reality for our students, and we're grateful for their influence and support." More than 8,000 students call Fulbright College home with areas of study and research across the fine arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. Learn more about Fulbright College at fulbright.uark.edu.

Sophia McAdara, a junior honors political science major in the University of Arkansas' Fulbright College, has been selected as a finalist for the 2023 Harry S. Truman Scholarship. McAdara, who is from Branson, Missouri, joins just two other students from the U of A who were named finalists. "To have three Truman finalists is remarkable for any institution," said Terry Martin, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. "But at the University of Arkansas we have come to expect that our students will do well. The reason is simple - the students themselves are remarkable. Hailey Hoog, Anna Mathis and Sophie McAdara have very different interests, but what unites them is their stellar academic performances, their commitment to service and to positive change, and their potential to thrive in their chosen graduate programs."

More than $3 million in scholarships were awarded to 700 Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences students this school year at the University of Arkansas. These scholarships are made possible by the support of donors, who include alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of Fulbright College, and aid students across the college's four academic disciplines: arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. "Supporting our students requires a holistic approach: academically, emotionally, mentally and financially," said Kathryn Sloan, interim dean of Fulbright College. "The generous support of these friends of Fulbright College allows us to give our students those tools and resources for success, and we're so grateful for that opportunity."

Nearly 2,500 students were named to the Fall 2022 Dean's List in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas. To qualify for the Dean's List, students must achieve at least a 3.75 grade-point average for the semester while completing at least 12 credit hours. "These students are the very best of Fulbright College," said Kathryn Sloan, interim dean. "This achievement demonstrates their academic excellence and commitment to our mission of peace through education. It's an honor to recognize 2,455 students this semester who made the Dean's List and who make Fulbright College, the University of Arkansas, and their hometowns incredibly proud." "I'd be remiss not to also recognize the family, friends and Fulbright College faculty and staff who support these students - and all of our students - in their education journey," Sloan added. "It's the support of these individuals who make the dream of higher education a reality for our students, and we're grateful for their influence and support." More than 8,000 students call Fulbright College home with areas of study and research across the fine arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. Learn more about Fulbright College at fulbright.uark.edu.