University of Arkansas

An experimental pain-relieving drug delivery method for farm animals using microneedle patches may not have delivered an effective dose, but it took a pivotal step that offers new leads for innovation. Jeremy Powell, veterinarian and professor of animal science for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the project originated from a simple question: could livestock receive longer-lasting pain management without repeated drug administration by farmers?

The speech and debate society traveled to its final in-person tournament of the semester this past weekend, held at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville earning 18 awards at the tournament and closing out the fall semester with a combined total of 77 - well on track to break their record from the previous season. Together, the team earned four combined total awards, which includes all members' contributions to the tournament.

What if you could look into a cow's face and know if it had a fever? A new tool from the Artificial Intelligence and Computer Vision Lab at the University of Arkansas uses artificial intelligence and thermal cameras to estimate the body temperature of cattle. The system, called CattleFever, is the first step toward automated tools that ranchers could use to monitor the health of their herd.

University of Arkansas students are showcasing their career readiness through award-winning professional ePortfolios. Top student work included those by Emma Grace Beard, Kalyx Aikin, Lucy Schram and Marshall Deree. The bi-annual ePortfolio contest recognizes students who effectively articulate their skills, experiences, and professional identities through thoughtfully designed digital portfolios.

The Department of Biomedical Engineering Community and Student Engagement Committee organized the first Biomed ENGAGE DESIGN showcase to provide undergraduate and graduate students with an opportunity to inspire and engage with the next generation of biomedical engineering students. The event brought close to 250 high school students together for an up-close look at medical devices, research models and other prototypes that covered a range of topics from regenerative medicine, genome engineering, neural engineering, biomedical imaging, machine learning and organ-on-chip platforms.

Lexi Applequist, a biomedical engineering Ph.D. researcher at the University of Arkansas and cofounder and CEO of Humimic Biosystems, has earned a spot on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 Science list for 2026 - a recognition that underscores her groundbreaking work in revolutionizing how drugs are tested before reaching patients.

The shift from warm summer to cool fall conditions can be stressful for many animals. Surviving each season requires a multitude of different physiological and behavioral traits that scientists are still working to understand. An analysis of Buckeye butterflies finds that they aren't just changing colors with the seasons, but changing the way they see on a physiological level.

A recent trip to the Arkansas State Capitol allowed occupational therapy students in the College of Education and Health Professions to experience health policy and advocacy firsthand. Students in Introduction to Health Systems and Policy took a day-long visit that allowed them to engage with legislators, witness policymaking in action and advocate for occupational therapy services across the state.

The summer internship program at Garvan Gardens has provided Fay Jones School students summer learning opportunities since 2018. As participants in the esteemed program, interns have participated in research of innovative nature-based learning opportunities, design and construction of a variety of garden spaces, and collaborated with the U of A's Department of Human Environmental Sciences and with the Fay Jones School's Urban Design Build Studio (UDBS) to develop design concepts for the Ross and Mary Whipple Family Forest Education Center.

The Experiential Learning Lab is a unique, long-running program that has had a lasting impact on both its students and clients in the real world. The lab, housed in U of A's Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, enables students to collaborate with real clients to develop marketing and communications plans and materials. Services offered include writing, graphic design, social media management, drone video production, videography, photography and poster printing.

The Volunteer Action Center (VAC) hosted its annual Make a Difference Day (MADD), one of the largest days of service on campus. Four hundred and twenty-four volunteers participated this year, showing the U of A student body's commitment to the local community. MADD 2025 volunteers served for a total of 1,350 hours, which had an economic impact of $46,966.50.

The Master of Science in Operations Management Program in the College of Engineering announce the recipients of two departmental scholarships for the spring 2026 semester, Julian Mpirirwe and Meerim Seiitova. These awards recognize outstanding graduate students who demonstrate academic excellence, professional promise and a commitment to service.

Jessica Culver teaches at Ozark High School while also earning a doctorate in adult and lifelong learning delivered online by the University of Arkansas. Culver was named the 2025-2026 National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Secondary Level Social Studies Teacher of the Year at the NCSS Conference Opening Ceremony on Dec. 5 in Washington, D.C. Culver is scheduled to graduate with her doctorate next May. She is also a recipient of the W.E. Manning Memorial Scholarship for the past two academic years awarded by the Global Campus to students enrolled in online degree programs.

More than $5.1 million in scholarships was awarded to 3,768 students in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas during the current academic year. These scholarships are made possible with the support of donors, including alumni, faculty, staff and friends of Fulbright College, to aid students across the college's four academic disciplines: arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. "Fulbright College's mission is to provide a transformational education for our students," said Brian E. Raines, dean of Fulbright College. "The generosity of our supporters allows us to do just that. By alleviating financial strain on students, we empower them to focus on their studies and thrive in their academic endeavors."

Avery Isaacson, Henry Jones, Madison Bussell Escoto, Abbie Ahlbrandt, Garrison Brister and Silas Wilkinson shared their scholarly and creative work at the inaugural Arkansas Liberal Arts and Humanities Day at the Arkansas State Capitol.

Student media leaders and journalism faculty traveled to Washington, D.C., for MediaFest25, bringing home national awards and valuable connections with alumni working in the nation's capital.

University of Arkansas student Austin Keefe is ranked first place in the country in the Varsity speaking division. Keefe is also ranked in the top 10 as a varsity debater, coming in at ninth. The Speech and Debate Society at the University of Arkansas is represented by top-performing students and is currently ranked in the top five in the country.

The University of Arkansas Speech and Debate Society traveled to Shreveport, Louisiana, to compete in the 50th Annual "Red River Classic" hosted by Louisiana State University in Shreveport earning a total of 28 awards, bringing their season-long total to date up to 58. The Speech and debate Society is represented by top-performing students in early reports of national overall rankings, and is proud to announce their placements for the fall semester as of November, including a student currently ranked first place in the country.

The University of Arkansas School of Art, housed in the Fulbright College of Arts & Sciences, is proud to announce its faculty, students and an alumna have been named to the Arkansas Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts (ACNMWA) 2025-2027 Juried Artist Registry.

The University of Arkansas English Department and the Program in Rhetoric and Composition are proud to announce the 2025 winners of the annual Jessie O'Kelly Freshman Essay Award. Qualified submissions were essays written for Composition I or II in the spring or fall semesters of 2024 and submitted for judging in spring 2025.

Three teams of students in Mock Hogs, which compete in mock trial tournaments nationwide, filled the fall season with growth, achievement and memorable moments for all of their teams.

At the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, students are continually encouraged to consider how design can address broader social challenges. For fifth-year architecture students Sydney Winkler and Macy Watson, the recent changes to the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits made those conversations feel especially urgent. Instead of thinking of this problem as too big to tackle, they saw an opportunity to act.

Coming from Marked Tree, Arkansas - with a graduating class of just 37 - to the University of Arkansas felt intimidating to Devonte Daniel. But, as he says, "It pushed me out of my comfort zone and opened the door for countless opportunities of learning, growth and connections!" Devonte chose the Sam M. Walton College of Business because of its nationally ranked programs in Marketing and Supply Chain Management, along with the opportunities to connect with Fortune 500 companies right here in Northwest Arkansas.

University of Arkansas Student Involvement and Leadership, along with Associated Student Government, announced the Top 20 Homecoming Queen and King candidates, who will advance to interviews for selection as the top seven finalists. The student body will then vote for the 2025 Homecoming Queen and King. Registered student organizations and Greek chapters nominate candidates. To qualify, candidates must complete at least 90 credit hours, plan to graduate in the 2025-26 academic year, hold a minimum 2.25 GPA, enroll full-time, and maintain a record free of conduct or academic integrity violations.

Altaris MedTech, comprised of University of Arkansas students Joseph Hobbs and Lance Lockwood, won first place at the 2025 Southeastern Conference Student Pitch Competition hosted by Vanderbilt University. Their novel approach to simplifying and improving diagnostic testing with a pain-free, spray-based strep test that eliminates the need for traditional swabs, stood out among student entrepreneurs from across the SEC and earned them a grand prize of $10,000.

Members of the University of Arkansas Speech and Debate Society competed at Mississippi State University's "StarkVegas Debate Invitational," earning 18 awards, including 3rd place in Team IPDA Sweepstakes, 3rd in Overall Sweepstakes, and the "Legendary Silver Cowbell of Victory" for the highest win percentage-a 7% lead over the nearest competitor.

Kicking off the 2025-26 academic year at the University of Arkansas, the Gymbacks registered a new program high GPA and saw 14 athletes named Scholar All-Americans by the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA). In the WCGA's academic report, Arkansas ranked 21st in the country for team GPA with a 3.72, also a new program high. The Gymbacks were ranked second among SEC teams in GPA and were one of 25 gymnastics programs that had a GPA of 3.70 or higher.

Two graduate students from the Department of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Arkansas won national research awards from the American Society of Criminology-Division on Terrorism and Bias Crimes. Both students will present their research next month at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.

Four students in the Statistics and Analytics (StAn) interdisciplinary graduate program at the University of Arkansas recently presented posters at the 155th annual American Fisheries Society International Meeting in San Antonio.

Six incoming students from across the state of Arkansas joined the distinguished list of Sturgis Fellows this fall in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences' Honors Program at the University of Arkansas. The Sturgis Fellowship is the oldest of the U of A's prestigious fellowship programs, which awards each fellow $80,000 during their four years to cover tuition, room and board, and other academic expenses directly related to their individual major or research interests.