University of Arkansas

What started out as a response to labor shortages in poultry processing plants during the COVID-19 pandemic has turned into a robotics system that can learn by imitating human movements to handle chickens. Using an advanced imitation learning algorithm and camera perceptions, researchers with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station have developed ChicGrasp, a dual-jaw robotic gripper with pinchers that can grasp a chicken carcass by the legs, lift and hang it on a shackle conveyor to be moved on for further processing.

Students from the U of A presented their research and STEM Posters at the Arkansas Capitol, joining undergraduate researchers from 13 colleges and universities across the state. The annual event provides students an opportunity to discuss their work with peers, educators and elected officials while highlighting the impact of undergraduate research across Arkansas. Students from the College of Education and Health Professions, College of Engineering, the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and the Honors College presented research on topics that included pain tolerance, wild turkey calling behavior, cardiac disease modeling and other areas of scientific study.

About 200 sorority members, alumni and supporters gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new Alpha Phi chapter house at the U of A. The $25 million, 37,000-square-foot facility will be located on Sorority Row at the corner of West Maple Street and North Wilson Avenue. Construction begins this spring, with the house scheduled to open in August 2027.

Two U of A students have been named finalists for the prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship, the nation's premier graduate fellowship for aspiring public service leaders. Jessica Doss, a junior from Little Rock, and Muskan Taori, a junior from Bentonville, were selected as finalists from a competitive national pool of candidates recognized for their academic excellence, leadership experience and commitment to careers in public service. The Truman Scholarship provides up to $30,000 for graduate study, leadership training and special internship and fellowship opportunities within the federal government.

Dr. Daniela D'Eugenio, assistant professor of Italian, organized a two-day symposium dedicated to Medieval and Book Studies, focusing on the study of facsimiles and Giovanni Boccaccio, the renowned 14th century Italian author of the Decameron.

The College of Engineering's pipeline of aspiring engineers keeps growing. A record 746 first-year students declared their majors during Decision Day events, surpassing last year's mark of 726.

The U of A College of Engineering is proud to announce the winners of the 2025-26 Student of the Year Awards. These honors, presented by Engineering Career Connections, recognize students who have demonstrated exceptional technical skill, leadership and professional growth during their industry placements.

Senior Ashton Laurent's path to Senior Walk began in elementary school in his hometown of Pine Bluff, when he began playing the violin, then the viola, sparking his passion for sharing music. Now a senior on track to graduate with a bachelor's in music education in May 2026, he is currently interning in the Bentonville School District teaching orchestra and general music. He plans to continue his studies after graduation, and has been acceptedinto the Master of Music in Black Sacred Music program here at the U of A - the only one of its kind in the nation.

The Latino Alumni Society honored new graduates at the 2025 Winter Meritos Latinos Reception at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House. Speakers at the event from LAS were Cecilia Grossberger and Carolina Vargas. Brandy Cox gave remarks from the Arkansas Alumni Association. A highlight of the reception was the presentation of graduation stoles to 12 graduating students nominated by U of A faculty and staff.

In the past year, the Hughes Fellowship has supported five physics students at the University of Arkansas. Harry O'Mara, Luis Enrique Rosas Hernandaz, Sachini Withanage, Hemanta Pradhan and James Mangum have shared what they have been able to accomplish with the support of the Hughes family in the following testimonials.

Faculty, staff and students from the University of Arkansas Department of Horticulture were recognized for strong participation and multiple student awards at the Southern Region American Society for Horticultural Science annual meeting held in Louisville, Kentucky. Department faculty and staff contributed to the conference through research presentations, session moderation and student competition leadership.

No matter where your path at the U of A takes you, the Substance Education, Assessment & Recovery program at Pat Walker Health Center encourages all Razorbacks to Stay RazorSharp. SEAR provides direct individual and group interventions to university students with alcohol, cannabis and other substance-related concerns and offers a variety of research-based prevention, early intervention and recovery support services.

Graduate students in the Department of Animal Science recently took the spotlight during the annual Dr. Paul Noland Graduate Student Award Competition, an event showcasing emerging research and recognizing excellence in graduate scholarships. Seven students presented their current work with projects spanning animal health, beef production, sustainability and innovative technology.

Mahboobeh Hemmati, a doctoral candidate in the Environmental Dynamics program, recently had her paper selected as an Editor's Choice Article in Buildings, an international peer-reviewed journal on building science, building engineering and architecture. Hemmati's paper, "Comparison of Embodied Carbon Footprint of a Mass Timber Building Structure With a Steel Equivalent," compares the amount of pollution created by the construction of a mass timber structure versus a steel-framed version of the same building. Her research concludes that mass timber significantly reduces the building's carbon footprint.

Michelle Kamanga, who began her academic career at the University of Arkansas' Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences as an undergraduate (B.A. in art history, '24), is now pursuing her master's degree in art history at the university. She was selected for the Creative Exchange Fund (CXF) at The Medium, which provides funding and free space for creatives and cultural organizers to develop and present their work across five funding categories. Kamanga's project was chosen for the Spectra Series, which supports artists in hosting group exhibitions in The Medium's Main Hall or on its outdoor campus.

When T.J. Williams talks about Northwest Arkansas, he doesn't just describe it. He can navigate it from memory. He knows where buildings sit in relation to one another, how the land slopes beneath Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and which corners of the University of Arkansas campus catch the light at night. He knows these places so well, in fact, that he has rebuilt them, block by block, inside Minecraft.

M.J. Ferguson, a political science senior at the U of A, has been selected to participate in the 2026 Ralph Bunche Summer Institute at Duke University. The program, named for Ralph J. Bunche, encourages students to pursue careers in political science by providing scholars with opportunities to participate in writing and research workshops, develop statistical skills for data analysis and explore questions relevant to the discipline. The institute also introduces participants to leading industry professionals and scholars, educates them about career opportunities and provides assistance with finding and applying to Ph.D. programs in the field.

Recently, Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies (CLCS) M.A. student Emma Bryans presented at the Middle East Studies Association's (MESA) annual conference. But the educational journey that brought her there is a story that resonates with many of us. As part of her career readiness, Bryans picked CLCS for its interdisciplinary approach, opening doors that otherwise might be closed. "I feel like I'm actually way more diversified as a cultural studies person. Something really, really cool about the CLCS program you get so many different perspectives from so many different people from around the world. I mean, don't you wanna be well rounded?"

The Speech and Debate Society at the U of A, sponsored by the Diane Blair Center for Southern Politics and Society, traveled to Bossier City, Louisiana, to compete in the Eddy Shell Invitational hosted at Bossier Parish Community College.

Ruvindu Perera, a doctoral student in the Cell and Molecular Biology program, placed as one of the top 12 finalists out of more than 60 competitors in the regional 3-Minute Thesis competition in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Perera, who is also a Doctoral Academy Fellow, presented on his research project titled "Developing a Vaccine to Prevent Lameness in Broiler Chickens." He faced off against graduate students from universities across the South, as far west as Texas and as far east as Virginia, and received a $150 cash prize for placing as a finalist.

In Northwest Arkansas, movement through the natural environment is a part of everyday life. Caitlin Swanson, a U of A student from Salem, Oregon, drew on that sense of connection between people and the landscape for her design of a mental wellness center located along the Razorback Greenway in Fayetteville. Inspired by the region's extensive trail system and biking culture, the project positions access, movement and community as essential elements of healing and design.

Second-year law student Emilee Webb has been selected to serve as editor-in-chief of the Arkansas Law Review (ALR) for the 2026-27 academic year. In addition to Webb, the editorial board was chosen along with members of the ALR. Published quarterly, the Arkansas Law Review has as its primary objective the dissemination of scholarly and authoritative articles on significant legal issues. Its editorial board serves the Arkansas legal community and beyond by publishing scholarship of state, national and international importance. It is cited and relied upon by lawyers and courts throughout the nation. Its articles and student writings have been quoted in books and learned journals throughout the world.

The University of Arkansas honored its most recent graduating class with two fall commencement ceremonies. Recordings of ceremonies are available on the U of A YouTube channel, and printed program books are available online. More information can be found on our commencement page.

From the moment she peered at pond water under a microscope, Lillian Hutchinson was determined to "zoom in" on the invisible forces shaping life. Now a senior chemical engineering major in the Honors College at the University of Arkansas, she is engineering collagen scaffolds to help repair damaged nerves, collaborating with NASA on space habitat systems, and publishing cutting-edge research in regenerative medicine. A Goldwater Scholarship nominee and founder of The Lab Notebook Podcast, Hutchinson is equally committed to opening doors for other students-proving that curiosity, initiative and persistence can carry a young scientist from a high school classroom to the frontiers of discovery.

The Speech and Debate Society at the University of Arkansas, sponsored by the Diane Blair Center for Southern Politics and Society and housed in the History Department, competed at the Southern Forensics Championship Tournament, the state championship for Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. While this event typically occurs in-person and was set to be hosted by Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, the SFC board moved the event online due to winter storms. The Speech and Debate Society went on to win a whopping 58 awards, breaking their past record from the same event in 2025.

University of Arkansas faculty and students recently introduced local elementary school students to computer science through the Hour of Code program. Organized by the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, the program paired university student volunteers with children from kindergarten through fourth grade to complete hands-on coding activities.

The University of Arkansas School of Art and the Windgate Foundation are enhancing how educational institutions support artists beyond graduation. Through continued investment from the Windgate Foundation, 12 graduating students and recent alumni from the School of Art in Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences have each been awarded $10,000 Windgate Accelerator Grants to launch or expand their professional studio practices, paired with ongoing faculty mentorship.

Gibson Nkhata, a doctoral student in the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas, earned a best paper award at the 24th IEEE/WIC International Conference on Web Intelligence and Intelligent Agent Technology in London, United Kingdom. This international conference, organized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Web Intelligence Consortium (WIC), brings together researchers, professionals and industry experts to share research and real-world applications exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) functions in a connected world. Nkhata's paper, titled "Verifying Rumors via Stance-Aware Structural Modeling," examines the importance of verifying information and rumors on social media to limit the spread of misinformation.

The University of Arkansas School of Art, housed in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, is hosting the United States International Poster Biennial, a juried exhibition with stops across the world. The exhibition, at the Studio and Design Center, offers community members a comprehensive survey of poster designs from around the world, which includes several designs from School of Art faculty and students. A highlight of the exhibition is a dedicated U of A wall showcasing work by U of A-affiliated designers and emphasizing the institution's growing impact in international design spaces.

Sidra Siddiqui, a freshman majoring in elementary education from Karachi, Pakistan, originally enrolled in the University of Arkansas's College of Education and Health Professions this past fall. "I've had the best professors, friends and faculty that are willing to support me in every way possible," she says, "by giving me the right resources and being there for me in every way, whether it might be academic or not." Her next step on the way to Senior Walk? She hopes to become a university ambassador of some sort, so she can give back to the campus community.