In the News
February 2013
Cara Osborne, assistant professor of nursing, discusses the results of a study that found birthing centers could cut C-section rates and save billions of dollars in an article in Time magazine.
December 2012
Arts Fellowship Program Teaches Arts Integration
The City Wire profiles a pilot program to help teachers integrate the arts into the Common Core curriculum. Chris Goering, associate professor of English education, is one of the program directors.
Kids Tackle the Razorback Technology Challenge
KNWA covers the competition as hundreds of junior high and middle school students showed off their problem-solving skills at the University of Arkansas on Dec. 7.
October 2012
Educational Technology Graduate Receives Teaching Award
Rhonda Bullard, a graduate of the educational technology master's degree program, won the "Mrs. Baird's Teachers on the Rise" award for her work at Mansfield Middle School.
May 2012
Peabody Hall Restoration Wins Preservation Award from City of Fayetteville
The restoration and rehabilitation of the University of Arkansas’ historic Peabody Hall has earned the university a Best Preservation Practices Award from the City of Fayetteville and the Fayetteville Historic District Commission.
April 2012
Two Represent University of Arkansas at Gates Literacy Conference
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation invited Karee Dunn, assistant professor of educational statistics and research methods, and Denise Airola, research specialist with the Arkansas Leadership Academy, to attend a literacy conference May 3 and 4. They were invited to the conference because of their work with data-driven reform efforts in Oregon.
February 2012
Hammig Interviewed by Chicago NBC Affiliate About Snow Blower Research
Bart Hammig, associate professor of community health promotion, was interviewed by NBC in Chicago for a report about the dangers associated with snow blowers. Hammig and Ches Jones, professor of community health promotion, published a study about snow blower injuries in the journal Academic Emergency Medicine in May 2010.
January 2012
Time Magazine Quotes Greene in Look Back at No Child Left Behind
Time magazine gathered quotes from educators, policymakers and researchers from around the nation in a piece on the 10th anniversary of the George W. Bush signature education law.
Pijanowski Inducted Into Teaching Academy
John Pijanowski, associate professor of educational leadership in the College of Education and Health Professions, was one of six faculty members inducted into the University of Arkansas Teaching Academy in December.
Doctoral Student Wins Award for Human Resource Development Paper
Synetra Gilmer, who defended her doctoral dissertation in January at the University of Arkansas, received the Nonprofit Management Track Award from the North American Management Society for a paper she will present at the society's international conference in March.
December 2011
University of Arkansas Ranks High for Board-Certified Teaching Graduates
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards announced earlier this month that the University of Arkansas ranks in the top 20 among institutions whose graduates go on to earn national board certification.
November 2011
Chicago Tribune One of Several News Organizations to Quote Dittmore in Wake of Penn State Scandal
Steve Dittmore, assistant professor of recreation and sport management, was interviewed by several news organizations about the publicity surrounding allegations of sexual abuse at Penn State. Dittmore is the co-author of a textbook on public relations in sports and previously spent 12 years working in sport public relations.
October 2011
Costrell Named Fellow of George W. Bush Institute
Robert Costrell, holder of the Twenty-First Century Chair in Education Accountability at the University of Arkansas, was named a fellow in education reform at the George W. Bush Institute.Read the institute's news release
July 2011
Totten Provides Information on Killings in Sudan
Samuel Totten, professor of secondary education, took a lead in informing the media across the globe about the day-to-day events unfolding in July on the ground in the Nuba Mountains in Sudan, where the government carried out air and ground attacks over the past four weeks.June 2011
Kent Co-Chairs National Conference on Cognitively Guided Instruction
Laura Kent, associate professor of secondary education, co-chaired a national conference on Cognitively Guided Instruction in Little Rock that drew 400 elementary teachers from around the country.May 2011
Education Reform Professors Help Create Manifesto Opposing National Curriculum
Jay Greene, head of the department of education reform, and Sandra Stotsky, holder of the Twenty-First Century Chair in Teacher Quality in the department, organized a manifesto called "Closing the Door on Innovation: Why One National Curriculum is Bad for America." The manifesto was initially signed by more than 100 leaders in education and other fields who represent diverse viewpoints and oppose federal government efforts to create a national curriculum and testing system.
January 2011
Research by Hammig, Jones Cited in Articles About Snow Blower Safety
Bart Hammig, associate professor of community health promotion, and Ches Jones, professor of community health promotion, published a study of injuries from snow blowers in Academic Emergency Medicine.
Read Occupational Health & Safety post
November 2010
Rugby Club Repeats as Heart of America Champions
The Arkansas rugby club defeated Central Missouri 25-16 to take the Heart of America championship.Read an article on RugbyMag.com
September 2010
Come Back to Peabody: The College of Education and Health Professions is looking for people who would like to return to the Fayetteville campus for the reopening of Peabody Hall in the fall of 2011. Many features of the historic building, constructed in 1913, are being restored to their original condition, including the red brick exterior, while the building also is being modernized in the $8.8 million project. Teachers and students who attended the Peabody training school as well as University of Arkansas faculty, staff and students who would like to know more about the reopening ceremonies are asked to contact Heidi Stambuck at 479-575-3138 or stambuck@uark.edu.
April 2010
College Listed in U.S. News & World Report Rankings
The College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas was ranked at 141 of the nation's best graduate schools for education as determined by U.S. News & World Report.
The magazine announced the new rankings for graduate schools April 15. U.S. News surveyed 278 programs to get the information used in the ranking of top education schools.
Buron Interviewed for Magazine Article on Personhood
Bill Buron, assistant professor of nursing, was interviewed for the April 2010 issue of Nursing Assistant Monthly about his research on dementia. Read the article
Governor Proclaims Delta Kappa Gamma International Day
Gov. Mike Beebe proclaimed March 8 as Delta Kappa Gamma Society International Day in Arkansas. LaVonne Kirkpatrick, assistant professor of elementary education at the University of Arkansas, is state president of the organization.
Wolf's Research Team Releases Second-Year Reports on Milwaukee School Choice Program
University of Arkansas researchers presented information April 7 in Madison, Wisc., from a study that found students in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program scored at similar levels as their peers not participating in the school choice program. The comparison was made two years after large panels of students in the program and students in the Milwaukee public school system had been carefully matched to each other.
March 2010
Researchers Make Recommendations after Survey of Arkansas' English Teachers
Sandra Stotsky, holder of the Twenty-First Century Chair in Teacher Quality, Chris Goering, assistant professor of secondary English/literacy education, and David Jolliffe, holder of the Brown Chair in English Literacy, offer several recommendations to the Arkansas Department of Education and the Arkansas Department of Higher Education concerning the teaching of literature in a new report.
Biomechanics Research Focus of KUAF Report
Gretchen Oliver, assistant professor of kinesiology, and Dave Keeley, one of her doctoral students, were interviewed on KUAF's Ozarks At Large about the research they and other students are conducting on the biomechanics of pitching. Baseball and softball pitchers of all ages can receive a free analysis by participating in the research.
February 2010
Professor Interviewed in Arkansas Times Article on Virtual Life
Fran Hagstrom, interim head of the department of rehabilitation, human resources and communication disorders in the College of Education and Health Professions, was interviewed for a feature story in the Arkansas Times about virtual life.
Hagstrom, an associate professor of communication disorders, discusses the University of Arkansas use of Second Life for a virtual hospital.
Student Art Entries Sought in Contest Honoring Former Dean Greenwood
Students at the University of Arkansas can submit entries in an art contest honoring former Dean Reed Greenwood of the College of Education and Health Professions. The winning entry will be placed on exhibit in the Graduate Education Building, which houses the dean's office of the college, and the winner will receive $1,000.
The College Council, an elected advisory board to the dean, designed the art contest as a way to honor Greenwood, who completed his appointment as dean of the college on Aug. 1, 2009. Greenwood served as dean from 2001 and is now a faculty member in the college's department of education reform.
Entries for the art contest are due by noon April 1. Complete rules and an entry form give all details of the contest. Qualifying entries will be displayed for members of the college's faculty and staff to vote on the winner.
Professor Interviewed on KNWA About Olympics, Tiger Woods Controversy
Steve Dittmore, assistant professor of recreation, was interviewed twice in February on local television station KNWA about the start of the Olympics and about the controversy surrounding golfer Tiger Woods.
Three Graduate Students Win Martin Luther King Scholarships
Three students in graduate programs in the College of Education and Health Professions won scholarships in January from the Northwest Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Planning Committee.
Winners are Synetra Gilmer, a doctoral student in workforce development education, and Jonathon Modica and Gigi Secuban, doctoral students in higher education.
Higher Education Students Receive Scholarships
Two higher education graduate students at the University of Arkansas were awarded scholarships to attend the annual meeting of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators in Chicago next month.
Tamara St. Marthe, a doctoral student, and Chase Stoudenmire, a master's student, received the scholarships from The Higher Education Organization (THEO), a registered student organization on the University of Arkansas campus.
January 2010
Kentucky TV Station Films Arkansas Students During Wilderness Training
Four students who work at the Outdoor Connection Center at the University of Arkansas recently completed an 80-hour wilderness first responder training course at Western Kentucky University, and a local television station was there to document the training.
Lance Jackson, Darrell Shaw and Adam Cogbill are majoring in recreation and Corrie Byers is majoring in kinesiology in the College of Education and Health Professions. The students work at the Outdoor Connection Center in Intramural/Recreational Sports. Jennifer Hazelrigs, IMRS assistant director who manages the center, said the certification offered through the training course is required for student staffers who lead extended trips for the center, which is located in the HPER Building.
The center offers trips, seminars, clinics and workshops to students, faculty, staff and other HPER members as well as renting outdoor equipment and operating a full-service bicycle repair shop.
WBKO in Bowling Green, Ky., reported on the course, and Jackson and Shaw were on camera at the end of the news clip helping another student who played an injured person pinned under a tree.
Reed Greenwood
Scholarship Fund Honors Outgoing Dean
The Dean’s Advisory Council created a scholarship fund in honor of Reed Greenwood, who retired July 31 as dean of the College of Education and Health Professions.
The council raised more than $7,200 for the fund, and the university committed to match the first $6,000. The first recipient will be selected during the 2010-11 academic year, and each year, one student will receive a $1,000 award until all funds have been distributed. Selection will be based on grade point average, merit, financial need and leadership qualities.
Greenwood holds three degrees from the University of Arkansas and has spent 35 years on the faculty and in administration. He began a new appointment with the college’s department of education reform in August.
Swedish Exchange Agreement in Place
An exchange agreement between the University of Arkansas and the School of Health Sciences at Jönköping University in Jönköping, Sweden, will facilitate the exchange of students and faculty between the two campuses.
The agreement grew from a study abroad program begun in 2007. During the past two summers, students majoring in nursing, pre-medical, kinesiology and communication disorders went to Sweden for three weeks to study health care there. The program was designed to teach students about the interdisciplinary nature of health care.
David Banks
Benefactor Honored by Fundraising Group
David Banks of Fayetteville was honored as the Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser at the 7th Annual Northwest Arkansas National Philanthropy Day Luncheon.
When Banks served as the chairman of the College of Education and Health Professions Campaign for the Twenty-First Century committee, the college exceeded its goal of $15 million and raised more than $40 million. Banks made two significant gifts that resulted in endowed scholarships for the college, and he reached out to his committee members and professional contacts to ask of them what he had asked of himself.
Graduate Certificate Focuses on Autism
The College of Education and Health Professions now offers a graduate certificate in autism spectrum disorders through a combination of on-campus and online courses. The certificate is designed to help teachers and other educators be better prepared to help students with autism.
"Public schools have seen a significant increase in the number of students identified with autism spectrum disorders," said Barbara Gartin, University Professor of special education. "Teachers, therapists and parents report a lack of knowledge on how to teach these students. We at the university are attempting to meet these educational needs by developing a graduate program of study for those professionals who work with students with ASD and their families. The result was the graduate certificate in ASD."
Professors Offer Advice to President Obama
Three University of Arkansas professors wrote a paper offering advice to President Obama on what education reform measures he should pursue during his administration.
Robert Maranto, who holds the Twenty-First Century Chair in Leadership, Gary Ritter, who holds the Twenty-First Century Chair in Education Policy, and Sandra Stotsky, who holds the Twenty-First Century Chair in Teacher Quality, wrote a paper for the Independence Institute, a Colorado think tank. Their suggestions concerned Obama’s appointment of a secretary of education, new compensation models for teachers, support for charter schools, resisting pork barrel spending and the future of the Washington, D.C., voucher program.
Stating that public education must serve a variety of stakeholders, two of the most important being children and public employees, a major premise of the paper is that the goals of these two groups sometimes conflict.
Grant of $4 Million Funds Rehabilitation Center
The U.S. Rehabilitation Services Administration awarded a grant of $832,000 per year for five years to the Center for the Utilization of Rehabilitation Resources for Education, Networking, Training and Service in Hot Springs.
The federal agency has funded the center before, but it has changed the grant’s primary emphasis from continuing education to technical assistance, explained director Jeanne Miller.
Miller has directed the center since 1996. It is based in the College of Education and Health Professions, which also offers academic degrees in rehabilitation counseling.
Study: Teacher Leaders Don’t Want to Be Principals
The University of Arkansas’ educational leadership program has released a major study titled "The Status of School Leadership in Arkansas" that found the No. 1 reason teacher leaders do not want to become principals is the pressure of testing and accountability.
However, the teacher leaders said they would be interested in becoming principals if the current job could be changed in a positive way that would allow them to become effective instructional leaders. The study was conducted by Paul Hewitt, John Pijanowski, Leslie Carnine and George Denny.
Among the study’s findings, the top five reasons that teacher leaders do not want to become principals:
- The pressure of testing and accountability.
- The job is generally too stressful.
- Too much time is required.
- Societal problems making it difficult to be an instructional leader.
- Difficulty satisfying the demands of parents and the community.
Leadership Academy Unveils New Logo
The Arkansas Leadership Academy unveiled a new logo this fall. The academy offers professional development opportunities for the state’s educators.
Barry Goodwin and Bryan Carr of Wal-Mart Inc., one of the academy’s 44 partners, designed the new logo and presented the academy with it and two large display boards and brochures.
The logo, created with input from the academy’s staff and other partners, features the same shield shape as the former academy logo with multiple meanings. The three rays symbolize the three facets of the former logo: education, community and technology.
The logo is featured on the academy’s monthly newsletter, "Academy Action."
Educational Leadership Program Posts Impressive Test Scores
Two years ago, the College of Education and Health Professions reorganized its Master of Education degree in educational administration, changing the name of the program to educational leadership. The program prepares the next generation of educational leaders for Arkansas schools.
Programmatic changes were made based on the needs of students and on recommendations from a study of the program that focused on content and the relationship of theory into practice.
"I believe our work is beginning to pay off," said Paul Hewitt, assistant professor of educational leadership.
Hewitt cited scores on the Educational Testing Service examination required to obtain licensure as a school site administrator in Arkansas, the School Leadership License Assessment. After the first year since the program was reorganized, University of Arkansas students’ performance on this critical national examination was encouraging:
- The median national score was 178 with an average performance range of 172-184. University of Arkansas students had a median score of 184 and an average performance range of 179-188. The highest score in the nation was a perfect 200 while the University of Arkansas’ highest was 193.
- On the national level, 10 percent of the candidates scored above 190. There were 25 percent of University of Arkansas students scoring above 190.
- Seventy-five percent of University of Arkansas students scored above the national median score.
"The performance of our current students demonstrates that we have a solid foundation upon which to expand our program to meet the needs of our state," Hewitt said. "It will be through high-quality leadership that Arkansas public schools will improve to meet the economic and social needs of the state in the future. We are truly in a good position to take greater leadership in our state."
Chris Goering
Goering Directs Northwest Arkansas Writing Project
Christian Goering, assistant professor of secondary English and literacy, became director of the Northwest Arkansas Writing Project, taking over for Samuel Totten, professor of secondary education.
The College of Education and Health Professions has operated the Northwest Arkansas Writing Project, an affiliate of the National Writing Project, since 1997.
Goering’s experience with the National Writing Project dates back to 2002 at Kansas State University when he was a participant in the Flint Hills Writing Project. He was teaching high school English and began attending graduate school, ultimately serving Flint Hills as a returning fellow and co-director of youth and community programs between 2005 and 2007.
Eleven Arkansas teachers completed the project’s four-week invitational institute this summer.
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