Applied Communication Moves to Ross Hall
In a bittersweet move, the department was encouraged to vacate our old home in the Speech Building in 2021 and move to Ross Hall This change ensured academic departments were accessible to students in the heart of campus. The move brought back vivid memories of the Communication Skills Center (CSC) helping students across campus for 50 years, classroom renovations to create more space for students, and continually buying equipment to upgrade our classrooms for student success The Speech Building saw legendary faculty such as Mike Hemphill, a former student and ultimately Chair of the department, in the halls with wise and popular instructors like Linda Pledger, Jerry Butler, Christy Standerfer, and Allan Ward.
The department has always been at the forefront of innovation, even in the Speech Building era We were pioneers in the 1990s, introducing online classes for communication students. We then successfully transitioned our minors, undergraduate, and graduate programs to an online platform, setting a precedent that other institutions would later follow, offering both face-to-face and online programs.
Our department's excellence has been celebrated and recognized time and again. In 2000, we proudly accepted the Department of Excellence Award, accompanied by a prize of $30,000. This recognition was a testament to our faculty and staff's hard work and dedication We invested this prize in its classrooms, further enhancing the learning environment for students. The faculty's unwavering commitment and expertise have also been acknowledged with several campus-wide Teacher of the Year and Researcher of the Year Awards, a testament to faculty commitment to academic excellence and student success. In addition, in 2015-16, the department received the Innovation in Recruitment and Retention award from the College of Social Sciences & Communication, and in 2021, the department was awarded the university's Student Success and Retention Award.
Applied Communication Moves to Ross Hall
The department now occupies the first floor of our new building, Ross Hall, with some offices on the sixth floor. On the first floor of the building is a set of critical offices for the department. The Chair of our Department, April Chatham Carpenter, or Dr April, occupies the former dean’s office Kristen McIntyre, Dr M, director of both the Basic Course Program and the CSC, has offices on the first floor, along with other instructors of the 1300 program, such as Katie Halford. Another face in the main office is our new Graduate Coordinator, Dr. Bailey Blackburn.
As you enter our office, our long-time Administrative Assistant, Mrs. Leslie McBryde, will warmly welcome you. Leslie's friendly demeanor and eagerness to assist make her a familiar and comforting presence for our students and friends Her dedication and the supportive environment we strive to maintain are evident in the many who stop by the office to visit with her, fostering a strong sense of community and belonging. We believe this sense of belonging is crucial for our students' success and are committed to maintaining it.
On the sixth floor, we find the offices of other faculty, including Dr Gerald Driskill, formerly Graduate Coordinator, Dr. Julien Mirivel, who created the Positive Communication network, and Dr. Avinash Thombre, who brings our department's insights into media development and Intercultural Communication. Dr. Carol Thompson also has an office on the sixth floor.
Reviews of the move are uniformly positive. Dr. M likes “really being office is bright, inviting, and able to support all the students in the bu Blackburn enjoys that “ we are the first set of offices by the main/lobby wander in, they are immediately greeted by Mrs. Leslie and our missio “ even the sixth floor feels like an adventure.” Leslie McBryde men classrooms,” and being able to see students whenever she “ opens th Ross Hall
CSC Celebrates 50th Anniversary
On Tuesday, May 7, 2024, the Communication Skills Center, formerly the Speech Communication Interaction Learning Lab (SCIL Lab), celebrated its 50th Anniversary The CSC is the oldest continually operating communication center in the nation. It offered services virtually during the pandemic and moved into its new location in the Learning Commons in the Spring of 2022 Located on the renovated first floor of the Ottenheimer Library, the CSC shares an open, collaborative learning space with other key student support centers that make up the Learning Commons: The Math Assistance Center (MAC), Trojan Tutoring (TT), and the University Writing Center (UWC).
In the new location, the CSC has a dedicated rehearsal space with technology that allows not only speakers and listeners to be recorded during a presentation but also makes possible observations of group meetings, mock interviews, and other communication-skillbuilding activities. Transitioning into the Learning Commons means the CSC has changed, but some things are still the same. Specifically, the space is still student-managed. Graduate Assistants serve as Assistant Directors and handle the management, training, and professional development of CSC staff.
Dr. Kristen McIntyre has served as the CSC Director since 2006 and expanded CSC services to all campus students, faculty, and staff, both in person and virtually. Perhaps the most important thing that hasn’t changed in 50 years is our unwavering dedication to supporting students in their communication journeys. While the ways we’ve offered that support have looked radically different over the years, the mission has remained steady–-to foster the co-creation of better social worlds through positive communication. Here’s to 50 more years of being the difference that makes the difference!
CSC Celebrates 50th Anniversary (Continued)
Pouring in from the River Market on May 7, 2024, graduating students, current students, faculty, friends, family, alumni, and other community members met at UA Little Rock Downtown to celebrate fifty years of the Communication Skills Center (CSC) and student achievements.
Before the program, the audience enjoyed refreshments and milled around the space, renewing old friendships and meeting faculty who had gathered for the evening’s festivities. We heard opening remarks from our Dean, Dr. Sarah Beth Estes. We were privileged to review a year of excellence, congratulating graduates and award winners. Each award honoree received a hand-made glass heart crafted by Alumna and former faculty member Dr. Linda Pledger In a letter Dr Pledger wrote to the recipients of the hearts, she mentioned that “positive communication begins with one’s heart and spreads to others from there.” This phrase beautifully matches the unique mission statement developed by the department, reminding us “to foster the co-creation of better social worlds through positive communication.”
We had the honor of hearing from Dr. Jerry Butler and Dr. Christy Standerfer about the early years, whose vision and dedication laid the foundation for the CSC. Then we heard from Dr. Mike Hemphill and Dr. Linda Pledger, who were involved in the mid-90s to the mid2000s, and finally to Dr. Kristen McIntyre, current director of the CSC, who continues to lead us towards new horizons. Their stories and insights inspire us to carry forward the CSC's mission with renewed vigor and commitment.
Dr. Butler and Dr. Hemphill discussed the beginning of the CSC Fifty years ago, the university began requiring classes to admit 50 or more students. The thennamed Speech Department’s solution was to develop the CSC as a place to send half of a class to read texts, take quizzes, and practice speeches while the other half gave speeches in the classroom. Christy Standerfer then described when the CSC began computer-assisted learning From there, it was constant growth until now, and we have the current CSC serving the entire campus and housed in the library for the whole campus to access.
New Grad Coordinator
By: Dr. Bailey Blackburn
During a busy morning on campus in the Spring of 2023, Dr. Gerald Driskill and Dr. April walked into my office. As they sat, I could see they had both sorrow and excitement in their demeanors This emotional contradiction was soon understood, as Dr. Driskill told me the time had come to pass on the torch of being the graduate coordinator
Dr. Driskill has led our graduate program so beautifully for over 20 years He has inspired an entire generation of students and communication practitioners, who are now out in the world and living out our mission to cultivate positive communication across their organizations and communities.
To say I had big shoes to fill would be an understatement. Ironically, when these discussions began, the university underwent considerable changes in fielding applications and onboarding new students, including new and required online databases and website tools. Dr. Driskill and I hit the ground running by getting me updated, trained, and prepared for this new role I accredit my success in this new role to his diligent and helpful guidance and training.
Since assuming this role in July of 2023, I have also taken on the responsibility of the Conflict Management Graduate Certificate program. My mission is to streamline and enhance the program experience for our graduate students, making it more inclusive and clear I have found immense joy in working with the graduate faculty, leading faculty retreats and meetings, and engaging in recruitment practices. I am deeply grateful to the faculty, and especially to Dr. Driskill, for their guidance and support on this new journey. I am filled with hope and excitement for the future of our graduate programs, and I am eager to witness their growth in the years to come!
If you are interested in our graduate program or our Conflict Management Graduate Certificate, please contact Dr. Blackburn at boblackburn@ualr.edu!
Embracing Compassionate Curiosity: Building Bridges Across Political Divides
By: Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter
I am a common-sense builder and communicator who works on building connections, one relationship at a time My strengths of harmony, relator, arranger, empathy, and consistency play a role in how I do this. I see this in my service roles in the bridge-building national non-profit Braver Angels. When I joined the national non-profit organization Braver Angels in 2020, amid a global pandemic, I had no idea how to do this across the political divide.
As I hung out with people nationwide in Zoom meetings (since we were in COVID lockdown), I learned more about the importance of depolarizing work. I got involved in doing the job by moderating both national and local skill-building workshops, co-facilitating a podcast called On the Other Hand, and developing and teaching a class for the department called Listening and Civil Dialogue, which looks at how we can improve intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, and public communication to build bridges across our differences, as we communicate in relationships with people we consider to be “other” than us. I also began developing research related to conflict resilience and conversational receptiveness and brought several Braver Angel depolarization workshops to campus and the local community. I have recently continued this work as a member of Cohort 4 of the National Civility Leadership Institute, sponsored by Renew America Together
In line with the work done by others in the bridge-building space (cf. https://buildersmovement.org/), I see my role as someone who empowers builders, people who embrace and rely on the 4C’s of curiosity, compassion, creativity, and courage (cf this link), or as some would call “compassionate curiosity ” This is how I act out the mission of our department daily, “to foster the co-creation of better social worlds through positive communication ”
Driskill and Little Rock Congregational Study
By: Dr. Gerald Driskill
Tears fell Tears that spelled h-o-p-e I had not realized I had given up hope. It was 2001. I will explain those tears of hope at the end of this story. First, though, let me state the three goals of the Little Rock Congregation Study (LRCS) that is all about my cocreating hope:
To improve our understanding of the impacts of faith-based community engagement
To get students out of the classroom and into the community to learn and give back
To provide relevant and meaningful findings to the community
These goals, developed by Dr Rebecca Glazier, the LRCS founder, continue to inspire me. Our Clergy Advisory Board guides our community-engaged research. One major highlight: after working for two years with UA Little Rock and Clinton School of Public Service students, and after a series of community dialogues, we developed and hosted the 2022 Little Rock Race and Faith Summit, which provided resources for congregations doing faith-based race relations work.
We continue to move forward in the following ways: Making the LRCS congregational survey available for free
Developing a survey tool that can aid congregations seeking to be multiethnic
Dreaming with our students and advisory board about the next steps.
Dreaming with Dr. Glazier our students, and the advisory board on the best ways to serve
Collaborating with my department's mission to foster the co-creation of better social worlds through positive communication
Conspiring with my wife and family on ways to better serve locally and internationally
Preparing for twins due to my son and daughter-inlaw this summer!
The above steps are woven into my current professional development and overlap my life personally. Hope is contagious. Tears of hope continue to refresh and grow the work I am honored to engage in with others.
So, what about my tears of hope in 2001?
These collaborative practices continue to shape the lives of countless individuals, families, and faith communities engaged in a level of collaboration that did not exist before This relational network, known as the m
By: Dr. Julien Mirivel
In 2023, Dr Mirivel founded the Positive Communication Network The group, which includes scholars and teachers from around the nation, includes Drs. Thomas Socha (Old Dominion University), Ryan Fuller (Sacramento State University), Amy Young (University of Michigan), Margaret Pitts (University of Arizona), Kristen Christman (UNC Greensboro), and Phil Glenn (Emerson College). It was brought together to foster a community dedicated to creating better social worlds for all through positive communication research, education, and practice. The nonprofit organization has taken the mission of the department and taken it worldwide.
Since 2023, the Positive Communication Network has organized a number of free virtual events, including an annual conference dedicated to positive communication scholarship, teaching, and practice. In 2024, in fact, the annual conference was organized to respond to the loneliness epidemic and celebrate the power of human connection
At the very same time, our capstone students explored loneliness in Fall 2023 and connection in Spring 2024. Recent events include the popular Positive Communication Book Parties, a one- hour event designed to celebrate great books that inspire better social worlds. In one year, the Positive Communication Network has brought together over 1500 people across the globe. Learn more here.
Click the photo below to watch the zoom recording of the 2023 Positive Communication Conference!
Get Dr. Mirivel’s book here!
Lambda Pi Eta: Honoring Our Student Scholars
By: Mrs. Katie Halford
Ourdepartmenthasarichhistoryofacademicexcellenceinresearchandcreativeworks.Fromclass-related researchtoprofessionalconsultationsinourcommunity,theappliednatureofourprogramhasalwaysbeen easytosee.Wecelebratetheexcellenceofourstudentsinavarietyofways,andLambdaPiEtahasbecomeone waywecanhonortheaccomplishmentofourstudentsonalargerscale.
AboutLambdaPiEta:
LambdaPiEta(LPH)istheNationalCommunicationAssociation’sofficialhonorsocietyatfour-yearcollegesand universities.LPHhasmorethan500activechaptersatfour-yearcollegesanduniversitiesnationwideandisa memberoftheAssociationofCollegeHonorSocieties(ACHS).LPHrepresentswhatAristotledescribedin Rhetoricasthreeingredientsofpersuasion:logos(Lambda),meaninglogic;pathos(Pi),relatingtoemotion;and ethos(Eta),definedascharactercredibilityandethics(LambdaPiEtaNationalCommunicationAssociation, n.d.).
LambdaPiEtaatUALittleRock:ThenandNow
ThefoundingchapterofLPHwasestablishedatUALittleRockin2011byfacultyadvisorMs.MelissaJohnston. Ms. Johnston was an exemplary faculty advisor serving as a full-time faculty member and professional consultantinourcommunity.Uponinduction,studentsweregiventheopportunitytotourandnetworkwith severallocalorganizationsinLittleRock.AsMs.Johnstontransitionedintoanewrole,thefacultyadvisorrole becamevacantforafewyears.
In2017,Dr.Aprilwasapproachedbyafewstudentsthatwereinterestedinrenewingthechaptermembership andmakingitasuccess.Dr.Apriltooktherequesttothefaculty,andMs.KatieHalfordvolunteeredtobethenew facultyadvisor.Whenaskedaboutwhyshevolunteered,sheanswered,“Ivolunteeredtobethefacultyadvisorof LambdaPiEtabecauseIthoughtourstudentsdeservedtheopportunitytobehonoredandrecognizedfortheir academicachievements.Mostofourstudentsarebalancingmultiplechallengingresponsibilities,andIwant themtoknowtheirachievementsareworthyofcelebration.”
Undergraduatestudents,TiffanieNelsonandEmily“Addie”McClenny,playedanessentialroleingettingour chapterreadyforrelaunch,recruitingnewmembers,andservingasleadersintheorganization.Becauseoftheir efforts,we’vebeenabletoinductandhonorover50studentsinthepasteightyears.
What ARE Your Professors up to When They Are Not Teaching or Doing Research?
By: Drs. Carol Thompson and Avinash Thombre
Thompson’s Gardening Practice as a Part of the Wholeness of Everything
From the time I was a little thing, and we lived in Hawaii, I have loved living things Our neighbor, a Chinese woman who grew gorgeous Canna lilies, would work the soil while I squatted in the dirt beside her wearing a little pink and white pinafore, watching. Every place we lived, I planted something and watched it grow. I have intuitively recognized that what physics tells us is true. Infinite Potential suggests there is a wholeness to the universe, and “all things and living things are connected” (Schäfer, p 165) So now I am on my 30th or so garden Fun for me is sitting in my old Adirondack chair and sensing I am a part of the breeze, the earth, and the plants. Closing my eyes and blending into the world around me is peace.
In my spare time, I have been practicing yoga on and off for the past several years However, it was during Covid that I really got seriously into it. Also, during this time, I proposed to teach a special topic class in mindbody communication for the department The class delved into issues of intrapersonal communication and the immense body of research into mind-body communication. Students responded well to the class, and that is when I formally enrolled in a yoga course After two years of intense study and practice, last year, I completed the course and now am a certified yoga instructor.
Thombre’s Practice of Yoga for Self Communication and Personal Transformation
I particularly like the backward and forward-bending stretching yoga postures, which allow me to be flexible while achieving a sense of calm and peaceful transformation. The best part of yoga for me personally is Breathing It's the most important thing we do every single day, and most people give it very little thought. But, when it comes to a productive yoga routine, settling your mind, relaxing, and centering yourself, breathing is one of the most important steps to master I call it a dialogue with myself -- the most satisfying aspect of communication.
Heifer International and Personal Transformation Research
The way in which individuals transform themselves has been a matter of interest for the communication discipline Since 2019, Dr Mirivel has led an interdisciplinary research team, with Drs. Avinash Thombre, Tusty ten Bensel, and Kirk Leach to discover the nature of personal transformation in women and men who partnered with Heifer International. Heifer International is a nonprofit humanitarian organization whose mission is to end hunger and poverty around the world Over the course of 80 years, Heifer International has helped over 41 million families do so. Heifer International funded this project to develop a metric that would enable them to measure their impact on human personal transformation
With this goal, the research team collected data around the globe. In 2019, Drs. Mirivel and Thombre traveled to Nepal to interview women who had formed unique support groups to improve their lives Then, the research team developed a model of personal transformation to outline the key elements of personal change. Those include self-identity, perception of others, state of leadership, but also our favorite of all: communication skills!
After completing the Nepal project and developing the model, the researchers prepared a survey and an interview guide Starting in 2020, they collected threeyear longitudinal data in Bihar, India – one of the poorest states in the country. In 2022, they gathered data in Uganda, Africa In 2023, they completed research in Honduras. Overall, the team collected 2500+ surveys and over 350 hours of audio-recorded interviews around the globe.
One of the major findings from this research is that building communicating competency is crucial for deep personal change. At any point, we all have in us the capacity to actualize our potentialities and we can do so by developing our communication skills. Speaking your mind, expressing your views, advocating for your perspective, and aspiring toward greater virtues all lead to more happiness and a better life.
To learn more about this project, contact Dr Mirivel at jcmirivel@ualr.edu.
Research Excellence of Faculty
Our seven tenured/tenure-track faculty have published two books, 12 book chapters, 20 journal articles, and multiple research-based technical reports in the past five years. They continue to present at regional, national, and international communication conferences and give research presentations to community groups and classes across the state and country Sometimes, they write about our departmental culture, such as the piece coauthored by Gerald Driskill, April Chatham-Carpenter, and Kristen McIntyre, which is accessible here.
Below, we highlight each of the tenured faculty members’ research.
Dr. Bailey Oliver Blackburn
Dr. Blackburn’s work spans topics related to stepfamily communication, fatherhood discourse, turning points in relationships, positive communication & peak communication moments, and resilience. Her work has appeared in journals such as Family Relations, The Journal of Family Communication, and the Journal of Applied Communication, as well as books published by Oxford Press. If you’re interested in her work, one article you might wish to read can be found here.
Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter
Dr. Chatham-Carpenter researches issues such as the use of communication to manage difficult dialogues, the impact of community listening on politically polarized environments, transformations in online teaching, pedagogical choices affecting teaching immediacy, and challenges in the higher education landscape Two articles you might wish to read if you’re interested in her work can be found at these links: (a) Pandemic Teacher Immediacy (co-authored with a program alumna) and (b) Conversational Receptiveness in Political Polarization (co-authored with Dr. Blackburn).
Dr. Gerald Driskill
Dr. Driskill’s work encompasses collaboration addressing community issues such as race, faith, and foster care, organizational cultural analyses, and non-profit work within multiple faith communities Along with a third edition of his Organizational Culture in Action book, you can find Dr. Driskill very active with the Little Rock Congregations Study, in which he has co-authored multiple articles. If you’re interested in his work, one article you might wish to read can be found here.
Dr. Kristen McIntyre
Dr. McIntyre is a recognized expert in the arenas of academic assessment and communication skills centers and experiential learning training. She serves as a model of the scholarship of teaching and learning and regularly writes pieces focusing on classroom practice and assessment issues. You might wish to read one publication (co-authored with two alumni of the program) if you’re interested in her work, which can be found here.
Research Excellence of Faculty (Continued)
Dr.
Julien Mirivel
Dr. Mirivel’s work focuses on the impact of positive communication in various environments (cf. Positive Communication Network) and on building transformational learning environments in global settings. His coauthored Positive Communication for Leaders book came out this past year. His work with Heifer International, on an interdisciplinary team that includes Dr Avinash Thombre, has led to several publications If you’re interested in his work, you might pick a copy of his recent book here.
Dr. Avinash Thombre
Dr Thombre’s work focuses on creating transformational environments in health, culture, social media, and sustainable practices. He recently reflected on the art and practice of teaching and learning, published in The Teaching Scholar. An example of this work is the work that he has done with Dr. Mirivel and others, studying the nature of personal transformation within community development efforts in multiple international locations where Heifer International has taken their work. In addition, if you’re interested in his work, one article you might wish to read can be found here.
Dr. Carol Thompson
Dr. Thompson analyzes the work of past writers and thinkers like Paulo Freire, Martin Buber, and Julien of Norwich, exploring how they maintained positive perspectives during difficult times. She also explores pedagogical practices and interdisciplinarity dialog that lead to deep learning in communication classrooms. She investigates liberatory pedagogy as it applies to communication and the relationship between mind-body communication in learning and spirituality practices. If you’re interested in her work, one article you might wish to read can be found here.
Senior Capstoners Making Human Connections
SeniorCapstoneDayhasbeenanimportanttraditionintheDepartmentgoingbackover30years.Onthisday, ourseniorsproudlypresenttheirqualitativeresearchprojectsinfrontofourfaculty,fellowstudents,family,and friends.Itisalsoatraditiontoinviteourprogramalumsandcampusandcommunitypartnerstoparticipatein thisspecialdaybyservingasguestevaluators.
In 2023-24, we tried a new approach to our undergraduate senior capstone course, focusing on the topic of “MakingHumanConnections.”IntheFallsemester,studentsfocusedonunderstandingwhatfactorscontributed tofeelingsoflonelinessandsocialisolationincollegestudents.IntheSpringsemester,studentsfocusedon betterunderstandingcommunicationbehaviorsusedtonavigatesocialisolation.
Exampleprojecttitlesfrombothsemestersshowtherangeofprojectsthestudentsdid,suchas:
DisconnectedinaConnectedWorld:NavigatingtheWebofLoneliness
BeyondtheEchoChamber:UnravelingtheLonelinessofPoliticalPolarization
MediaEcology:UnderstandingTheRhythmsofSocialMediaCommunicationandItsImpactonCollegiate Connection
ResilienceThroughConnection:ThePowerofPeakCommunicationExperiencesDuringSocialIsolation
ListeningandEncouraging:BuildingBridgesinSocialIsolation
MakingSenseandSilverLinings:CreatingPositiveExperiencesThroughStorytellingDuringSocialIsolation Whatwaslearnedoverallbystudents?Seethesesamplereflections.
Igainedadeeperinsightontheemotionalimpactpoliticaldifferencescanhaveonothers.Thisprojecthas allowedmetobetternavigatethesetypesofsubjectmatter.
Ihavelearnedthatweallgothroughdifficulttimessuchastimesofisolation,butitisimportanttohavea good understanding of communication so we can continue to build relationships. It is amazing how a greetingorasimplecomplimenthelpsuschangeoursocialworld.
Whiledoingmycapstoneproject,Ilearnedhowonlinecommunicationcanassistinformingandmaintaining relationships.Thisexperienceheightenedmyawarenessandmindfulnessofintegratingthevariousonline mediaformsintomyrelationships.
Studentsalsoreflectedonwhattheylearnedfromdoingthistypeofresearch.
IlearnedabouthowtousetheresearchIamdoingandapplyittomyeverydaylifetocreateabettersocial worldformeandthepeoplearoundme.
Ilearnedabouttheimportanceofimplementingcommunicationtheoriesinreal-lifeexperiencesinorderto communicateethicallytomakepositiveconnections.
Onceagain,SeniorCapstoneprovidedatransformativeexperienceforstudentsthispastyear,asonestudent concluded:“Ithinkcompletingmycapstoneprojectwasthecrownachievementofmywholeeducation.”
MA Alumni Making Waves
The ACOM graduate program has fostered a diverse range of talented students who have gone on to lead agencies, establish businesses, serve as department chairs at other institutions, and excel in various fields.
Nathan Jeffers (MA alum), Director of Marketing And Public Relations at CARTI hospital
Sajni Kumpuris (BA; MA alum), Director of Education at Arkansas PBS
Iaja Rogers (BA, MA alum), Producer at Arkansas PBS
Marquese McFerguson, Ph D (MA alum), Assistant Professor of Intercultural Communication within the School of Communication and Multimedia Studies at Florida Atlantic University
Travis Weigel (MA alum), Veteran Service Representative (Rating) at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Shalonda Michelle Nelson (MA alum), Communication Specialist at Lennox International
Robert Mock, Jr., Ph.D. (MA alum) Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Kentucky
Marceline Hayes, Ph.D. (BA. MA alum), Professor at Arkansas State University and former department chair of Communication Studies for 15 years
Melissa Johnston (BA, MA alum), Director of Learning and Development with First Orion in Little Rock, Arkansas
Brandon Sollars (MA alum), UA Little Rock’s Ottenheimer library’s Learning Commons Coordinator
Adena White (MA Alum), Founder and chief story teller of BlackBelt Media
These graduate students are living proof of the incredible potential our graduates possess. Their success stories are just the tip of the iceberg. The excellence continues!
Below are a few notable MA graduates making waves (L to R): Robert Mock, Ph.D., Melissa Johnston, Marquese MeFerguson, Adena White, and Sajni Kumpuris
Excellence Recognized: Student, Alumni, and Community Awards
As Spring approaches, we eagerly anticipate the Department of Applied Communication's prestigious Celebration of Communication Communities awards ceremony. This annual event is a testament to our commitment to excellence as we recognize and honor outstanding achievements in student work, alumni contributions, and community partnerships. Regarding student work, the department awards deserving undergraduateandgraduatestudentstheDistinguishedStudentScholarandtheStudentsMakingaDifference awardseachyear.
The Distinguished Student Scholar Award honors a graduating senior and a graduating master’s student majoring in the department who have reached the level of distinguished student scholar in applied communicationbyparticipatinginappliedscholarshiporcreativeworkandsharingsuchscholarship/workwith externalaudiences. TheStudentsMakingaDifferenceAwardrecognizesstudentswhohavemadeadifference intheircommunity.Theawardwinnersforthelastfouryearsarelistedbelow.
DistinguishedStudentScholarAward
Undergraduatestudents: ValerieGarcia(2024),Susie[수지]Reece(2023),LorienDahl(2021)
Graduate students: Shalonda Michelle Nelson (2024), Chantel Moore (2023), Michelle Malone (2022), Robin Freeman(2021)
StudentsMakingaDifferenceAward
Undergraduate students: Tristyn Perrin (2024), James Phillips (2023), Susie [수지] Reece (2022), Jodie Hamilton(2021)
Graduate students: Livia Kimura (2024), Ebené Givan (2023), Veronica Tess Myers (2022), Sajni Kumpuris (2021)
Inadditiontothoseawards,theCommunityPartnerAwardwasestablishedtorecognizeactivepartnerships between community organizations and the department's faculty and students. Past award winners include UAMS,BridgewayHospital,ImmerseArkansas,TheCALL,andHeiferInternational. Theseorganizationshave partneredwiththedepartmenttoofferstudentandfacultyresearchandlearningopportunities. Nomineesare selectedwhobestrepresentthetransformativeworksuchpartnershipscanprovide,asthepartnersworkwith both students and faculty to support our departmental mission "to foster the co-creation of better social worldsthroughpositivecommunication."
The Alumni Making a Difference Award was established to recognize alumni who were living out our departmental mission in meaningful ways in their communities. Past award winners include Bruce Trimble (Bridgeway Hospital), Christy Standerfer (work with community capacity-building and the Clinton School of PublicService),MelissaStiles(foundation&fund-raisingwork),AdenaWhite(BlackbeltMedia&Voices),JJ Pitman(Arkansas4-H),&SajniKumpuris(ArkansasPBS).
The Leadership Lecture Series with Applied Communication
Inthemid-2000s,ACOMsoughtwaystohonorourgraduatestudentsandfacultyandbringcommunicationtopics ofsubstantiveinteresttothecommunity.ManydenizensofLittleRockknewlittleaboutAppliedCommunication, andmanycouldnotimaginehowitwouldfitintocommerce,healthcare,socialservices,interpersonal,and managementprocedures.TheLeadershipLectureSerieswasdesignedtoanswerthosequestionsandadvertise thedepartment'sexcellenceofitsgraduatesandfacultyBelowareafewofourpresenters,beginningin2019, theyearstheypresented,andthetopicstheysharedwithouraudiences. 2019-2020
ChristinaStanderfer,Ph.D.“ListeningtothePeople:AssessingCommunityReadinessforCollectiveAction” MarqueseMcFerguson,Ph.D.“BetweenHipHop,CommunicationandCommunityBuilding.” 2020-2021
BaileyOliver,Ph.D“FromBonusMomstoHalfSiblings:BestPracticestoPromotePositiveandResilient StepfamilyRelationships.”
MyleeaHill,Ph.D.&MarcelineHayes,Ph.D.“TheAwarenessMyth:FromAwarenesstoCommitmentinPublic HealthCampaigns” 2021-2022
AprilChatham-Carpenter,Ph.D.‘ButIDon’tKnowIfIWantToTalktoYou’:StrategiesforIncreasing ConversationalReceptivenessinDividedPoliticalTimes”
MelissaStiles,M.A.“WhentoSpeakandWhentoListen:LessonsfromaDevelopmentProfessional.” 2022-2023
AdenaWhite,M.A.“HowtoTellAuthenticStoriesthatShifttheNarrative.”
J.J.Pitman,M.A.“Motivation/EngagementinToday’sOrganizationalEnvironment.” 2023-2024
JulienMirivel,Ph.D.&AvinashThombre,Ph.D.“The7ElementsofPersonalTransformation:KeyLessonsfrom GlobalResearchinNepal,India,Uganda,andHonduras.”
SajniKumpuris,M.A.“ReachOutandTouch:ConnectingHigh-QualityEducationalandStorytellingAudiences ThroughVideoBasedContent.”
Lefttoright: JulienandAvinash, Sajni,Adena,Bailey,April J.J.,Marceline,Christina, andMarquese
Our Focus Always: Student Success
Over the years, the department has worked to support our students. When the department won awards, for example, we invested those funds into improved learning experiences for students, new computers, and new classroom furniture We are working on scholarships for students and have two presently endowed We are happy to offer the Angela Laird Brenton Memorial Scholarship, a scholarship developed in 2013 in memory of Dr. Angie Laid Brenton who was a faculty member in the department for many years and became Dean of the then College of Professional Studies. She died in 2013 and is sorely missed.
1. We also offer the Allan Ward Endowment for Student Success. Dr Ward was a member of the department for over 30 years after achieving notable success in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Current Department chair, April Chatham Carpenter, said of him, “What a remarkable human being Allan Ward was--a gentle, intelligent, giant of a man ”
Other Opportunities:
ACOM also offers other opportunities to assist students working toward their degrees. We have limited assistantships for graduate students: part-time, 10 hours, or full-time, 20 hours These assistantships provide a small stipend and tuition assistance
We often offer internships on campus in the Communication Skills Center (CSC) or at various local organizations so students can apply their communication skills in practical situations.
ACOM also has a chapter of the national communication honor society, Lambda Pi Eta, whose name incorporates the classical elements associated with communication, logos (logic), pathos (connecting to emotion), ethos (character).
Student success comes in all ways, shapes, and sizes: in awards, in completing a hardearned degree, in making friends, and in having amazing experiences by learning about your world. It comes in working to craft positive social experiences and strong, enduring relationships. It comes in having people care about you and creating beautiful spaces with those you love, and all of it is accomplished through communication.
