The University of Central Arkansas Office of Student Wellness and Development will host its annual Wellness Fair on Tuesday, April 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the UCA Student Center Ballroom. Over 30 local businesses, organizations and UCA groups will host information booths to welcome students, faculty and staff.

“The Wellness Fair is a wonderful example of community collaboration. Businesses, organizations and groups all types come together to improve the health and wellness of UCA students, faculty and staff,” said Jenna Davidson, assistant dean and director for student wellness. “One of the most important aspects of the fair is the screening available from Conway Regional Medical Center. In the past, it has led individuals to make further appointments with primary care physicians.”

UCA recognizes that wellness information and screenings are crucial to the overall health and development of students and employees. The Wellness Fair started as a program designed to promote academic success through health and wellness, and today it remains an engaging way for UCA to connect with the wellness community of Conway and the surrounding area.

Attendees will be able to participate in free health screenings, sample smoothies from Smoothie King, enter to win one of many door prizes and much more.

For more information, visit uca.edu/wellness/fair.

Dr. Kevin Thomas

The University of Central Arkansas has named Dr. Kevin Thomas as the associate vice president for Enrollment Management.

In this role, Thomas will establish the collective vision and direction of the offices within enrollment services, which includes Academic Advising, Admissions, Financial Aid, the Registrar and Transfer Services. He will also work collaboratively with faculty, staff and other administrative leaders to develop and achieve the university’s strategic enrollment goals.

He will begin this position onJ uly 1 and will report to Dr. Patricia S. Poulter, provost and executive vice president of Academic Affairs.

“We in Academic Affairs look forward to Dr. Thomas joining UCA,” said Poulter. “He brings considerable experience to the role, and I am confident Dr. Thomas will be a great asset to UCA and the community.”

Thomas currently serves as the director of Retention and Student Success at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Prior to that, he was the director of the Academic Advising and Retention Center at Western Kentucky University. He also served that institution as assistant director of Undergraduate Advising Practices for three years.

“I am incredibly excited to be a part of the UCA team and serve as the associate vice president for Enrollment Management,” said Thomas. “My interactions with the faculty, staff and students of the University of Central Arkansas have shown me what an exciting time this is for UCA. I can’t wait to be a part of that effort.”

Thomas earned a bachelor’s in organizational communication and public relations and a master’s in human services from Murray State University. He earned his Ed.D. in educational leadership (postsecondary) from Western Kentucky University.

Ember Strange

Ember Strange has been named executive director of the University of Central Arkansas Foundation.

In this role, Strange is responsible for managing the day-to-day financial, accounting, administrative and programmatic operations of the UCA Foundation. She began on March 1.

“I cannot think of a better way to be invested in my community than through working at the UCA Foundation and being part of an organization that helps afford students the opportunity to go to college,” Strange said.

She previously worked for the city of Little Rock as comptroller and then, later assistant director of finance. In these roles, Strange was responsible for the accounting and reporting, payroll, accounts payable and budget divisions. Prior to this role, Strange worked in public accounting at BKD, LLP where she performed financial statement audits with a focus on local governments and not for profits.

Strange earned her bachelor’s in accounting and a Master of Accountancy from Arkansas State University. In 2017, Strange was selected for and attended the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Boston. Through the Government Finance Officers Association, she was selected to attend the Advanced Government Finance Institute at the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 2017.

To learn more about the UCA Foundation, visit uca.edu/foundation.

Itzel Velazquez

University of Central Arkansas student Itzel Velazquez has been named a 2019 Newman Civic Fellow.

Campus Compact, a Boston-based nonprofit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education, recently announced the 262 students who will make up the organization’s 2019-20 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows.

Of Little Rock, Velazquez is a senior with a double major in international studies and political science and a minor in Latin American and Latino studies. Velazquez is the only Arkansas student to be selected as a fellow this year.

Velazquez is a UCA Ambassador, President’s Leadership Fellow, secretary for the Association of Future Alumni and president of Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honors society. She is also an ambassador for the Andrew Goodman Foundation’s Vote Everywhere campaign, through which she was involved in civic engagement on campus and helped with voter registration drives. She has also served as vice president of the Latino Student Association and on the Student Government Association Diversity Committee.

UCA President Houston Davis nominated Velazquez for the recognition.

“Itzel Velazquez is not only a student leader, serving as a leader of the Latino Student Association and as a member of the President’s Leadership Fellows but also a local community leader,” Davis stated in his nomination letter. “Itzel has been instrumental in bringing resources to the local Latinx community through a Spanish-language college fair, the creation of new scholarships, and the creation of a local LULAC chapter and immigrant resource center.

As a political science and international studies major, Itzel has focused her time as a university student on equipping herself with the academic knowledge and skills necessary to participate in the ongoing social change that she cares about, and she has put those skills to work on campus and in her community to meet previously unmet needs for a growing population, both at our university and throughout the nation.”

Velazquez said she would like to pursue a master’s in political science or international studies after graduating this May. She aspires to work for a nongovernmental organization and earn her Ph.D.

Velazquez is grateful that being a Newman Civic Fellow provides a platform to raise awareness about immigration issues and educational equity, she said.

“I think that UCA prepared me by giving me the opportunity and resources to volunteer. I think that UCA Outreach does a great job of giving students information on places where we can volunteer, as well as providing students with service-learning opportunities in the classroom,” Velazquez said. “I was also able to gain more leadership roles through the various on-campus organizations, and I am lucky to have professors on campus that motivate me and do work as well in the community. Feeling like I am on a campus that supports me helped a lot. I would just like to thank UCA for being a part of the Campus Compact community that allows students to get this recognition.”

The Newman Civic Fellowship, named for Campus Compact co-founder Frank Newman, is a one-year experience emphasizing personal, professional and civic growth for students who have demonstrated a capacity for leadership and an investment in solving public problems. Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides a variety of learning and networking opportunities, including a national conference of Newman Civic Fellows in partnership with the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The fellowship also provides fellows with access to apply for exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities.

“We are proud to recognize each of these extraordinary student leaders and thrilled to have the opportunity to engage with them,” said Campus Compact President Andrew Seligsohn. “The stories of this year’s Newman Civic Fellows make clear that they are committed to finding solutions to pressing problems in their communities and beyond. That is what Campus Compact is about, and it’s what our country and our world desperately need.”

The Newman Civic Fellowship is supported by the KPMG Foundation and Newman’s Own Foundation. Learn more at compact.org/newman-civic-fellowship.

About Campus Compact
Campus Compact is a national coalition of 1000+ colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. Campus Compact supports institutions in fulfilling their public purposes by deepening their ability to improve community life and to educate students for civic and social responsibility. As the largest national higher education association dedicated solely to campus-based civic engagement, we provide professional development to administrators and faculty to enable them to engage effectively, facilitate national partnerships connecting campuses with key issues in their local communities, build pilot programs to test and refine promising models in engaged teaching and scholarship, celebrate and cultivate student civic leadership, and convene higher education institutions and partners beyond higher education to share knowledge and develop collective capacity. Visit www.compact.org.

By Andrew Tucker
College of Fine Arts and Communication Office

Percussionist Anders Åstrand will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 28 with the University of Central Arkansas Percussion Ensemble, as part of his artist-in-residence on campus. The public performance will take place in the Snow Fine Arts Recital Hall.

A mallet specialist, Åstrand regularly performs and gives clinics throughout the U.S., Latin America, Australia and Europe. With his percussion ensemble, Global Percussion Network, he has toured extensively in Sweden, Europe, South Korea and the U.S. Åstrand focuses on melodic and rhythmic improvisation, an essential feature in his compositions.

“Anders is a brilliant musician, a wonderful teacher, and a kind and gracious human being. I’m very excited that the students here at UCA are getting the chance to study and perform with him,” said Dr. Blake Tyson, a professor of music at UCA.

Åstrand has been commissioned to compose for brass quintets, saxophone quartets, choirs, big band and more, and has also composed music for multimedia performances.

Additional activities during his two-day residence at UCA, include:

• March 26 at 6:30 p.m. – Reception and jam session with UCA students

• March 27 at noon – Work with UCA Jazz Bands in Snow Fine Arts Center Band Room 220

• March 27 at 1 p.m. – Jazz improvisation workshop in Snow Fine Arts Center Band Room 220

• March 27 at 2:30 p.m. – Group lessons with UCA percussion students in Snow Fine Arts Center Room 118

• March 27 at 6 p.m. – Group lessons with UCA percussion students in Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall

For more information, contact Blake Tyson at btyson@uca.edu or (501) 450-5263.

The UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication includes the Departments of Art, Music, and Film, Theatre and Creative Writing, as well as the School of Communication. The college’s primary mission is the preparation of the next generation of artists, educators and communicators. For more information about CFAC, visit uca.edu/cfac or call (501) 450-3293.

Carolyn Ishee

The University of Central Arkansas has hired Carolyn Floyd Ishee as the director of planned giving and senior director of development for the College of Education.

Ishee began her duties on Jan. 16. The planned giving program provides opportunities to support the university through estate or planned gifts such as bequests, charitable trusts and charitable annuities. As senior director of development for the College of Education, she is responsible for increasing support for the college and its programs.

“I’m happy to be back home at my alma mater and look forward to building the planned giving program and working with Dean Groves-Scott, the faculty and staff of the College of Education to increase awareness of, and support for, the College of Education,” Ishee said.

She has more than 25 years of experience in higher education advancement work, including 19 years at UCA, where she also served as director of alumni and special programs in the late 1980s.

Ishee is a 1975 UCA graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Education. She earned a Master of Liberal Arts from Southern Methodist University in 1990. Her husband, Jimmy, serves as dean of the UCA College of Health and Behavioral Sciences. They live in Conway.

For more information about the planned giving program or the College of Education, contact Carolyn Ishee at cishee@uca.edu.

By Andrew Tucker
College of Fine Arts and Communication Office

American novelist and short story writer Bonnie Jo Campbell will be an artist-in-residence at the University of Central Arkansas in April and will participate in a trio of events April 9 and 10 in Win Thompson Hall and the College of Business Auditorium.

On April 9, Campbell will conduct a private masterclass with students in the Arkansas Writer’s MFA Program. The program is in Win Thompson Hall room 331 and begins at 4 p.m. Also on April 9, Campbell will participate in a reading and book signing that is free and open to the public. This event will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the College of Business Auditorium room 107. On April 10, Campbell will participate in a Craft Talk and Q&A, also free and open to the public, at 11 a.m. in Win Thompson Hall room 331.

Campbell is a critically-acclaimed fiction writer whose work gives voice to marginalized characters and often dismissed rural landscapes. In her short fiction collection, “American Salvage,” she depicts the complex inner lives of working-class characters, illustrating the diverse struggles of post-industrial America, where jobs, ways of living and natural resources are vanishing. Her stories are set in small towns that have been plagued with methamphetamine use, job loss from a declining economy and all the usual small-town modern pains. Her novel “Q Road,” for example, investigates the lives of a rural community as suburban developers displace farmers by placing prefab homes in last year’s cornfields, forcing traditional, rural life to collide with the new.

Besides being a fiercely talented writer, Campbell enjoys helping writing students. Her website and blog, for example, aren’t simply dedicated to marketing but also function to help future writers succeed in the publishing world, especially those with a nontraditional start. Campbell herself began publishing with little formal education in writing. Before becoming a writer, she earned degrees in philosophy and mathematics, organized international bike tours and traveled with the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus selling snow cones. She later earned her MFA in creative writing from Western Michigan University, where she refined her craft and teaching pedagogy.

“The artist-in-residence program provides our creative writing students with the chance not only to meet but also to interact with some of the best writers from all over the country, and we are looking forward to Campbell’s visit,” said Sandy Longhorn, an assistant professor of creative writing at UCA.

Campbell is the author of three short story collections: “Mothers, Tell Your Daughters” (W.W. Norton and Company, 2015), “American Salvage” (W.W. Norton and Company, 2009), “Women and Other Animals” (University of Massachusetts Press, 1999; Simon and Schuster, 2002), as well as two novels: “Q Road” (Scribner, 2003) and “Once Upon a River” (W.W. Norton and Company, 2011). Her stories and essays have appeared in Ontario Review, Story, The Kenyon Review, Witness, The Alaska Quarterly Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, Mid-American Review and Utne Reader, among many others.

Her collection “American Salvage” was a finalist for both the 2009 National Book Award in Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Kansas City Star named it a Top Six Book of 2009. Her collection “Women and Other Animals,” which details the lives of a diverse range of women in rural and small-town Michigan, won the 1998 Associated Writing Programs Award for short fiction, as well as a Pushcart for the story “Smallest Man in the World.” Currently, Campbell teaches fiction at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, in the low-residency MFA program.

For more information, contact Sandy Longhorn at slonghorn@uca.edu or (501) 450-5108.

The UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication includes the Departments of Art, Music, and Film, Theatre and Creative Writing, as well as the School of Communication. The college’s primary mission is the preparation of the next generation of artists, educators and communicators. For more information about CFAC, visit uca.edu/cfac or call (501) 450-3293.

Michael Eric Dyson

The University of Central Arkansas will host Dr. Michael Eric Dyson for a speakers forum and keynote address on Monday, April 15, in McCastlain Ballroom on the UCA campus.

Dyson’s appearance at UCA will begin at 2:15 p.m. in McCastlain Ballroom with the Alpha Kappa Delta Sociology Honors Society (AKD) Speakers Forum. The forum’s topic, “Fake News, Public Discourse, and Seeking Truth in America,” will feature Dyson in conversation with Dr. Heather Yates, UCA assistant professor of political science. A Q&A session will follow.

Later, starting at 7 p.m., Dyson will deliver a keynote address to the public in McCastlain Ballroom, expanding on the forum topic of seeking truth in the current political and cultural climate. Both the afternoon forum and the evening address are free and open to the public, but attendees are encouraged to RSVP at uca.edu/sociology/news/.

Dyson is a Georgetown University sociology professor, but his influence has spread far beyond the academy. For the last quarter of a century, Dyson has enlivened public debate across the media landscape as an acclaimed author of 19 books, highly sought after lecturer, and national media fixture. As for Dyson’s latest book, “What Truth Sounds Like,” The Washington Post states that it is passionately written and that “Dyson’s larger purpose is to reflect on the relevance of the dynamic it represented ― speaking truth to power ― in the current racial and political climate.” Dyson’s remarkable ascent ― from a factory worker who didn’t start college until he was 21 to a Princeton Ph.D. ― may help explain why writer Naomi Wolf terms him “the ideal public intellectual of our time.”

“Having an engaging speaker and scholar like Dr. Dyson come to UCA is an extraordinary opportunity for all of us at UCA and the surrounding community,” said Dr. Douglas George, UCA associate professor of sociology and AKD faculty adviser. “Everyone needs to come hear him speak. I promise you he is going to challenge us to do better but at the same time offer us hope.”

The speakers forum is part of a research and service project on the spread of deceptive information online and what can be done about it, initiated by a UCA AKD research team. “The project serves to not only showcase the educational achievements of UCA students,” said George, “but a real desire of UCA students to help engage the community on a pressing issue of the day. I am constantly impressed with what our students can accomplish.”

Co-sponsors of the event are the UCA Department of Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology, UCA NAACP, UCA Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, the UCA College of Liberal Arts and the UCA Office of the Provost. The event is funded in part by the UCA Student Government Association, a grant from the UCA Foundation and a Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

For more information about Dyson’s visit, contact George at dougg@uca.edu or Dr. Ed Powers at epowers@uca.edu, or call (501) 450-3178. RSVP for both events at uca.edu/sociology/news/.

Kevin Willmott

By Andrew Tucker
College of Fine Arts and Communication Office

Kevin Willmott, a film director and screenwriter, who collaborated with Spike Lee in writing “BlacKkKlansman,” will host a screening of the film April 8, while on the University of Central Arkansas campus as an artist-in-residence. The film won an Oscar and a BAFTA for Best Adapted Screenplay.

The screening, followed by a Q&A with Willmott, will be held from 7-10 p.m. in McCastlain Hall Ballroom.

Willmott, a repeat collaborator with Spike Lee, is a professor of film at the University of Kansas. He is also known for writing and directing “Ninth Street,” “C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America,” “Bunker Hill” and “The Only Good Indian.”

“It is a great opportunity for our students to meet and work with an accomplished filmmaker like Kevin Willmott,” said Mike Gunter, chair of the Department of Film, Theatre, and Creative Writing. “As a playwright, screenwriter, director and educator, Kevin has a lot to offer our students, and his visit will be a great addition to our artist-in-residence program.”

Wilmott grew up in Junction City, Kansas, and earned a B.A. in drama from Marymount College. He earned his M.F.A. in dramatic writing from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts. He also won the Best Director award at the American Indian Film Festival with “The Only Good Indian.”

Willmott’s remaining schedule while on the UCA campus includes:

• 11-11:50 a.m. – Undergraduate Workshop: Playwriting/Screenwriting in Win Thompson Hall room 331

• 12-1:15 p.m. – Graduate Workshop: Film Production in Stanley Russ Hall room 208

• 1:30-2:45 p.m. – Symposium: African-American Cinema and Spike Lee in Stanley Russ Hall room 103. This event is free and open to the public.

• 4-5:30 p.m. – Masterclass: Screenwriting in Stanley Russ Hall room 103

The UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication includes the Departments of Art, Music, and Film, Theatre and Creative Writing, as well as the School of Communication. The college’s primary mission is the preparation of the next generation of artists, educators and communicators. For more information about CFAC, visit uca.edu/cfac or call (501) 450-3293.

The Baum Gallery at the University of Central Arkansas is set to host its Spring BFA/BA senior show April 4-26.

The exhibition is free and open to the public. The Baum Gallery, located in McCastlain Hall, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 10 a.m. to7 p.m. Thursday. Opening receptions are set for Thursday, April 4 from 4-7 p.m., followed by another on Sunday, April 7 from 2-4 p.m. The last day for the exhibition is April 26.

During this exhibition, graduating BFA/BA students work with the director of the Baum Gallery to install their work. This experience gives students the opportunity to show their work in a professional environment. This event also continues the Baum Gallery’s mission to promote contemporary art for the larger UCA and Conway communities.

This exhibition is a requirement for graduating students with a BA or BFA in art.

“This exhibition is the culmination of their art education at UCA. Collectively, the work represents a cross section of the overall effort in the art department,” said Bryan W. Massey Sr., professor and interim chair of the Department of Art. “Working with the Baum Gallery, the exhibition also provides a museum venue for the students’ work to be seen individually and in concert with the work of their peers.”

Those exhibiting include:

Bachelor of Arts in Art, Fine Art Emphasis: Christen Danner.

Bachelor of Arts in Art: Nadeen Al Senan, Abigail Barham, Radiant Caldwell, Hannah Claunch, Meagan Edmunds, Tiffany Gabbard, Victoria Grady, Kreylon Gulley, Haily Hall, Hannah Hill, Taylor Lehmann, Rachel Nabholz, Nick Palmer, Lauren (Tink) Prendergrass, Alexis Shaw, Brittany Simmons, Jessica Slover, Katie Smith, Adrienne Thompson II, Quyen Truong, Alexis Wheeler.

This exhibition is the second BFA/BA show of this school year. The Baum Gallery organizes about six exhibitions per year and attempts to incorporate student work when appropriate.

“This exhibition is an important tradition that a number of people in the UCA community enjoy visiting, and it also gives the majority of the students their first true museum venue,” said Brian Young, director of the Baum Gallery.

For more information, contact Young at (501) 450-5793 or bkyoung@uca.edu.

About the UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication: The UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication includes the Departments of Art, Music, and Film, Theatre and Creative Writing, as well as the School of Communication. The college’s primary mission is the preparation of the next generation of artists, educators and communicators. For more information about CFAC, visit uca.edu/cfac or call (501) 450-3293.‬‬‬‬

About Baum Gallery: The Baum Gallery is focused on providing contemporary art to inspire UCA students. The gallery develops exhibitions and events that invite interaction and encourage dialogue about visual art. Come get inspired! Updates about events can be found at uca.edu/art/baum, on Twitter or Instagram @baumgallery, or on Facebook at Facebook.com/baumgallery.

The University of Central Arkansas raised $719,000 in private scholarship support at its debut Laurels & Stripes fundraising gala, which was held at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 30, in the HPER Center on the UCA campus.

With almost 600 people at the event, records were set for both attendance and amount raised at the annual fundraising gala. All funds raised benefit much-needed student scholarships.

“As innovators, critical thinkers and achievers, our graduates are making a tremendous impact across the state, region and beyond. Many of them would not have received their college degrees, if not for the support of our scholarship donors,” said UCA President Houston Davis. “Great things are happening at UCA now! And the incredible success of Laurels & Stripes speaks to the engagement and support of our alumni, friends and corporate partners.”

The newly energized premier fundraising event, formerly known as Night of Distinction, welcomed two outstanding graduates to the ranks of UCA’s most prominent alumni. Elizabeth “Liz” Blankenship ’75 and Dr. Barbara Williams ’71 were recognized during the program as the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients, the most prestigious award presented by the university.

Blankenship is an entrepreneur and advocate who has dedicated more than 40 years to the creation and support of quality health care and assisted living facilities for seniors. She designed and built the first assisted living, home-style cottages in Arkansas, and her facilities have received numerous awards for quality.

“I hope my journey will inspire young people, especially UCA students who have dreams, that you can realize your dreams by daring to move forward and doing them no matter the obstacles or challenges you encounter,” said Blankenship.

Williams is former chair of the UCA School of Nursing, a role she held from 1990 to her retirement in 2016. During her time as chair, Williams oversaw significant enrollment growth and numerous program innovations. Williams has served on numerous boards, including the Conway Regional Health System board of directors, the board of the Arkansas Association of Hospital Trustees and CHI St. Vincent.

Presented by First Security Bank and co-chaired by Todd and Kristie Ross of Conway, Laurels & Stripes was an energetic evening that offered “a new take on tradition.” In addition to a premium dinner and signature drink, the Bearjito, guests enjoyed a brief program, music and dancing till midnight, and a complimentary chicken nugget bar provided by Chick-fil-A.

“It was such an amazing evening! There were 11 new endowed scholarships established for our students and a full house of people celebrating and dancing to the sounds of Memphis Soul Revue,” said Dr. Kale Gober, vice president for University Advancement and president of the UCA Foundation. “I believe Laurels & Stripes delivered as the fundraising party of the year for central Arkansas. You don’t want to miss next year’s event!”

Co-chairs for Laurels & Stripes 2020 will be Dr. Jeff and Lori Standridge. The event will be held April 4, 2020, at the UCA HPER Center.

Laurels & Stripes comes on the heels of another successful fundraising effort, the March 7 Day of Giving. During the 24-hour drive held Thursday, March 7, a total of 1,386 donors raised $757,939.

For more information about Laurels & Stripes, contact Amanda Hoelzeman at ahoelzeman@uca.edu or (501) 852-2659, or visit laurelsandstripes.com.

Leah Lowe

Charlotte Yates

Dr. Leah Lowe, assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, and Dr. Charlotte Yates, associate professor in the department, had an article recently accepted for publication in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy from work with a National Institutes of Health (NIH) concussion grant they received.

Hailing from world-famous stages such as Carnegie Hall and the Ryman Auditorium, Grand Ole Opry stars and multiple award winners Dailey & Vincent will appear at Reynolds Performance Hall on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas on Sunday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m.

The duo is riding a wave of critical acclaim for their newest release, “Patriots & Poets,” as well as their nationally broadcasted weekly TV series, “The Dailey & Vincent Show,” on RFD-TV. Backed by one of the best bands on tour today and generally regarded among the most reputable and elite entertainers in American music, Dailey & Vincent’s sound is a concoction of traditional country, gospel and bluegrass blended together by the fantastically instinctive vocals of Dailey’s tenor and Vincent’s reedy harmonies.

“Stand back or face the force of nature that is this astounding ensemble,” wrote respected critic Robert K. Oermann for Music Row magazine. “Take it from me, there’s a reason they’ve earned three Grammy nominations, won four Dove Awards, claimed an astounding 35 IBMA honors (including three as Entertainers of the Year and three as Vocal Group of the Year), multiple #1 records, a Public Television Special and their weekly TV series, ‘The Dailey & Vincent Show,’ on RFD-TV featuring guest artists Vince Gill, The Oak Ridge Boys, Diamond Rio, Tanya Tucker and more.”

Jamie Dailey is a four-time IBMA “Vocalist of the Year” award winner. Growing up performing with family and regional groups, Dailey later became the lead vocalist and guitarist for Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver for over 10 years. In addition to the amazing harmonies of Dailey & Vincent, Dailey’s voice can also be found on several recordings by Dolly Parton, Ricky Skaggs and Russell Moore.

Darrin Vincent began performing at the age of 2 with his family band, The Sally Mountain Show. He has accumulated five Grammy Awards and has been voted Bluegrass Bass Player of the Year for four years in a row (2009-20012). As a former band member for over 10 years to the Grammy Award-winning Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Vincent has credits with dozens of artists including his sister Rhonda Vincent (Queen of Bluegrass), Dolly Parton, Nora Jones, Emmylou Harris, Earl Scruggs, Bruce Hornsby, Vince Gill, John Hartford and many more.

Tickets range from $30-$40 for adults and $10 for children and may be purchased online at uca.edu/Reynolds, at the Reynolds Box Office Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by calling UCA Ticket Central at (501) 450-3265, or toll free at (866) 810-0012.

The UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication includes the Departments of Art, Music, and Film, Theatre and Creative Writing, as well as the School of Communication. The college’s primary mission is the preparation of the next generation of artists, educators and communicators. For more information about CFAC, visit uca.edu/cfac or call (501) 450-3293.

The University of Central Arkansas Division of Outreach and Community Engagement is celebrating 100 years of service on Friday, April 12 at the Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center on the UCA campus from 3-5 p.m., with opening remarks at 3:30 p.m.

Event speakers include Dr. Houston Davis, UCA President; Jimmy Bryant, UCA Historian; Dr. Linda Beene, former dean of Academic Outreach; and representatives from the City of Conway and the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce.

UCA invites the community and members of the media to join the Division of Outreach and Community Engagement at this centennial celebration.

The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. For more information, visit uca.edu/outreach/100 or call (501) 450-3118.

The Division of Outreach and Community Engagement began in 1919 as Extension Services under the administration of President B. W. Torreyson, who was the second president of Arkansas State Normal School (now the University of Central Arkansas).

Today, the Division of Outreach and Community Engagement at the University of Central Arkansas is the best place to start when looking to explore a passion, learn something new or expand knowledge without seeking a degree. Outreach’s quality lifelong learning programs are designed with the diverse learner in mind. Outreach offers hundreds of noncredit classes to fit every lifestyle, whether learners prefer online, face-to-face, evening or weekend classes. Additionally, Outreach provides turn-key conference and event planning services and can coordinate workshops, conferences, weddings or other special events. UCA Outreach and Community Engagement is a one-stop-shop for continuing education, conference and event planning services.

Rebecca Gray, clinical instructor, School of Nursing, has been named to the 2019 Arkansas 40 Nurse Leaders Under 40 by the Arkansas Center for Nursing. This recognition identifies, celebrates and encourages exemplary dedication and leadership in the nursing profession. Recipients are selected through a highly competitive nomination process that focuses on their commitment to excellence, leadership qualities, service and outreach within their community, and commendable contributions to the advancement of the nursing profession.

The University of Central Arkansas will host the Human Library in Torreyson Library on the UCA campus on Tuesday, April 9 from 1:40-4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The Human Library, a worldwide project that originated in Copenhagen in 2000, is designed to build a positive framework for conversations that can challenge stereotypes and prejudices through dialogue. People volunteering as “human books” will be available for individual, 20-minute conversations with participants interested in learning more about their stories. More than 50 UCA students, faculty, staff and community members have volunteered to talk about their unique experiences, from holding public office and immigrating to surviving an eating disorder and more.

“The Human Library experience affords us rich opportunities to learn about the lived experiences of individuals in our community with whom we may have little to no interaction,” said Dr. Angela Webster, associate vice president for institutional diversity and inclusion. “We hope the campus will seize this chance to feed their curiosity.”

“The Torreyson Library faculty and staff are excited to host the first Human Library event at the University of Central Arkansas,” said Dean Covington, director of the library. “The Human Library provides an innovative opportunity to help all of us better understand the challenges that are faced by many people in our society. Please come with a mind open to appreciating human diversity.”

UCA’s event was inspired by a previous Human Library event held at the Faulkner County Library and is an initiative of the Conway Conversations series in partnership with the UCA Library. The organizing committee issued a campuswide call for volunteers and allowed participating “books” to choose their own topics and titles.

To learn more about the event and to RSVP, visit https://uca.libguides.com/HumanLibrary or contact Hannah Hanshaw at hhanshaw1@uca.edu or (501) 450-5220.

Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre announces its 13th season of professional theatre will run June 7-July 7.

Performances of Shakespeare’s raucous comedy “The Comedy of Errors,” his complex and intriguing “Macbeth,” the beloved musical “Guys and Dolls,” and a family adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” will be presented in Reynolds Performance Hall on the University of Central Arkansas campus, in front of McAlister Hall across from the UCA President’s home and also will tour around the state.

“Looking toward my eighth year as the artistic leader of Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, I wanted to have a repertory season that was exciting and fresh, that truly allowed the productions to be viewed in dialogue with each other, and also one that would capture audiences’ imaginations and challenge them to think about their lives. I think these four shows do just that,” said Producing Artistic Director Rebekah Scallet. Scallet selected the productions based around the theme of fate and chance.

Actors, designers and crew will arrive in Conway in early May to begin the process of creating the four shows to play in repertory. “The Comedy of Errors” will kick off the 2019 season on the lawn of McAlister Hall on the UCA campus.

“With our outdoor venue, we hope that theatregoers in Arkansas will recognize AST’s dedication for producing exciting and accessible art for all ages,” said Dr. Mary Ruth Marotte, AST’s executive director. “Our outdoor shows have drawn huge crowds, and our audiences look forward to the show and the entire experience of Shakespeare under the stars.” The remaining productions will be performed at Reynolds Performance Hall on the UCA campus, where AST makes its home.

The season will close on July 7. Season ticket packages and individual performance tickets are on sale now. For more information, visit arkshakes.com or call (501) 852-0702. To book the touring production of “Romeo and Juliet,” contact Mary Ruth Marotte at mrmarotte@arkshakes.com or call (501) 269-9428.

Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre is the state’s only professional Shakespeare company and is proud to make their home on the UCA campus. Each summer, AST offers full productions of a range of Shakespeare’s works, as well as other plays and musicals that help fulfill AST’s mission to entertain, engage and enrich the community.

By Andrew Tucker
College of Fine Arts and Communication Office

CONWAY — Dr. Jesse Orth, instructor of tuba and euphonium at the University of Northern Iowa, will spend three days on the University of Central Arkansas campus this month and present a recital as part of the Tuba-Euphonium Spring Fling on April 11.

The concert, free and open to the public, is set for 7:30 p.m. in the Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall.

At the University of Northern Iowa, Orth teaches applied tuba and euphonium lessons, performs with the Northern Brass Quintet, directs the UNITUBA ensemble and coaches chamber music ensembles. He recently moved from Texas, where he earned both his masters and doctorate in tuba performance at the University of North Texas.

“Last year I was hosted at UNI as a guest artist where I presented a recital, master class and taught lessons. We look forward to hosting him here and showing him some UCA Tuba-Krewe Hospitality like they showed me in Iowa,” said Dr. Gail Robertson, assistant professor of tuba and euphonium/jazz at UCA.

Orth has performed and taught across the country as well as abroad in Germany, Hungary, England, Ireland, Brazil and Ghana. He has most recently performed at and co-hosted the 2017 Great Plains ITEA conference as well as performing solo recitals at the 2015 South Central, Midwest and Great Plains regional tuba euphonium conferences. As a chamber musician, he has performed at the 2015 Great Plains conference with the Impact Brass Quintet and at the 2014 ITEC and the 2013 South Central Regional ITEA Conference with the Fat Bottomed Brass Tuba Euphonium Quartet.

In 2011, he served as a guest artist and faculty member at the second International Festival of Classical music in Piracicaba, Brazil, with the UNT Center Brass Quintet, now the Impact Brass Quintet. Orth has previously held performance positions with the Lone Star Wind Orchestra, Dallas Civic Wind ensemble, the Metropolitan winds of Dallas and the Chippewa Valley Symphony. In the Lone Star Wind Orchestra and the University of North Texas Wind Symphony, under the direction of Eugene Corporon, Orth performed and recorded as principal tubist on multiple projects including the educational series, “Teaching Music through Performance in Band.”

Orth has been a significant contributor to multiple repertoire projects initiated by the International Tuba and Euphonium Association. In 2007, he assisted internationally renowned jazz artist Jon Sass on the Bassblowaz Club, part of the Creative Impulse series.

Orth’s recital will cap a two-day visit to UCA, where he will participate in rehearsals and work with students.

April 10:

• 2 p.m. – Studio class discussing music careers. All brass instruments invited.

• 5:30 p.m. – Piano rehearsal with Murakami. Open for students to observe rehearsal techniques at the performer level.

April 11:

• 9 a.m.-noon – Private lessons for UCA Music Majors

• TBA – Piano rehearsal with UCA Faculty Pianist, Dr. Kazuo Murakami (Open for students to observe rehearsal techniques at the performer level)

• 7:30 p.m. – Spring Fling Recital

April 12:

• 10 a.m.-noon – Private lessons for UCA music majors

For more information, contact Robertson at grobertson@uca.edu or (501) 450-5760.

The UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication includes the Departments of Art, Music, and Film, Theatre and Creative Writing, as well as the School of Communication. The college’s primary mission is the preparation of the next generation of artists, educators and communicators. For more information about CFAC, visit uca.edu/cfac or call (501) 450-3293.

Dr. Nancy Reese

Dr. Nancy Reese, professor and chairperson of the University of Central Arkansas Department of Physical Therapy, was recently named a 2019 recipient of the Catherine Worthingham Fellow Award by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). She will be honored at APTA’s NEXT 2019 Conference and Exposition in Chicago June 12-15.

UCA faculty responded to the news with many heartfelt congratulations, describing the award as “an awesome achievement,” “well deserved” and an “incredible honor for an outstanding person.”

“Dr. Reese is a recognized leader in APTA, having served as president and treasurer as well as chief delegate for the Arkansas Physical Therapy Association,” said Dr. Bill Bandy, a professor in the UCA Department of Physical Therapy. “She has been a long-term member of the Education Section, the Health Policy and Administration Section, the Neurology Section and the Private Practice Section. She served as treasurer of the Education Section and treasurer of the Academic Council of the APTA simultaneously, among her many other roles. Her leadership at UCA and in the APTA are exemplary. The fact that Dr. Reese is the first physical therapist in Arkansas to earn this honor is quite an achievement for her, as well as for UCA.”

Reese is also a past president of the Arkansas Chapter of the APTA, and she currently serves on the board of the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT) as treasurer. She has been the chairperson of the UCA Department of Physical Therapy since 2004, a member of the faculty since 1986 and a member of the APTA since 1980. Her published works include numerous articles, book chapters and two textbooks, each in their third edition.

The Catherine Worthingham Fellows of the American Physical Therapy Association, the association’s highest membership category, serves as inspiration for all physical therapists to attain professional excellence. This honor is eligible to American Physical Therapy Association members or life-member physical therapists who have demonstrated unwavering efforts to advance the physical therapy profession for more than 15 years, prior to the time of nomination.

For more information, contact Amanda Hoelzeman at (501) 852-2659 or ahoelzeman@uca.edu.