黑料不打烊 Odyssey Program听
Project Funding听
October 2010听
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The Committee on Engaged Learning (CEL) has awarded $74,181.22 in Odyssey grants to 28 projects proposed by faculty and students. The grand total for funding since the Odyssey Program鈥檚 inception in 2005 is $1,526,962.63. 听The CEL gratefully acknowledges the generous support of both the 黑料不打烊-Murphy Foundation Programs in Literature and Language and the Crain-Maling Center of Jewish Culture in this funding cycle.听
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Students will create a mural in downtown Conway, study an iconic American play, battle each other in a solar powered car derby, and research innovative treatment methods for cancer.听
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The Odyssey Grant recipients include:听
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Michael Chavez听
Let it Rust听
Category: Special Projects听
Sponsor: Sunny Haynes听
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Michael Chavez plays guitar and does vocals for the band Rogue Martian, which also features fellow 黑料不打烊 students Nick Marks on piano, David Aspesi on bass and Logan Rice on drums. Chavez notes that the current reliance on electronic downloads of music shortchanges both the listener and the artist. 鈥淪ince the most popular songs and musicians have their highest success on the Internet, the general public misses out on tangible cover art, booklets and the high recording quality of analog recordings and vinyl releases,鈥 he said. Rogue Martin plans to go back to the basics of recording for their first studio album titled 鈥淩ust.鈥 They will use vintage amps and gear in an open setting to create an older sound, which will be recorded and made available only on vinyl. Proceeds from the album鈥檚 sales will benefit Campus Kitty, the 黑料不打烊 fundraising effort for local charities.听
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Eric Cockman听
Effect of Metformin and 2-deoxy-glucose on Stem Cell Population and Tumor Growth in Pten-deletion Model of Prostate Cancer听
Category: Undergraduate Research听
Sponsor:听 Dr. Varsha Kaushal听
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One of the frustrating things about treating cancer is that it can go into a remission period and then return. The cancerous tumor can regenerate if any cancer stem cells survive a seemingly successful treatment. Using specially bred mice with prostate cancer, Eric Cockman will evaluate the effects of metformin, a drug that may lead to decreased cancer risk for diabetics, and 2-deoxy-glucose, a created glucose molecule that may starve the cancer.听 鈥淭he results of the experiment may point to a new method of treating cancers to lower the chance of relapse,鈥 Cockman said.听
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David Hagan and Kate Moran听
Cooking Local: A Life of Food in the Wine Country听
Category: Special Projects听
Sponsor: Scott Pickens听
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The rich soil of the Napa Valley in California is renowned for its vineyards and world-class wines. The area is also home to orchards and farms, including gardens owned by restaurants. The local produce is prepared and served fresh for the customer. David Hagan and Kate Moran will explore the process of fine dining in Napa Valley from the ground to the plate. 鈥淲e have contacted several top chefs, winemakers and ranchers who will aid in our education and help us discover why the Napa Valley is so unique,鈥 they said. They will learn how the farmers grow and harvest the food, how the chefs build a menu around seasonal offerings, and--in special cooking classes--how the fresh produce is prepared and served. 听
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Blake Haller听
Gobabis, Namibia: Rural Medicine at the Edge of the Kalahari听
Category: Professional and Leadership Development听
Sponsor:听 Dr. Tom Goodwin听
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Namibia is a country that epitomizes a recurring problem in health care: doctors prefer to practice in larger, urban areas. In many cases, this means that people who live in rural areas must often travel extreme distances to seek medical attention.听 For a month, Blake Haller will work at the small Bushman clinic that helps provide care in the remote area around Gobabis, a village located at the edge of the Kalahari Desert. 鈥淣ot only will I gain exposure to a vibrant, culturally-rich nation and its people, but this project will also undoubtedly have a dramatic effect on my development as an individual and as a future practitioner of medicine,鈥 Haller said. During his time at the clinic, he will have the opportunity to conduct health outreach sessions and research public health operations in Namibia.听
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Torey Hayward听
Exploring the Everyday: An In-Depth Study of Thornton Wilder's "Our Town"听
Category: Special Projects听
Sponsor: Prof. Ann Muse听
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Our Town, the play written 72 years ago by Thornton Wilder, is an iconic staple in American theater. In the last decade, there have been thousands of productions of the play in venues ranging from off-Broadway to high school gymnasiums. Torey Hayward will lead a group of fellow students on an exploration of the play starting with its history, followed by a campus reading of selected scenes with a discussion of its universal themes, and culminating in a presentation of what they have learned at the Southeastern Theater Conference Fringe Festival in Georgia. 鈥淚t is through this work that I hope to discover the importance of this particular plan in American literature and drama, and come to a better understanding of why and how a simple play can withstand time,鈥 Hayward said. This grant was underwritten by the generous support of the 黑料不打烊-Murphy Foundation Programs in Literature and Language. The campus reading is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010, in Staples Auditorium.听
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Colin Hoy听
TEDx黑料不打烊听
Category: Special Projects听
Sponsor:听 Dr. George Harper听
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TED is a non-profit organization that originally brought together speakers from Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED) and now draws from its continuously expanding scope individuals who are challenged to condense their own core message into a concise, powerful speech. These TEDTalks by notables such as Nobel Prize winners are available on-line to the public at no charge to share new ideas as widely as possible. As part of its outreach program, the organization licenses its name for local events as 鈥淭EDx.鈥 This spring, Colin Hoy will organize TEDx黑料不打烊--the first-ever Arkansas conference--around the theme of 鈥淕reat Minds and Great Societies.鈥 He plans to invite speakers with a particular interest in cognitive science. 鈥淭ogether, the synergy of the pre-recorded TEDTalks, live presentations, and audience participation will culminate in engaging conversation that hopefully produces inspiring new ideas worth spreading,鈥 Hoy said.听
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Bryce Martin听
Circuit-Bending and Musical Composition with "Bent" Objects听
Category: Special Projects听
Sponsor:听 Dr. Damon Spayde听
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A toy that emits a buzz instead of a blip. A Furby that makes a noise that almost sounds鈥usical. These new and unintended sounds in small, battery-powered toys, dolls, and games are the result of circuit-bending. For this, the circuit board is opened, the variety of possible sound is explored, and new connections are created. 鈥淭he production of unique circuit-bent sounds depends largely on chance and experimentation,鈥 Bryce Martin said. He will record the resulting unique sounds and use them in a musical piece, combining electronics and wiring with sound composition and manipulation.听
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Hannah McGrew, Maya Lemon and Katie Jones听
Vinho Divino: Heritage, Globalization, and Agricultural Processes in the Portuguese Wine Industry听
Category: Global Awareness听
Sponsor:听 Dr. Jon Arms听
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Port is a sweet, strong wine traditionally produced in the city of Porto in Portugal. However, with globalization, beverages from other countries have been labeled as 鈥淧ort鈥 without following many of the historical production practices of the authentic product. Hannah McGrew, Maya Lemon and Katie Jones will explore the Portuguese wine industry, learning more about globalization, sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, heritage crops and cultural identity. 鈥淲e feel that this project is important because it is a small way that we can contribute to the preservation of a process that has shaped the identity of a nation,鈥 they said.听
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Molly McGuire听
Fifty Years of Human Rights: Amnesty International 50th Annual General Meeting听
Category: Special Projects听
Sponsor: Jim Wiltgen听
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Amnesty International, the global movement to protect the basic human rights of individuals around the world, will celebrate its 50th anniversary at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in San Francisco in March. Five members of the 黑料不打烊 Amnesty International chapter will attend the meeting, which draws international human rights activists, experts in civil rights and social justice, and speakers who can address atrocities from personal experience.听 鈥淚t is a medium for the exchange of ideas and a chance for 黑料不打烊 students to connect, share and apply different ways of looking at the justice aspect of international relations,鈥 Molly McGuire said. After the AGM, each student will organize a campus event about a human rights issue discussed in a lecture, panel or workshop session at the meeting.听
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Conner McMains听
Church Birthday Concert听
Category: Special Projects听
Sponsor:听 Dr. Nancy Fleming听
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Conner McMains is the director of music at Grace Presbyterian Church in Little Rock, and he has plans to help the congregation celebrate its 50th birthday. He is organizing a special free concert featuring the Grace Adult Choir performing with the members of the 黑料不打烊 Chamber Orchestra, Choir, and Wind Ensemble under McMains鈥 direction. 鈥淚 will arrange some of the music, other music will be purchased, and I鈥檝e written an original final piece as well,鈥 McMains said. In order to have a successful celebration, he鈥檒l bring together the realms of choral directing and orchestral conducting.听
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Stewart Morgan听
An Art Class for the Homeless听
Category: Service to the World听
Sponsor: JJ Whitney听
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Stewart Morgan knows that he is most rewarded when he uses his artistic abilities to help others. This spring, he will conduct an art class for the homeless at the Stewpot Soup Kitchen in Little Rock. Morgan will serve lunch and eat with the participants of his class. His hope is to show the class that each person has value and worth. 鈥淏eyond cultivating my vocational interests in art therapy, I also hope to grow spiritually over the course of next semester,鈥 Morgan said. Eventually, paintings created by the class will be exhibited in galleries in Conway and Shreveport, La., with proceeds from any sales divided between the artist and the Stewpot Soup Kitchen.听
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Lydia Nash and Megan Childress听
The Battle Against Invasive Species: Saving Hawaii One Plant at a Time听
Category: Service to the World听
Sponsor:听 Dr. Rick Murray听
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The state of Hawaii is known for its biodiversity, and it is the only place on earth where certain rare plants can be found. These unique plants are important economically and agriculturally, but with the pressure of keeping up with demand, more imports and exports are traveling through the state鈥攁nd these imports are often carrying aggressive, non-native plants. These invasive species can range from fireweed to the Himalayan blackberry.听 鈥淎s invasive species continue to grow and hurt the unique, valuable plants, many anti-invasive species groups have been cropping up,鈥 Lydia Nash and Megan Childress said. They will travel to Oahu to work with the Oahu Invasive Species Committee, which has targeted ten invasive plants for extermination. Nash and Childress will assist with an expedition into some of the island鈥檚 most endangered areas to combat invasive species.听
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Lance Riley and Chad Binns听
Tanzanian HIV/AIDS Prevention and Health Education听
Category: Global Awareness听
Sponsor:听 Dr. Joe Lombardi听
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Lance Riley and Chad Binns are both considering careers in the medical field.听 They are also interested in the culture of Tanzania and the health of its people. They will volunteer with Global Service Corps to combat the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country with educational outreach programs.听 By living with a host family and exploring the natural environment of the country, they will fully immerse themselves in Tanzania. 鈥淭hrough this experience we hope to grow as future healthcare professionals, as biologists and nature enthusiasts, and as members of the global community,鈥 Riley and Binns said.听
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Avery Roller听
Determining the Role of Autophagy in Prostate Cancer using the PTEN Deletion Mouse Model听
Category: Undergraduate Research听
Sponsor:听 Dr. Varsha Kaushal听
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Autophagy is the process used by starving cells to 鈥渞ecycle鈥 themselves, using degraded products to provide energy and cellular building blocks necessary for their survival. Autophagy has been seen to affect cancers in both positive and negative ways. 鈥淭his dual role of autophagy in tumor survival and tumor suppression needs to be clearly defined so as to devise appropriate strategies to prevent or to control cancer,鈥 Avery Roller said. She will induce autophagy in mice and then assess tumor induction and inhibition.听
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Sam Siegel听
The Jewish Service Organization: Linking 黑料不打烊 to Conway High School and Beyond听
Category: Professional and Leadership Development听
Sponsor:听 Dr. Marianne Tettlebaum听
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As the only Jewish student at his high school, Sam Siegel realized that his peers didn鈥檛 understand his religion. He founded the Jewish Service Organization (JSO) to teach about Jewish culture and to create opportunities for students to interact with each other. 鈥淥nce I began to remedy the lack of knowledge about Jewish culture and tradition, I found there was an increase in tolerance for other cultures,鈥 Siegel said.听 His project will involve the 黑料不打烊 community with the JSO in joint service projects, dinners, movie nights and guest lectures by professors. This grant was underwritten by the generous support of the Crain-Maling Center of Jewish Culture.听
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Sarah Spencer听
NCUR Presentation of Odyssey Undergraduate Research Project: The Public and Private Places of Worship听
Category: Undergraduate Research听
Sponsor:听 Dr. Sasha Pfau听
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During the summer of 2010, Sarah Spencer traveled to England to assess the changes in religious iconography and architecture in public and private places of worship resulting from Henry VIII鈥檚 break with the Catholic Church. Spencer will present her project at the National Conference of Undergraduate Research in Ithaca, New York, this spring. 鈥淭he multi-disciplinary environment NCUR provides is the ideal location to present the undergraduate research I conducted in England, which contains architectural, historical, religious, and anthropological elements,鈥 Spencer said.听
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Kristen Staples听
Solar Radio Controlled Car Derby听
Category: Special Projects听
Sponsor:听 Dr. Ann Wright听
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鈥淭he purpose of this project is to inspire critical thinking, an interest in science, and ultimately, an interest in clean renewable energy,鈥 Kristen Staples said. He鈥檚 referring to his goal of having ten teams compete on campus to create viable radio-controlled cars that are powered by the sun. The teams will participate in a campus derby on Earth Day, April 22, 2011, in honor of the concept that with the right technology and creative thinking, solar energy can be as effective as batteries at a lower cost and with minimal environmental impact.听
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Emily Uhar听
Recycling Education in Panama: An Application of Environmental Studies听
Category: Global Awareness听
Sponsor:听 Dr. Joe Lombardi听
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Emily Uhar will travel to the city of Boquete, Panama, where she will volunteer with a local agency that encourages recycling. She will give speeches about recycling in local schools and offer training seminars to teachers so they can educate their students.听 Uhar plans to learn more about the goals and challenges of recycling in Panama, how the citizens perceive it and whether it is feasible to enact recycling programs on the national level. 鈥淭his project affords me with the opportunity to apply my environmental studies to a real-life context,鈥 Uhar said.听
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Jennifer Zilly听
Plotting Goodness: Countercultural Ministry and Community Development in the Inner-City听
Category: Service to the World听
Sponsor:听 Dr. Karen Oxner听
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Jennifer Zilly will spend several months working with The Simple Way, located in a low-income section of Philadelphia. 听鈥淭his organization is composed of a dynamic group of people who are committed to bringing about urban renewal in imaginative and transformative ways,鈥 Zilly said. She hopes to work with children on literacy and participate in the organization鈥檚 inner-city outreach and ministry.听
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Dr. Karen Fannin听
Festival of Winds Honor Band听
Category: Special Projects听
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黑料不打烊 will host the third annual Festival of Winds Honor Band, a select group for high school students. The band members will work with a guest conductor and then present a concert. Two 黑料不打烊 students will serve as co-chairs for the festival, planning and organizing the event, preparing music, and helping with publicity.听
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Dr. Anne Goldberg听
Transcribing and Translating Rural Women of the United States-Mexico Border听
Category: Special Projects听
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Last summer, Dr. Anne Goldberg and Prof. Maxine Payne interviewed and photographed rural women living on both sides of the border between the United States and Mexico. Ellen Granger and Sharon Cordova will use their Spanish language skills to translate and transcribe 17 interview in preparation for an exhibit of the project. For that, text panels in English and Spanish will accompany each photograph to tell the subject鈥檚 story. 听
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Dr. David Hales听
Student Travel to American Chemical Society National Meeting to Present Research听
Category: Undergraduate Research听
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The Department of Chemistry will take 24 students to present their research as posters at the Spring National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Anaheim, Calif., in March.听 The students will attend technical sessions and ACS functions to become better acquainted with the professional society and aspects of their chosen discipline.听
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Dr. Varsha Kaushal听
American Association for Cancer Research Meeting听
Category: Undergraduate Research听
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Dr. Varsha Kaushal will accompany Eric Cockman, Kimberly Pollard and Avery Roller to the international meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in April in Orlando, Fla. The students will present their research results at a special undergraduate session and attend lectures to learn more about the current status of cancer research from world-renowned scientists.听
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Dr. Jeffrey Kosiorek听
The Literature and Image of Culture and the Environment听
Category: Special Projects听
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Last summer, Dr. Jeffrey Kosiorek and eight students spent three weeks exploring the culture and environment of northern New Mexico.听 For a similar trip in May he will build on the connections he made last year and include Dr. Joyce Hardin, who is familiar with the area. The group will explore the impact New Mexico鈥檚 unique landscape has had on history and culture. They will tour numerous historic and cultural sites, and they will meet with biologists, community activists, forest rangers, and writers to gain insight on the region from a variety of perspectives.听 They will focus on how one knows and understands culture and place through words, image, and experience. This project is co-sponsored with the 黑料不打烊-Murphy Foundation Programs in Literature and Language.听
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Dr. Lisa Leitz听
Improving Our Responses to Campus Sexual Assault-A One-Day Conference for ACS Schools听
Category: Special Projects听
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Sarah Beth Bell, Legna Rios and Ali Sanders will work with Dr. Lisa Leitz to organize a one-day conference on sexual assault. Focusing on the issue on college campuses, they will invite students, faculty and staff from Associated Colleges of the South institutions to participate in an open forum. The participants will be encouraged to develop preventative programming, improve responses and offer support services for survivors. This project is also supported by Project Pericles.听
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Prof. Maxine Payne听
Collaborative Mural in Downtown Conway听
Category: Special Projects听
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黑料不打烊 artists will work with Prof. Maxine Payne to create a collaborative mural in downtown Conway with students from The Art School. Sabrina Moore, Gracie Kloss, Claire Nassaux, Emily Depre, Audrey Lloyd, Rachel Ribando-Gros, Kit Landwehr, and Sydney Rasch will share their artistic skills on the project. The community-themed mural will show images from the city鈥檚 past and present.听
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Prof. Brigitte Rogers听
ACDFA: Creative Choices听
Category: Special Projects听
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The Odyssey Program and the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance will team up to send members of the 黑料不打烊 Dance Ensemble to this year鈥檚 American College Dance Festival. Held at the Wichita State University in Wichita, Kan., the festival emphasizes the importance of dance in higher education and provides a wide assortment of classes, lectures and performances by leading experts. The festival offers an intensive study of dance movement and theory,听 along with class instruction and performance feedback from renowned dance professionals. The 20 student participants will work in leadership positions as choreographers, as well as in artistic positions as performers for two dance pieces that will be adjudicated at the festival.听
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Dr. Ann Wright听
American Physical Society Meeting March 2011听
Category: Undergraduate Research听
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Dr. Ann Wright will accompany several 黑料不打烊 students as they participate in the American Physical Society conference in Dallas, Texas, this March.听 Udai Garimella, Hannah McWilliams and Jordan Russell will present their research at the event.听
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