黑料不打烊

The Odyssey Program

April 2016 Odyssey Grant Recipients

黑料不打烊 Odyssey Program

Project Funding

April 2016

With the April 2016 funding cycle, the Committee on Engaged Learning has awarded $3,433,320.20 in Odyssey grants to 黑料不打烊 students and faculty since the Odyssey Program鈥檚 inception in 2005. In this cycle, there were 30 projects that received $92,295.30. 黑料不打烊 students will explore future career paths in a variety of internships, learn about the faiths that coexist in India, and discover the intersection of traditional Nepali cultural medicine and Western biomedicine.

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Jessica Bonumwezi

Summer in a PTSD Lab

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. Tim Maxwell

A personal interest in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is a major health issue in her home country of Rwanda, led Jessica Bonumwezi to an internship on the topic. She will work with Dr. Keith Renshaw, a professor of clinical psychology at George Mason University who conducts research on PTSD and its effect on family relationships.

Morgan Carrico

Volunteering with Arkansas Access to Justice

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. Jay Barth

This summer, Morgan Carrico will be an intern for Arkansas Access to Justice to identify the legal needs of Arkansas. Carrico will help the organization conduct fundraising, educate the public about legal issues, and work to increase access to the justice system in the state.

Kara Coffman

Butterfly Pavilion Internship

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. Jay McDaniel

The Butterfly Pavilion in Colorado has a variety of invertebrate exhibits, as well as gardens and a nature trail. As an intern, Kara Coffman will assist with the Teen Volunteer Program. In addition, she will help with daily educational programming and science-based demonstrations with live animals at the zoo.

Joshua Copeland and Delaney Farris

2016 Dean's Civil Rights Trip

Category: SP

Sponsor: Dean Jim Wiltgen

Joshua Copeland and Delaney Farris will lead fourteen other 黑料不打烊 students on a journey into the history of the civil rights movement. Accompanied by Dean Jim Wiltgen, the group will visit museums, churches, and memorials dedicated to civil rights. They will learn about civil rights with a particular focus on education.

Brynn Davis

Research Assistantship at University of Missouri-St. Louis Social Psychology Research Lab

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. Leslie Zorwick

This summer, Brynn Davis will be a research assistant for social psychologist Dr. Bettina Casad. Davis will assist with two studies on women鈥檚 reactions to blatantly sexist statements and how those reactions can be affected by participant鈥檚 motivations. In addition, Davis will assist with a study on physiological responses to stimuli.

Hanna Davis

Rattle's Garden Internship

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. Stella Capek

Rattle鈥檚 Garden is an organic farm in Vilonia, Ark. Hanna Davis will work on the farm, picking vegetables and assisting with the sale and distribution of the food. In a weekly classroom setting, she will learn about a variety of topics related to organic farming.

Olivia Ensley

Advocacy and Community Work Summer Internship

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. Stella Capek

Olivia Ensley will build on her interest in women鈥檚 rights during her internship at the Central Arkansas Women鈥檚 Shelter. She will help create a safe community for women and children in times of crisis, working directly with those in need.

Alexandra Forst

Professional Experience in Veterinary Care

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. Jennifer Dearolf

Aspiring veterinarian Alexandra Forst will learn the profession of caring for animals this summer. She will be an intern at Hillcrest Animal Hospital in Little Rock, where she will observe the veterinarians as they examine pets and learn about basic caretaking procedures.

Amelia Grayson

Internship with West Cancer Center

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. Laura McDonald

As an intern at the West Cancer Center in Memphis, Tenn., Amelia Grayson will focus on outreach education in the community, specifically prevention and screening services. An important component of this outreach program is breast cancer screening and education in otherwise unserved populations in Memphis.

Sarah Haltom

Nashville Zoo Internship

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. George Harper

An interest in conservation biology led Sarah Haltom to an internship at the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere. Haltom will assist keepers in opening, closing, cleaning, and maintaining enclosures and exhibit areas, as well as providing animal enrichment. In addition, she will gain insight into the roles zoos play in the preservation of biodiversity.

Savannah Herrera

Professional Exploration of the Art World-NYC

Category: PL

Sponsor: Prof. Matthew Lopas

Savannah Herrera will gain hands-on experience in a leading art market as the works with galleries in Manhattan. She will assist with their daily business along with larger events such as exhibition openings. She will also help develop dynamic social media presences and work with private clients in both the secondary and primary art markets.

Sydney Hickok

Student-teaching Internship with Episcopal Collegiate

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. Peg Falls-Corbitt

As a student teacher this fall, Sydney Hickok will instruct 6th -12th graders in choral music at Episcopal Collegiate in Little Rock. This experience will help her explore her interest in music education as a possible career path.

Aditya Katke, Faizan Khan, Ian McVinney, Pratheepa Ravikumar and Dimple Shah

Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam: An Introspective Study of India's Intermingling Faiths

Category: GA

Sponsor: Dr. Jay McDaniel

Between them, Aditya Katke, Faizan Khan, Ian McVinney, Pratheepa Ravikumar and Dimple Shah practice Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. Together they will explore India, a country where a multitude of religions鈥攊ncluding their own鈥攃oexist in harmony. They will visit 17 cities across the subcontinent, 18 temples, 14 churches, 14 mosques and several religiously historical sites to learn more about the benefits and challenges of an interfaith culture.

Olivier Kwizera

Exploring the Role and Value of Interactive Games in Rwandan Society

Category: GA

Sponsor: Dr. Mark Goadrich

Olivier Kwizera will travel to his homeland to explore the role and value of interactive games in ancient and contemporary Rwanda. After visiting museums and historical sites, he hopes to have a clearer understanding of the cultural aspect that are deeply ingrained in popular games that Rwandans still enjoy. He plans to develop a desktop/mobile application of at least one distinctly Rwandan game.

Hanna Liebermann

Internship at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas: Careers in Botany

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. Laura McDonald

For eight weeks this summer, Hanna Liebermann will work in the Natural History Collections and Research department of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas. She will help collect information on four understudied local plant species in need of conservation. Her tasks will include collecting and preserving samples during field work and updating databases.

Colton Morgan

Mr. Morgan Goes to Faulkner County: An Engagement with Local Politics and the Faulkner County Democrats Party

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. Jay Barth

Working with the Faulkner County Democrats, Colton Morgan will learn the different techniques of local politics and observe the local campaigning process. He will also gain a greater understanding of democratic politics at the grassroots level and how to make the voices of local residents heard during an election.

Moira Murdoch

Internship at Freeman Family Medicine

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. Mark Sutherland

Moira Murdoch will learn about patient-centered and team-based medical care at Freeman Family Medicine in Conway. Time spent job shadowing the physicians as they interact with patients of all ages will give Murdoch insight into the life of a doctor to prepare her for a future career in medicine.

Grace Ann Odom

Summer Internship with Fayetteville's Non-Profit Animal Shelter and Veterinary Clinic

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. David Sutherland

The Fayetteville Animal Shelter is a non-profit that offers veterinary care to both domestic and wild animals. Grace Ann Odom will work with head veterinarian Dr. Valerie Henley to learn more about the non-profit shelter鈥檚 daily routine along with its fundraising, community engagement and public policy efforts.

Lauren Petrisin

Physical Therapy Experience and Reflection

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. Leslie Templeton

Lauren Petrisin is intrigued by the idea of physical therapy as a career due to its unique combination of physical activity and therapeutic benefits. As the summer intern for the Advanced Physical Therapy Clinic in Conway, she will work with a professional team to refine her skills and evaluate her own interests and strengths for this career path.

Ariana Poole

Implications for Women's Health at the Intersection of Western & Folk Medicine in Nepal

Category: SP

Sponsor: Dr. Anne Goldberg

Ariana Poole will travel to Nepal to investigate the intersection of traditional Nepali cultural medicine and Western biomedicine. She is particularly interested in how the relationship between the two medical practices impacts women鈥檚 health, particularly maternal and infant care.


Benjamin Robles

Research Experience for Undergraduates in Materials for Energy and Sustainability at Boise State University

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. Courtney Hatch

This summer, Benjamin Robles is one of only 10 individuals in the country offered a position as a student researcher at Boise State University鈥檚 Research Experience for Undergraduates in Materials for Energy and Sustainability. He will learn the requirements for handling and storing nuclear fuels and hone his engineering skills with respected scholars in the field.

Danielle Rosson

Internship in Music Education at Preston Palmer Studios

Category: Pl

Sponsor: Dr. John Krebs

During her internship at Conway鈥檚 Preston Palmer Studios, Danielle Rosson will teach two courses. The first focuses on music fundamentals, an entry-level course for those with an interest in learning to read and play music. The second is a non-traditional high-energy class, a drum circle. Students will practice unconventional percussion with everyday objects, known as 鈥渇ound instruments.鈥

Bradi Ryan

Intern Assistant to Patrice Kelly, Acting Director and Attorney for the Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. Kiril Kolev

This summer, Bradi Ryan will travel to Washington, D.C., to serve as intern assistant to Patrice Kelly, Acting Director and Attorney for the Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance. Ryan will explore her interest in the legislative, judicial and executive branches of government by working closely with a mentor who has considerable experience in all three aspects.

Spencer Smith

Conway Municipal Airport at Cantrell Field Internship

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. Duff Campbell

At the Conway Municipal Airport, Spencer Smith will learn about the professional world of aviation, air traffic control and avionics. He will also discover the challenges of running an airport while meeting the municipal expectations of the city and following state regulations.

Taylor Stone

Internship at Wildland Gardens

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. Matthew Moran

At a small, local farm run by an experienced grower, Taylor Stone will learn about ecological farming and permaculture agricultural models. As an intern, Stone will tend the crops, harvest, and package them for transport. In addition, she will learn canning and preserving techniques to make more efficient use of the crops.

Hannah Tackett

Alternative Food Systems: Internship at Rattle's Garden

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. Maureen McClung

Environmental Studies major Hannah Tackett will learn more about alternative food systems while working at Rattle鈥檚 Garden this summer. She will communicate with producers at small organic farms and the consumers who buy the produce, giving a view into both sides of the food system.

Deonna Thornton

Agoraphone: Music Supervision and Advertising

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. Lyle Rupert

Music supervisors are crucial for advertising, because they license or make music for commercials. Deonna Thornton will learn more about this business in Brooklyn, N.Y., this summer working for Agoraphone, a small music supervision company with a great deal of experience in licensing music for commercial advertising.

Claire Vogelgesang

Raising the Root

Category: PL

Sponsor: Dr. James Dow

At Country Dreams Farm in Plattsburgh, N.Y., Claire Vogelgesang will learn about food production鈥檚 place in human society while using organic farming techniques for both produce and livestock. Since she hopes to run her own farm someday, she is also interested in the associated business and financial techniques for success.

Dr. Rod Miller

Senior Art Major Trip to NYC

Category: SP

Dr. Rod Miller will take senior art majors on a trip to New York City to see works of art first-hand and to see how galleries work and display their collections. They will visit both modern and historic museums and galleries and consider how their own artistic endeavors fit within the contemporary world.

Dr. Ann Wright

2017 Women in Physics Conference Travel

Category: SP

Dr. Ann Wright will take a group of five female students to the Undergraduate Women in Physics Conference at Rice University in January. They will explore career opportunities for physicists, tour research labs, attend research presentations and discussion panels and network with others in the field. The goal of the conference is to encourage students to continue their studies in physics.