黑料不打烊

The Odyssey Program

April 2018 Odyssey Grants

黑料不打烊 Odyssey Program

Project Funding

April 2018

The Committee on Engaged Learning has crossed the $4-million-dollar milestone with the Odyssey grants for the April 2018 cycle. It has awarded $4,050, 772.28 in Odyssey grants to 黑料不打烊 students and faculty since the Odyssey Program鈥檚 inception in 2005. In this cycle, 36 projects received $109,850 in grants to help 黑料不打烊 students explore their career paths, develop new skills, and conduct meaningful research.

Noah Adams

Continuing Campaigns: A Practical Application

Category: PL

Supervisor: Jay Barth, Politics and International Relations

This summer, Noah Adams will work as a campaign finance intern on Clarke Tucker鈥檚 Congressional Campaign for Arkansas鈥檚 Second District. He will gain experience in the campaign process, apply his political science education, foster a deeper understanding of his home state鈥檚 political environment, and create lasting professional connections.

Leah Bankhead

Bringing History Back

Category: PL

Supervisor: Dionne Jackson, Diversity and Inclusion

The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center in Little Rock is a museum dedicated to telling the story of the African American experience in Arkansas. Leah Bankhead will help research notable figures, gathering information and writing a paper that the museum can use to create exhibits that feature more individuals in an interactive way.

Ben Benton

Botany/Ecology Internship at the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission

Category: PL

Supervisor: Joyce Hardin, Biology

Ben Benton has a deep interest in native plants, and as an intern at the State Herbarium at the Arkansas Heritage Commission, he will have a chance to build his skills in a professional setting. He will survey rare and insufficiently documented species of plants and ecological communities. The data will be used to create an extensive map of rare and at-risk species in Arkansas.

Marlee Bird

PBS "Frontline" Editorial Internship

Category: PL

Supervisor: Jay Barth, Politics and International Relations

The Public Broadcasting System show 鈥淔rontline鈥 is well-known as a long-format documentary news series that provides comprehensive investigatory stories. As an editorial intern in Boston, Marlee Bird will assist the senior editorial staff with researching, reviewing story submissions and maintaining the series library.

Duwan Booker and Stone Paul

Strength and Conditioning: Insight to the World of Coaching

Category: PL

Supervisor: Buck Buchanan, Athletics

Duwan Booker and Stone Paul have an interest in careers in coaching. This summer, they will learn what goes on behind the scenes to create success for athletes and spectators alike. Working with 黑料不打烊 professionals, Booker and Paul will focus on practice planning, game planning, strategy, and strength and conditioning.

Jenna Bracas

Internship at Toltec Mounds

Category: PL

Supervisor: Brett Hill, Sociology and Anthropology

Toltec Mounds Archaeological State Park is an active site with on-going research. This summer, Jenna Bracas will be working with Dr. Elizabeth Horton on a couple different projects. She will be helping to create and organize a botanical comparative collection for the site, helping with the upkeep of the Plum Bayou Garden containing species the original inhabitants used, and working on collaborative epigenetic research with the Smithsonian through comparative test plots for a species native to the Toltec area.听

Bailey Brya

Professional Field Experience in US Senator Boozman鈥檚 Washington D.C. Office

Category: PL

Supervisor: Daniel Whelan, Politics and International Relations

Bailey Brya will spend a month working in United States Senator John Boozman鈥檚 office in Washington, D.C., meeting and interacting with professionals in legal, political and foreign service fields. During the summer, Brya will assist office staff with briefings, help conduct research and act as a liaison between the office and constituents.

Hannah Burdette

A Summer on the Hill: Professional Field Experience with Senator John Boozman

Category: PL

Supervisor: Kiril Kolev, Politics and International Relations

For her professional field experience, Hannah Burdette will work in the Washington, D.C. office of United States Senator John Boozman. She will attend committee meetings to take notes for the Senator鈥檚 staff, give tours of the Capitol to visiting Arkansans, assist with constituent communications and draft memos and press briefings.

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Kyle Christenson

From Minnesota to Madrid: Cross-Cultural Psychological Studies

Category: PL

Supervisor: Sara Taylor, Psychology

Kyle Christenson will participate in the Psychology and Research in Madrid program sponsored by the University of Minnesota. He will conduct research in a Spanish psychology lab, take a cross-cultural psychology course, and live with a host family as he explores his chosen professional path and improves his language skills.

Maddie Clendening

Interning in DC: Political Activism, Honing Professional and Leadership Skills, and Building a Safer Environment for the LGBTQ+ Community on Campus and Beyond

Category: PL

Supervisor: Leigh Lassiter-Counts, Career Services

Through the American University School of Professional and Extended Studies in Washington, DC, Maddie Clendening will participate in an internship with the National LGBTQ+ Task Force and a weekly colloquium on the US Government. She hopes to hone her professional skills in political activism for the LGBTQ+ community.

Cole Cramer

Intern: Accounting Analyst and Legal Assistant

Category: PL

Supervisor: Megan Leonard, Economics and Business

Cole Cramer will participate in a joint internship connected to the construction industry in Little Rock with one focus on accounting and the other on the law. He will get to see financial and tax planning along with litigation and contracts, which will give him insight into being both an accountant and a lawyer.

Caisa Doyle

A Summer with Houston: ReVision

Category: PL

Supervisor: Leslie Zorwick, Psychology

Houston: ReVision is a program to break the school to prison pipeline for young adults in Houston, Texas. Caisa Doyle will serve as a mentor to help teach at-risk teenagers life skills and provide a guiding presence to them. She will also organize weekly community events to keep the youth connected and geared toward success.

Mackenzie Gearin

Asian Economic Development Internship

Category: PL

Supervisor: Anne Goldberg, Sociology and Anthropology

The Asian Economic Development Association (AEDA) in St. Paul, Minn., has a mission to increase economic opportunities for Asian Americans. As an intern for AEDA, Mackenzie Gearin will, advocate for local policy changes, assess microfinance loan applications for entrepreneurs to start their own businesses, and assist with programs to help immigrants navigate the cultural landscape of American business.

Jared Goff, Garrett Sosbee and Martha Crenshaw

Sea Turtle Conservation in Quepos, Costa Rica

Category: SW

Supervisor: Lilian Contreras-Silva, Foreign Languages

The Tortugas de Pacuare Turtle Conservation Project in Costa Rica focuses on the protection and conservation of endangered leatherback and green see turtles. In a service project over winter break that will also allow them to immerse in Costa Rican culture, Jared Goff, Garrett Sosbee and Martha Crenshaw will work on habitat creation and conservation, along with collecting and relocating eggs to a hatchery, caring for young turtles and returning them safely to the ocean. Additionally, they will participate in a community outreach program to teach local school students about conservation and the environment.

Wesley Hance

Professional Experience with Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families

Category: PL

Supervisor: Jay Barth, Politics and International Relations

This summer, Wesley Hance will work on a health policy research project for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. He will construct a report on the Arkansas health care system that will contribute to a current research collection for the organization.

Maxfield Hancock

Missing Migrants and the Colibri Center for Human Rights: Field Experience along the U.S. Mexico Border

Category: PL

Supervisor: Daniel Whelan, Politics and International Relations

The Colibri Center for Human Rights is an organization in Tucson that works with families in Mexico, Central America and the United States to identify and repatriate the remains of missing border crossers. Maxfield Hancock is fluent in Spanish and is returning for a second year with the Colibri Center to help the organization as it reaches out to families, collects information for a confidential database, writes missing person reports, interacts with medical examiners, and brings families closure.

Ashley Harrison

Physical Therapy Internship at Conway Regional Medical Center

Category: PL

Supervisor: Laura MacDonald, Biology

Ashley Harrison aspires to be a physician assistant, and she will get a look at the profession through a physical therapy internship with Conway Regional Medical Center. She will help patients achieve their goals of better mobility and correct healing of injuries at the Conway hospital and Scherman Heights clinic.

Geneva Hill and Greta Kresse

Professional Development Experience at the New York Studio School

Category: PL

Supervisor: Matthew Lopas, Art

The New York Studio School of Painting, Drawing, and Sculpture has accepted Geneva Hill and Greta Kresse to participate in its intensive figurative painting marathon session for two weeks this summer. Hill plans to combine her psychology and art majors into a career intertwining art therapy and painting, while Kresse plans to pursue her business and studio art interests in a career as a figurative painter.

Elizabeth Jones

Internship with the Jacksonville Museum of Military History

Category: PL

Supervisor: Sasha Pfau, History

The Jacksonville Museum of Military history has permanent exhibits on American involvement in all wars from the Civil War to the present. Building on a long-standing interest in military history, Elizabeth Jones will serve as an intern at the museum this summer, working on exhibits, giving tours and organizing fundraising events for the museum and veterans.

Justin Lockhart, Katelyn Pitcher and Pratik Patel

The FWRD Study: An Examination of Friendships, Wellbeing, and Racial Diversity on the 黑料不打烊 College Campus

Category: UR

Supervisor: Dionne Jackson, Diversity and Inclusion

FWRD is an acronym for Friendships, Wellbeing, and Racial Diversity, and it is a study that Justin Lockhart, Katelyn Pitcher and Pratik Patel will conduct on campus this fall. Their goals are to show a more nuanced picture of the racial diversity climate on campus, to gather empirical data on the impact of homogenous compared to heterogeneous friend groups on wellbeing, and to work toward a more inclusive environment for students of color at 黑料不打烊.

Macullen Nadurak

Professional Field Experience in Immigration Law

Category: PL

Supervisor: Kiril Kolev, Politics and International Relations

Working with an established immigration attorney, Macullen Nadurak will experience the law both in and out of the courtroom. He hopes to confirm his interest in immigration law as a career path, develop his Spanish skills, and learn about professional decorum in dealing with clients and appearing in court.

Abigail Nathan

Internship: Crestwyn Behavioral Health

Category: PL

Supervisor: Leslie Templeton, Psychology

Crestwyn Behavioral Health is a mental hospital in Memphis, Tenn., that treats adolescents and adults who suffer from a range of mental health issues ranging from addiction to depression and Alzheimer鈥檚 Disease. As an intern, Abigail Nathan will experience psychology-based occupations and interact with psychiatrists, therapists, and other personnel during group therapy sessions.

Tristan Norman

In Search of Hope: City of Hope Outreach

Category: PL

Supervisor: Deb Skok, History

City of Hope Outreach Center is a nonprofit in Conway that provides and sustains centers of growth for the materially and socially disadvantaged in Central Arkansas. As an administrative intern, Tristan Norman will learn about nonprofit management while developing his leadership, communication, networking and grant writing skills.

Innocent Nsabimana

Software Development Internship

Category: PL

Supervisor: Gabriel Ferrer, Mathematics and Computer Science

This summer, Innocent Nsabimana will be an intern at Hexakomb Ltd, a technology company based in Rwanda that develops software applications. In this internship experience, He will be improving his computer programming skills from building small class projects to building large-scale software projects that people can conceivably use. In addition to improving his programming skills, he will learn how software developers handle large projects, solve problems creatively, and produce innovative designs of the software applications.听

Grace Anne Odom

Welding My Own Bridge: Combining My Passions of Metal Working and Children's Welfare

Category: PL

Supervisor: Maxine Payne, Art

Grace Anne Odom will explore welding in three ways this summer. First, she will work at American Estates, a company that is exploring a focus on creative freedom through its own furniture line. Next, she will attend a two-week workshop on metal fabrication at the Penland School of Crafts. Finally, she will work as an instructor at Rosie鈥檚 Girls Weld and Build camps.

Austin Pierce

Synergy Internship

Category: PL

Supervisor: Brenda Houck, Biology

With a goal of becoming a chiropractor, Austin Pierce will intern at Synergy Wellness and Performance in Dallas, Texas.听 The company specializes in chiropractic care and rehabilitation techniques to help people recover from existing injuries and to teach patients how to prevent them in the future.

Katelyn Pitcher

Understanding Developing Minds: A Summer with the BC Cooperation Lab

Category: PL

Supervisor: Lindsay Kennedy, Psychology

Katelyn Pitcher will explore developmental psychology as a research assistant in the Boston College Cooperation Lab. The lab focusses primarily on understanding how children learn to be cooperative and fair to one another. Pitcher will help recruit participants, assist with running experiments both in the lab and an outdoor setting, and then input and code the results.

Abigail Rains, Sarah Buford, KeyShawn Henson, and Victoria Tang

Cooking Matters

Category: SW

Supervisor: Sarah Donaghy, Community Engagement

Abigail Rains, Sarah Buford, KeyShawn Henson, and Victoria Tang will use the 鈥淐ooking Matters鈥 course developed by Share Our Strength to teach and promote healthy and affordable eating styles to lower-income families near 黑料不打烊. The students will offer six weekly classes that include both a nutrition and a culinary lesson, guiding the participants in creating a healthy dish.

Pamela Rogers

Surveying Small Animal Veterinary Practices

Category: PL

Supervisor: Joyce Hardin, Biology

To help gain the experience she needs for veterinary school, Pamela Rogers will shadow professionals at St. Francis Veterinary Clinic. She will learn about diagnostics, treatment, surgery, animal nutrition, client communication, and patient care along with the daily process of running a veterinary office.

Anna Romm

Development with the Clinton Foundation

Category: PL

Supervisor: Kiril Kolev, Politics and International Relations

Anna Romm has an interest in career opportunities in the nonprofit sector, and she will have a chance to explore her options through an internship with the development division of the Clinton Foundation. She will focus on grant writing, member and donor engagement, coordination of fundraising events, and other administrative tasks.

Sophia Rudman

Clinical Psychology and Grief Counseling at the Conway Human Development Center

Category: PL

Supervisor: Sara Taylor, Psychology

The Conway Human Development Center helps people with intellectual disabilities through counseling/clinical psychology services, speech therapy, special education and other health care. Sophia Rudman will work with doctors at the center and hopes to learn more about grief counseling in the face of traumatic life events and how psychologists can help patients deal with emotional issues.

Drew Scanlan

Summer Internship in Nashville

Category: PL

Supervisor: John Krebs, Music

As an intern for Vector Management in Nashville, Tenn., Drew Scanlon will get a behind-the-scenes look at the music industry. The company represents prominent bands, and Scanlon will work with the groups on tour management, marketing, and onsite event work that will show him what it takes to have a successful concert or festival.

Macie Stultz

Internship at Conway Family Dental

Category: PL

Supervisor: Mark Sutherland, Biology

Macie Stultz will learn about the daily work of dentists along with the business aspects of maintaining a successful office during her internship at Conway Family Dental. She plans to attend dental school, and this experience will give her the career discernment to confirm that she is making the right choice.

Brock Sullivan

Exploring the Non-Traditional Mind: A Summer at the Conway Human Development Center

Category: PL

Supervisor: Laura MacDonald, Biology

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The Conway Human Development Center is a residential facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Brock Sullivan is a pre-med student with an interest in the human brain, and he will have the opportunity to experience caring for patients for whom the non-traditional mind is the norm. He will learn about the psychiatric and psychological care the facility provides the residents. In addition, he will volunteer in the facility鈥檚 special education program.

Sarah Weems

The Nature Conservancy Internship

Category: PL

Supervisor: Maureen McClung, Biology

Sarah Weems will take her classroom training to her internship at The Nature Conservancy as she works with professional conservationists. She will focus on plants and their role as the basis of a healthy ecosystem.

Jim Wiltgen

The Law and Mississippi: Civil Rights Experience over Fall Break

Category: SP

Dean of Students Jim Wiltgen will take twelve students on an immersive experience to explore the importance of the law and Civil Rights. The group will gain an understanding of not only how American laws shaped the Civil Rights movement but also how the movement reshaped the laws.