黑料不打烊

The Odyssey Program

April 2019 Odyssey Grants

黑料不打烊 Odyssey Program

Project Funding

April 2019

Since 2005, the Committee on Engaged Learning has awarded $4,305,158.71 in competitive Odyssey grants to support projects by 黑料不打烊 students and faculty. In this cycle, 26 projects were awarded $80.804.50 in grants. 黑料不打烊 students will learn about potential career paths, build on their existing skills and interests, and serve others around the world.

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Greer Ayers

Professional Field Experience with the United Methodist Committee on Relief Volunteers in Mission Program

Category: PL

Supervisor: JJ Whitney, Chaplain's Office

In Panama City, Panama, Greer Ayers will work with The San Miguelito Youth Outreach Program that focuses on at-risk youth in the neighborhood surrounding El Redentor Methodist Church. Ayers is participating through The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).听 She will rely on her Spanish skills as she works directly with young people involved with the UMCOR program.

Katie Bell and Greta Kresse

Professional Development Experience at Mount Gretna School of Art

Category: PL

Supervisor: Mathew Lopas, Art

The Mount Gretna School of Art in Pennsylvania offers an intensive seven-week painting program. 黑料不打烊 art students Katie Bell and Greta Kresse have been accepted to the program, where they will focus on painting and drawing as they build their technical skills, network with other professional artists, and develop their portfolios for their future careers.

Gwen Boone

Summer Internships with the Administrative Offices of the Courts

Category: PL

Supervisor: Jay Barth, Politics

Gwen Boone will work as an intern in the Judicial Education area of the Administrative Offices of the Courts of Arkansas this summer. She will aid the curriculum development committees, research topics for future educational programs, develop marketing material for education about the judicial branch and help write grants. Boone hopes to pursue a career in social work, and she will gain the tools, skills, and connections that will help her be a more engaged citizen.

Lexie Burleson

Interfaith Summer Internship

Category: PL

Supervisor: JJ Whitney, Chaplain's Office

To explore a vocation in interfaith work, Lexie Burleson will work to plan events and programs in Arkansas this summer, including an interfaith event at All Saint鈥檚 Episcopal Church in Russellville. Burleson will also serve as a camp counselor at Friendship Camp, a week-long interfaith day camp for elementary aged children. This project is co-sponsored by the Miller Center for Vocation, Ethics, and Calling.

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Hannah Burroughs

Sea Turtle Research and Conservation Program: Daytime Tagging

Category: PL

Supervisor: Jennifer Dearolf, Biology

Despite living in a land-locked state, Hannah Burroughs aspires to be a marine biologist. She will experience working in that world this summer through Mote. This non-profit marine research institution runs a sea turtle research and conservation program in Sarasota, Florida. Burroughs will work both in the field and in the office/lab setting to study sea turtles and help protect them.

Amy Cabrera

Into the World Economy

Category: PL

Supervisor: Lyle Rupert, Economics and Business

As an intern in the Business Office at 黑料不打烊, Amy Cabrera will be working with business accounts and gaining experience in how an institution of higher learning functions as part of the American economy. This knowledge will be essential as she follows her career path in the areas of marketing, accounting and finance.

Jordan Carl

Faith, Health and Politics: A Summer Fellowship at the Office of Public Witness

Category: PL

Supervisor: Robert Williamson, Religion

Jordan Carl hopes to pursue a career in public health. To explore that vocation, Carl will work full-time as a summer fellow at the Presbyterian Church (USA) Office of Public Witness in Washington, DC. The fellowship will focus on how the social teachings of the church intersect with advocating for policy change and communicating Presbyterian positions to both political leaders and the general public.

Drew Gazaway

Botany/Ecology Professional Field Experience with Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission

Category: PL

Supervisor: Maureen McClung, Biology

During this summer, Drew Gazaway will work alongside a professional botanist/ecologist with the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission. Gazaway will help prepare and process dried plant specimens, conduct rare plant surveys in the field and take inventory of private and public lands in Arkansas. At the commission鈥檚 Herbarium, Gazaway will collect, press, and mount plant specimens, prepare them for shipment, and protect them from insect and moisture damage.

Katlyne Gilliam

Compassion in the Carceral State

Category: PL

Supervisor: Delphia Shanks-Booth, Politics and International Relations

In Arkansas, those convicted of a felony are ineligible to vote while in prison, on parole, or on probation. Many of them do not realize that their voting rights can be restored when their supervision ends. At 鈥淐ompassion Works for All,鈥 a non-profit in Little Rock Katlyne Gilliam will help develop a Civics course to educate inmates about their voting rights and also help those who are eligible register to vote.听

Parker Hall

Physical Therapy Internship at Conway Regional Hospital

Category: PL

Supervisor: Brenda Houck, Biology

As an athlete who has experienced his own share of injuries and rehabilitation, Parker Hall has a wealth of knowledge that will help him with his internship in the Physical Therapy department of Conway Regional Hospital. Hall will shadow physical therapists and learn about new techniques such a dry needling, which is like acupuncture.

Peyton Hall

Tapping into the Secret of Environmental Sustainability

Category: PL

Supervisor: Courtney Hatch, Chemistry

Treaty Oak Distillery in Dripping Springs, Texas, takes its commitment to sustainability seriously, to the point of planting a tree for each barrel of its product sold. This unique philosophy attracted Peyton Hall, who will intern with the company this summer monitoring water quality, maintaining the aquaponics system, and reutilizing waste water for gardening and composting.

Sidra Hanson

A Summer of Volunteering at Heifer International

Category: PL

Supervisor: Courtney Hatch, Chemistry

Sidra Hanson will explore the real-world applications of her Environmental Studies major through an internship at Heifer International. Innovation concerning water safety, food availability, and educational access is central to Heifer鈥檚 mission. Hanson will help shape an educational curriculum around one of the products the organization tests at its headquarters before preparing it for worldwide distribution.

Blake Hinton

Putting People Back on Their Feet

Category: PL

Supervisor: George Harper, Biology

This summer, Blake Hinton will intern at the Southwest Sports and Spine Clinic, an outpatient physical therapy office in Dallas, Texas. Hinton will learn about patient interaction, exercise assistance, and the proper techniques for the beneficial treatment of patients of all ages.

Sara Hoopchuk

STEAD Scholars Summer Program

Category: PL

Supervisor: Brenda Houck, Biology

During the eight-week STEAD Scholars program through the Boozman College of Public Health and the Arkansas Department of Health, Sara Hoopchuk will be partnered with a mentor from the senior staff. Under her mentor鈥檚 guidance, Hoopchuk will gain clinical laboratory experience and develop her own public health policy project.

Kessie Jenkins

Move. Restore. Revive

Category: PL

Supervisor: Brenda Houck, Biology

Kessie Jenkins will spend her summer as an intern at the Batesville Therapy Clinic in Batesville, Ark., where she will gain insight into being a physical therapist. The clinic specializes in the treatment of orthopedics, sports related injuries, industrial rehabilitation and similar services. She will work closely with the physical therapists who focus on disability prevention, restoration of function, and relief from pain.

Jordan Mallard

A Journey into the Field of Public Health

Category: PL

Supervisor: Brenda Houck, Biology

As a STEAD Scholars program participant through the Boozman College of Public Health and the Arkansas Department of Health, Jordan Mallard will have the opportunity to explore the possible fields in a career in public health. Mallard will gain real-world exposure to both applied and basic science, clinical practice, and education about health policy development.

Cameron Minor

Internship with Insitute for Therapy through the Arts

Category: PL

Supervisor: Jay Barth, Politics

At Chicago鈥檚 Institute for Therapy through the Arts, Cameron Minor will combine two long-standing interests. Relying on his major, Minor will use his mathematical and computer skills to help keep the administrative office functioning, while he will incorporate his music minor as he observes creative arts therapists professionally guide patients through mediums they might not be able to experience on their own. These range from music and visual arts to dance and theater.

Sydney Mulhearn

Learning the Business of Graphic Design and Branding

Category: PL

Supervisor: Damon Spayde, Physics

Silverlake Design Studio of Conway, Ark., is 100% woman-owned and specializes in logo design and branding for businesses and non-profits. Sydney Mulhern will build her graphic design skills as an intern and learn about the behind-the-scenes work that is involved with running a business, including maintain its website presence.

Audrey Mutoni

Discovering the Rwandan Medical Field

Category: PL

Supervisor: Kristi McKim, English

Audrey Mutoni will shadow a physician at the Rwanda Biomedical Center learning about the diagnosis of diseases and laboratory work. The Center aims to provide quality, affordable, and sustainable health services to Rwandans with a focus on biomedical research. Mutoni hopes to be part of the growing medical field in her home country.

Gaston Niyitegeka

Breaking the Cycle of Poverty in Rwanda

Category: PL

Supervisor: Lyle Rupert, Economics and Business

Gaston Niyitegeka aspires to be an entrepreneur who creates opportunities for others. He will learn the best techniques as an intern with Heifer International in Rwanda. Niyitegeka plans to work with field officers and the social development team in projects such as extending zero-grazing technology to balance the need to protect the farmer鈥檚 land while managing new livestock. This project is co-sponsored by the Miller Center for Vocation, Ethics, and Calling.

Anna Norman

An Internship in Democratization with the Carter Center

Category: PL

Supervisor: Kiril Kolev, Politics and International Relations

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter founded the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia, with the mission to improve lives around the world through peace and health programs. As an intern in the Democracy Program, Anna Norman will help with the center鈥檚 election monitoring efforts.

Faith Reynolds

Exploring Careers for Mental Health at Conway Human Development Center

Category: PL

Supervisor: Sara Taylor, Psychology

The Conway Human Development Center provides care for individuals of different ages and disabilities. As an intern, Faith Reynolds will shadow psychologists as they interact with, assess, and treat their patients. Reynolds will gain valuable insight into a potential career path toward working in the mental health field.

Whitney Woods

Joining the Herd: The Beginning of My Professional Journey into Veterinary Medicine

Category: PL

Supervisor: Laura MacDonald, Biology

Whitney Woods hopes to have a career in the animal care profession and will explore that path through two internships, one at the Little Rock Zoo and the other at Your Pet鈥檚 Animal Hospital in Hot Springs, Ark. At the zoo, Woods will work closely with animals of different sizes and breeds and educate visitors about them. At the veterinary clinic, Woods will gain skills in drawing blood, running diagnostic tests, and interacting with the patients and their owners.

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 view works of art first-hand and to see how contemporary art is displayed in galleries. The experience will help them consider how their own artistic endeavors fit within the contemporary world. What they learn on the trip will contribute to the students鈥 research projects, their Senior Presentations, and their own art-making.

Chaplain JJ Whitney

Building Bridges through Service Learning: A Service to the World Project in Puerto Rico

Category: SW

Chaplain JJ Whitney and Dean Jim Wiltgen will lead 黑料不打烊 students, faculty and staff on a service-learning trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico in May 2020. The group will partner with Peacework, a nonprofit that focuses on disaster relief and recovery.

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Jim Wiltgen

Civil Rights and Embracing a Vocation of Change

Category: SP

Dean of Students Jim Wiltgen and Claudia Courtway will take fifteen students on an immersive experience to frame the history of the Civil Rights movement. The participants will be encouraged to contemplate a vocation that is committed to social transformation.

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