2007 Archived Faculty & Staff Achievements
December 2007
Carol Langston, vice president for college advancement, has been selected to participate in Leadership Arkansas Class II, which is sponsored by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas. Leadership Arkansas gives participants a statewide view of the economic and political challenges that face Arkansas and offers leadership opportunities that expand the impact of community leaders across the state. The program is also designed to build a sense of statewide community by identifying and training individuals with the passion and commitment to become personally engaged in issues, programs and activities aimed at building a better Arkansas. The honorary chairman for this year's Leadership Arkansas class is Gov. Mike Beebe.
November 2007
Dr. Barry McVinney, music instructor, will be the featured artist for Monday Night Jazz at the Afterthought in Little Rock today (Nov. 5). He will be performing from 8:30-11:30 p.m. at the club, located at the corner of Kavanaugh and Beechwood in Hillcrest.
Lennon Parker, Web Communication Specialist in the Public Relations and Marketing office, received a certificate for completing the requirements from TechSmith for Camtasia Studio earlier this month at the annual 2007 League for Innovation conference on Information Technology in Nashville, Tenn. Camtasia Studio is a Screen Recorder and Presentation Software produced by TechSmith that allows users to record their computer screen with audio, webcam video, and more to create presentations, product demos, training and online lectures.
Yolanda Mitchell, Chair of the Communication Department, and Angie Macri, Chair of the English Department, served as guest instructors for the Oral and Written Communications portion of the NALS Legal Training-Basic Course. Students in the course are legal support professionals from the greater Little Rock metro area.
Veronica Stewart, Instruction and Reference Librarian, published an article in the Arkansas Libraries Fall 2007 issue. "Embedded in the Blackboard Jungle: The Embedded Librarian Program at Pulaski Technical College" describes Ottenheimer Library's successful program to provide immediate research assistance to online Composition II students through the librarian's presence within the class shell and through the addition of a library shell that is available to all online students.
October 2007
Angie Macri, chair of the English Department, published a book review in the latest volume of Science Editor. The review is on "A Writer's Coach: An Editor's Guide to Words that Work" by Jack Hart (Pantheon Books, 2006). Also, Macri published a poem entitled "Wholeness" in the latest volume of Crab Orchard Review. Crab Orchard Review is published by the Department of English at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, with partial funding from the Illinois Arts Council, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
Lennon Parker, Web communication specialist, has been re-elected to serve a second term on the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce NEXT Generation Young Professionals Board of Directors Board for 2008.
Oscar DeLong, Access Services/ Reference Librarian at Ottenheimer Library, wed Kimberly Reeve on Sept. 1 in a ceremony at Laurel Manor in Livonia, Mich.
Dr. Anne Bailey, adjunct English instructor, has been chosen to contribute an essay to the Modern Language Association teaching series. The forthcoming volume is called Approaches to Milton's Paradise Lost.
September 2007
Edmond Davis, a history instructor at Pulaski Tech, recently had an entry published in the Arkansas Encyclopedia of History & Culture. To view the article, Google the name "Milton Crenchaw" and scroll down to the last entry on the first page. Davis' book "Airkansan: The Milton Crenchaw Story" should be finished next year.
Allen Loibner, an English instructor, has won the Friends of Scholastic Journalism Award, one of the most prestigious national awards given to journalism educators or professional journalists committed to scholastic journalism.
Sandy Longhorn has been invited to judge the Roxana Rivera Memorial Poetry Contest at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in Spring 2008. This contest is a part of SIU's celebration of women's history month, and both graduate and undergraduate students participate in separate categories. Longhorn will travel to SIU on March 27, 2008, to attend the awards ceremony and read from her own poetry.
Dr. Barry McVinney, instructor of music, will be providing music at the Kaleidoscope Kids 9th annual Auction on Sept. 14 at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Little Rock. The annual event raises money to provide programs and services for critically ill and grieving children. First Lady Ginger Beebe is the events' special guest. McVinney performs throughout the year at campus and community events.
August 2007
Lennon Parker, Web Communication Specialist in the Public Relations and Marketing Office was featured on the cover of the Maumelle Monitor's Living Section (week of August 8) about his work once in the entertainment business and managing Web sites for stars in that field. The article also mentions Lennon's work on the Pulaski Technical College Web site. Article was also featured in the Sherwood Voice and the Cabot Star-Herald. Article can be read by clicking here.
Terri Lothery, Secretary in the Allied Health and Human Services Division received her Associate of Arts degree in August.
Glen Hooks, adjunct instructor of political science, spent eight days in Boston at an NEH "Landmarks" workshop for community college faculty, studying the life and writings of President John Adams. The group conducted research at the Massachusetts Historical Society, the Massachusetts Archives, and the Boston Public Library, and also visited the Adams National Historic Park.
Julie Locke, instructor of psychology, had her name submitted by the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office for acceptance in the FBI's Hostage Negotiation Class offered in October.
Angie Macri, instructor and chair of the English Department, was a finalist in the 2007 Crab Orchard Series in Poetry First Book Award competition. Macri's submission was selected as finalist from approximately 500 manuscripts. The Crab Orchard Series in Poetry is co-published by the Department of English and the Southern Illinois University Press at SIU-Carbondale.
July 2007
Assistant Registrar/VA Rep Brandi Coleman's son Blake Coleman and Patricia Krug will be getting married on August 4, 2007, in the Grand Hall of the Campus Center.
June 2007
Melissa Myers, Grants Officer for Pulaski Technical College, graduated from the Leadership Greater Little Rock Class 22, a year-long program of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Renee Jeffery, Assistant Director for the Pulaski Technical College Arkansas Culinary School, became certified as a ServSafe Alcohol instructor in early June through the National Restaurant Association, which allows her to teach ServSafe Alcohol classes and proctor exams.
Cathy Underwood, Paralegal Instructor, presented in June at the "Best of CLE" seminars hosted by the Arkansas Bar Association in both Little Rock and Fayetteville.
The Post-Secondary SkillsUSA Chapter at Saline County Career Center attended the national competition in Kansas City, Missouri in June. The "Opening and Closing Team" won a Bronze Medal for third Place. The "Outstanding Chapter" (Scrapbook) won a Gold Medal for first Place. Regina Woodard is the Chapter Advisor who devoted many hours of instruction and practice time in pursuit of this achievement.
May 2007
Cathy Underwood, Paralegal Instructor, has been appointed to the Editorial Board for Handbooks by President-Elect Richard L. Ramsay of Little Rock. The appointment becomes effective during the association's 2007 annual meeting in June. The Arkansas Bar Association is a voluntary, statewide Association with more than 5,000 attorney members.
Barbara Jones, Accounting Technician II, bowled 11 strikes in a row starting with the second frame on April 2, 2007. She bowled a 279. Her second game she bowled a 266. Barbara started bowling 14 years ago in Modesto California. She has bowled at Conway Family bowl in Conway for 8 years.
Glen Hooks, adjunct in Political Science, received a "Landmarks" grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, which will be use to do research in Boston this summer on President John Adams (http://www.bc.edu/sites/johnadams/). Hooks, also completed training to become a certified Master Naturalist (training provided by the Central Arkansas Master Naturalists (http://www.armasternaturalist.org)
Lisa Phwandaphwanda, TriO Scholars retention advisor, was elected May 4 as the Secretary for Arkansas Academic Advising Network (Arkaan) and will serve a two year term.
Julie Locke, psychology instructor, graduated from the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy part-time Deputy Course on April 26, 2007. Locke was sworn in for the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office on April 30. She has volunteered to serve on the Pulaski County Sheriff's Hostage Negotiation Team. She has also become a Certified Forensic Addictions Examiner.
April 2007
Beata Lovelace, Computer Information Systems instructor, will perform regularly on the Arkansas Queen river boat with the gospel group Vickie Woodward's Melodious Praise. The group's engagements will take place on the first and second Tuesday of every month, May through December, at 6:30 p.m. The group's Web site is here.
Mirah Terrell, who teaches 2-year-olds at Children First, has received her Child Development Associate from the Council for Professional Recognition.
Austin Lovenstein, a math instructor, has received a $500 landscaping grant from the Southeastern Palm Society for planting palm trees on campus. Different cold hardy palms will be planted in front of the Campus Center in late May.
Scottie Burchett, a cosmetology instructor at Pulaski Technical College's Saline County Career Center, has been appointed to the State Board of Cosmetology by Gov. Mike Beebe. She will serve as the representative for state-supported schools. Her term expires Jan. 15, 2012.
Lekita Pounds, a respiratory therapy Clinical Specialist at Pulaski Technical College, passed her National Board for Respiratory Care exams for Registered Respiratory Therapist. Lekita passed both the written registry exam and the clinical simulation exam on her first attempts.
Allison Shaskan, Assistant Director of the PTC Arkansas Culinary School, received certification as a chef from the American Culinary Federation: Certified Secondary Culinary Educator.
Antoinette Brim, (Instructor of English and African American Studies/Division of Fine Arts and Humanities) was awarded an Archie D. and Bertha H. Walker Foundation scholarship to attend the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts for a week this summer.
Ray Hoover, received an Honorary Lifetime Member Award from Arkansas Skills USA. It is the highest award given to an individual by Arkansas Skills USA.
Sandy Longhorn was a featured author at the recent Arkansas Literary Festival, held April 20 - 22, 2007 in the Little Rock River Market District. Longhorn attended the Martini Party with the Authors at the Junior League of Little Rock on Friday night, where she signed copies of her book, Blood Almanac. On Saturday, she read from her work on the panel, "Arkansas Poetry to the Third Power," along with poets Ralph Burns and Patricia Spears Jones.
Deborah Huber, instructor in the Medical Transcription Program, became a grandmother again on Saturday! Bailey Grace Urie was born May 5, and weighed in at 6 lbs. 4 oz. Says proud grandmother, "She is beautiful!"
David Durr contributed documentation concerning Active Directory user authentication to the JA-Sig Central Authentication Service project. CAS is an open source software application that provides single sign-on authentication for web-based applications. The project is sponsored by Yale University. The documentation has been published on the JA-Sig wiki and will be included as part of the user's manual for future distributions of CAS.
March 2007
George Balogh, Ph.D., adjunct history instructor at Pulaski Technical College, has written an article for the Encyclopedia of Arkansas entitled, Timber Industry, which can be accessed at here.
Wade Derden, history instructor, has been accepted into the Public Policy program at the University of Arkansas. He'll begin classes in the fall semester toward a Ph.D. in Public Policy with a specialization in Education.
Caroline Elmore, IT adjunct instructor, was a judge in Alltel's annual Words of Wisdom Scholarship essay contest. Students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) were asked to write a 600 to 800-word essay about the following topic, "Fifty years ago, the Little Rock Nine personified courage and spirit. Today, how will you?" Winners were invited to the Words of Wisdom scholarship reception featuring Dr. Terrence Roberts, one of the Little Rock Nine, and the luncheon with Dr. Maya Angelou. Student winners will also receive a $5,000 scholarship to a participating HBCU institution of their choice. The scholarship program is held each year in celebration of Black History Month.
Mike McMillan, instructor of computer information systems, has published a new book, "Data Structures and Algorithms Using C#", by Cambridge University Press. Link to the Web site here.
Cathy Underwood, instructor of Paralegal Technology, has been asked again to make a VersusLaw presentation at the Arkansas Bar Association Annual Meeting in Hot Springs in June.
Angie Macri and Wade Derden were married March 31. Friends and family attended the ceremony at Buffalo Point in Buffalo River National Park. Angie is chair of the English Department and Wade teaches history.
Joey Bowman, an instructor of automotive brake systems at the Saline County Career Center, and his wife Angie, had a son. Michael James Bowman was born April 2, at 12:13 p.m. He weighed 9 lbs 8 oz, and was 21 1/2 inches long.
Rebecca Nelson, an instructor of microbiology, was a speaker at the 5th Annual Respiratory Therapy Spring Seminar, held March 23 in the Pulaski Tech's Grand Hall. Her topic was Infection Control. Lennon Parker, Webmaster, spoke on Internet Security for the Patient and Practitioner at the seminar.
Caroline Elmore, an IT adjunct instructor, was a judge in Alltel's annual Words of Wisdom Scholarship essay contest. Students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) were asked to write a 600 to 800-word essay on the following topic: "Fifty years ago, the Little Rock Nine personified courage and spirit. Today, how will you?" Winners were invited to the Words of Wisdom scholarship reception featuring Dr. Terrence Roberts, one of the Little Rock Nine, and a luncheon with Dr. Maya Angelou. Student winners will also receive a $5,000 scholarship to a participating HBCU institution of their choice. The scholarship program is held each year in celebration of Black History Month.
Science instructor Herbert Matthews graduated to his 2nd degree black belt in the Korean martial art Taekwondo.
Sandy Longhorn served as a panelist at the annual conference of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs on March 3, 2007, in Atlanta. The panel was "Southern Lights: Community College Instructor-Writers and Experiments in Poetry and Prose." The 2007 Conference and Bookfair brought together more than 5,200 students, writers, educators, publishers, agents, and editors under one roof, making AWP's Conference one of the largest annual literary gatherings in North America.
February 2007
Gary Winkler, adjunct instructor for the business division, has just completed and had his second book published. The book is entitled Bible Basics and can be found at lulu.com.
Rosie Muldrew, employment specialist for Career Pathways, has been accepted into the 2007-2008 edition of Madison Who's Who of professionals for her exemplary achievement and distinguished contributions to the business community.
Lennon Parker, Web communication specialist, presented a session on Internet and cyber safety in the R.J. Wills Lecture Hall on Feb. 2. Topics discussed included safeguarding personal information when using e-mail, chat rooms and instant messaging, online journals and blogging, MySpace and shopping online.
January 2007
Members of the Student Government Association made a second volunteer trip to New Orleans, Louisiana on January 3-6, 2007 volunteered through the Louisiana United Methodist Storm Recovery Center in New Orleans. The group included Summer Brown, director of student life and leadership, and Pulaski Tech students Cheniqua Reynolds, William Clay, Tracy Fox, and Justin Lieber.
Juanita Williams, Director of Children First, has been appointed to serve on the Child Care Review Panel for a second term. The panel meets monthly to hear appeal requests from child care centers. She also has been asked to serve on the Foster Parent Advisory Committee as an ad hoc representative. This committee meets quarterly and offers input on pending legislation as well as relays concerns between foster parents to the DCFS director and other central office staff.
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