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Graduate School News Archive

Lincoln Captures Steeplechase Gold; Makes Olympic Team
-- Posted by tfisher on Tuesday, July 20 2004

Late last week, former Razorback Daniel Lincoln became the first athlete with Arkansas affiliations to make the United States Olympic Team when he claimed first place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Lincoln graduated from the University of Arkansas with top honors in 2002 with a degree in chemistry and biochemistry and is currently a graduate student in the UA department of chemistry and biochemistry.

Lincoln dominated the field with a career-best and Olympic Trials record time of 8:15.02. His previous best of 8:17.93 was recorded in June in Ostrava, Czech Republic and easily surpassed the Olympic "A" standard of 8:24.60.

"With me being so young and inexperienced is a credit to (UA) Coach (John) McDonnell for getting me ready and calming me down," Lincoln said. "He made sure I stuck to the business on the track. I changed up my plan a little bit since the pace was so fast. I waited until about 600 to go to take the lead. Tonight was about making the team. Coach told me before hand, to treat it like a heat to make it to the Olympics Games. The top three was the most important tonight."

"He ran a real smart race," Arkansas head coach McDonnell said. "He was always in the top two or three and never got farther back than three. We had several different plans and he executed the right one in the end. To compete in the Olympics he'll have to go up against some tough guys, but I wouldn't put it past him (to make the finals). He's a young guy and he has a good shot."

The four-time NCAA champion made UA history in the progress and became the first American to make an Olympic team in the steeplechase. The only other Arkansas athlete to go to the Games in the event was Espen Borge when he represented Norway in 1988.

UA Graduate's Poetry Featured on NPR
-- Posted by tfisher on Tuesday, July 20 2004

William Notter, who graduated from the University of Arkansas Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing in 2002, was featured on NPR's Writer's Almanac, July 13.

His poem "High Plains Farming" can be heard and read online at http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/docs/2004/07/12/#tuesday.

The poem is from "More Space Than Anyone Can Stand," published by Texas Review Press. Notter currently teaches at the University of Nevada at Reno

Adequacy, not Equity, may be the Biggest Education Funding Challenge
-- Posted by tfisher on Friday, July 16 2004

Today, even when adjusting for inter-state differences in cost of living, Arkansas spends less on education than almost any other state, ranking 44 out of 51 states in 2000-2001.

With the state of Arkansas in a quandary over the funding of its K-12 education system, University of Arkansas researchers looked to state statistics on equity and adequacy from across the nation to show how Arkansas stacks up. They found that the state is relatively equitable but spends fewer dollars per pupil in all of its districts than the national average in the districts across the state.

"We are relatively equitable in our spending," said Gary Ritter, associate professor of education and public policy. "Our larger issue would be the adequacy of that spending."

Ritter and his colleague, graduate research assistant Joshua Barnett, looked at statistics from all 50 states over the past 13 years. They used data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics on spending per pupil in each state and outcomes on a standardized test administered to a representative sample of fourth and eighth grade students in each of the 50 states. To measure equity, the researchers also examined measures how levels of school spending vary between school districts within the same state.

On the topic of spending adequacy, they found that since 1960, Arkansas has spent less per pupil than most other states. Educational spending per pupil in Arkansas has remained about 20 percent behind the national expenditures, but Arkansas spending also has lagged behind the expenditures in neighboring states. Also, Arkansas students taking the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests did not perform as well as their national peers in mathematics and reading. This relatively poor performance does not speak well for the adequacy of the system overall.

However, when it comes to equitable spending by school districts within the same state, Arkansas ranks among the 20 most equitable states in the nation, based upon variations between the highest- and lowest-funded school districts and other measures.

To read more, visit the University Relations news release Web site at http://advancement.uark.edu/news/.

Former Editorial Cartoonist a National Finalist for 2003 Mark of Excellence Award
-- Posted by tfisher on Tuesday, July 13 2004

The Society of Professional Journalists has chosen Dusty Higgins as a national finalist for the 2003 Mark of Excellence Awards. Higgins, a graduate student in the Fulbright College department of journalism, is a former editorial cartoonist for the Arkansas Traveler.

The more than 3,200 entries in the contest represent the work of top student journalists from across the country. Higgins, already recognized as a regional award winner, is one of three national finalists in the editorial cartooning category, which includes students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of California-Berkeley. He will travel to the national SPJ convention this September in New York City. Winners will be announced and all finalists will be recognized at the Mark of Excellence luncheon on Saturday, Sept. 11. To view a complete list of finalists in all categories, from print to radio, television and online reporting, go to http://www.spj.org/news_list.asp

The Arkansas Poll - Call for Questions, 2004
-- Posted by tfisher on Tuesday, July 13 2004

A central thrust of any educational institution, particularly a research university with a land-grant mission, is to contribute to the flow of information among citizens, lawmakers, and journalists. The Arkansas Poll - conducted each fall - serves this function. By collecting, analyzing, and disseminating accurate, impartial, and timely public opinion data about politics and policy - particularly about Arkansas and the American South - The Arkansas Poll simultaneously serves the teaching, research, and service components of the University's mission.

Many departments at the University of Arkansas are involved in important projects with public policy applications. Scholars from all disciplines - potential "collaborative partners" - are thus invited to propose policy-related questions for inclusion on the Arkansas Poll. Proposals from any member of the faculty are encouraged and will be evaluated by the Director and the polling group according to the following criteria:

a) the research project seems likely to result in a publishable product that brings credit to the proposing researcher, to the Arkansas Poll, and to the University of Arkansas

b) the research project will advance the research agenda of a tenure-track scholar, or someone otherwise trying to "get established"

c) the research project facilitates the Arkansas Poll's dual mission of service and research

d) the research project is appropriate to the space available on the poll

Proposals should be submitted by August 9. They should be no more than three pages in length, and should address the general objectives and significance of the research project. Proposing scholars should include drafted questions.

In accepting space on the Arkansas Poll, collaborative partners are agreeing to credit the Arkansas Poll and the Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society (which supports the Poll) in all subsequent analysis, presentation, etc. and to forward copies of all scholarly publications (including conference papers) to the Poll Director. Collaborative partners are encouraged to consider poll space an "in-kind" grant worth approximately $400 per question.

Inquiries - general and specific - should be addressed to Janine A. Parry, Arkansas Poll director, department of political science, 428 Old Main, parry@uark.edu, 575-6439.

UA Animal Scientist Receives Alltech Medal
-- Posted by tfisher on Tuesday, July 13 2004

Dr. Charles Maxwell, professor of swine nutrition in the University of Arkansas department of animal Science, was presented the prestigious 2004 Alltech Medal of Excellence before an audience of 1,300 delegates to the recent 20th International Feed Industry Symposium in Lexington, Ky.
The award is presented annually to recognize an outstanding contribution to nutritional strategies for animal health and performance.

Maxwell gave the keynote presentation on his research in nutrition strategies and other factors that affect the overall health of nursery pigs.

Research by Maxwell and doctoral graduate student Ellen Davis documented biological mechanisms that impact the immune system associated with the use of Bio-MosŪ, which is a yeast product produced by Alltech. They found that Bio-MosŪ helps protect nursery pigs from microorganisms in the environment.

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