Higher education notebook

Sunday, July 27, 2014

UCA physics society gets outreach award

CONWAY -- The University of Central Arkansas Society of Physics Students chapter is one of three recipients of the 2014 Blake Lilly Award.

The other winners are similar chapters at Rhodes College in Memphis and the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio.

The Blake Lilly Award was established in 1996 to honor Blake Lilly, who died while attending graduate school at Georgia Tech. The award recognizes society chapters and individuals who work to develop and improve the attitudes of schoolchildren and the public about physics.

The 36-member UCA chapter's activities included participating in Bear Facts Days to introduce prospective students to the physics department and volunteering at the city of Conway's EcoFest.

Institute to attract community leaders

CONWAY -- The annual Community Development Institute scheduled for Aug. 4-8 at the University of Central Arkansas is expected to attract more than 100 community leaders.

The event at the Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center is aimed at elected and economic-development officials, nonprofit managers and local leaders from Arkansas and surrounding states. This year's event will also include an advanced class consisting of program graduates who will work on community development with Paris in Logan County.

"We have numerous new presenters that will bring great content to the institute," Amy Whitehead, the institute's director, said in a UCA news release. "Our partnership with Arkansas Economic Developers and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis has allowed us to open up the Institute to a broader audience for our keynote session."

Council taps UALR trainer as president

The Reading Recovery Council of North America recently announced a Reading Recovery trainer at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's Department of Teacher Education as its new president.

Janet Behrend will lead a membership association of more than 5,000 Reading Recovery educators and advocates who are dedicated to helping students who struggle with beginning reading and writing.

"In all my years as an educator, I have not come across one program that results in the kinds of changes Reading Recovery can make in the lives of children, teachers, and schools," Behrend said in a UALR news release.

Before joining the UALR faculty in 2002, Behrend worked for 23 years as a teacher, reading specialist and Reading Recovery teacher leader in the Kansas City, Mo., School District.

State Desk on 07/27/2014