NOTICE! Authority Minigrant Ends; STUART Grant Moves.

As of July 1, 2010, the Arkansas Science & Technology Authority will be ending two long-running grant programs. The first of the two is the STUART Grant Program. (more)

Varadan Talks Research, WiNS Technology and Passing the Torch to the Next Generation.

Should research be important in a state where rice is the top export?
 According to Dr. Vijay Varadan, head of the WiNS Center at U of A - Fayetteville, the answer is yes.During last week’s External Advisory Board Site Visit for Arkansas EPSCoR, Varadan sat down to talk about why research is so important to Arkansas’ future and to reflect on the accomplishments of his WiNS Center team, the first graduates of the Arkansas ASSET Initiative Grant.(more)

The Latest Newsletter Is Now Online!

Click here to read the Spring/Summer 2010 Edition of the Arkansas EPSCoR Newsletter!

EPSCoR’s EAT Conference Website

The Engaging America’s Talent Conference website has been updated. You can find pdf versions of speaker presentations by clicking the updated agenda here.

EPSCoR’s EAT Conference: Three Days of Brainstorming to Engage America’s Talent.

The Engaging America’s Talent Conference took place at the Peabody Hotel from March 22nd to the 24th.  During three days of intense discussion one theme emerged over and over from speakers and participants alike. If teachers want to get kids pumped up about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, they must throw out the traditional classroom model in favor of going high-tech, interactive, and literally “into the field.” (more)

From the Mohave Desert to the University of Texas, Arkansas EPSCoR’s EAT Conference Trailblazes Through Hi-Tech Interactive.

The goal of the Engaging America’s Talent Conference, hosted March 22nd through the 24th at Little Rock’s Peabody Hotel, was for participants to brainstorm on ways to engage America’s young people and get them excited about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The process can only be successful, however, when educators lead by example and attempt to reach kids where they live. In that spirit, during the conference, participants took part in a truly interactive experience, using cutting edge media applications that students use in daily life. (more)

Keynotes Talk the BEST Potential for Leveraging Home Grown Student Development and Drawing Talent From Other States.

During a break from the Engaging America’s Talent Conference at the Peabody Hotel, Keynote Speakers John Martini and George Blanks sat down to talk about preparing students for the future workforce of America.

Martini, who is the President of the Board of Directors for the BEST Robotics Program at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, sees a clear vision for his program in the state.  “What we’re really looking at is taking young middle school to high school students and developing them into the future workforce of America.” (more)

EAT Keynote Prepares Kids For 21st Century Careers

“Man, that guy’s on fire,” said one attendee watching from the back of the room as Dr. Robert Panoff stepped off the stage.

Panoff, whose infectious zeal made his presentation one of the highlights of last month’s Engaging America’s Talent Conference, is the President and Executive Director of Shodor Education Foundation, Inc. (more)

P3 Researcher’s Work Sprouts interest From the Economist.

Experiments by UALR P3 Center scientists Dr. Mariya Khodakovskaya has drawn the attention of The Economist, the authoritative weekly newspaper focusing on international politics and business news and opinion. In the Nov. 5 print and online edition of the prestigious British-based publication, a story in the Science and Technology section – “Seeding the Seeds” – describes Khodakovskaya’s cutting-edge research, a process that makes seedlings grow faster and larger. Dr. Khodakovskaya has multiple funding including  two EPSCoR ASSET Initiative Seed Grants for research involving  tomato metabolic pathways. To read the article, click here.

Communicating Science at the  2009 NSF EPSoR Annual Conference

In early October, over one hundred researchers and communications professionals from around the state convened at the Doubletree Hotel in Little Rock for a series of special workshops focused on “communicating science.”

 The workshop, being held in conjunction with the concurrent 2009 Arkansas NSF EPSCoR Annual Conference and the Arkansas Association of Public Universities (AAPU) Conference, was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of EPSCoR, the Office of Legislative and Public Affairs (OLPA) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).    (more)

College Students Declared Winners at Conference’s Yearly Poster Competition.

 During the second day of the 2009 NSF EPSoR Annual Conference, Arkansas college students convened at the Doubletree hotel to take part in the annual poster competition highlighting summaries of their work to be judged by science specialists from across the state. Later in the day, Governor Mike Beebe congratulated each of the winners, shaking hands with them on stage prior to his noon day address.

Winners from the WiNS center included undergraduates Alexandra Anghelescu, Andrew Shepherd and Andrew Hayes of UALR, and Lauren Kegley with the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville.

UALR Graduate student Rabindra Ghimire was awarded for his poster project for the WiNS Center, while fellow UALR graduate students Jing Zhang, and Karishka Silva were awarded for their P3 poster displays. (more)