Monticello Live

Finding better methods of carbon management and optimal use of forest biomass are the subjects of four research projects currently being conducted by scientists in the University of Arkansas at Monticello’s School of Forest Resources.

The projects include a study of agroforest systems for bioenergy crop production by Hal Liechty, Matthew Pelkki and Donald White; a comparison of feedstocks grown with and without fertilization by Jamie Schuler; the characterization of in-forest woody biomass by Pelkki; and an evaluation of carbon market financial returns by Pelkki and Schuler.

All four projects were recently recognized by the Southern Forest Research Partnership’s “Forestry Research In The South” newsletter. (more…)

When I was growing up my grandmother was a master at having an old adage appropriate for any occasion. Most have proven to be true. Two of my favorites are “What goes around comes around” and “History repeats itself”. Both apply to this week’s story.

Last Friday evening at the Trotter House, the UAM Agriculture Department held a “tomato dinner” to promote their project involving “Heirloom tomato” varieties. It was a huge success and reminded me of a series of articles I wrote a few years ago about the evolution of the tomato industry in Drew County.

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The University of Arkansas at Monticello awarded degrees to the following students at May commencement exercises: (more…)

Officials at the University of Arkansas at Monticello are hoping a grant from Connect Arkansas will help lift the state from its current rank of 49th in the deployment and accessibility of broadband high-speed internet. Scott Kuttenkuler, dean of students, and Bobby Hoyle, director of information technology at UAM, began work on a grant proposal a year ago focused on increasing awareness of the importance of high-speed internet. The original proposal was confined to southeast Arkansas, but after submission to Connect Arkansas, was expanded to include 57 of the state’s 75 counties. (more…)

The School of Education at the University of Arkansas at Monticello will host its third annual “Read-Write-Paint A Lot Summer Day Camp” for third and fourth graders August 4-5.

The two one-day camps are being conducted in partnership with the Monticello and Drew Central School Districts. The camp for third graders is scheduled for August 4 while fourth graders will meet August 5. Both sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m . in the Drew Central High School art room.

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Members of the UAM School of Nursing’s 2011 graduating class were honored at a pinning and capping ceremony last week at the Fine Arts Center. (more…)

UAM Graduation, Welcoming Announcements are being uploaded, now.

Please check back later.

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Ten welding students at the UAM College of Technology-McGehee were recognized by Governor Mike Beebe recently for completing the Arkansas Career Readiness Certificate (CRC) program, which prepares students for employment. The CRC is a credential sponsored by the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services and is promoted by Governor Beebe for individuals in the state seeking employment. The CRC credential is based on demonstrated skills in mathematics, reading, and locating information that demonstrates to potential employers that the recipient possesses the basic workplace skills required for employment.

The 10 students earning the credential are seeking either technical certificates or associate degrees in applied science with an emphasis in welding. The students earned the credential through the UAM-CTM Arkansas Career Pathways Initiative, which invested a portion of grant funding into the welding program in 2010-11.

Pictured from left (front row) Bob Ware, UAM-CTM vice chancellor; Adagio Cheeter, Datron Esters, Derrick Devine, Dr. Karon Rose, Arkansas Career Pathways Initiative director; LaWarn Rodgers, director of the UAM-CTM Career Pathways Initiative and a commissioner of the Department of Workforce Services; Governor Mike Beebe, Martha Barrett, UAM CPI counselor, Sharmar Jackson, Javion McGehee, Bryant Spratt, Sharon Cantrell, UAM-CTM assistant vice chancellor; (second row) Brandon Boykin, Nickolas Cole, Brian Hensley, Eric Jefferson, UAM-CTM welding instructor; Terrance Johnson, and Duan Taylor. (Not pictured: Nicholas Bailey, Octavious Brown, and Damion Brown.)

First-time freshmen with ACT scores between 16 and 18 in mathematics or an English score below 19 could save an entire semester’s tuition by participating in the Summer Incentive Program at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

Incoming freshmen with qualifying ACT scores must enroll in Intermediate Algebra (MATH 183) or Fundamentals of English (ENGL 133) during one of two summer terms. Students who make a grade of “C” or better in those classes and complete 12 credit hours with a 2.0 grade point average in the 2011 fall semester will receive a tuition credit (less mandatory fees) for the 2012 spring term. Students must attend UAM in the 2012 spring semester for the award to apply.

Class space in the math and English courses is limited. Students will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. Summer terms run from May 31 to June 27 and from July 5 to August 3. To enroll in MATH 183, contact Dr. Morris Bramlett, dean of the School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences at (870) 460-1016. To enroll in ENGL 133, contact Dr. Mark Spencer, dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at (870) 460-1078.

Members of The Voice staff are (from left, seated) Douglas Boultinghouse of Woodlawn, editor-in-chief and a senior journalism and speech double major; Brittany Gilliam Sears of Wilmar, co-editor of arts and entertainment and a senior speech communication major; (standing, from left) Susan Pruitt of Monticello, commentary editor and a senior English major; Joe Hayslip of Star City, staff writer and a junior art major; Dr. Ron Sitton, faculty advisor; and Shane Glass of Monticello, around campus editor and a senior English major.

The University of Arkansas at Monticello’s online campus newspaper, The Voice, brought home 11 awards from the 2011 Arkansas Collegiate Media Association conference held April 18 in Conway.

The 11 wins, a record for the UAM publication, included a series of firsts for the student staff. The Voice took first and second place in the Best Web Edition category, marking the first time the staff reached the top spot in its eight years of publishing. ACMA also awarded The Voice with the inaugural General Excellence Website award.

The day also marked the first time students competed and won in the individual general excellence divisions. Senior Around Campus Editor Shane Glass took the second place award in the Reporter of the Year category and senior Editor-in-Chief Douglas Boultinghouse received third place in the Editor of the Year category.

“I appreciate the recognition from ACMA,” Glass said. “I feel honored to be awarded as such and hope I continue to hone my skills as I progress.” (more…)

Forestry students from the University of Arkansas at Monticello edged Stephen F. Austin and the University of Georgia to win the 54th annual Association of Southern Forestry Clubs Conclave competition held in Athens, Georgia, March 17-19.

UAM foresters have now won the competition of technical and physical forestry skills 31 times, 22 more than their closest rival, Stephen F. Austin. UAM finished first in technical events and second in physical events to win the overall competition.

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The University of Arkansas at Monticello has earned Tree Campus USA recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation.

The designation was awarded based on UAM’s “dedication to campus forestry management and environmental stewardship,” according to John Rosenow, chief executive and founder of the Arbor Day Foundation.

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University of Arkansas Chancellor G. David Gearhart is proud to announce the names of the undergraduates who earned a place on the chancellor’s list for the fall 2010 semester. Students must earn a 4.0 grade point average in at least 12 hours of classes during a regular term to be named to the chancellor’s list.

Dean Michael Vayda of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences; Dean William Schwab of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences; Dean Dan Worrell of the Sam M. Walton College of Business; Dean Tom Smith of the College of Education and Health Professions; Dean Ashok Saxena of the College of Engineering; and Dean Jeff Shannon of the School of Architecture are pleased to recognize the undergraduate students on the dean’s list of their respective colleges and schools. Students on the dean’s list represent the top 10 percent of students in their college, enrolled in 12 or more hours during the semester. All students on the chancellor’s list are automatically on their college’s dean’s list as well.

Dean Cynthia Nance of the School of Law is proud to recognize the law students named to the Law School dean’s list. A law student must earn a 3.0 grade point average for the semester and be enrolled for a minimum of 12 credit hours to qualify for the Law School dean’s list.

Dean’s and Chancellor’s List:

Kelsy Bryant, Animal Science, Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, Freshman, Monticello

Commencement List:

Thomas Williams, Music, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, Bachelor of Arts, Monticello

Krystal Witcher, Nursing, College of Education and Health Professions, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Monticello

Story courtesy of MagnoliaReporter.com

Two people were injured Saturday afternoon when a small cannon exploded during the Southern Arkansas- Arkansas Monticello “Boomtown Classic” in El Dorado. (more…)

(left) Mike Abbiatti, ARE-ON executive director, and UAM Chancellor Jack Lassiter (right) flip a ceremonial switch to officially connect UAM to the ARE-ON network.

Shortly after 3 p.m. Tuesday, the University of Arkansas at Monticello became the second institution of higher education in Arkansas to officially join the Arkansas Research and Education Optical Network (ARE-ON).

In a lighting ceremony that brought southeast Arkansas business, civic and education leaders to the UAM Fine Arts Center, Chancellor Jack Lassiter and Mike Abbiatti, ARE-ON executive director, flipped a switch to signal the beginning of a new era in high-speed internet service. (more…)

A new era in high-speed internet service officially begins at the University of Arkansas at Monticello at 3 p.m. October 26.

That’s when UAM Chancellor Jack Lassiter and Mike Abbiatti, executive director of the Arkansas Research and Education Optical Network (ARE-ON) will officially open the new network at a lighting ceremony in the UAM Fine Arts Center. Lassiter and Abbiatti will be joined via internet by education leaders and ARE-ON officials from Memphis, Little Rock, Russellville, and Fayetteville to explain the implications and impact of the statewide fiber-optic network.

“This is a watershed moment for UAM and for education, not only in southeast Arkansas, but for the entire state,” said Lassiter. “The internet is our window on the world and this new network will make internet access easier, faster and more applicable to the educational needs of our region.” (more…)

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Pictured from left (first row) are Mary Whiting, Debbie Gasaway, Dr. Clay Brown, (second row) Lathan Hairston, Jay Hughes, and Scott Kuttenkuler.

The names and faces are the same, but the job titles and responsibilities have changed or expanded.

In a major administrative reorganization announced recently by University of Arkansas at Monticello Chancellor Jack Lassiter, Dr. Clay Brown, formerly vice chancellor for student affairs, has been named vice chancellor for advancement and university relations. Jay Hughes, formerly dean of students, will replace Brown as vice chancellor for student affairs. Scott Kuttenkuler, formerly director of advancement, will become dean of students and director of governmental relations. Director of Admissions Mary Whiting is now dean of enrollment management while Controller Debbie Gasaway and Business Manager Lathan Hairston have been named associate vice chancellors in the Office of Finance and Administration. (more…)

From MonticelloLive on Vimeo.

Allen Sharpe is the new men’s basketball coach at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Sharpe was introduced at press conferences in Monticello and Little Rock on Tuesday by UAM Athletics Director Chris Ratcliff. Sharpe is the 14th men’s basketball coach in school history and the son of former UAM Coach Gary Sharpe, who coached the Boll Weevils from 1985-91. (more…)

U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and U.S. Representatives Marion Berry, Vic Snyder, and Mike Ross have announced that the Senate and House have passed the Conference Report for the Fiscal Year 2010 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which contains funding for Arkansas priorities.

Among these priorities is $319,000 for the Center for Integrated Forest Management Strategies at the University of Arkansas in Monticello for forestry research and education activities.  (more…)

Monticello’s Hyatt Field and Cotton Boll Stadium are back in business, following repairs to the base of the stadium lighting fixtures.

Monticello School superintendent Bobby Harper told MonticelloLive that Hyatt Field’s poles have had the welding operation completed, and have been inspected by certified welding inspectors, and that the field is back in service.

Starko Inc. had been contracted to weld 4 inch by 12 inch gussett plates to the base of the 4 light poles at Hyatt Field, with 12 gussetts being attached to each pole.  That began Friday, and continued Saturday and Sunday, until the task was completed.

The next game to be played at Hyatt Field will be Friday night as the Billies take on Little Rock McClellan. (more…)

Drivers on the UAM campus will notice that some streets have been closed to traffic, as of Friday night.

The 2 sections of roadway adjoining the UAM stadium blocked off are; from the stop sign next to Royer Hall and the stadium, to the stop sign next to the agri dept; and from the stop sign by the old swimming pool to the stop sign between the administration building and the stadium.

Royer Hall, a residential dorm facility is also being closed down as a safety measure, as explained in a press release from UAM, posted below.

Access to the UAM campus must now be made from the HWY 425 entrance, in front of Drew Central.  (more…)

The University of Arkansas at Monticello will receive $2.514 million from the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act to fund energy-saving projects for the campus that could result in an annual savings of $300,000 on the university’s utility bills. (more…)

Gary Meggs (right), director of bands and head of the jazz program at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, recently performed with the Glenn Miller Orchestra at the Montreal World Jazz Festival.

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UAM alumni, fans, and supporters may disagree with the “stupider than an aardvark” analysis that “the Weevil” has been honored with, but still it is a good thing for UAMonticello to have their mascot featured on a national TV commercial campaign for KGB 542542, a text message based search engine that provides answers to its customers.

The commercial has been featured on ESPN and other networks, and features “the Weevil” with UAM’s permission.  It has also been approved by NCAA athletic licensing procedures.

UAM media relations director, Jim Brewer describes the commercial as, “a great way to give our university national exposure.”

If the “stupider than an aardvark” is offensive, at least we have the pleasure of seeing our local hero beat the stuffing out of the aardvark at the end of the spot.

Journalism students at the University of Arkansas at Monticello captured three individual awards and the university’s literary magazine was recognized for general excellence at the Arkansas College Media Association (ACMA) awards luncheon hosted recently on the UAM campus.

In the newspaper category, sophomore Douglas Boultinghouse of Rison took second in the state for newspaper review writing, junior Carrie Selby of Crossett took third in the state for personality profiles and senior Mike Thomas of Denton, Texas took third in the state for sports story writing.

In the literary magazine category, The Foliate Oak took second in the state in magazine general excellence.
Other colleges and universities represented at the convention were UA-Fayetteville, UA-Little Rock, Arkansas State, Arkansas Tech, Central Arkansas, Central Baptist, John Brown, Harding, Ouachita Baptist and Southern Arkansas. Additional winners can be found on the Arkansas College Media Association’s Facebook site.

Video 1–Dr. Lassiter’s opening remarks and introductions.

Video 2–U of A president, B. Alan Sugg.

Video 3–Presentation to B. Alan Sugg.

Video 4–Intro of Mike Akin, U of A board of trustees member.

Video 5–Comments from Mike Akin.

Video 6–Comment from Bennie Ryburn, UAM board of visitors.

Video 7–Composer Les Pack introduces commisioned piece for Centennial.

Video 8–Pack’s composition being played by UAM Symphonic Band.

Video 9–UAM Alumnus and Centennial Celebration committee member, Carrie Ashcraft.

Video 10–ROTC Color Gurar & Greg Pearson singing UAM’s Alma Mater.

Video 11–SGA president, Michael Thomas.

Video 12–Release of green and white balloons in honor of 100th birthday. (more…)

Voices from the past came to life in the rotunda of the State Capitol last week during a re-enactment of the signing of a piece of legislation that changed the face of higher education in Arkansas.

The event recreated the signing of Act 100 of the Arkansas General Assembly, also known as the Bellamy Act, which created four district agricultural schools. Those schools would eventually become the University of Arkansas at Monticello, Arkansas State University, Arkansas Tech University, and Southern Arkansas University. (more…)

 In 1909, Act 100 began the agricultural school system the later grew to form 4 universities: UAM, Arkansas Tech, SAU, and ASU.

Governor Mike Beebe spoke at the event and signed a replica of the original document.

UAM Chancellor Jack Lassiter was seen showing UAM’s replica document to Drew County Judge Damon Lampkin, Monticello Mayor Joe Rogers, MEDC Director Truman Hamilton, and Jeff Weaver, of Congressman Mike Ross’ office.

Dr. Lassiter spoke on behalf of UAM, and the re-inactment was presented by actors from the ASU theater dept., dressed in the attire of the 1909 area.

Contrary to the comments made by a legislator, back in 1909, the four agricultural schools did not “fight among themselves and cease to exist withing six years.” (more…)

Dr. Ron Sitton, assistant professor of journalism at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, has been appointed to the Education Committee of the Arkansas Press Association. (more…)

 Governor Mike Beebe released $2 million from the state’s General Improvement Fund Monday morning to help the University of Arkansas at Monticello construct a new wing to the school’s forest resources complex.
            The formal announcement was made at a ceremony in the John F. Gibson University Center. The $2 million released by Governor Beebe will be added to a $1.7 million appropriation made by the General Assembly during the 2007 legislative session and a $1 million private gift from Mrs. Maxine Clippert of Camden, bringing the total to $4.7 million.
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