Author: Donnie Sewell

Rising sophomores throughout Arkansas are invited to apply for Summer At ASMSA, a weeklong free residential summer camp at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts in downtown Hot Springs.

Summer At ASMSA participants will spend a week exploring a variety of exciting and fun topics. Campers will participate in hands-on session during the day, enjoy a variety of fun activities in the evenings and live in the Student Center during the week.

Summer At ASMSA will be held Sunday, June 11, through Saturday, June 17, 2023. Each of the camps is free with no costs for tuition, meals or housing. Campers are selected through a competitive application process. Priority application deadline is April 10, 2023.

Upon arriving at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts as a sophomore, Rose Brown began seeking for ways to get more involved in the world of science. This year, the senior from Donaldson found a special opportunity to do so.

Brown is participating in the Our Future is Science Scholar Program. Our Future Is Science is a joint program between the Aspen Institute and Coda Societies that aims to position societally-minded youth as leaders and innovators who will push science forward in the 21^st century.

The Scholar Program brings together teens from across the country through a series of talks and interactions with diverse experts in science, social justice and career development. The goal is to introduce the Scholars to new perspectives and ideas about STEAM disciplines and their interactions with social justice.

Twenty-one students at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts received honors at the Region 2 All-Region Band auditions held Jan. 21 at Lake Hamilton High School in Pearcy.

The students who earned recognition include:

• Eliana Adamos, a senior from Harrison, 1st Band, 5th Chair, Flute;
• Grace Adams, a junior from Lamar, 2nd Band, 11th Chair, Flute;
• Shea Stabila, a junior from Pangburn, 1st Band, 6th Chair, Flute;
• Zephyr Smith, a senior from Hot Springs, 1st Band, 2nd Chair, Flute;
• Haley Tripp, a senior from Nashville, 1st Band, 3rd Chair, Flute;
• Chilong Vang, a senior from Lincoln, 1st Band, 15th Chair, Clarinet;
• Emily Xiong, a junior from White Hall, 2nd Band, 7th Chair, Clarinet;
• Kenlee Motley, a senior from Hot Springs, 1st Band, 2nd Chair, Bassoon;
• Dem Dixon, a senior from Hot Springs, 2nd Band, 1st Chair, Alto Saxophone;
• Carter Horton, a junior from Conway, 2nd Band, 3rd Chair, Alto Saxophone;
• Kacie Koen, a senior from Benton, 1st Band, 3rd Chair, Tenor Saxophone;
• Quade Martin, a junior from Vilonia, 2nd Band, 1st Chair, Baritone Saxophone;
• Alex Back, a junior from Benton, 1st Band, 7th Chair, Horn in F;
• Courtland Callis, a senior from Alexander, 1st Band, 3rd Chair, Horn in F;
• Gwen Oliver, a junior from Jonesboro, 1st Band, 8th Chair, Horn in F;
• Quinn Corp, a junior from Charelston, 2nd Band, 1st Chair, Trombone;
• Chelsea Nwankwo, a senior from Alexander, 2nd Band, 6th Chair, Tuba;
• Landon Samples, a junior from White Hall, 1st Band, 5th Chair, Tuba;
• Drew Johnson, a senior from Crossett, 2nd Band, 2nd Chair, Percussion;
• Trent "Ivy" Monroe, a junior from Conway, 2nd Band, 6th Chair, Percussion; and
• Elizabeth Show, a junior from Bismarck, 2nd Band, 10th Chair, Percussion.

Giving back to his community through service is nothing new for Matt Brown, a member of the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts Class of 2000.

As an attorney, Brown has served as coach for Conway High School’s mock trial team and worked with youth in the Faulkner County Teen Court. He was a member of the Conway Planning Commission, helping guide the city’s growth. He’s also served as a Justice of the Peace on the Faulkner County Quorum Court.

Recently he added the title of state representative to his list of accomplishments, becoming a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives, representing District 55, which includes a large portion of Conway. He was officially sworn in during a ceremony on Jan. 9.

Four Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts seniors were among 84 students statewide named candidates for the 2023 United States Presidential Scholars program, considered one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students.

The U.S. Presidential Scholars program was established in 1964 by executive order of the president to recognize and honor some of the nation’s most distinguished graduation high school seniors.

The 2023 candidates for U.S. Presidential Scholar from ASMSA are:

• Robert Boerwinkle of El Dorado;
• Lydia Krebs of Maumelle;
• Ari Pennington of Hot Springs; and
• Shreyam Tripathi of Conway.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts received a $10,000 grant from the Mathematical Association of America Neff Outreach Fund to establish a Math Olympiad program for Arkansas middle-schoolers.

The Mathematical Association of America is the world’s largest community of mathematicians, students and enthusiasts whose mission is to advance the understanding of mathematics and its impact on our world.

The Neff Outreach Fund was established in the summer of 2022 by the MAA and the John and Mary Neff Foundation. The Neff Foundation has provided funding to support projects designed to encourage middle school students to study and persist in their interest in mathematics. The Neff Outreach Fund helps MAA to offer a pilot outreach program that serves middle school students in rural and indigenous communities.

The grant will allow ASMSA’s Outreach Department to create a Math Olympiad program which will introduce, teach and foster important mathematical concepts and strategies for flexible problem solving, intuition, creativity and ingenuity for all participants.

Six middle schools from around the state are set to compete at the first Math Olympiad in April, said Amy Brown-Westmoreland, outreach coordinator for ASMSA.

The program’s tournament will provide an opportunity for students to participate in a professionally run competition and to network with other students from across the state. Through the program, teachers across the state will have access to professional development opportunities while serving as sponsors of the teams.

ASMSA was one of five institutions nationwide to receive a Neff Outreach Fund grant this year.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts robotics team earned recognition in two recent competitions.

The team won three first-place honors and finished third overall at a local tournament held Nov. 5 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Team members won first-place awards for notebook, marketing and robot performance. Their third-place overall finish qualified them to move on to the regional tournament.

The BEST of Texas Regional Competition was held Dec. 3 in Frisco, Texas. The team won second place for the Most Robust Robot.Team members included Elijah Goodrich, Evan Quirk, Parker Hance, Trinity Kyles, Robert Boerwinkle (captain), Nasya Choy, Buddha Moore (captain), Charlotte Boehme (captain), Vicky Zhu, Gavin Chen, and Melike Senlikci, all contributed. The team is sponsored by computer science instructor Nicholas Seward.

The traditional narrative that many students hear early in their educational years is do well in school now so that you can get into a good college with a scholarship later.

Perhaps at one time that was all it. While good grades and strong ACT/SAT scores are still essential, they aren’t enough. Many highly-selective colleges and universities are seeking well-rounded students who also volunteer in the community, seek out internships and research opportunities, and are involved in school and extracurricular activities that also include state and national recognition.

Finding research or internship opportunities on their own can be a challenge for many students. Having connections to the correct resources or someone else who does is not always a possibility. Even knowing where to begin such a search can be hard for most students.

Fourteen faculty members at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts have earned promotions through the school’s new Faculty Advancement Plan.

The Faculty Advancement Plan is designed to empower faculty members to reach their full potential through goal-setting and recognition of excellence. In addition to developing depth within their content area, the plan emphasizes breadth and balance across three domains — academic, service and professional achievements. It provides a financial benefit for those who complete the process.

The plan establishes three faculty ranks — Instructor, Instructor of Distinction and Instructor of Excellence. Instructor is the entry-level rank for all new full-time faculty members. Instructors may apply for either of the higher ranks by attaining points based on a rubric that takes into account the faculty members’ campus involvement and accomplishments both within and outside of the classroom.

Faculty base salary is determined by the level of degree they hold upon being hired — $47,000 for a bachelor’s degree, $53,000 for a master’s degree and $60,000 for a doctoral degree.

By earning higher ranks, educators may increase their base pay by as much as $10,000. Faculty members who attain the Instructor of Distinction designation have an additional $5,000 added to their base salary. Those who earn the Instructor of Excellence rank receive an additional $5,000. An educator may forgo the Instructor of Distinction rank and apply directly for Instructor of Excellence, which requires additional points in the rubric, and earn a $10,000 increase in their base salary.

As many schools districts struggle with teacher shortages, the Faculty Advancement Plan is a proactive approach to ensure ASMSA’s faculty compensation remains competitive on the state and national level.

“ASMSA is fortunate to have exceptional faculty who build and sustain their careers as part of our community of learning,” said ASMSA Director Corey Alderdice. “While the school does not face the same recruitment and retention challenges of many public school districts, we want to ensure our educators are recognized for their commitment to ASMSA’s special mission both in their service and salary.”

Discussions on the development of a Faculty Advancement Plan began about three years ago. ASMSA’s enabling legislation previously stated that teachers could not hold tenure nor rank. Act 354 of 2021 of the Arkansas General Assembly struck the language about rank. The ASMSA Governing Council subsequently began work on developing a draft plan for the program. Through the work of a select committee, the plan was completed, submitted to the University of Arkansas System for direction and comment, and later approved by the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees at its May 2022 meeting.

Faculty members were able to submit an application for consideration for the first time this fall. Application deadlines were September 1, and each one was considered by the Faculty Advancement Committee.

The committee approved promotions for 14 faculty members to be considered for the rank of Instructor of Excellence. Those promotions were approved by the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees at its November meeting.

Faculty members who were granted the rank of Instructor of Excellence, their highest degree, and their department included:

• Carl Frank, Master of Science, Mathematics and Computer Science;
• Caleb Grisham, Master of Science, Mathematics and Computer Science;
• Whitney Holden, Ph.D., Science;
• Bryan Ieamsang, Master of Arts, Arts and Humanities;
• James Katowich, Master of Fine Arts, Arts and Humanities;
• Dan Kostopulos, Ph.D., Arts and Humanities;
• Patrycja Krakowiak, Ph.D., Science;
• Walt Levisee, Master of Science, Mathematics and Computer Science;
• Ron Luckow, Master of Arts, Arts and Humanities;
• Nicholas Seward, Master of Science, Mathematics and Computer Science;
• Shane Thompson, Master of Science, Science;
• Jack Waddell, Ph.D., Science;
• Lindsey Waddell, Ph.D., Science; and
• Brad Wreyford, Master of Fine Arts, Arts and Humanities.

“To earn the Instructor of Excellence rank through our Faculty Advancement Plan, faculty members must demonstrate excellence in three domains: academic instruction, service, and professional development,” said Stuart Flynn, dean of academic affairs at ASMSA. “The application process is rigorous and requires applicants to review thoroughly their teaching practices and to think deeply about the arc of their careers.

“As the Faculty Advancement Committee reviewed applications, we were impressed by the quality of work demonstrated by these instructors and the commitment they showed not only to their individual students but also to the larger ASMSA community. I am proud to work alongside such accomplished and dedicated teachers, and I congratulate all of them on this significant achievement.”

The ranks will officially go into effect on January 1, 2023.

Six Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts students had original pieces of artwork accepted into the Fourth Annual Arkansas High School Art Exhibition sponsored by Historic Cane Hill and the University of Arkansas School of Art.

Artwork by senior Lilia Adams of Paragould, junior Yared Belete of Marion, junior Evelyn Gratton of Omaha, senior Teddy Graves of Huttig, junior Natyleigh Jenkins of Benton and junior Gwen Oliver of Jonesboro were selected for the exhibition. The artwork will be on display at the Cane Hill Gallery through Jan. 216, 2023. The gallery is located at 14627 Hwy. 45 in Canehill in Northwest Arkansas.