Category: News

A team of students from the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts qualified for the Fifth Annual All-State Coding Competition.

The team of Tristan Goodell of Maumelle, Trey Clark of Harrison and Joshua Stallings of Little Rock will compete in the state coding competition that will be held May 1. They qualified for state in the All-Region Coding Competition that was held virtually Feb. 26.

More than 100 teams participated in the region event and were scored by the Arkansas Department of Education Office of Computer Science team using a common rubric and process. That process determined the top 16 teams to invite to the state-level event. The school that produced the first-place team at the state competition in 2020, the Don Tyson School of Innovation in Springdale, received an automatic invitation to send a team to the state competition.

Each member of the first-place team at the state competition will receive a $2,000 award that will be deposited into a 529 College Savings Plan. Each member of the second-place team will receive a $1,000 award deposited into a 529 College Savings Plan, with each member of the third-place team receiving a $500 award deposited into a 529 College Savings Plan. In addition, the schools that register/sponsor the teams placing first, second, and third will receive $10,000, $6,000, and $4,000, respectively, to support their computer science programs. The prizes and competition expenses are provided by a grant from Verizon to ARCodeKids.

“COVID changed almost everything, including this year’s regional coding competition, which was held virtually for the first time,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said according to a release from the Department of Education. “Regardless, competing off-site did not dampen the enthusiasm of the more than 100 teams that participated. All of these students are on a path to a bright future because of the work they have put into learning to code. Congratulations to the 17 teams that are advancing to the state competition in May.”

Three Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts students earned a trip to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in May at the West Central Regional Science Fair.

Aly Navarro, a senior from Hot Springs, won first place overall followed by Cameryn Berryhill, a junior from Evening Shade, in second place and Catherine Kwon, a senior from Little Rock, in third. Navarro’s project studied the source of unknown deposits found in the pipes of Libbey Fountain, one of the public jug fountains in Hot Springs National Park. Berryhill researched how a certain soil microbiome affected the growth of native and invasive plants. Kwon’s project researched whether there was a way to predict neonatal seizures. It is the second year in a row that Kwon qualified to compete in the ISEF competition.

On March 1, 1991, then-Gov. Bill Clinton signed House Bill 1387 of the 78^th Arkansas General Assembly into law as Act 305. Two days earlier, he had signed Senate Bill 236, enacting Act 259. Together, the two acts officially established the Arkansas School for Mathematics and Sciences.

Today, the school is known as the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts and is a campus of the University of Arkansas System. It has more than 2,600 alumni, the majority of whom reside in Arkansas. Within the past decade, the campus has celebrated the opening of two new buildings — the Student Center in 2012 and the Creativity and Innovation Complex in 2019. A full renovation of the Chapel and Convent structures is set to begin in summer 2021.

But 30 years ago, ASMSA was represented by words on paper and the drive by several passionate visionaries who thought such a school was an important step to better educate Arkansas students and better prepare the state for future economic growth.

Seventeen students at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts earned recognition at the 2021 Future Business Leaders of America District IV Spring Conference.

The competition and conference were held virtually on Feb. 15. The events were judged by using an objective subject test, a performance/presentation, or a combination of an objective test and a performance component.

Rep. Bruce Cozart has filed House Bill 1472 in the Arkansas General Assembly on behalf of ASMSA’s community of learning.  Sen. Alan Clark will serve as the primary sponsor in the Senate.  Co-sponsors include Sen. Greg Leding, Rep. Les Warren, and Rep. Richard McGrew. The bill accomplishes two goals that were discussed as part of ASMSA’s 2025 Strategic Plan.

First, the bill creates ex-officio seats on the ASMSA Board of Visitors for the following groups: the faculty and staff Governing Council; the Association for Alumni and Friends of ASMSA; and the ASMSA Foundation Fund Board of Ambassadors.  With existing seats for the Student Government Association, Parents Association, and partnering state agencies, the resulting change ensures that all campus affinity groups are engaged participants in the advisory and advocacy work of the Board of Visitors.

Second, the bill would enable ASMSA to implement a growth pathway for faculty that recognizes their excellence in teaching, mentoring student research, and service over time.  ASMSA’s enabling legislation currently notes that faculty shall not “hold rank.”  While not a formal system of tenure, which is also prohibited, this amendment will allow campus leadership, the Governing Council, and the University of Arkansas System to develop a framework for professional advancement that is consistent with our peer institutions.

As a program funded almost exclusively by state revenues, it is essential that students, parents, alumni, and friends of the school communicate with legislators and decision-makers on the critical role ASMSA plays not only in the lives of our students but also in the intellectual, economic, and social development of the state.  ASMSA is an investment in the future potential of Arkansas.  You can identify your local legislators and their contact information at the following link:

https://argis.ualr.edu/DistrictFinder/index.html

HB1472 is a commitment to shared governance and continued investment in the talented faculty who challenge and inspire ASMSA students on a daily basis.  Please do not hesitate to contact Director Corey Alderdice (alderdicec@asmsa.org) or Dr. Sara Brown (brownsa@asmsa.org) with any questions you might have about the legislation.

Several Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts students recently qualified for the Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association 2021 All-Region and All-State bands.

The Smithsonian Institution has awarded $500 to Mid-America Science Museum to support its work with a group of students from the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts (ASMSA). The participating students include: Cameryn Berryhill, a junior from Evening Shade; Chloe Kirk, a senior from Eureka Springs, Alyssandra Navarro, a senior from Hot Springs; Terrance Meinardus, a senior from Alma; and Claire Green, a junior from North Little Rock. The museum has been collaborating with Dr. Lindsey Waddell, a geoscience instructor at the School, for several months to develop a teen-designed and -led project addressing an environmental issue of concern to them.

Todd West of Fayetteville has been named the ASMSA Advocate of the Year by the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts and the ASMSA Foundation.

West is a member of the ASMSA Board of Visitors where he serves as vice chair. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, ASMSA transitioned to remote learning during the Spring 2020 semester, and students were required to attend their classes via the internet.

Five Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts students were named National Merit Finalists for the 2020-21 academic year by the National Merit Scholarship Corp.

The National Merit Scholarship Corp. recently announced the names of the Finalists for the 66th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The students who are all members of the Class of 2021 will have the opportunity to continue in the competition for 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth about $31 million that will be offered this spring.

The ASMSA seniors named Finalists are:

• Max Green of North Little Rock,
• Alex Guo of Jonesboro,
• Jacob Holmes of Rector,
• David Huang of Little Rock, and
• Catherine Kwon of Little Rock.

To be considered for the National Merit Scholarship Program, students take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as a junior. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of anticipated graduating seniors.

Students were required to fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist standing, including a detailed scholarship application that includes information about their academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.

Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The National Merit Scholarship Corp. is a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance. It was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Scholarships are underwritten by the corporation with its own funds and by approximately 400 business organizations and higher education institutions.

Erica Arivette knew from a young age that she wanted to serve as a mentor and guide for others. Her personal experience with her own mentors is what influenced her.

“I had amazing mentors and guides helping me as I was progressing through my high school career and seeking higher education,” Arivette said. “I wanted to be able to do that for future generations to hopefully make a difference in their lives.”