Category: News

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts’ Research in the Park program won the National Consortium of Secondary Stem Schools Innovative Partnership of the Year Award.

The award celebrates unique student programs engaging students in STEM that are planned and executed by NCSSS institutional member schools. ASMSA was one of four finalists for the award, which was announced on Nov. 8 during at the organization’s Professional Conference in Seattle.

NCSSS was established in 1988 to provide a forum for specialized secondary schools focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics to exchange information and program ideas. It now includes more than 75 member schools, many “ranked” as the best in the country, along with several associate, affiliate and corporate members comprised of colleges, universities, summer programs, foundations and corporations.

Research in the Park began in 2014 with an agreement between ASMSA and Hot Springs National Park. The agreement provides students an easier path to receive permits to conduct research throughout the park. Park administrators have the opportunity to suggest projects that would be beneficial to the National Park Service. Students may suggest their own ideas for projects, and many projects are continued from year to year by a new class of students.

The agreement made doing research vital to the park much easier. In past years, students would have research ideas that involved the park. Without an agreement between the school and the Park Service, getting permits to conduct research in the park were hard to obtain.

Drs. Lindsey Waddell, a geoscience and chemistry instructor, and Dr. Jon Ruehle, a biology instructor, were the faculty members who started the program by approaching ASMSA’s administration and the Park Service with the idea. The initial program goal was to introduce juniors to research methods quickly enough that they could use their fall RIP projects in the spring science fair competition.

Ruehle said in notes for the NCSSS award that “RIP was founded on the principle that it is never too soon for students to begin serious research and that every student can do so when inspired and given the necessary support.”

Hot Springs National Park benefitted from the agreement as well, Ruehle said in a 2017 article in the school’s Tangents magazine. Many of the research projects provide the Park Service vital data it would not otherwise have the time or the financial resources to gather itself.

“Because our students go into a (research) project doing hard science, they follow the scientific method and get real data and measure it in a scientific way for the park. We’re not collecting weird, random things. (The students) can’t just muddle around in the park and have fun. They have to come up with something that brings something back to the park that may not have been there before,” Ruehle said in the article.

The program proved successful enough to use the model for other courses and eventually leading to a change in ASMSA’s capstone project model. In addition to RIP, the capstone program now includes research areas in mathematical modeling, physical sciences seminar, integrated computer science, entrepreneurship, life sciences, intro to engineering design, fine art and design, humanities as a discipline, music theory and creative writing.

RIP also earned national recognition within the National Park Service. ASMSA and the program were awarded the national George and Helen Hartzog Award for Outstanding Youth Volunteer Service Group in 2017. The award recognized the students’ efforts for fiscal year 2016 during with they totaled 1,133 hours of service time for Hot Springs National Park.

Waddell said the additional recognition for the program from NCSSS confirmed the value of the program.

“When Research in the Park received the Hartzog Award  in 2016, it became clear that the National Park Service found the service aspect of our program to be valuable,”  Waddell said. “To also be recognized as an Innovative Program among our peer STEM institutions is a tremendous honor.  When Research in the Park got off of the ground in 2014, the consensus was that we should take greater advantage of our school's location in the middle of Hot Springs National Park.  It is common to undervalue the resources in your own backyard, and it seemed like a missed opportunity to bring students to Hot Springs from across the state and have them graduate two years later without gaining any knowledge of the natural resources directly outside the school's doors.

“The questions that students choose to investigate for their research projects are sometimes inspired by their own personal interests, sometimes by the natural resource challenges of the national park, and, now that we have been operating the course for several years, more and more from the results of previous Research in the Park projects.  Receiving this award is a great morale-booster at a time when our junior Research in the Park class is undertaking the difficult work of honing their project proposals and beginning field work, right as the weather is turning colder.  It is a reminder of the great results that this program has produced for both our national park and our students over the years.”

To be recognized by NCSSS as a model for other institutions is recognition of the hard work by Waddell and Reuhle, said Corey Alderdice, director of ASMSA.

“Research in the Park is a defining example of ASMSA’s commitment to authentic student inquiry, service learning and community stewardship,” Alderdice said. “No other school like ASMSA has a natural resource and learning lab like Hot Springs National Park within walking distance of their campus.

“Drs. Waddell and Ruehle are to be congratulated for their leadership in developing the partnership, which serves as a model for how America’s national parks can engage and inspire the next generation of stewards who conserve our natural resources.”

In the prepared notes about the program for the NCSSS award, Ruehle said that the lack of a national park nearby doesn’t mean other schools can’t have success in following RIP’s model.

“Not every school has a national park, but every setting provides significant challenges, especially regarding the environmental, that can be broken into discrete questions suitable for student investigation,” he said.

Dr. Thomas Dempster, coordinator of music studies and director of bands at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, will be a featured performer at the Ninth Annual Electroacoustic Barn Dance on Nov. 14-16 at Jacksonville University.

The Electroacoustic Barn Dance is a three-day festival of electronic music and art that will be held at the Jacksonville, Fla.-based university. It is held in partnership with Jacksonville University’s Division of Music, Jacksonville Dance Theatre and Ronan School of Music. Dempster said it is one of the country’s biggest festivals of contemporary music that features electronic music, music technology and augmented performance practices as well as research into those areas.

Dempster will perform several works for bassoon and electronics on Nov. 15. Each will be a Florida premiere, and one is an American premiere. He is one of four featured performers. The others are a clarinetist, a flutist and a percussionist.

“All of the pieces require extended performance techniques on the bassoon — multiphonics, singing through the instrument, extremes of range, and other novel sounds,” Dempster said.

Dempster joined ASMSA’s faculty in the fall of 2018. He previously held teaching positions at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Claflin University, South Carolina State University and the Governor’s School of North Carolina.

He has performed at several festivals as well as with the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra, the Fayetteville (N.C.) Symphony Orchestra, the Danville Orchestra, the Greensboro Philharmonia, the Florence Symphony Orchestra and the Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra. He currently regularly performs with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.

As a composer, his works have been performed in 36 states and 15 foreign countries. His performances can be found and/or heard on Navona Records, MusicSpoke, Potenza Publishing and Quiet Design Records.

For more information on the Electroacoustic Barn Dance, visit eabarndance.com.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts’ Class of 2019 scored a composite 30.1 on the ACT as a class.

It was the third straight year that graduates averaged at least a 30 on the national college admissions exam. It was the sixth year in a row that students scored at least a 29 average on the ACT as a graduating class. The state composite average was 19.3.
Students applying to ASMSA must initially take the ACT as part of the admissions criteria. Students generally see an increase in their ACT scores during their time at ASMSA. The Class of 2019 had a composite 26.5 average upon entering ASMSA.

“We are proud of the Class of 2019 for their commitment to success on the ACT and their growth on the exam during their time at ASMSA,” ASMSA Director Corey Alderdice said. “While the ACT is only a snapshot of students’ critical thinking and quantitative abilities, we recognize the role the exam plays in positioning students for college admission and scholarship programs and champion student efforts to improve scores in order to unlock opportunities.”

The ACT is scored on a scale of 1 to 36, with 36 being the highest possible score. Students also receive scores in four individual testing areas, which are combined for the composite score. The individual testing areas are English, mathematics, reading and science.

The students scored well on average on each individual testing area. The average scores on each subject were:

• English: 32.6;
• Mathematics: 28.9;
• Reading: 31.8;
• Science: 29.8.

Stuart Flynn, dean of academic affairs at ASMSA, attributed a significant portion of the students’ success on the test to the students’ hometown school districts throughout Arkansas.

“The scores are an indicator that schools around the state are preparing students to be successful as they progress through their school careers. The advanced coursework that students experience at ASMSA creates learners who are able to handle any kind of assessment,” Flynn said.

Alderdice said that ASMSA strives to be viewed as an extension of every school in the state. He said such scores are only possible with the combined preparation students received from their home institutions and continued study at ASMSA.All ASMSA classes are taught on the college level, and the school offers approximately 60 classes that allow students to earn college credit via a partnership with the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. Recent cohorts of graduates have completed an average of 50 hours of college credit through the ASMSA experience.While the ACT is designed to measure how prepared academically students are for the first year of college, it does not reflect ASMSA’s efforts to create confident learners who are able to handle college life and beyond.

“ASMSA is a college-bridge environment — it combines the academic rigor, research experience and opportunities to study abroad of college with the supervision, safety, support systems and structure of high school,” Alderdice said.
“There’s this idea of college readiness being measured by ACT score benchmarks, which predicts how likely a chance a student will have making a C or better in a college class, but there’s more to consider than academic capacity. Can the student live independently? Can they act autonomously and make decisions as a young adult?”

Daniel Moix, the director of the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts Coding Arkansas’ Future initiative, recently was inducted into the Arkansas Academy of Computing.

The Arkansas Academy of Computing is administered by the Department of Computer Science and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. The purpose of the organization is to:

• Recognize persons who have made significant and sustained contributions to the computing industry;
• Influence and advocate computing and information technology education at all levels and jobs within our state;
• Raise funds among the membership to provide direct scholarships to students and support related programs; and
• Promote professionalism in the field of computing.

Academy inductees must have graduated from an Arkansas institution of higher education and/or have had a significant portion of their computing career within the state of Arkansas.

Moix, a member of ASMSA’s Class of 1998, has served as director of Coding Arkansas’ Future since its inception in spring 2015. The program has included computer science education courses for school districts statewide, both high school and middle school.

The main focus of the program has been to provide teachers from across the state opportunities to learn computer science while teaching courses at their own school as well as to prepare for the state computer science licensure test. It also offers professional development opportunities for current computer science instructors who want to continue to grow their computer science skills.

“It's a tremendous honor to be inducted in the Arkansas Academy of Computing,” Moix said. “The organization recognizes professionals with ties to Arkansas whose work has advanced the field of computing. While my contributions have been in education, the membership spans the full spectrum of sectors. I look forward to the opportunity to connect with those who came before me and laid the foundation for computing in the state.

“A number of the ArAoC missions align directly with the work we do at ASMSA. The organization works to support and promote computing and information technology education at all levels and to promote computer literacy. The organization does this through scholarships funded by member donations. ASMSA does this through our various outreach and professional development programs.”

Moix has previously been recognized as a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and was one of 10 teachers internationally who received an Award for Teaching Excellence in Computer Science from Infosys Foundation USA, the Association of Computing Machinery and the Computer Science Teachers Association.

The Arkansas Academy of Computing held induction ceremonies on Oct. 11. Moix was one of eight new members accepted into the organization this year.

A team from the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts won third place in the JOLT Cyber Challenge hosted by The Venture Center on Oct. 11-13.

The third-place team of PeanutButterEggs was comprised of ASMSA seniors Karsen Beck of Maumelle, Gunner Evans of Hot Springs, Gabrielle Taunton of Austin and Haven Whitney of Searcy. PeanutButterEggs competed against 34 other teams in the annual event.

Teams work over two days to solve computer science-based puzzles involving subjects such as decryption, programming and cybersecurity. The competitors included a mix of professionals representing corporations, college students and teams from other high schools in the state. It was held at the Walton School of Business in Little Rock.

The first- and second-place teams had ASMSA connections as well. The first place team, That Team Over There, included 2018 ASMSA alumni Ben Allen and Noah Sherry. Caitlyn Hallett, a 2015 ASMSA alumna, was a member of the second-place First Orion team. ASMSA computer science instructor Nicholas Seward served as one of the Game Masters for the competition.

The students said the competition provided them opportunities to learn while having fun.

“I had a great experience and learned so much about web security, cryptography and general computer science in such a short period of time,” Whitney said.

Evans added, “This competition makes you really think, even when the answer turns out to be right there in front of you.”

Beck said there were some “really clever puzzles, especially the ones involving searching servers or hash decrypting.”

Taunton said her main role during the competition was “to be the team motivational speaker.”

Her speaking and the team’s ability to solve the puzzles earned ASMSA’s team $250 for finishing third. The top prize was $1,000.

In a press release, Venture Center Executive Director Wayne Miller said the organization will continue to host the games because the opportunity to strengthen Arkansas’ tech community is invaluable.

“One of the reasons the JOLT Cyber Challenge is important to our state is because it allows us to showcase our local tech talent, and encourage networking with other tech professionals, building a strong Arkansas tech community,” Miller said. “It’s a weekend to educate participants on the many tech opportunities we have right here in Arkansas so we can keep our talent here and help Arkansas tech companies fill their jobs."
Chris Wright, lead Game Master and CEO of Citadel Systems, also noted the community aspect of the event. "JOLT is a community-focused cybersecurity competition that brings students and industry together to solve puzzles, think critically, and network," said Wright. "The Game Masters are committed to this event because we know the high cost of vulnerability for businesses and individuals. We are deeply committed to encouraging and strengthening Arkansas' tech community and to insulating individuals and businesses from devastating cyber attacks."

Today, bottled water is a common beverage available in grocery stores, convenience stores and offices. But in 1871, Mountain Valley Spring Water Co. was the first to sell bottled water from coast-to-coast.

It’s signature clear green bottle continues to contain water from its original source — a spring in the Ozark Mountains. Using the water’s health-boosting benefits to market their product, the company has developed a business plan that also promotes a healthy environment.

The combination of capitalism and environmentalism is what drew the interest of Dr. Neil Oatsvall, a history instructor at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and Arts. In a recent publication, Oatsvall examines the company’s ability to make a profit while promoting health while using a natural water source and protecting it from environmental harm.

“Bottling Nature’s Elixir: The Mountain Valley Spring Water Company, Environment, Health, and Capitalism” is the lead article in the Spring 2019 Arkansas Historical Quarterly, a publication of the Arkansas Historical Association.

“While we normally think of the interaction between nature and capitalism to be all bad — businesses take from the natural world and harm it to make a profit — I found that Mountain Valley is the rare company that has made its name based on natural purity and protecting the environment,” Oatsvall said.

“In their advertisements especially, Mountain Valley has tried to promote natural wholesomeness for how it can help human bodies and health.”

Oatsvall said no company is perfect, and Mountain Valley ran afoul of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration twice decades ago — in 1914 and 1953. Each time the company shifted its marketing focus in ways that complied with laws and statutes while still focusing on nature and health.

The recent journal article is the second Oatsvall has published about Mountain Valley, previously studying the company’s advertising practices in “Advertising Indians,” which was published in the Summer 2018 edition of Gastronomica: The Journal of Critical Food Studies.

Mountain Valley was a good subject for his academic studies for a few different reasons. Being locally situated helped his research tremendously, but it being a national company also meant he wasn’t chronicling a “mom and pop” organization.

“More than that, I think the ideas contained within the company’s advertisements and history speak to larger issues of how we humans should interact with the world around us, and how what it means to be healthy has changed over time,” Oatsvall said. “The specific subject may be bottled water, but the articles are more about how humans have navigated fundamental issues of nature and culture.”

Oatsvall said while Mountain Valley was not able to provide much support for his research, the contacts he made at the company have always been helpful. Most importantly, they always granted permission for Oatsvall to use images from the company in his articles, he said.

“Getting image permissions can be time consuming and expensive, but Mountain Valley was always gracious in that regard and let me use the images for free,” Oatsvall said.

Both of Oatsvall’s articles are available to read on his blog at https://asmsa.me/oatsvallmountainvalley.

Three Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts students were selected for the Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association South Region Orchestra.

Seniors Amanda Carson of Russellville and Victoria Hwang of Maumelle and junior Aly Navarro are participating in this year’s South Region Orchestra clinic at Mills University Studies High School in Little Rock. The clinic is being held Sept. 20-21.

Carson will represent ASMSA as the principal bassoonist in the all-region Senior High Full Orchestra. Hwang was selected as fourth chair, first violin and Navarro was chosen as a second violin section player for the same orchestra. Auditions were held Sept. 14 at Conway High School. Nearly 600 students audition for spots in each of the three orchestras with the Senior High Orchestra reserved for the top players in grades 10-12 throughout the southern two-thirds of Arkansas, said Dr. Thomas Dempster, music instructor and band director at ASMSA.

“I am proud of these three students for auditioning and placing into all-region orchestra,” Dempster said. “Many students in Arkansas do not get the opportunity to perform in full-orchestra settings, and I’m grateful that the Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association sponsors this event.

“I’ve been teaching Amanda and Victoria for the past year and have witnessed some remarkable musical growth in both of them, and neither shy away from a challenge. I’ve just met Aly this year, but I’m pleased with her talent and ability and willingness to audition for something so competitive.”

The South Region Orchestra Clinic occurs annually in September. The concert for all three orchestras — including the Junior High String Orchestra, the Junior High Concert Orchestra and the Senior High Full Orchestra — will begin at 4 p.m. Sept. 21 in the Mills Performing Arts Building. Admission is free and open to the public.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts has officially opened the search for the Classes 2022 and 2023. Beginning this application cycle, all early applicants will receive the benefit of receiving an ACT voucher to take the test at no cost.

Applicants who have completed the online application for admission to ASMSA by Dec. 1 will receive a voucher for the February 2020 ACT test date as part of the school’s upwARd Promise program. Applicants will also receive access to prep tools to improve their understanding of the exam. A valid ACT or SAT score is required as part of the application process, which also includes essay questions, teacher recommendations and an interview on campus. The standard application deadline is March 1.

“The rigorous application process assists our staff and faculty in identifying well-rounded young Arkansans—students who possess a strong sense of character, actively give to their communities, seek out the most challenging coursework available, and apply themselves to the best of their abilities,” said Charlie Feick, interim director of admissions.

ASMSA’s upwARd Promise is a five-part commitment to access and success for all Arkansas high school students with additional structures to support low-income and first-generation college pathway students. In addition to the ACT voucher, the program provides students who attend ASMSA the opportunity to:

• earn a minimum of 30 hours of college credit while finishing high school. Recent graduates have averaged 50 hours—or three full semesters of college study— during their time at ASMSA. These courses save families roughly $14,000 in tuition and fees. The $500 annual concurrent credit assessment is waived for students with financial need.
• live in a residential setting alongside 230 talented and motivated peers with no additional cost for housing, meals and textbooks. All students have access to other specialized technology throughout campus, including gigabit wireless internet.
• the chance to explore the world and experience other cultures through ASMSA’s Global Learning Program. More than 400 students have participated in study abroad, cultural exchanges, language immersion and other global learning opportunities.
• receive college planning and coaching that positions students to compete for admission to top universities and major scholarships. ASMSA alumni have been offered nearly $250 million in college scholarships. ASMSA’s Student Success Office assists all students find the school and opportunities that are the best fit. Students with need are positioned to compete for the QuestBridge National College Match, U.S. Presidential Scholars, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship Program and other prestigious awards.

Admissions representatives from the ASMSA Office of Admissions are sharing information about the program with students at schools across the state through in-person visits.

“The ASMSA Office of Admissions is on the road, taking great pleasure in meeting with talented and driven students and supportive educators throughout Arkansas,” Feick said. “We enjoy connecting with young people and informing them of the myriad opportunities ASMSA is able to offer to them through our research, entrepreneurship, and artistic experiences, global learning program, and a unique residential experience where students are able to live, learn, and grow together.”

Multiple events allow students interested in ASMSA to visit campus. Preview Weekends, Preview Days, Focus Weekends provide students opportunities to be immersed in a hands-on activity with faculty members and to take a tour of ASMSA. Science and Engineering Institutes—both on campus and across the state—engage participants in fun learning activities.

“We hope to see all prospective students and their families on campus,” Feick said. “Visiting campus affords the opportunity to engage directly with current students, faculty, and staff and to get a feel for the warm and welcoming culture of the ASMSA community.”

To RSVP to attend campus events, go to visit.asmsa.org. For more information on the application process and the upwARd Promise program, visit asmsa.org/admissions.

The annual Arkansas Fall Golf Classic benefitting the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts will be held Friday, Oct. 4 on the Park Course at the Hot Springs Country Club.

The four-person scramble is being presented by The Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce. Entry fees are $600 a team or $150 per player. The entry includes greens and cart fees, lunch and tournament gifts.

There are also several sponsorship opportunities available. Most sponsorships include a complimentary team in the tournament as well as other perks. It is an excellent opportunity to network and get to know Chamber investors and businesses from across Arkansas. The golf holes will provide promotional opportunities, refreshments, contests and games.

Check-in and lunch will be from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. with a noon shotgun start.

ASMSA has been ranked consistently among the nation’s top public high schools. Students at the school come from across Arkansas, living in a residential setting that provides a community of learning.

Current sponsors of the tournament include Relyance Bank, First Security Bank, Mid-America Science Museum, Aladdin Food Management Services and Gross Funeral Home.

To register a team or to receive more information about available sponsorships, contact Betsy Atkins, Chamber vice president, at (501) 321-1700 or by email at betsy.atkins@growinghotsprings.com or Vicki Hinz at ASMSA at (501) 622-5474 or hinzv@asmsa.org. For more information on ASMSA, visit asmsa.org.

Eight Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts students were named National Merit Semifinalists for the 2019-20 academic year by the National Merit Scholarship Corp.

The National Merit Scholarship Corp. announced the names of the Semifinalists for the 65th annual National Merit Scholarship Program on Wednesday. The students who are all members of the Class of 2020 will have the opportunity to continue in the competition for 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth about $31 million that will be offered next spring.

The ASMSA seniors named Semifinalists are:
• Yoo-Jin Ahn of Jonesboro;
• Ronan Devlin of De Queen;
• Tristan Eoff of Little Rock;
• Carson Hardin of East End;
• Jason Hoang of Hartman;
• Howard Orlina of Little Rock;
• Emily Smith of Cabot; and
• Haven Whitney of Searcy.

“We congratulate these students for their exceptional accomplishment, and we wish them the very best as they work through the National Merit Scholarship Program's rigorous process,” said Stuart Flynn, dean of academic affairs at ASMSA. “This achievement offers them a learning opportunity that can become a springboard to an extraordinary senior year and the many possibilities beyond.”

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.

Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist standing, including a detailed scholarship application that includes information about a Semifinalists 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.