The inaugural cohort of the U.S. Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps flight program at the ������ Aviation Academy graduated in July 2025.

The University of Central Arkansas Aviation Academy will again partner with the U.S. Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) to host cadets for a competitive flight training program this summer.

UCA is one of only six universities nationwide selected for the 2026 program. The university’s selection reflects the success of its inaugural year and its ability to operate the program with minimal external support. Eight cadets will train at ������ from June 10 to Aug. 7 as part of the intensive summer program.

“We are proud to once again be selected as a host university for this highly competitive program,” Brad Teague, director of the ������ Aviation Academy, said. “Being chosen as one of only six sites nationwide speaks to the strength of our program and the success we demonstrated last year.

“This opportunity continues to expand access to aviation training while strengthening our role in preparing the next generation of pilots.”

Through the program, AFJROTC cadets from across the country are competitively selected to attend an aviation training experience at accredited universities for approximately eight weeks. Participants can earn college credit and work toward their Private Pilot License while gaining firsthand exposure to careers in aviation.

The program, established in 2018, is designed to address the growing demand for pilots while increasing accessibility to aviation careers for high school students.

Air Force Junior ROTC is a Title 10 U.S. Code-mandated citizenship training program that is designed to educate and train high school cadets in citizenship, promote community service, and instill personal responsibility, character, and self-discipline. The program achieves this through classroom education in air and space fundamentals and hands-on learning opportunities in a number of fun and challenging co-curricular activities.

Cadets who choose to continue their education may receive special consideration for Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) scholarships. Many of these scholarships will pay for two, three, or four years of tuition, books and fees at numerous universities and colleges and allow cadets to pursue studies in various technical and non-technical majors.

The ������ Aviation Academy offers new classes every three months. Multiple pilot certifications are available, including Private, Commercial and Instructor licenses and Instrument and Multi-engine ratings. Discovery flights are available for those considering enrolling in the program.

More information, including how to apply, is available at uca.edu/aviation or by contacting Brad Teague, director of ������ Aviation Academy for ������ Outreach and Community Engagement, at (501) 450-5244 or bteague@uca.edu.

UCA camps provide dynamic, hands-on experiences designed to spark creativity, build skills and encourage exploration in a fun and supportive environment. With programming offered throughout the summer, participants can choose from a variety of interest areas, including music, art, robotics, computer programming, foreign language, writing, athletics, strength and conditioning, Model United Nations and more.

“Give your child a strong and inspiring start in their musical journey with our fantastic piano camp,” Christine Franklin, senior lecturer in the Department of Music and organizer of the ������ Piano Camp, said. “Through fun, motivating and skill-building activities, students will grow in confidence and knowledge.

“It is the perfect opportunity for your child to strengthen valuable skills while experiencing the joy of making music with others.”

Families can explore camps by age group and interest, making it easy to find the right fit for each student. Camps are held on the ������ campus and led by university faculty, coaches and staff, providing participants with a unique opportunity to experience a collegiate environment.

“At ������’s AI, Robotics and Ethics Camp, students do more than learn about artificial intelligence – they build it,” William Slaton, associate dean of the College of Science and Engineering, said. “Campers work in teams to design and train self-driving robot cars while exploring real-world ethical questions shaping today’s technology.”

Camps are available throughout the summer, with flexible options to accommodate a variety of schedules. Early registration is encouraged, as space may be limited for select programs.

The full list of camps and registration information is available at uca.edu/camps.

Additional information is available by contacting Trent Reese, camp and event coordinator, Conference Services, Outreach and Community Engagement, at (501) 450-5272 or camps@uca.edu.

Participants in the Conway Area Youth Leadership Institute (CAYLI) prepare to become engaged leaders in their schools and communities through monthly sessions, a summer retreat and more. Applications are now being accepted for the 2026-27 school year.

The Conway Area Youth Leadership Institute (CAYLI) is now accepting applications for the 2026-2027 school year. Applications are available at uca.edu/outreach/youthleadership.

Faulkner County students currently in 10th and 11th grades are eligible to apply. The application deadline is Monday, March 2.

Since its founding in 1995, CAYLI has prepared more than 500 students to become engaged leaders in their schools and communities. Through monthly sessions, a summer retreat, career exploration opportunities and a student-led service project, participants gain real-world leadership experience and insight into community needs.

CAYLI students have supported Faulkner County through service projects such as creating gift baskets for residents of HAVEN House and collecting supplies for the Conway City Animal Shelter.

The program is designed to:

• Develop leadership potential and confidence.
• Broaden students’ awareness of their community.
• Introduce diverse leadership styles and career paths.
• Encourage civic involvement and service.

CAYLI represents a cooperative effort between the University of Central Arkansas Outreach & Community Engagement, local school districts and community partners throughout Faulkner County.

Former participants say the experience has lasting impacts on their personal and professional growth.

“I came into this program not knowing what to expect, but left with strong connections and a clearer vision for my future,” CAYLI alumna Kendall Watson said.

More information is available by contacting Reuel Shepherd at (501) 450-3429, emailing youthleadership@uca.edu or visiting .

The University of Central Arkansas has received the , an elective designation awarded by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching that highlights an institution’s commitment to community engagement. ������ was first awarded the Carnegie CE Classification in 2020, and this renewal is valid until 2032.

“At ������, community engagement is deeply integrated into our teaching, research and service,” Provost and Executive Vice President Michael Hargis said. “This recognition reflects the intentional work of our campus to connect academic experience with community need so that our students see the practical impact of what they are learning.

“Through these collaborative partnerships, students gain transformative learning experiences while our communities benefit from the expertise and innovation of our faculty, staff and students.”

UCA’s renewal application documented excellent alignment among campus mission, culture, leadership, resources, and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement.

“Actively partnering with our communities is part of ������’s fabric as an institution,” Dr. Lesley Graybeal, executive director of Outreach and Community Engagement, said. “This classification recognizes the collaborative culture that so many ������ faculty, staff, students and community members have worked to build, and we look forward to seeing these partnerships and their impacts continue to grow in the future.”

The CE Classification is awarded following a process of self-study by each institution, which also includes feedback submitted by community partners. The classification has been the leading framework for institutional assessment and recognition of community engagement in U.S. higher education for the past 19 years with classification cycles in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2020, 2024 and now 2026. The 2029 cycle will be for first-time applicants.

In the 2026 cycle, 239 institutions earned the CE Classification, joining the 40 institutions classified in 2024 for a total of 279 institutions that currently hold the designation. Of the institutions recognized in 2026, 48 are receiving the classification for the first time, while 191 have previously held it. The 2026 cohort includes a diverse range of institutions, with 158 public institutions, 81 private colleges and universities, and 82 Minority Serving Institutions represented among the recipients.

“The institutions receiving the 2026 Community Engagement Classification exemplify American higher education’s commitment to the greater good,” ACE President Ted Mitchell said. “The beneficiaries of this unflagging dedication to public purpose missions are their students, their teaching and research enterprises, and their wider communities.”

A listing of all the institutions that currently hold the classification endorsement can be .

About the Carnegie Classifications

The Carnegie Classifications are the nation’s leading framework for categorizing and describing colleges and universities in the United States. Utilized frequently by policymakers, funders, and researchers, the Classifications are a critical benchmarking tool for postsecondary institutions. ACE and the Carnegie Foundation announced a partnership in to reimagine the Classifications to better reflect the diversity of postsecondary institutions and more completely characterize the impact that today’s institutions have in society.

About ACE

ACE is a membership organization that leads higher education with a united vision for the future, galvanizing our members to make change and collaborating across the sector to design solutions for today’s challenges, serve the needs of a diverse student population, and shape effective public policy. As the major coordinating body for the nation’s colleges and universities, our strength lies in our diverse membership of nearly 1,600 colleges and universities, related associations, and other organizations in America and abroad. ACE is the only major higher education association to represent all types of U.S. accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities. For more information, please visit or follow ACE on X and .

About the Carnegie Foundation

The mission of the Carnegie Foundation is to catalyze transformational change in education so that every student has the opportunity to live a healthy, dignified, and fulfilling life. Enacted by an act of Congress in 1906, the Foundation has a rich history of driving transformational change in the education sector, including the establishment of TIAA-CREF and the creation of the Education Testing Service, the GRE, Pell Grants, and the Carnegie Classifications for Higher Education. Today, the Foundation is dedicated to the transformation of the American high school and making the postsecondary sector a more vital engine for economic mobility.

Zane Harris, a native of Little Rock, has become the first graduate of the University of Central Arkansas Aviation Academy in just 18 months. He is pictured here in the academy’s Bill Cope Memorial Hangar at the Conway Regional Airport.

Zane Harris, a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, has become the first graduate of the University of Central Arkansas (������) Aviation Academy. Harris successfully earned both his private instrument and commercial pilot certificates as a member of the inaugural class, completing the program in just 18 months.

Harris, who has a background in media production, has long been passionate about aviation. He found the ������ Aviation Academy’s non-degree program, along with its financial aid opportunities, to be the ideal pathway to advance his career.

“I’m super proud and thankful to be the first person to go through the program in its entirety,” Harris said. “My favorite experience through the ������ Aviation program has honestly been meeting all the people.

“I’ve really enjoyed taking people up who’ve never been in a small plane before.”

As is customary in all flight training, Harris completed the Private License first. Then he moved to the Instrument Rating, which allows the holder to fly by sole reference to the aircraft’s instruments. This teaches a greater mastery of aircraft control, systems and instrumentation. It also permits flights under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). This rating takes a minimum of 35 hours.

He also completed the Commercial License, which allows the recipient to fly for hire under certain conditions. The FAA requires 190 hours of accumulated flight time at a minimum, including specific hours of experience in several areas such as night flying, cross-country and enhanced maneuvers. Harris completed these three required certifications in just 18 months.

“Zane has been a committed student in our program,” ������ Aviation Academy Director Brad Teague said. “It has been exciting to watch him progress efficiently through all the certifications in our program.

“It is a nice validation of our curriculum and program process. As we continue to graduate our students, I am excited for the impact on workforce development in Arkansas. We want to do our important part to assist with the dearth of pilots in Arkansas and beyond.”

Harris is now pursuing certification as a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI). This certification allows him to instruct any student, and ������ plans to hire him for the Academy.

“I’m excited to return to Conway and teach in the same aircraft where I learned to fly,” Harris said. He added that he looks forward to contributing to the aviation industry and helping connect people across the country.

The ������ Aviation Academy offers new classes every three months. Multiple pilot certifications are available, including Private, Commercial, and Instructor licenses, Instrument and Multi-engine ratings. Discovery flights are available for those considering enrolling in the program.

More information, including how to apply, is available at or by contacting Brad Teague, director of ������ Aviation Academy for ������ Outreach and Community Engagement, at (501) 450-5244 or bteague@uca.edu.

“I am deeply grateful for Lesley’s willingness to take on this important leadership role, and I am excited about the fresh perspective and innovative vision she will bring to Outreach,” ������ Provost Michael Hargis said.

OCE works to meet the diverse needs of university and community partners through comprehensive learning and civic engagement opportunities, including continuing education, customized and non-traditional training, and event planning services.

Graybeal previously led ������’s community-engaged learning and volunteer engagement initiatives. Her work has included advising leaders of service- and civic engagement-related student organizations, providing training and facilitation for faculty and community partners, and championing constructive dialogue initiatives.

Graybeal holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English and a doctorate in social foundations of education from the University of Georgia. Before joining ������, she taught first-year writing and coordinated the service-learning program at Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Patricia Poulter

A space in the Student Success and Veterans Resource Center at the University of Central Arkansas will now be known as the Poulter Commons, named in honor of former provost and executive vice president Patricia Poulter.

A dedication ceremony was held Tuesday, March 18, before a crowd of at least 100 well-wishers. 

During her remarks, Poulter thanked everyone for attending, but she also recognized the significance of the space to students visiting the building. 

“Your name matters. Your name matters, and being seen matters, and that’s what a place like this does. It tells every student that comes in that you are welcome here,” Poulter said. 

Poulter served from 2018 until her retirement in 2024. The plaque that will be placed in the Poulter Commons includes this excerpt: “Under her leadership, ������ expanded innovative academic programs, broke down barriers for students, and strengthened institutional accreditation efforts. She played a pivotal role in advancing student success initiatives, ensuring that ������ remained a leader in higher education within Arkansas and beyond. Her advocacy for faculty and staff development contributed to a culture of excellence, collaboration, and innovation. The renovation of this facility into the Student Success and Veterans Resource Center is a staple of her vision, leadership, and impact on this campus.”

By Dr. Fredricka Sharkey

That discovery, and her resulting artwork, will be celebrated by ������’s Division of Outreach and Community Engagement when they host an artist reception for Roden. The event will take place on Friday, Sept. 9 at 4:30 p.m. and will be held at UCA Downtown, the university’s multi-use event space used for community education classes, events and galleries. The program will include a welcome from ������ president Houston Davis.

Additionally, Roden’s work will be exhibited at ������ Downtown (1105 West Oak Street in Conway) on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from noon until 5 p.m. from August 31 until September 23. 

Roden’s flourishing pursuit of art began – quite unexpectedly – in her kitchen. She was sitting at the counter, near a pencil and piece of paper, when she began to sketch her dog.

“It started looking like him,” Roden said. “I didn’t know I could do that! Everyone was surprised when they saw the sketch, including me.”

For her birthday that year, Roden received month’s worth of art lessons at the now-closed Art on the Green gallery. Bonnie McKay, an award-winning artist based in Conway, was her teacher. 

Roden called ahead and found out she should bring oil paints, brushes and a photo she liked. She picked a picture of a hummingbird fluttering among pink azaleas. 

“I put it all in a sack and headed to the gallery,” Roden said. “It felt like the first day of school!”

Armed with her paints, brushes and the photograph, Roden perched in front of her white canvas. Step by step – and with McKay’s guidance – Rodan began filling in the canvas, starting with the green background. 

“Then we put in some pinks and finally the hummingbird. After that class, I discovered I could paint! I went back the next week with a new picture and again the week after that.”

Roden says painting, for her, is all about discovery. She looks at landscapes, clouds, waterfalls and flowers and challenges herself to replicate the images. 

“It has also given me a new appreciation of beauty and colors. You see green, for example, but until you’re trying to paint a leaf, you don’t realize how many shades of green are there. I’ve learned to look at things in a different light. There is an adventure in painting.” 

Roden’s academic adventure began in 1969 at ������, where she served as an instructor in speech and theatre arts. In the mid 1990s, she initiated the Residential College Program. She would go on to hold several roles at the university, including professor of speech, theatre and journalism, dean of undergraduate studies, interim vice president of enrollment management and special assistant to the president, before her retirement in 2012.

“I still enjoyed my work, and I still enjoyed the students,” Roden said. “But it was time for someone else to take over and present new, creative ideas.”

Roden’s discovery of her artistic talents inspired Reuel Shepherd, director of programs and services for the ������ Division of Outreach and Community Engagement, to begin featuring a series of inspirational stories like Roden’s at ������ Downtown. 

“The idea came up organically in our discussion with Sally,” Shepherd said. “We were discovering her as an artist, but she was also discovering things about herself. We’re calling it the Discover series because of that double meaning. We think this will interest and inspire the Conway community.”

For Roden, becoming a painter was never something she planned. But the discovery has been a welcome one.

“I never expected to be an artist, but it has brought so much joy to my life and to the lives of others,” Roden said. “I feel so blessed to have found this talent and discovered that you never know what you can do until you try.” 

Community pantries are wooden boxes mounted on a post and are large enough to hold canned goods, cereal boxes, bags of pasta and other necessities. They are placed throughout the community near nonprofits, schools, businesses and residential neighborhoods and stocked by members of the community.

The three added locations in Faulkner County have been dubbed Precious Pantries by the WLA. The installations were completed in partnership with the University of Central Arkansas AmeriCorps, ������’s BearsServe Leaders and EngageAr.

Women’s Leadership Academy cohort cuts ribbon in front of one of three Precious Pantries.

Women’s Leadership Academy began in January 2022. Shaneil Ealy, associate vice president of outreach and community engagement at ������ and co-director of the academy, says the academy seeks to give women skills for leadership capacity. 

“Community service and community engagement is really important to us, and we have embedded that into the academy,” Ealy said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Pine Street Community Museum. “In January, we had a retreat and invited the Conductor to facilitate an innovation lab. In the retreat, we learned that poverty, homelessness and food insecurity were close to the hearts of many ladies in the academy.”

The pantries coming to fruition, Ealy said, were the result of the inaugural c

Laura King and Wendy Holbrook converse outside Pine Street Community museum after the Precious Pantry ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 6.

lass answering the call to serve. 

“This group of ladies embarked on a giant journey together six months ago. We are from all walks of life, political persuasions and faiths,” said Laura King, a member of the inaugural class and agency engagement director at United Way of Central Arkansas. “When pitching ideas for the community project or the opening retreat, I noticed also that every idea focused on uplifting our neighbors. This Precious Pantry project emerged as the winner to bring the community together and love on our neighbors. But one pantry was not enough. We built three!”

In addition to the Pine Street Community Museum, there are pantries located at the Faulkner County Senior Wellness and Activity Center and the Faulkner County Library. 

“Today we are here celebrating not just the completion of a project but we’re celebrating our community,” King said. “These are all places where people from every walk of life, every political persuasion and every faith can come together to learn, reminisce and help one another. So our hope is that these pantries will be a continuation of that. And as the motto says, ‘Take what you need. Leave what you can’ and love your neighbors well.” 

Jamisa Nuness-Hogan, a member of the inaugural class and owner and director of  Kids World Child Care Center thanked those who made the pantries possible.

“This is very dear to our hearts and we want to keep paying it forward,” Nuness-Hogan said.

Di’Anka Moton organizes food items in the Precious Pantry.

About the Women’s Leadership Academy
The Women’s Leadership Academy (WLA), through the Women’s Leadership Network at the University of Central Arkansas, is dedicated to empowering, enriching and embracing women in our region and facilitating their leadership development. WLA is designed for those who identify as women and aspire to become bold leaders representing greater equity, inclusivity and excellence in their fields. Through expert speakers, hands-on experiences and community service, the participants of the Women’s Leadership Academy will develop customizable skills in a network of diverse women sharing a commitment to their own beloved community.

“I just wanted to be there with them to celebrate the accomplishments of the Delta Population Health Institute because they have done so much meaningful work for the community,” Carter said. “I was looking forward to supporting them.” 

It wasn’t until about a month before the June 10th event that Carter was notified she had been chosen as the recipient of the first-ever Barbara Ross-Lee, D.O. Community Engagement Impact Award for her work in population health and equity. 

“I was very surprised and grateful,” Carter said. “It meant a lot to me because I believe in the vision Dr. [Brookshield] Laurent had and wanted to help in any way I could.”

Kristy Carter

Carter received her doctoral degree in leadership studies from the University of Central Arkansas in 2021. She also serves as director of marketing for ������’s Division of Outreach and Community Engagement. Her research focuses on gaps in Arkansas’ entrepreneurial ecosystem, particularly among women of color. Carter is intentional about aligning herself with programs and organizations like DPHI because they, like her, are interested in helping the community as a whole.

“I’ve been able to do ‘heart work,’ which is the work that tugs at your heartstrings and feels good because you know you’re helping somebody,” Carter said. 

Carter’s first experience with outreach in the Mississippi River Delta came in 2010 through ������’s Center for Community and Economic Development. After meeting and working with people during a development conference there, her eyes were opened to the challenges the community faced. 

“What is stopping me from helping? I realized the connection between health and the economy goes hand-in-hand,” she said. “If you don’t have healthy people, you won’t have a healthy economy.” 

DPHI is the community engagement arm of the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University (NYITCOM at A-State). Brookshield Laurent is DPHI’s founder and executive director and chair of the department of clinical medicine at NYITCOM at A-State.

“When she got started, I asked her what I could do to help her serve communities in the Delta,” Carter said. “It was a work of love and passion and it came right on time because the pandemic showed us many opportunities in which we could forge partnerships and make a difference.” 

The Barbara Ross-Lee, D.O Community Engagement Impact Award seeks to recognize a model of servant leadership, a driver of community empowerment and a champion of health equity. The award’s namesake is an osteopathic physician, health policy expert and became the first African American woman in the country to serve as a medical school dean when she was chosen to lead Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1993. She was also named the inaugural dean for NYITCOM at A-State in 2014. 

“Through her research, her work as a social scientist and as a builder of inclusive ecosystems in the Delta, Dr. Carter has devoted herself to making an impact in rural communities, many of which have great needs,” Laurent said. “Her work has a significant impact in equity and the health of our communities, and she embodies the spirit of excellence modeled by Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee.”  

Carter is one of seven individuals honored for their outstanding contributions to population health at the first-ever Delta Impact Awards ceremony.