research studies university of arkansas

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Women's Studies

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Special Collections

About this guide

The University of Arkansas Special Collections holds a substantial number of collections related to women's history and women's studies. This guide provides both published materials held by the division, as well as manuscript collections. Manuscript collections in this guide include family and personal papers, records documenting women's experiences at the University of Arkansas, records documenting clubs, community organizations, and professional organizations, as well as records documenting women's participation in agricultural extension education, and in politics at the local, state, and federal level.

The rare books collection also includes several significant titles authored by women spanning nearly 500 years. Subjects from women authors in rare books range from poetry and treatises on women in society from Renaissance era Europe to landmark works of fiction and writing on abolitionism and suffrage by activists and social reformers. 

This guide has been adapted from an earlier guide, published in 1989 by Andrea E. Cantrell, former Head of Research Services. Please see the PDF below for a copy of this earlier guide.

The guide is meant to provide a starting point for research into topics related to women's history and women's studies-- it is not a comprehensive listing of all materials related to these topics held by the University of Arkansas Special Collections.

• Cantrell, Andrea E. Manuscript resources for women's studies. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Libraries. 1989

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Research at UA Little Rock

Whether it’s building a better tomato or looking into cancer treatments, students get an opportunity to work alongside faculty and put their knowledge to use in UA Little Rock’s state-of-the-art research facilities. Additionally, they are tackling big data for businesses and curating historical collections for the world to see.

UA Little Rock is a regional leader in using and teaching advanced technology in areas such as nanotechnology, information quality, and emerging analytics.

The university is a leader in the preservation and dissemination of Arkansas history through the alignment of the Department of History, the Master of Arts in public history program, and the Center for Arkansas History and Culture. Collections of 88,000 archival papers, images, and books, including those of five Arkansas governors, provide a wealth of research opportunities.

Faculty research

During the 2017-18 academic year, UA Little Rock faculty brought in more than $32 million in research grants and contracts. The university’s research programs are as diverse as the faculty. Research specialties range from post-traumatic stress disorder and artificial intelligence, to deviant social media use and bone regeneration. The faculty regularly receive national and international recognition for their pioneering research or published works.

Student research

Across the UA Little Rock campus, students are actively engaged in dynamic research and creative works that impact the community and the world. Spreading across multiple disciplines, students are creating unique works of art, writing original stories, researching new alternative energy methods, training NATO leaders to combat social media propaganda, and working with nanomaterials to heal patients and veterans with serious injuries.

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UA Little Rock is home to more than 20 research centers that span several fields. Many of the centers partner with businesses to provide invaluable data and insight and bring new technologies to the market. Learn more about our research centers.

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From Native American art to Arkansas history, our libraries and collections contain thousands of materials that support and enrich the university’s research and teaching mission.

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Stanford Medicine-led study identifies novel target for epilepsy treatment

Researchers find that a little-understood part of the brain appears to be involved in starting seizures and keeping them going.

April 17, 2024 - By Kimberlee D'Ardenne

Stanford Medicine researchers and their colleagues found that removing or inhibiting the fasciola cinereum may help epilepsy patients who aren't helped by surgery. Tom - stock.adobe.com

Removing part of the brain’s temporal lobe is the only treatment available to the millions of people with a form of epilepsy that medications often don’t alleviate. But even that approach fails a third of the time.

A new study from Stanford Medicine researchers and their colleagues offers an explanation and suggests a more effective approach to treatment. They found that a previously overlooked region of the hippocampus, the fasciola cinereum, appears to be involved in instigating and propagating seizures. Removing or inhibiting the fasciola cinereum may help those patients who don’t find relief after surgery.

“The hippocampus is the best studied part of the brain by far, but there is shockingly little known about the fasciola cinereum,” said Ivan Soltesz , PhD, the James R. Doty Professor in Neurosurgery and Neurosciences and a senior author on the study. “This relatively small region was consistently involved in seizure activity in mice and in people undergoing pre-surgical electrical recordings. Our findings suggest that all patients with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy should have depth electrodes placed in the fasciola cinereum as part of the surgery planning process.”

The work was published April 17 in Nature Medicine . Soltesz and Vivek Buch , MD, the Christina and Hamid Moghadam Faculty Scholar as well as the surgical director of the Stanford Comprehensive Epilepsy Center , are co-senior authors.

A tale of a tail

Worldwide, 65 million people live with epilepsy. Tens of millions have mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, with seizures originating, in part, from the amygdala, an almond-shaped structure involved in processing emotions, and the hippocampus, a region necessary for forming memories. When people with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy of just one hemisphere do not respond to anti-seizure drug therapies, the standard of care is surgery. In these procedures, the amygdala and most of the hippocampus in one hemisphere are either surgically removed or ablated, a technique that involves using a laser to heat up and destroy tissue. Because of the symmetry of the temporal lobe — both hemispheres of the brain have an amygdala and hippocampus — people who have these surgeries usually have minimal side effects, according to the researchers.

Ivan Soltesz

Before performing the surgery, physicians need to identify the brain tissue responsible for seizure activity. They do this by placing electrodes in areas of the brain suspected of starting or propagating seizures and taking recordings from the electrodes. This process, called stereoelectroencephalography, or sEEG, lets them map where in the brain seizure activity happens.

Though the amygdala and its next-door neighbor the hippocampus are common locations for sEEG recordings, the electrodes are typically placed in only the anterior and middle regions of the hippocampus. The human hippocampus, located deep in each hemisphere of the brain near the level of the ear, looks like a sea horse lying on its side, with its head pointing toward the front of the brain. sEEG electrodes are commonly placed in the anterior and medial regions, corresponding to the head, body and the beginnings of the tail of the sea horse.

The idea to record from the fasciola cinereum — the far tip of the sea horse’s tail — in patients with epilepsy undergoing sEEG for surgical planning first formed about three years ago, when Ryan Jamiolkowski , MD, PhD, co-lead author of the study and a resident in neurosurgery, joined the Soltesz lab.

At the time, Quynh-Anh Nguyen, PhD, co-lead author on the study and former postdoctoral scholar in the Soltesz lab who is now at Vanderbilt University, was screening for the hippocampal neurons that were active during seizures in mice. Unexpectedly, Nguyen discovered that neurons in a posterior region of the hippocampus, the fasciola cinereum, were involved in seizures.

Jamiolkowski and the research team used optogenetic techniques to test whether the fasciola cinereum could be a target for epilepsy interventions. The neurons in the fasciola cinereum were made to contain special proteins capable of shutting down neuronal activity when exposed to blue light. When electrical recordings from the hippocampus showed seizure activity, the researchers shined blue light onto the fasciola cinereum, shortening the duration of seizures in mice.

Recording from the human hippocampus tail

To understand the fasciola cinereum’s role in seizure activity in humans, Jamiolkowski and Buch recorded from the small region in six patients. All were undergoing sEEG to identify the source of their seizures in preparation for future surgeries to cure their epilepsy. The fasciola cinereum contributed recorded seizures in all six patients, including some episodes in which the head and body regions of the hippocampus were quiet.

Ryan Jamiolkowski

One of the patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy of the left hemisphere had already undergone laser ablation of the amygdala and anterior and middle regions of the hippocampus. The patient continued having seizures, and follow-up sEEG showed that the only part of the hippocampus that remained, the fasciola cinereum, was involved in all recorded seizures. The patient underwent a second surgical ablation that removed almost all of the fasciola cinereum, and the frequency of the seizures decreased by 83%, from one to two each month to once every three months.

The researchers said that patients whose seizures involve the fasciola cinereum may need to undergo two surgeries because of the shape of the hippocampus.

“The hippocampus curves like a banana, and the optical fiber used for laser ablation is a straight line. Reaching anterior and posterior regions requires different trajectories that are not currently feasible to combine into one procedure. The results of our study do not challenge the importance of ablating the amygdala and anterior hippocampus but suggest considering a second ablation targeting the posterior hippocampal tail for the patients whose seizures recur,” Jamiolkowski said.

Three of the patients had bilateral involvement of the mesial temporal lobe, which means the amygdala and hippocampus in both the right and left hemisphere showed seizure activity. Because new memories cannot be formed without at least one intact hippocampus, these patients instead received responsive neurostimulation from a device that detects and interrupts seizure activity. However, most responsive neurostimulation units can be configured to target only the anterior regions of the hippocampus on both sides of the brain. The findings from this study suggest that a more personalized approach that also allows the device to monitor and interrupt seizure activity in the posterior hippocampal tail region might be more beneficial to patients.

“Because one-third of patients — a high percentage — do not get seizure freedom from surgery, we should be putting sEEG electrodes in the fasciola cinereum in all temporal lobe epilepsy patients; seizure activity in this region could be a reason why these surgeries sometimes fail,” Jamiolkowski added. “Knowing which patients have seizures involving the fasciola cinereum would let us target it with either ablation or neurostimulation and help us treat patients better than a one-size-fits all approach.”

A researcher from Cambridge University contributed to the study.

Funding for this study was provided by the Stanford Maternal and Child Health Research Institute, the Tashia and John Morgridge Endowed Fellowship, the Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome Foundation Cure 365, the Stanford Neuroscience Scholars Program, and the National Institutes of Health (grants R25NS065741, K99NS121399, K99NS126725, NS121106 and P30AG066515).

• Kimberlee D'Ardenne Kimberlee D'Ardenne is a freelance writer.

About Stanford Medicine

Stanford Medicine is an integrated academic health system comprising the Stanford School of Medicine and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit med.stanford.edu .

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The part of Arkansas that gives kids the best chance at upward economic mobility

Posted: April 22, 2024 | Last updated: April 23, 2024

Counties where children have the best opportunity for economic mobility in Arkansas

Americans have long understood that their birthplace can significantly affect their futures, and academics have increasingly been able to connect tangible early life factors like where they live and the friendships they've cultivated with potential future income.

Among the most recent studies shedding light on what's known as economic mobility —a person's ability to move themselves and their families up the socioeconomic ladder over their lifetime—are a series of papers authored by Harvard University researchers leveraging vast troves of social networking data.

As part of a national analysis , Wealth Enhancement Group used data from Harvard University 's Social Capital Atlas project to identify where in Arkansas children have the best (and worst) chances at upward economic mobility.

The research draws on a privacy-protected dataset representing 21 billion friendships from Facebook made public through its parent company Meta's Data for Good project. It also uses anonymous tax records, according to the authors. The scholars assigned a score to locales according to how economically connected low- and high-income people living in the area have historically been over at least a decade, per that data. The dataset does not include scores for about 180 of the 3,000 or so counties in the U.S.

The research attempts to fill in the gaps of previous efforts to study American economic mobility that did not consider a person's vast social networks nor their importance in creating better lives for themselves and their children.

It turns out the ability to cultivate friendships linking people of different socioeconomic backgrounds with one another is the strongest factor in determining whether a child can surpass the earning potential of their parents, Harvard researchers found. They call this economic connectedness .

Read on to find out where economic connectedness is strongest in your state.

#50. Scott County

- Economic connectedness: 0.65 - Median Income: $43,577 - Population: 9,928 --- 85.7% white --- 2.9% Black --- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.8% Asian

#49. Lincoln County

- Economic connectedness: 0.65 - Median Income: $49,474 - Population: 13,092 --- 65.2% white --- 29.9% Black --- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0% Asian

#48. Pike County

- Economic connectedness: 0.66 - Median Income: $46,672 - Population: 10,234 --- 88.8% white --- 4% Black --- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.2% Asian

#47. Ashley County

- Economic connectedness: 0.68 - Median Income: $42,683 - Population: 19,362 --- 71.6% white --- 25.1% Black --- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.2% Asian

#46. Pulaski County

- Economic connectedness: 0.68 - Median Income: $55,235 - Population: 397,931 --- 53.7% white --- 37.3% Black --- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 2.3% Asian

#45. Union County

- Economic connectedness: 0.69 - Median Income: $46,444 - Population: 39,262 --- 63.6% white --- 32.7% Black --- 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.8% Asian

#44. Hot Spring County

- Economic connectedness: 0.69 - Median Income: $46,724 - Population: 33,096 --- 84.5% white --- 11.2% Black --- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.3% Asian

#43. Cross County

- Economic connectedness: 0.69 - Median Income: $45,247 - Population: 16,935 --- 72.9% white --- 15.7% Black --- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0% Asian

#42. Calhoun County

- Economic connectedness: 0.69 - Median Income: $55,904 - Population: 4,811 --- 74.9% white --- 22.2% Black --- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0% Asian

#41. Montgomery County

- Economic connectedness: 0.69 - Median Income: $41,032 - Population: 8,525 --- 92.2% white --- 0.5% Black --- 1.2% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 1% Asian

#40. Polk County

- Economic connectedness: 0.7 - Median Income: $43,444 - Population: 19,476 --- 89.8% white --- 0.4% Black --- 1.8% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.3% Asian

#39. Prairie County

- Economic connectedness: 0.7 - Median Income: $47,335 - Population: 8,306 --- 85.6% white --- 11% Black --- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.3% Asian

#38. Garland County

- Economic connectedness: 0.7 - Median Income: $49,985 - Population: 99,694 --- 85% white --- 8.3% Black --- 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.7% Asian

#37. Sharp County

- Economic connectedness: 0.71 - Median Income: $37,361 - Population: 17,243 --- 93.4% white --- 1% Black --- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.2% Asian

#36. Conway County

- Economic connectedness: 0.71 - Median Income: $45,812 - Population: 20,687 --- 84.3% white --- 10.4% Black --- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.6% Asian

#35. Searcy County

- Economic connectedness: 0.71 - Median Income: $39,627 - Population: 7,872 --- 90% white --- 0.4% Black --- 3.1% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.1% Asian

#34. Van Buren County

- Economic connectedness: 0.71 - Median Income: $40,763 - Population: 15,851 --- 93.9% white --- 1% Black --- 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.2% Asian

#33. Clark County

- Economic connectedness: 0.71 - Median Income: $45,351 - Population: 21,569 --- 69.9% white --- 24.4% Black --- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.6% Asian

#32. Drew County

- Economic connectedness: 0.71 - Median Income: $42,891 - Population: 17,511 --- 68.4% white --- 28.9% Black --- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0% Asian

#31. Marion County

- Economic connectedness: 0.71 - Median Income: $41,038 - Population: 16,750 --- 95.4% white --- 0.8% Black --- 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.6% Asian

#30. Little River County

- Economic connectedness: 0.72 - Median Income: $57,614 - Population: 12,104 --- 73.2% white --- 20.3% Black --- 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.3% Asian

#29. Carroll County

- Economic connectedness: 0.72 - Median Income: $53,366 - Population: 28,154 --- 84.9% white --- 0.5% Black --- 1.1% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 1% Asian

#28. Stone County

- Economic connectedness: 0.72 - Median Income: $32,813 - Population: 12,364 --- 91.8% white --- 0.1% Black --- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.5% Asian

#27. Lawrence County

- Economic connectedness: 0.72 - Median Income: $40,746 - Population: 16,292 --- 94% white --- 1.3% Black --- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0% Asian

#26. Randolph County

- Economic connectedness: 0.72 - Median Income: $42,225 - Population: 18,442 --- 91.2% white --- 1% Black --- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.3% Asian

#25. Independence County

- Economic connectedness: 0.73 - Median Income: $50,028 - Population: 37,796 --- 86.7% white --- 1.9% Black --- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.8% Asian

#24. Logan County

- Economic connectedness: 0.73 - Median Income: $46,570 - Population: 21,299 --- 89.7% white --- 1.4% Black --- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 1.7% Asian

#23. Craighead County

- Economic connectedness: 0.73 - Median Income: $51,788 - Population: 109,875 --- 76.5% white --- 15.5% Black --- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 1.1% Asian

#22. Fulton County

- Economic connectedness: 0.73 - Median Income: $36,950 - Population: 12,072 --- 93.6% white --- 0.3% Black --- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.4% Asian

#21. Sebastian County

- Economic connectedness: 0.74 - Median Income: $50,226 - Population: 127,941 --- 71.6% white --- 6.1% Black --- 1% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 4.5% Asian

#20. Izard County

- Economic connectedness: 0.74 - Median Income: $45,318 - Population: 13,653 --- 90% white --- 0.9% Black --- 1.2% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0% Asian

#19. Greene County

- Economic connectedness: 0.74 - Median Income: $51,367 - Population: 45,665 --- 92.7% white --- 2.4% Black --- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.5% Asian

#18. Clay County

- Economic connectedness: 0.74 - Median Income: $39,817 - Population: 14,661 --- 95% white --- 0.6% Black --- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0% Asian

#17. Pope County

- Economic connectedness: 0.75 - Median Income: $47,322 - Population: 63,234 --- 87.6% white --- 2.5% Black --- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 1.2% Asian

#16. Franklin County

- Economic connectedness: 0.75 - Median Income: $42,128 - Population: 17,159 --- 91.8% white --- 0.8% Black --- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.8% Asian

#15. Cleveland County

- Economic connectedness: 0.76 - Median Income: $48,183 - Population: 7,632 --- 84.2% white --- 14.5% Black --- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0% Asian

#14. Newton County

- Economic connectedness: 0.76 - Median Income: $42,817 - Population: 7,343 --- 92.6% white --- 0.1% Black --- 2.8% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.1% Asian

#13. Boone County

- Economic connectedness: 0.77 - Median Income: $48,625 - Population: 37,445 --- 95.4% white --- 0.2% Black --- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.7% Asian

#12. Crawford County

- Economic connectedness: 0.77 - Median Income: $52,057 - Population: 60,483 --- 87.6% white --- 1.6% Black --- 1.2% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 1.3% Asian

#11. Perry County

- Economic connectedness: 0.77 - Median Income: $47,500 - Population: 10,056 --- 92% white --- 2.5% Black --- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.1% Asian

#10. Cleburne County

- Economic connectedness: 0.78 - Median Income: $48,400 - Population: 24,848 --- 95.6% white --- 0.3% Black --- 1% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.2% Asian

#9. Baxter County

- Economic connectedness: 0.79 - Median Income: $43,530 - Population: 41,476 --- 94.3% white --- 0.3% Black --- 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.3% Asian

#8. Saline County

- Economic connectedness: 0.8 - Median Income: $68,605 - Population: 122,308 --- 86% white --- 8.1% Black --- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 1.1% Asian

#7. White County

- Economic connectedness: 0.8 - Median Income: $46,345 - Population: 77,075 --- 89.6% white --- 4.5% Black --- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.8% Asian

#6. Madison County

- Economic connectedness: 0.8 - Median Income: $47,862 - Population: 16,496 --- 87.2% white --- 0.1% Black --- 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.6% Asian

#5. Washington County

- Economic connectedness: 0.81 - Median Income: $56,610 - Population: 242,793 --- 72.8% white --- 3.4% Black --- 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 2.7% Asian

#4. Grant County

- Economic connectedness: 0.82 - Median Income: $62,479 - Population: 17,912 --- 93.1% white --- 2.2% Black --- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 0.3% Asian

#3. Faulkner County

- Economic connectedness: 0.84 - Median Income: $54,845 - Population: 123,191 --- 81.2% white --- 11.8% Black --- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 1.2% Asian

#2. Lonoke County

- Economic connectedness: 0.85 - Median Income: $62,561 - Population: 73,824 --- 87.7% white --- 5.6% Black --- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 1% Asian

#1. Benton County

- Economic connectedness: 0.85 - Median Income: $76,887 - Population: 278,774 --- 77.3% white --- 1.8% Black --- 1.2% American Indian and Alaska Native --- 4.1% Asian

This story features data reporting and writing by Dom DiFurio and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

This story originally appeared on Wealth Enhancement Group and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

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Ysu unveils 3 finalists for provost.

YOUNGSTOWN — Finalists for the Youngstown State University provost seat are scheduled separately to visit open forums on three upcoming dates at Moser Hall.

In a provost search update announcement Monday, Alyson A. Gill, Ph.D., Jennifer A. Pintar, Ph.D., MPH, and Carolyn Smith Keller, Ph.D., were identified by YSU as the three finalists for the provost and vice president of Academic Affairs position with the university.

Pintar, current interim provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, will be the first to visit from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday in Room 2000 in Schwebel Auditorium. Gill will follow at the same time on Monday, then Smith Keller on April 30.

Alyson A. GILL

Most recently serving from 2021 to 2023 as provost for Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina, Gill holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Memphis, a Master of Arts degree in art history from the University of California-Irvine and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Trinity University.

Gill’s past administrative appointments include provost and chief academic officer, University of the Ozarks, Clarksville, Arkansas; associate provost for Instructional Innovation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; and founding director, Center for Digital Initiatives, Arkansas State University.

As for academic appointments, Gill also served as a professor, associate professor and instructor of art history and history of art and architecture at Lees-McRae College, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and Arkansas State University.

Gill also has been appointed to the following editorial positions: associate editor, Digital Applications in Archeology and Cultural Heritage, Elsevier Ltd., Oxford; editorial board, serving and archiving environments (SAVE), University of Virginia.

Gill’s resume presents numerous accomplishments, 15 grants and awards, and 12 publications contributed to, 31 academic presentations given, and several professional memberships and affiliations. Gill is part of the American School of Classical Studies of Athens, Greece, Appalachian College Association, Archaeological Institute of America, Council of Independent Colleges, and Omicron Delta Kappa.

In her cover letter to the university, Gill said she will focus on building toward the future; becoming a champion of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; faculty development and support; student success; and leadership path.

“As provost I have focused on building academic programs that are market-driven, building certificate programs that allow students to be even more competitive in the workforce and meet market needs, as well as launching key online graduate programs to create additional pathways for undergraduates and meeting larger regional and national demand,” Gill states in her letter. “These programs also have significantly increased enrollment in online programs, while also meeting the needs of our undergraduates — many of whom want to move seamlessly into graduate studies. I have also worked with my academic leadership team to build clear professional pathways for our students with other graduate institutions, focused on creating internship opportunities that are linked to career placement, and developed embedded certifications and micro credentials across the curriculum.”

Jennifer A. Pintar

Before being appointed interim provost and vice president for academic affairs earlier this year at YSU, Pintar had served as vice provost for academic administration and student outreach support since 2023. Additionally, Pintar was an associate provost for academic administration from 2017 to 2022.

Throughout her time with the university, Pintar also contributed to the human performance and exercise science program as an instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, professor and chairwoman, from 1999 to 2017.

“My tenure of over two decades at YSU has ingrained in me the ethos encapsulated by our tagline ‘Know Y,’ a principle that resonates deeply with my professional philosophy and aspirations,” Pintar states in her letter to the university. “As provost, the mission to inspire individuals, enhance futures, and enrich lives will continue to serve as the basis for making decisions to be the best YSU possible.”

Pintar received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Washington and Jefferson College of Pennsylvania in 1994. She later went on to earn her master’s in exercise physiology in 1995, Master of Public Health degree in epidemiology in 2004, and Ph.D. in exercise physiology in 2001, from the University of Pittsburgh.

Some of Pintar’s university service mentioned in her resume includes Health Care Advisory member, Health Safety Task Force member, Emergency Sick Leave Reserve Committee member, Academic Senate member, Labor Management member, University Curriculum member, Academic Standards member and Awards Committee member.

Pintar also served on the master’s thesis committee for Dublin City University, of Dublin, Ireland, from 2010 to 2011. She also was a master’s thesis committee member for YSU from 2012 to 2013.

Pintar listed 21 other academic committees, 21 grants received, 11 publications contributed to, and 15 academic presentations given throughout her career.

Her cover letter presents her interest in leadership and vision in academic administration, strategic planning and implementation, budget management and resource allocation, and a collaborative leadership style.

Pintar added, “I believe in collective achievement and would be proud to represent the outstanding faculty members at YSU who can and want to make a difference in the lives of so many within our campus and surrounding communities. My personal investment in YSU, as an administrator and a proud Penguin parent, underscores a profound and personal connection to the institution’s success.”

Carolyn Smith Keller

Smith Keller has served as an associate provost and professor of social sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville since 2022. Prior to her current appointments, Smith Keller was an assistant provost of graduate programs, assessment, teaching and distance learning from 2021 to 2022.

Other employment history listed on her resume includes assistant to associate professor of sociology with tenure at Keene State College, of Keene, New Hampshire; program coordinator of social science research methods at Keene State College; director of academic assessment at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville; and director of UW System Online Teaching and Learning Certificate Program for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

Smith Keller earned her bachelor’s in international relations and social relations from Michigan State University in 2005. She then went on to receive her master’s in sociology in 2008, master’s in Slavic and Eastern European studies in 2012, and her Ph.D. in sociology in 2012 from The Ohio State University.

Also in her resume, Smith Keller added 29 academic teams, committees and service organizations she has served and currently serves on since beginning her career in academic administration. Smith Keller added that she has participated in 27 academic presentations for universities, assisted in attaining 14 grants and fellowships, and has contributed to five finished academic publications.

Her professional membership listed from 2006 included the American Sociological Association, Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education, and American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies.

In her letter to the university, Smith Keller focused on academic experience, program innovation and evaluation, enrollment planning and budget management, and faculty support and development.

Smith Keller explained, “While recent challenges have placed perhaps an undesired limelight on YSU, given the current positive financial positioning of the university, this role provides an opportunity for a provost, under President (Bill) Johnson’s leadership, to listen to and work with faculty, staff and students, building on strengths and sharing those strengths in a way that resonates with potential students and families.”

She continued, “As we navigate unprecedented changes in higher education, the opportunities at YSU offer a chance to collaborate with faculty, staff, students, and the broader Youngstown community to foster the university’s growth and sustainability, ensuring a bright future.”

Have an interesting story? Contact Daniel Newman by email at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @TribDNewman.

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The School of Music is pleased to announce two new musical directors

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Kent, Ohio – The Hugh A. Glauser School of Music is pleased to welcome two new faculty members –   Matthew Swope  has been appointed as the Director of Choral Activities; Isaac Terceros  has been appointed as the Director of Orchestras. Both appointments will be effective August 2024. Swope brings with him a wealth of experience and a passion for choral music that we know will inspire and elevate our singers to new heights. He has taught classes at the University of Cincinnati, voice at Rollins College and has served as the Director of Choral Activities and Performing Arts Department Chair at Winter Park High School in Florida. 

“We are so excited to welcome Matthew Swope to our School of Music family,” said Dr. Sarah Labovitz , Director of the School of Music. “His musical talent, teaching background, and passion for music and music education make him well suited to lead our choral program into its next chapter. I know the students and community members that participate in our choral ensembles are going to have a fantastic experience and I look forward to seeing the wonderful things that happen under his leadership!”

In addition to conducting throughout the world, Terceros  is the founder and artistic director of the Santa Cruz Philharmonic in Bolivia. His abundance of knowledge and creativity, along with his enthusiasm to inspire and challenge our musicians will foster a culture of collaboration and growth in the Glauser School of Music. 

“The energy that Isaac Terceros brings to the classroom is infectious and the abundance of artistic and educational knowledge he has to share with our students is immense,” said Dr. Sarah Labovitz . “I cannot wait to see the impact he is going to have on our Kent State University Orchestra program and our greater musical community!”

Please join us in welcoming Matthew Swope and Isaac Terceros to our vibrant musical community at Kent State University!

Stay tuned for more details on upcoming rehearsals, performances, and opportunities to get involved with our choral and orchestra programs under this new leadership in the 2024-25 academic year.

About Matthew Swope

Matthew Swope is a D.M.A. candidate in Choral Conducting with a cognate in Musical Theatre at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He has taught classes at the University of Cincinnati and voice at Rollins College. For fourteen years, Matthew served as the Director of Choral Activities and Performing Arts Department Chair at Winter Park High School in Florida, overseeing a program consisting of eight curricular choirs and two contemporary a cappella groups. In addition, he has served as the May Festival Choral Conducting Fellow and on the music staff of Knox Presbyterian Church.

Ensembles under his direction have performed for state and regional conferences of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), Florida Music Education Association (FMEA) and National A Cappella Convention. Matthew has presented at conferences of ACDA, National Association for Music Education, FMEA and Ohio Music Education Association.

He received his M.M. in Voice Performance and Pedagogy, and B.A. degrees in Music and Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies from The Pennsylvania State University.

About Isaac Terceros

Isaac Terceros is the founder and artistic director of the Santa Cruz Philharmonic in Bolivia. He is also currently serving as Interim Artistic Director of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra in Indiana while completing his doctoral studies in orchestral conducting at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music under the mentorship of Maestros Arthur Fagen and Thomas Wilkins.

Mr. Terceros has conducted throughout the world, including several cities in South America, the United States, Germany, France, Hungary, and Romania, among other European countries. In Bolivia, he founded and conducted several ensembles, including the Santa Cruz Symphonic Band and the award-winning vocal ensemble Entrecantos. A passionate advocate for music education, he has taught at the Universidad Evangélica Boliviana and served in various cultural leadership roles, including on the Arts Council of Santa Cruz. In 2017, he was awarded the Youth Peace Prize in the Arts category, and in 2019, he received the Outstanding Young Person of Bolivia award from the Junior Chamber International.

His work with the Santa Cruz Philharmonic has received praise and recognition from audiences and press alike. Since its establishment in 2016, the Philharmonic has fast become an artistic pillar of the city and country, building strong relationships with civic institutions, businesses, and the general public. Concerts have had a strong educational and historical impact on the city, as many programs include premieres from the symphonic canon such as Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, pieces from the Latin American symphonic repertoire, and various popular productions such as A Gospel Celebration, A Tribute to John Williams, and the musical Les Misérables. Mr. Terceros' adventurous projects have harnessed the storytelling power, rich diversity, and universal relevance of music to engage new audiences.

Mr. Terceros holds a master's degree in instrumental conducting from the University of Central Arkansas and a bachelor's degree in orchestral and choral conducting from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil. Throughout his academic career, he has received numerous awards and grants for his research in music analysis, music technology, and choral conducting, and has published his findings in academic journals and conferences.

Photos: (left) Matthew Swope; (right) Isaac Terceros

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