Only two faculty members from each institution may apply for the annual Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award through Oak Ridge Associated Universities; to have both applicants selected in the same year is an achievement in itself.  Dr. Jonathan Merten, assistant professor of chemistry, is the second recipient along with Dr. Zahid Hossain, who was featured in last edition.  Merten’s study on which his award is based is “Pseudo-Continuum Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy for Fieldable Measurement of Uranium Enrichment.”  Congratulations to Merten and Hossain, Powe Award recipients for 2014.

Dr. Gregory Hansen, professor of folklore and English, spoke recently at the International Country Music Conference in Nashville.  Titled “The Origin Story of the ‘Orange Blossom Special’: Playing with Fiddlelore,” his presentation looked at how the Rouse Brothers wrote the song in the 1930s, then showed how it was popularized by Robert “Chubby” Wise during his 1940s stint with Bill Monroe. He illustrated how the tune is connected to a shift from traditional Southern string band music into the bluegrass fiddling style. The song achieved its greatest acclaim when Arkansas native Johnny Cash popularized it in a 1965 recording.

In a new video, Dr. J.D. Kelly, emeritus professor of music, explains his motivation for making his recent generous gift to the College of Fine Arts, making it possible for the college to acquire a nine-foot Steinway model D grand piano for Fowler Center’s Riceland Hall.  Hear Dr. Kelly’s comments and faculty response in the video. 

Executive director of marketing and communication Dr. Bill Smith was a keynote presenter to the Association of Louisiana Alumni Executives conference in Natchitoches earlier this month. His topic was best practices in social media for higher education professionals and the institutions they represent.  Executives of alumni organizations across the state along with University of Louisiana System president Dr. Sandra Woodley were among the attendees.

Ana Saucedo, Northwest Arkansas and Hispanic recruitment adviser in Student Affairs, participated in a roundtable discussion taped for Arkansas Educational Television Network’s monthly program “El Latino,” which focuses on issues of interest to the Latino community.  Panelists discussed financial aid for Latino students during the program, which is recorded in Spanish with English subtitles.  The segment will air on AETN Thursday, June 26, at 10:30 p.m., and will be online the following day.