Dr. Peter Ako Larbi, assistant professor of agricultural systems technology, has co-authored two articles for professional journals. "Modification and Field Evaluation of an Experimental Sweet Cherry Harvester" was in the Journal of Applied Engineering in Agriculture; the second, "A Study of Operator Performance for a Mechanical Sweet Cherry Harvester: Comparison between Manual and Remote-Controlled Operation" was in the Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health.

Dr. Sarath Nonis, professor of marketing, organized the “Doing Business International Exhibition,” where A-State students showcased business opportunities in various parts of the world. In addition to culture and other important information, the students' focus was on each country or region's competitive advantages, now and in the future. The event was hosted by the College of Business and Camfil Air Pollution Control.

David Hakenewerth assumed the duties of vice president of the Arkansas Association of Facilities Administrators (AAFA) during the group's recent meeting. Previously he was secretary for the group. Hakenewerth, energy conservation engineer in Facilities Management, will rotate into the office of president of AAFA next year and will serve the association during calendar year 2017. Arkansas State is due to host the AAFA meeting in the spring of 2017.

Dr. Paul Sikkel (shown with his team), associate professor of aquatic biology, co-authored a feature article for the Bulletin of Marine Science, "Micropredation by Gnathiid Isopods on Settlement-Stage Reef Fish in the Eastern Caribbean Sea." Combined with observations on damselfishes from the Pacific, findings suggest that gnathiids are capable of micropredation on larval fish at time of coral reef settlement, and micropredation should be further evaluated.

Dr. Justin Castro, assistant professor of history, was a speaker recently for the Arkansas Association of College History Teachers, which was meeting in Little Rock. For the panel on "Teaching through Place," he made a presentation about using scavenger hunts and Day of the Dead altars to increase cross-ethnic interaction in local communities and to teach about Latin American culture and history.