Judith Pfriemer, assistant professor of nursing, has been recognized for her efforts in applying the assessment principles of nursing practice to the strategies and techniques she uses in her classroom. For her demonstrated success, Pfriemer was selected by the Learning Outcomes Advisory Council and Office of Assessment as February "professor of the month" at A-State. She and a student explain more about assessment in a video.

Dr. Will McLean (right), associate professor of political science and department chair, attended Iowa caucuses with a former colleague from the University of Iowa and Dr. Shane Hunt, associate professor of marketing and business dean. The opportunity to observe what he called "retail politics on a large scale" should prove highly valuable in the future, and he wants to return with students. McLean noted how impressed he was with the level of citizens' engagement.

Researchers in engineering have proposed a new method for pulling small particles and cells toward a light source. The manipulation of microscopic and nanoscopic objects has produced many applications such as the optical tweezers used for manipulating biological cells and optical traps for cooling atoms. Nayan K. Paul and Dr. Brandon A. Kemp, associate professor of electrical engineering, have written a proof-of-concept analysis for the journal Optical Engineering, linked here.

A-State's Marketing and Communications Office was honored by Main Street Arkansas for its work with the Downtown Jonesboro Association (DJA) in creating Pack Pride Weekends. DJA and A-State shared Main Street Arkansas' award for "best special event." Executive director of marketing and communications Dr. Bill Smith and DJA director Hailey Knight received the award. Pack Pride Weekends promote Red Wolves football with downtown events, boosting participation and enthusiasm on campus and downtown.

A recent publication by former molecular biosciences Ph.D. student Sangwoong Yoon and his adviser Dr. Elizabeth Hood was cited by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications as a significant advance for biofuels. The paper, published in Transgenic Research, discusses a new technology for increasing the efficiency of using plant-derived cellulose for biofuels. ISAAA shares the benefits of crop biotechnology with various stakeholders. See the article abstract here.