Dr. Amanda Carpenter (left), assistant professor of occupational therapy, and Dr. Cameron Wimpy, assistant professor of political science, have received an Arkansas Biosciences Institute COVID-19 rapid response grant. They will be working with collaborators at NYITCOM to interview community stakeholders and develop a public health preparedness tool for emergency events. This phase of the project will serve as the pilot; the long-term goal is funding for disseminating the resource statewide.

Dr. M. Abrar Alam, associate professor of chemistry, and co-author Dr. David F. Gilmore, professor of microbiology, have had two manuscripts accepted describing the synthesis and antimicrobial properties of novel compounds. The articles, in Journal of Antibiotics and in Molecules, describe the synthesis and effectiveness of two families of pyrazole derivatives including compounds that are highly effective against drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Results are based on a patent awarded in March.

Dr. Anahita Izadyar, associate professor of chemistry, has been invited to review a textbook manuscript, Introduction to Green Chemistry, published by CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group. Izadyar developed a graduate-level green chemistry course in 2017 for Ph.D. and M.S. programs in environmental science. The interdisciplinary nature of the course helps students recognize how to apply principles and methods from one field to another.

Dr. Claudia Benavides Ambs, associate professor of sport management, was a participant in the virtual International Conference of Physical Culture and Sport, hosted by the University of Aguascalientes in Mexico. Her YouTube presentation has already drawn more than 2,100 views from at least nine countries. Because of the conference success, the university staff videotaped an interview with Benavides about the event's impact and quality.

A book by Dr. Justin Castro, associate professor of history and department chair, is being published in Spanish by Alternative Editorial based in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. The book is Apostle of Progress: Modesto C. Rolland, Global Progressivism and the Engineering of Revolutionary Mexico in Mexico; the translation is titled Apóstol del progreso: Modesto C. Rolland, el progresismo global y la ingeniería en el México posrevolucionario.