Tangents Summer 2023

SECOND TIME AROUND

Alumni faculty inspire ASMSA’s next generation

Earlier this summer, I had the tremendous honor to begin serving as President of the National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools Board of Directors. NCSSS provides a forum for specialized high schools focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines to exchange information and program ideas. The consortium now includes approximately 100 member high schools, many ranked among the best in the country, along with 55 affiliate and associate members (colleges, universities, summer programs, foundations, and corporations) located in 32 states and four countries that share the goals of transforming STEM education.

NCSSS was one of the first organizations I plugged into nearly two decades ago at the outset of my career in residential STEM education. Connecting with passionate teachers, support professionals, and administrators from a variety of residential, regional magnet, school-within-a-school, and other model programs has given me a space to not only share the incredible innovations and approaches that ASMSA’s community of learning develops but also to bring back new strategies, lessons, and ideas that further enrich and enhance our own community of learning.

A critical facet of ASMSA’s 2025 Strategic Plan is that we continue to focus on faculty growth and continuous improvement by offering expanded professional development, asserting leadership in instructional strategies, identifying contact points to interact with fellow educators, and sharing our best practices with national audiences. Through groups like NCSSS, the Arts Schools Network, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, National Association of College Admissions Counselors, as well as a host of other state, regional, and national professional organizations, ASMSA’s inspired faculty and staff are provided the funding, support, and encouragement to engage in the exchange of ideas that serve to bring new perspectives while rejuvenating our own love of learning.

ASMSA faculty are lauded for their excellence in classroom, pedagogy, and research. Beyond the residential experience, ASMSA’s educator development initiatives served more than 3,300 students and educators from across Arkansas this past year alone. It can be easy to think that what we do benefits only a small group of students on our Hot Springs campus, but I am constantly impressed at the variety of ways that our faculty and staff work to reshape and improve what education can be in Arkansas and beyond. That’s something worth sharing wherever we have the opportunity to go.

Director

Corey Alderdice

Dean of Academic Affairs

Stuart Flynn, J.D.

Dean of Students

Rheo Morris, Ph.D.

Director of Finance

Whitney Moore

Director of Admissions

Jason Hudnell

Director of Institutional Advancement

Ashley Bennett

Director of Human Resources and Campus Culture

Nia Rieves

Board of Visitors

Timothy Barnes, Chair

Marlene Battle, Pharm.D. (‘97), Vice Chair

Brian Reed, Secretary

Mary Alice Chambers

Fletcher T. West

Mary Zunick

Ex-Officio Representatives

Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education

Krystal Nail, Program Director, Office of Gifted and Talented and Advanced Placement

Arkansas Division of Higher Education

Ken Warden, Ed.D., Commissioner

Arkansas Economic Development Commission

Jennifer Fowler (‘04), Program Director, Arkansas NSF EPSCoR

Department of Arkansas Heritage

Patrick Ralston, Executive Director, Arkansas Arts Council

ASMSA Foundation Fund

Board of Ambassadors

Tricia Curreri, Chair

Association for Alumni and Friends of ASMSA

Amy Stvartak (‘11), Chair

ASMSA Governing Council

Patrycja Krakowiak, Ph.D., President

ASMSA Student Government

Daniel Nkunga (‘24), President

ASMSA Parents Advisory Council

Kelley Lammers, Ed.D., Chair

For more information about ASMSA, visit asmsa.org.

Questions? Call or text (501) 622-5235.

Writer and Graphic Design

Donnie Sewell

Corey Alderdice Director

Photography Mike Kemp

Passion for performance leads to national competition

Page 9 Sake

2 Service Driven

Matt Brown (‘00) is first alumni to serve in the state Legislature.

4 Get Better Every Day

Dr. Nathan Groot uses past lessons to help his students improve.

11 Sound Finances

A team of students win third place in national economic competition.

12 Scientific Reasoning

Three student scientists recognized at international science fair.

23 Saying Farewell

Two longtime faculty members retire after distinguished careers.

24 Longing for Home Student poet earns National Silver Key in writing competition.

On the Cover: Faculty members Dr. Zachery Cowsert (’05), Dr. Lindsey Waddell (’99), Dr. Jack Waddell (’99), and Josh Ulrey (’95) use their experience as ASMSA alumni to students’ advantage. Story on Page 14

#ASMSA

Brown first ASMSA graduate to serve in state Legislature Service Driven

Giving back to his community through service is nothing new for Matt Brown (’00).

As an attorney, Brown has served as coach for Conway High School’s mock trial team and worked with youth in the Faulkner County Teen Court. He was a member of the Conway Planning Commission, helping guide the city’s growth. He’s also served as a Justice of the Peace on the Faulkner County Quorum Court.

Brown has now added the title of State Representative to his list of accomplishments after being elected as a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives to represent District 55, which includes a large portion of Conway. He was officially sworn in during a ceremony in January.

While officially becoming a member of the 94th Arkansas General Assembly was exciting, what made it memorable was having his family there with him, his

grandmother in particular.

“What was special to me that day was the fact that my 91-year-old grandmother — the daughter of dirt-poor, Depression-era sharecroppers with only an eighthgrade education herself and the matriarch of a large extended family — got to come to the Capitol and see me, one of only a handful of people in my family to go to college, the first person in my family to get a graduate degree, and the first person in my family to ever run for office — get sworn into office. I thought it was kind of cool, and I only wish my grandpa could have been there to see it as well,” Brown said.

Election night was much more stressful than the day of his swearing in, Brown said. He felt that he had run a good campaign and was cautiously optimistic, but once the polls closed he had a small ball of stress lingering in the pit of his stomach at his watch party. Then, the early

District 55 State Rep. Matt Brown (‘00) visits with fellow legislators during the 94th Arkansas General Assembly this spring. Brown recently completed his first term in the Arkansas House of Representatives.

Photo courtesy of Arkansas House of Representatives

voting results were posted.

“My heart started beating fast, my adrenaline surged, and my hands started to tremble as I tried to scroll through the early vote results for my race. But when I finally got there and the numbers showed that I was ahead with such a margin that the day-of vote could not change the outcome, the sense of relief and excitement as the stress melted away, and hugging my little girls and them being so happy and excited for me even though they don’t yet fully comprehend what an election was or why I was excited, cannot be described,” he said.

Several people with ties to ASMSA have served in the state Legislature. A few include David Rainey, who was the school’s director from 1993 to 1995 and later served as a state representative; Dr. Johnnie Roebuck, a state representative and educator from Arkadelphia who was appointed to the school’s inaugural Board of Trustees and served throughout the 1990s; Charlie Cole Chaffin, who co-sponsored the bill that created ASMSA as a state senator and later taught chemistry at ASMSA; and Steve Faris, who served on the school’s Board of Visitors after several terms as a state representative and state senator.

Brown said being elected to the state House of Representatives was “a case of being at the right place at the right time.” He had not originally planned to run for the seat in 2022. Brown was serving as a Justice of the Peace on the Faulkner County Quorum Court when candidates began announcing their intentions.

The state went through a redistricting as the result of the 2020 Census, changing the lines for districts in both the state Senate

and House. The previous office holder announced he was going to run for the state Senate, leaving the seat without an incumbent. The new District 55 included almost Brown’s entire JP district.

“I also ended up being the only elected official living within District 55 who was in a position to run for the seat. I thought that if I didn’t at least try, I’d probably always regret it and would always wonder ‘what if.’ So I threw my hat in the ring, and the rest is history,” the Republican legislator said.

After graduating from ASMSA, Brown attended Hendrix College followed by the Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Before coming to ASMSA, Brown had a passing interest in law but was keener on medical school.

“AP Chemistry at ASMSA soon disabused me of that notion,” Brown said. “But while I was at ASMSA, I discovered that I had a talent for research and writing, which in turn led me to the humanities and ultimately to a legal career. The classes that had the biggest impact on my future, without a doubt, were the writing classes, both for college, law school and my career as I practically write for a living now.”

His work focuses primarily on corporate, banking, and real estate law. Brown has enjoyed politics since middle school, but serving as a state representative wasn’t initially on his list of goals.

He planned to eventually seek a district or circuit court judge position, both of which are elected positions in Arkansas.

“Therefore, I got involved in local politics both because I liked politics and to also try to start learning the political process and to start making connections for a possible eventual judge run,” said Brown, whose initial foray into government was as a member of the Conway Planning Commission.

“When the Justice of the Peace seat opened up for my district, I thought that there could be no better way to learn how to run a campaign for office than to actually run for office. So I ran for Justice of the Peace and won (in 2020).”

Brown credits his time at the school for leading him to where he is now

“I think I can safely say that but for ASMSA, I likely wouldn’t be where I am today,” Brown said. “Although I did well academically at my home high school, I never really fit in and was never part of the whole high school ‘scene.’ I just really felt like I was going through the motions until graduation.

“ASMSA changed all of that. I went from a school with 1,200 students to one with only 200, from being just another anonymous face in the crowd to being a part of a community. ASMSA taught me how to come out of my shell, taught me how to get along with people from all kinds of backgrounds and taught me how to be confident. I really feel like the school did more to make me the person I am today than any other school I ever attended.”

‘I think I can safely say that but for ASMSA I likely wouldn’t be where I am today. I really feel like the school did more to make me the person I am today than any other school I ever attended.’

State Rep. Matt Brown (‘00)

Get Better Every Day

Dr. Nathan Groot learned an important lesson from a former music teacher as a young person learning to play the viola — focus on improving each day.

Groot began playing the viola in 2003. He and his twin sister started taking lessons from a local music teacher in their small Tennessee hometown on a whim and “because our grandpa always wanted someone in the family to play the fiddle.”

Groot — who now serves as conductor of ASMSA’s String Ensemble and as a music instructor — chose to learn the viola to be different from his sister who chose the violin. After a year of playing, they formed a bluegrass band with some fellow elementary school children called the Pint-Sized Pickers.

“I didn’t tell anyone that my ‘fiddle’ was actually a viola,” he said.

Eventually his parents were no longer able to afford to pay for lessons, but he tried to continue playing without a teacher because he enjoyed it. A local retired violinist heard about their situation and offered the siblings free lessons. His new teacher had been the first violinist in the President’s Own String Quartet for the Nixon and Carter administrations.

One of the lessons the teacher shared was, “It’s not about practicing for some performance; it’s about becoming just a little bit better each day.” Groot took that lesson to heart.

“There’s something meditative to playing an instrument. Focusing on constant and incremental improvement each day on any skill can be incredibly rewarding. The longer I stuck with the viola, the more it came to become a part of my identity,” Groot said.

The teacher’s generosity allowed Groot to improve rapidly and eventually join a local string ensemble in a town about 45 minutes away. That experience lead to a professor from the town’s local university encouraging him to apply for the school’s music program. Going to a four-year university for any subject wasn’t in his plans.

I’ve found in recent years that I really enjoy playing music by living composers. I think there’s something very special about interpreting a piece of music and knowing that I can ask the composer directly about their own work.

“It wasn’t something our family had done, and it was far too expensive,” Groot said. “But the professor was persuasive, and I did apply and audition. He gave me a full scholarship to attend, and it changed my life entirely. That opportunity to attend college led me to graduate school, performances in the U.S. and Europe, and eventually this position as a music teacher.”

There is something that just feels cleansing and rejuvenating about his music. When the pandemic hit and we were all stuck inside, I often alternated playing Bach, going for a walk and then playing some more Bach to help stay sane.

He proposed adding the Applied Lessons course, which allowed him to help individual students improve in the same way his former teacher had helped him.

want to just play music, we have to prioritize technique first.”

The String Ensemble is a relatively new musical group at ASMSA. When Groot started in the fall of 2022, he didn’t know what to expect. There were no guarantees on the number of each instruments (violin 1, violin 2, viola, cello, and bass) would be balanced.

“All of these variables meant that I had to be ready to improvise. When the semester started, I was pleasantly surprised. I had a good number of skilled cellists, a really strong violist, and some very motivated and talented violinists,” he said.

He was missing a bass player, but he soon remedied that by teaching a flute player from the Wind Ensemble how to play the bass. She learned so quickly that she joined the ensemble in the spring.

He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a bachelor’s degree in viola performance and pedagogy followed by a master’s degree in music performance for viola from Miami University in Ohio and a Doctor of Musical Arts in music performance for viola from the University of Georgia, where he was a Presidential Fellow in 2022.

Groot just completed his first year at ASMSA leading the String Ensemble as well as teaching an array of courses that included Applied Lessons. The position was added this year as a reflection of the growth of the music program and student interest in strings.

“I started teaching individual lessons in my free periods and lunches when I first arrived in August. I felt that it should be added as a course. Through it, I’ve been able to teach beginning string players the basics of their instrument and help refine the technical skills of more advanced players.”

The course also includes having technique tests as part of his course curriculum. He said that was among the biggest challenges and adjustments his students had to make initially. The goal of the test was to help them understand that repertoire must follow technique in terms of difficulty.

“Just like athletes go to the gym to train, musicians must build and maintain their technique. So, even though we (myself included) really

“I’ve never seen students grow and learn more quickly than here at ASMSA. I think that one thing that makes teaching String Ensemble at ASMSA special is the unique level of motivation and drive that the students have. They are very bright and are extremely teachable,” he said.

The String Ensemble had 15 members in the spring and lost only two to graduation. Groot would like to see the group grow in numbers —hopefully double in the coming years — as well as in technical and musical ability. His other goal is to continue supporting the students in their growth as musicians.

“Playing an instrument is very hard and very few people can do it without constant guidance from a teacher. Through Applied Lessons and technique assignments in String Ensemble, I hope to support them in that journey to build a solid technical foundation.”

Who are your favorite composers to listen to or to play?

Rebecca Clarke, an early 20th century violist and composer who composed his favorite piece to play in 1919: Sonata for Viola and Piano

J.S. Bach, 18th century German composer

Two 2023 grads named Gates Scholars

Trenton Noel (’23) and Jaden Williams (’23) were awarded The Gates Scholarship for the Spring 2023 cycle.

The scholarship is sponsored by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Gates Scholarship is a highly selective, last-dollar scholarship for outstanding minority high school seniors from low-income households.

Scholars receive funding for the full cost of attendance — including tuition, fees, room, board, books, and transportation — that is not already covered by other financial aid and the expected family contribution as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or the methodology used by the scholar’s college or university.

Noel said he was going to originally apply for the QuestBridge program, which matches lowincome students with prestigious colleges and universities across the country. He chose to apply for The Gates Scholarship instead.

“I didn’t want to be bound to a school I wasn’t excited about. A part of me wanted to attend school in a big city, especially a (Historically Black College or University),” Noel said.

Receiving The Gates Scholarship allowed him to pursue that dream by earning acceptance to Howard University in Washington, D.C., where Noel will enroll in the fall.

“Without The Gates Scholarship, I would have pursued a full-ride opportunity at a college that was nowhere near my first choice,” he said.

Noel recalled the night in April when he received notification that he had been awarded the scholarship.

“I will never forget the way my friends and I screamed because they all knew what this scholarship would mean for my future. I was

up all night calling each and every family member. Listening to their tears of joy made me realize what I had accomplished.”

Williams said he learned about The Gates Scholarship on TikTok where his feed was focused on scholarships.

“I always receive TikToks from my Mom that talk about the different sorts of scholarships, and it typically consists of criteria and rewards. I decided to apply for it when I started asking staff members about it and they were encouraging to the idea,” he said.

This fall, Williams will attend Johns Hopkins University. He had already been accepted to the school through an early-decision process. While the scholarship didn’t influence where he chose to go, it was an important development in his pre-college career.

“Receiving this scholarship is a

big deal for me because it essentially covers everything. I never wanted to place a burden upon my family on undergraduate school. This scholarship ensured my family that we wouldn’t have to stress about the costs of school,” Williams said.

Williams received the news about the scholarship on the same evening as Noel. He was with a couple of friends during study hours.

“I was telling them how nervous I was because it was storming and I believed that to be a sign of bad luck. They were assuring me that I was going to get it. So I finally opened my application portal where it stated ‘Start Acceptance,’ and I was so nervous that I was so confused. Then an email popped up saying, ‘Congratulations! You have been selected as a Gates Scholar!’” he said.

He and his friends began

Jaden Williams (‘23), left, will attend Johns Hopkins University this fall while Trenton Noel (‘23) will enroll at Howard University.

screaming, jumping, and hugging each other.

He immediately called his parents, who also began screaming and crying when he shared the news.

Then he started receiving phone calls from various family members after his parents shared the news.

When he found out Noel had received the scholarship as well, he ran to Noel’s room to celebrate.

The Gates Scholarship was another example of hard work and research paying off for Williams. In total, he received $4.86 million in scholarship offers from 39 institutions. He had already been offered $90,000 a year at Johns Hopkins University.

The offer included a work-study requirement for additional costs, which The Gates Scholarship will now cover.

“Hopkins was my dream institution, ranking number one in the world for Public Health, which is one of my intended majors, the other being neuroscience. Also, the extensive amount of grants outside of what they already covered (which they) offered me to study abroad with all expenses paid really made my choice clear that this is where I belonged,” he said.

All of the scholarship and grant opportunities offered to him reflect the recognition for his dedication, hard work, and abilities, Williams said.

He scoured numerous scholarship databases and websites searching for opportunities, narrowing down his choices and identifying universities that aligned with his academic goals and inspirations during the summer of 2022 and his senior year.

Many of them will provide opportunities for personal and intellectual growth, open doors to new experiences and foster connections with mentors and likeminded individuals.

“I’ve been blessed with countless opportunities I’ve been presented with,” Williams said.

Debate team earns charter status with National Speech and Debate Association

ASMSA has been designated as a charter member of the National Speech and Debate Association.

The achievement is the highest honor the organization offers. Schools earn the designation in the organization’s Honor Society through outstanding participation over the past three years by students and educators in activities such as speech and debate competition, community service, and leadership activities.

“This team was started by students over a year and a half ago,” said Tonya Reck, ASMSA’s debate instructor and coach of the Debate Team. “Starting new endeavors is always a challenge, and this has been an adventure. Our charter member status was achieved by every student who was brave enough to walk through the door, willing to take an academic risk, sign up for a debate tournament, and pour in hours of research.

“It’s been the students willing

to take the wins with the losses because no one wins everything all the time. It’s been the students who come back, again and again, to be better and better. Charter member status shows that we are growing as a new team. We are growing in our numbers, our participation, and our achievements. It shows that this is a team the students have built from the ground up. I’m so honored to be on their team.”

ASMSA was among 22 schools nationwide to earn charter status this year. The National Speech and Debate Association is the largest interscholastic speech and debate organization serving middle school, high school, and collegiate students in the United States. It provides competitive speech and debate activities, high-quality resources, comprehensive training, scholarship opportunities, and advanced recognition to more than 140,000 students and coaches every year.

Members of the ASMSA Debate Team display some of the trophies they won during the 2022-23 academic year.

Speaking Her Mind

Pirtle (‘23) wins state poetry title, attends national contest

Waiting backstage at the Poetry Out Loud National Championship, Drew Pirtle (’23) was a bundle of nerves. Once she stepped out onto the stage for her turn to perform, however, that nervousness dissipated.

“Surprisingly, taking the stage at nationals was calming. As soon as I walked onto the stage, I felt confident. Looking out into the crowd, it felt good to be sharing what I could do and seeing how other champions reacted.”

Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country, according the program’s website.

Students recite selected poetry before a group of judges who score the students’ performance and recitation accuracy.

The national competition was held at the Lisner Auditorium in Washington, D.C., on May 8-10. Pirtle qualified for the national competition by winning the Poetry Out Loud Arkansas State Championship in March.

She was one of seven competitors from schools statewide to participate in the competition, which was sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Division of Arkansas Heritage.

Pirtle earned a spot in the state competition by winning the school’s Poetry Out Loud competition earlier this spring. Layla Lammers (’23) also competed in the state competition as one of two alternates after placing second in the school competition.

Preparing for the national competition was more challenging compared to her preparation for

the state competition. She knew Nationals would include the best competitors from each U.S. state and territory.

“I decided to ask for more help. I asked people who have competed in past competitions, judges, teachers, friends — any help I could get. I also really studied each poem thoroughly again to see if I could switch up the way I recited it previously.

Pirtle recited “You, If No One Else” by Tino Villanueva and translated by James Hoggard, “Before the Birth

of One of Her Children” by Anne Bradstreet, and “Always Something More Beautiful” by Stephen Dunn. She chose the poems for a variety of reasons.

“I chose the first poem because I liked the message it gave,” Pirtle said. “The style of the poetry was similar to the speeches I would give for competitions at home, making it easier for me to connect with the poem.

“I chose the second poem because it shocked me. One of the criteria is that we had to choose

Drew Pirtle (‘23) has competed in speaking competitions for a number of years. She said words are powerful, encouraging others to overcome their fears about speaking in public by participating in similar contests.

Oaklawn Foundation grant benefits restoration

ASMSA received a $100,000 grant from the Oaklawn Foundation in February for the Selig Hall restoration project.

The grant was dedicated for the Selig Hall Auditorium as part of a $5.5 million restoration of the former St. Joseph Hospital convent and chapel complex, which was completed in September 2022. The project converted the spaces into additional residential housing for students, a campus mental health hub with offices for professional counseling staff, a new student union, and an auditorium. The renovated facility is named in honor of former Hot Springs Mayor Helen Selig.

“The Oaklawn Foundation and its dedicated board of community advocates have played a critical role in promoting wellness and educational opportunities throughout Hot Springs,” said Corey Alderdice, ASMSA’s director. “ASMSA is grateful for the support of the Oaklawn Foundation toward the restoration of the former chapel as the Selig Hall Auditorium. We are excited to bring this space back to its former beauty while having another place for students to gather and welcome the community onto our campus for programs, concerts, and events.”

Sam Stathakis Jr., who serves as the chair of the Oaklawn Foundation board, said it was these kind of projects for which the foundation was created.

“This (project) really fits into what we do as a foundation to support great institutions like ASMSA. It’s an honor for us to participate in this project in this way,” Stathakis said.

a poem written before the 20th century. Most poems that I found in that category didn’t resonate with me, and I needed to figure out how to make myself sound convincing in this poem. But ‘Before the Birth of One of Her Children’ made me cry.

“I chose the third poem because I liked the hidden message. The poem starts with a runner discussing a race they ran and how they would often become distracted. Even though they would become distracted, they stuck with the course, learning to do the same with any course in life.”

Sticking with the course could be the description of how Pirtle came to compete in ASMSA’s event. Pirtle placed second in ASMSA’s 2022 competition before winning this year’s school competition. She began competing in similar competitions at a young age.

“I have participated and performed in speech and poetry since I was eight. It would be awesome to share that talent with my peers here,” she said. “My parents were the ones who first introduced me to this craft. They have seen almost every performance I have done.”

That’s why it was important that at least one of her parents accompanied her on the trip to nationals. It was harder for them to see her perform while she attended ASMSA because of the distance. “We all agreed at least one of them needed to attend nationals since it is such an accomplishment,” she said.

Pirtle had been to D.C. once on a

school trip while in fifth grade. On this trip, she and her father took advantage of visiting several local sites.

They visited local bakeries and cafés, since they were her favorite, as well as taking time to visit parts of the Smithsonian Institution.

Part of the national competition experience is watching the fellow competitors recite their poems.

“As a spectator, the competition was unreal. What was nice about the competition was that we all met each other beforehand, whether through social media or at the actual meet-and-greet. Even though we all were competing against each other, there was a feeling of camaraderie. We all supported each other on and off the stage. I would relive the moment if I could,” she said.

“My favorite contestant to listen to was Maryland. She wasn’t in my region, so I only heard her speak during the final. My jaw was just open every time she finished a poem; everyone was left in awe when she spoke.”

Pirtle encourages others to not let their fear of public speaking keep them from participating in speaking competitions such as Poetry Out Loud or others.

“A lot of people think that what I do is scary. I remember when (James) Katowich (a humanities Instructor of Excellence at ASMSA) told my class that public speaking is a common fear and that more people fear speaking public [than they] fear sharks. Words are powerful, and I encourage others to become more confident and speak.”

‘Surprisingly, taking the stage at Nationals was calming. As soon as I walked onto the stage, I felt confident. Looking out into the crowd, it felt good to be sharing what I could do and seeing how other champions reacted.’

Drew Pirtle (‘23)

Team places 3rd in national finance contest

Beatrice Nknuga (’23), Ai’Yanna Tombs (’23), and Daniel Nkunga (’24) took third place at the National Personal Finance Challenge held June 5 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland in Ohio.

Thirty-three teams competed for the title. Each team had two hours to review a detailed fictitious family case study and develop a presentation. They then presented it to the assembled judges. The teams were divided into four groups with one team from each group advancing to the final round.

The team earned their spot in the national contest by winning the Arkansas Personal Finance Challenge sponsored by Economics Arkansas in April.

The state competition was similar to the national competition. It challenged students to review a fictitious case study of a family’s financial situation, collaborate to find a solution, and prepare a presentation of suggestions for the family.

This year’s case study involved a newlywed couple with two different lifestyles merging families within a limited financial framework. The groom was a long-term bachelor accustomed to living a bachelor lifestyle while taking care of his mother who resides in an assisted living facility. The bride was a single mother of two children with large financial debt and little savings while trying to find a balance between providing the necessities and offering her family some funfilled experiences.

The team had to provide a viable financial plan for the family that would allow them to address the debt while maintaining appropriate housing and transportation.

“We tried to put ourselves in the family’s shoes,” said Beatrice Nkunga. “We understand that some of their decisions seemed ridiculously expensive, but we also felt that it was important to note that in life

there has to be a balance between happiness and survival. The family was not too far gone!

“Using resources like budgetestimating websites, finding reallife houses and researching helpful money saving skills, we came up with a financial plan that could help them regain that balance between survival and finding joy in their new and changing life.”

Daniel Nkunga said that during his research for the project he approached the situation as if the couple were real people in a tough situation.

He wanted to make sure that the changes the team suggested for the couple’s lifestyle wouldn’t affect their quality of life too greatly.

“When doing research, my focus was on using things within our designated area. When we decided to have them move into the Little Rock area, for example, all of my future research was focused on using vendors and suppliers more specifically within about twenty minutes of their residence,” he said.

Tombs was a member of the ASMSA team that won the Arkansas Economic Challenge, also sponsored by Economics Arkansas

earlier this spring. That experience influenced her decision to compete in the Personal Finance Challenge.

“I really enjoyed being presented with a problem and fixing it by looking at it from a new perspective. And because I enjoyed the economic perspective, I believed my new knowledge would transfer to the Personal Finance Challenge,” Tombs said.

Tombs reached out to the Nkunga siblings about joining her team. A second ASMSA team for the competition was already full. She was comfortable taking a leadership role for the team.

“I would like to think that I was the delegator and organizer of the team. If there was something to be researched, rearranged or written, I was on it,” said Tombs, who was also named Arkansas Economics Student of the Year.

Beatrice Nkugna said she was very excited to hear the state final results.

“There is also something so thrilling about winning with a group, especially when that group consists of one of your best friends and your brother. I wouldn’t have celebrated that win with anyone else!” she said.

Beatrice Nkunga (‘23), Daniel Nkunga (‘24) and Ai’Yanna Tombs (‘23) competed in the National Personal Finance Challenge in June. They earned the opportunity to represent Arkansas by winning the state competition this spring.

Students earn awards at Regeneron ISEF

Three ASMSA students earned recognition at the 2023 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair.

The team of Amanda Navarro (’23) and Charis Xiong (’23) won a Third Grand Award in the Plant Sciences category for their project “Development of a Novel AI Soybean Root-Knot Nematode Stress Assessment Model in Soybean Plants (Both Field and Home-Grown).”

Shreyam Tripathi (’23) won a Fourth Grand Award in the Translational Medical Science category for his project “Investigating the Role of Rev1 in Maintaining Accurate DNA Replication Past G4 Containing Regions in the Leading and Lagging Strands.”

ISEF is the world’s largest pre-college STEM competition that features more than 1,800 high school students from around the world. The competition was held May 14-19 in Dallas, Texas. Tripathi qualified for the competition at the West Central Regional Science Fair held at ASMSA in February while Navarro and Xiong earned their trip at the Arkansas State Science and Engineering Fair held March 31-April 1. Eight ASMSA students competed at ISEF.

Navarro and Xiong’s project focused on developing a computer software program that can help soybean farmers determine whether their crops have been infected by Southern Root-Knot Nematodes, microscopic roundworms that act as parasites and cause devastating damage to crops worldwide.

They grew soybean plants in potting pots — some infected with the nematodes and others without. They photographed the plants throughout their growth. Data was also collected from plants grown in a field for comparison. The photos were placed into a studentbuilt network to see if a computer could recognize and classify soybean plants infected with the nematodes from the ones without the disease.

Both Navarro and Xiong said they weren’t confident they would receive any recognition at the contest. During the judging day, they were visited by four judges in 15-minute increments. While other competitors received additional visits from other judges, they did not.

“I felt the 15 minutes weren’t enough at times and that we couldn’t express the depth and entirety of the project,” Xiong said. “At the time, I didn’t think we did entirely too well because a lot of judges came by for special awards or to listen to a project again at other projects, and none of them came by our booth. So we concluded that our project didn’t rank high enough to be considered for either special or general ranking awards.”

Navarro said that feeling carried over to the overall awards ceremony two days later. Their name being announced for a Third Award was unexpected.

“My initial reaction when I heard my name called for a third place in the plant science category was shock,” Navarro said. “(We) had zero expectations of winning anything because we felt as though our judging rounds didn’t go so well. After they announced fourth-place winners, I had actually tried toning it all out.

“When they called our names, we literally jumped out of our seats and ran up on the stage in pure excitement. It felt really good to know that we had really placed and that I should never doubted our research in the first place.”

Xiong said she was equally surprised. “I was in shock because I wasn’t expecting our project to win against so many other interesting, great plant science projects. Afterwards, Amanda and I were insanely excited and proud that our project had made it so far and that we could represent ASMSA up on stage,” she said.

Both of them said it was nerve-wracking and exciting to be up on the stage in front of everyone. Xiong said they took a selfie while up there because it “was

The team of Amanda Navarro (‘23) and Charis Xiong (‘23) won a Third Grand Award for their plant sciences project.

Shreyam Tripathi (‘23) took a Fourth Grand Award for his project that studied an aspect of DNA replication.

a once-in-a-lifetime experience” while Navarro said, ‘When I got up there, I couldn’t stop shaking from excitement and pure shock.”

Tripathi’s project focused on the replication of the G-quadraplex (G4), a secondary structure that genomic DNA adopts and plays a vital part in cellular regulation. He focused on the importance of Rev1 in G4 DNA replication as well as the importance of the placement of the G4 motif within a certain gene.

Tripathi said he wasn’t confident at all after the initial judging phase. The first judge he interacted repeatedly interrupted him with questions that seemed very loosely related to the project.

That was the first of 10 judges overall including Grand Awards and Special Awards who Tripathi interacted with that day.

“I was genuinely not expecting to win anything at all,” Tripathi said. “The experience I had with the first judge really shattered my hopes of receiving any award because when I spoke to other ASMSA finalists they said that their judging went very well and that they had some hopes of winning something.”

During the Grand Awards ceremony, Tripathi said he tried to distract himself.

“I actually opened up my phone and started playing Subway Surfers as a coping mechanism. When the announcer said ‘From Hot Springs, Arkansas,’ everyone from ASMSA immediately started looking at me, and my head immediately turned to look up at the big screen. When my name was announced, I was in complete shock because I was not expecting it at all. It felt like I was dreaming,” he said.

“I was actually shaking on stage, and I couldn’t stay still. When I took my phone out to take a picture, my hands were shaking. Being in front of all those people and all the production cameras made me feel almost like a movie star. I felt so relieved that all of my hard work paid off and all that work actually resulted in me standing on that stage.”

Wind Ensemble achieves first Sweepstakes award

The ASMSA Wind Ensemble achieved its first overall Superior rating in Concert Assessment in school history during the Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Region II Concert Contest in March.

This was only the second time that ASMSA’s band has participated in the Concert Assessment, the first being in Spring 2022. The Wind Ensemble also earned a Superior rating in the sight-reading category. It was the second year in a row the group received the top rating in that category.

“The students have shown dedication and true patience to finetune our performance works and to bring their best to each performance this year,” said Dr. Thomas Dempster, the Wind Ensemble’s director. “For the students, this is a great achievement, particularly for those many students in the ensemble who have never taken part in a Concert Assessment performance. This is also special for our seniors, many of whom did not take part in an in-person assessment at their sending schools prior to ASMSA.

“This accomplishment is a

benchmark for the music program — and the students know it and realize it, and it creates a stand I aspire to maintain year to year. For them, scoring Superiors on stage and on sight-reading is even sweeter because they’ll be forever attached to the program as the first band to ever achieve that here in the school’s 30-year history.”

There are five levels of ratings a band may earn from its performance at an assessment competition with Superior being the highest rating. Schools earn a Sweepstakes Award for earning Superior ratings in both the concert and sight-reading categories.

ASMSA’s Sweepstakes Award qualified it to compete at the state competition in April. It was the first time the school participated in the state competition. The Wind Ensemble placed fourth among Class 3A programs from across Arkansas at the state competition.

“It’s my hope that this achievement shows the rest of the state that the music program is strong and that we will provide apt challenges and opportunities for all student musicians,” Dempster said.

Lessons Learned

Alumni faculty members use their experience to students’ advantage

When the Arkansas School for Mathematics and Sciences opened in August 1993, it provided a unique opportunity for high-achieving students from across the state.

Many of them had, perhaps, exhausted upper-level classes at their sending school, which they thought would propel them to the colleges or universities they wanted to attend. Few, if any, had lived away from home for an extended amount of time. None of them truly understood what was in store for them.

ASMS evolved into the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts when it joined the University of Arkansas System in 2004. Just over a decade after its opening, the institution officially added “the Arts” not only to its name but to the school’s mission as well.

In some ways, the name change was overdue. Many of the school’s nearly 3,000 alumni — including those from the school’s ASMS years — share that the institution’s humanities courses are among the most memorable.

Regardless of whether they were a “science,” “math,” or “humanities” kid while attending the school, however, graduates all share stories about their favorite faculty members — whether they introduced students to a new topic, served as a mentor for their research projects, or were a sounding board for whatever they had on their minds.

Several alumni eventually have become teachers themselves. They may return to their hometowns to teach in the local school, private schools, abroad, or join the faculty of a college or university. A few of them even return to their alma mater. That includes four current members of ASMSA’s faculty — Josh Ulrey (’95), Dr. Jack Waddell (’99), Dr. Lindsey Waddell (’99), and Dr. Zachery Cowsert (’08).

As ASMSA approaches its 30th anniversary, we asked them to reflect on their time here as a student, why they came back to ASMSA to teach, and what it is like working with today’s students.

Ulrey was a member of the Charter Class who were the first students to learn to call ASMSA home in 1993. He attended Flippin High School prior to coming to Hot Springs. While Flippin was a relatively good school, he would have run out of appropriate classes to take by the end of his junior year, he said.

“I adjusted to ASMSA pretty quickly. Homesickness was never an issue for me, and while the classes were definitely harder than at my home school, I was ready for the challenge,” Ulrey said. “Attending ASMSA was a life-changing experience for me, as I’m sure it is for nearly everyone who attends. As a student from a very small school, attending ASMSA opened doors for me that would have never been opened otherwise, and I will always be grateful for that.

“It’s the reason I came back to work here, and it’s the reason I continue to work here. There are many kids in Arkansas right now who are in the same situation that I was 30 years ago, and ASMSA could change their lives the same way it did mine.”

After graduating with the first class in 1995, Ulrey went to University of Arkansas with a plan to major in political science and history and eventually go to law school.

He already had a strong interest in math before coming to ASMSA but had never considered it as a potential career path. Even in college, he continued to take math courses because he enjoyed them. By the end of his sophomore year, he decided to change his major to math.

He graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2001 with both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in mathematics. He was about a month away from moving to start a Ph.D.

See Ulrey, Page 20

Josh Ulrey (’95) Mathematics Instructor

‘There are many kids in Arkansas right now who are in the same situation I was 30 years ago, and ASMSA could change their lives the same way it did mine.’

Waddell returned to ASMSA to teach physics in 2011. He and his spouse, Dr. Lindsey Waddell (’99), loved Hot Springs National Park and wanted a chance to return to it. He fondly remembered spending part of his time as a student exploring the park.

“There were so many trails to hike with different views, plants, and animals. There was the creek. There was the downtown and Bathhouse Row. None of these were environments I had available to me before coming here,” said Waddell, who came to ASMSA from Arkadelphia.

The other reason was for the academic culture. After graduating from the University of Michigan with a Master’s of Science and Ph.D. in physics, he taught at the university as well as Grand Valley State University. He had also interviewed at some small liberal arts colleges.

“I wanted to return to the community and culture I missed — a community of authentic curiosity. What I found is that it was difficult to find the type of academic balance that I wanted — a focus on teaching students who are interesting and interested with a remaining opportunity for research and creative projects but without the pressure to generate grants and papers,” he said.

It’s important for students from across the state to still get to experience the academic opportunities that ASMSA offers, he said. As a high school sophomore who was an admitted math and science kid, he was immediately enthralled with the idea of attending the school.

Besides local district public schools and private schools, options were limited for pursuing advanced

See J.Waddell, Page 21

Dr. Jack Waddell (’99) Physics Instructor of Excellence

‘We work hard to provide for both students who have benefited from prior academic preparation and those from areas with resources too limited to have met their needs.’

Chemistry Instructor of Excellence

Waddell had actually lived a short time in ASMSA residential space that was housed in the former St. Joseph Hospital before attending the school. She attended two Academic Enrichment for Gifted/Talented in Summer (AEGIS) programs in the summers before her ninth- and 10th-grade years that included stops at ASMSA during their travels around the state. Those stays made her aware of the school and help set her sights on eventually attending it.

She had another jump start of attending the school by taking a geometry course at ASMSA over the summer before her junior year. It wasn’t unusual for her to be away from home over the summer, and the experience helped her adjust to life on campus more quickly.

“I loved summer camp, and I had usually attended multiple camps every summer, so ASMSA was really like an extended summer camp experience for me. I worked harder than I ever had before and got very little sleep in order to ensure that I kept the quality of my work high, but I also got to share the experience with interesting people from across the state, explore a national park and a new city, and participate in lots of fun weekend activities and trips,” she said.

Some of those activities were included in her most memorable course she took as a student — Advanced Placement Environmental Science. The course included lots of field trips and outdoor activities, such as monitoring Whittington Creek. She has used those experiences as a guide for her own class activities.

“In my own teaching of Environmental Geology/

See L.Waddell, Page 20

Dr. Lindsey Waddell (’99) Geosciences &

‘In general, I try to build in as many field trips and experiences into my courses as possible because those are what I believe students will most remember.’

Cowsert has the distinction of belonging to the cadre of alumni who attended the school who were not primarily interested in math or science.

“I was (and remain) a humanities kid, and despite the school’s title, I was fortunate to take a number of great classes at ASMSA that furthered my interest in the humanities and history, including courses on the American Civil War, Twentieth Century America, and World Religions. With ASMSA fanning the flames, my passion for history eventually led me to graduate school and a doctorate in 19th century U.S. history,” he said.

He viewed many of his teachers as role models and mentors who had genuine interest in his success as a student and a human being. Cowsert — who just completed his first year as an ASMSA faculty member — benefited from having healthy, meaningful student-teacher relationships with his instructors. He has tried to emulate those teachers.

“Just as that relationship was critical to me as a student, it’s likewise important to me as an instructor. While I hope that my students will find history empowering and interesting, I also hope they recognize my own sincere interest in their intellectual, academic, and social well-being. I care about their success.”

Prior to returning to ASMSA, Cowsert taught for seven years at West Virginia University, where he also earned his master’s and doctorate in history. He

See Cowsert, Page 20

Dr. Zachery Cowsert (’08) History Instructor

‘While I hope that my students will find history empowering and interesting, I also hope they recognize my own sincere interest in their intellectual, academic, and social well-being.’

Environmental Science at ASMSA, I have sometimes included an overnight at Heifer Ranch, for example, because that experience was powerful for me when I took the course in 1997-98. In general, I try to build in as many field trips and experiences into my courses as possible because those are what I believe students will most remember.”

She often uses her own ASMSA experience as a yardstick for courses and learning opportunities for her current students. One of her motivations for returning to ASMSA as an instructor was to ensure geoscience was offered.

Waddell — who holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from Smith College and a Ph.D. in oceanography, marine geology, and geochemistry from the University of

Continued from Page 19

said he leaped at the opportunity to return to his alma mater.

“I knew first-hand that I would be working with bright, driven young students — a teacher’s dream. I’d taught at the collegiate level for a number of years, so I was curious to see how my students would respond to a collegiate course load. They did (and continue to) rise to the challenge admirably.

The small class sizes and the inquisitive nature of ASMSA students ensure that classroom activities and discussion are always lively,” he said.

That was part of the reason Cowsert chose to attend ASMSA. While his sending school in Bentonville offered high-level electives and Advanced Placement courses, he was part of a graduating class that numbered in the hundreds and had several thousand students at the school itself.

“To a certain extent, I felt like a name and number in an academic factory. I wanted to be surrounded

Michigan — has provided students opportunities to be exposed to marine science by coaching ASMSA teams in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl as well as leading marine science-related trips to the Gulf Coast, the Sea of Cortez, Belize, Costa Rica, and Hawaii through the school’s Global Learning Program. She did not even see the ocean until she was applying to college.

“Thus, my students know more about oceanography than I did at their age, and they have competed well against students from coastal states having made it to the NOSB Finals competition three times, one of those times placing eighth nationally,” she said.

Her out-in-the field approach combined with hands-on research is also reflected in the Research in the Park program she developed with former ASMSA biology instructor Dr. Jon Ruehle. The pro-

by earnest, intellectually curious peers in an intimate setting where I could be challenged in the classroom. ASMSA certainly delivered on that score!”

That’s why he says ASMSA is still vital for today’s students throughout Arkansas.

“ASMSA provided me with an academically rigorous course load within a close-knit, scholarly community; that experience laid the foundation for all my future endeavors. Socially, my two years at ASMSA were a time when I could discover who I was as a person and as a scholar. It was liberating,” he said.

“For many bright, young Arkansans, ASMSA offers an incredible, unique opportunity to be challenged in ways most high schools cannot recreate, and it provides a social space for smart, hard-working students to find their peers and themselves.”

Cowsert has another reason to hold ASMSA dearly — it’s where he met his spouse, Jeridan, during his senior year.

gram is a partnership between the school and the U.S. National Park Service that allows students to focus on research projects within Hot Springs National Park.

The program — which was recognized by the U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. National Park Service with the Hartzog Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service — requires project-based learning that Waddell says was the most valuable part of her ASMSA experience.

“I make sure that the Research in the Park capstone provides a more in-depth research experience than the science fair projects I completed as a student. The projects that the students undertake also often help inform actual natural resource management in Hot Springs National Park, so the importance of their work goes beyond the awards that they receive through science fair,” Waddell said.

Ulrey

Continued from Page 16

program at the University of Iowa in 2002 when he was hired to teach at ASMSA.

“Staying home (and getting paid to do so!) was a pretty easy decision for me. I know it’s cliché, but the reason I continue to teach here is because of the students. Getting to work with such bright and hardworking students is a privilege, and I can’t imagine finding a teaching job that would be better than this one,” he said.

Coming back to ASMSA also allowed him to call many of the teachers he had as a student as colleagues. Among those new colleagues was John Harrison, who taught two of his favorite courses — American Studies as well as Politics and Culture.

“Getting to know Harrison as a colleague and a friend is one of the highlights of my time teaching at ASMSA,” he said. “I had a lot of excellent teachers at ASMSA, and many of those teachers became colleagues. So, in a way, I never really stopped learning from them.”

Cowsert

coursework for college preparation then, Waddell said.

While the educational landscape is a bit different 25 years later — with additional options such as charter and magnet schools in more communities — that is still true in many areas of the state.

“ASMSA was a bastion for students from schools without opportunities that met our needs. Our role is still to develop students for the next stage in their journey, probably college. We work hard to provide for both students who have benefited from prior academic preparation and those from areas with resources too limited to have met their needs,” he said.

Waddell’s own experience at ASMSA gives him the ability to empathize with his current students. While some of the factors and pressures have changed over time, he is aware of the commonality of their experiences.

They left home early to start a more intense academic development with more fodder for their curiosity. They lived with roommates for the first time and were more on their own to negotiate conflicts with peers, educators, and administrators.

That gives him a broader understanding of what students may be facing outside of the classroom.

Ultimately, the lessons he learned from his instructors still apply to the students today, he said.

“I think more than anything that ASMSA students will rise to high expectations. I try to avoid causing undue stress to my students, but at the same time, I expect them to achieve a high degree of mastery over the curriculum. And I know that they can because that’s what my instructors expected, and we did it as well.”

First cohort of educators earn promotions through Faculty Advancement Plan

Fourteen faculty members earned promotions through the school’s new Faculty Advancement Plan.

The Faculty Advancement Plan is designed to empower faculty members to reach their full potential through goal-setting and recognition of excellence. In addition to developing depth within their content area, the plan emphasizes breadth and balance across three domains — academics, service, and professional achievements. It provides a financial benefit for those who complete the process.

The plan establishes three faculty ranks — Instructor, Instructor of Distinction, and Instructor of Excellence.

Instructor is the entry-level rank for all new full-time faculty members.

Instructors may apply for either of the higher ranks by attaining points based on a rubric that takes into account the faculty members’ campus involvement and accomplishments both within and outside of the classroom.

Faculty base salary is determined by the level of degree they hold upon being hired.

By earning higher ranks, educators may increase their base pay by as much as $10,000. The goal is to ensure ASMSA faculty members are among the best compensated educators in the state.

Faculty members were able to submit an application for consideration for the first time last fall. Each one was considered by the Faculty Advancement Committee.

The committee approved promotions for 14 faculty members to be considered for the rank of Instructor of Excellence. Those

promotions were approved by the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees at its November meeting.

Faculty members who were granted the rank of Instructor of Excellence, their highest degree, and their department included:

• Carl Frank, Master of Science, Mathematics and Computer Science;

• Caleb Grisham, Master of Science, Mathematics and Computer Science;

• Whitney Holden, Ph.D., Science;

• Bryan Ieamsang, Master of Arts, Arts and Humanities;

• James Katowich, Master of Fine Arts, Arts and Humanities;

• Dan Kostopulos, Ph.D., Arts and Humanities;

• Patrycja Krakowiak, Ph.D., Science;

• Walt Levisee, Master of Science, Mathematics and Computer Science;

• Ron Luckow, Master of Arts, Arts and Humanities;

• Nicholas Seward, Master of Science, Mathematics and Computer Science;

• Shane Thompson, Master of Science, Science;

• Jack Waddell, Ph.D., Science;

• Lindsey Waddell, Ph.D., Science; and

• Brad Wreyford, Master of Fine Arts, Arts and Humanities.

“The application process is rigorous and requires applicants to review thoroughly their teaching practices and to think deeply about the arc of their careers,” said Stuart Flynn, dean of academic affairs at ASMSA.

The ranks officially went into effect on January 1.

Hubbard (‘15): Becoming an educator a product of his ASMSA experience

For Reed Hubbard (’15), ASMSA was an opportunity to connect with a group of like-minded peers that offered a sense of belonging.

“A sense of community drew me to ASMSA,” Hubbard said. “As a young person, I felt like an outsider for my academic interests and the social realities of a typical high school. At ASMSA, I found peers who accepted me socially but also a place where academic success was the norm, not the exception.”

Now Hubbard is once again a member of a special community of learning similar to ASMSA. Hubbard is a mathematics instructor at the North Carolina School for Science and Mathematics’ western campus in Morganton, N.C., where he recently completed his first year. It was also first year of existence for NCSSM’s Morganton campus.

It is an exciting career opportunity — helping establish the curriculum and the culture of a new campus. He is combining his ASMSA experience with his education — a Bachelor of Science in math from the University of Arkansas and a Master of Science in math from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — to try to help his students have a great experience.

“The chance to develop a new culture is so exciting! I have loved having the opportunity to use my experience from ASMSA along with my mathematical training to build new experiences for students. My boss (Dr. Beth Bumgardner, chair of mathematics at NCSSMMorganton) has given me and my team a great amount of flexibility in developing our curriculum. In turn, we have been experimenting with new avenues like project-based learning,” Hubbard said.

Hubbard has always wanted to be in an environment where teaching was prioritized. Faculty members in a traditional university environment are expected to focus on their research. Traditional high schools have limitations on the courses they can offer.

“That’s why schools like NCSSM and ASMSA provide such an enticing opportunity: a rigorous academic environment where the faculty’s main responsibility is teaching,” he said.

Hubbard has been interested in math for quite a while, even before attending ASMSA. That interest bloomed while at the school and its mathematics faculty encouraged him to develop it. He learned math is a way of making certain communication techniques simpler.

“Mathematics is not only beautiful but presents a compact language by which scientists can communicate their work. Math is also a convenient way to teach

people the subtle reasoning necessary to succeed in the modern economic landscape. The appeal of teaching these skills to the next generation of problem-solvers was too much to pass up,” Hubbard said.

He is applying what he learned from ASMSA faculty members as a student to develop his own teaching style. Hubbard mentioned several instructors across the faculty — from mathematics to physics to Spanish to literature — whom he calls professional role models. They taught him how to incorporate math and active learning into projects, how to facilitate a warm classroom where students were comfortable learning, the importance of faculty office hours in student learning, and how to manage student relationships in a one-onone setting.

“I’m so appreciative of my time at ASMSA because it equipped me with an excellent education and excellent professional role models,” he said.

It also helped him develop another skill for his professional career at NCSSM — an understanding of what his students may be experiencing while attending school in Morganton. Both NCSSM and ASMSA are residential campuses, drawing students from large regions of their respective states. For many of those students, it will be the first time living away from home for an extended period.

“My experience at ASMSA has helped me to relate to my students. I can recall experiences such as living in a dorm, challenging coursework, and peers who are highly motivated. This has allowed me to empathize with my students and develop the relationships necessary to be effective in my teaching goals. This has laid a bedrock of trust which has positively impacted my relationships with students,” he said.

Longtime faculty members retire

Dr. Fred Buzen, Fred Zipkes end longtime education careers at ASMSA

Dr. Fred Buzen and Fred Zipkes, two longtime members of ASMSA’s faculty, retired at the end of the 2022-23 academic school year. Buzen, a chemistry instructor, had been at the school for 22 years while Zipkes, a graphic design/ photography instructor, had a 15year tenure.

Buzen came to ASMSA in 2001 after completing the coursework for his Ph.D in biochemistry at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He decided he wanted to be a college professor while working on his master’s in chemistry at Kansas State University. The professors there did lab work, field work, and taught classes.

He already had field and lab work experience working as a research scientist for the Olin Corp. and Ouachita Baptist University as well as a technical representative for SKW Trostberg. When he saw the ad for a chemistry instructor at ASMSA, it was an opportunity to teach as well.

The original goal was to work on his dissertation on nights and weekends that first year of teaching at ASMSA. Things didn’t work out as he had planned.

“I was barely a half a step ahead of the kids that first year. I wrote my dissertation that summer and defended it in the fall. I was probably putting in 80 hours a week trying to stay ahead of the students that first year,” he said.

Charlie Cole Chaffin, who was also a chemistry teacher at the time, encouraged him to stay the course, telling him that he’d be his best four years in.

By his third year of teaching, Buzen was invited to help with a summer workshop for other chemistry teachers. He also eventually

taught college classes at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for 17 years as well at National Park College. He found that his students at ASMSA performed better than his college students.

“Most of the time I’d give the same test there as here, and almost always they did better here than they did there,” he said. “If I teach to a high level, the students will achieve more than if I teach to a lower level. I believe in interaction rather than they just sit there and listen to a lecture. I encouraged them to try to answer questions.”

One of the early courses Buzen enjoyed teaching was a teamtaught course called The Science of Art with former humanities instructor Dan McElderry. Students would learn about painting and sculpture among other art topics.

Buzen took a photography course as an undergraduate student at the University of Maine in his home state. He suggested they add a unit on black-and-white photography to the class. It went well, and McElderry said they should continue to do it.

“We taught students how to take a photo, develop the film, and print it. We discussed composition and

what went into the wet chemistry for the process. It was really cool. We’d get together and evaluate the pictures. We had some pretty good pictures come out of it over the years,” he said.

He eventually team-taught the course with Zipkes when he began teaching photography courses.

As for his retirement, Buzen said he has plenty to do on his 115-acre farm near Arkadelphia. He grows hay on between 25 to 30 acres of it and wants to work on building up some of the pasture land to grow more hay. He also plans to get back into woodworking and go fishing more often. He also wants to work on his barbecue game with a smoker he had custom-made.

“People I’ve talked to have said I’ll like it,” he said about retirement, but I’ll miss the interaction with students and other faculty members. I’ll miss my friends.”

For Zipkes, this was the second time he has retired. The first was after almost four decades working as a creative director for several advertising firms, including firms in New York, San Franciso, and Dallas.

He decided to move back to Hot Springs, where he grew up, after leaving the advertising business.

Dr. Fred Buzen, left, taught chemistry at ASMSA for 22 years while Fred Zipkes served as a graphic design and photography instructor for 15 years.

Stevens wins National Silver Key in Scholastic Art and Writing contest

Michaela Stevens (’24) earned recognition in the 2023 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards national competition.

Stevens received a National Silver Key for her poem “expired film” in the writing competition. She advanced to the national competition by earning a Regional Golden Key in the competition earlier this year.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is sponsored by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers. It is among the nation’s most prestigious program for creative teams and is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Previous awardwinners during the competition’s history include Andy Warhol, Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Tschabalala Self, and others.

Stevens was on her way home from an ASMSA Global Learning Program trip to Spain when she found out she had won the National Silver Key. She told her friends who were sitting with her in the airport and then texted her mom.

“I was pretty surprised but really excited,” she said. “This award definitely encourages me to keep

writing and competing with my poems. To know that people really appreciate my writing is exciting so I just want to keep writing and improving.”

She wrote “expired film” during the summer of 2022 while her family was driving to Orange Beach, Ala. The poem is inspired by her homesickness for Serbia, the country in which she grew up.

“I started thinking of all the things stopping me from going back to Serbia and how I wish I could just drive myself back,” she said. “But that’s not possible, and even if it was, my life never seems to go where I think it is going to, so I don’t think I actually arrive at my destination.

“I wrote the poem specifically during my family’s drive to Alabama, and I started thinking of my life as a road trip. I get distracted and take circuitous paths to get places. I accumulate good and bad memories along the way. All that is to say that this poem is about missing a home you can never go back to but accepting that and living your life nonetheless.”

Once he was back in the area, he taught adjunct courses at Henderson State University and Ouachita Baptist University, both in Arkadelphia.

He decided he wanted another challenge and applied for a new position at ASMSA as a graphic design instructor as well as a publication designer for the school. Once he was on campus, he began picking up additional courses including the first photography class he team-taught with Buzen that included the chemistry-side of photography. He also was handed the yearbook, something he had never taught before.

Hardware and software advancements required that students not only be able to adapt but for Zipkes to do so as well. Sometimes he was learning along with his students, he said. In his photography course, however, the change from film to digital cameras that provided an easy way to take photos automatically didn’t fundamentally change his approach. He still required students to take their photographs using the manual settings.

“I think they found using manual to their advantage. They discovered how they can control their shot,” Zipkes said.

The same outlook applies to the advances in graphic design. While continuous updates in software make design tasks possible or easier, the same basic principles still apply.

“Design is still design. Fashion changes taste,” he said.

The key was getting students to take those changes and learn to think creatively. To help facilitate that kind of thinking, Zipkes would use a student-critique system.

“Everyone sees each other’s work and does a critique after every assignment. It would challenge them to think about how else could they have done something. It gets them to think,” he said.

Zipkes said he plans to spend his time traveling, visiting his family, and painting.

2 educators named PAEMST finalists

Two ASMSA educators were named state finalists for the 2023 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

Tracy Watson, a mathematics instructor, and Dr. Patrycja Krakowiak, a life sciences Instructor of Excellence, were selected as finalists for this year’s program. It recognizes outstanding mathematics and science teachers who have demonstrated a commitment to professional development, innovative teaching techniques, and use of technology in their classrooms. Seven Arkansas teachers overall were named state finalists.

The program is sponsored by the National Science Foundation on behalf of The White House. Each year, a national committee of scientists, mathematicians, and educators recommends up to 108 teachers to receive the PAEMST awards in mathematics, science, and computer science.

Winners are chosen from each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. territories, and schools operated in the United States and overseas by the De-

partment of Defense Education Activity.

Teachers who are selected as national PAEMST awardees receive a $10,000 award, a presidential citation, and a trip to Washington, D.C., for a series of recognition events, professional development activities, and an awards ceremony.

Watson is one of three mathematics state finalists while Krakowiak is one of four science state finalists. This is the first time Watson has been selected as a state finalist. Krakowiak was also selected as a state finalist in the science category in 2021, but the national winners of the award for that cycle have not yet been announced.

Watson said it is an honor to be recognized for doing what she loves: teaching mathematics. She recognized the contributions of others that helped her reach this level.

“I could not have earned this honor without outstanding mentors, dedicated colleagues, supportive administrators, and motivated students who challenge me each day to do better,” Watson said. “By being a state final-

Mathematics instructor Tracy Watson was named an Arkansas finalist for the 2023 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. She has a tradition of collecting flamingos signed by her students who are graduating.

ist, I know that I’m on the right path to creating an inclusive, encouraging classroom environment. But my work is not done. My students are constantly changing, and I need to continue to adjust my instruction to support every one of them on their learning path to success.”

Among those mentors is Watson’s husband, Corey Boby, who was a 2019 PAEMST awardee.

“When I found out I was named a state finalist, I immediately shared the news with my mentor — who happens to be my husband — because I couldn’t have achieved this great honor without his mentorship and support. Over the past 25 years, I’ve been lucky to have a partner in life and career who shares the same passion for teaching mathematics as I do. We’ve had countless discussions about the impact of our decisions about content, instructional delivery, and assessment to improve student learning. I would not be the teacher I am today (or tomorrow) without his support,” she said.

Krakowiak said she was honored and excited to be nominated a second time as a state finalist. It reassured her that the approaches and methods she uses continues to be valued as excellent examples of how to capture students’ interest, motivate them to search and grow, and inspire them to achieve at the highest possible levels.

“It makes me feel that I am teaching in a way that is nationally recognized for its innovation and excellence,” she said. “Because it is such an intensive process overall, becoming a finalist has been especially satisfying.

“By applying for PAEMST, I learned so much more about myself and my teaching strategies. In fact, I found out that the methods I work so hard on and innovations I implement in my classes are exactly what needs to be happening according to state and national standards.”

The program’s application process is intensive. Educators must pick a topic on which to develop several lesson plans, hands-on ac-

tivities, and extensive studies. They must also record themselves teaching a class on the topic using all of the engagement tools and student discussions that they would normally implement to enhance student learning.

Watson said the application process allowed her to reflect on her own teaching process.

“The application process challenged me to reflect deeply on every decision I make as a teacher,” Watson said. “For four months, I analyzed the lesson that I chose to record, scrutinized the questions I asked students during the lesson, and dwelled on the answers I gave to student questions. I was challenged to look hard at myself and face my missteps with a lens of ‘doing better next time.’

“Before this process, I always strived to teach ‘the perfect lesson,’ but it always eluded me. Now I realize that ‘the perfect lesson’ is actually not attainable. Every day in the classroom is a unique interaction among a group of diverse math learners, which includes me. There is no single, perfect way to explain a concept that will ‘ring true’ to every student. But this doesn’t mean that my instruction can’t be improved to

increase student learning.”

Both educators said having such a program available to recognize teachers is important, especially as the profession continues to adapt to an ever-changing landscape.

“It has become clear in the past few years that teaching is one of the toughest careers to persist in as is clear by such a large number of teachers leaving and the often overwhelming teacher shortages,” Krakowiak said.

“As a society, we have lost sight of how to best support and help teachers in this truly challenging profession. Therefore, more than ever, rewarding the hard work, creative approaches, and continued passion among excellent educators is absolutely critical to help motivate, retain, and draw highly qualified and resilient individuals to teaching.”

“Teachers are not the ‘sage on the stage,’” Watson said. “They are knowledge guides whose goal is to offer each student a supportive learning environment by building a relationship which opens a path to motivate and enable a diverse group of students to be successful. Teaching is not a stagnant career but an ever-evolving profession that can change a life.”

This is the second time that Dr. Patrycja Krakowiak, a life sciences Instructor of Excellence, has been named a finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

For Goodness Sake

Origami Sake fruition of a dream for Ben Bell (‘00)

Travelers along U.S. 70 east of downtown Hot Springs may get a quick glimpse of a large, red origami crane gracing the side of a dark-gray building set off the road on a rising hill.

In Japan, the crane symbolizes good fortune, loyalty, longevity, and peace. For Ben Bell (’00), this particular crane represents the fruition of a long-time dream — starting his own sake brewery in Arkansas. Bell is the vice president for Origami Sake, the state’s first sake brewery.

Sake is an alcoholic drink made from rice that is brewed primarily in Japan. Bell spent two years working in a sake brewery in Japan with a plan to bring the knowledge he learned there home to Arkansas.

Upon returning to the state, he actively sought to make his dreams come true, but his attempts to find the right business partner for the venture were unsuccessful. After a while, he became burned out by the effort and took a job with Skurnik Wines & Spirits,

an importer and distributor of fine wines and spirits headquartered in New York City.

While he was working in New York, he received a call from an acquaintance he had made before moving out of state. Bell met Matt Bell — no relation— through a longtime friend from when he worked in the drinks business in Little Rock. The mutual friend introduced them during a gathering of friends.

The topic of Bell’s training and desire to start a sake brewery came up during conversation at the gathering. It was not unusual for he and his friends to talk about the project’s latest progress. It was that meeting the piqued Matt Bell’s future interest.

Matt eventually reached out to Ben after he had moved to New York. The idea was something Matt couldn’t shake and wanted more information on the process of starting a brewery in Arkansas. Having a dependable job in New York, Ben told Matt that he likely wouldn’t come back for it. Matt said he still wanted to

do it regardless if Ben came back.

“He was like, ‘I understand. Just tell me what needs to be done; I want to make that happen.’ That was the first time I ever heard somebody on the business and financing side say that they were so determined to do it they would do it even if I wasn’t there. I had never heard anybody talk with that level of commitment,” Bell said.

Matt had already bought the land and building where the brewery is now located. Bell connected Matt with a brewer, and the project seemed to proceed without Bell actually being involved initially.

During the covid-19 pandemic, Bell began working remotely — back in Arkansas. Matt reached out to Ben to see if he wanted to come visit the future brewery’s site. While the bones of the building were in place, there was no construction going on yet. The brewer that Bell had recommended also had not yet moved there.

That trip, however, helped Bell see that his dream had a real possibility of coming true. “It was on that trip that it just felt a lot more real to me

than it really ever had. That’s when it seemed like, ‘I’m gonna come back and do it,’” Bell said.

While finding an investor and a site were important steps toward the brewery’s creation, there were still questions about two equally if not more important aspects of the business that had to be answered. Good sake requires good water and great rice, he said.

For Bell, part the initial appeal of locating the brewery in Hot Springs was the natural water source for which the area is named. They built a deep well on the property to serve as the water source for the brewing process. It’s perfect for making sake, he said, because it has the things in it that you want for brewing — but almost more importantly, it doesn’t have the things you don’t want.

In a state known for its rice production, it may seem that there would be no problem finding rice to use in the brewing process. But good sake requires a special variety of rice different from the vast majority of rice grown in the state, which is commonly called table rice. Sake

rice has a higher starch content that is essential for creating the drink’s unique flavor and texture.

The solution again came through a connection Bell had made many years before. He and his best friend at that time became interested in home-brewing sake. They started looking online on how to do so. They discovered that there was an Arkansas farmer raising Japanese rice varietals.

Chris Isbell is a farmer who had been growing the sake rice varietals on his family farm since the 1980s. They reached out to him, and Isbell invited them to come visit the farm. They took him up on the offer, meeting him for lunch first where they talked about their possible plans. Isbell told them about his operation which included selling sake rice to breweries in California, New York, and Boston.

“The Isbells had already been putting in the work growing the Japanese varietals and sake rice. They were really into it before I was. They were getting sake rice to actual sake producers. I don’t think

A Thousand Cranes — its flagship brew — and White Lotus are two of Origami Sake’s initial sake offerings.

Photo courtesy of Origami Sake

I’d be making sake now without them,” Bell said.

It was a natural fit to use Arkansas-grown rice for Arkansas-brewed sake, Bell said. The partnership can have great benefits not only for the company and the Isbells but for the state overall as well. It has the possibility of improving the visibility of the Arkansas’ agricultural and tourism industries, he said.

Just as certain areas are known for their vineyards and wineries, Arkansas can develop that same kind of industry for sake and its rice. Origami Sake offers tours of its facilities. They also plan to distribute their product outside of Arkansas, which can raise the state’s profile in the drinks industry.

Bell’s connections to the Nanbu Bijin brewery in Hanamaki, Japan, where he spent his two years training, are also vital to the eventual success of the company.

The brewery’s current master brewer has served as a consultant during Origami Sake’s brewery setup. The master brewer spent

a couple of weeks in Hot Springs recently to guide them. Nanbu Bijin’s former master brewer for whom Bell worked is also going to visit this summer as is the president of the Japanese brewery. He said their input is vital to his company.

“You can’t overstate the impact of having that level of skill here and being hands-on, being able to look at equipment, look at layout, look at the development of the batches. The instruction that we’re getting and the impact on our process is the best in the world,” he said.

“The real underlying part of that is that has not really been available outside of Japan. It was important to not only make sake but also having that Japan connection and the best practices in Japan continue here and make it a permanent connection,” he said.

Technology is also playing a key role in the brewery’s development.

Origami Sake is beta testing the English software for a piece of Japanese equipment in their lab. It helps them test the acidity, sugar, and alcohol level of their sake

batches. The equipment has never been licensed to a company outside of Japan.

Origami Sake also has the goal to be net-zero on the power grid. To do so, they have installed a large array of solar panels in an area in front of the brewery. Fortunately, there is an expert on the field of solar energy in the company — Matt Bell. Before deciding to focus full-time on the brewery, he cofounded Viridian, a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and energy consulting services for architects, contractors, and building owners. That company later became Entegrity, which grew into one of the top solar contractors in the state.

Origami Sake held a grand opening in May, launching with their flagship sake — A Thousand Cranes. Bell describes it as a fruitforward kind of wine that features ripe cantaloupe, honeydew, and pear notes with a subtle umami backbone.

That seems an appropriate name and symbol for a dream almost 15 years in the making.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for Origami Sake was held by the Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce in May. The brewery celebrated a grand opening ceremony later that week as well.

Photo courtesy of Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce

Ai’Yanna Tombs (’23) celebrates receiving her diploma during ASMSA’s Commencement in May. Tombs also served as one of the student speakers during the ceremony, encouraging her classmates to enjoy this particular moment in their lives before focusing on their future. “I’m here to tell you to take a second and breathe because we have one chance to experience and live through this invigorating time of our lives, and, at least for today, live in the now,” she said. Tombs will attend Northwestern University after receiving a QuestBridge National College Scholarship Match with the institution. The Class of 2023 earned about $20 million in scholarship offers, pushing the total amount of scholarships offered to all ASMSA graduates to more than $304 million in the school’s history.

Final Frame

A Campus of the University of Arkansas System • 200 Whittington Ave. • Hot Springs, AR 71901