Southern Arkansas University News

The Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Southern Arkansas University will sponsor a seminar called “Arkansas State Crime Lab Presents: Drug Trends in Arkansas: Licit and Illicit Drug Use” from 1 to 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 14, in the Foundation Hall of the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center located on the University campus.

The presentation will include: an overview of the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory; a discussion of drug trends in Arkansas (with specific local data); prescription drug abuse information; and other current topics.

The public is welcome to attend. For more information, call (870) 235-4322.

The fall installment of the Kathleen Mallory Distinguished Lecture Series will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 10, in the Grand Hall of the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center at Southern Arkansas University. Quinton Dixie, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne will deliver a talk titled “The Difficulty of Finding Home: Toward an African American Spiritual Cartography.” The lecture will address the question “How does one remember what one never knew?”

In this provocative, part historical–part autobiographical presentation on religion and African American culture, professor Dixie will explore how memories and impressions of a rural South in which he never lived, impacted and shaped African American religious experiences in the urban North.

Dixie holds a bachelor of arts in urban policy from James Madison College at Michigan State University, a master of arts in religious studies, and a doctorate in church history from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. His research interests include the African American religious experience, religion and the civil rights movement, African American Baptist history, and hip-hop and spirituality.

A native Hoosier, Dr. Dixie spent six years (1997-2003) serving on the faculty of the religious studies department at Indiana University, Bloomington, where he taught a wide range of courses on religion in North America. In fall 2003, he returned home to Fort Wayne to develop a program in religious studies at Indiana University-Purdue Fort Wayne. He is the co-editor with Cornel West of “The Courage to Hope: From Black Suffering to Human Redemption,” and the co-author with Juan Williams of “This Far by Faith: Stories from the African American Religious Experience.” Dixie is also and editor of the four-volume publication, “The Papers of Howard Thurman, 1899-1981,” due out in 2009. In addition, he has co-authored “Witness!: The Bicentennial History of Abyssinian Baptist Church in the City of New York, 1808-2008” (2009).

The lecture is free and open to the public. For further information, contact Dr. Linda Tucker, assistant professor of English at (870) 235-4210.

MAGNOLIA–- The Southern Arkansas University Student Activities Board will sponsor the 11th annual Fall Fest and Chili Cook-off from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 6, on the plaza of the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center located on the University campus.

Registered organizations at SAU may compete to see who has the best chili and the best decorated table. There will also be a People’s Choice award for the organization receiving the most overall votes. Winners will receive monetary prizes.
For more information, call (870) 235-4925.

Southern Arkansas University will host the South Arkansas Legislative Workshop from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday, November 3 in Salon A and B of Grand Hall in the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center.

The workshop, co-sponsored by the Golden Triangle Economic Development Council of South Arkansas and SAU, provides a forum for south Arkansas constituents to meet and discuss with our legislative delegation important issues impacting our region during the upcoming legislative session. Senator Percy Malone and Representative Bruce Maloch will serve as moderators of the workshop which costs nothing to attend. Lunch will also be provided for all participants.

Deborah Lewis, coordinator of the GTEDC, which includes Camden, El Dorado, Magnolia, Hampton and Smackover, said issues such as local government, highways, education and Arkansas economic development will be discussed. She said it is a great opportunity to share perspectives with government and professional leaders from Arkansas who are in positions to make a difference.

To register call Deborah Lewis at (870) 235-4924 or email her at gtedc@saumag.edu. The agenda for Monday’s workshop is available at www.gtedc.org.

MAGNOLIA— Innovation and technology businesses sprout up in the fertile fields and research labs of Arkansas, not just in Seattle and Silicon Valley. Arkansas Small Business Development Center, the state’s largest and most comprehensive business assistance program, is changing its name to underscore its commitment to helping Arkansas science and technology entrepreneurs pursue new ideas and to assisting existing small businesses that want to better utilize technology.

The new name will be announced in Magnolia at a 2 p.m. news conference, Thursday, October 30 in the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center on the Southern Arkansas University campus. The conference will be hosted by the Arkansas Small Business Development Center at Southern Arkansas University. SAU Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Brian Canfield, College of Business Dean Dr. Lisa Toms and a Representative from U.S. Congressman Mike Ross’ Office will join Center Director Paul Considine and other ASBDC officials in making the announcement.

“Changing our name illustrates an extension of our mission to serve Arkansas’ entrepreneurial community,” said Janet Roderick, Arkansas Small Business Development Center state director. “We began a decade ago to develop services for innovation and technology-based businesses when it became apparent that a key to economic growth in Arkansas would be our own innovation. Arkansas must be on the leading edge of technology to compete with other states and internationally in this economy.”

The center earned special technology accreditation from the national Association of Small Business Development Centers late last year. Of 63 SBDC’s across the country, Arkansas was just the fifth to receive the technology designation. ASBDC had to demonstrate the ability to assist clients in areas such as technology transfer, commercialization, research and development funding, intellectual property and equity financing.

Arkansas Small Business Development Center assists innovation-based businesses through its network of offices across the state. Established in 1980, the program is a partnership of the U.S. Small Business Administration and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Business.
In addition to the lead center at UALR and office at SAU, other regional offices are located at Arkansas State University, Henderson State University, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, University of Arkansas – Fort Smith and University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology in McGehee. All services, which include consulting, research and training, are available at low or no cost through the center’s partnership with the SBA and higher education institutions across Arkansas.

About the SBDC Network
Uniting private enterprise, government, higher education and local non-profit economic development organizations, the Small Business Development Center national network is the SBA’s largest partnership program, providing management and technical assistance to help Americans start, run and grow their own businesses. With approximately 1,000 offices across the nation, the SBDC network assists approximately 725,000 small businesses every year.

For more information, call Felicia Bozeman, fabozeman@saumag.edu, (870)235-4007 or Gwen Green, gagreen@ualr.edu, (501)683-7700.