Canton College Foundation Scholarship
Sabryna B. Matthews, a SUNY Canton Health Care Management major from Siloam Springs, recently received the Rachael M. and Leon E. Bagley Endowed Scholarship at SUNY Canton.
The Canton College Foundation Inc. awarded approximately $73,000 in scholarships to more than 300 students for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Scholarships are established by private donations from alumni, donors and the college's industry partners. Canton College Foundation funding comes in addition to State and federal support available for students' educations.
About SUNY Canton:
The college's career-focused educational programs emphasize hands-on and applied learning opportunities in digital design, engineering technology, health, information technology, management, public service, and veterinary technology.
Faculty members bring real-world experience and exceptional academic expertise to the classroom. As a leader in online education, SUNY Canton offers flexibility with hundreds of courses and 23 comprehensive degree programs offered completely online.
The SUNY Canton Kangaroos compete at the NCAA Division III level and are members of the SUNYAC. In addition to its 15 traditional teams, SUNY Canton offers coed varsity esports and cheerleading.
University of Maryland Global Campus
University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) graduated more than 3,200 students worldwide in the summer 2024 term. Local graduates included:
Jordan Dinoffria of Rogers, Bachelor of Science in Computer Networks and Cybersecurity
Kelly Simpson of Pea Ridge, Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management
About UMGC:
University of Maryland Global Campus was founded more than 75 years ago specifically to serve the higher education needs of working adults and military service members.
Today, UMGC is the largest provider of post-secondary education in Maryland and continues its global tradition with online and hybrid courses, more than 175 classroom and service locations worldwide, and more than 135 degrees and certificates backed by the reputation of a state university and the University System of Maryland.
For more information, visit umgc.edu.
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
A University of Arkansas at Little Rock student took part in a highly competitive summer research program focused on organic chemistry, working to enhance the effectiveness of an experimental antibiotic.
Joshua Pack, a senior double majoring in chemistry and biology, completed the Snyder Scholars Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The research program supports undergraduate students with an interest in organic chemistry. Pack, a Donaghey Scholar from Barling, is the first UA Little Rock student to be accepted to the Snyder Scholars.
"It was an amazing experience that I wouldn't trade for any other summer internship," Pack said. "I am incredibly grateful to Dr. Brian Walker and Dr. Juliette Rivero for preparing me for an experience like this as well as to my mentor Jonny for making my stay as worthwhile as possible."
Over the course of 10 weeks, Pack worked under the mentorship of Dr. Jonny Quirke, a postdoctoral research associate, in the lab of Dr. Paul Hergenrother, who researches solutions to complex disease-driven problems. Pack worked on making derivatives of an experimental antibiotic to increase its efficacy against some of the deadliest bacterial pathogens.
"A recent report by the World Health Organization outlined a selection of 'critical' priority pathogens in urgent need of new treatment options, and all of them were Gram-negative bacteria in urgent need of new treatment options, and all of the pathogens were Gram-negative bacteria," Pack said. "The architecture of Gram-negative bacteria makes them especially challenging to treat, and one reason are the various efflux pumps embedded throughout their cell membranes. These pumps have broad substrate specificity and therefore expel most foreign matter from the bacteria.
"This often includes antibiotics. The Hergenrother group is investigating how to circumvent this potent biological defense mechanism to more effectively treat bacterial infections."
At the end of the summer, Pack had the opportunity to present his research alongside his fellow Snyder Scholars.
"It was an incredible experience," he said. "The audience was primarily organic chemistry graduate students, so I not only gained useful feedback about the chemistry I was doing, but I also got to experience giving a presentation exclusively in front of experts in my field. A few faculty also stopped by, so I had the opportunity to talk with them about my research and goals."
The skills Pack gained from his summer research program will come in handy in the future. Once Pack graduates in the spring 2025 semester, he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry, specializing in organic chemistry.
"It was an eye-opening experience, to say the least," Pack said. "Not only did it hone my skills as a synthetic chemist, but it also introduced me to new dimensions of the theory behind organic chemistry that I hadn't previously been exposed much to. Similarly, I gained a new perspective on graduate school and feel much more confident in applying to top programs across the country."
About UALR:
With about 9,000 students and 100 programs, UA Little Rock offers learning, research, service, social and career opportunities that can only be found at a metropolitan university located in Arkansas's capital city.