Faculty Mentor Dashboard
Finding a Faculty Mentor is one of the first steps you will take toward completing your honors thesis/project. You will work one-on-one with your faculty mentor throughout the thesis/project process. Your mentor will provide direction and support for you as you as well as set parameters and expectations for thesis/project deliverables and the thesis/project defense. On this page you will find information about current faculty research projects that are currently recruiting students, as well as a list of COEHP faculty who are willing to serve as a mentor for honors students. This page is updated frequently so check back often!
Faculty Mentors must be full-time faculty members at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville campus. Faculty from any academic unit, including those from other academic colleges, may serve as the mentor. Collaborations with faculty from external institutions must be done in partnership with a University of Arkansas faculty mentor; in this case, the external faculty member may only serve as a committee member and not the faculty mentor.
Current Projects
| Faculty member | Program | Topic/agenda | Related Disciplines | Recruiting through | Next steps/notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Anqi Deng | Exercise Science |
Measuring and Building Physical Literacy to Increase Children’s Physical Activity
Across Diverse Rural Arkansas Afterschool Programs (research-based)
|
Exercise Science, Psychology, Public health, education | Sep. 30, 2026 | Email Dr. Deng at |
| Dr. Amy Williams | Nursing |
Tiny Tusks internship (practice-based)
|
May 31, 2027 | Email Dr. Williams at akw005@uark.edu |
Faculty members - want to submit your project to this list? Fill out this form.
COEHP Mentors
- Dr. Lisa Bowers
- Literacy, school-based issues, screenings, language
- Project tracks: Research-Based, Practice-Based
- lmbowers@uark.edu
- Dr. Andrew Bowers
- Sensorimotor integration, speech perception & production, electrophysiology, fluency disorders, speech science
- albowers@uark.edu
- Jessica Danley
- Projects related to the development of vocal wellness education materials for K-12 teachers and educators.
- jessicad@uark.edu
- Project tracks: Practice-Based
- Dr. Kimberly Frazier Highfill
- Social/pragmatic language disorders, critical thinking, speech sound disorders in children
- kimfraz@uark.edu
- Project tracks: Research-Based
- Dr. Miguel Garcia-Salas
- Promoting early language and literacy development through family-centered initiatives
- mg250@uark.edu
- Project tracks: Practice-Based
- Dr. Rachel Glade
- Hearing loss, pre-professional education, auditory rehabilitation, inter-professional practice, caregiver training
- Project tracks: Research-Based, Practice-Based, Expanded Literature Review
- rglade@uark.edu
- Stephanie Hicks
- Speech/Language/Literacy Community Screening Project
- Project tracks: Practice-Based
- sh146@uark.edu
- Dr. Christine Holyfield
- Augmentative and alternative communication, working with individuals with complex communication needs
- ceholyfi@uark.edu
- Dr. Zoë Thijs
- Vocal function, voice disorders, Parkinson's disease, professional voice users, bilingual voice users
- Project tracks: Research-Based, Expanded Literature Review, Practice-Based
- zthijs@uark.edu
- Dr. Julie Hill
- Chronic illness, chronic pain, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, disabilities
- Project tracks: Research-based
- jch029@uark.edu
- Dr. Jennifer Beasley
- Differentiated instruction, differentiated instruction in virtual schools, teacher education, curriculum & instruction
- jgbeasle@uark.edu
- Dr. Alissa Blair
- Multilingual learners, language & literacy teaching in the content areas, home-school community partnerships, bilingual education, teacher preparation, culturally responsive pedagogy
- ab139@uark.edu
- Project tracks: Research-Based
- Dr. Stephen Burgin
- Science education
- srburgin@uark.edu
- Dr. Vinson Carter
- STEM education
- vcarter@uark.edu
- Dr. Sean Connors
- Adolescent literacy, multimodal literacy practices
- sconnors@uark.edu
- Dr. Michael Daugherty
- STEM education, technological literacy, problem-based learning
- mkd03@uark.edu
- Dr. Sheri Deaton
- Infant feeding, project based learning, career and technical education, effective pedagogical practices, artificial intelligence
- sddeato@uark.edu
- Project tracks: Research-Based, Practice-Based
- Dr. Angela Elsass
- Classroom management, literacy assessment, effective practices in teaching literacy, motivation & engagement in the classroom, parental involvement in early literacy development
- aelsass@uark.edu
- Dr. Jason Endacott
- History education, historical empathy & lived experiences
- jendacot@uark.edu
- Dr. Christian Goering
- English/Language Arts methods, arts based education, adolescent literacy, education policy, rural schools & teachers
- cgoering@uark.edu
- Dr. Mehmet Gultekin
- Social Justice Education, Culturally Relevant Practices, Multicultural Children's Literature, Interactive Read-Alouds
- mehmet1@uark.edu
- Dr. Rhett Hutchins
- Religious education, religious literacy, science literacy, history of education
- rjhutchi@uark.edu
- Dr. Marcia Imbeau
- Differentiated instruction, gifted & talented identification
- mimbeau@uark.edu
- Dr. Bonnie King
- Trauma Informed Education; Field Experience Partnerships; Classroom Management; Literacy
- kingb@uark.edu
- Project tracks: Research-Based, Practice-Based, Expanded Literature Review
- Dr. Suzanne Kucharczyk
- Research practices for Autism Spectrum Disorders, transition services to adult life
- suzannek@uark.edu
- Dr. Yi-Jung Lee
- Mathematics education, mathematics game design, cognitively guided instruction
- yl049@uark.edu
- Dr. Elizabeth Lorah
- Artificial intelligence for parent training, applied behavioral analysis, augmentative and alternative communication, Autism Spectrum Disorder
- lorah@uark.edu
- Project tracks: Research-Based
- Dr. Derrick Mears
- Educational media, web design, technology integration in schools, personalized learning
- dmears@uark.edu
- Dr. Denise Mounts
- Mentoring practices, emotional intelligence
- dmounts@uark.edu
- Dr. Betsy Orr
- Teacher education, artificial intelligence, technology in teaching, business technology
- Project tracks: Expanded Literature Review
- borr@uark.edu
- Dr. Christine Ralston
- Literacy, assessment, action research, STEM, makerspace, tutoring
- Project tracks: Research-Based, Practice-Based, Expanded Literature Review
- cralston@uark.edu
- Dr. Melissa Savage
- Physical activity, intellectual disability, autism, assistive technology, adaptive movement, nutrition
- Project tracks: Research-based
- mns029@uark.edu
- Dr. Tom Smith
- Disabilities-related inclusion & legal issues
- tecsmith@uark.edu
- Dr. Renee Speight
- Special education
- rspeight@uark.edu
- Dr. Peggy Ward
- Science education, scientific literacy, inquiry, learning theory, culturally relevant teaching, AI in education
- pdward@uark.edu
- Project tracks: Research-Based, Practice-Based, Expanded Literature Review
- Dr. Cathy Wissehr
- Environmental science education, informal outdoor learning, rural education
- cwissehr@uark.edu
- Dr. Heather Young
- Literacy education & assessment, children's literature
- hkindall@uark.edu
- Dr. Sarah McKenzie
- Arkansas education, school accountability, Value-Added models
- Project types: Research-Based
- scmcken@uark.edu
- Dr. Jonathan Wai
- Education policy, psychology, gifted education, talent development, expertise
- Project tracks: Research-Based
- jwai@uark.edu
- Dr. Gema Zamarro
- Education policy, teacher workforce, teacher wellbeing and working conditions, administrators' wellbeing and workforce, student achivement, motivation & effort
- Project tracks: Research-based
- gzamarro@uark.edu
- Dr. Anqi Deng
- Pediatric physical activity, body-mind integration physical activity intervention, mobile health, motivation, physical literacy
- Project tracks: Research-Based
- adeng@uark.edu
- Dr. Robert Elbin
- Effects of sport-related concussion in youth and adolescent populations, risk & recovery from sport-related concussion, best practices for assessment, management & treatment of concussion
- rjelbin@uark.edu
- Dr. Kaitlin Gallagher
-
Biomechanics, ergonomics, occupational health, pain, workplace health, musculoskeletal health
- Project tracks: Research-Based
- kmg014@uark.edu
-
- Dr. Nicholas Greene
- Instigating factors of muscle wasting, specifically cancer cachexia
- npgreene@uark.edu
- Dr. Ashlyn Jendro
- Gait biomechanics
- amjendro@uark.edu
- Dr. Brendon McDermott
- Preventive measures and treatment modalities for heat illness, hydration behaviors and fluid balance factors, interaction between beverage consumption, heat and work stress on the kidneys
- brendonm@uark.edu
- Dr. Zachary McKenna
- Investigating the effects of exercise and environmental stressors (namely heat and hypoxia) on integrative physiology in health and disease states
- ztmckenn@uark.edu
- Dr. Megan Rosa-Caldwell
- Muscle, anorexia nervosa, physiology, mitochondria, animal research, molecular biology
- Project tracks: Research-Based, Expanded Literature Review
- mrosa@uark.edu
- Dr. Abigail Schmitt
- Understanding how gait and postural control are altered by injury and disease
- acs063@uark.edu
- Dr. Tyrone Washington
- Cellular signaling within skeletal muscle induced by aging, obesity, cancer cachexia, regeneration, or altered loading
- tawashing@uark.edu
- Jeanice Ball
- Maternal Health and School Nursing
- jeaniceb@uark.edu
- Diana Dunbar
- Critical care, family practice, hospice
- drdunbar@uark.edu
- BJ Garrett
- Palliative care/end of life, study skills, gastrointestinal disorders
- bg020@uark.edu
- David Hall
- Pathophysiology and nursing education
- dhhall@uark.edu
- Dr. Michele Kilmer
- Animal-assisted therapy, pediatric autism, barriers to access of care
- Project tracks: Research-Based
- michelek@uark.edu
- Dr. Thomas Kippenbrock
- Nurse Practitioners providing health care to rural Arkansas, the Mississippi Delta, and the Southern region
- Project tracks: Research-Based
- tkippen@uark.edu
- Dr. Peggy Lee
- Nursing workforce and faculty, generational differences in nursing
- pblee@uark.edu
- Dr. Marilou Shreve
- Pediatric health, Pediatric obesity, Health Promotion in Pediatrics
- Project tracks: Research-Based
- mdshreve@uark.edu
- Dr. Kelly Vowell Johnson
- Tiny Tusks, lactation support
- kvjohnso@uark.edu
- Dr. Amy Williams
- Tiny Tusks internship, pediatrics, maternal health, community wellness
- Project tracks: Practice-based
- akw005@uark.edu
- Dr. John Rider
- Chronic conditions, assistive technology, fall prevention, neurodegenerative diseases, functional cognition, parenting with a disability
- Project tracks: Research-Based, Expanded Literature Review, Practice-Based
- riderj@uark.edu
- Dr. Steven Wheeler
- Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery and Rehabilitation
- Project tracks: Research-Based, Expanded Literature Review
- wheelers@uark.edu
- Dr. Divya Bhagianadh
- Home and community based services, end-of-life care, healthy aging, policy evaluation
- divyab@uark.edu
- Dr. Shristi Bhochhibhoya
- Adolescent health, sexual health, social determinants of health
- Project tracks: Research-Based, Expanded Literature Review
- shristib@uark.edu
- Dr. Mance Buttram
- Social environmental context of substance use and related HIV transmission risk behaviors, diversion and non-medical use of prescription drugs
- mance@uark.edu
- Dr. Robert Davis
- Behavioral domain of substance use, behavioral theory
- red007@uark.edu
- Dr. Bart Hammig
- Unintentional injury, substance use, firearms, violence, suicide
- Project tracks: Research-Based
- bhammig@uark.edu
- Dr. Ches Jones
- Sports and recreational injury prevention, childhood and adolescent injury prevention
- ches@uark.edu
- Dr. Beth Weichold
- Faculty sexual misconduct on students in higher education, sexual health, sexual violence prevention and management, impacts of purity culture
- weichold@uark.edu
- Dr. Michael Hoover
- Leadership development in outdoor recreation, outdoor recreation participant and visitor experiences, risk management strategies in outdoor recreation
- mdhoover@uark.edu
- Dr. Anup K C
- Outdoor recreation and its impact on local economy and health, risk of vector borne (mosquito and tick borne) diseases in parks and outdoor recreational areas, environmental attitudes/behaviors of outdoor recreationists, outdoor recreation/parks and environmental issues
- akc@uark.edu
- Dr. Craig Schmitt
- Dr. Jack Kern
- Physical education curricula & methodology
- jkern@uark.edu
- Dr. Angela Smith-Nix
- Legal issues & risk management in physical education, athletics, coaching, teaching, and aquatic management
- ansmith@uark.edu
Other Tips for Finding a Mentor
Sometimes finding your faculty mentor isn't as easy as choosing a name from a list. Other great ways to research possible faculty mentors include utilizing directory pages on department websites and viewing examples of past honors theses/projects in ScholarWorks.
You can also work with a faculty mentor from outside your program or outside of the college, if desired. The Honors College Futures Hub has additional information about finding a faculty mentor.