About
History
The Service Learning Initiative (SLI) is a joint initiative of the University of Arkansas Provost Office, the Honors College, and the Division of Student Affairs with the purpose of formalizing and expanding service learning opportunities on campus. In 2014, Jennie Popp, Ph.D (Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness) and Angela Oxford (Center for Community Engagement) were appointed as Co-Chairs of the SLI to oversee the academic and community partner facets of Service Learning for the University of Arkansas.
In order to improve SLI outreach, Dr. Jennie Popp then requested that the Provost (Dr. Sharon Gaber) appoint a committee that represented all sides of campus. By May 2014, members were drawn from each university college, as well as Honors College, International Education/Study Abroad office, the Law School, University libraries, Graduate School, and the Teaching and Faculty Support Center -- with all committee members having commitment to Service Learning. The purpose of this committee is to organize and enhance service learning at the University of Arkansas. As part of their duties, SLI committee members assist with faculty course designation. Every semester (and, if necessary, multiple times during a given semester), all course designation applications are reviewed by committee members who then vote whether they should each be designated. They also select winners of the annual SLI faculty award as well as the recipients of the annual faculty travel and development grants.
Full Committee
For more information or questions, please contact your representative below:
Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design
Gabriel Diaz Montemayor
gabrield@uark.edu
J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
Raquel Castro Salas, Ph.D.
rcastros@uark.edu
College of Education and Health Professions
Sean Connors, Ph.D.
sconnors@uark.edu
Heather Young, Ph.D.
hkindall@uark.edu
College of Engineering
Kevin Hall, Ph.D.
kdhall@uark.edu
Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences
Donia Timby
dtimby@uark.edu
Sam M. Walton College of Business
Rogelio Garcia Contreras, Ph.D. rogeliog@uark.edu
Student Success Center
Jen Edwards, Ph.D.
jre018@uark.edu
Honors College
Megan Hull
mmh050@uark.edu
School of Law
Annie Smith, J.D.
abs006@uark.edu
Teaching and Faculty Support Center
Hope Ballentine, DNP
hopeb@uark.edu
University Libraries
Ellen Urton
eurton@uark.edu
Gulf-South Summit Executive Committee Representative
Laura Gray
lgray@uark.edu
Service Learning Director
Lisa Bowers, Ph.D.
lmbowers@uark.edu
Service Learning Coordinator
Noelle Kingsbauer
svclrn01@uark.edu
Service Learning Social Media Manager
Diego Rivera Ponce
internsl@uark.edu
Committee Leadership
Dr. Lisa Bowers
Director
Dr. Lisa Bowers is the Director of the Service Learning Initiative (SLI) and an associate professor in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Program at the University of Arkansas. She received her B.A. and M.A. degrees in Communication Disorders from Louisiana State University and her Ph.D. in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Her research focuses on the language and literacy abilities of children from diverse populations, including children with hearing loss and dyslexia. She is a member of several interprofessional research teams with scholars from Deaf Education, Counselor Education, Childhood Education, and Special Education that focus on communication access and best practices in Interprofessional Education (IPE) and Practice (IPP) in educational settings. Dr. Bowers has taught courses with a service learning designation for more than five years and has been a member of the SLI committee since 2020.
Dr. Jennie Popp
Past Chair
Dr. Popp is the past Chair of the Service Learning Initiative and Associate Dean of the Honors College. She received a B.S. degree in Economics and Finance (with a minor in French) and an M.S and Ph.D. in agricultural and resource economics from Colorado State University. Dr. Popp has been a faculty member of the Department of Agricultural and Economics and Agribusiness since 1998. She was part of the team of UA faculty that developed and executed UA’s interdisciplinary international service learning course, in Belize. She co-led the agricultural project in Belize for five years. Dr. Popp’s interdisciplinary research activities focus on addressing issues of agriculture and the environment. Dr. Popp has taught a variety of courses for the University of Arkansas, in the areas of natural resource and environmental economics, sustainability, and service learning/community development.
Noelle Kingsbauer
Service Learning Coordinator
Noelle Kingsbauer is the Service Learning Coordinator for the Service Learning Initiative. Noelle is originally from Pennsylvania where she received a B.A. in Communications from Cabrini University. For nearly 10 years she worked in county government for the criminal and civil court systems. She has also volunteered her time as a writer for a local community engagement magazine before relocating to Arkansas. Her passion for giving back to her community as well as social justice make her enthusiastic about being part of the Service Learning Initiative.
Diego Rivera Ponce
Social Media Manager
Diego Rivera Ponce is the Social Media Manager for the Service Learning Initiative. Diego is originally from Mexico and transferred from NWACC to the University of Arkansas. He is an undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in Marketing with a minor in Business Analytics. He is committed and thrilled to enhance the Service Learning Initiative by highlighting the students and faculty through social media and networking events.