“The physical therapist that I worked with helped me recover physically from my injuries, and he also encouraged me and helped improve my emotional state at that time in my life,” Stein said.

“I wanted to be able to do the same for people recovering from their own injuries and empower them to achieve their own goals and to return to the activities that they enjoy doing.”

Stein attended Harding University for his undergraduate studies, receiving a Bachelor of Science in exercise science. From there, he continued his journey at the University of Central Arkansas where he was accepted into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program in 2017.

Stein reached much success during his time at UCA. He served as the program’s class president for the class of 2020, allowing him to act as a representative in coordination with the faculty. He was also one of 11 members in his class to be inducted into the Physical Therapy National Student Honors Society and was awarded the program’s Academic Excellence Award for his 4.0 GPA. He also earned a perfect score on the National Physical Therapy Exam.

Since completing his degree, Stein has begun his career as a physical therapist at Ortho Rehab and Speciality Center in Cabot, Arkansas. He said he looks forward to building relationships with his patients.

“I am very happy that I was able to attend physical therapy school at UCA, and because of my education I received from there, I feel very prepared to work as a physical therapist and help people achieve their goals,” Stein said.

This past summer, the senior physics major — who minors in both mathematics and music — interned in NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Solar System Exploration division. While there, she worked on a project titled “Net Flux Radiometer for the Ice Giants” and was recognized as a John Mather Nobel Scholar, which awarded her a travel allowance toward the cost of presenting research papers at professional conferences. This honor also included a private meeting with John C. Mather, Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist, whose work helped cement the Big Bang theory of the universe.

“I believe that acting as an example for young women and other underrepresented groups within STEM is incredibly important,” she said. “My goal is to spread my passion for the subject to young students, especially those in rural school districts, so that they can always feel that science is both interesting and accessible.”

Zimmerman’s first internship was a year-long management position with Georg Fischer Harvel, an engineered piping company in Little Rock, during her junior year. Shortly after being awarded the NASA Workforce Development Grant by the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium earlier this year, the scholar accepted an internship with NASA Langley Research Center for fall, where she creates computer simulations for flight dynamics and robotic control applications under the On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (OSAM) division.

This past summer, Zimmerman received UCA’s Bear C.L.A.W.S. Award, which stands for Celebrating the Lofty Achievements of Our Wonderful Students. She was also awarded the BTĚěĚĂService-Learning Spirit of Humanity Award for her exceptional contributions to service-learning projects and partnerships. The scholar has volunteered with the majority of the outreach programs in UCA’s STEM Institute such as Super Science Saturday and Bear Explorers.

Zimmerman has also been recognized for her music, receiving a grant from the Friends of Flutes Foundation. She was also accepted into the Aria Institute of Music and the New York University Summer Institute for Woodwind Studies during her freshman year.

Zimmerman credits most of her success to UCA’s Department of Astronomy and Physics, as the department and professors encouraged and assisted her whenever she was in need.

“As a NASA intern, I have never met another Arkansan, so I absolutely love being able to represent both Arkansas and BTĚěĚĂat this level,” she said. “Even while working alongside students from the most prestigious colleges in the world, I still feel just as prepared and educated, thanks to UCA. I know I could not have chosen a better school and department for my degree.”

She is set to graduate in May 2021.

“My focus has been to help the two organizations I advise, the Latino Student Association and the BTĚěĚĂColony of Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha Inc., [and] to collaborate with other RSOs in order to unite our Latinx community with other minority RSOs on campus,” Negrete Padron said.

The BTĚěĚĂColony of Hermandad de Sigma lota Alpha is a Greek sorority that is Latina based but not Latina exclusive.

No two days are the same for Negrete Padron. Her role includes creating and negotiating contracts, finding vendors and other preparation for events such as Amigo Fest and the BTĚěĚĂLatinx Alumni Panel.

Negrete Padron said she feels she owes it to students to give back because she didn’t have the same opportunities Latinx students have today.

“It is very important because I am a first-generation student,” Negrete Padron said. “My family did not know how to help me with anything. They did not know the importance of networking or being involved with different organizations.”

She said she wants to be the support for the students that may not have any.

“I want to bring our Latinx alumni back to campus, as they tend to graduate and never look back,” Negrete Padron said. “I want to create a support group of Latinx alumni for our current and future Latinx students by starting a BTĚěĚĂLatinx Alumni Group. I want students to know they have all the tools available within reach. However, they must learn to use them. I want to help them find their path toward success and find a career they love.”

When she is not on campus, she likes to complete jigsaw puzzles, and her reasoning behind doing them is one many can understand.

“They are like therapy and help me forget any stress,” she said.

She also enjoys exercising and spending time with her friends and family.

Her biggest goal in her role is to show UCA’s Latinx students that it’s possible to achieve their dreams.

“I want to help those Latinx students who do not know much about their heritage to feel intrigued to find out more and feel proud of who they are and where they come from,” she said. “I want to help students understand that they must fight for their dreams, regardless of how hard it may be. Many students do not have someone to look up to or a mentor within their families. Therefore, every person who they meet at BTĚěĚĂmakes a great impact on their lives.”

“While I was overjoyed with the news I was being named dean of the Honors College, my second reaction was to reflect on the fact that the Honors College is 38 years old, and during this whole time, there were only two administrators who served before me in this role: Dr. Norb Schedler, the founding director, and Dr. Rick Scott,” Smith said. “It left me overwhelmed thinking about how I would fill their shoes, but having their full support and mentorship over the years has given me the confidence to take on this challenge.”

Smith graduated from BTĚěĚĂin 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in sociology and was summa cum laude. In 2003, she graduated with a Master of Science in college student personnel services and administration from UCA.  She earned a Doctor of Education in higher education administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2013.

Her first experience in the Honors College came in 2005 when she was the coordinator of Student Services. Smith was then the director of student engagement in the Honors College from 2010 to 2014. Before being announced as the dean of the Honors College, Smith served as assistant dean of the college under then dean Rick Scott from 2014 to 2017.

Smith’s work with mental health awareness among high achievers is particularly meaningful to her new role.

“As I looked into it, I was able to identify that the population of high-achieving students carries an even greater level of anxiety despite being academically prepared,” Smith said. “We also would have at least one mental health emergency or suicide attempt each term. This led me to introducing the Honors Peer Counselor program about four years ago, which has opened up a conversation on anxiety and depression, and, most importantly, has let students know that they are not alone in these experiences.”

Being the new dean has made Smith extremely busy. Her role includes long-term planning as well as the day-to-day operations of the Honors College—and each day is not the same.

“My favorite part is interacting with students,” Smith said. “Whether it is helping them solve an academic challenge or coaching them on their academic and life goals, spending time with students is what keeps my cup full!”