Department News

Department student selected for Arkansas Collegiate Civic Leadership Academy

Kylie McGraw, public administration major in the Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies (GPI), was selected for the inaugural Arkansas Collegiate Civic Leadership Academy at the 听 The Academy prepares the next generation of public leaders by bringing together students from colleges and universities in Arkansas to engage in academic discussions, practical training, and service-learning.听 Students gain the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary to become effective community leaders. The program culminates in the awarding of a Civic Arkansas Credential.

Kylie is a senior public administration major from Little Rock.听 Kylie is serving as the President of the BT天堂Student Government Association (SGA) and the Secretary of the Public Administration (PA) Club in 2025-2026.听 After graduation from UCA, Kylie will be pursuing a law degree and hopes one day to become an elected official and policymaker in her community.

Dr. Kim Hoffman, Director of the undergraduate public administration program and Director of the NextGen Service Corps program in the Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies (GPI), commends McGraw鈥檚 leadership as SGA president and for representing BT天堂in the first cohort of the civic leadership academy.听 According to Dr. Hoffman, 鈥淜ylie embodies the kind of student we have in the GPI Department who strives to make her community better, seeks opportunities to become more civically engaged, and aspires to be a future change agent and problem-solver.鈥�

Posted in: Student News on December 5, 2025

Department hosts 60th Arkansas Model United Nations (AMUN) Conference at UCA

The Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies (GPI) hosted the 60th Arkansas Model United Nations (AMUN) Conference at BT天堂on November 21-22, 2025.听 A total of 565 high school students from the states of Arkansas and Louisiana participated in the conference.听 Attending the opening session on Friday, November 21st were several former AMUN secretaries-general, including Brett Newcomb (AMUN S-G 1968), Larry Lanes (AMUN S-G 1976), and Bill Waddell (AMUN S-G 1977).听 David Gruber (AMUN S-G 1967) observed committee and plenary sessions on Saturday, November 22nd.听听Kyle Urban served as AMUN S-G in 2025.听 Dr. Don Baker, former BT天堂instructor and AMUN coordinator, gave the keynote address during the opening session.听 Dr. Baker has been a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) with the U.S. Department of State since 2005. The AMUN was established by Professor Simms McClintock during the fall of 1966.听 The first AMUN conference was held in January 1967.听 The second and third AMUN conferences were held in January and December 1968.

Posted in: AMUN on December 1, 2025

BT天堂Model UN students participate in 15th ACMUN Conference at Harding University

Seventeen members of the BT天堂Model United Nations (MUN) student organization represented nine countries at the 15th Arkansas Collegiate Model United Nations (ACMUN) Conference held at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas on Friday, November 7, 2025.听 More than 60 delegates from Arkansas State University-Jonesboro, Harding University, John Brown University, Northwest Arkansas Community College, and BT天堂represented countries in the Security Council, Council of the Arab League, Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC), and Human Rights Council (HRC).听 The BT天堂delegations included France (Dice Ferguson and Bethany Alford), Greece (Hlib Shevchenko), Haiti (Jasmine Strickland), Japan (Adrian Chavez and Natalie Hood), South Korea (Stephany Morales and Izzy Funes), Qatar (Corbin Williams, Waylon Matthews, Connor Farmer, and Elizabeth Velasco-Moya), Saudi Arabia (Codie Cash), South Africa (Taylor Brewer, Lillian Ward, and Maritsa Rosas), and Turkey (Ava Walker).听 At the end of the conference, awards were presented to the Best Delegates and Best Delegations, including members of UCA’s delegations to the conference: Hlib Shevchenko (Greece) was presented the Best Delegate award in the Security Council.听 Corbin Williams and Waylon Matthews (Qatar) were presented the Best Delegate-Honorable Mention award in the Economic & Social Council.听 In addition, Best Delegation-Honorable Mention awards were presented to UCA’s delegations representing Greece and Qatar.

Posted in: ACMUN on November 8, 2025

Department presents 2025 Distinguished Alumnus Awards

Two alumni of the听Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies (GPI) – Benjamin W. Hovland (Class of 2000) and Troy B. Braswell, Jr. (Class of 2002) – , were presented distinguished alumnus awards by department chair Dr. Mark Mullenbach during a听reception hosted by the GPI Department in Buffalo Alumni Hall on Thursday, September 18, 2025.听 Several alumni, faculty, students, and other guests attending the reception were welcomed by BT天堂President Houston Davis.

A graduate of the University of Central Arkansas in May 2000 with a BA degree in Political Science,听Benjamin Hovland听earned a JD degree from the University of Oregon in 2007.听 After serving for six years as Senior Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules & Administration, Hovland was appointed to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) in Washington DC in 2018.听 Hovland’s appointment was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in a unanimous vote on January 2, 2019.听 Hovland served as chair of the EAC in 2020-2021 and 2024-2025.

Troy Braswell, Jr.听graduated from BT天堂in August 2002 with a BS degree in Political Science and from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law with a JD degree in 2005.听 Between 2005 and 2024, Braswell worked as a law clerk for Circuit Court Judge Tim Fox, deputy prosecuting attorney in Pulaski County, and chief deputy prosecutor for the Arkansas 20th Judicial District, which covers Faulkner, Van Buren, and Searcy counties in Arkansas.听 In 2014, Braswell was elected to a six-year term as Circuit Court Judge in the Second Division of the 20th Judicial District.听 He was elected to a second term in 2020.听 Among his other responsibilities, Judge Braswell presides over the Juvenile Court in the Arkansas 20th Judicial District.

The 2025 distinguished alumni, Benjamin W. Hovland and Troy Braswell Jr., pictured with their award plaques

Posted in: Distinguished Alumnus Award on October 23, 2025

GPI Department awarded grant for NextGen Service program

The University of Central Arkansas has partnered with the听听to join the听听(NextGen Service), a nationwide network of higher education institutions committed to preparing undergraduate students for public service. BT天堂is the first institution of higher education in Arkansas to join this network to inspire and prepare students to serve their communities.

The Volcker Alliance awarded a $41,485 grant to the Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies (GPI) in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences to design and launch the NextGen Service program on the BT天堂campus. Dr. Kim Hoffman will lead the development of the program along with Dr. Joe Howard and Dr. Kisha Hardwick. The first cohort of students will begin the program in January 2027.

鈥淭he Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies is committed to preparing students for careers in public service and inspiring them to become active participants in their community,鈥� Hoffman said. 鈥淲e envision BT天堂as the place where young people come to learn about public service and gain practical skills to become the next generation of leaders, policymakers and public administrators.鈥�

The NextGen Service program will be open to all students, regardless of major, who express an interest in public service, civic engagement and solving public policy problems. Students in the program will engage in experiential activities including internships and community service activities, enjoy access to exclusive events and activities, network with public service professionals, and engage with other students from across the country who are dedicated to public service.听听Read more about our department’s plans to join Next Generation Service Corps on UCA’s news pager here.

Posted in: NextGen Service Corps on October 14, 2025

BT天堂Students Commemorate 2025 Constitution Day

As part of UCA鈥檚 commemoration of Constitution Day, students in U.S. Government & Politics courses taught by Dr. Mark Elrod and Dr. Aaron Sparks recited the U.S. Constitution in Griffin Planetarium on Tuesday evening, September 16, 2025.听 Dr. Elrod is a lecturer and Dr. Sparks is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies.听 The U.S. Constitution was signed by 38 delegates representing the 13 original U.S. states in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787.听 The U.S. Constitution officially entered into force on June 21, 1788.

Dr. Elrod pictures leading students in a reading of the U.S. constitution in the Planetarium

Posted in: Constitution Day on September 17, 2025

Department hosts the 2025 International Affairs Summer Camp at UCA

The Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies hosted the Arkansas and the World: International Affairs Summer Camp at the University of Central Arkansas on July 13-18, 2025.听 Previous summer camps were hosted by the department in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, and 2024.听 Forty-seven Arkansas high school students participated in a unique, interactive learning experience designed to enhance their understanding of international relations, international organizations, and diplomacy.听 Early in the week, students participated in educational workshops on international relations, the United Nations, and fundamentals of Model United Nations.听 The students represented assigned countries in interactive simulations of the UN General Assembly, including committee and plenary sessions of the UN General Assembly throughout the week.听 During the week-long summer camp, students participated in several group competitions, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Poster Competition and the Global Trivia Competition.

The International Affairs Summer Camp was funded by an Academic Enrichment for Gifted/Talented in Summer (AEGIS) grant awarded to the department by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE).听 Dr. Mark Mullenbach, Associate听Professor of Political Science and International Studies, and Dr.听Bailey Fairbanks, Assistant Professor of Political Science, served as Co-Directors of the Summer Camp.听 Several college and university students and BT天堂graduates served as summer camp staff members, including Emily Temple, Abby Bunch, Kyle Urban, Julien Mrad, Hlib Shevchenko, Cecilia McCarthy-Galvan, Paul Jonsek, Jacey Hale, and Ian Gayler.听 Guest speakers during the summer camp included Manuel Rapalo,听a BT天堂graduate who formerly worked as a journalist for Al-Jazeera Media Network and currently works as a podcast presenter for Al-Jazeera Podcasts in Los Angeles, CA; and Mouaz Moustafa, a BT天堂graduate who has served as the Executive Director of the Syrian Emergency task Force (SETF) in Washington DC and Little Rock since 2011.

Posted in: International Affairs Summer Camp on August 26, 2025

Department alumnus works with Evidence for Democracy in Ottawa, Canada

Enrique Carbone, who graduated from BT天堂in May 2024 with bachelor’s degrees in public administration and modern languages, is working with the Canada-based non-profit organization, Evidence for Democracy, during the summer of 2025.听 The organization, which is also known as E4D, was founded in 2012 and advocates for evidence-based government policymaking.听 At E4D, Enrique will be “conducting a comparative analysis of scientific integrity policies in the United States and Canada” and is “looking forward to learning how evidence-informed policymaking can help counter disinformation, support democratic resilience, and strengthen public trust in science.”听听Enrique will work for four weeks in the organization’s office in Ottawa and then work remotely from the U.S.听 Enrique is currently听pursuing a Master of Public Service (MPS) degree at the Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.听 He is expecting to graduate in Spring 2026.

Posted in: Alumni News on June 4, 2025

Department alumni earn graduate and law degrees

Several department alumni have recently earned graduate and law degrees.听 Taylor Farmer earned a Juris Doctorate (JD) degree at the William H. Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock in May 2025.听 Taylor, who graduated from BT天堂with a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Political Science May 2022, works as a law clerk for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Little Rock.听听Gabrielle Harvey听earned a Master of Public Administration (MPA) at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock in December 2024.听 Gabrielle, who graduated from BT天堂with a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Public Administration and Political Science in August 2022, has worked as the Grassroots Engagement Director for Americans for Prosperity (AFP) in Little Rock since March 2024.听 Lauren McHenry earned听a Juris Doctorate (JD) degree from Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia in May 2024.听 Lauren graduated from BT天堂with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Political Science in May 2021.听 In June 2025, Lauren started a position as Associate Attorney in the Law Offices of Katherine Blackmon in Little Rock.听 Vanessa Rogers-Wright听earned a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Asian Studies from George Washington University in Washington DC in May 2025.听 Rogers-Wright, who graduated from BT天堂with a BA degree in International Studies and Political Science in May 2022, began a position as Education Coordinator at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock in September 2025.听听Jackson Rouse听earned a Juris Doctorate (JD) at the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law in May 2024.听 Jackson, who is an Associate Attorney at the Speed, Seta, Martin, Trivett, Stubley & Fickling law firm in Lawrenceville, Georgia, passed the Georgia Bar Exam in July 2024.听 Jackson graduated from BT天堂with a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Political Science and Public Administration in December 2020.听听Amy Vedder earned a Juris Doctorate (JD) degree from听the University of Vermont School of Law in May 2024.听 Amy graduated from BT天堂with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Public Administration and International Studies in May 2021.听听Amy works as a staff attorney for the U.S. Court of Appeals in St. Louis, Missouri.听 Amy’s article, “Not a Mere Creature of the State: Protecting Parental Rights in the Era of Anti-Trans Legislation,” was recently published in the听Harvard Law & Policy Review.听 Kenny Vo听earned a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Security Studies from the Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service in Washington DC in May 2025.听 Kenny graduated from BT天堂with degrees in Cybersecurity (BS) and International Studies (BA) in May 2022.听听Vito Whitmore earned a听Juris Doctorate (JD) degree from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington DC in May 2024.听 Vito graduated from BT天堂with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in International Studies and History, with minors in Public Administration and German.听 In 2024-2025, Vito was employed as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. Kristine Baker, U.S. District Court in Little Rock.

Posted in: Alumni News on May 22, 2025

Department holds 2025 Pi Sigma Alpha induction ceremony

The Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies held its annual induction ceremony for the听Alpha Beta Theta听Chapter of听Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society, on Thursday, April 24, 2025.听 Dr.听Clay Arnold, department chair, announced the 2024-2025 inductees, including Samuel Shelton and Abigail Wells.听 Richard Ware听served as president of the chapter in 2024-2025.听 The department also honored its 2024-2025 Outstanding Students: Political Science 鈥� Abby Bunch and Blake Reano; Public Administration 鈥� Abbie Asher, Emily Temple, and Phoenix Vu; and International Studies 鈥� Cooper Horton, Joshua Nunley, and Daegon Schaal.听 Dr.听Heather Yates听served as Faculty Advisor for UCA鈥檚 Pi Sigma Alpha chapter in 2024-2025.

Posted in: Pi Sigma Alpha on May 1, 2025