Hendrix Odyssey
Program
Project Funding
April 2019
Since 2005, the Committee on Engaged Learning has awarded $4,305,158.71
in competitive Odyssey grants to support projects by Hendrix students and
faculty. In this cycle, 26 projects were awarded $80.804.50 in grants. Hendrix
students will learn about potential career paths, build on their existing
skills and interests, and serve others around the world.
Greer Ayers
Professional Field Experience with the United
Methodist Committee on Relief Volunteers in Mission Program
Category: PL
Supervisor: JJ Whitney,
Chaplain's Office
In Panama City, Panama, Greer Ayers will work with The San
Miguelito Youth Outreach Program that focuses on at-risk youth in the
neighborhood surrounding El Redentor Methodist Church. Ayers is participating
through The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). She will rely on her Spanish skills as she
works directly with young people involved with the UMCOR program.
Katie Bell and
Greta Kresse
Professional Development Experience at Mount Gretna
School of Art
Category: PL
Supervisor: Mathew Lopas,
Art
The Mount Gretna School of Art in Pennsylvania offers an
intensive seven-week painting program. Hendrix art students Katie Bell and
Greta Kresse have been accepted to the program, where they will focus on
painting and drawing as they build their technical skills, network with other
professional artists, and develop their portfolios for their future careers.
Gwen Boone
Summer Internships with the Administrative Offices of
the Courts
Category: PL
Supervisor: Jay Barth,
Politics
Gwen Boone will work as an intern in the Judicial Education
area of the Administrative Offices of the Courts of Arkansas this summer. She
will aid the curriculum development committees, research topics for future
educational programs, develop marketing material for education about the
judicial branch and help write grants. Boone hopes to pursue a career in social
work, and she will gain the tools, skills, and connections that will help her
be a more engaged citizen.
Lexie Burleson
Interfaith Summer Internship
Category: PL
Supervisor: JJ Whitney,
Chaplain's Office
To explore a vocation in interfaith work, Lexie Burleson
will work to plan events and programs in Arkansas this summer, including an
interfaith event at All Saint’s Episcopal Church in Russellville. Burleson will
also serve as a camp counselor at Friendship Camp, a week-long interfaith day
camp for elementary aged children. This project is co-sponsored by the Miller
Center for Vocation, Ethics, and Calling.
Hannah Burroughs
Sea Turtle Research and Conservation Program: Daytime
Tagging
Category: PL
Supervisor: Jennifer Dearolf,
Biology
Despite living in a land-locked state, Hannah Burroughs
aspires to be a marine biologist. She will experience working in that world
this summer through Mote. This non-profit marine research institution runs a
sea turtle research and conservation program in Sarasota, Florida. Burroughs
will work both in the field and in the office/lab setting to study sea turtles
and help protect them.
Amy Cabrera
Into the World Economy
Category: PL
Supervisor: Lyle Rupert,
Economics and Business
As an intern in the Business Office at Hendrix College, Amy
Cabrera will be working with business accounts and gaining experience in how an
institution of higher learning functions as part of the American economy. This
knowledge will be essential as she follows her career path in the areas of
marketing, accounting and finance.
Jordan Carl
Faith, Health and Politics: A Summer Fellowship at the
Office of Public Witness
Category: PL
Supervisor: Robert Williamson,
Religion
Jordan Carl hopes to pursue a career in public health. To
explore that vocation, Carl will work full-time as a summer fellow at the
Presbyterian Church (USA) Office of Public Witness in Washington, DC. The
fellowship will focus on how the social teachings of the church intersect with
advocating for policy change and communicating Presbyterian positions to both
political leaders and the general public.
Drew Gazaway
Botany/Ecology Professional Field Experience with Arkansas
Natural Heritage Commission
Category: PL
Supervisor: Maureen McClung,
Biology
During this summer, Drew Gazaway will work alongside a
professional botanist/ecologist with the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission.
Gazaway will help prepare and process dried plant specimens, conduct rare plant
surveys in the field and take inventory of private and public lands in
Arkansas. At the commission’s Herbarium, Gazaway will collect, press, and mount
plant specimens, prepare them for shipment, and protect them from insect and
moisture damage.
Katlyne Gilliam
Compassion in the Carceral State
Category: PL
Supervisor: Delphia
Shanks-Booth, Politics and International
Relations
In Arkansas, those convicted of a felony are ineligible to vote
while in prison, on parole, or on probation. Many of them do not realize that
their voting rights can be restored when their supervision ends. At “Compassion
Works for All,” a non-profit in Little Rock Katlyne Gilliam will help develop a
Civics course to educate inmates about their voting rights and also help those
who are eligible register to vote.
Parker Hall
Physical Therapy Internship at Conway Regional
Hospital
Category: PL
Supervisor: Brenda Houck,
Biology
As an athlete who has experienced his own share of injuries
and rehabilitation, Parker Hall has a wealth of knowledge that will help him
with his internship in the Physical Therapy department of Conway Regional
Hospital. Hall will shadow physical therapists and learn about new techniques such
a dry needling, which is like acupuncture.
Peyton Hall
Tapping into the
Secret of Environmental Sustainability
Category: PL
Supervisor: Courtney Hatch,
Chemistry
Treaty Oak Distillery in Dripping Springs, Texas, takes its commitment
to sustainability seriously, to the point of planting a tree for each barrel of
its product sold. This unique philosophy attracted Peyton Hall, who will intern
with the company this summer monitoring water quality, maintaining the
aquaponics system, and reutilizing waste water for gardening and composting.
Sidra Hanson
A Summer of Volunteering at Heifer International
Category: PL
Supervisor: Courtney Hatch,
Chemistry
Sidra Hanson will explore the real-world applications of her
Environmental Studies major through an internship at Heifer International.
Innovation concerning water safety, food availability, and educational access
is central to Heifer’s mission. Hanson will help shape an educational
curriculum around one of the products the organization tests at its
headquarters before preparing it for worldwide distribution.
Blake Hinton
Putting People Back on Their Feet
Category: PL
Supervisor: George Harper,
Biology
This summer, Blake Hinton will intern at the Southwest
Sports and Spine Clinic, an outpatient physical therapy office in Dallas,
Texas. Hinton will learn about patient interaction, exercise assistance, and
the proper techniques for the beneficial treatment of patients of all ages.
Sara Hoopchuk
STEAD Scholars Summer Program
Category: PL
Supervisor: Brenda Houck,
Biology
During the eight-week STEAD Scholars program through the
Boozman College of Public Health and the Arkansas Department of Health, Sara
Hoopchuk will be partnered with a mentor from the senior staff. Under her
mentor’s guidance, Hoopchuk will gain clinical laboratory experience and
develop her own public health policy project.
Kessie Jenkins
Move. Restore. Revive
Category: PL
Supervisor: Brenda Houck,
Biology
Kessie Jenkins will spend her summer as an intern at the Batesville
Therapy Clinic in Batesville, Ark., where she will gain insight into being a
physical therapist. The clinic specializes in the treatment of orthopedics,
sports related injuries, industrial rehabilitation and similar services. She
will work closely with the physical therapists who focus on disability
prevention, restoration of function, and relief from pain.
Jordan Mallard
A Journey into the Field of Public Health
Category: PL
Supervisor: Brenda Houck,
Biology
As a STEAD Scholars program participant through the Boozman
College of Public Health and the Arkansas Department of Health, Jordan Mallard
will have the opportunity to explore the possible fields in a career in public
health. Mallard will gain real-world exposure to both applied and basic science,
clinical practice, and education about health policy development.
Cameron Minor
Internship with Insitute for Therapy through the Arts
Category: PL
Supervisor: Jay Barth,
Politics
At Chicago’s Institute for Therapy through the Arts, Cameron
Minor will combine two long-standing interests. Relying on his major, Minor
will use his mathematical and computer skills to help keep the administrative
office functioning, while he will incorporate his music minor as he observes
creative arts therapists professionally guide patients through mediums they
might not be able to experience on their own. These range from music and visual
arts to dance and theater.
Sydney Mulhearn
Learning the Business of Graphic Design and Branding
Category: PL
Supervisor: Damon Spayde,
Physics
Silverlake Design Studio of Conway, Ark., is 100%
woman-owned and specializes in logo design and branding for businesses and
non-profits. Sydney Mulhern will build her graphic design skills as an intern
and learn about the behind-the-scenes work that is involved with running a
business, including maintain its website presence.
Audrey Mutoni
Discovering the Rwandan Medical Field
Category: PL
Supervisor: Kristi McKim,
English
Audrey Mutoni will shadow a physician at the Rwanda
Biomedical Center learning about the diagnosis of diseases and laboratory work.
The Center aims to provide quality, affordable, and sustainable health services
to Rwandans with a focus on biomedical research. Mutoni hopes to be part of the
growing medical field in her home country.
Gaston Niyitegeka
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty in Rwanda
Category: PL
Supervisor: Lyle Rupert,
Economics and Business
Gaston Niyitegeka aspires to be an entrepreneur who creates opportunities
for others. He will learn the best techniques as an intern with Heifer
International in Rwanda. Niyitegeka plans to work with field officers and the
social development team in projects such as extending zero-grazing technology
to balance the need to protect the farmer’s land while managing new livestock.
This project is co-sponsored by the Miller Center for Vocation, Ethics, and
Calling.
Anna Norman
An Internship in Democratization with the Carter
Center
Category: PL
Supervisor: Kiril Kolev,
Politics and International Relations
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter founded the Carter Center
in Atlanta, Georgia, with the mission to improve lives around the world through
peace and health programs. As an intern in the Democracy Program, Anna Norman
will help with the center’s election monitoring efforts.
Faith Reynolds
Exploring Careers for Mental Health at Conway Human
Development Center
Category: PL
Supervisor: Sara Taylor,
Psychology
The Conway Human Development Center provides care for individuals
of different ages and disabilities. As an intern, Faith Reynolds will shadow
psychologists as they interact with, assess, and treat their patients. Reynolds
will gain valuable insight into a potential career path toward working in the
mental health field.
Whitney Woods
Joining the Herd: The Beginning of My Professional
Journey into Veterinary Medicine
Category: PL
Supervisor: Laura MacDonald,
Biology
Whitney Woods hopes to have a career in the animal care
profession and will explore that path through two internships, one at the
Little Rock Zoo and the other at Your Pet’s Animal Hospital in Hot Springs,
Ark. At the zoo, Woods will work closely with animals of different sizes and
breeds and educate visitors about them. At the veterinary clinic, Woods will
gain skills in drawing blood, running diagnostic tests, and interacting with
the patients and their owners.
Dr. Rod Miller
Senior Art Major Trip to NYC
Category: SP
Dr. Rod Miller will take senior art majors on a trip to New York City to
view works of art first-hand and to see how contemporary art is displayed in
galleries. The experience will help them consider how their own artistic
endeavors fit within the contemporary world. What they learn on the trip will
contribute to the students’ research projects, their Senior Presentations, and
their own art-making.
Chaplain JJ Whitney
Building Bridges through Service Learning: A Service
to the World Project in Puerto Rico
Category: SW
Chaplain JJ Whitney and Dean Jim Wiltgen will lead Hendrix students,
faculty and staff on a service-learning trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico in May
2020. The group will partner with Peacework, a nonprofit that focuses on
disaster relief and recovery.
Jim Wiltgen
Civil Rights and Embracing a Vocation of Change
Category: SP
Dean
of Students Jim Wiltgen and Claudia Courtway will take fifteen students on an
immersive experience to frame the history of the Civil Rights movement. The
participants will be encouraged to contemplate a vocation that is committed to
social transformation.