To celebrate Women’s History Month, the College of Education and Health Professions highlighted several of its outstanding faculty and staff.
Ketevan Mamiseishvili is the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs and a professor of higher education in COEHP. She joined the University of Arkansas in August 2008 after completing her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Missouri. From 2013 to 2017, she served as the Head of the Department of Rehabilitation, Human Resources, and Communication Disorders. Dr. Mamiseishvili has received a variety of COEHP awards and accolades through the years. Her primary research interests focus on the productivity, job satisfaction, and work life issues of foreign-born faculty in the United States.
Guadalupe Rodriguez was recently named the university-wide Outstanding New Advisor of the Year. Dr. Rodriguez graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering degree and a doctorate in medicine from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.Since then, she has worked in a number of positions in K-12 education and higher education primarily revolving around student access and student success.
Suzanne Kucharczyk is an assistant professor and program coordinator for Inclusive Educational and Clinical Programs in COEHP. She was recently awarded the 2021 Tom E. C. Smith Early Career Award for her work, service, research and leadership in the field of developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorder.Dr. Kucharczyk has been at the U of A since 2015 and her research is focused on improving transition experiences for youth with significant disabilities. Prior to coming to the U of A, Kucharczyk was director of professional development for a nonprofit organization in New York City that provides services for children and adults with disabilities. She also worked at the University of North Carolina at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute.
Michelle Gray, is an associate professor in UARK HHPR and director of the Exercise Science Research Center and director of COEHP’s Honors program. Since coming to the University of Arkansas in 2010, her research has focused on improving the physical and cognitive function of older adults. Dr. Gray serves as the Regional Chapter Representative for Central States Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine and is a reviewer for seven journals. She’s also part of a task force created by Chancellor Joe Steinmetz and Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation Daniel Sui to explore collaborations between the U of A and UAMS. She’s also involved in one of the longest-running, faculty-led study abroad trips, Health Teams Abroad.
Pamela Yancy-Taylor is the Senior Director of Instructional Leadership at the Arkansas Academy for Educational Equity, which focuses on recruiting talented and motivated teachers to relocate to Arkansas. It helps support and develop early-career teachers who have committed to teaching in Arkansas’ most under-resourced districts. Dr. Yancy-Taylor hires, trains, and coaches content-area directors. She makes sure participating teachers get world-class training and support, while also cultivating relationships with schools and district leaders across the state.Prior to joining the Academy, Dr. Yancy-Taylor served as principal with Shelby County Schools in Memphis, TN, for 10 years. She has more than 20 years of teaching, training and development, and program planning and management experience in some of the neediest schools in the city of Memphis. Her research interests include the causes of adolescent aggression and the effects of adolescent aggression on student achievement.
Dr. Yancy-Taylor attended the University of Memphis, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in social work in 1994. She also holds a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction, an Educational Specialist degree in Leadership, and Doctor of Education degree in Administration and Supervision from Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, TN.
Tameeka Hunter is a dynamic assistant professor in our counselor education program. She’s a licensed professional counselor, a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor, and a board-certified counselor. Dr. Hunter has a bachelor’s degree in business administration, a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and a doctorate in counselor education and practice from Georgia State University. She had a 17-year career in disability services before beginning her doctoral studies. Before joining the University of Arkansas, she was the director of the Disability Resource Center at Clayton State University.Dr. Hunter’s research focuses on the resilience of marginalized, and multiple marginalized populations, including people of color, sexual and gender-expansive individuals, women, and people living with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Her work examines the impact of resilience and strength-based approaches on the psychosocial, educational and vocational functioning of marginalized populations.
Dr. Hunter has been named the American Rehabilitation Counseling Association Doctoral Student of the Year, an Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Emerging Leader and a Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Emerging Leader. She was awarded a National Board of Certified Counselors Minority Fellowship. Her teaching interests include rehabilitation foundations, counseling research, medical and psychosocial aspects of disability, and intersectional research.
Sherry Muir is the director of our Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program. She worked with patients in a variety of rural acute care, rehabilitation, outpatient, and home health settings for over 27 years before joining the University of Arkansas in 2017. Dr. Muir has a BA in biology from University of Missouri-Columbia, a Master of Occupational Therapy from Texas Woman’s University, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy & Administration from Walden University. She has been a professional educator since 2003, and came to Arkansas from a full-time faculty position at Saint Louis University.Dr. Muir is widely considered the founder of a new area of practice for occupational therapists in Primary Care, working in integrated inter-professional teams to improve primary care and patient outcomes. She is a recognized leader in this innovative area of practice, speaks nationally on this topic, has several peer-reviewed publications on the topic, works with student groups from various universities to complete projects or research in primary care, and has helped many occupational therapists to develop jobs in this practice setting.
The clinical Occupational Therapy doctoral program is the first joint program between the U of A and
UAMS – University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and is meeting a vital need in Northwest Arkansas.
Susan Patton leads the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing program. She also teaches medical surgical nursing and advanced statistics and epidemiology in our Doctor of Nursing Practice program. She was the first person in her family to receive a college education and the only one to earn a PhD.“My parents never obtained a college degree, but they understood the value of education and passed on a love of education and a push for tenacity,” she said. “I remember them saying ‘education is the one thing no one can ever take away from you.'” I strive to continue the legacy with my own children and grandchildren.
Dr. Patton earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree from UAMS in 1974 and worked as a nurse practitioner for the Arkansas Department of Health in Southwest Arkansas. In 1990, she earned a Masters in Health Administration from UALR. She earned a master’s in Nursing Degree and a Ph.D. in Health Promotion from the U of A. She served as Assistant Administrator of St Michael Health Care Center in Texarkana until 1994 and as COO of Austin Regional Clinic.
One of seven children, Fran Hagstrom said she’s the personification of her mother’s dream to one day go to college. “I was helped at turning points by teachers who believed in me,” she said. “The first such teacher, who taught all grades in a one-room schoolhouse heated by a wooden stove, was my second grade teacher, Ms. Campbell.”
Dr. Hagstrom said her family moved had just moved to a small farming community the summer between first and second grades. On the first day of class, students were instructed to write their names on the board so new students as well as returning students would know each other’s names and grade level.
“I was the only student in the second grade and she quickly recognized that I didn’t know my letters or numbers and couldn’t even print my name,” Dr. Hagstrom said. “She saved me from embarrassment by smoothly taking the chalk from my hand and asking me to slowly say my name so she could write it on the board. That kind act and the many teachable moments that followed that year set the foundation for my educational success.”
Dr. Hagstrom has secured millions in external funding, mentored more than 50 undergraduate theses for COEHP Honors and helped students secure thousands in internal and external funding for their research projects. She also created the interdisciplinary Health Coaches program and the longest-standing study abroad program, Health Teams Abroad-Sweden.
Janet Forbess began teaching at the University of Arkansas in August of 1978, which she said led to “the best 43 years of my life” as an instructor in the department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation.“I get to teach future teachers what it takes to have an excellent physical education program, and make a difference in the lives of students,” she said.
Forbess was born and raised in Columbus, Georgia, and graduated from Georgia Southern University and the University of Florida.
Charlene Reid is originally from the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and is currently a research assistant in our Office for Education Policy, which provides current national, state, and regional education research to support state lawmakers and educators in thoughtful decision-making in PK-12 education in Arkansas.
Brandi Maples has been our college’s Chief Financial Officer for nearly 20 years. She works closely with U of A administration and members of the college’s executive team to review, improve and execute fiscal operations. She oversees our budget and sponsored project finances. In other words, she plays a pivotal role in keeping COEHP running smoothly.