Several Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts students received recognition at the 2026 Arkansas Foreign Language Teacher Association World Languages Competition.

The state foreign language competition included more than 250 students from across the state in several categories that tested their knowledge of French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Turkish, Latin and Chinese. Competition categories include Poetry Recitation, Vocabulary Bee, Extemporaneous Speaking, Extemporaneous Reading, Culture Bowl, Art and Live Sketch, and Drama, Music and Dance. Various levels were included to accommodate multiple levels of language learners. The competition was held March 7 at Harding University in Searcy.

ASMSA students who earned recognition at the AFLTA competition include:

• • Micaela Collver of Greenbrier, French 3 Extemperaneous Speaking, first place;
  • Grace Ann Conn of Van Buren, French 3 Vocabulary, first place, and French 3 Reading, first place;
  • Priya James of Mountainburg, French 3 Extemperaneous Reading, second place;
  • Destiny Martin of DeValls Bluff, French 2 Vocabulary Bee, first place; Japanese Culture Bowl, first place; and Japanese  Poetry, first place;
  • Story Clark of Hackett, Japanese 2 Poetry, first place;
  • Malee Vang of Lincoln, Japanese 2 Extemperaneous Speaking, first place, and Japanese Culture Bowl, first place;
  • KC Cavin of Mount Vernon, Japanese 2 Live Sketch, first place;
  • Kira Marshall of Benton, Japanese 1 Vocabulary Bee, first place, and Spanish Advanced Culture Bowl, first place;
  • Makenna Kutzchebauch of Benton, Spanish Advanced Culture Bowl, first place;
  • Kemdi Ekeanyanwu of Little Rock, Spanish Advanced Vocabulary Bee, second place, and Spanish Advanced Culture Bowl, first place;
  • Emily Lin of Little Rock, Spanish Advanced Vocabulary Bee, first place, and Spanish Advanced Culture Bowl, first place;
  • Yana Pandit of Little Rock, Spanish Advanced Extemperaneous Reading, third place, and Spanish Advanced Culture Bowl, first place;
  • Isabel Gagnon of Salem, Spanish 3 Poetry Recitation, second place; and
  • Colton Melson of Springdale, Spanish 2 Vocabulary Bee, third place.

Contestants in Extemporaneous Speaking are presented with a list of possible topics. They must discuss anything related to the topic of their choice, including engaging in a conversation about the chosen topic in the language choice.

Participants in the Vocabulary Bee category study a vocabulary list and test their knowledge in a live vocabulary bee. The bee includes a Quizlet link to help students with meaning and pronunciation of the word.

Extemporaneous Reading contestants are presented with a short passage to read aloud. Students also give a brief summary in English about what they read.

In the Poetry Recitation competition, students memorize and recite a designated poem to show effective use of rhythm and rhyme and also to show their comprehension of the text.

Culture Bowl participants study a list of cultural facts related to their language and test their knowledge in a live trivia challenge. Students must provide responses exactly as listed in a Quizlet set that is provided to students before the competition.

Live Sketch participants sketch artwork that relates to foreign language learning or use and illustrate the theme of the competition, which was “Navigate Your Future with Languages” for 2026. Students must complete the sketch using only pencil/graphite or charcoal in an hour.

The Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas today approved the selection of Derek McDowell, Ph.D., director of secondary academics for the Amarillo (Texas) Independent School District, as the next executive director of the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts.

The UA Board approved University of Arkansas System President Jay B. Silveria’s recommendation of McDowell during a specially called meeting today held virtually and in-person at the UA System – Cammack Campus.

“Dr. McDowell’s background is a unique mix of Ph.D.-level research and executive K-12 leadership — both of which will serve him well among some of the brightest high school students our state has to offer,” Silveria said. “But most importantly, he will be a great fit to lead ASMSA’s efforts on campus, in the community, and throughout the state as our only residential high school. That says a lot considering how impressive the talent was among candidates and especially the other finalists. I want to give a special thanks to Dr. Michael Moore and the advisory search committee for completing a successful search process.”

Finalists were selected in March with the help of a 12-member advisory search committee chaired by Michael Moore, Ph.D., vice president for academic affairs for the University of Arkansas System, which advised Silveria as he sought a candidate to recommend to the Board of Trustees for final approval. Three finalists visited campus in the last month for meetings with faculty, staff, administrators, students and various ASMSA stakeholders.

McDowell, who is expected to begin at ASMSA on July 1, is currently director of secondary academics for the Amarillo (Texas) Independent School District, where his main goal is to provide vision, strategy and leadership to improve secondary student outcomes. He’s previously worked as secondary science curriculum coordinator for the Frisco (Texas) Independent School District. He currently serves on the National Science Education Leadership Association Board of Directors and was the regional coordinator for the Academic Decathlon in North Texas for nearly a decade. McDowell, a native Arkansan from Corning, earned bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and chemistry from Lyon College, a master’s degree in education from Lamar University and a doctorate in physical chemistry from Rice University.

“I’m just very grateful to the UA System, to ASMSA and to the UA Board for this opportunity to return to my home state and give back to students where I got my start,” McDowell said. “I’m looking forward to getting to know and becoming part of the gifted team of faculty and staff at ASMSA to continue identifying innovative pathways and partnerships to develop our exceptionally talented students in Arkansas.”

More information about the search can be found at the ASMSA Director Search webpage.

Previous ASMSA Chancellor Search News:

• Finalists Selected in ASMSA Executive Director Search
• Flynn Named Interim Executive Director at ASMSA
• Advisory Search Committee Announced for ASMSA Executive Director
• ASMSA Director to Step Down After 13 Years

Several Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts students earned recognition at the 2026 Arkansas High School Model Arab League Conference.

Model Arab League is the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations’ flagship youth leadership development program. It is similar to the Model United Nations program. This year’s Arkansas high school conference was held March 6-7 at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Eleven ASMSA students earned recognition for their participation, including:

• Daniel Leslie, a sophomore from Jonesboro, Honorable Mention Delegate, Sudan, Council on Economic Affairs;
• Graydon Anderson, a senior from Little Rock, Distinguished Delegation Award, Sudan, Council on Social Affairs;
• Max Monroe, a senior from Hot Springs, Distinguished Delegation Award, Lebanon, Council on Social Affairs;
• Jack Ghotra, a senior from Little Rock, Outstanding Delegation Award, Libya, Council on Political Affairs;
• Sophia Lee, a senior from Russellville, Outstanding Delegation Award, Libya , Council on Political Affairs;
• Aarush Goyal, a senior from Bentonville, Outstanding Delegation Award, Lebanon, Council on Political Affairs;
• Luis Vidal, a senior from Fort Smith, Outstanding Delegation Award, Lebanon, Council on Political Affairs;
• Drake Smith, a junior from Mayflower, Distinguished Delegation Award, Libya, Joint Defense Council;
• Nathan Harbut, a senior from Hot Springs, Distinguished Delegation Awad, Lebanon, Arab Heads of State;
• Tristan Henson, a senior from Maumelle, Distinguished Delegation Award, Lebanon, Arab Heads of State; and
• Paris Goodman, a junior from Black Rock, Honorable Mention Award, Sudan, Arab Heads of State.

Five Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts students earned recognition at the 2026 HOSA State Leadership Conference.

HOSA is an international organization for future health professionals. Formerly known as the Health Occupations Students of America, HOSA encourages its members to explore the medical field through service, professional development and collaboration.

Students who earned recognition at this year’s state conference included:

• Pilar Johnson, a junior from Hensley, first place, Clinical Laboratory Science;
• Kemdi Ekeanyanwu, a junior from Little Rock, first place, Prepared Speaking;
• Anna Le, a senior from Fort Smith, second place, Healthcare Administration;
• Paola Sustaita, a senior from Sheridan, second place, Health Informatics; and
• Bella Guzman, a senior from Benton, third place, Dental Science.

Dr. Patrycja Krakowiak, a Life Sciences Instructor of Excellence and chair of ASMSA’s Science Department, was recognized as the “New Advisor of the Year,” an award given to a teacher based on nomination essays written by their students. The state competition was held Feb 23-24 in Hot Springs.

This was the first year ASMSA students have competed in the HOSA competition. The school previously had a Young Medical Professionals Club before converting to a HOSA club. Krakowiak credited the students’ opportunity to successfully compete at the state contest to the leadership of club co-presidents Kaitleen Toh and Luis Vidal who led the efforts to transform the previous club to its current affiliation.

Fourteen ASMSA students attended and competed at the state event, where they had the opportunity to network with peers from other schools, participate in breakout sessions about medical professions and have a first-hand opportunity to use an Anatomage Table, which is an interactive 3D touchscreen platform used for virtual human and animal dissection.

Students who placed in the state competition earned the opportunity to compete in the 2026 HOSA International Conference, which will be held June 17-20 at the Indianapolis Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind.

Five students at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts have been named 2026 National Merit Scholarship Finalists.

The National Merit Scholarship Corp. recently announced the names of the Finalists in the 71^st annual National Merit Scholarship Program this spring. The students, all members of the Class of 2026, will have an opportunity to continue in the competition for 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring.

The ASMSA seniors named Finalists are:

• Aarush Goyal of Bentonville;
• Tristan Henson of Maumelle;
• Anna Le of Fort Smith;
• Catherine Van Dorple of Cabot; and
• Kaiyan Yu of Benton.

To be considered for the National Merit Scholarship Program, students take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as a junior.

Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The National Merit Scholarship Corp. is a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance. It was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in four batches in the spring and summer of 2026. Winners will receive scholarships sponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Program, national corporations and businesses, and colleges and universities across the nation.

Micaela Collver, an Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts senior from Greenbrier has been recognized as a U.S. Presidential Scholar Candidate.

The U.S. Presidential Scholars program is considered one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students. It was established in 1964 by executive order of the president to recognize and honor some of the nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors.

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars’ review committee selects honored scholars annually based on their academic success, personal characteristics, leadership, and service activities, in addition to the quality and content of their essays.

Collver was among 91 Arkansas students selected as candidates this year. Each year, more than 4,000 candidates are identified for the component of the program that focuses on academic achievement as well as having scored exceptionally well on the SAT or the ACT.  Eligible students are U.S. citizens and legal permanent U.S. residents who will graduate or receive their high school diploma between January and August of the current program year and have taken the ACT or SAT assessment on or before October of the previous year.

Approximately 650 students will be named semifinalists in April after the next round of review, and up to 161 students will be recognized in May as Presidential Scholars. If a student is selected as a U.S. Presidential Scholar, they will be honored in Washington, D.C., in June. To commemorate their achievement, the Scholars are awarded the U.S. Presidential Scholars medallion at a ceremony sponsored by the White House.

Four Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts students earned scholarships in the recent 2025/2026 Thea Foundation Scholarship Competition.

Seniors Beau Goldthorpe of Benton, KC Cavin of Mount Vernon, Priya James of Mountainburg and Makenna Kutzschebauch of Benton were among the 36 students statewide who earned scholarships in the competition. The foundation awarded $219,000 in scholarships in five categories: Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Creative Writing, Film and Fashion.

Thorpe placed fourth in the Performing Arts category, earning a $7,000 scholarship. Cavin placed third in the Visual Arts category, earning an $8,000 scholarship. James placed second in the Film category, earning a $9,000 scholarship. Kutzschebauch placed third in the Film category, earning an $8,000 scholarship.

The annual competition is for Arkansas graduation high school seniors. The organization’s first scholarship was awarded in 2002. The program is now endowed and has provided more than $3.7 million in scholarships. A full list of scholarship recipients may be found on the foundation’s website.

Several Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts students earned recognition at the 60^th Arkansas Model United Nations Conference held at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.

Among the recognition students earned were:
• Best Position Paper: Republic of Korea, delegates Tatum Polzin, a senior from Little Rock; Aaron Bruce, a sophomore from Hot Springs; Nathan Harbut, a senior from Hot Springs; Jordan Roper, a junior from Hot Springs; Bailey Bray, a senior from Greenbrier; Colt Erwin, a junior from Hot Springs; Halie Cook, a senior from Pine Bluff; Phoenix Dunkley, a senior from Little Rock; and Aarush Goyal, a senior from Bentonville;
• Economic and Social Council Outstanding Delegate Honorable Mention: Republic of South Korea — Halie Cook, a senior from Pine Bluff;
• Human Rights Council Outstanding Delegate Honorable Mention: South Africa — Nora Medlock, a senior from Dyer;
• Council of the Arab League Outstanding Delegate Honorable Mention: Lebanon — Max Monroe, a senior from Hot Springs;
• Security Council Outstanding Delegate Honorable Mention: Republic of South Korea — Aarush Goyal, a senior from Bentonville; and
• Model International Court of Justice Outstanding Delegate Honorable Mentions: Lebanon — Paris Goodman, a junior from Black Rock, and South Africa: Tristan Henson, a senior from Maumelle.

The conference was held Nov. 21-22. The Arkansas Model UN is an experiential learning activity with the primary goal of providing high school students with a unique opportunity to enhance their communication skills, improve critical thinking skills and increase their understanding of diplomacy and international politics.

Dr. Don Baker, a former ASMSA instructor, served as the keynote speaker during the opening session. Baker has been a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State since 2005.

The conference is hosted by the Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies at UCA.

The annual conference provides a setting in which students can simulate representative of various countries throughout the world in the decision-making bodies of the United Nations. It provides the students an opportunity to gain an understanding of the history and structure of the international body, according to the conference’s website.

Three finalists have been announced in the search for the next executive director at Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts (ASMSA) in Hot Springs, with each making independent campus visits between March 13-20.

The finalists were selected with the help of a 12-member advisory search committee chaired by Michael Moore, Ph.D., vice president for academic affairs for the University of Arkansas System, which is advising UA System President Jay B. Silveria as he seeks a candidate to recommend to the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas for final approval.

The finalists will visit campus starting this week for meetings with faculty, staff, administrators, students and various ASMSA stakeholders.

The finalists, in order of their scheduled visits, include:

• Peter L. Gess, Ph.D. (March 13) Economic Policy Director, Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families
• Derek McDowell, Ph.D. (March 18) Director of Secondary Academics, Amarillo (Texas) Independent School District
• Carllos Lassiter, Ed.D. (March 20) V.P. for Student Affairs and Community Engagement, Austin College (Sherman, Texas)

Brief bios of each finalist are included below. More information and search details can be found at the ASMSA Director Search webpage.

“The number and caliber of applicants received from across the country for the position of executive director is a testament to the reputation ASMSA has built as being one of the nation’s top public high schools,” Silveria said. “The pool of high-quality finalists recognizes the magnitude of this opportunity to be a part of leading some of the brightest students our state has to offer and the potential that exists out in the world for them with the experience ASMSA can provide. I want to thank the advisory search committee for helping to recruit such an impressive group, and I look forward to each of them visiting so we can learn more about them as we consider the right fit for this critical position.”

Following the visits, President Silveria will receive feedback from the campus community before making a recommendation to the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas, which ultimately approves the selection of ASMSA’s next executive director.

“ASMSA is in a great position of carrying a lot of positive momentum due to the hard work and vision of previous leadership, current faculty and staff, and the admirable dedication of Interim Director (Stuart) Flynn,” Moore said. “There is a defined path for growth in its infrastructure and an open runway for the right candidate to step in and continue this overall upward trajectory with fresh ideas and dynamic leadership. I’m looking forward to introducing these finalists to campus and learning more about the unique vision and perspective each one brings to the UA System and the state.”

Below are short biographies about each finalist in order of their planned visits:

Peter L. Gess, Ph.D.
Economic Policy Director, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families

Peter L. Gess, Ph.D., has been the economic policy director at Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families since 2024. He was previously a professor of Politics and Environmental Policy at Hendrix College, where he held various positions during his 16 years at the college, including Department Chair, Director of International Programs, Director of the Odyssey Engaged Learning Program, and Associate Provost for Engaged Learning. He earned a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and a master’s in environmental engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology before completing a doctorate degree in public administration at the University of Georgia.

Derek McDowell, Ph.D.
Director of Secondary Academics, Amarillo (Texas) Independent School District

Derek McDowell, Ph.D., is currently director of secondary academics for the Amarillo (Texas) Independent School District, where his main goal is to provide vision, strategy and leadership to improve secondary student outcomes. He’s previously worked as secondary science curriculum coordinator for the Frisco (Texas) Independent School District. He currently serves on the National Science Education Leadership Association Board of Directors and was the regional coordinator for the Academic Decathlon in North Texas for nearly a decade. He earned bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and chemistry from Lyon College, a master’s degree in education from Lamar University and a doctorate in physical chemistry from Rice University.

Carllos Lassiter, Ed.D.
V.P. of Student Affairs and Community Engagement, Austin College (Sherman, Texas)

Carllos Lassiter, Ed.D. is currently the vice president for student affairs and community engagement at Austin College in Sherman, Texas, where he oversees all areas of Campus Life, including residential. He previously worked as assistant vice president for student engagement at American University in Washington, D.C., vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Westminster College (Pennsylvania), and vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Rust College in Holly Springs, Miss. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies from Vassar College as well as a master’s degree in higher education administration and student personnel and doctorate in education, both from University of Mississippi.

About the University of Arkansas System (www.uasys.edu)

Since its inception, the University of Arkansas System has developed a tradition of excellence that includes the state’s 1871 flagship, land-grant research university; Arkansas’s premier institution for medical education, treatment and research; a major metropolitan university; an 1890 land-grant university; two regional universities serving southern and western Arkansas; eight community colleges; two schools of law; a presidential school; a residential math and science high school; and a 100 percent-online university and divisions of agriculture, archeology and criminal justice. As the premier higher education system in the state, it enrolls more than 70,000 students, employs more than 17,000 employees, and has a total budget of more than $4 billion. An intrinsic part of the texture and fabric of Arkansas, the UA System is a driving force in the state’s economic, educational and cultural advancement.

Fifteen Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts students earned recognition at the FBLA District IV Spring Conference.

The district conference was held at the University of Arkansas at Hope-Texarkana’s Hope campus on Feb. 4.  The students participated in competitive events that were either an objective subject test, performance or presentation, or a combination of an objective test and a performance component.

Students who placed in the top six in objective test competitions or top five in a performance or presentation event at the district qualified to compete in the state competition, which will be held April 7-8 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.