UA Little Rock Donaghey College of STEM

Our STEM outreach team is proud to celebrate the incredible achievements of Central Arkansas students at this year’s International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Phoenix, Arizona.

Central Arkansas was represented by six talented student competitors, who collectively earned:
• Two category awards
• One specialty award

These students showcased outstanding curiosity, innovation, and dedication to scientific discovery on an international stage.

We also extend our gratitude to the teachers, mentors, and families who supported these students throughout their journey. Your commitment to STEM education continues to make a lasting impact across our region.

Congratulations to all involved!

A week ago, they were strangers from communities across Arkansas. By the end of the AI Hackathon and HealthTech at UA Little Rock, they had become teammates, innovators, and problem-solvers tackling real healthcare challenges.

1st Place ($10,000): Resonate — Developed by Aras Erdag, Brodie Smith, Cami Gonzalez, Satya Achanti, Shreyan Movva, Joshua Davis, Koree Arndt, and Tanvi Virani, Resonate uses AI-powered voice analysis and personalized music therapy to improve care and quality of life for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

2nd Place ($5,000): InsuraMatch — Created by Blessing Itodo, Dilasa Yaman, Eric Wang, Ishmam Solaiman, Krish Mehta, Pfeiffer Slaveski, and Yogi Patel, InsuraMatch helps users navigate health insurance through conversational AI, educational tools, and plan comparisons.

3rd Place ($3,000): Materna — Developed by Ali Rizwan, Alyson Chapman, Sach Gulmammadov, Isidora Adeloa, Ivonne Barbosa-Melgarejo, Ksh*tiz Khatiwada, and Pronita Ghimire, Materna combines wearable technology and AI-powered monitoring to expand access to prenatal care for women in rural communities.
Over the course of one week, students transformed ideas into prototypes, business plans, and presentations addressing healthcare challenges across Arkansas.

Arkansas Students Reimagine Healthcare at UA Little Rock AI Hackathon A week ago, they were strangers from communities across Arkansas. By the end of the AI Hackathon and HealthTech at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, they had become ... Arkansas Students Reimagine Healthcare at UA Little Rock AI Hackathon

Today marks the start of an immersive AI Hackathon and HealthTech Startup Week, where students will spend the week developing innovative solutions to real healthcare challenges affecting communities across Arkansas.

We're excited to welcome participants from the following high schools:

Bentonville West High School
Little Rock Central High School Little Rock School District
Cabot High School
Episcopal Collegiate School
LISA West High School
Sylvan Hills High School - PCSSD - Pulaski County Special School District
Mayflower High School
Hot Springs World Class High School
Conway High School
Haas Hall Academy

AI Hackathon Brings Arkansas' Top Student Innovators Together to Tackle Healthcare Challenges Fifty-four of Arkansas’ highest-performing high school and college students will gather at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock June 8-12 for an immersive AI Hackathon and HealthTech Startup Week ... AI Hackathon Brings Arkansas’ Top Student Innovators Together to Tackle Healthcare Challeng...

Arkansas students delivered an impressive performance at the 2026 RTX MATHCOUNTS National Competition!

The Arkansas team ranked 14th overall in the nation, competing against top teams from across the United States and U.S. territories.

Special congratulations to:
• Ryan Fan, Woodland Junior High School — 15th place overall
• Vivek Kalyankar, Woodland Junior High School — 27th place overall

Both students are only in 8th grade!

The Arkansas team included:
• Ryan Fan
• Vivek Kalyankar
• Evan Ning
• Charlie Yao
Coach: Nat Thomas Jr., Woodland Junior High School

We are proud to celebrate these outstanding young mathematicians for representing Arkansas on the national stage!

Learn more about MATHCOUNTS: https://www.mathcounts.org/programs/2026-rtx-mathcounts-national-competition

Congratulations to Dr. Annie Childers, Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at UA Little Rock, on being named one of Little Rock Soirée magazine’s 2026 Women to Watch!

We’re proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition.

"I became a single mom at 18, which led me to UA Little Rock where I earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics. After earning my Ph.D. from Georgia State, I returned as faculty and later became department chair. Today, I support students, lead faculty and serve a university that empowers diverse, often nontraditional, students."

What started as undergraduate research at UA Little Rock is now an award-winning startup with the potential to improve cancer treatment worldwide.

Students Zane Austin and Nistha Neupane earned national recognition and funding for NanoLit, their nanotechnology-based company, after advancing as one of 10 finalists in the America250 startup competition.

The team received $25,000 in grant funding and presented their work before a judging panel that included Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar, former U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios, and other prominent entrepreneurs and investors.

UA Little Rock Students Win National Startup Competition for Cancer Research Venture What started as undergraduate research in a laboratory at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has grown into an award-winning startup with the potential to improve cancer treatment for ... UA Little Rock Students Win National Startup Competition for Cancer Research Venture

Today marked the wrap-up of this year’s Mobile Institute on Scientific Teaching (MoSI) at UA Little Rock.

Faculty from across campus participated in an interactive workshop where they shared ideas, discussed what they learned throughout the week, and explored how university leadership can help support their goals for creating more active and engaging learning environments for students. 👏

What a day to celebrate! 🎓

Saturday was filled with proud moments and well-earned accomplishments as our students crossed the stage and began their next chapter. We can’t wait to see what’s ahead for them! Congratulations to all our Spring 2026 Graduates! 🌟