HDCA is a global community of academics and practitioners that seeks to build an intellectual community around the ideas of human development. HDCA’s conference theme this year was Capabilities on the Move: Mobility and Aspirations.

The LEAD director, Rhonda McClellan, is pleased that six students, an affiliated faculty member and she presented original research at this year’s conference. Several students and Dr. McClellan presented their field-based research project on health and well-being in the Arkansas Delta. One student presented her dissertation work on girls’ education in Niger. Another student, along with Dr. Jayme Stone, presented a pilot study for the student’s dissertation work that focuses on environmental leadership in Rwanda.

LEAD students and faculty had the opportunity to see some of their academic/research idols present new ideas as well as debate current theory. They particularly enjoyed plenary sessions with Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, founders of the Capability Approach, and James Heckman and Amartya Sen, Nobel Laureates in Economics. They also had the opportunity to attend a multitude of paper sessions from international researchers who look to improve well-being and human agency around the world.

Emily Lane, a LEAD student working on research in the Arkansas Delta, was excited to present at the conference and proud to represent UCA and LEAD. “The work we do in this program is indispensable, and we are always happy to share it with others. The HDCA conference was a great place to discuss our research, to network with like-minded scholars, and to continue our work of enhancing human and community capabilities.”

The LEAD program is now accepting applications for its incoming 2016 cohort. For more information on the program, visit /phdleadership/.

For more information on the conference and the presentations by LEAD students and faculty, visit http://hd-ca.org/conference.

The Encyclopedia of Diversity and Social Justice published in 2015 contains over 300 entries alphabetically arranged for straightforward and convenient use by scholars and general readers alike. This reference is a comprehensive and systematic collection of designated entries that describe, in detail, important diversity and social justice themes.

Dr. Sherwood Thompson edited the encyclopedia and assembled a network of contributors and consultants to provide a centralized source and convenient way to discover the modern meaning, richness, and significance of diversity and social justice language, while offering a balanced viewpoint.

This encyclopedia reveals the unique nature of the language of diversity and social justice and makes the connection between how this language influences—negatively and positively—institutions and society. The terms have been carefully chosen in order to present the common usage of words and themes that dominate our daily conversations about these topics.

Entries range from original research to synopses of existing scholarship. These discussions provide alternative views to popular doctrines and philosophical truths, and include many of the most popular terms used in current conversations on the topic, from ageism to xenophobia. This reference covers cultural, social, and political vernacular and offers an historical perspective as well. With contributions from experts in various fields, the entries consist of topics that represent a wider context among a diverse community of people from every walk of life.

Webster-Smith’s article is entitled Racial Identity. Reflecting on racial identity is important because beliefs and attitudes regarding race have a comprehensive effect on individuals. Such beliefs and attitudes influence self-image (positive or negative), how one views one’s own group, as well as groups that are unlike one’s own (superior, inferior, equal). Racial identity is not a new phenomenon. It has historical correlation with health, intellectual development, worldviews, and life goals. The two-volume set was published by Rowman and Littlefield.

Dr. Webster-Smith is currently the chair of the board for an open enrollment public charter school and is an executive coach with public school principals. She is active on the campus of the 51ÇŕÂĄ and in professional organizations.

Recyclemania is a friendly competition and benchmarking tool for college and university recycling programs to promote waste reduction activities to their campus communities. Over an 8-week period each spring, colleges across the United States and Canada report the amount of recycling and trash collected each week and are in turn ranked in various categories based on who recycles the most on a per capita basis, as well as which schools have the best recycling rate as a percentage of total waste and which schools generate the least amount of combined trash and recycling.

With each week’s updated ranking, participating schools follow their performance against other colleges and use the results to rally their campus to reduce and recycle more. 51ÇŕÂĄ is excited to be a part of this program again in 2015!

To track our progress, visit the Recyclemaniacs for weekly updates.

For more information about UCA’s Recycling Program, please contact Kevin Carter, Recycling and Custodial Services Manager, at 501-450-5386 orkacarter@uca.edu.

The LEAD program director, Rhonda McClellan is pleased that 18 students and two faculty presented original research at this year’s conference. “ILA is an international organization that publishes top-tier journals in leadership and hosts a variety of conferences and meetings for scholars in the field to share their research. Our presentations and attendance at this conference highlights the quality of UCA’s PhD program. Out of all proposals sent to ILA, we learned that only 30% were accepted, ours being among that percentage.” Further, LEAD students and faculty had an opportunity to meet scholars whose work they encounter in the classroom and use in their own research. Many of the papers presented at this year’s conference resulted from the various community field-based projects for which the program is becoming well-known and from students’ dissertations. Presentations included a study of economics of educating women in Arkansas, literacy action in higher education, leadership development and community engagement, and several other topics that focus on improving quality of life markers in Arkansas. 

LEAD student, Emily Lane, was excited for the opportunity to present at an international conference and proud to represent UCA and the LEAD program.  “The work we do in this program is indispensable, and we are always happy to present our work and spread the word about the mission of our program to any listening audience.  This year’s conference was an eye-opening experience for everyone involved and provided us with priceless opportunities to network with other scholars and leaders, and it also gave us more impetus to continue the work of enhancing human and community capabilities.”    

The LEAD program is now accepting applications for its incoming 2016 cohort. For more information on the conference and the presentations by LEAD students and faculty and for general information about the program, visit .

For more information, contact the director of the LEAD Program Rhonda McClellan at phdleadership@uca.edu or (501) 852-0912.