Higher Education Notebook

Arkansas Tech hiresinterim band leader

RUSSELLVILLE -- Arkansas Tech University has named retiree Michael Westbrook interim director of bands for the 2014-15 academic year.

Westbrook succeeds Christopher Anderson, who was the university's director of bands until he resigned effective July 3 to become director of fine arts for the Lubbock Independent School District in Texas.

Westbrook, a graduate of Arkansas Tech, had retired earlier this year after a 34-year career directing bands and teaching music at public schools in Arkansas and Oklahoma. He received a master's degree from Oklahoma State University.

His salary will be $65,000, an Arkansas Tech spokesman said.

Artist donates pieceto Hendrix College

CONWAY -- Artist Dan Rizzie, who has paintings in museums and galleries throughout the United States, will donate his painting Trieschmann Revisited to the Hendrix College Permanent Collection on Aug. 29.

The gift by Rizzie, a 1973 Hendrix graduate, is in memory of longtime Hendrix art professor Don H. Marr and Marr's wife, Camilla Raymond Marr. The professor died last year.

Rizzie's presentation, which is open to the public, will be at 10:30 a.m. in Bailey Library at the corner of Washington Avenue and Winfield Street.

Rizzie, of Sag Harbor, N.Y., also has donated 25 limited-edition prints of the painting to the Marr family to give to donors of $500 or more to the Don and Camilla Marr Endowed Art Scholarship, Hendrix College said in a news release.

So far, 82 donors have contributed to the scholarship, which was established in 2013, the college said. "Income from the endowment will provide aid to junior and senior art students" at Hendrix.

"In making this gift, I am celebrating the significant impact of Hendrix College and Professor Don Marr on my life," Rizzie said in the news release. "I came to Hendrix in fall 1969 after having lived around the world. At the time, most Hendrix students were from Arkansas, but I found an open, progressive environment and felt at home."

Hendrix named Rizzie distinguished alumnus in 2005. Among the museums that have his paintings are the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Dallas Museum of Art, the El Paso Museum of Art and the Witte Museum.

Interns to help givehealth assessments

CONWAY -- Students participating in the University of Central Arkansas' dietetic internship program are working with a state coalition to provide health assessments in 20 Arkansas communities.

The 20 students are collaborating with the Arkansas Coalition for Obesity Prevention's Growing Healthy Communities program.

"Through the internship, students use critical thinking skills to identify strengths, gaps and opportunities in their selected communities," UCA said in a news release. "The assessments provide communities with the opportunity to highlight strengths and provide strategies to improve other areas."

Nina Roofe, the internship program's director, called it "a 'win-win' for our students as well as for [the Arkansas coalition] and the communities involved in the program."

Counties selected are Perry, Searcy, Woodruff, Saline and Monroe. Cities and locations chosen are Batesville, Conway, Monticello, Maumelle, Harrison, Little Rock's University of Arkansas at Little Rock's university district, Wooster, Little Rock's South Main Street community, Hot Springs, Greenbrier, North Little Rock, Bentonville, Bryant, Fayetteville and Little Rock's Arkansas People First chapter.

State Desk on 08/17/2014

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