Elizabeth Freeman, a senior in the College of Education and Health Professions, won first place in the college's annual Honors Research Symposium with her thesis project titled "An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Hands-on Cooking and Nutritional Education with Low Socioeconomic Children."

Honors College students presented their research projects April 20 on posters displayed in the Verizon Ballroom in the Arkansas Union. Members of the college's faculty served as judges.

Freeman's faculty mentor is Rhett Hutchins, an assistant professor of educational studies. Freeman is scheduled to graduate next week with a bachelor's degree in educational studies. The degree program is new in the College of Education and Health Professions. It focuses on the general theory and practice of learning and teaching. It's designed to give students the ability to apply teaching strategies to a variety of employers such as private sector businesses, nonprofit organizations, community agencies and, with additional training, in licensure school settings.

Freeman will take a trip sponsored by the Honors College to South Africa this summer to complete a service learning project in Kayamandi Township and then she plans to pursue a career working in the nonprofit field in Little Rock.

Freeman is a first-ranked senior scholar in the college. She was the college's Presidential Scholar last year and the Henry G. and Stella Hotz outstanding sophomore the year before that. She is from Little Rock.

The Honors College student who placed second in the research contest was Caitlin Allison, a childhood education major, for her project, "An Investigation of How Districts in One State Identify and Serve Gifted and Talented English Language Learners." Her faculty mentor is Marcia Imbeau, professor of special education.

Jessica Bell, a kinesiology major in the Honors College, won third place for her project, "The Effects of L-Theanine on Cognition and Mood in Older Adults." Her mentor is Michelle Gray, assistant professor of kinesiology.