Exploring New Frontiers: ROAR Advisor's Transition

Christiane Long, Ph.D., LCSW, a visiting assistant professor in the School of Social Work, has taken on the role of faculty adviser for Razorbacks Offering Accountability Resources (ROAR), a registered student organization dedicated to promoting responsible drinking and bystander intervention on campus.  

Long's commitment to substance use education aligns seamlessly with ROAR's mission. Her classes at the U of A aim to equip students not only with academic knowledge but also with compassion and understanding for those affected by addiction. "I am driven by empathy and fueled by a desire to break the stigma surrounding addiction and believe in the power of education and community outreach to support those in their recovery journey," Long said. 

Recently, Long was awarded more than $5,900 worth of naloxone from the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership's Naloxone Hero Project, aimed at distributing this life-saving medication across Benton and Washington counties. Naloxone, commonly known as NARCAN, can reverse opioid overdoses within minutes when administered promptly. You can learn more about Long and the work she will be doing related to this project in this Arkansas News article. 

After serving as the faculty adviser for the past six years, Anne Velliquette, a teaching associate professor of marketing and faculty director of the Sam M. Walton College of Business honors program, passed the torch on to Long to become the new ROAR faculty adviser. Velliquette, alongside Sarah Stokowski -- a former U of A assistant professor of health, human performance and recreation -- authored the grant application for a $30,000 NCAA Choices grant in 2018. This grant, backed by the Anheuser Busch Foundation, marked the inception of ROAR at the U of A. 

ROAR has partnered with Budweiser; the Substance Education, Assessment and Recovery (SEAR) program at Pat Walker Health Center; Greek Life; Division of Athletics; and University Housing to provide a message of responsible drinking on campus with their "Got Water?" campaign. The mission of "Got Water?" is to ensure that students always drink enough water when consuming alcoholic beverages. 

Velliquette has a passion for helping students make responsible and wise choices surrounding alcohol usage and does not want them to suffer consequences that can be life-altering. She has been dedicated to developing student leaders who share a strong commitment to spreading this message across campus, which ROAR has accomplished through partnerships, workshops and events.  

"ROAR has been blessed to have Anne as their adviser for the past six years, and we appreciate everything she has done and continues to do for our university and students," said Jennifer Morris, the SEAR program coordinator.  

As the faculty adviser, Velliquette worked closely with students in ROAR to ensure the organization's goals were achieved. One of the ways she did this was through educational talks to fraternities, many of which led to membership and activity in ROAR, and while she noted the importance of fostering robust campus relationships, she also believes that collaboration can still be improved. "Within five years, I hope to see ROAR have ambassadors representing each participating fraternity and sorority as an extension of ROAR," Velliquette said.  

ROAR is always looking for more students to get involved, and anyone interested in becoming a member of the RSO can email cld076@uark.edu and follow @uarkroar on Instagram to stay up to date with ROAR's events, workshops and future campaigns. You can learn more about ROAR in this YouTube video.