The College of Education and Health Professions recently hosted an end-of-year reception, celebrating its success in advancing impactful research across Arkansas and beyond.

Impactful Research is a key priority in the WE CARE strategic plan. The college is committed to advancing impactful research that generates knowledge and promotes innovative solutions in education and health.

The approximately 150 guests included faculty, staff, emeriti, members of the Dean's Executive Advisory Board, U of A Chancellor Charles Robinson; Provost Terry Martin; Margaret Sava McCabe, vice chancellor for research and innovation; Rana Jung, executive director of the Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research; and Anna Zajicek, vice provost for faculty affairs.

The festive event, held at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House, included great food, live music by the Fayetteville Jazz Collective, and a photo station next to a balloon backdrop. The stars of the show were the college's elite faculty researchers, who were featured on multiple posters placed throughout the room. Each highlighted significant research successes and strengths.

For example, in fiscal year 2024, the college generated over $30 million in new funding, nearly $12 million over the previous year. Approximately 69 faculty and staff became principal or co-principal investigators on 89 new grants.

Another poster highlighted how the college advances impactful research by publishing work that shapes academic fields and guides future studies. Its award-winning faculty have accumulated nearly 170,000 citations, with over 35,000 new citations just in the last two years. Multiple faculty members have surpassed 4,000 citations.

More than 20 faculty received significant national awards in the last two years. Their honors range from distinguished service awards to prestigious fellowships and recognitions for cutting-edge research.

The college also enhances research support and services to cultivate a culture of research excellence. Over the last two years, the college has expanded and created new services and initiatives to support research excellence.

Dean Kate Mamiseishvili gave brief remarks at the event. This year, Mamiseishvili often found her inspiration in sports and coaching insights. This celebration was no exception. She compared the college's star researchers with elite athletes and quoted various famous athletes and coaches, sharing examples of how their words apply to researchers in the college. Babe Ruth advised: "Never let the fear of striking out get in your way." Mamiseishvili noted that the college's elite researchers aren't easily deterred, either. "Rejections or failures don't get in the way. We don't let that stop us," she said.

She also said star athletes are all about team success, sharing how Kobe Bryant would do anything for a win, whether that meant sitting on the bench holding a towel, handing a cup of water to his teammate or making a winning shot.

Sometimes a researcher's role is to edit or proofread, she said, adding, "Our star researchers realize that if we want to make exponential impact in our communities and on the state, we need to collaborate and work with partners."

Mamiseishvili said the college's elite researchers don't let obstacles stop them. "Our researchers are a lot like Michael Jordan, who said, 'If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it or work around it.' What I've witnessed is our researchers are imaginative, they're nimble, they're adaptable."

Elite athletes work hard, another thing the college's researchers have in common with them. "Like Pat Summitt said, 'Here's how I'm going to beat you. I'm going to outwork you. That's it. That's all there is to it.' That's exactly what our researchers do. They work harder than anyone else to get the winning shot," Mamiseishvili said.

She also emphasized that fun helps balance the hard work. She said, "Our researchers love what they do, have a passion for it, and they have fun. They're like Simone Biles, who says, 'You can still be very good at what you do and have fun.'"

Mamiseishvili's final quote came from Wayne Gretsky: "You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take." She advised everyone in the room to keep that quote in mind as they head into the new year. "In 2025, let's take all the shots we can and all the chances we can," she said. "So, submit that grant proposal, or re-submit that grant proposal, or write that article, but also go on that trip that you've been wanting to take with your family, make that phone call and embrace the hard parts and successes of 2025. I want us all to say at the end that we took all the shots we could. Happy holidays."