Dr. Stacy Walz, assistant professor of clinical laboratory sciences and department chair, was a speaker for the recent Quality in the Spotlight Conference in Antwerp, Belgium. As part of her presentation, "Ensuring Competency of Medical Laboratory Professionals," she discussed the education, certification, licensure and on-the-job competency checks that medical laboratory professionals undergo in the United States, including organizations that mandate or oversee these aspects.

Several members of the music faculty along with their students will join the Parker Quartet to perform music by guest composer Augusta Read Thomas, who will be present for the concert. The concluding event in the 2015-16 Lecture-Concert Series will involve faculty members Dr. Lauren Schack Clark, Ken Hatch, Dr. Marika Kyriakos, Dr. Sarah Labovitz, Dr. Dale Miller and Dr. Daniel Tacke. Details about Thomas and the Friday evening concert are in the news release.

Dr. Xiankui (Bill) Hu, associate professor of finance, is featured in the "Ask the Experts" section of WalletHub's recent online article on "2016's Best & Worst Cities at Money Management." As a member of the experts panel, Hu covered several tips on personal finance, suggestions for teaching children about money management, personal finance apps and credit scores. The article is available online.

Dr. Maureen Dolan, associate professor of molecular biology, is one of the featured speakers Friday at the Celebrating Future Women Leaders in STEM Conference, hosted by the Rural STEM Education Center and College of Education and Behavioral Science. Dr. Julie R. Grady, director of Rural STEM, and associates organized the event for high school and college women as a way to encourage pursuit of careers in the STEM disciplines.

In an initiative to educate A-State students about alcohol, Dr. Jody Long, assistant professor of social work, organized and presented a program that drew approximately 150 interested individuals to Fowler Center. The Department of Social Work conducted the session, the goal of which was to improve to improve students' understanding of alcohol and the helpful available resources. Food and dance helped create a fun atmosphere for the students.