Dr. John B. Aremu, assistant professor of public health, is co-author of an article published in the International Journal of Dentistry. He and fellow researchers evaluated the association between periodontitis (gum disease) and hypertension. They concluded that severe periodontitis increases the risk of developing hypertension, a serious concern because of its association with heart disease and kidney disease. The article is available online.

Dr. Jonathan Merten, associate professor of chemistry, along with undergraduate researchers Erin Nicholas, Shawnda Ethridge, Hannah Bariola, Shealyn Chestnut, Anna Anders, Jackie Brees and Marybeth Foster are co-authors of two recent journal articles published in Spectrochimica Acta Part B. With National Science Foundation funding, their work adapted astronomy techniques to measure the mass and chemical composition of transient laser-ablation plasmas.

Dr. Veena S. Kulkarni, associate professor of sociology, co-authored an article in Social indicators Research that is based on the nationally representative India Human Development Survey panel data for 2005 and 2012. The researchers analyzed changes in levels and covariates of subjective well-being and objective well-being, leading to their findings on characteristics of households that are better off in subjective well-being without corresponding improvement in objective well-being.

During the summer, Jeff McLaughlin, associate professor of theatre, put his design skills to work for Tent Theatre's inaugural season in the John Goodman Amphitheatre in Springfield, Mo. McLaughlin was designer of scenery and projections for Ken Ludwig's hilarious whodunit, Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, during its run at Tent Theatre, which is in its 61st season. This was McLaughlin's fifth collaboration with Tent Theatre.

The Rotary Club of Jonesboro presented Dr. Ruth Hawkins (left), emeritus executive director, Arkansas Heritage Sites, with the Service Above Self Award, given to Rotarians who demonstrate their commitment to helping others by volunteering their time and talents. Jill Clogston (right), director, Education Renewal Zone, received the Rotarian of the Year Award, given to a member who promotes Rotary through their actions and involvement, and contributes to the mission of the club.