Dr. Zahid Hossain, assistant professor of civil engineering, is principal investigator (PI) in Arkansas for a federally funded University Transportation Center. Louisiana State University is the lead institution in the Transportation Consortium of South-Central States (Tran-SET), and A-State is one of 10 consortium members in the federal five-state region. The center's focus will be improving the durability and extending the life of transportation infrastructure. The USDoT release is online.

Dr. Kristi Costello, assistant professor of English and director of the Writing Program and Writing Center, has been named 2016 English Teacher of the Year for College Education by the Arkansas Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts (ACTELA). She received the award, based on lifelong teaching, professionalism, service and achievements, at the ACTELA luncheon during the annual Arkansas Curriculum Conference in Little Rock.

Dr. Lillie Mae Fears, professor of multimedia journalism production, was an invited scholar panelist at the Moore Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (MURAP) annual academic conference at University of North Carolina. She presented "Implications of Colorism in Mass Media" for the Expressions of Colorism in Literature, Art and Media scholar panel. MURAP encourages talented students from diverse backgrounds to pursue graduate school and faculty positions.

Dr. Paul Sikkel, associate professor of aquatic biology, worked with a British Broadcasting Corp. film crew documenting the effects of climate change on coral reefs, especially Australia's Great Barrier Reef. He has been studying the climate's impact on habitat and biodiversity. An interview with Sikkel is included in radio and television versions of the BBC production, and he and his research were featured Friday in The Jonesboro Sun.

Congratulations to Coach Blake Anderson and members of the football coaching staff. The team won a Sun Belt Conference Championship Saturday with a victory over Texas State. Anderson and the staff will lead the team Dec. 17 at the AutoNation Cure Bowl presented by Florida Hospital in Orlando, where the Red Wolves will represent A-State against the University of Central Florida Knights. This is Anderson's second SBC championship.