While Biology and Photography might seem like contrasting and divergent academic interests, ����vlog���� senior Kathy Nash has found a way to combine the disciplines quite harmoniously.

Nash, a senior biology major from Torrance, Calif., recently completed an ambitious independent photography project titled, “Echoes of Beauty: Capturing the Changing Ecology of New Mexico’s Landscapes.”

Nash’s project—funded through the University’s Student Enrichment Fund—was inspired by the late Carroll Rowbotham’s black and white “Beauty and Awe of the West” exhibit that is permanently featured in the University’s Robson Library. Rowbothan, a 1957 alumnus of Ozarks and an accomplished artist and photographer who died in 2015, captured numerous images of the New Mexico landscape in the exhibit, which he donated to the University in 2004.

Nash went to northern New Mexico for a week in December to recreate many of Rowbotham’s photographs for her “Echoes of Beauty” exhibit, which will be displayed in the Mabee Administration Building later this semester.

Nash, who transferred to Ozarks from Los Angeles Harbor College as a junior, said her “Echoes of Beauty” project represented a unique opportunity to achieve several goals.

“As I near graduation, this project represents more than another academic or artistic project; it’s a tangible contribution to the ����vlog���� and future generations,” Nash said. “Through the“Echoes of Beauty” project, I hope to leave behind a visual story that honors the legacy of Mr. Carroll Rowbotham and highlights my passion for ecology and conservation. This is my way of ensuring that the beauty and importance of the Western United States are not just remembered but deeply felt and understood. This project, for me, is not only about leaving something behind; it’s about inspiring others to see, appreciate, and protect the natural environment that holds a special place in my, and many others’ heart.

Nash was first introduced to New Mexico through a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) project last summer from the U.S. National Science Foundation. Her 10-week REU was in Sevilletta National Wildlife Refuge, where she studied a hemiparasitic plant known as Castilleja integra, or Indian paintbrush. She studied how the plant affects plant community composition across ecological gradients and whether the presence of a hemiparasite impacts the presence and abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) within plant roots.

“The photography project was particularly important to me because it allowed me to explore the natural beauty of New Mexico, where I did my REU, while also sharing my decade-long passion for photography,” Nash said.

Nash said while it would seem like photography and biology are completely different fields, she has found that they work nicely together.

“My passion for photography began 10 years ago when I was 13,” Nash said. “I remember using my little point-and-shoot camera to go out and take photos of people, places, and, more commonly, plants. Once I began my college career, I found that my passion for photographing nature can support and be supported by biology via encouraging myself and others to look more closely at the natural world around us.”

Nash said the “Echoes of Beauty” project has helped to rekindled her passion for photography.

“Since beginning college four years ago, I have often found myself pushing photography to the back burner in order to immerse myself in my education,” she said. “However, this new project allowed me the time and space to dedicate myself to photography for a full week, ultimately reconfirming my passion for photography and inspiring me to incorporate it more into my life while still furthering my education in biology.”

Nash received some good news earlier this semester when she learned that had been selected to receive a prestigious post-baccalaureate position through the National Science Foundation with a professor at Oklahoma State University. At OSU, she plans to work with Dr. Noha Youssef to further her research skills and learn more about anaerobic fungi (phylum Neocallimastigomycota), environmental genomics, and freshwater algal blooms.

She plans to pursue a career combining her love for science and conservation, “in a way that is approachable to the general public.”

“Specifically, I would love to be able to share my passion for fungi and their ecological significance with the general population, ultimately fostering a greater appreciation and understanding of the smaller members of ecological communities,” she said.

Though she’s only been at Ozarks for two years, she credits her professors for helping her take the next step to graduate school.

“My time at Ozarks honestly has flown by,” Nash said. “I have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderfully kind and intelligent people while also participating in unique experiences, such as going to Yellowstone for human-wildlife conflict research and to New Mexico for my photography project. Further, all of my professors have been extremely supportive and have gone above and beyond to help me succeed both during and after my time at Ozarks. Finally, my advisor and professor, Dr. Christie Sampson, has been one of the most inspiring and supportive people I have met thus far in life. All of these things combined ultimately leave me with a feeling of utmost gratitude to U of O for accepting me and supporting me over the past two years.”

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Little Rock photographer Brian Cormack, a 2001 graduate of ����vlog����, will present his photography exhibit, ”Intruders in the Dirt: The Architecture and Landscape of the Arkansas Delta,” throughout the month of February in the University’s Stephens Gallery.

The exhibit is part of the U of O’s Artist of the Month Series and will run through Feb. 28 in the gallery, located in the Walton Fine Arts Center. There will be a reception to meet the artist from 5-6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23 in the gallery. The gallery is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Cormack earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from Ozarks in 2001 before going on to earn a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. As a student at Ozarks, he served as a photographer for the Office of Public Relations.

”Intruders in the Dirt” focuses on the Arkansas Delta in the eastern part of the state, an area that Cormack said is “filled with rich history and culture.”

“But economic and cultural changes have led to a steep decline in population in many Delta communities,” Cormack said. “Once bustling cities now have boarded up and closed downtowns, and many old homes and churches are abandoned and empty. These buildings and places represent generations of lives; of people who lived, suffered, rejoiced, and worked amongst these ruins. This project was undertaken in order to help showcase the architecture of the Delta, with a focus on its historic and abandoned structures. The hope is that these photographs might help bring attention to these places, and perhaps even help in some of them being saved. And if that is not possible, to at least document them before they disappear. There is no way to replace a structure once it is gone, but a small capture of time that is preserved in a photograph can suggest, in a merest whisper, that somehow we might be able to hold onto a place for just a little bit longer.

Cormack said the photographs in the exhibit were taken with either a Canon 6D, an Olympus E-30 or an Olympus EM-5, between 2012 and 2023.

“They represent several thousand miles driven across the state, and hours of work spent researching and editing,” Cormack said. “I would like to thank Tammy Harrington and the University for providing this opportunity to show these photographs and this project. And I cannot thank enough my wife Caroline for her encouragement and infinite patience. And also my sons, Jonah and Elliott, for all the time I spent away driving out towards old buildings. I would never have been able to take these pictures, or put on this show, without their support.”

Cormack’s photographs have been selected 10 times to tour with the Small Works on Paper exhibition, sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council. His work also appears in a permanent exhibit at the Historic Arkansas Museum, and has also been used by groups like the Arkansas Business Publishing Group, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service.

More information can be found at and .

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Sarah Bureau and Denzel Sequeira Chaves attended the Summit Sports Workshop in Denver, Colo., last month. The two were able to hone their photography skills while learning new techniques, settings and practices in shooting a variety of sports.

“It was a very dynamic, and insightful experience,” said Bureau, a senior health science and communication studies major from Haiti. “It introduced me to a more fast-paced environment than I am used to. I got to shoot American football for the first time. On the first day, we shot motorcross using high-speed sync. I knew about that technique before, but I never got the chance to try it. I learned a lot about flash photography and lighting equipment.”

The students first learned about the workshop from one of their professors, Susan Edens, associate professor of communication, who attended the workshop in 2022.

“As I started to get more interested in sports photography last semester, Professor Edens shared her positive experience at the workshop and suggested that I consider attending,” said Chaves, a rising junior from Costa Rica. ”Professor Edens also told me that Sarah was looking for the opportunity to go to the workshop and convinced me to give it a try. Despite having prior commitments, I decided to make room in my schedule and apply for the workshop. It turned out to be an amazing experience for those of us who love photography. There were a lot of professionals there to share their experiences and how they started. Whenever it was time to shoot, they provided invaluable support and guidance.”

Bureau served as a student photographer and videographer at U of O this past year while working in the University’s Sports Information Office. She said the workshop has inspired her to pursue sports photography more diligently.

“It was an eye-opening experience for me as a photographer,” she said. “It answered my questions about whether or not I wanted a career in photography or what type of photography I wanted to do. The conclusion was that I enjoy most being a portrait photographer, using lighting in the most creative way possible to make a picture. I want to specialize in ‘sportraits,’ a new term in photography that refers to taking portraits of athletes.”

Bureau also enjoyed meeting others in the field.

“The network connections I made with was mind-blowing,” she said. “I learned from photographers who have shot for institutions or media companies I have always dreamed of working for, like the NBA, NFL, New York Times, and Getty Images.”

Chaves also said the relationships he made was the most impactful part of the workshop.

“As someone who had just started my photography journey this year, the workshop greatly helped me learn the basics of camera and improved my ability to capture better shots,” he said. “But the most important thing I got from the workshop was the relationships I formed with the other participants. I had the opportunity to meet and connect with incredibly talented people. Building these relationships made my experience better and provided a supportive network of fellow photographers who continue to inspire and motivate me.”

Both Bureau and Chaves were assisted by the University’s student enrichment funds to attend the workshop. They both said they can’t wait for the Fall 2023 Semester to begin so that they can utilize their new-found photography skills and knowledge.

“I’m waiting for the semester to come, that way I can take a camera and go shoot sports on campus,” said Chaves, who is also a member of the men’s soccer team at Ozarks.  “I am willing to help students that want to shoot sports. After the workshop I realized that I found a new hobby.”

Said Bureau, “Before I graduate, I would like to create some sportraits for the athletes at the school. After college, I am hoping that I will be able to do photography at a more professional level; shooting for a national basketball team is one of my goals. I know I will have to work harder than I am doing right now and master my craft to reach that goal.”

“This experience has had a significant impact on my career,” she added. “I am more confident about my work and ready to take my photography to another level. I am grateful for my media production professor, who is always looking for opportunities for her students. She saw in me what I couldn’t see myself and pushed me to go beyond what I thought were my limits. I am also grateful for everyone who makes this kind of experience possible for us students at the ����vlog���� through the student enrichment funds.”

Photo by Sarah Bureau

Photo by Denzel Chaves

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The ����vlog���� art department will present a faculty art exhibit through Sept. 28 as part of the University’s Artist of the Month Series.

The exhibit will feature (pictured, from left) Brandy Green-Russell, assistant professor of art; Tammy Harrington, professor of art; and Margo Duvall, visiting professor of art. The exhibit will be on display in the Stephens Gallery and is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the week.

There will be a reception to meet the artists from 6-7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 15, in the gallery.

Originally from rural Missouri, Green-Russell began working with clay during her undergraduate degree at College of the Ozarks in Missouri. She recently achieved her master of fine arts degree from Texas Tech University in 2021 before joining the Ozarks faculty.

Working with ceramics reminded Green-Russell of the exploration she experienced playing in the natural forming clay on her family’s farm

“Clay is known for having a form of ‘memory’ of its own. I use this ‘memory’ that is disassociated from a form of consciousness as a metaphor for our own perceptions of memory,” Green-Russell said. “Drawing inspiration from Neurophilosophy, I have come to understand that memories are incredibly faulty, emotionally charged, and continuously change; and yet, we form our understanding and perceptions such as identity and ethics based on our memories. In her book, Touching a Nerve: Our Brains, Ourselves, founder of Neurophilosophy Patricia Churchland says that our individuality (our personalities) are rooted in our episodic memories.”

“Researching memory formation and recall naturally led me to sleep and dreaming as these processes are intricately connected. Memories are sorted, filed, or culled out during sleep. A memory is formed through the connection of neurons, and those pathways are formed when your brain decides that neuron contains relevant information. This is one way in which the physical body works without our cognitive consent. During the memory forming stage of sleep the rational frontal cortex is shut off while the emotional centers are still activated establishing the emotional connection with the memory. Memories can be volatile and dangerous as well as vulnerable. I seek to show this vulnerability of the human condition through my sculptures.”

Harrington is a printmaker and paper cut artist that imbues the cross-cultural influences of Chinese and American culture into figurative compositions to create an ephemeral space, in a place between reality and the mystical. Born in Sioux Falls, S.D., she received a BFA in printmaking from the University of South Dakota and a MFA in printmaking from Wichita State University. Harrington received the University’s Bagwell Outstanding Faculty Award in 2013 and 2018 and has exhibited artwork throughout the region and nationally.

Harrington’s artwork is influenced by the Chinese folk art of paper cut.

“The crisp graphic appearance of paper cut appeals to my sensibility as a printmaker,” she said.  “This work is a blending of my interpretations of traditional Chinese designs into personalized figurative compositions. Initially in the print work, the paper cut designs appeared as textures and patterns that melded with the figure. I took the next step and actually cut into the paper and printed surface. The combination of the papercut with other media shifts the idea of space to be both dimensional and flat. The use of pattern depicts the figure as it exists in an ephemeral state, in a place between reality and the mystical. The delicate lines merge with bold shapes and color to create visual movement and vibration. The combination and interaction of the layers of paper cuts create complex and unpredictable visual space and depth.”

Duvall joined the art faculty this summer after previously teaching at Henderson State University, University of California Berkeley, University of Nevada Reno and San Jose State University. Her work investigates photography’s role in the development of memory and identity through traditional photography methods as well as installation-based pieces. She earned her MFA in photography from San Jose State University and her BA in studio art from Humboldt State University.

Her exhibit, “All She Needed to Do,” is a tribute to her grandmother.

“We sat with my grandmother as she laid on her deathbed. My mother rubbed her hands and said, ‘She’s done all she needed to do.’ And she had,” Duvall said. “She lived 96 incredible years; 96 years full of love, laughter, pain, struggle and joy. And now we are left to sift through what remains. The traces of these 96 years are there in her photographs. The moments captured… the special occasions, the mundane, the beauty of youth, the good ole days… are all frozen in time and held still in the emulsion. This work attempts to hold those traces close, to give them space and another life. Some images attempt to recreate her moments through a modern lens. Some images just treasure the stillness that is… what remains.”

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Margo Duvall will join the ����vlog���� faculty in the fall to teach digital photography as a visiting assistant professor of art.

Duvall most recently served as an associate professor of art at Henderson State from 2014 to 2022. She also served as the gallery director for the Russell Fine Arts Gallery at HSU.

“I’m thrilled to join the Humanities and Fine Arts Division at ����vlog����,” Duvall said. “I’m looking forward to collaborating with the amazing faculty and students to develop a new photography program with interdisciplinary opportunities that will enhance the already strong curriculum at the University.”

Duvall has also been a practicing artist and commercial photographer for more than 10 years and has experience at teaching all levels of photography in both analog and digital formats.

“My experience as a wedding, portrait, and product-lifestyle photographer allows me to bring that commercial element into the classroom,” Duvall said. “Photography can serve many purposes, and I love its ability to cross disciplines and connect with other areas on campus. My students learn to use natural and artificial light in a variety of settings, allowing them practical knowledge to go on to commercial careers after graduation.”

As an associate professor of art at HSU, Duvall managed all aspects of the photography program, from managing the darkroom and shaping curriculum to maintaining the budget and ordering supplies. She also led the program’s transition from analog to a digital curriculum.

“My dedication and passion for teaching photography is strong, but it is fueled by my research and development as an artist,” she said. “My personal skills and interests within photography are wide-ranging and often include mixed media. I have always been fascinated by the role photography plays in the archives of personal memory, and I explore this relationship through my work. My passion for experimenting with the medium, researching the history of the photography, and thinking about the complicated future of the medium are all elements of my personal practice that influence my pedagogical approach and inform my lesson plans and assignments.”

Duvall’s photography has appeared in numerous exhibitions, including the 2022 Small Works on Paper exhibit by the Arkansas Arts Council and the Metamorphosis exhibit at the Fort Smith (Ark.) Regional Art Museum, where she won third place.

“My personal research and artwork investigate the role photography plays in the development of memory and formation of identity, and questions what happens when those photographs are altered or changed,” Duvall said in her artist statement. “In early self-portrait collages, I began manipulating the surface in order to distort exterior physical perceptions. My later work explores the impact of family photographs and memory on the interior development of self. Through mix media installations, I extend the traditional photograph into ethereal elements and create environments for viewers to experience their own relationships to self and memory. My most recent bodies of work utilize straight photography on color film, returning to my analog roots and looking at the image once again at the image as a document meant to preserve or perhaps memorialize this particular time in my life.”

Duvall earned her bachelor’s degree from Humboldt State University in California and a master’s of fine arts degree from San Jose State University in California. She previously taught at the University of California; San Jose State; University of Nevada, Reno; and Santa Catalina School in Monterey, Calif.  She received the Outstanding New Faculty Award at HSU in 2019.

She and her husband, Marty, have two children Penny (4) and Ray (1.5).  Her interest outside academia include, traveling, spending time with friends and family, and kayaking the many lakes and rivers around Arkansas.

The University’s digital photography program was boosted through a multi-year grant of $310,700 from the Windgate Foundation for a visiting faculty member to teach additional and upper level digital photography courses in the art department. In recent months, the University has established a photography studio to meet the need and demand of students from across disciplines, such as communication studies, marketing and business.

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