Arkansas Tech University faculty members have earned recognition from the ATU Office of Admissions for the roles they played during ATU Focus Days 2026.
ATU Focus Days are immersive experiences that provide high school seniors with the opportunity to be an Arkansas Tech student for a day. That includes the opportunity to sit in a class aligned with the high school student’s intended degree.
Survey data from high school students who attended ATU Focus Days 2026 was used by the ATU Office of Admissions to determine which faculty members achieved the greatest connections with the future ATU students visiting their classes.
The ATU faculty members with the highest ATU Focus Days 2026 evaluations in each undergraduate college were Jessica Brock (ATU College of Business and Economic Development), Dr. Brittany Burris (ATU College of Education and Health), Dr. Chris Kellner (ATU College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and Ashley Kinsey (ATU College of Arts and Humanities).
“Because academic experiences are central to the purpose of these days, we wanted to recognize the faculty members whose courses received the highest evaluations,” said Hailey Addison, coordinator of events and family engagement in the ATU Office of Admissions. “Creating engaging and impactful academic experiences for students is a top priority, and we’re pleased to highlight those who excelled in this area.”
Brock serves as instructor of business administration at Arkansas Tech. She hosted high school students for a guest lecture entitled “Boss Mode.”
“Students who attended the ‘Boss Mode’ guest lecture gained practical experience in managerial decision-making through case-based learning,” said Brock. “They approached the challenge with curiosity and enthusiasm, strengthening their critical thinking, leadership strategies and ethical reasoning skills while analyzing complex, real-world business scenarios. Watching these future leaders step into ‘Boss Mode’ and thoughtfully navigate tough decisions was truly a pleasure, and I’m excited to see many of them in my classes this upcoming fall.”
Burris is assistant professor of nursing at Arkansas Tech. High school students participated in an exercise entitled “Nurse For a Day” when visiting her class. Several of Burris’ faculty colleagues in the ATU Department of Nursing assisted in providing the opportunity.
“At ATU’s ‘Nurse for a Day’ academic experience, students gained valuable knowledge in physical assessments,” said Burris. “They were able to perform real, hands-on assessments using low-fidelity manikins. These manikins were programmed with various diagnoses, each presenting different assessment findings. Faculty worked closely with students to answer questions and provide guidance throughout the experience. I hope this experience offered a meaningful glimpse into the skills involved in a nursing career.”
Kellner is professor of wildlife science at Arkansas Tech. He taught high school students about fish and snakes as part of their ATU Focus Days experience.
“I think the students had fun handling and measuring the snakes, but beyond that, they learned how to make careful measurements on snakes in a scientific setting,” said Kellner. “Finally, they also learned some facts about snakes and lizards that they would not have known before they attended the event. I think the combination of having fun while learning a lot about snakes and lizards is why they rated the experience highly.”
Kinsey is adjunct professor of art at Arkansas Tech. The ATU Focus Days participants who visited her class had the opportunity to participate in live figure drawing.
“Visiting students had an interactive experience of being a college art student with hands-on studio practices in the drawing studio,” said Kinsey. “It was exciting to have students be immersed in the energy and culture of the art department. Working in the art department and instructing my art students is the most rewarding job. I love working at ATU.”
Learn more about the ATU Office of Admissions at www.atu.edu/admissions.
