Katrina Dupins

Katrina Dupins


Katrina is a professional communicator who writes features about people whose circumstances tend to change their perspective on life. She's a former journalist and current bullet-journalist who spends free mornings scoping out the best places to enjoy a quiet sunrise. She enjoys cooking, gardening and photography.

UCA News •

News – Four Children Receive Modified Ride-On Cars in UCA’s First Go Baby Go Event

Aleeah Rodriguez’s anticipation was palpable as occupational student Destanie Nelson and physical therapy student Aaron Hoschbach strapped her into her newly modified hot pink ride-on car. The 7-year-old from Jonesboro had been waiting on this day for months. Her parents Jesus and Judy Rodriguez stood nearby smiling proudly. “I had the phone on speaker when I got the news she may be a candidate for a car,” Judy Rodriguez said. “She has been very excited and kept asking me when she would get it.
UCA News •

Panama Business Leader: “UCA Changed My Life”

Marcos Bravo ’97 is a well-known and respected businessman in his home country of Panama. Residents often point to him as an excellent example of what to do when looking for a successful career, and Bravo credits his success to the education he received from the University of Central Arkansas. Bravo was one of six children and grew up in a rural part of the country. “My family didn’t the economic resources to even send us to high school so we had to work hard,” he said. In 1993, Bravo applied
UCA News •

News – A Time to Create: UCA Art Professor Finds Peace in His Studio

Bryan Massey, professor and chair of the University of Central Arkansas Department of Art and Design, calls his studio in Schichtl Hall his “Kansas.” “When I became department chair I knew one thing for certain, I would need studio time. Schichtl is ‘Kansas’ because in the movie ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ Dorothy is wanting to get back to Kansas because there is no place like home. My studio is where I’m home.” Art has always been a part of Massey’s life. His inspiration to create comes from everyday
UCA Magazine •

Gar Carry Clues: Students Research Ancient Fish to Analyze Arkansas River Health – UCA Magazine

Professor Robert Mauldin has fond memories of fishing with his father and grandfather as a child. “Arkansas is like heaven if you’re a fisherman,” Mauldin said. “There are rivers and lakes everywhere.” His love for the sport led to a passion for the environment and an interest in analyzing environmental samples for metal content using a method known as atomic spectroscopy. Mauldin came to the University of Central Arkansas in 2009 as professor and chair in the Department of Chemistry. In 2014,
UCA Magazine •

State of the Arts – UCA Magazine

UCA Expands its Footprint as Creative Hub for Central Arkansas In its latest economic impact study, Americans for the Arts, a national advocacy organization, found that the arts and culture industry generated $166.3 billion in economic activity in 2015. Fine art makes communities richer. It is essential to lives and businesses and a significant driver of the economy — a concept that is too often overlooked. “We often think of the arts as something extra, but they are key. Creative people stim
UAMS News •

Back in the Saddle: Ferndale Woman Returns to Riding after Hip Replacements

Back in the Saddle: Ferndale Woman Returns to Riding after Hip Replacements Linda Porter of Ferndale loves horseback riding. She began taking lessons when she was 9 years old. “That was the only way I had of riding when I was that young,” Porter said. “I didn’t get my own horse until I was about 50. But I always loved them. I love the outdoors and bonding with the horse.” Porter owns two horses now: a thoroughbred and a small, black, trained three-day eventing Morgan/thoroughbred cross named
UAMS News •

UAMS Aortic Center Uses Advanced Treatment to Save LR Artist

“I thought I’d paint a lot more once I retired, but then things started happening,” Yates said. Those things began June 10, 2020. Yates went to the emergency room with severe back and abdominal pain. UAMS’ Chief of Vascular Surgery Mohammed Moursi, M.D., was there. He quickly ordered a CT scan and saw her aorta had ruptured — a life-threating situation. “We rushed her to the operating room and put a stent graft in, meaning we covered the hole in the aorta from the inside using wires, saving he
UAMS News •

Minimally Invasive Brain Tumor Removal Gives Morrilton Grandmother ‘a Second Chance’

In 2016, Harris began having a continued cough and constant bronchitis. Doctors discovered she had stage 4 lung cancer that had metastasized to her brain. After chemotherapy and radiation, she was in remission for a few years. She is grateful for her treatment under the care of UAMS hematologist and oncologist Konstantinos Arnaoutakis, M.D., who treats patients in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. In 2019, Harris started experiencing headaches. During one episode, she became unable
UAMS News •

Monticello Man Grateful for More Family Time after Stroke Recovery

Monticello Man Grateful for More Family Time after Stroke Recovery “He was mumbling,” Mary Whiting said. “I couldn’t understand what he was saying. I told him I’m on my way home.” She arrived within 10 minutes to find their home in disarray. Bill Whiting had broken things as he tried to get around. He had fallen at least once and was bruised from his neck to his hip. The left side of his face was drooping and his balance was off because he could only operate the right side of his body. “It wa
UAMS News •

Little Rock Woman Walks Out of Hospital Two Hours After Back Surgery

Little Rock Woman Walks Out of Hospital Two Hours After Back Surgery “It was excruciating pain that went from my thigh all the way up to the lower part of my back,” Rose said. “I could not sit in the bathtub, and that’s one of my favorite things to do. I was having a hard time cleaning my house. I’d do a little, and then have to sit down. What usually took me a couple of hours took half a day.” Rose’s primary care provider referred her to physical medicine and rehabilitation physician Antonio
UAMS News •

UAMS Neurosurgeon Performs State’s First Deep Brain Stimulation for Epilepsy

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) for epilepsy is designed to help manage seizures in patients who have not responded to medication. DBS, which is a type of neuromodulation, has been used primarily for patients with movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease and some psychiatric disorders. The Food and Drug Administration granted approval for use of DBS therapy for epilepsy in December 2018. The Epilepsy Center at UAMS is the only adult comprehensive level 4 epilepsy center in the state certi
UAMS News •

Marathoner Thanks Heart Team at UAMS

Sixty days after a sudden cardiac arrest, Jon Norcross, 60, of Little Rock finished a half marathon. It was an exceptional journey to recovery, and he took a moment in January to extend his gratitude on social media for everyone who kept him alive, including a team of cardiovascular experts at UAMS Health. “Cardiac arrest is usually caused by heart disease, blocked coronary arteries, weakness in the heart or long-standing high blood pressure,” said J. Paul Mounsey, M.D., Ph.D., director of the
UAMS News •

Pine Bluff Coach is Ready for the Ballpark Thanks to UAMS Surgeon

Pine Bluff Coach is Ready for the Ballpark Thanks to UAMS Surgeon “She made me feel like I was family,” Stargell said. “Like she had known me for a while.” Stargell was exposed to baseball at a very young age. It runs in the family. His father played; and his uncle is Hall of Famer Willie Stargell. Sebastian Stargell played with a semi-professional team called the Pine Bluff Braves for more than 20 years. All of his sons played at the collegiate level. Baseball is still a big part of his life
UAMS News •

UAMS Surgeon Provides Long-term Solution, Peace for Patient

Vascular Surgeon Provides Long-term Solution, Peace of Mind for Fort Smith Family After her experience as a patient at the UAMS Medical Center, Mia Nelson decided the UAMS College of Nursing would be her number one choice for nursing school. She feels a connection to the campus and plans to apply this spring in hopes of starting in the fall. Three years ago, Mia had surgery in St. Louis to fix a narrowing in her left iliac vein, a vein in the pelvis. “At some point, they went through a small
UAMS News •

Professional Figure Skater Enjoys Freedom of Movement with New Hip

Professional Figure Skater Enjoys Freedom of Movement with New Hip Today the professional figure skater of Little Rock is grace personified. She makes complicated movements on the ice look easy. Her passion for the sport and the art shows in her performance. “I love music. I love dance and I love the freedom of movement. And skating gives all of that to you,” O’Neel said. O’Neel has skated competitively and professionally. She’s played in many shows and brought to life characters like Glenda
Load More Articles