Arkansas: Summer 2014

Summer 2014 Vol. 63, No. 4

Exclusively for members of the Arkansas Alumni Association, Inc.

Inspiring

Hope

$6.00

HOG WILD TAILGATES

Get ready to cheer on those Hogs and enjoy entertainment, beverages, food and Shake’s Frozen Custard. Each Fayetteville SEC Game, the University of Arkansas Bookstore will be selling Razorback merchandise at the Alumni House.

Tailgates begin two and one-half hours before kickoff and conclude 30 minutes prior to kickoff. Check www.arkansasrazorbacks.com to confirm game time. SEPTEMBER 6, 2014 Arkansas vs. Nicholls State

OCTOBER 11, 2014 Arkansas vs. Alabama

SEPTEMBER 20, 2014 Arkansas vs. No. Illinois

OCTOBER 25, 2014 NOVEMBER 22, 2014 Arkansas vs. UA Birmingham Arkansas vs. Ole Miss

Family Weekend

membership appreciation day

homecominG

FAYETTEVILLE HOG WILD TAILGATE REGISTRATION PRICES Members Non-Members*

$15 $25

NOVEMBER 15, 2014 Arkansas vs. LSU

Students 13 and up Children 5-12 Children under 5

$15 $5 $0

* MEMBERS MAY BRING ONE GUEST PER TAILGATE AT MEMBER PRICE

There will be a Hog Wild Tailgate In Little Rock on October 18, 2014 for the Arkansas vs. Georgia game. Details and prices are available on the Hog Wild Tailgate web-page.

WWW.ARKANSASALUMNI.ORG/HOGWILDTAILGATES OR CALL 888-ARK-ALUM OR 479-575-2801 We’d like to thank the following sponsors:

Core Brewing Company

McBride Distributing

FASHION SENSE

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Alumna Anna Taylor turns a talent for fashion and a joy for charitable work into an inspirational company that gives women in Africa a chance to create haute couture for the New York runways.

PUBLIC TOP 50

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In essence, becoming a top 50 public university will mean the U of A is making smart choices about its student resources, the faculty’s research efforts and its continued service to Arkansas.

EVOLVING THOUGHTS

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A new interdisciplinary course brings together professors from across campus to explain the breadth of effects that Darwin’s explanation of the mechanism for evolution had.

Campus View Letters Picture This On the Hill Profile Associations Greek Life Razorback Road Yesteryear Senior Walk Last Look

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Summer 2014

Exclusively for members of the Arkansas Alumni Association, Inc.

ON THE COVER Hope is woven into each garment sold by alumna Anna Taylor’s company, Judith & James.

CAMPUS VIEW

ARKANSAS Publisher Arkansas Alumni Association Executive Director Brandy Cox ★ MA ‘07 Editor Charlie Alison ★ BA’82 MA’04 Associate Editor Tammy W. Tucker ✪+ BA’97 MA’03 Creative Director Amanda Cothren ✪ Photo Editor Russell Cothren ✪

NPHC: National Praised and Honored Council Over a lifetime, there are certain memories that will last with you forever. Your first day of school. Your wedding. Your first Razorback game. In this case, it was one phone call on a Friday afternoon when Parice Bowser, director of Greek Life, called to inform me that our very own NPHC Council was named Outstanding Undergraduate Council during the 67th Biennial National Pan-Hellenic Council Inc. National Leadership Conference. Let me back up… When I became a member of the Kappa Kappa Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., I became a council delegate on behalf of the chapter. I worked closely with the council president, then Bro. PJ Lambey, with the Shining Light on Injustices march and panel, as well as volunteering opportunities. I knew then that when given the chance, I wanted to continue in the development of NPHC, making a presence on campus, and representing the chapters effectively. When I was elected President in April of 2013, I had one thing in mind: take NPHC to the next step. During my tenure, I wanted to take the council to new levels and thankfully, the council executive members were right beside me. From our first meeting to our last meeting, each council member has gone above and beyond their call to make us the “#1 NPHC Council in the Nation.” Even with applying for the award. We were able to print the necessary documents

in a formal presentation binder that displayed what we were doing on campus, innovative programs such as Beauty Shop/Barber Shop, and management of chapters. This is a feat that would not have been possible without the positive work ethic of all executive members. The award has served as motivation for the council. During our spring retreat, we developed a 10-year plan for where we want to see the University of Arkansas’s NPHC in 2014. This plan includes reconstructing executive board positions and responsibilities, collaborative relationships with the Emerging Leaders program, higher overall council grade point average, and finally representation of all Divine Nine (D9) organizations by rechartering Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc. We also wanted to ensure that our goals were aligned with Greek Life and the University of Arkansas as a whole as we make our way to being a Top 25 institution. The University of Arkansas Greek Life consists of four councils but one community and we are thankful for the support from each council and await the growth that we will all encounter together.

Writers & Contributors Andy Albertson MFA’13 Chris Branam ★ MA’11 Scott Flanagin Harrison Grimwood BA’14 Jennifer Holland ★ MED’08 Melissa King Matt McGowan Camilla Medders BA’01 MFA’09 Michelle Parks BA’94 David Speer BA’75 Heidi Stambuck BA’88 MA’13 Kevin Trainor BA’94 MA’05 Steve Voorhies ★ MA’78 Designers Laura Bennett Eric Pipkin Advertising Coordinator Catherine Baltz ✪+ BS’92 MED’07 MEMBERSHIP SYMBOLS Key is located on the first page of Senior Walk. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor are accepted and e­ ncouraged. Send letters for publication to Arkansas Magazine, Office of University ­Relations, 200 Davis Hall, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 or by e-mail to editor@uark.edu. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and may be edited for length. Typewritten letters are preferred. Anonymous letters will not be published. Submission does not guarantee publication. Arkansas, The Magazine of the Arkansas Alumni Association (ISSN 1064-8100) (USPS 009-515) is published quarterly by the Arkansas Alumni Association, Inc. at 491 North Razorback Road, Fayetteville, AR 72701. Annual membership dues are $45 (single) or $50 (couple) of which a portion is allocated for a subscription to Arkansas. Single copies are $6. Editing and production are provided through the UA Office of University Relations. Direct inquiries and information to P.O. Box 1070, Fayetteville, AR 727021070, phone (479) 575-2801, fax (479) 575-5177. Periodical postage paid at Fayetteville, AR, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to P.O. Box 1070, F­ ayetteville, AR 72702-1070. ARKANSAS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Mission Statement The Arkansas Alumni Association connects and serves the University of Arkansas Family. Vision Statement The Arkansas Alumni Association will be nationally recognized as a model alumni relations program. Value Statement The Arkansas Alumni Association values: • service • excellence • collaboration • relationships • diversity • learning • creativity Arkansas Summer 14-088 All photos by Russell Cothren unless otherwise noted. Cover photo by David Lewis, courtesy Judith & James. Please recycle this magazine or share it with a friend.

Cameron W. Woods Major in political science, journalism and African American studies

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ARKANSAS • Summer 2014

Learning Never Stops Lifelong learning, personal growth and wellbeing make retirement living at BTV just that – truly living. Respecting Tradition. Embracing Tomorrow.

Andy Lucas U of A 1959 Journalism Fmr. Editor of Alumni Publications Fmr. Assoc. Director of Alumni Assn. Shirley Lucas U of A 1996 BSN RN WRMC (retired) Fmr. Fayetteville Alderman

Summer 2014 • ARKANSAS

PREMIER RETIREMENT LIVING

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1923 E. Joyce Blvd. | Fayetteville, Ark. | 479.695.8012 | butterfieldtrailvillage.org

LETTERS

OFFICERS President John Reap, ✪+ BSBA’70, Dallas, TX President Elect Stephanie S. Streett, ✪ BS’91, Little Rock Treasurer Tom Dorre, ✪ BSBA’68, MBA’81, Fayetteville Secretary Deborah Blume ✪+ BSBA’08, Fayetteville BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2011-2014 Ben Beaumont, ★ BA’04, Little Rock Leslie F. Belden, ✪+ BARCH’79, PHD’05, Fayetteville Judy Drummond Covert, ✪+ BA’83, Bel Aire, KS Dewayne Goldmon, ✪ BS’85, MS’87, Pine Bluff Kay Collett Goss, ✪+ BA’63, MA’66, Alexandria, VA Anthony Lucas, ★ BA’99, MA’04, Little Rock Carla Martin, ★ JD’04, Pine Bluff Heather Nelson, ✪+ BSBA’94, Little Rock Melissa Pianalto, ✪ BSA’88, MS’90, Springdale Chuck Roscopf, ✪ BSBA’79, JD’83, Helena

Campus Card The Arkansas Building was built entirely of wood for the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis to showcase a variety of wares and goods produced in Arkansas. After the World’s Fair, a real estate developer in Fayetteville named Artemus Floyd Wolf purchased the Arkansas House, had it disassembled, shipped to Fayetteville and reassembled by the contractor A.M. Byrne atop the western end of Mount Nord, overlooking the city and the University of Arkansas campus. With its Corinthian columns and neoclassical design, it looked more like the Parthenon on the rock of the Acropolis than the vernacular frame homes of Fayetteville. As a result the Arkansas House became the subject of numerous post cards during the first half of the century. After the death of Wolf, the house was used as a home for several University of Arkansas fraternities and sororities until its demolition in 1939. It became, de facto, the most elegant Greek house in the city at a time when most fraternities and sororities existed in smaller two-story homes converted to boarding houses. A young man named Duke sent a post card to Whitney Ogden of Kansas City in about 1915. He wrote: “We are here in the Arkansas Bldg. on the top of Mt. Knoll (sic) and it is just as cool and nice as can be. We sleep out on this porch every night. DW.” Duke also wrote on the obverse side of the card: “We are down here in the land of the ‘Slow Train,’ but do not find it very slow.” ■

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2012-2015 Kenneth Biesterveld, ★ BSBA’05, MBA’10, Bentonville John L Colbert, ✪ BSE’76, MED’81, Fayetteville John W. Cole, ★+ BSBA’76, MBA’78, Springdale Rita Geiger, ✪+ BA’66, Oklahoma City, OK Teena Gunter, ✪ JS’92, LLM’97, Oklahoma City, OK Sharon Hunt, ★ BSE’73, MED’75, Fayetteville William L. Kerr, ✪ BA’88, Tampa, FL Terry Rasco, ✪+ BARCH’71, BA’72, Little Rock Joel G. Wood, ✪ BSBA’74, Germantown, TN 2013-2016 John Forrest Ales ✪, BA’02, McLean, VA Emanuel Banks ✪, BSCE’87, North Little Rock Don Eldred ✪+, BSBA’81, Houston, TX Susan Gilbert Kemp ★, BSHE’73, MS’75, Mountain View Charlene Reed ✪+, BSHE’74, MS’77, Marianna Lott Rolfe IV ★, BSE’94, Maumelle Jeffrey M. Stephens ✪+, BSIE’86, Hot Springs Roger H. Sublett ★, BSE’64, MA’65, Mason, OH Brandon Timbes ✪+, BSBA’98, Charlotte, NC STAFF Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni and Executive Director of the Arkansas Alumni Association Brandy Cox ★ MA ‘07 Senior Director of Marketing and Resource Development Terri Dover ✪+ Director of Finance and Administration Debbie Blume ✪+, BSBA’08 Director of Outreach and Engagement Angela Mosley Monts ✪, BA’80 Director of Communications Tammy W. Tucker ✪+, BA’97, MA’03 Carolyn Baltz ✪+ BA’03, Associate Director of Membership and Marketing; Catherine Baltz ✪+, BS’92, MED’07, Manager of Strategic Marketing; Kelly Bostick ✪, Assistant Director of Marketing; Heath Bowman ✪, MED’11, Associate Director of Regional Programs; Stella Clark ✪, Records and Membership Assistant; Deb Euculano ✪, Associate Director for Special Programs; Kabrina Amey ★, BA’10, MED’13, Outreach Support Supervisor; Felicia Garner ★, Executive Assistant; Ashlee Gloede ★, Assistant Director of Facilities and Special Events; Robin January ✪, BSBA’98, Scholarship Coordinator; Ryan Miller ✪, BSBA’07, MED’09, Assistant Director of Young Alumni and Student Programs; Julie Preddy ✪ BA’04, Associate Director for Lifelong Learning; Tiffany Robinson ✪, Fiscal Support Analyst; Alyssa Strodel ★, BSBA’12, Student Programs Graduate Assistant; Elizabeth Tipton ✪, Records and Membership Assistant; Chris Wallen ✪, Alumni Records Manager

ARKANSAS • Summer 2014

perks ̂ Your connection starts here.

www.arkansasalumni.org/perks #ConnectYOUofA

loyalty • tradition • values

PICTURE THIS

Remembrance: In April, members of the University of Arkansas community gathered outside Boyer Hall of the Janelle Y. Hembree House to commemorate the lives of students who had died during the past year and acknowledge the contributions they made to the university and the Razorback family. At the end of the remembrance, balloons were released to honor the spirits of those students.

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Summer 2014 • ARKANSAS

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photo submitted

ON THE HILL

Solar-Cell Efficiency With Zinc-Oxide Coating Engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas have achieved the highest efficiency ever in a 9 millimeter-squared solar cell made of gallium arsenide. After coating the cufflink-sized cells with a thin layer of zinc oxide, the research team reached a conversion efficiency of 14 percent. A small array of these cells – as few as nine to 12 – generate enough energy for small light-emitting diodes and other devices. But surface modification can be scaled up, and the cells can be packaged in large arrays of panels to power large devices such as homes, satellites, or even spacecraft. The research team, led by Omar Manasreh, professor of electrical engineering, published its findings in Applied Physics Letters and the April 2014 issue of Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells. An alternative to silicon, gallium arsenide is a semiconductor used to manufacture integrated circuits, light-emitting diodes and solar cells. The surface modification, achieved through a chemical synthesis of thin films, nanostructures and nanoparticles, suppressed the sun’s reflection so the cell could absorb more light. But even without the surface coating, the researchers were able to achieve 9-percent efficiency by manipulating the host material.

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“We want to increase the efficiency of small cells,” said Yahia Makableh, doctoral student in electrical engineering. “With this specific material, the theoretical maximum is 33 percent efficiency, so we have some work to do. But we’re making progress. The beauty of zinc oxide is that it’s cheap, non-toxic and easy to synthesize.” Makableh said the surface modification could also be applied to other solar cells, including those made of indium-arsenide and galliumarsenide quantum dots. Solar cells made of these materials may be able to achieve 63-percent conversion efficiency, which would make them ideal for future development of solar cells. Makableh used equipment and instrumentation in the College of Engineering’s Optoelectronics Research Lab, which is directed by Manasreh. Researchers in the lab grow and functionalize semiconductors, nanostructured anti-reflection coatings, self-cleaning surfaces and metallic nanoparticles to be used in solar cells. Their ultimate goal is to fabricate and test photovoltaic devices with greater solar-energy conversion efficiency. ■

ARKANSAS • Summer 2014

istockphoto.com

Top 25 Best Colleges For Veterans

University of Arkansas Steps Up to Issue of Greenhouse Gases As the number of students, faculty and staff increases on campus, the University is taking action to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by university facilities. Campus renovations such as installation of efficient lighting, heating and cooling systems, water conservation equipment, and a solar-powered heater for the swimming pool in the Health, Education and Recreation Building, have aided in the decrease of greenhouse gas emissions from campus facilities. The university has tallied 210 sustainability-related projects among its facilities since 2009. These projects have resulted in $3.5 million in savings a year a well as a reduction of 28,957.23 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year, according to American College & University President’s Climate Commitment Report. Carlos Ochoa, director of the university’s office for sustainability, said he is very pleased with the efforts by the university. “Despite an increase in students, faculty, and staff gas emissions have decreased by 3.31 percent since 2002,” Ochoa said. Even though the university has implemented numerous innovative sustainabilityrelated projects in the last decade, the university is stepping up to the next level of campus sustainability by focusing on sustainable electricity and steam generation. “Future efforts to reduce emissions,” said Ochoa, “will be to generate electricity and steam using a combined heat and power system.” Ochoa said he has high hopes for this project. “It’s very much like a jet engine,” Ochoa explained, “running on natural gas that generates electricity and produces heat that’s used to create steam for our campus.” If this project were to be implemented, greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide) emission would be reduced by 35,000 metric tons, more than doubling the current reduction rate. Ochoa said he is proud of the campus’s long-term dedication to sustainability. “Since 2002, the University of Arkansas decreased gross greenhouse gas emissions despite an increase in building space, students, staff and faculty. Gross greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 3.31 percent, while [the number of] students, staff and faculty increased by 33 percent. This is a great accomplishment and couldn’t have been achieved without the diligence of administration and dedicated staff on our campus,” he said. ■

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The University of Arkansas continues to receive high rankings for being veteran friendly. The latest report ranks the university in the top 25 schools across the nation for veterans looking to attend college. BestColleges.com has released their list of the top 50 schools for veterans in the country and the U of A cracked the top half at 24. According to their review, the university “strives to meet the needs of each veteran student by taking an individualized approach to counseling and academic assistance.” “Being named among the top colleges for veterans is a great recognition of how our institution has united to help student veterans succeed in college,” said Erika Gamboa, director of Veterans Resource and Information Center. “Members of the VRIC staff are proud to have served our country and are honored to have the opportunity to continue helping fellow veterans and their families pursue educational opportunities.” The objective of BestColleges.com’s list is to provide a “comprehensive resource that veterans, active service members, reservists, and military dependents or spouses can use to determine which college will provide the most support, in terms of both financial aid and student services.” BestColleges.com built their list by reviewing the top 200 national universities list compiled by U.S. News & World Report, which also includes the University of Arkansas, and then comparing which of those schools also met three particular criteria. Each university on the list is a member of The Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges, which helps veterans complete their degree program despite frequent relocation. They also all honored the ACE Credit, which evaluates military training courses and programs and the schools that allow veterans to use credits, earned from these courses and programs toward their degree. Finally, each university on the list is a participant in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which provides veterans attending college with funds additional to those received by the GI Bill. ■

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ON THE HILL

Research Funding Lifts Education, Health Professions in Rankings

President Don Bobbitt, artist Anita Huffington, trustee Jim von Gremp, and Chancellor G. David Gearhart pose at commencement, where Huffington received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts.

Sculptor Receives Honorary Degree from University Anita Huffington, a nationally known sculptor who has made Northwest Arkansas her adopted home, received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from the University of Arkansas during the All University commencement ceremony in May at Bud Walton Arena. Huffington learned her artistry while living in New York City during the 1960s and moved to Winslow in 1977 and has made Northwest Arkansas her artistic and spiritual home since. Huffington addressed graduating students during the ceremony, saying that Northwest Arkansas became “the focus, quiet contemplation and even a source for my materials, my sticks and stones. ... The intellectual and aesthetic life opened to me at the university made all the difference. I attended many a poetry class and readings, concerts and art openings.” Gearhart said that the university was honoring Huffington “for her commitment to the people of Arkansas and the promotion of fine arts.” “Anita Huffington has brought diligence and commitment to her art – making the very rocks of these Ozark hills a source of her material and vision,” Gearhart said. “Years ago she consciously chose to leave the ‘center’ of the art world – New York City – to make her home and her sculpture in the quiet seclusion of Winslow. Our campus is honored to own three of her beautiful sculptures and I am grateful for the opportunity to return that honor with this recognition.” The university had planned to bestow an honorary Doctor of Laws upon Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe as well, but a death in his family prevented Beebe from attending the commencement ceremony. ■

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Three graduate programs at the University of Arkansas showed impressive gains in the rankings in U.S. News and World Report’s 2015 edition of Best Graduate Schools. The College of Education and Health Professions’ graduate education programs moved up nearly 50 places in the overall rankings; the Sam M. Walton College of Business M.B.A. program moved up 11 places in the rankings, but even more notable, it continued to lead the nation in the number of full-time Master of Business Administration graduates employed at graduation; the School of Law, meanwhile improved its overall ranking by seven places over last year, and has climbed 47 spots since the 2008 rankings. “This progress in the recognition of University of Arkansas graduate programs is very impressive, and truly a mark of the hard work that is being done on our campus,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “Strong graduate school programs are one of the hallmarks of any great public research university, and these rankings are proof that we are steadily moving toward our goal, to be recognized as a Top 50 public research university.” Achieving the Top 50 goal would mean that the University of Arkansas ranks among the top 8 percent of all public research universities in America. “This is a testament to the entire university’s commitment to graduate education,” said Todd Shields, then-dean of the Graduate School and International Education. “Programs in three distinct areas are climbing at significant rates, which happens only through the hard work of many people. Deans Smith, Leeds and Jones should be very proud of the accomplishments shown here.” The U of A’s graduate education program is ranked 86th nationally, up from 132nd place last year. The programs placed 70th among public universities. Walton College’s full-time M.B.A. program is ranked 55th among public and private graduate business schools, up from 66th last year, and is 30th among public business schools, up seven places since last year. The University of Arkansas School of Law is ranked in the top tier of law schools for the sixth consecutive year. It is now tied for 61st place overall and 33rd among public law schools. It has moved up 47 places in the overall ranking since 2008, and 12 places in the public ranking since 2011. The College of Engineering and several engineering departments improved their places in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2015 edition of Best Graduate Schools. The college was ranked 66 among public research universities. ■

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photo submitted

Billy Collins Named Editor of the Miller Williams Poetry Series Acclaimed American poet Billy Collins has been named the editor of the Miller Williams Poetry Series, published by the University of Arkansas Press. As editor, Collins will be ultimately responsible for the books published through the series and for choosing the winner of the annual $5,000 Miller Williams Poetry Prize. “The driving values of the series and the prize will be consonant with Williams’s sense of what constitutes good poetry,” said Collins. “In his practice as a poet and his work as an editor, Williams favored poetry that showed an awareness of its reader, poetry that was plain spoken but also dealt with the most essential experiences of being human. He also preferred poems that were interested in making the reader feel something rather than poems that were just expressing the plight of the poet. And a bit of humor never hurt, especially if it issued forth from a sensibility that couldn’t help viewing the world from an ironic angle.” Collins’ relationship with the University of Arkansas Press began in 1988, when his first book of poetry, The Apple That Astonished Paris, was published by the press under the directorship of Miller Williams. Collins went on to have a successful writing and teaching career that included serving as U.S. Poet Laureate from 2001 to 2003. Apple

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remains one of the press’s best-selling books. In the preface to the second edition, Collins credits Williams with being the first person to endorse him and calls Williams his “first editorial father.” Williams said of the new appointment, “I think this is a marvelous decision to make, and it would have pleased me greatly to have had that opportunity when I was director of the press.” “The fact that the press helped launch Billy Collins’ career is a source of pride for us all here at the press,” said press director Mike Bieker. “We are thrilled to have him as series editor. This change is exciting because it harkens back to our roots while at the same time taking us into the future.” The Miller Williams Poetry Series has its roots in the Arkansas Poetry Prize, first awarded in 1990. In 2002 poet Enid Shomer became the editor, and in 2009 the press began to offer a $5,000 prize — one of the largest of its kind in the country. A concert by Lucinda Williams, the Grammy-award-winning daughter of Miller Williams, established funding for the prize. Under Shomer’s leadership, the poetry series published almost 50 books and garnered several awards, including the Kate Tufts Discovery Award, the Paterson Poetry Prize, the BrockmanCampbell Book Award, and the Library of Virginia Poetry Award. n

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ON THE HILL

Shannon Selected as 2014 Truman Scholar

Hailey Dunsworth, an honors junior from Farmington majoring in chemical engineering at the University of Arkansas, was selected as a 2014 Goldwater Scholar. She will receive a scholarship of up to $7,500 from the Barry Goldwater Scholarship Foundation for her senior year. The University of Arkansas nominated four students for the Barry Goldwater Scholarship for excellence in math, science and engineering; three of those students were recognized with honorable Dunsworth mentions: Sushanth Kumar of Fayetteville, Jonathan Mishler of Plano, Texas, and Michael West of Stillwater, Okla. The Morris K. and Stewart L. Udall Foundation, which awards scholarships to students interested in environmental issues or Native American public policy, has also recognized two U of A students with honorable mentions: Jodi Nimmo of Fayetteville and Katie Dunn of Muskogee, Okla. “Hailey Dunsworth and all of the exceptional students recognized by the Goldwater and Udall foundations are actively engaged in research and are committed to service both on our campus and in the community. They are very deserving of this recognition,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “These students have benefitted from excellent faculty support, and they continue a tradition of competing at the highest level. This is our 19th consecutive year to have at least one Goldwater Scholar, and it is our third consecutive year to have students recognized by the Udall Foundation. We are very proud of these students and of this tradition of excellence on our campus.” Dunsworth is one of 283 students in the nation to be named a Goldwater Scholar. She is an Honors College junior in the College of Engineering, a U of A Chancellor’s Scholar and has received both research and travel grants from the Honors College. Her research mentor is associate professor Jamie Hestekin, who holds the Jim L. Turpin Professorship in Chemical and Biochemical Separations. Dunsworth’s research focuses on reverse electrodialysis as it relates to fracking, with the goal of eliminating current environmental concerns associated with the process. Dunsworth plans to pursue a doctorate in chemical engineering and would like to conduct research at a national laboratory or with a company focusing on renewable energy. Eventually she hopes to teach at a top research university and oversee her own research laboratory. ■

University of Arkansas junior Cicely Shannon of Texarkana has been selected as a 2014 Harry S. Truman Scholar. Shannon is a Bodenhamer Fellow in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and is majoring in economics with a concentration in international finance and economic policy. Shannon, a member of the U of A Honors College from Texarkana, is one of 59 students from 52 U.S. colleges and universities to be awarded the prestigious scholarship this year. She will receive $30,000 to be used Shannon toward her graduate study. Truman Scholars are selected on the basis of their academic success, leadership skills and the likelihood of their becoming public service leaders. “Being selected as a Truman Scholar confirms what we already know about Cicely Shannon — that she can compete at the very highest level,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “The Truman Foundation selects its students from the most engaged undergraduates in the country, who are committed to public service and to creating positive change for their communities, their states, and the country. Cicely has demonstrated an abiding commitment to service both on our campus and in the community, and she will clearly be an agent for change.” Shannon is a National Merit Achievement Scholar, a national CocaCola Scholar, and an Arkansas Distinguished Governor’s Scholar. She serves as the chair of the Volunteer Action Literacy Program and has used grants from the University of Arkansas Women’s Giving Circle and from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to implement a Scholastic Book Program. She helped expand the number of volunteers with the Volunteer Action Center Literacy Program and has been an active member of the Associated Student Government cabinet. Shannon has also actively participated in a variety of programs including Make a Difference Day, Race for the Cure, Razorfest Family Day, the Lee Creek Clean-up, and the Fayetteville Public Library. She worked as a writer for the Traveler and has also served as a supplemental instructor for economics, meeting with large classes to answer questions that some students may have been reluctant to ask faculty members. She also leads study sessions when students are preparing for exams. Her future service interests include the development and implementation of policies concerning public finance. She is particularly interested in issues connected with infrastructure, municipal projects, and transportation. She plans to pursue a dual degree in public administration and business administration at Columbia or Harvard. ■

photos by John Baltz

Dunsworth Named Goldwater Scholar

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photo submitted

BioBotics Wins National Business Plan Competition BioBotic Solutions, an undergraduate business plan competition team at the University of Arkansas, beat more than two dozen teams from across the United States to take the $25,000 grand prize at the Richards Barrentine Values and Ventures Business Plan Competition. BioBotic Solutions won for a business plan built around a container and robot that automate tissue handling, one of the few areas in a pathology lab that is not already automated. The concept, which is based on existing technology, would decrease pathology lab errors from 1 percent to 0.005 percent. Michael Iseman, a senior finance major in the Sam M. Walton College of Business and Honors College, said he and fellow members of the team would like to go forward with the plan as a real business. “Every time we pitch this I believe in it more and more,” Iseman said. “I think that is why we do so well; we believe in this product. We’ve spoken with health care recruiters about hiring a CEO, and we’re looking for someone with experience in fundraising and pathology. With the money [from the award] and the time we’ve spent here, I could not be more excited about the future.” Twenty-seven teams competed April 11-12 at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. Teams that were invited to the competition had to demonstrate a societal or environmental need to be filled, as well as the profitability of the business.

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Carol Reeves, associate vice provost for entrepreneurship at the University of Arkansas and one of the team’s advisers, said the win was the most significant for an undergraduate team at the U of A. “The team was simply superb,” Reeves said. “Many judges told me their plan was ‘Wall Street-ready’ and better than most plans they see from professionals.” Just days earlier, BioBotic Solutions won $22,000 at the 2014 Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition, including the $15,000 second-place prize in the undergraduate division. BioBotic Solutions developed its plan in close cooperation with the U of A’s department of biomedical engineering in the College of Engineering. Reeves and Jeff Amerine, who directs Technology Ventures, the U of A’s technology transfer office, co-advised the team. In addition to Iseman, BioBotic Solutions includes: • Kelley Coakley and Aundria Eoff, both senior biomedical engineering majors in the College of Engineering. • Rachel Zweig, who is majoring in chemistry and mathematics at Hendrix College. n

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PROFILE

John Register BA’88 - ★

Hurdling Adversity

University of Arkansas track athlete turned Paralympic medalist finds his ‘new normal’ By Tammy W. Tucker BA’97, MA’03 ✪+

John Register was a star track athlete at the University of Arkansas who seemed destined to compete in the 1996 Olympic Games when a freak hurdling accident changed his life path. Many downward spiral thoughts popped into the Razorback All-American’s mind as he faced the amputation of his leg as a result of the injury, he said. However, the realization that he had faith, family and friends helped console him. His wife, Alice, said “You know what John, we are going to get through this together. It’s just our new normal.” He began swimming for physical therapy to regain a healthy, active lifestyle, but soon he was swimming faster and faster and was invited to compete in the Paralympic Games. “That’s the whole transition of creating our new normal,” Register said. “I was on track to becoming an Olympian but ended up pursuing my dream on the Paralympic team as a swimmer.” After his injury, Register thought he would never run again but was inspired when he saw athletes with prosthetic legs running and jumping at the Paralympic Games. Two years after his first step with a running prosthesis, he earned a silver medal in the long jump at the 2000 Paralympic Games, setting the American

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long jump record. He also placed fifth in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Following his amputation, the Desert Shield and Desert Storm veteran remained active with soldiers and began working with the U.S. Army’s World Class Athlete Program. “My dream became helping others attain their dream, so as part of the Army’s World Class Athlete Program I began to help other athletes to pursue their excellence and try to make the Olympic team by being their sports manager and their sports specialist,” Register said. “That’s where I focused my attention. I just happened to fluke up and make a team myself.” He won nine gold medals in the Armed Services Competition and two World Military Championships. In 2003, he accepted a position with the U.S. Olympic Committee in Colorado and created the Paralympic Military Program, which uses sports to assist wounded service members. Athletics have been Register’s passion since childhood when he began swimming competitively at the Oak Park, Ill., YMCA. He played baseball and football before eventually competing in track and field, the sport that earned him a scholarship to the University of Arkansas. There he became a four-time All-American – once in the NCAA

long jump, once in the 55-meter hurdles and twice on the 4x400 meter relay teams. He was part of four national championship track teams under legendary coach John McDonnell. Register watched McDonnell build a track dynasty that won 42 national championships – something that taught him about working hard. “You have to work very hard,” Register said. “If someone’s ahead of you, you have to work harder. That’s the Razorback spirit.” Register completed his bachelor’s degree in communications in 1988 and then enlisted in the U.S. Army. He continues to use his degree as a motivational speaker and owner of Inspired Communications International. In April, he returned to his alma mater as the Arkansas Alumni Association’s 2014 Johnson Fellow. Endowed by Dr. Jeff Johnson, B.A.’70, and his wife, Marcia, the Johnson Fellows program was created to bring esteemed alumni back to the University of Arkansas campus to engage and inspire students. Register is the fifth Johnson Fellow. His message for University of Arkansas students is simple: “You can hurdle anything. All of us face adversity in our lives. How we handle the adversity is a direct reflection of our true character.” n

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photo credit

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photo by Sarah Kate Burger, courtesy Judith & James

FEATURE

Judith, namesake of the company Judith & James, with Anna Taylor (opposite) and Judith’s daughter.

n i d e h t o Cl

t n e m t i m m o C Alumna Anna Taylor blends apparel studies degree with charitable mindset to help Kenyan widows and orphans By Harrison Grimwood BA’14

It took a real-world experience to connect

classroom theory to practice for entrepreneur Anna Taylor. The Little Rock native founded her international designer clothing company, Judith & James LLC, while a student at the University of Arkansas, giving both herself and her degree a direction and purpose. Taylor started by making wire crosses, varying wildly in design, in her dorm room as a freshman. Her inspiration for the crosses was wanting to help Rwandan girls go to school. Selling the crosses to friends and family, Taylor said, she made enough money to help send two Rwandan girls to college. “That’s when it clicked that I could use my creativity and artistic talent to serve others, in particular women in Africa,” Taylor said. At that time, Taylor was an art student at the U of A, but that quickly became history once she discovered how to combine her passion for helping people with creativity. Taylor graduated from the apparel studies program in the Dale Bumpers College of

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Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences in 2013. She received a number of scholarships, including the Arkansas Alumni Association Membership Scholarship along the way. “These scholarships made it possible for me to come to the university,” she said. “My parents have lived to serve Africans as well and gave most of their money to charity, so they didn’t have much left for me to go to school. I think the scholarships honestly made it possible.” Taylor’s family started their charitable efforts in Nairobi, Kenya, when she was only 16, living there for a short time before civil war forced them out of Nairobi. Her familly first moved to Kenya to help widows and orphans. Then she returned in 2010 to start working on her business. “We’d never been to Africa, but my parents felt compelled to take care of orphans,” Taylor said.

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FEATURE

On the runway, New York models (above and opposite top) show off the fashions from Judith & James during the Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week. Taylor (below third from right) was joined by University of Arkansas students for charity shows in Northwest Arkansas, including one held at the Arkansas Union Verizon Ballroom.

Taylor went to Kenya again during Christmas break of her sophomore year of college. “Meeting with a local pastor, I told him my vision of hiring African women to make things using African fabric and selling in the United States,” Taylor said. “That was my vision; that’s all I knew at that time.” Using what she was learning in apparel studies, Taylor started her company, Judith & James. She also created the James 127 Foundation, and travels to and from Kenya regularly. Taylor said she feels compelled to help African widows and orphans because of the verse in the Bible, James 1:27, which in the New International translation reads: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” So the “James” portion of her company’s name comes from the Bible’s book of James.“Judith” is the first woman to graduate from Taylor’s vocational training program and to work at Judith & James, lending her name in the process. The local pastor introduced Taylor to Judith in 2010. Taylor designed a small line of clothes and jewelry and hired Judith to sew them. Taylor said each piece sold quickly. “Judith really took to it,” she said. “She has been a natural leader. I started with her, and she grew into a leader, carrying the brand and production in Kenya.” Currently, Taylor employs three Kenyan women, each are widows living with AIDS and caring for multiple children. Each of these women graduated from the James 127 Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides Kenyan women with the opportunity to attend sewing and jewelry-making training programs. Taylor, with the aid of a local pastor she’s known since she was 16 years old, started the James 127 Foundation. Fourteen women graduated from the sewing program in July 2013, and new participants started the program in March. At Judith and James, Taylor said she only employs three women right now to ensure she can pay all of them, but hopes to grow the business slowly and steadily. “We want to under commit and over deliver, rather than the reverse,” she said.

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Production can be slow. Taylor said she has to pay close attention to her employees’ needs because all of her employees are widows with multiple children and AIDS. Many of the widows’ children come from their brothers and sisters who have died from AIDS. “I try not to stress them or press them too hard,” Taylor said. One day, an employee was late, but Taylor said her heart softened when she listened to the reason. “She had to go to the hospital to pick up her AIDS medication,” Taylor said. “I have to remember all these girls have extreme life circumstances.” Taylor said she has seen much improvement because the widows are no longer unemployed. She said her employees are wearing new clothes, have a brighter disposition, and are gaining needed weight. In early February, Taylor launched the Judith & James fall and winter 2014 collections at the Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week. This was her second appearance at Fashion Week. “The show is great, and it’s exciting that the clothes are on the runways, but the more exciting thing is the result of more women being employed,” Taylor said. Later in the month she returned to the U of A campus and debuted the collection in the Arkansas Union Verizon Ballroom at the University of Arkansas during Walk for Widows/Fashion Edition. Taylor credits the breadth of the apparel studies program in helping to establish herself and her confidence. “It helped me a lot to be familiar with Excel charts, costing, forecasting expenses, bringing down expenses, knowing how much to spend on advertising – really breaking down the numbers,” she said. “These are things I learned a lot about in the degree program.” She did offer some advice for current students, in hopes that others will also pay it forward. “Use your degree to serve. It’s the only way that you will be satisfied with it,” Taylor said. “If you pursue money, if you get a degree just to pursue money, you won’t find much satisfaction or contentment. It makes a world of difference if you’re doing it to serve others.” n

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runway photos by Cottonwood Studios Worldwide; skirt photo by David Lewis; group photo by Russell Cothren

FEATURE

In Pursuit of Excellence Competing for Top 50 ranking means doing the right things for students, faculty and Arkansas

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ago, the name of the University of Arkansas made its first appearance in the top tier of the rankings by U.S. News & World Report. Of more than 4,000 colleges and universities nationwide, only about 120 schools had all the attributes needed to get a foothold in the top tier. At the top of the heap were the universities you might expect: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, M.I.T., Stanford. Among the Top 20, all but one are private institutions, the lone public institution being the University of California-Berkeley. Four years later, when David Gearhart became chancellor in 2008, one of his goals for the university was to continue that climb and to push into the ranks of the top 50 public research universities. Top 50 might at first glance seem like an underwhelming goal. Top 50? Wait. Shouldn’t every state, including Arkansas, already have a school in the top 50? Turns out 19 states don’t have a public university in the top 50. “That’s an easy assumption to make,” said Provost Sharon Gaber, “but the truth is that there are 629 public research universities in the United States. Right now, the University of Arkansas is at No. 63 in the U.S. News ranking, which means we’re already among the top 10 percent, a spot many public universities would envy. “What we see, though, when we look at various national ranking systems is that we have areas where we can be even better, areas where we want to improve, areas that will help our students achieve their goals and give our faculty the resources they deserve. We think that if we do the right things for our campus – increase our freshman retention, continue to improve our graduation rate, help our faculty win federal research funding and maintain our rich quality of academic programs – we will continue moving up to make the top 50. “We also know the university’s success will also mean success for the state of Arkansas because better prepared graduates will be entering the Arkansas workforce, and companies that want to do business here will have what they need to succeed: wider opportunities to hire qualified employees and deeper reservoirs of expertise from our researchers.”

A Guide to the Guides So what rankings does the university follow for guiding its efforts at improvement? One of them is the above-mentioned U.S. News &

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World Report annual ranking of undergraduate programs, released at the beginning of each fall semester. The other primary ranking guide is the Top American Research Universities, a publication of the Center for Measuring University Performance at Arizona State University. Like all of the national rankings, each of these has its own methodology for ranking one school higher than another, its own values, its own weighting. The U.S. News & World Report’s ranking is aimed at helping undergraduate students find a university or college that is right for their needs, so it looks at graduation rates, retention rates, faculty salaries, class sizes, financial resources for students, and student selectivity. The ranking also gives a fairly big weight to peer assessment: What do chancellors, provosts, admission directors and high school guidance counselors think of your university. In some undergraduate areas, the university is doing well. In those areas where the university sees room for improvement, faculty, staff and administrators have already begun putting programs in place to help undergraduates stay in college and earn their degrees. In the last decade, the graduation rate has improved from 53 percent to 60 percent, the highest graduation rate in Arkansas. But it needs to be even higher to compete with public universities outside the state, and the university is aiming for a 70 percent graduation rate by 2021. The division of student affairs has established several programs to help students stay in school. For instance, a recently created program called “U of A Cares” provides a responsive way for faculty, staff and campus community members to let a staff case manager know when a student appears to be in need of assistance or resources. “The earlier we can get to a student who is in need,” said Melissa Harwood-Rom, dean of students, “the more success we can have in helping them stay in class, stay engaged, and stay to meet their goal of graduating.” During the fall semester, the university’s new case manager, Nicole Ferguson, visited with more than 400 students and dealt with everything from personal injuries to financial concerns to mental health issues. College can be a stressful time for any number of reasons, and reducing that stress is one way to help students succeed in the classroom. Ferguson can’t take their tests for them, but she can help solve the problems that distract a student from studying for a test or doing well on it.

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design by .Eric Pipkin

TEN YEARS

FEATURE

“We think that if we do the right things for our campus – increase our freshman retention, continue to improve our graduation rate, help our faculty win federal research funding and maintain our rich quality of academic programs – we will continue moving up to make the Top 50.”

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“Retention is my goal,” Ferguson said. “I want students to have fun, feel safe, stay healthy, and continue with their education here despite the issues they may be having. I will connect them with resources and guide them on the pathway to success. “There are students looking for someone to talk to, they just don’t know where to look, and I hope to raise awareness of our program for more students,” she said. The university also continues to attract betterprepared students each year. More than 40 percent of the freshmen in 2013 had a high school GPA of 3.75 or more, and more than one-sixth of the freshmen scored higher than 30 on the ACT. Those students help the university in two ways. They come in better prepared for the rigors of college study with higher desires for success, and they also foster a culture of educational achievement among the students around them. Provost Gaber pointed out that the university has worked hard not only to increase enrollment but to provide the growing number of students with the resources they expect. “We’ve spent the last several years expanding our capacity to educate students,” Gaber said. “We’ve had an estimated $450 million in new construction since 2011 to renovate, expand and modernize our campus. New faculty members are also being added at a pace commensurate with growth. Since 2010, we have added 60 additional tenure track and 100 non-tenure track positions with an expectation that more will be added in the next fiscal year. Growth at the University of Arkansas will not come at the cost of quality interaction with an instructor.” Moving up in the U.S. News ranking, though, is not a given. The universities between Arkansas and the top 50 are no slouches. They include the University of Utah, Temple University, Colorado State, Kentucky, Arizona, Michigan Tech, South Carolina, University of California-Riverside, Oregon and the University at Buffalo, New York. “We are raising the bar to do a better job of

helping students graduate, supporting faculty to increase research, and positioning the university to reach higher goals,” Gaber said. “Our goal of moving higher in the rankings will reflect our ability to carry out fundamentally wise decisions about how to improve education and research at the university.” Research Response The other ranking that the university will be watching is the Top American Research Universities, an assessment less well known to the general public but one that faculty and researchers follow closely. It measures such variables as federal research expenditures, endowment, annual giving, faculty awards, doctorates granted and postdoctoral appointments. In the 2012 assessment, the university is already among the top 50 public universities in three of those categories: endowment, annual giving and faculty awards. “We are continuing to grow our research enterprise and perhaps the best indication of that was being elevated to the highest possible classification by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 2011,” said Jim Rankin, the vice provost for research and economic development. “The classification was based upon our very high level of research activity and doctoral graduates.” The Carnegie classification — “very high research activity” — is one in which only 2 percent of public universities nationwide are classified, another indication that the university is achieving above and beyond expectations. The one spot where the university can make the most movement upward in the Top American Research Universities ranking is in federal research expenditures. “We doubled our research expenditures in the previous decade,” Rankin said. “Going forward, we are challenged by the federal funding picture, which is tighter due to budget cuts. There are more institutions competing for those fewer federal dollars.

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“The university would currently rank 38th in the Top American Research Universities study — if we had at least $40 million in annual federal research funding,” Rankin said. “We were at about $30 million last year, so we haven’t been able to get up to that bar. We have a lot of room to grow as a research university, and we are slowly changing the campus research culture. A generation ago, there was less emphasis on a faculty’s research role on this campus. Now our faculty understands that there is an expectation to perform relevant research or scholarly activities.” Rankin’s team has laid out a path for improving the university’s research capabilities. Their strategy is to engage faculty at all levels more, create research clusters, improve the research infrastructure, empower students to join in research efforts, add to the components that make research an economic engine; and communicate the university’s deep level of research success to a broader national audience. Rankin also identified six research strengths at the university that include health; nanotechnology; energy and the environment; American art, architecture and the humanities; food safety; and supply chain, retail and transportation. While it’s logical for the university to pursue greater research in traditional areas of strength, the university won’t let down its effort to help each faculty member pursue his or her research. The university’s largest research grant ever, for instance, was awarded in 2013 and came from outside those strengths. The diligent work of Brent T. Williams, an associate professor of rehabilitation education in the College of Education and Health Professions, resulted in a five-year $32 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education that will be used to improve the education and career outcomes of low-income Arkansas teenagers who have disabilities. Williams’ work is like that of a lot of researchers on campus. He cares less about rankings or dollar amounts than on the end goal of how his research will help Arkansans.

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“We are the state’s flagship university,” said Rankin, “so there should be an expectation that we are the leading research institution. When you are doing research, whether you are on the faculty or staff or are a student, you are adding to the world’s overall body of knowledge. For faculty members in particular, they bring a research perspective to the classroom, which enhances the learning experience.” A Means to an End Sometimes, all the talk of rankings makes it sound like the rankings themselves are the goal. In fact, rankings are simply a residue, only noticeable after the whole university does what it means to do: educate students in a broad field of studies, give them the prospect of good careers, challenge them to serve their fellow citizens, offer economic improvement to Arkansas and improve the surrounding world through research. And by “whole university,” the members of the Arkansas Alumni Association are included. All those rankings look at alumni engagement and alumni giving, areas where Arkansas again is already scoring in the top 50 range. “We have alumni who have become very successful in their fields and support the university through gifts, such as endowing a faculty position or creating a scholarship or fellowship program,” Rankin said. “These gifts are very helpful in fostering research. It is also helpful when alumni in government and industry reach back to the colleges and departments with research topics. Also, we are very interested in engaging with alumni who have become successful entrepreneurs and can pass on that knowledge to faculty and students interested in entrepreneurial ventures.” The improving rankings do give alumni some measure of comfort as well, in that their degrees have higher value as the university’s reputation increases. But most alumni know that the deeper value of helping students and professors is its own reward. ■

All those rankings look at alumni engagement and alumni giving, areas where Arkansas again is already scoring in the Top 50 range.

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FEATURE

E Evolution of a Course Platoon of professors contribute to interdisciplinary teaching By Charlie Alison ’82’04

A

t the front of the classroom, professor Bill McComas spends the first day of class describing what his new course will try to cover, what it won’t and why it makes sense to be taught as an interdisciplinary course. The winter sky outside is still dark and the sun has not quite risen above the heights of Mount Sequoyah on this cold dreary morning, the first day of the spring semester and yet so far away from any glimmer of spring. In spite of the dark, early hour, the students seem wide awake to the themes and outlines of the course, partly because of its subject matter and partly because McComas brings a frenetic excitement to

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the classroom and his subject. Most of the students are members of the university’s Honors College, and they represent majors from across the university, although the course’s topic probably appeals a little more strongly to those students studying biological sciences or those hoping to become secondary teachers of science. A few of the students are older, most likely senior citizens who are taking advantage of the university’s free tuition and probably auditing. They are all here because of the course’s topic: Darwin. Charles Darwin. The person who proposed an explanation for how biological evolution occurs.

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design by Amanda Cothren

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photo submitted

FEATURE

Bill McComas, the Parks Family Professor of Science Education

McComas, after introducing himself and the several professors who will also teach on particular days through the semester, explains the educational goals for the course and then asks the students, “What do you hope we talk about?” A young woman on the front row lifts an arm and volunteers an answer: “Something interesting.” “Well, you can talk about something interesting in any class,” McComas says. “Why this class, the Darwin Course?” “Something interesting about evolution,” the student replies. “So,” McComas responds, “it sounds like you’ve heard of something called ‘evolution.’ Good, because this course will have a lot about evolution. You have a general sense of what it might be, but don’t know much more than that yet?” His question is not an accusation but rather an effort to tease out a sense of just how much students coming into the course actually know about the subject. Unreservedly, the student says, “Yeah, I’m a freshman.” We’re All Freshmen If there were a course in which all the students – and maybe the professors themselves – could be called “freshman,” this would be it. No matter the depth of knowledge that any one person had about Darwin or evolution or the many cultural changes they fostered, the breadth of disciplines brought to bear by the many professors who taught the Darwin Course provided every single person a chance to learn something new, to be fresh in their perceptions.

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Jake Spangler, a junior majoring in English, said that though he knew very little about the subject before the semester began, he felt better walking into classroom because he knew the professors who were teaching it were also learning. “I think that many students feel an amount of alienation between professor and student,” Spangler said, “but this course showed me that no one is too educated to learn something new.” Another student, Thomas Selig, said, “I’ve always been interested in the controversy surrounding the teaching of evolution and creationism in schools, and I knew this class would explore this topic in depth. … In my opinion, the Darwin class rivals any course in the nation in terms of scope, content, and expertise. The class is taught by professors from a myriad of disciplines who are all able to offer a unique perspective on Charles Darwin and his works.” The course for this myriad of disciplines is like a funnel pouring lots of elements into the neck of one vessel. It means that McComas’s Darwin Course also provides a perfect example of what an interdisciplinary course should be and a good understanding of why the Honors College offers help to professors who want to craft interdisciplinary honors courses. “The Darwin Course epitomizes what interdisciplinary courses are all about,” said Bob McMath, dean of the U of A Honors College. “It involves huge scientific issues, huge cultural issues, huge political issues. You’re not going to fully understand it if you only study one piece. Interdisciplinary courses introduce students to the way the real world works, the way businesses work, the way research works.”

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photo submitted

The collaboration that occurs in the real world — whether it’s an inventor working with an entrepreneur to bring a product to market, or a chemist working with a physicist to understand underlying principles of a reaction, or a nurse teaming up with a social worker to better serve patient needs — requires that people with a variety of skills and perspectives work together. When McMath, who is set to retire this summer, arrived on campus in 2004 as the first dean of the Honors College, he began talking with U of A professors to find out what excited them, and the conversation often turned to the interdisciplinary research they were doing with colleagues in other departments. “We wanted to bring our honors students into the conversation,” he said. “I think it’s fun for them, but it’s also a real-world experience for them.” In 2006, the Honors College began giving interdisciplinary courses a kick-start by offering financial aid to professors who teamed up to create new interdisciplinary courses. In the eight years since, more than 30 courses have received funding and found their way to classrooms. In the case of the Darwin Course, the funding helped pay for small textbooks that provided students with historical background on Darwin. This past academic year, seven courses were approved by the Honors College. Like the Darwin Course, they required collaboration between professors. The other courses this year: • Cultivating Interprofessional Collaboration to Improve Health Outcomes, a service learning course for students seeking careers in the health professions. • Health and Gender in Sub-Saharan Africa, a course about how Western, biomedical approaches fit, and don’t fit, in addressing public health issues in sub-Saharan Africa. • Food Chemistry: An Honors Section, a pilot project of interdisciplinary teams of chemical engineering and food science students who use virtual labs to increase understanding of topics such as enzyme reaction rates, which are hard to visualize in the physical world. • Opera, Nations and Empires, a course that provides a cultural-historical overview of the changing concepts of the Western “self” and the non-Western “other” as reflected in six German-language operas, beginning with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio and concluding with Franz Lehar’s operetta The Land of Smiles.

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• The Tenth Street Studio Building Digital Reconstruction: Visualizing a Chapter of American Art, a course in which students use archival materials to game engine technology to digitally recreate New York City’s Tenth Street Studio, where major figures in the Hudson River school of painters created and exhibited their work. • Molecular Gastronomy, a course in which students study the chemical and biochemical reactions that take place in the kitchen and embrace new cooking techniques based on the fundamental principles of chemistry. “These courses have been quite popular and most of them are still going,” McMath said. “It’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but for someone who wants to try something new and a little outside their comfort zone, it’s been very successful. “The interdisciplinary approach is really gaining ground here,” McMath, “and I think that’s a very good thing.” Ripples in the Pond The Darwin Course examines a theory put forward by Charles Darwin in 1859 to explain the mechanism by which the evolution of plants and animals could occur. Then the course looks at all the consequences that such a monumental shift in thinking creates. It is like throwing a stone into the lake and trying to track where all the ripples go. Some ripples travel out to water, affecting the study of science itself, while others crash into the shore, splashing onto popular culture, traditional religious values and political thought. Early in the semester, McComas explained the mechanism of evolution as Darwin proposed it: • There is natural variation within each species. • Individuals within a species compete for resources. • Collectively, each species produces more offspring than will survive. • Individuals with the most useful traits survive while others die. • The surviving individuals mate and pass on their traits to the next generation, resulting in a population slightly different from the preceding one. The mechanism seems logical and intuitive. When published, it drew strong reactions, not just among the religiously pious – who might be expected to take umbrage at what at that time seemed a heretical position – but also among the learned professors of physics. DARWIN continued on page 63.

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ASSOCIATIONS

University of Arkansas Points of Pride • Travel + Leisure Magazine ranked Fayetteville No. 16 among America’s Best College Towns. • In Kiplinger’s 25 Best College Values Under $30,000 a Year, U of A ranked No. 5. • Joyce Carol Oates gave a public reading at the Fayetteville Town Center on April 21. • Peter MacKeith was named dean of the Fay Jones School of Architecture. • Athletics department broke ground on the Student Athlete Success Center on March 8. • University of Arkansas entrepreneurial teams finish in the top three in two business plan competitions – bringing the total of competition wins to 17 since 2009. For more stats & points of pride, visit: BY THE NUMBERS: http://uark.edu/about/by-the-numbers.php

photo by Whit Pruitt

photo by Maggie Benton

• 13th fastest growing public research university, according to Chronicle of Higher Education. Enrollment expected to exceed 25,600 this fall. • Moved from 67th to 63rd best public university in latest US News and World Report rankings. • Four U of A graduate programs made impressive gains in the Best Graduate Schools rankings. • U.S. Department of Education awarded a $32 million grant to the College of Education and Health Professions and the Arkansas Department of Education to fund a program aimed at improving the education and career outcomes of lowincome Arkansas teenagers with disabilities. Largest public grant to the U of A ever. • Todd Shields was named dean of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. Kimberly LaScola Needy has replaced him as the interim dean of the Graduate School and International Education.

Class of 2012 Senior Walk Dedication 28

Members of the Student Alumni Board man the registration table at the Senior Walk Dedication.

Graduates of the Class of 2012 take pictures of their names on Senior Walk.

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photo by Maggie Benton

The Class of 2012 was dedicated on Senior Walk on April 5 as Chris Wyrick, vice chancellor for University Advancement, cut the official ribbon. Michael Dodd, Graham Talley and Mirelle Onukwube spoke during the dedication, representing the Class of 2012. About 60 University of Arkansas faculty, staff and alumni attended the ceremony.

“Shouting Out” and Signing Off At the conclusion of my two-year term as president of the Arkansas Alumni Association National Board of Directors, I want to convey several messages. First, a “shout out” to all the wonderful alumni volunteers I have connected with, from national board members – current and former – to chapter leaders, and devoted volunteers, and the rank and file at the local level. What a gratifying experience to see all of you show your pride in our school. A “shout out” to our staff … dedicated and talented people who continue to work for the betterment of our school and our association. I give a huge thank you: to our leadership, Chancellor Gearhart and his cabinet, for their interest, concern and cordiality towards me and our Association; to our fellow work-mates/partners in Advancement, the Development and University Relations folks; to all of the deans of the colleges who have been so receptive to our cause; to Dr. Suzanne McCray, vice provost for Enrollment, and Dr. Danny Pugh, vice provost for Student Affairs, for their partnership and going the extra mile; and, a host of others who graciously work with us. My ongoing desires for our Association are summarized as follows: Continue the collaboration across campus with those mentioned above and other key stake-holders. Continue the enhancement and uptick in engaging students and young alumni; we have promising initiatives in place here. Institute enhanced marketing efforts … always having a well thought-out marketing plan … to make our association more relevant to alumni of all ages and in all interest groups.

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Smart and more efficient use of communication through social media; e-mail; our website at www.arkansasalumni.org; Arkansas (the award-winning magazine); our annual report; and on-site visits to the local scene/grass roots. “Raise the Bar.” We have a good Alumni Association. We are on the path to making it “excellent.” Promote to our alums that a key role for them is to sell our school … we are the U of A’s No. 1 salesmen. If you haven’t received a copy of our annual report, please ask for one: call: 888-275-2586 or email communications@arkansasalumni. org. This report “lays out” our current story. Finally, I couldn’t be more excited about two incredible women “arriving” to assume leadership. Brandy Cox, our new associate vice chancellor for alumni and executive director, is exceptional. She has the background, passion, and knowledge/skill sets to take us to new heights. Stephanie Streett is succeeding me as president. Her leadership, wisdom, communication skills, and, quite frankly, just pure savvy will serve our association well. She is a winner. We move forward! I hope my theme “Awareness Creates Pride” has resonated! Go Hogs! God Bless!

John C. Reap ✪+ ’70 President, Arkansas Alumni Association

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The Arkansas Alumni Association proudly honored 16 past presidents of the National Board of Directors during a luncheon meeting on Thursday, March 20, at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock. The event was hosted by president-elect Stephanie Streett and current president John Reap. In addition to socializing with each other, Reap also provided a brief overview of the Alumni Association’s successes.

Seated: Lawson Hembree ✪+ BSA’83, Jenny Adair ✪+ BA’62, Sissi Brandon ✪+ BSE’55, Stephanie Streett ✪+ BS’91. Standing: Larry Stephens ✪+ BSIE’58, Brian Rosenthal ✪+ BSBA’84, Dick Hatfield ✪+ BSBA’65, LLB’67, Chuck Dudley ✪+ BSBA’76, MBA’77, Kenny Gibbs ✪+ BSBA’85, Steve Nipper ✪+ BSBA’71, MBA’73, Jack McNulty ✪+ BSBA’67, JD’70 and John Reap ✪+ BSBA’70. Not pictured: Gerald Jordan ✪+ BA’70.

Past Presidents of the Arkansas Alumni Association Board of Directors 1923-24 Joseph Kirby Mahone ✪ BA’07

1952-53 George Makris ✪ BSBA’37

1979-80 Tracy Scott ★ BSE’53

1924-25 Robert Hill Carruth BA’11

1953-54 Edward B. Dillon Jr. ★LLB’50

1980-81 Edward W. Stevenson ✪+ BSBA’60

1925-26 James E. Rutherford ✪ BA’22

1954-55 Beloit Taylor BA’19

1926-27 Winston Lee Winters BSCE’06

1955-56 Louis L. Ramsay Jr. LLB’47, LLD’88

1981-82 Fred Livingston ✪ BSBA’55 1982-83 Don Schnipper ✪+ BA’63, JD’64

1927-28 J.L. Longino BSEE’03

1956-57 Stanley Wood ✪ BA’23

1928-29 Alfred Boyde Cypert BA’12

1957-58 A.L. Whitten MS’40

1983-84 Mary Trimble Maier ✪+ BA’49 1984-85 Bart Lindsey ✪+ BSBA’67

1929-30 James William Trimble BA’17 1930-31 G. DeMatt Henderson BA’01, LLB’03

1958-59 W.R.“Dub” Harrison BA’20 1959-60 E.M.“Mack” Anderson ✪+ BA’32

1985-86 W. Kelvin Wyrick ✪+ BSE’59 1986-87 Larry G. Stephens ✪+ BSIE’58

1931-32 Dr. Jasper Neighbors MD‘18

1960-61 Warren Wood ✪ LLB’32

1932-33 Scott D. Hamilton BA‘24

1961-62 Owen Calhoun Pearce BSBA’41, LLB’41

1987-88 Rebecca Shreve ✪+ BSE’60, MED’63 1988-89 Robert T. Dawson ✪+ BA’60, LLB’65

1933-34 Charles A. Walls BA‘07

1962-63 James C. Hale BA‘33

1934-35 Arthur D. Pope BA‘06

1963-64 Jack East Jr. BSBA‘48

1935-36 John C. Ashley BA’11

1964-65 J. Fred Patton ✪+ BA’29, MA’36

1936-37 Beloit Taylor BA‘19

1965-66 P.K. Holmes ✪ LLB’78

1991-92 Chuck Dudley ✪+ BSBA’76, MBA’77 1992-93 Harriet Hudson Phillips ✪+ BA’72

1937-38 John P. Woods ✪ BA’09 1938-39 Glen Rose ★ BSE’28, MS’31

1966-67 William H. Bowen ★ LLB’49 1967-68 Guy H. Lackey ✪+ BSBA’49

1993-94 Richard Hatfield ✪+ BSBA’65, LLB’67 1994-95 Jenny Mitchell Adair ✪+ BA’62

1939-40 Claude J. Byrd ★ BSA’25

1968-69 Robert P. Taylor ✪+ BSBA’47, MS 1948

1940-41 Charles Frierson Jr.‘29

1969-70 John Ed Chambers BA’39, LLB’40

1995-96 Jack McNulty ✪+ BSBA’67, JD’70 1996-97 Sylvia Boyer ✪+ BSE’63

1941-42 John B. Daniels BSA‘33 1942-44 G. DeMatt Henderson BA’01, LLB’03

1970-71 Chester H. Lauck ’25 1971-72 Nathan Gordon ✪+ JD’39

1944-45 Dr. M. L. Dalton MD’32

1972-73 Charles E. Scharlau ✪+ LLB’58

1945-46 Jack East ✪ BSE’24

1973-74 Carl L. Johnson ★ BSBA’47

1946-47 Steve Creekmore ★ BSBA’11

1974-75 R. Cecil Powers ✪ BSBA’30

1947-48 Maupin Cummings ✪ BA’32

1975-76 J.C. Reeves ✪ ’25

1948-49 Roy Milum BA’04, LLD’58 1950-51 Francis Cherry LLB’38

1976-77 Elizabeth (Sissi) Riggs Brandon ✪+ BSE’55 1977-78 Roy Murphy ✪+ BSIM’49

1951-52 J.C. Gibson BA’24, MS’38

1978-79 Fred Livingston ✪ BSBA’55

1949-50 Paul Sullins ✪ JD’37

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1989-90 Gregory B. Graham ✪+ BSBA’70, JD’72 1990-91 Blake Schultz ✪+ BA’51

1997-98 Morris Fair ★ BSBA’56 1998-00 H. Lawson Hembree IV ✪+ BSA’83 2000-02 Jeffery R. Johnson ✪+ BA’70 2002-04 Edward Bradford ✪+ BSE’55, MED’56 2004-06 Brian M. Rosenthal ✪+ BSBA’84 2006-08 Kenny Gibbs ✪+ BSBA’85 2008-10 Gerald Jordan ✪+ BA’70 2010-12 Steve Nipper ✪+ BSBA’71, MBA’73

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photo submitted

ASSOCIATIONS

Stephanie Streett named president of the Arkansas Alumni Association Stephanie S. Streett BS’91 has worked for a former president of the United States, but now she will hold a presidential title of her own. Streett, executive director of the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation in Little Rock, will begin her two-year term as president of the Arkansas Alumni Association National Board of Directors on July 1. Streett has served on the Alumni Association’s National Board of Directors since 2009. : What was your reaction to being named president of the Arkansas Alumni Association’s National Board of Directors? I am extremely grateful to have been involved with my alma mater through the Arkansas Alumni Association as a board member. I was very honored to have been asked to serve as president. In this role, I will have the unique opportunity to follow in the footsteps of those who have provided strong leadership to this wonderful organization that connects and serves alumni across the state, the nation, and the world. : What would you like to accomplish during your term as president? This Association has grown exponentially and each year there have been significant strides made in engaging students, alumni and friends. As the U of A grows, so does the Association. I’m excited to continue to build upon that growth. Specifically, I’d like to expand our outreach to diverse groups of alumni and friends. For example, international components, academics and affiliates, society groups, veterans, etc. I would also like to continue to develop and grow alumni networking and professional development opportunities. I always say that alumni shouldn’t stop reaping benefits from the University the day they walk off the stage in their cap and gown. My goal would be to have very robust support programs that create lifelong career connections for our alumni. And our alumni are our single greatest testament to the University. If we are looking for top-notch recruiters, we don’t need to look any further than our alumni. They are our greatest champions. I’d like to challenge our alumni to continue to engage with us in the recruitment of new students and help in the retention of current students. : How can the Arkansas Alumni Association better serve its alumni and friends? We can do this in a number of ways. First: engagement. The U of A has grown in many diverse ways, and the Association will continue to create and find programs for meaningful and significant types of

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photo by Nelson Chenault

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Summer 2014 • ARKANSAS

engagement. There many opportunities to be engaged with the U of A and the Association through service, philanthropy, recruitment and more. Second is communication. It’s important to continue to evolve how we communicate with our demographics. For example, young alumni (40 years of age and younger) make up 50 percent of the U of A’s alumni base of 126,000, and they communicate differently than older alumni and friends. We have to make sure we are reaching all our alumni across every kind of communications channel. Finally: participation. We have to engage our alumni to serve in a capacity that works for them. There are so many ways to participate - join the association, attend an event, serve as a volunteer, etc. : How did you first get involved with the Arkansas Alumni Association as a volunteer? In the fall of 2008, Kay Goss, a current board member and Executive in Residence in the department of political science, approached me to ask if I might be interested in serving on the national board of directors. At the time, my daughters were 8, 7 and 3, so I had to be really strategic about where I invested my time. But I knew that serving in this capacity was going to be an opportunity to give back to the University that has given me, and so many members of my family, so much. When Kay asked, I didn’t even have to think twice. : What is your favorite memory from your time as a student at the U of A? It’s tough to pick just one memory from my time at the U of A. But I do know, without a doubt, that the person who had the most direct impact on me was my adviser, professor Diane Blair. From the first moment I sat down in her Arkansas Politics class, I was captivated both by the content of the class and by her as a person and professor. I still think about that class often, and know that I am just one of thousands of students who were inspired by her and have carried her teachings with us throughout our lives. : Where is the most unique place you have called the Hogs? When the Razorbacks won the national championship in 1994, I was working at the White House. I was fortunate to be present at the championship game and attended the celebration ceremony in the White House Rose Garden with the Razorbacks’ biggest fan, President Clinton. Calling the Hogs that day was one of my favorite memories of living in D.C. and working in the White House. I will always remember President Clinton saying, “I just wish that on every close issue, I had Scotty Thurman there at the end to make the shot.”

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photo Whit Pruitt

ASSOCIATIONS

These top university students are now members of the 2014 Student Alumni Board after going through an intense application and interview process. The Student Alumni Board offers excellent opportunities for students to further their professional development through hands-on experience, overseeing projects such as Homecoming, Razorback Spirit and alumni relations events. They maintain the U of A traditions and grow the membership of the Student Alumni Association. Members of the Student Alumni Board build lasting relationships with the Arkansas Alumni Association and more than 135,000 alumni around the world. ■

SAB Executives Nathan Hopper President – Benton Ryann Andres Vice President of Administration – Houston, Texas DeAnna Snyder Vice President of Communications – Wynne Alex Chaffin Vice President of Sponsorships – Little Rock Ashton Dawson Homecoming Director – Bentonville Gentry Wahlmeier Alumni Relations Director – Alma Blair Peterson Razorback Spirit Director – Little Rock Morgan Johnson Traditions Director – Springdale Corrie Biles Membership Director – Lorena, Texas

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Group picture of SAB General Board from left to right: Front: Alexa Albrecht, Ryann Andres, Alex Chaffin, Nathan Hopper, DeAnna Snyder, Devonnie Mann; Middle: Ryan Miller (Adviser), Hannah Bell, Will Sloan, Reagan Fix, Tanner Bone, Brittany Brunson, Gentry Wahlmeier, Bailey Hart, Grant Addison, Hadley Lewis, Brandon Downer, Alyssa Strodel (adviser); Back: Amy Moorehead, Than Le, Nancy Smith, Victoria Maloch, Blair Peterson, Gina Densmore, Ashton Dawson, Morgan Johnson, Corrie Biles, Ross Owyoung, Jordan Sooter Not pictured: Maggie Benton, Tori Faulkner, Connor Flocks, Beka Goad, Maggie Kell

SAB General Board

Ross Owyoung Alumni Relations Team – McGehee Victoria Maloch Alumni Relations Team – Magnolia Jordan Sooter Alumni Relations Team – Bentonville Will Sloan Alumni Relations Team – Highland Village, Texas Connor Flocks Homecoming Team – Greenwood Hannah Bell Homecoming Team – Mena Reagan Fix Homecoming Team – Greenbrier Maggie Benton Homecoming Team – Jonesboro Amy Moorehead Membership Team – Little Rock Gina Densmore Membership Team – Cabot Than Le Membership Team – Fort Smith Daniel McFarland Razorback Spirit Team – Keithville, La.

Tanner Bone Razorback Spirit Team – Jefferson City, Mo. Hadley Lewis Razorback Spirit Team – Cedar Park, Texas Nancy Smith Sponsorship Team – Marianna Bailey Hart Sponsorship Team – Little Rock Brandon Downer Traditions Team – Austin, Texas Grant Addison Traditions Team – Memphis, Tenn. Brittany Brunson Traditions Team – Richardson, Texas Alexa Albrecht Senior Advisor – Victoria, Texas Devonnie Mann Senior Advisor – Goleta, Calif. Maggie Kell Senior Advisor – Rogers Beka Goad Senior Advisor – San Antonio, Texas Tori Faulkner Senior Advisor – Springfield, Mo.

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ASSOCIATIONS

Young Alumni

photo submitted

The Alumni Association hosted several young alumni and student leaders for a Razorback baseball game in the chancellor’s box during the win over Eastern Illinois.

‘I want to be remembered.’ It’s easy to do. You can create lasting impact with a simple act. Remember us with a gift in your will or revocable living trust. Name us as a beneficiary of part of your retirement plan, life insurance, IRA or brokerage account. We’d be happy to tell you how

– confidentially.

Office of Planned Giving (800) 317-7526 email: legacy@uark.edu

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he University of Arkansas has been the central theme in my life for many years. I consider the university my home, and my countless friends, co-workers, and fellow alumni as part of my family. Much of the significance I place on this institution is embodied by the Arkansas Alumni Association, which me and my wife, Marcia, are both life members. My mother and father both graduated from the University of Arkansas. My mother, Janie Lucretia Vaughan ’43, ’48 graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in business. My father, William Henry Overby Jr. ’48, ’49 received his law degree before earning his bachelor’s degree in banking and finance. World War II played a role in the time it took to finish a degree at the U of A. My mother, after receiving her bachelor’s degree, went to work as a teacher and assistant to the camp director at the Jerome and Rohwer Relocation Centers in Arkansas from 1944 until the end of the war. During that time, my father served as a military personnel officer in the Aleutian Islands during World War II. By the time he returned to the U of A, he enrolled in law school and completed his degree before finishing his bachelor’s in business. The two met on campus after my mom and her family moved from Plainview, Texas. After dating for some time, my father proposed to her at Spoofer’s Stone on the U of A campus. My dad’s brother, Frederick Overby ’51, ’57 was a Sigma Chi while in school, and received his bachelor’s degree before serving in the Korean War. After the war, he came back and finished his law degree. After law school, Fred started a career with the Corp of Engineers and the U.S. Park Service. He was responsible for purchasing the land for the missiles based in central Arkansas, as well as for Ozark National Scenic Riverways and the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri. When it was time for me to attend college, I had already served four years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force. Arriving on campus in 1974, I majored in history, graduating in 1977. After graduation, I began working in the payroll office the next year. While at work, I met my wife, Marcia Lynn Willis ’07, ’08. I decided to carry the same tradition as my parents and just like my father, asked Marcia to marry me at Spoofer’s Stone. Not only has she obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree, but she is close to completing her dissertation for her doctorate in higher education administration. Her family has a long history of working for the U of A with her grandfather working in facilities management (formerly known as physical plant) for 30 years; her father working as a master printer at U of A Printing Services for 13 years; and Marcia working at the U of A for 27 years. Twenty of those years has been in the Chancellor’s Office, so that makes her a thirdgeneration U of A employee. The University of Arkansas holds a large piece of history for both Marcia and myself. It is the original formulation of my existence, where I have spent the majority of my life, met my wife, raised my family, and met the most wonderful and caring people that one could envision in a lifetime. I believe that Marcia and I have, in some small measure, contributed to the institution’s growth and development and will continue to do so as best we can.

Bill Overby ’77 Marcia Lynn (Willis) Overby ’07, ’08

Janie Lucretia Vaughan ’43, ’48 William Henry Overby Jr. ’48, ’49

Frederick Overby ’51, ’57

Bill Overby ’77

— Bill Overby ✪’77

Summer 2014 • ARKANSAS

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photos submitted

ASSOCIATIONS

Hogs Care By Harrison Grimwood BA’14 Jack Frost visited Northwest Arkansas for the first days of March 2014. Roads were iced over, cars were caked in blinding white snow and ice, and trees were powdered with a fine layer of frozen powder. But the nip of Jack Frost didn’t stop a stranger’s kindness. Young gentlemen were spotted, going from car to car, clearing windshields of snow and ice. This act of anonymous kindness was noticed and tweeted with #HogsCare by University of Arkansas student Brittany Pepper. Hogs Care Week, sponsored by the Arkansas Alumni Association and the U of A’s Center for Community Engagement, is a week promoting random acts of kindness, big and small. Word of the event is mostly spread through social media. For the week of Feb. 24, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook flowed with jovial attitudes showing acts of kindness, hashtagged with #HogsCare. The second Hogs Care Week kicked off Feb. 24 with a flash mob rendition of The Beatles’ song “All You Need is Love.” Students and staff alike passed out freebies symbolizing the spirit of the week. Students joyously accepted coupons for free tacos, happily received sunglasses to block the glare, and loved taking free hugs, gladly offered

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by Hogs Care volunteer Colin Roe. This year Hogs Care Week posts came from Canada, Great Britain, France, Italy, Norway, South Africa, China, Cambodia, and Venezuela. “Anybody can participate at any time from anywhere in the world,” Heath Bowman, associate director for regional programs at the Arkansas Alumni Association said. “It’s all driven by social media, which is fed to the live updates on www.HogsCare.com.” Last year more than 1,100 people engaged in acts of random kindness and service from around the world, from Fayetteville to Cambodia, said Bowman. “It was a great success last year, and we saw so many great acts of kindness done in honor of the University of Arkansas,” said Angela Oxford, director of the Center for Community Engagement. Participation could be something as simple as buying someone a cup of coffee on a cold day or paying for lunch of the next person in line. Or participation could be as big as the U of A’s Enactus group donating 426 pounds of food to the Full Circle Campus Food Pantry.

ARKANSAS • Summer 2014

Follow your heart Announcing the 2015 Tour Selections

to places you’ve only dreamed

RAZORBACKS

❂ CRUISE THE CARIBBEAN SEA St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Barts, Tortola aboard Crystal Serenity January 4 - 14, from $2960* ❂ MYSTICAL ANDES & MAJESTIC FJORDS Peru, Chile, Argentina & more aboard Oceania Regatta February 2 - 23, from $5499 air included ❂ TREASURES OF PATAGONIA aboard MV Via Australis February 22 - March 4, from $3995 ❂ COLORFUL CARIBBEAN Cozumel, Belize, Key West aboard Oceania Riviera March 15 - 22, from $2199 air included** ❂ MAGNIFICENT CITIES OF CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Krakow & Warsaw April TBD, from $4299 ❂ COSTA RICA Watch for details! ❂ PEARLS OF ANTIQUITY Athens to Istanbul aboard Aegean Odyssey April 17 - May 2, from $4195 ❂ CELTIC LANDS with DAVID EISENHOWER aboard LeBoreal May 12 - 21, from $5695 ❂ New Graduates! CLASSIC EUROPE May 14 - 25, $2725 - Give the gift of travel! ❂ DANUBE RIVER aboard Avalon Visionary, Prague to Budapest, May 22 - June 2, from $3395 ❂ ITALIAN LAKES May 30 - June 7, approximately $3395 ❂ CRUISE EUROPE Amsterdam to Budapest aboard MS Amadeus Silver June 27 - July 12, from $4595

❂ OXFORD & CAMBRIDGE with UA Professor Stephen Smith - Watch for details! ❂ GREAT PACIFIC NORTHWEST Columbia & Snake Rivers aboard the American Empress August 8 - 16, from $3795 ❂ THE GREAT PARKS OF CALIFORNIA Majestic parks and beautiful Carmel, Monterey & San Francisco August TBD, $3895 ❂ PARIS TO PROVENCE August 31 - September 8, approximately $3695 ❂ FLAVORS OF NORTHERN ITALY September 5-13, Explore vineyards, vistas & culinary treasures from $3995 ❂ GREEK ISLES ODYSSEY aboard Oceania Riviera September 26 - October 5, from $2699 air included ❂ VILLAGE LIFE IN DORDOGNE September 17 - 25, approximately $3295 ❂ JEWELS OF EUROPE Spain, France, Monaco & Italy aboard Oceania Riviera October 21 - 30, from $2699 air included ❂ NETHERLANDS BELGIUM & PARIS featuring historic Bruges October TBD, $4249 air included ❂ CUBA! November 13 - 21, approximately $5299 ❂ SPAIN’S CLASSIC Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, Granada, The Alhambra, Valencia & Barcelona November TBD, $3899 air included

❂ ALASKAN GLORY aboard Oceania Regatta July 14 - 24, from $3299 air included

❂ CLASSIC CHRISTMAS MARKETS featuring Strasbourg, Franconia, Wurzburg, Munich, Innsbruck December TBD, $3199 air included

❂ ELEGANT IRELAND July TBD, from $4649 air included

❂ NEW YEAR’S EVE IN LONDON Watch for details!

*All pricing listed is per person, based on double occupancy and does not include airfare unless stated **Programs with included air depart from various gateway cities

RazorbacksOnTour-Arkansas Alumni Association

For information on upcoming tours, visit www.arkansasalumni.org/travel ---or ---

Members, alumni, friends & family – anyone can travel with Razorbacks on Tour!

call 1.888.275.2586

ALUMNI GROUPS -1The Dallas Young Professionals Network recruited 20 alumni and friends on March 1 to join them in helping the Dallas-Fort Worth community. Together, they helped to pack 7,200 pounds of food onto six pallets, which will help feed 6,000 North Texas families in need. That set a new SEC school record! -2The Dallas Regional Network of the Arkansas Alumni Association hosted its Annual Banquet on March 25 at Bent Tree Country Club. The event, which featured Lt. Gen. Marty Steele (’74, USMC Ret.), is the group’s primary scholarship fundraiser. This year, the event raised more than $15,000. Proceeds will go to support the network’s annual and endowed scholarship awards for North Texas students. -3Members of the Oklahoma City Hogs welcomed Emmy Award-winning journalism professor, Larry Foley, to Bricktown as the featured speaker at their Annual Banquet on March 6. Sandra Cassimus, long-time board member, was recognized as their 2014 “Razorback of the Year.” -4More than 120 San Francisco Hogs welcomed Coach Dave Van Horn and the Razorback baseball team to California for a series with the University of California by hosting a pizza dinner at Jupiter Pizza in Berkeley, CA, on March 6.

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-5Peter Applebome, national deputy editor for the New York Times and Roy Reed Lecture keynote speaker, gathers with members of the Lemke Alumni Society, during J-Days.

photos submitted

-6The Lemke Journalism Department and Lemke Alumni Society awarded $90,000 in scholarships during their annual J-Days in April. ■

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GREEK LIFE

Establishing a New Legacy in the Greek Community

photos by Scott Flanagin

By Katie Gottshalk M.Ed. ’13 Nearly 125 years ago, the U of A’s first fraternity, Kappa Sigma, was established at the University of Arkansas. Many other fraternities and sororities were chartered on campus at the start of the 20th century, with others following the first and second World Wars and continuing into the 1960s. Historically African American fraternities and sororities joined the university’s Greek community in the mid 1970s. In the last decade Greek Life has experienced rapid increases in student engagement, from 2,100 members in fall 2003 to over 5,700 members in fall 2013. The United Greek Council was created to house multicultural organizations, including a Latino fraternity and a Latina sorority. In fall 2012, the university welcomed Alpha Chi Omega sorority, Beta Theta Pi fraternity, Kappa Alpha Order fraternity, and Phi Mu sorority to meet the growing demand in recruitment. On April 12, 2013, the university dedicated the Charlie and Cappy Whiteside Greek Life Leadership Center in the renovated Walton, Darby, Wilson-Sharp Complex on Stadium Drive. The center places Greek Life staff in close proximity to their students, and offers increased space for meetings, educational programs and social events. Parice Bowser, director of Greek life, said that “the Whiteside Greek Life Leadership Center is a state of the art facility that has allowed our staff and students to interact like never before. This space provides us

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an opportunity to facilitate meaningful conversations and promote a community atmosphere for all Greek students across councils. We’re extremely grateful for the generous donation given by Charlie and Cappy! Our community appreciates their commitment to advancing our programs to the next level in becoming a Top 50 institution.” The office of Greek Life was previously located in the Arkansas Union. Now, the Charlie and Cappy Whiteside Greek Life Leadership Center enables the Greek Life staff to better serve their students with increased space, and other student affairs departments, to the benefit of their students and programs that now occupy the former Greek Life offices at the student union. The Walton, Darby, Wilson-Sharp Complex, dubbed Walton for short, provides housing for 152 Greek students, and serves as an incubator for emerging fraternities and sororities on campus. In fall 2013, members of the four newest chapters — Beta Theta Pi, Kappa Alpha Order, Phi Mu and Alpha Chi Omega — moved in, each with their organization’s letters above the building entrances. The Greek complex aims to foster a sense of community. Sophomore Cody Hardison said, “I have never been so close to a group of guys in my entire life. Without Walton, it was difficult to get us together and to have a sense of unity, but now there is always something going on.”

ARKANSAS • Summer 2014

The shared common spaces at the Greek Life Leadership Center enable members from all of the chapters to support one another.

Chapters living at Walton enjoy many of the same activities that have become cherished traditions in the Greek community, like hanging banners, Chicken Finger Fridays, and tailgating for football games. Junior Lauren Henderson does not currently live at Walton but spends much of her free time there. She described a couple of the advantages: “We meet here for pep rallies, and can get ready for tailgates without having to rush since the stadium is right across the street.” In addition to its close proximity to Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, the Greek complex offers several unique benefits to fraternities and sororities living at Walton. New chapters on campus can more effectively establish their presence on campus. “As Beta president I feel like Walton is huge for us, especially since we didn’t have a place last year,” said Zach Washam, a junior. “I feel like you can’t have a fraternity if you don’t have a space where everyone has ownership. You can see the guys out on the lawn playing sports or on the balcony playing guitar.”

Summer 2014 • ARKANSAS

The shared common spaces at the Greek Life Leadership Center enable members from all of the chapters to support one another. Junior Melissa Harrington recounted, “During Greek Week we were up until 3 or 4 in the morning painting banners in the green room. Some Betas walked by and started to help us paint.” Julianne Clements, a freshman, plans to live at Walton this fall. He said, “I’m already here all the time. To me, it is my house, and we try to make it a home. It is a different community than the sororities with houses but we get to meet more people.” The fraternities and sororities living at Walton are at various stages of finding permanent homes for their respective chapters at the University of Arkansas. In the meantime, Walton provides a place for members, alumni, and parents to get engaged during chapter meetings, tailgates, and philanthropic events. ■

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photo courtesy Razorback athletics

RAZORBACK ROAD

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ARKANSAS • Summer 2014

Vaulted to the Top Grable Claims Two National Titles in Final Meet BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – All-American senior Katherine Grable laid claim to the first and second national titles in Arkansas gymnastic program history on the vault and floor during the NCAA women’s gymnastics championship in Birmingham, Ala., in April. “I am honored to be the first national champion in program history,” Grable said. “It has been a dream of mine for my floor and vault routines to be recognized during my time as a Razorback. To win both events in the final meet of my career is surreal.” The Oshkosh, Wis., native won the vault national title after posting a career-best 9.975 in the second-position, which would stand for the whole first flight. LSU’s Rheagan Courville would stick her vault in the second flight as well to share the Co-National Championship. The 9.975 is the highest winning vault score in NCAA history. Grable’s vault title marked the second individual national championship on the vault in co-head coach Mark Cook’s Career. Grable claimed three scores of a perfect 10.0 from half of the judges on the event. “We have gotten close with a few gymnasts in the past, but this is a

Summer 2014 • ARKANSAS

history-breaking moment for our program,” Cook said. “It is such an honor to bring back these national championships for our program but also for the Arkansas Razorbacks and for the whole state of Arkansas.” On the floor, Grable was the last to go for the event. She needed to beat a three-way tie of 9.95s to claim the outright title. Grable completed her routine to the tune of a 9.962 and claimed her second national title of the day. She did so by scoring two perfect 10.0s from the judges to count one of them and earn the edge she needed to claim the outright title. “It is such an honor to see your hard work and dedication pay off,” assistant coach Samantha Cortez said. “To be a part of the first team to advance to the national championship and now be a apart of the team’s first national championship is incredible.” Grable completed the storybook ending for her career as a Razorback by claiming the first two national championships in program history and collecting a share of the program record on four of the five events. n

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photo courtesy Razorback athletics

RAZORBACK ROAD

Jimmy Dykes to Lead Razorback Women’s Basketball Team Jimmy Dykes, coach and former ESPN analyst, was named the eighth head women’s basketball coach at the University of Arkansas, it was announced by Jeff Long, vice chancellor and director of athletics. “After meeting with him and discussing our program, it was clear to me that Jimmy Dykes is not only the best leader for our women’s basketball program, but also the best Coach for the student-athletes in our program,” Long said. “I have known Jimmy for many years but learned of his passion and commitment to his alma mater, the University of Arkansas, when I arrived on campus. I have always respected his tremendous basketball knowledge and his understanding of the game, but as I got to know Jimmy better, l became aware of his strong coaching background including his tenures at some of the nation’s top college basketball programs. Jimmy’s coaching pedigree working with some of the best coaches in the business, combined with his ability to teach the game of basketball, made him the clear choice as the head women’s basketball coach at the University of Arkansas.”

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In his collegiate coaching career, Dykes has made stops at the University of Arkansas, Sacramento State University, Appalachian State University, the University of Kentucky, the University of Arkansas-Little Rock and Oklahoma State University. Dykes’ experience includes more than 950 games called and more than 3,000 practices observed at all levels of college and professional basketball. In addition, Dykes spent two seasons working as a college scout for the National Basketball Association’s Seattle SuperSonics before moving into broadcasting with ESPN on a full-time basis. Dykes, who has maintained his home in Arkansas, also served as the Shiloh Christian Athletic Director and worked as a coach with the Saints. Dykes is married to the former Tiffany Beasley and the couple have a daughter, Kennedy. Tiffany is a graduate of the University of Arkansas and was the Razorbacks’ head cheerleader during both the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons. ■

ARKANSAS • Summer 2014

The SEC Network and its digital platform will launch in August 2014, allowing SEC content to air 24 hours a day and seven days a week, including more than 1,000 events in its first year. The SEC Network will televise approximately 45 SEC football games, more than 100 men’s basketball games, 60 women’s basketball games, 75 baseball games, and events from across the SEC’s 21 sports annually. Programming will also include studio shows, original content such as SEC Storied, spring football games, signing day and pro days coverage. This collaboration between the SEC and ESPN will bring together unparalleled content from one of the most competitive conferences in the country with the highest quality, most innovative production partner in the sports industry. The SEC Network already has agreement in place with AT&T U-verse, DISH and NRTC to distribute the network. ESPN is working to ensure that the network will be available via other cable, satellite and telco distributors (such as Comcast, Time Warner Cable, DirecTV, DISH Network, AT&T U-verse, and Verizon FiOS). ESPN will continue negotiating with the other distributors in the coming months. At the outset, the network will offer SEC sports and sports-related studio programming 24 hours a day, seven days a week, such as SEC Nation, the network’s traveling football pregame show that will air every Saturday during the fall, a television simulcast of The Paul Finebaum Show and a daily news and information show. More than 550 additional sporting events will be available on the network’s digital platforms. The digital platform will include an outlet, similar to ESPN3, for the additional games and a live linear stream of the television network. This content will be available to network subscribers across a range of devices. Provided you are a subscriber of an affiliated provider (a cable, satellite or telco partner), the SEC Network will be available on computers, tablets and mobile phones. The aim is to make this content available to fans anytime, anywhere, similar to how the WatchESPN application works today. Coaches’ shows are not a focus of the SEC Network programming plan and will continue to appear on local stations. Visit GetSECNetwork.com if you are interested in the network. ■

Summer 2014 • ARKANSAS

45

Photos courtesy men’s athletics

SEC Network to Launch in August 2014

Long

Razorback Road Trip Arkansas vs. Texas A&M September 26-28, 2014 The Travel Package features: • Two Nights Accommodation at the Hilton Anatole (Dallas) • Hog Wild Party at Eddie Deen’s Ranch on Friday, September 26 • Pre-game party at the Rangers Stadium Pavillion on Saturday, September 27, 2014 • Ground transportation to and from hotel to package events, and the game on the 27th Come cheer on the Hogs with us!

For details and pricing, visit www.arkansasalumni.org/roadtrips or call 888-ARK-ALUM.

Hosted by:

Southwest Classic

Fifty Razorbacks earn 4.0 GPAs during spring The University of Arkansas saw a total of 50 Razorback studentathletes earn a perfect 4.0 GPA for their work in the classroom during the 2014 spring academic semester, as the Athletic Department announced Academic Champions List and Athletic Director’s List honorees in May. Fifty Razorbacks were named to the Academic Champoins list, while 92 earned a place on the Athletic Director’s List and 110 were named to the Razorback Honor Roll to combine for a total of 252 spring academic honors earned by Arkansas student-athletes. Women’s track & field had the largest representation of any Arkansas team this past spring, as 11 Razorbacks made the Academic Champions List and 17 were recognized on the Athletic Director’s List. The Academic Champions List honors students who uphold a perfect 4.00 GPA, while enrolled in at least 12 semester hours. The Athletic Director’s List recognizes students who maintain a 3.50 GPA, while enrolled in at least 12 semester hours. The Razorback Honor Roll recognizes students who maintain a 3.00 GPA. ■

Three athletes named to Community Service Teams Crishuna Williams, Nathanael Franks and Tyler Spoon were recently named to the Southeastern Conference Community Service Teams for their respective sports. The SEC presents a Community Service Team for each of its 21 league-sponsored sports, looking to highlight a male and female athlete from each school who gives back to his or her community through superior service efforts. Chrishuna Williams, a sprinter, was named to the women’s track and field. Williams is a strong asset to the Razorbacks on the track as one of the top sprinters in the SEC, but her dedication to the community and the University of Arkansas makes her an integral member of the Razorback track and field team on and off the track. Men’s track and field senior Nathanael Franks was named to the men’s team, as announced by the league. Franks is a core asset to the team on the track, as well as off the track participating in several community events and organizations. He is an International Culture Team core leader and participated in the 99 Balloons Recess special needs respite program. In addition, Franks took part in the CrossCultural Solutions Insight Abroad program in Guatemala. For standing out on and off the field, junior outfielder Tyler Spoon has been named to the 2014 SEC Baseball Community Service Team. Spoon has organized numerous community service projects in Arkansas, including “Christmas with the Omahogs” to raise money for Christmas gifts for children at Leverette Elementary School. He is a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and has spoken to high school ministries and churches through Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). ■

46

ARKANSAS • Summer 2014

2014 SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW Season Ticket Prices - Fayetteville Stadium Red Zone East Indoor Club East Outdoor Club South Indoor Club South Outdoor Club Pig Heaven

$300 $360* $900* $750* $600* $600* $300*

Ticket Price - Little Rock Stadium

$65.00

* - Donation required to the Razorback Foundation to purchase this level ticket. For more information on the Razorback Foundation call 1-877-436-0013. Tickets are sold based on availability and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Summer 2014 • ARKANSAS

47

YESTERYEAR

1874

1984

• General Albert W. Bishop is installed as president of the Arkansas Industrial University in July.

1914

• A survey by The University Weekly shows nearly $13,000 being spent on student labor, a sum that works out to about $13 per month per student laborer on average. • Nearly 120 people receive degrees at commencement. • The scientific department of the College of Agriculture moves to the remodeled Gray Hall. • The women’s gymnasium, now used for Army ROTC, is constructed.

1974 Razorback

1924

Not content with photographing other students on campus, the photography staff of the 1974 Razorback yearbook took half a day out to compose a photo of themselves. Those pictured include Ted Allder, Rob Cosgrove, Don Cowan, Mary Hunter, Larry Logan, Art Meripol, Scott Mosely, John Partipilo, Jim Sutherland, Bryce Swindler and the dog Rocky.

• George Cole joins the Arkansas football coaching staff as freshman coach. • A freshman green cap costs 50 cents at Campbell & Bell on the Fayetteville Square. • The North Central Association ranks the U of A 10th out of 163 schools for the quality of the faculty.

Gregson Hall and Barnhill Field House — are constructed. • The Razorback Band performs for a Lions Club international convention in New York City. • More than 1,500 parking permits are issued, or an average of 3.25 cars per parking space on campus. • The first university telephone switchboard goes into operation.

1944

1964

1934

• Gamma Iota fraternity is founded to assist World War II veterans in college work, and Morris Vanderbilt is the fraternity’s first president. • Ocie E. Richie is the first World War II veteran to enroll in the U of A under the GI Bill. • Camp Leroy Pond, built about where Bud Walton Arena is today, houses and feeds 1,200 men.

1954

• Air conditioning is installed in Vol Walker Library and the Fine Arts Building. • Four new buildings — Sigma Alpha Epsilon, the Animal Science Building,

48

• More than 1,200 freshmen attend the university’s new orientation program. • Student Alan Sugg is named supervisor of the Student Union.

1974

• The U of A Bands celebrate their 100th anniversary. • About 2,500 people receive degrees at the university’s 100th commencement ceremony. • Construction on George Cole Field is finished and ready for the baseball season. • The Southwest Conference celebrates its 60th athletic season.

• The Tubes, ZZ Top, Cheap Trick, Chicago, Heart and Amy Grant perform concerts at Barnhill Arena. • Gov. Bill Clinton is the commencement speaker as more than 3,000 students receive degrees. • Construction on the Bell Engineering Center begins. • The Sam Walton family gives $2 million to the university for a proposed performing arts center that eventually resulted in creation of the Walton Arts Center.

1994

• The Razorback track program claims its fourth triple crown, winning the NCAA championships in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. • U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders, who earned degrees at the university in 1960 and 1967, addresses the class of 1994 during commencement ceremonies.

2004

• Tim Kral, a University of Arkansas researcher, uses a specialized vacuum system called the Andromeda Chamber to simulate the atmosphere and conditions on Mars to see whether life could exist on Earth’s nearest planetary neighbor. • Henry McLeish, the former first minister of Scotland, gave the Hartman Hotz Lecture on “Results of the U.S. Presidential Race: The European Response.” • Author Isabel Allende is the Winthrop Rockefeller Distinguished Lecturer at the university. n

ARKANSAS • Summer 2014

LOST ALUMNI If you have any information on the whereabouts of these alumni and former students from the Class of 1960, then please contact the Arkansas Alumni Association at 1-888-ARK-ALUM so that we may update our records.

Mr. Lawrence D. Patton, ’75

Mr. Jimmy Lee Boss, ’85

Mr. Jon Rick Coleman, ’72

Mr. J. Rhyker Aleczander, ’93

Mr. Collins Yaw Sasu, ’09

Mr. J. McKinley Armstrong, ’00

Mr. Torrance P. Wilkins, ’83

Ms. Audreanna Janae Collier, ’05

Mr. Lonnie Lee Jones, ’53

Ms. Althea L. Jackson, ’85

Mr. Hubiin M. Hailu, ’12

Mr. William A. Hanson, ’62

Mrs. Cathy R. Hull, ’79

Ms. Carmelita Smith, ’77

Dr. Norman W. Handy Jr., ’74

Mr. Lawrence E. Hannah, ’86

Mr. Marion A. Wright, ’72

Ms. Elaine Gooseberry, ’83

Mr. Channing Alexander Berry, ’95

Mr. Jerry W. Flemons, ’82

Ms. Penny M. Smith, ’83

Ms. Veronica Z. Cunningham, ’84

Mr. Sidney O. Okolo, ’86

Mr. Semon F. Thompson, ’55

Mr. James Gregory Fowler, ’00

Ms. Valerie Y. Hall, ’83

Mr. Eric W. Holden, ’80

Mr. Cordale Ray Johnson, ’95

Mr. Thomas Ramon Bishop, ’08

Mr. Delvon Johnson, ’11

Mr. Charlie Medlock Jr., ’87

Mr. Harvey Hampton Jr., ’80

Mr. Roland M. Sales, ’81

Dr. Clinton R. Hampton, ’76

Mr. Brandon Leonardo Craven, ’05

Ms. Kalandra Nicole Wheeler, ’05

Ms. Helen M. Johnson, ’72

Mr. John Solomon Jatta, ’09

Ms. Cassandra S. Martin, ’79

Ms. Natasha R. Sargeon, ’02

Mr. Kendall Presscott Nixon, ’91

Ms. Sharon L. Ross, ’75

Ms. Frederica R. Rhodes, ’78

Mr. Kerry Owens, ’88

Ms. Shakiara Tovet Stelivan, ’99

Ms. Deniece Ridley, ’82

Mrs. Athenia Dodds, ’86

Ms. Carolyn F. Rhodes, ’75

Ms. Sharon D. Thomas, ’76

Ms. La Ida Nicole Blair, ’11

Mr. Tharcisse Sebushahu, ’91

Ms. Barbara Ann Johnson, ’75

Mrs. Joyce Cooper, ’75

Ms. Yolonda C. Joe-Hale, ’93

Mr. Myron N. Johnson, ’82

Ms. Emily Elaine Gaddie, ’76

Mr. William G. Barnes, ’05

Mr. James Henry Martin, ’91

Dr. Peter Kuria Njuguna, ’12

Ms. Yolanda Lashaw Robinson, ’92

Ms. Alycya Lynn Wetherspoon, ’76

Mr. Jeffrey Dean Davis, ’93

Dr. Lloyd G. Nichols, ’57

Ms. Elfredia Phillips, ’81

Ms. Beatrice Nibigira, ’98 Ms. Demeitta Marie Wesley, ’01 Ms. Anthodenise Maria Williams, ’81

Mrs. Tracye LaBattes Parker, ’89 Ms. Yolanda Newsome, ’87 Ms. Tiffany S. McKinzie, ’05

Your classmates want to know, and we want to know about your milestones and anything else you’d like to share about your life. To be included in Senior Walk, the most-read section of Arkansas, complete this form and mail to the Arkansas Alumni Association. Feel free to attach additional pages or newspaper clippings.* Name_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Include maiden name or nickname, if applicable)

Class, year and degree___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ E-mail address__________________________________________________________ What’s the news? (new job, promotion, wedding, new baby, award, retirement, etc.)__________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mail to: Arkansas Alumni Association, P.O. Box 1070, Fayetteville, AR 72702; E-Mail : records@arkansasalumni.org * Since the next issues of Arkansas are already in production, it may be a few issues before your news item appears.

Summer 2014 • ARKANSAS

49

campaign

Building on the Billingsley

rewind

Legacy

I

n 2001, alumni George and Boyce Billingsley made an incredible gift of $8.4 million, touching seven different areas of campus. Already actively involved in the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century, the couple chose the Sam M. Walton College of Business, College of Education and Health Professions, College of Engineering, J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, University Libraries, Chancellor’s Scholarship Fund and Razorback Foundation as recipients of their generous contribution, which continues to make an impact today. Their gift to establish the George M. and Boyce W. Billingsley Endowed Chair in Nursing in the College of Education and Health Professions played an integral part in the University of Arkansas recruiting and hiring Pegge Bell, who serves as director of the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing. Bell joined the college in 2012 after serving as dean of the College of Health Sciences at Barry University in Miami Shores, Fla. “My goal is for the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing is to affirm its status as the flagship for nursing programs in Arkansas,” explained Bell. “The flagship school is the school that has the quality programs that everyone in Arkansas would aspire to come to.” Bell’s achievements toward this goal will be possible, in part, thanks to the funding from the Billingsley chair. “I am inspired by the Billingsleys’ vision of Arkansas as the land of opportunity,” said Bell. “I have seen how important it is to provide educational opportunities to men and women in a rural state.”

Pegge Bell

Want to make your own impact?

Gifts

like the Billingsleys’ can be funded through a Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT).

What’s a CRT? It’s a short term for a special arrangement that provides great benefits to both you and the University of Arkansas.

George and Boyce Billingsley in 2001 being honored at the Towers of Old Main event.

CRTs: • Provide an income stream for life • Help bypass capital gains tax on appreciated assets • Remove the asset from a donor’s estate • Provide an immediate tax deduction

In five easy steps, you can design a trust to fit your unique circumstances. To get started, contact the Office of Planned Giving:

Jim Harris • (800)317-7526

legacy@uark.edu

Viswanath Venkatesh

Viswanath Venkatesh is also benefitting from the generosity of their campaign gift. A distinguished professor and inaugural holder of the George and Boyce Billingsley Chair in Information Systems in the Walton College, Venkatesh joined the university faculty in 2004. His highest impact research project focuses on understanding how Internet-enabled computers can be used to enhance the quality of life of farming families, including reducing infant, child and maternal mortality rates. For the period from 2009 to 2013, he ranked first in terms of publications in the two premier information systems journals: Information Systems Research and MIS Quarterly. He is also among the most cited scholars in business, with Google Scholar citations exceeding 32,000 and Web of Science citations around 10,000. He works closely with doctoral students in his role as the director of the information systems doctoral program. Most of his doctoral graduates have published papers in premier business journals. “None of this would be possible without the support of the Billingsleys,” said Venkatesh. Thanks to the Billingsleys, both of these faculty members are able to do their best work and contribute to the university’s overall goal of becoming a top public research university. And though George passed away in 2002, the couple’s legacy still continues. “Our work during the last campaign was very meaningful to us,” said Boyce. “And it is a thrill to see how the impact of our gift has continued long after its conclusion.” ■

SENIOR WALK

Class Notes Let us know about your milestones and anything else you would like to share with your classmates – births, marriages, new jobs, retirements, moves and more. Please include your degree, class year, and when applicable, your maiden name. To provide the most thorough coverage of alumni news, we publish notes about members and non-members of the Arkansas Alumni Association and will indicate membership status for reference. You may send us news or simply update your information. Since the next issues of Arkansas are already in production, it may be a few issues before your item appears. Mail: Senior Walk, c/o Tammy Tucker, Arkansas Alumni Association, P.O. Box 1070, Fayetteville AR 72702 E-mail: records@arkansasalumni.org These symbols indicate Alumni Association membership:

★ Member ★+ Member, A+ ✪ Life Member ✪+ Life Member, A+

’34 ’36 ’49 ’50

Lucy Taylor Bentley ★ BA’34, Bastrop, La., celebrated her 100th birthday on Jan. 12.

Master Naturalists and of the NWA Chapter Military Officers Association of America. He is also a founding officer of the NWA Veterans Coalition, currently serving as vice president.

Bernard Yesner ✪ BS’36, Miami Beach, Fla., celebrated his 98th birthday on Nov. 10, 2013.

’63 ’64 ’67 ’69

Wanda Foster ★ and James P. Foster ★ BSBA’49, Fort Smith, celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on Sept. 17. Jack Stokes Ballard ★+ BSE’50, Centennial, Colo., has publish two books Lowry Air Force Base, a pictorial history of the air base near Denver, and The 147th Aero Squadron in World War I: A Training and Combat History of the Who Said Rats’ Squadron”

’58 ’62 52

Riley McFalls ✪+ BSA’58, Searcy, retired from Farm Bureau Insurance after 48 years of service. Gary Culp ✪+ BS’62, West Fork, serves as president of NWA

Kay Collett Goss ✪+ BA’63 MA’66, Alexandria, Va., has been inducted as a fellow at The National Academy for Public Administration at Washington, D.C. Charles F. Pudlas BSE’64 MED’67 and Carolyn Andrea Pudlas BSE’80, Fayetteville, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Jan. 23. Barbara Fox Lineberger ★ and John R. Lineberger ★ BSBA’67 LLB’68, Rogers, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on March 7. James H. Wood ✪+ MBA’69, Charlotte, N.C., is serving as president of the North Carolina Society Sons of the American Revolution Today. He has retired as chief financial officer from Forest 2 Monkey Inc.

’71 ’73 ’74

Terry Rasco ✪+ BARCH’71 BA’72, Little Rock, has retired as executive chairman of Witsell Evans and Rasco, PA Architects/ Planners after 42 years. Terry Q. Carson ✪+ BA’73, Alma, is the market president for Crawford County with First Bank. He has recently acquired First Community Bank of Crawford County. Jane Dunlap Christenson ★+ BSBA’74, Harrison, has been reappointed to the Arkansas State Police Commission. David W. Smith ✪ BSPH’74, Conway, owns and operates Smith Family Pharmacy.

’75 ’76

Ben W. Wiley ✪ MBA’75, Kerrville, Texas, qualified for the 2015 Boston Marathon during the Quad Cities Marathon in Moline, Ill. Chuck Dudley ✪+ BSBA’76 MBA’77, Hot Springs National Park, has completed three terms

with the Walton College Alumni Society. He was president from 2008-2010.

’77 ’79

Randy Laney BSPA’77 JD’80 and Brenda Laney, Farmington, celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on Jan. 4. Mark A. Paulissen ★+ BS’79 MS’82, Tahlequah, Okla., has been recently named to the NSU Circle of Excellence for Research by the NSU Faculty Council. This is an award to recognize one faculty member for his or her contributions in teaching, one in research, and one in service.

’80 ’81

Keith Mathis ✪+ BSBA’80, Bushland, Texas, has retired from the U.S. federal government after 30 years of service on April 1, 2013. Alcinda Smith ★ BA’81, McGehee, has been reappointed to the State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission. Bert Yocom ★ BM’81, Boston, Ma., serves on the board of directors of the New England Piano Teachers

ARKANSAS • Summer 2014

Upgrade to LIFE…

AND NEVER PAY DUES AGAIN!

ARKANSAS

www.arkansasalumni.org/lifemembership

ALUMNI

Life Members ✪ By becoming Life Members, the University’s friends and alumni help form a strong foundation on which to build the future of the Arkansas Alumni Association. We welcome the newest Life Members, listed in order of membership number: 7220 7221 7222 7223 7224 7225 7226 7227 7228 7229 7230 7231 7232 7233

7234 7235 7236 7237 7238 7239 7240 7241 7242 7243 7244 7245 7246 7247

Gary A. Church ‘73 Ron Harris ‘84 Tony Lyn Harris Ray Canode Jr. ‘97 Michelle Canode ‘04 Bradley A. Schuler ‘92 Chris Wyrick Merrily T. Wyrick Scott K. Franks ‘80 Debra Doile Clanton Curt D. Clanton Trudy Sher John B. Sher ‘73 Dr. David S. Shihabi ‘74

Association. He has retired from the Boston Conservatory after teaching there for 29 years. He continues to maintain an independent piano studio and performs in the Boston area.

’84

Bobby W. Jones ✪+ BS’84, Savannah, Ga., has accepted as lead physician/physician manager of the Veterans Affairs at Savannah Community Based Outpatient Clinic. He recently retired from the U.S. Army after 28 years of service with the rank of colonel. Sherrie B. Robinson ✪+ BSBA’84, League City, Texas, has been hired by the Houston Independent School District to be a controller. Her responsibilities would include payroll, accounts payable, internal service funds, bond accounting and special revenue accounting.

’85

Jeff Underwood BSBA’85 and Cynthia L. Underwood, Fayetteville, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on Feb. 17. Richard Lang Zimmerman ✪+ BS’85, Mountain Home, was reappointed to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.

Dr. Stuart Towns ‘61 Helen Ruth Smith Towns ‘62 Brad Thyer ‘97 Casey A. Blankenship ‘06 Dr. Curtis H. Merrell ‘69 Constantin T. Skoumbourdis ‘66 Benjamin Robert Bogle ‘03 Sarah Bogle William K. Baxter ‘04 Tracy Allen Englebrecht ‘89 Chantel Denise Mosby ‘93 Michele Payne Jimmy Payne Jairo A. De Jesus ‘99

’88

Darin Hall Gray BA’88, Springdale, has been named the president of the firm Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods. CJRW is the state’s largest advertising agency. Darrin Malone ✪+ BSA’88 MS’90, Paragould, has been promoted from U.S. business insecticide portfolio manager to regional agronomy lead of the southern business unit at DuPont Crop Protection. William L. Kerr ✪ BA’88, Tampa, Fla., has been named chief executive officer for Avalon Healthcare Solutions. Avalon is a built-for-purpose specialty benefit management company serving health plans, providers and patients needing laboratory services.

’89 ’91

Leslie Lee Webb Jr. BSA’89, Fort Smith, has been reappointed to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. Heath Allen Ward ✪ BA’91, Springdale, has been appointed to the legislative committee of the Arkansas Water and Wastewater Manager’s Association. The group is a professional association of senior

Summer 2014 • ARKANSAS

7248 7249 7250 7251 7252 7253 7254 7255 7256 7257 7258 7259 7260

managers in the water utility industry in Arkansas. He has been named executive director of Springdale Water Utilities.

’93

Belva J. Prather EDD’93, Springfield, Mo., has been inducted into the Missouri Music Educators Association Hall of Fame. This award recognizes Missouri music educators who have built outstanding music programs, made an impact through their teaching, dedicated their careers to developing music students and are devoted to a lifetime of teaching music.

’95

Vincent J. Jones ★+ BSBA’95, Centennial, Colo., joins Bluestem Brands, a national online retailer, as its chief operating officer. He is responsible for information technology, ecommerce product development, fulfillment operations, customer engagement, and collections and recovery.

’96

Mac Campbell ✪ BSA’96 JD’98 and Katherine Bry Church ★ JD’13 were married on Jan. 5, 2013, and reside in Washington, D.C. Mac was named deputy staff director and general counsel

Tammy Michelle De Jesus ‘96 Stacey Linn Parham ‘84 Timothy O’Neal Parham Sarah R. Frederick ‘12 Dr. Deborah Thomas ‘81 Katie J. Streepey Rajesh Reddy Gantla ‘91 Dr. James A. Metrailer ‘72 Billy Lynwood Johnston Jr. ‘71 Diane B. Johnston Benjamin N. Brunner ‘12 Troy Tucker ‘92 Elesha Gladney Tucker ‘92

of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee in February 2013. Farschad Farzan BA’96, Fayetteville, has been promoted to partner at the San Francisco, Calif., office of Nossaman LLP. He primarily focuses on complex antitrust, intellectual property, class action and commercial litigation matters.

’97 ’98 ’99 ’00

Kathleen Doss BSPA’97 and Marion H. Doss, Farmington, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on March 19. Stephanie Guenther Gerard ★+ BSIE’98 and Jeff Gerard ★+ announce the birth of their son, Hunter William, Nov. 11, 2013, Lakewood, Colo. Rie Lee Ishida BSCE’99, Los Angeles, Calif., has been named to Engineering News Record’s Top 20 Under 40 list, which recognizes outstanding contributions of AEC professionals under the age of 40. Sara Christian Gunn BSBA’00 JD’03, Fayetteville, is the director of operations in

53

SENIOR WALK

We’re calling all Razorbacks home to the Hill for the 2014 HOMECOMING CELEBRATION. We’re focusing on YOU - the Alumni and community that support the University of Arkansas - for this year’s festivities. From expanding the parade to include area high school bands to the inclusion of the Basketball Red & White game, you won’t want to miss all the traditions - both new and old - for HOMECOMING 2014. Join us for the days leading up to the game on OCTOBER 25TH for all the events celebrating the University’s tradition, heritage, and legacy!

HOMECOMING.UARK.EDU Homecoming 54

Your^Connection StartsARKANSAS Here• Summer 2014

’01

Benjamin Houston Dye ★ BSIE’01 and Tara Dye ★ announce the birth of their son, Flint Houston, born on Sept. 21, 2013, Springdale. Benjamin was recently awarded the “Pushing the Envelope Award” in 2013 by his employer, Harrison Energy Partners. He also was promoted to direct sales team leader at the Harrison Energy Partners. Charles Martin ★ BSBA’01 MBA’05, Woodland, Texas, has been promoted to director of accounting at Halcon Resources Corporation in Houston, Texas.

’02

Sara Finan Melly BA’02, St. Louis, Mo., has been elected to serve on the Mid County Family YMCA’s board of directors. She will serve as chair of the endowment committee, and a member of the executive committee and community fundraising campaign committee. The Mid County YMCA’s board is responsible for raising visibility and looking for opportunities to partner with others to address critical community needs in the areas of youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.

’03 ’04 ’05

Trent Markham Thompson BA’03 and Erin E. Thompson ✪ BSBA’02 BA’02 announce the birth of their daughter, Lucy Ward, Jan. 14, 2013, Springdale. Gabriela Melendez ✪ and Javier Enrique Melendez ✪ BSIE’04, Tomball, Texas, announce the birth of their son, Tiago Enrique, on Oct. 8, 2013. Michelle A. Bell ✪+ BA’05, PhnomPenh, Cambodia, has been promoted to manager of ground operations for Haimark’s office and ships to Vietnam, Cambodia, India and Myanmar.

’06 ’08 ’09

Christopher N. Wilson BA’06, Little Rock, has been promoted to director of public relations for the Arkansas Farm Bureau after serving as its graphic design/ editorial coordinator since 2007. John DeForest ✪ BS’08 and Wine DeForest were married on Aug. 31, 2013, and reside in Seattle, WA. Heather D. Hunter BSN’09, Fayetteville, was chosen as president of the Northwest Arkansas chapter of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association. Ashley Emert BID’09, Tulsa, Okla., is the lead designer at GHD Interiors. Dilynn Kay Dodd BSA’09, Springdale, has joined Farm Credit of Western Arkansas, in Fayetteville as a loan officer.

’12

Brittany N. Arroyos BSHES’12 and Douglas Leigh Murray BA’12 were married on Sept. 21, 2013. Kelsey Ward ★ BSE’12 and Kory Wallace Crews BSA’12 were married on Dec. 28, 2013, and reside in San Antonio.

’13

David Ethan Branscum ★ BSE’13, Marshall, has been hired by Arkansas Farm Bureau to start in May as assistant director of commodity activities and economics. He will serve as staff liaison for the forestry and wheat/feed grains commodity divisions. Ben R. McLintock ★ JD’13, Springdale, joined Arvest Asset Management as the regional investment officer in the Springdale Market. He will assist customers with estate planning and investment goals.

Brooke Ashley Neal BSBA’05 and Max Shaw were married on Nov. 23, 2013, and reside in Farmington.

Summer 2014 • ARKANSAS

photo submitted

the Fayetteville office of Cabana Asset Management, a registered investment advisory firm which offers an attorney affiliate program.

Spotlight Matthew Chavez ★ BSBA’11 Matthew Chavez’s career path took an unexpected turn when he returned to his native state of California after graduating from the University of Arkansas in 2011. He soon met one of California’s top real estate agents and a star of Bravo’s TV show, “Million Dollar Listing LA,” Josh Flagg, who asked Chavez to work for him. Accepting an internship with the real estate professional, he studied to obtain all of the proper licensing to work in real estate. Appearing on the TV show, Chavez assists Flagg with listings and sales, saying, “We co-list properties together.” A self-proclaimed “luxury real estate agent,” Chavez’s passion for the industry began at an early age, admitting, “My interest in the industry started when I was a kid. I would go through what was for sale in my neighborhood. I was always interested in that.” The Sam M. Walton College of Business brought him to the University of Arkansas, where Chavez pursued a degree in business economics with a minor in finance and real estate. He worked with University Programs helping co-sponsor events with other organizations on campus. “I was also involved with Associated Student Government and GSA [known today as P.R.I.D.E],” he said. “I use my business law class every day,” Chavez said. He also puts his University of Arkansas education to use when working closely with celebrity clientele as well as anyone looking to live in Beverly Hills. Through his work with Flagg, Chavez has helped celebrities such as Maroon 5’s lead singer, Adam Levine, and late-night comedian and talk show host, Chelsea Handler, with their property endeavors. “Finding a place for someone is so rewarding. Sometimes it’s not so easy, but when you find the right place, it’s all worth it,” he said. “Some people wait a very long time to choose, which can sometimes be a challenge.” The life of working in celebrity real estate is far from the hills of Northwest Arkansas, but Chavez is grateful for the time spent in Fayetteville. “When telling people that I went to the University of Arkansas they ask me, ‘How? That’s so far away,’” he said. “We all go to school as an investment for our future. We must maintain that investment by going to interviews and being proud to call ourselves a University of Arkansas graduate and maintaining a positive image of our school.” n

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In Memoriam Virginia Cate Ernsberger BA’34, Charlotte, N.C., Jan. 3. Survivors: six sons, 17 grandchildren, 33 greatgrandchildren and two great-greatgrandchildren. By the time she was 86 she had a successful career as a playwright with five of her plays premiering at Barter Theatre. Agnes L. Reagan BA’35, Rogers, Dec. 13, 2013. Paul Barringer ✪+ BS’39, Gurdon, Jan. 22. He served during World War II. He was a chemist at the Maumelle ordinance plant near Little Rock. Survivors: one daughter, two grandsons and one great-granddaughter. Wesley K. Haisty BSE’39, Lebanon, Mo., Feb. 6. He served our country in the U.S. Army and was president of Detroit Tool for many years. Survivors: one son, one daughter, one brother, five grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, three step-greatgrandchildren and one step-great-greatgrandchild. Donna Hunnicutt Haisty BSHE’40, Clemson, S.C., Feb. 3. She taught home economics and science in Arkansas and Florida. Survivors: two daughters, one sister and four grandchildren. Richard V. Hall ✪ BSCE’40, Texarkana, Jan. 12. He was the owner of Hall Surveying and Engineering. Survivors: his wife, Julienne, one son, two daughters, five grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and three greatgreat-grandchildren. Lorita H. Rosenbaum ★ BSHE’40, Farmington, Jan. 26. She taught school in Greenwood and in San Pedro, Calif. Survivors: one daughter, two sons, one grandson and two step-grandsons. Mary Margaret Morton ✪ BSE’42, Fayetteville, Feb. 9. She was a lifelong student, taking courses in many disciplines at the University of Arkansas year after year. Survivors: three sons, one brother, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Jesse E. Williams Jr. BSA’42 MS’52, Fort Wayne, Ind., Jan. 21. He flew 82 combat missions in World War II. He served Continental Grain for more than 30 years as a credit manager. Survivors: three sons, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

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John W. Gabel BS’43, Fayetteville, Feb. 16. He was a co-founder of Lindsey and Associates Inc. He served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. Survivors: one son, two daughters, seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Mary Jo McBride BSHE’45, Columbia, Mo., Feb. 26. She was a teacher and counselor in Lansing Public Schools for 30 years. Survivors: one son and three grandchildren. Earlean Teeter Hegi BSBA’46, Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 11. For more than 34 years, she worked for Farmers Home Administration. She was one of the first five women in the United States promoted to the position of assistant county supervisor at FmHA. Survivors: two daughters, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Floyd W. Wallace BSA’46 MS’49, Eldora, Iowa, March 3. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II. He was a lifelong educator, teaching at High Schools and NESCO until retiring in 1985. Survivors: two daughters, one son, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Joyce Frances Shackelford BSSW’46, Heber Springs, Dec. 24, 2013. She worked as social worker. Survivors: her husband, Jack, one daughter, two granddaughters and five great-grandchildren. Betty May Brown ★ BSBA’47, Fort Worth, Texas, Feb. 21. She was a high school teacher for more than 30 years. Survivors: one daughter, one son, one brother, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Jack P. Mabray ★ BSBA’47, Monroe, La., Feb. 27. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He led the Somerset Plantation for 65 years, from the days of farming with mules to what it is today, a highly efficient plantation using the latest technology. Survivors: two daughters, two sons, eight grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren. Roy A. Hudson BA’48, Dallas, Texas, Oct. 15, 2013. He was a World War II veteran. He owned and operated the Roy A. Hudson Company, which sold and designed agricultural and industrial equipment for almost 50 years throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and New Mexico. Survivors: one son, one daughter and five grandchildren.

Marie B. Kimball BSHE’48 MS’50, Blue Springs, Mo., Dec. 19, 2013. During World War II she was one of the U.S. Navy’s first half dozen female gunnery instructors, training recruits in the 50 caliber AA gun. Survivors: one daughter, two sons, six brothers and sisters and four grandchildren. J. Robert McFarlin BSBA’48, Hot Springs, Jan. 24. He was a veteran of World War II and spent three years in the Navy. He worked for Equitable Life Assurance as a vice president in New York City and retired after 35 years. Survivors: his wife, Jeanne, two daughters, one brother, four grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren. Alice Keefe Bowen ✪ BA’49, Austin, Texas, March 10. Survivors: her husband, George, one son, one daughter, three grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren. Clyde Doyce Hester BS’49, Lakeway, Texas, Dec. 19, 2013. He worked for Reynolds Metals Co. for 40 years, where he retired as laboratory and environmental manager. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as an aviation electronics technician. Survivors: his wife, Melva and one grandson. John W. Kenney BSCE’49, Orion, Ill., Feb. 10. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, retiring from the U.S. Army Reserves in 1984. He worked at the Rock Island Arsenal and later the Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., where he retired as an accounting manager. Survivors: four sons, one brother, seven grandchildren and 11 greatgrandchildren. James Ollie King BSME’49, Versailles, Ky., July 18, 2012. He was a navigator in the U.S. Army and flew 25 missions over Germany. He retired from Texas Gas Transmission Corp. Survivors: his wife, Iola, three daughters, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Herman Thomas Thurman BSEE’49, Benton, March 15. He served in World War II in the U.S. Army Air Corp. He was employed at Reynolds Metals Co. for 30 years, where he was the superintendent of the power house. Survivors: one daughter, one sister and one brother. John A. Wells ★+ BSBA’49, Plano, Texas, Feb. 17. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He began his

career as a sales associate for JC Penney, retiring as a corporate vice president in 1991. Survivors: one daughter, one son, one sister, two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Evelyn Zack H’Doubler BA’50, Atlanta, Ga., Feb. 19. She owned and operated the Chanticleer Inc., an antique and gift shop for 27 years. Survivors: one daughter, and two sons, one sister and seven grandchildren. Harry C. Erwin ✪ BSBA’50, Little Rock, Feb. 6. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He became the managing partner of Russell Brown and Co. until 1982 when they merged with the national accounting firm Arthur Young and Company. After 1984 he served as a consultant to the accounting firm of Erwin and Co. Survivors: one daughter, two sons, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Kermit Q. Stephenson BSAGE’50 MSAGE’56 BSEE’59, State College, PA, Feb. 2. He served three years in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. He was a retired professor of agricultural engineering at Pennsylvania State University. Survivors: his wife, Hazel, three daughters, one sister and two grandchildren. Raymond E. Wells ★ BSE’50 MED’62, Charleston, Feb. 3. He was a veteran of World War II, having served in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was a retired educator, including two years as a teacher in Farmington, 12 years as a teacher, principal and superintendent at Lavaca, and 22 years as a principal of Greenwood Junior High School. Survivors: his wife, Helen, three sons and eight grandchildren. George Andrews BSEE’51, Tulsa, Okla., Feb. 23. He served in the Navy for three years in the Pacific during and after World War II. He was a registered professional engineer and worked for Nelson Electric, Sun Oil and Williams Companies. Survivors: one daughter, one son, one stepdaughter, one brother, four grandchildren, three step-grandsons and three great-grandchildren. D. Harold Bowie BSE’51 MED’58, Searcy, Jan. 14. He was a lifelong educator and mainly worked at Harding Academy in Memphis. Survivors: one son, two daughters, one sister, 11 grandchildren and 11 greatgrandchildren. Patsy Hogan Bowie BSE’51, Searcy,

ARKANSAS • Summer 2014

July 19, 2013. She was the supervisor of kindergartens at Harding Academy of Memphis for 31 years. Survivors: one son, two daughters, two sisters, 11 grandchildren and 11 greatgrandchildren. Olga Dwane Chester BSA’51, Paris, Jan. 18. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. He was a retired federal employee of the Soil Conservation Service. Survivors: his wife, llatrene, one step son, two step-daughters, one sister, two brothers, eight step-grandchildren and 11 step-great-grandchildren. Michael E. DeSalvo BSBA’51, Richardson, Texas, Jan. 30. He served in the Coast Guard during World War II. He was a certified public accountant and auditor during his 40-year career. Survivors: his wife, Genevieve, one son, four sisters, seven half-sisters, two halfbrothers and two granddaughters. Caroline Sue Goss BA’51, Lawrence, Kan., March 6. Survivors: two sons, six stepchildren, one brother, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. W. E. Greenhaw BA’51, Little Rock, Feb. 18. He served in World War II and the Korean War. He retired after 30 years of service with Schering Plough. Survivors: two sons. T.E. Holtzclaw MS’51 EDD’55, Rayville, La., Jan. 15. He served in World War II in the U.S. Coast Guard. He was a professor in the College of Education at University of Louisiana at Monroe, where he served as the dean of education for many years. Survivors: one son and two granddaughters. Oscar L. Honomichl BS’51, Wichita, Kan., Jan. 22. He served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Theater during World War II. He was an inspector for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Kansas City for more than 10 years. Survivors: his wife, Audrey, one daughter, one granddaughter and one great-grandson. Ted M. Ivy BSCE’51, San Antonio, June 24, 2013. He served his country in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam Era. He retired in 1978 after 28 years of service to his country. After retirement he worked as an engineer for the Environmental Protection Agency for 10 years. Survivors: his wife, Juanita, one daughter, one son, one brother, two grandsons and one great-granddaughter.

H. O. Kyler Jr. ★+ BSIM’51, Colerain Township, OH, July 20, 2013. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a retired production manager for Clippard Instrument Laboratory. Survivors: his wife, Merita, one son, two daughters, five grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren. Laurence H. Lambert BSCE’51, Rolla, Mo., Feb. 23. He was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, serving during World War II. He retired from the U.S. Geological Survey in Rolla in 1990 with 41 years of service. Survivors: his wife, Dorothy, two daughters, two sons, one brother, 10 grandchildren and one greatgrandchild. Mose A. Stringfellow BSEE’51, Fayetteville, Jan. 11. He served as a radio mechanic for the 158th Army Airways Communication System in World War II. He worked for many years developing and installing GE radar systems. Survivors: his wife, Evelyn, two sons and one grandson. Mary E. Arthur ✪+ MD’52, Hot Springs, March 13. She taught at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston from 1978 to her retirement in 1993. She was a physician for more than 50 years. Survivors: one daughter, two sons and two granddaughters. Robert C. Alexander BSA’52, Paragould, Jan. 1. He served in the U.S. Air Force Reserves during the Korean War. He owned and managed the Alexander Plantation Co. for many years and also was the owner of ALCO, a local grain elevator and seed company. Survivors: one daughter, two sons and seven grandchildren. Clara Stanly Spence ★ MS’52, Rosepine, La., March 7. She taught vocational home economics at Pitkin High School for many years. Charles W. Bishop BSPH’53, Dover, Feb. 13. He was a World War II veteran and served in the U.S. Navy for four years. He was a selfemployed pharmacist and owner of the Dover Pharmacy for more than 20 years. Survivors: his wife, Velma, three sons, two daughters, one sister, six grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren. Elza C. Bond Jr. LLB’53, Monticello, Feb. 17. He operated a private law practice in Monticello for more than 50 years. He was elected Judge of the

Summer 2014 • ARKANSAS

ONLY IN ARKANSAS

Monticello Municipal Court in 1960 and presided over that Court for 26 years until his retirement in 1986. He also served as a city alderman for 13 years ending in 2010. James A. Brown BS’53, Fort Smith, March 1. He practiced neurosurgery at Sparks and St. Edwards Hospitals in Fort Smith. He was chief of surgery at St. Edwards. Survivors: his wife, Marlene, two daughters, three sons, one sister, eight grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren.

Sonny Lovoi BS’53, Houston, Texas, February 25. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He worked in the oil and gas industry for more than 50 years. Survivors: his wife, Sandra, two daughters, four sons, three sisters and 19 grandchildren. Betty Melton Bennett ★ BA’54, Kenner, La., Feb. 21. An eighth-grade math teacher in her younger years, she then worked at H&R Block in Metairie. Survivors: her husband, James, one daughter, one son and one grandson.

Charles R. Dougan BSBA’53 MBA’57, Fayetteville, Jan. 13. He served in the U.S. Army and was an attorney practicing real estate law. Survivors: his wife, Andra, four daughters, one son, one sister, 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Patrick R. Burks BSA’54, Helena, Jan. 11. He served in the U.S. Air Force. He owned several business including Planters Service, where he tried to help the local farmers in any way he could. Survivors: his daughter, two sisters, two grandchildren and one great-grandson.

William G. Grace BSA’53, Russellville, February 14. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II. He founded Grace Termite and Pest Control, which he operated until his retirement in 1983. Survivors: his wife, Mary, two daughters, two sons, one brother, three sisters, seven grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren.

George L. Cook BSBA’54, Little Rock, Jan. 21. He was a well-known figure in Central Arkansas business community as a real estate developer, business operator and investor. Survivors: two sons, one sister and four grandchildren.

Fred Deonal Kulbeth BSBA’53, Wilmar, Sept. 15, 2013.

Ann Grayson Reeves Eddy ✪+ BSE’54, Magnolia, Feb. 1. She was secretary treasurer for Reeves Land and Timber Co. Survivors: one son and two grandchildren.

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SENIOR WALK George E. Ellefson BSEE’54, Little Rock, March 2. He served in the Naval Air Corps for three years during World War II. He owned and operated an electrical engineering consulting firm since 1961. Survivors: his wife, Claire, two daughters, four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

Lorene A. Raymond MS’54, Fayetteville, Jan. 23. She was an assistant professor of home economics teaching foods and nutrition at the University of Arkansas for more than 30 years. Survivors: two daughters, three grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren.

Billy F. Gooden BSA’54, Russellville, Feb. 28. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves. His career in animal health spanned for more than 30 years. He was a sales representative with E.R. Squibb and Son and Solvay Animal Health, retiring in 1995. Survivors: his wife, Mary, one daughter, one son, one stepdaughter, one brother, one sister and four grandchildren.

Eugene B. Kirby BSBA’55, Harker Heights, Texas, Feb 12. He was a longtime leader in the Killeen business community and a partner in Kirby& Kerr. Survivors: his wife, Helen, two sons and two grandchildren.

Gloria Timberlake O’Dell ★+ MA’54, Little Rock, Feb. 15. She worked as a licensed psychological examiner at the Arkansas School for the Blind until she retired. Survivors: two sons and three grandchildren.

John M. Meek ✪+ BSBA’56, Oklahoma City, Okla., Dec. 31, 2013. He joined the U.S. Air Force, during the Korean War. He served as a bank examiner for 27 years, retiring in 1986. Survivors: his wife, Alma, one daughter, four sons, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Joe E. Richardson ✪ BA’56, Texarkana, Feb. 7. Survivors: his wife,

Ellen, parents, two sons, three brothers, seven grandchildren and one greatgrandson. Paul S. Smith BSBA’56, Mena, June 26, 2013. He served his country in the U.S. Army National Guard during the Korean Conflict. He was the executive director of the Polk County Housing Authority, owned and operated the Peoples Insurance Agency and was retired from the Mena Fire Department. Survivors: his wife, Mary, two sons, one brother and two granddaughters. Clayton L. Spencer MED’56, Springfield, Mo., Jan. 14. Helen Marie Williams MED’56, Chicago, Ill., Nov. 2, 2013. She taught at Dwight D. Eisenhower High School for 30 years. Elizabeth Dickinson Henderson BA’57, Little Rock, Feb. 19. One of her greatest pleasures was to lead others through the process of becoming a flower show judge and to share her

knowledge with fledgling designers. Survivors: her husband, Donald, her mother, her step-mother, one son and one granddaughter. John L. Miller ★ BSME’57, Tulsa, Okla., February 7. He went into the Army and served in Germany as a lieutenant. He worked with Abe Silverstein in the development of the liquid fuel mixture. In April 2012 he was inducted into the Arkansas Academy of Mechanical Engineering. Survivors: his wife, Carolyn and one son. Edward F. Patterson Jr. ★ BSBA’57, Hot Springs, Feb. 21. He worked for the Cotton Board for 38 years in Memphis, Tenn. He served in the US Army. Survivors: one son, one daughter, one brother and three grandchildren. John A. Davis III ★ LLB’58, Little Rock, Jan. 30. He served in the U.S. Army from 1953-55. He worked for the United Dominion Industries Inc., (formerly AMCA) in Hanover, NH,

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Ernest O. Howell MED’58, Natchitoches, La., Oct. 21, 2013. A U.S. Army veteran, he spent most of his life as an educator and coach at varies schools and universities. Survivors: one daughter, two sons and one grandchild. Jack W. Knapple ✪+ BSA’58, Fisher, Feb. 19. He owned and operated the Knapple and Knapple Farms. Survivors: his wife, Linda, one son, one daughter and two grandsons. Dennis L. Shackleford LLB’58, El Dorado, Feb. 6. He served his country during the Korean Conflict as a helicopter pilot for the Air Rescue Service. He practiced law for more than 50 years. Survivors: his wife, Jane, three daughters, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Jim B. Spears BSIE’58 LLB’64, Little Rock, Sept. 7, 2008. He has been teaching law for more than 30 years at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Survivors: his wife, Suzanne and one sister. Jefferson D. Tibbits ★ BA’58, Winter Haven, Fla., March 15. He served in the U.S. Army. He was a plant and sales manager for International Paper Company for 37 years. Survivors: his wife, Judith, one daughter, one son, one sister and one grandson. William T. Alden BSBA’59, Houston, Texas, Nov. 4, 2013. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1953 during the Korean Conflict. He was an accountant for SONAT Inc. for almost 18 years and later worked for the FDIC. Survivors: his wife, Guadalupe, two sons, one sister and four grandchildren. Jimmy Irby Brannan BSCE’59, Fayetteville, Jan. 18. He spent four years in the U.S. Air Force. He retired after 22 years of service from McGoodwin, William and Yates engineering firm in 1977 and then spent the next 10 years consulting for the firm. Survivors: his wife, Geneva, one daughter, two sons, six grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchild.

Duane K. Rorie BA’59 MS’61, Rochester, Minn., Feb. 19. He was a retired Mayo Clinic consultant in anesthesiology and former chair of the department of anesthesiology at Rochester Methodist Hospital. In 1999, he was named medical director of the newly formed Procedural Skills Laboratory. Survivors: his wife, Carolyn, two daughters, one sister and five brothers. William H. Cummins BSCHE’60, Nederland, Texas, March 17, 2013. He retired from Texaco after 35 years of service as director of research. Survivors: his wife, Susan, one son, one daughter, one sister and four grandchildren. Gene D. Kleese BA’60, Newnan, Ga., March 19. He was a U.S. Army veteran. He worked with Bankers Life and Casualty Insurance and Merrill Lynch as a stock broker. Survivors: his wife, Barbara, one son, three daughters and 10 grandchildren. Mary Jane Martin ✪+ BSHE’61, Little Rock, March 8. She retired as a realtor with the Janet Jones Co. Survivors: her husband, Rufus, one daughter, one son, one brother and five grandchildren. Max D. Mayes BA’61, Fayetteville, April 11, 1999. He was a retired lieutenant colonel from the Air Force. Survivors: his wife, Joyce, two sons, two sisters and two grandchildren. R. G. Ramsey BSPH’61, Little Rock, Jan. 22. He had worked for Petty’s Drug Store. He has more recently worked for USA Drug. He was a preceptor for Pharmacy students at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Survivors: his wife, Mary and two daughters. William J. Matthews BSEE’61, Euless, Texas, Oct. 29, 2013. He was an electrical engineer and worked at Vought Aircraft for more than 30 years and most recently at Nelson Architecture/Electrical as a consultant. Survivors: his wife, Wadette, one son, one sister and one granddaughter. C.N. Toney Sr. MED’61, Pine Bluff, January 13. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He served as principal of Spring Hill Elementary School, Townsend Park Elementary and as Director of Admissions and Student Recruitment at the UAPB, and interim superintendent of the Oak Grove School District in Nevada County. Later he established Zenith Furniture Co. Survivors: three sons, one brother,

Summer 2014 • ARKANSAS

In Memoriam Robert Douglas ‘Bob’ Cheyne BSJ’50 Robert Douglas ‘Bob’ Cheyne, the first play-by-play “Voice of the Razorbacks” in both football and basketball, died at age 86, on March 15, 2014. The fourth of seven children (an eighth brother died shortly after birth), Cheyne’s family moved to Chicago shortly after his birth and lived there until moving to Little Rock in 1942. He met his wife, Jennie Wiseman, at Little Rock Central High. They married on June 16, 1945, and shared 60 years together before Jennie died on Aug. 28, 2005. Cheyne served in World War II as an aviation radioman and was honorably discharged from the Navy at the end of the war. Soon after, he was admitted to the University of Arkansas to pursue degrees in journalism and history. The Cheynes settled in Fayetteville in 1947 with their 5-month-old daughter. While attending the university, Cheyne served as sports editor for the Northwest Arkansas Times, covering Fayetteville High School and Razorback events. In June 1948, he became the U of A’s first sports information director. titled publicity director at the time. He served in that position for 22 years. During his tenure with the Razorback athletic department, Cheyne laid the groundwork for those who followed him in later years. He compiled the first complete record of all lettermen, scores and individual records dating back to 1894. On the 60th anniversary of Razorback football, he located the three surviving members of that 1894 team and had them honored at the Homecoming game. The Cheynes traveled around Arkansas radio stations to begin setting up what is now known as the University of Arkansas Radio Sports Network. By 1964, 107 radio stations were included. They moved to Bentonville in 1969, where he worked with Cooper Communities as director of advertising and public relations. In 1977, he and John Cooper Jr. established the Cheyne/Cooper & Associates advertising agency. In 1985, Cheyne became the first corporate marketing director for Sam’s Club division of Wal-Mart and later vice president of marketing. After retiring in 1997, he was invited to radio station KBVA-FM as a senior account executive, retiring again in 2012. He was inducted into the U of A Sports Hall of Fame in 1996 and received the Arkansas Alumni Association Community Service Award in 2000. He is survived by a daughter, Cathy Deweese and his two sons, Robert Cheyne Jr. and Gary Cheyne. He is also survived by seven grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and two brothers. n

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and Charlotte, N.C., having served as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary. After retirement, he became of counsel to the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock for five years. Survivors: his wife, Jessica, two sons, two daughters, one sister, three brothers and six grandchildren.

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SENIOR WALK two grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren. Bill C. Adair Jr. ✪+ BSBA’62 JD’66, Little Rock, Feb. 24. He served in the U.S. Army. He spent the last 25 years of his career as an assistant U.S. attorney in Little Rock. Survivors: his wife, Jenny, one daughter, one brother and two granddaughters. Wayne Parks BSBA’62, Rogers, Jan. 26. He served in the 1st Marine Division in Korea until 1952. He served as general manager of AA World Services in New York City from 1988-1991. For several years he was employed with Phillips Petroleum in Denver, Colo., and then worked in transportation and sales for multiple firms, including, J.B. Hunt Transport and the Moser Co. Survivors: one daughter, one step-grandson and one grandson. Billy G. Wood BSME’62, Collinston, La., Feb. 26. He retired from the University of Louisiana at Monroe Physical Plant in 2000. Survivors: his wife, Fay, three daughters, one brother, one sister and eight grandchildren. Richard Francis Jendrysik BSBA’63, North Fort Myers, Fla., March 16. He served in the U.S. Navy. He was a selfemployed computer programmer and systems analyst. Survivors: his wife, Lita, and one sister. Glenn S. Nelson MSAGE’63, Fayetteville, Jan. 14. He was in the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Survivors: two daughters, one sister and three grandchildren. Bob Terry MA’63, Magnolia, Feb. 13. He taught at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks before accepting a position in the English Department at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia. He served as pastor of Village and Ebenezer Methodist Churches for more than 33 years. Survivors: his wife, Carolyn, one daughter, one son, one brother and one grandson. Billy Lee Franks BSEE’64, Prairie Grove, Jan. 20. He served in the U.S. Air Force. He works as a civilian contractor at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. Survivors: his wife, Mary, mother, one daughter, one son and one granddaughter. Rachel A. Myers MED’64, Ocoee, Fla., Feb. 8. She was a first-grade teacher, principal of Ish and Forest Park

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Elementary Schools, administrator and, finally, assistant superintendent of Little Rock Public Schools, retiring in 1990 after 30 years with the district. Survivors: two sons, two daughters, one sister, two brothers, 11 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Buddy Brown Spivey BA’65 MED’71 EDS’74, Little Rock, Jan. 9. He became the first blinded veteran to serve as an assistant state director for Veterans Employment in Arkansas. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. He worked as a counseling psychologist and social worker at the VA Hospital in Little Rock. Survivors: his wife, Jeanne, one son, one step-daughter and two grandchildren. Ann M. Vendig BSHE’65, Dallas, Texas, Feb. 17. Survivors: her husband, Lee, one daughter, one son, three step-daughters, one step-son, three grandchildren and nine stepgrandchildren. Charles W. Cusick ★+ BARCH’66, Darrow, La., Jan. 16. He was a Vietnam veteran with the U.S. Army. Survivors: his wife, Sandra, one daughter, one son, one brother and three grandchildren. Betsy S. Harris BA’66, Dardanelle, March 3. From 1984-90, she wrote a food column, “Cooking with Betsy,” for the Russellville Courier. Betty Jo Holt ★ MA’67, Fordyce, Feb. 9. She was a professional educator, teaching for 32 years. Survivors: two sons, five grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren. Walter C. Hughes EDD’67, Hornbeck, La., March 13. He served in the U.S. Army. He was employed at McNeese State University for more than 20 years, serving in various administrative positions and as a professor in the department of psychology. He then worked at Sowela Technical Community College as an administrator for 19 years. Survivors: his wife, Jeanette, two daughters and one sister. Marion D. Dennis BSA’68, Winslow, Feb. 14. He worked for Dennis Home Furnishings for many years and later opened Dennis Appliance and TV, which he owned and operated until his retirement in 1999. Survivors: his wife, Donna, two sons, four daughters, one brother and 10 grandchildren. Carl L. Foresee BSE’68, Lee’s Summit,

Mo., Jan. 31. He worked for more than 30 years as an insurance salesman. He was a junior high school science teacher and coach at Slater Public Schools, and later at the Grain Valley School System and the Grant City School System. Survivors: his wife, Cherie, one son, one daughter and one granddaughter. Gerald E. Glass MSME’68, Springfield, Mo., Feb. 11. He served in the U.S. Air Force. He was employed at Custom Metalcraft for more than 20 years. Survivors: one daughter, one son, two brothers and four grandchildren. Guy T. Hendrickson BSBA’68, Elmira, N.Y., Aug. 19, 2007. William R. Lile BSBA’68, Dallas, Texas, Jan. 16. He founded Johns Jeans, a multi-state retail store specializing in Levis jeans. Survivors: one daughter and one granddaughter. James G. Mixon LLB’68, Little Rock, March 10. He served in the U.S. Navy. His career and enduring legacy on the bench spanned 30 years in Little Rock. He served as U.S. bankruptcy judge for four years. Survivors: his wife, Robbie, two sons, three daughters, two sisters, four grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren. Thomas E. Allen JD’70, Batesville, Jan. 28. A U.S. Army veteran, he practiced law in Batesville for more than 43 years. Survivors: one daughter, three sons and three grandchildren. Hebe R. Bair MA’70 PHD’79, Little Rock, Jan. 8. She taught English as an associate professor until her retirement to Little Rock in 1998. She had many published works, including “Lawrence as Poet,” The D.H. Lawrence Review, 6 (Fall 1973): “D.H. Lawrence’s Last Poems: The Achievement of Poetic Form,” The D.H. Lawrence Review, 12 (Fall 1979); and Assessment in Higher Education: A Selected Bibliography, 1970-1985. Survivor: one son. Robert M. Ford JD’70, Wynne, Feb. 8. He had served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a very successful and an active attorney in Wynne. Survivors: his wife, Gloria, three sons, one step-son, one step-daughter, eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Carol Broyles Hopper BSE’70, Fayetteville, Jan. 14. She was retired from 33 years as a school teacher in the Fayetteville Public Schools. Survivor: her husband, Nick.

James L. Seawood BA’70, Staten Island, N.Y., Jan. 12. He was a retired chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserves, with the rank of major. He worked in pastoral ministry for more than 35 years. He served as pastor at Brighton Heights Reformed Church. Survivors: his wife, Emra, one son, one daughter, one brother, two sisters and two granddaughters. Charles H. Moses Jr. BSCHE’71, Crossett, Jan. 24. He was a chemical engineer, working in the paper industry. Carrell A. Childress MED’72, Lubbock, Texas, Feb. 3. She taught high school English at Roosevelt for more than 20 years. Survivors: two sons, one brother and two grandchildren. Scott K. Clifton BA’72, Fayetteville, Jan. 15. He was an employee of the University of Arkansas in custodial services. Survivors: one brother and one sister. Joseph L. Eblen BA’72, Austin, Texas, May 21, 2011. Leonard G. Harrison MS’72, Oklahoma City, Okla., Oct. 22, 2013. He served in the U.S. Air Force for more than 20 years. His second career was a commercial real estate broker. Survivors: two sons, three sisters and three grandchildren. Rodney S. Lewis BSBA’72, Clinton, Feb. 11. He was a certified public accountant. Survivors: two sons and three grandchildren. Cloyd Stephen Wiseman BA’72 MED’91, Atkins, Feb. 15. He worked for the poultry industry in Northwest Arkansas for many years. Survivors: his wife, Rebecca, father, one daughter, one son, two step-sons, one brother, one grandchild and four step- grandchildren. John Burrow BA’73 JD’88, Fayetteville, March 10. He was the longtime Washington County Election Commission chairman. He practiced law in Springdale for 11 years with Kent Hirsch before opening his own office on the square in 2000. David Hunter ★ BS’73, Tulsa, Okla., June 8, 2012. He was the co-owner and vice president of Electrotech, Inc., which is a manufacturer of specialty high voltage components. Survivors: his father, two sons, one brother and three grandchildren. Jack W. Terry MED’73, Little Rock,

ARKANSAS • Summer 2014

March 18. He was a former teacher at Homer Adkins Elementary in Jacksonville. Survivors: one daughter and one granddaughter. Bonnie K. Whitmore ✪ EDD’73, Bentonville, Feb. 2. She was an administrator and teacher in Springdale. Survivors: two sons and four grandchildren. Leroy Ashorn Jr. ★ PHD’74, Huntsville, Texas, March 11. He dedicated his career to educating others at Sam Houston State University for 43 years. Survivors: his wife, Myrna, mother, one son, two brothers and one granddaughter.

three daughters, one step-daughter, two step-sons and 13 grandchildren. Lawrence D. Patton BSBA’75 MPA’77, Malvern, March 12. Survivors: three sisters. Felix D. Taylor JD’75, North Little Rock, Feb. 22. He began his career as political science instruction at Arkansas State University, and worked at the Arkansas Appeals Tribunal in Little Rock. Survivors: one son, two daughters, two sisters, four brothers and four grandchildren. Gary L. Williams BSE’75, Benton, Jan. 14. He was a senior analyst in planning for AECC for 33 years.

Joe M. Austin BSAGE’74 BSCE’75, Longview, Texas, Dec. 29, 2013. He was a registered Texas Professional Engineer. Survivors: his wife, Donna, mother, one daughter, one son, one brother and five grandchildren.

Michael Lee Duffy BA’76, Lawrenceville, Ga., Dec. 26, 2013. He was employed by Perkin Elmer, an Atlanta firm which produced advanced design scientific and medical equipment. Survivors: one daughter and one brother.

Thomas M. Howe JD’74, Ashland, Ky., March 5. He served as master commissioner of Boyd County for 38 years. Survivors: one son, two daughters, one sister, one brother and one granddaughter.

Norma Louise Stowe MED’77, Cabot, Feb. 15. She worked for the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Finance and Administration and taught kindergarten, first and fourth grades. Survivors: one son, two daughters, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Wilma Sue Viar MED’74, Chesapeake, Va., Feb. 15. She was an elementary school teacher for more than 40 years in Springdale. She was passionate about making a difference in the lives of her students. Survivors: one son, one step-daughter, two brothers and two grandchildren. David M. Bibler BA’75, Dover, Sept. 21, 2013. He worked on the family farm and was a business man. Survivors: his wife, Beng, one son and one grandson. Linda L. Fiddler MED’75, Little Rock, Feb. 1. She spent more than 35 years in the teaching profession in the Brinkley, Little Rock and Pulaski County school districts. She was the language arts instructional/curriculum coordinator from 1980 to her retirement in 2000. Survivors: one son and four brothers. Michael L. Kretzer BSE’75 MED’76, Derby, Kan., Jan. 19. He was the owner of Sudbury Transportation. Survivors: his wife, Mary, two daughters, one sister, one brother and four grandchildren. Michael David Mauldin ✪ BSBA’75, Wagoner, Okla., July 4, 2013. He served as a communication specialist in the U.S. Army Reserves for two years. He retired from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Muskogee. Survivors: his wife, Karen,

Lloyd E. Conduff BSBA’78, Denton, Texas, Sept. 13, 2013. Glenn T. Peer BS’78, Oklahoma City, Okla., Jan. 18. He dedicated 30 years of his professional life to medical research at Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center. Survivors: his wife, Priscilla, one daughter, two brothers and two grandchildren. Jeffrey L. Cannon BSBA’79, Little Rock, Feb. 6. Survivors: his mother, one brother and one sister. Robert M. Davis ★ BSBA’79, Fayetteville, Feb. 19. He was the owner and operator of Eason Insurance Agency Inc. Survivors: his wife, Sally, two daughters and one sister. Alan Henry Hirsch Jr. BSBA’80, Springdale, Feb. 4. Survivors: parents, one son, one daughter, one sister and two grandchildren. Francis Nolan Troxell JD’81, Conway, March 16. Survivors: his mother, step father, grandmother and one brother. Jeffrey L. Bain BSE’83, Searcy, Feb. 20. He was a skilled physical therapist. Survivors: his father, one son, three

Summer 2014 • ARKANSAS

daughters, one brother and five sisters.

two sisters.

Jane Eileen Coomes BSE’83 MED’88, Fayetteville, Jan. 18. For 30 years, she taught children with special needs at Woodland Junior High School in Fayetteville. Survivors: two brothers and five sisters.

Guy John West Miss.’86, Jackson, Tenn., Nov. 2, 2013. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy. He retired as the director of quality assurance for Kilgore Manufacturing. Survivor: one son.

Tina L. Liguori BSBA’84, Irving, Texas, Feb. 17. Survivors: her husband, Gene, one daughter, two sons and two brothers.

William E. Tiner BS’86, Bad Wildbad, Germany, Jan. 21. He retired from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant colonel in 2012. Survivors: his wife, Milena, parents, three sons, one sister and one ® brother.

NATIONWIDE

Alan Humphrey Miller ★ BSIE’85, Little Rock, March 15. He worked in the telecommunications industry while working for Network Design Engineers, ALLTEL, Windstream and most recently Century Link. Survivors: his wife, Elizabeth, mother, three children, two sisters and two brothers.

Charles Farrell Hanna BSBA’87, Springdale, Feb. 28. He was employed by Cumulus Broadcasting in the sales department. Survivors: two children and one sister.

& THE ARKANSAS

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Steven A. Asp Schussheim MED’87, Fayetteville, Jan. 26. He worked as the John Harold Robinson MED’85, director of international schools for the Little Rock, Feb. 6. He served as an state department. He worked mainly administrator at Central High School, with schools in China and Africa. Just like Arkansas AlumniSurvivors: Association, other schools in thethe Little Rock School his wife,Nationwide Camilla, two sons Insurance® of education and District, Cabot High believes School, andinat the two importance and one sister. junior giving high schools. Survivors: wife, back to thehis community. That’s why Nationwide is Carl Edward Abbott Jr. MED’88, Kristie, two daughters, three sons, five Jan. 27. He was — a devoted partnering with the ArkansasSpringdale, Alumni Association to grandchildren and one great-grandchild. band teacher throughout his life. He provide vital support to the Arkansas Alumni Association

Marilyn Doss Carpenter MED’86 retired after 27 years from Central Junior mission of connecting the University EDD’93, Hamburg, Jan. 23. She and serving High School in Springdale. of He was Arkansas Family. was a lifelong educator. In 2004, she named Arkansas Band Director of the started her own company, Quest Year in 2002. Survivors: his wife, Linda, Education, and began developing her one daughter, one brother, four sisters own instructional methods which were and two grandchildren. adopted by hundreds of schools across Diana Elizabeth Lee BA’92, Athens, the nation. Survivors: her husband, Ga., Feb. 28. She photographed bands David, mother, step-father, one son, one for concert promotion and album art. brother and one sister. In 2012, she directed and produced James Scott Ely MFA’86, Rock a 30-minute documentary video on Hill, S.C., Oct. 31, 2013. He is a the topic upcycling; the process of Winthrop University professor, novelist taking old and discarded materials and and Vietnam War veteran. He was an turning them into something useful and To author learn more about this partnership, visit acclaimed of several books and beautiful. Survivors: her parents and one anthologies. Survivor: his wife, Susan. brother. nationwide.com/ArkansasAlumni or call your Kathleen Roseagent. Moum MA’86, local Bismarck, N.D., Feb. 13. She worked in a multitude of health-related issues for the North Dakota Department of Health. Survivors: her husband, David, parents, three daughters, two sisters and six brothers. Allison Evonne O’Neal MED’86, Pine Bluff, Jan. 1.

Timothy Donald Hawkins BSE’93, Gentry, March 8. He was a pipe fitter welder in construction. Survivors: his father, one daughter and one sister.

+

Vadim Leo Grabovski MSE’95, Fayetteville, Jan. 6. Survivors: his wife, Natalia, parents and two daughters.

Hugh Leroy Shirley MED’95, Olive Branch, Miss., Jan. 29. He served in Kevin E. Santos BS’86, Fayetteville, the U.S. Air Force. For his entire career, Dec. 19, 2013. He was a campus he worked for the U.S. Government planner for the University of Arkansas, and Department of Defense in Civilian served on the Fayetteville City Council Personnel. Survivors: his wife, Ellen, one and was Nationwide involved in planning the trail daughter, one brother, one sister and one may make a financial contribution to this organization in return for the opportunity to market products and services system into Fayetteville. Survivors: his by Nationwide grandson. its members or customers. Products Underwritten Mutual Insurance Company and Affiliated Companies. Home Office: parents, Columbus, OH two 43215. Subject to underwriting wife, Sarah, daughters andguidelines, review, and approval. Nationwide, Nationwide Insurance, and the Nationwide framemark are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2014 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. AF0-0820AO.2 (04/14)

61

SENIOR WALK

In Memoriam

Shelly Irene Blankenship BSA’96 MS’03, Springdale, Feb. 2. She was a devoted wife and mother and an accomplished equestrian. Survivors: her husband, Michael, her father, her mother, one son, one brother and three sisters.

Dr. Richard Albert Worthington, former director of the University of Arkansas Razorback Marching and Concert Bands, died April 3 at age 93. Worthington, known as “Doc” to his students and friends, served as director of bands at the University of Arkansas from 1956 to 1970. During his time as director, he led the Marching Razorbacks and the program’s concert band. The program nearly doubled in size to more than 150 students under his leadership. He is remembered fondly as a director with a caring and commanding presence who encouraged strong character and music excellence. In 1964-65, Worthington led the integration of the marching band when Gevena Hill and James Seawood became the first African Americans to join the program. Four years later, he partnered with students on campus to end the school tradition of playing “Dixie.” After leaving the University of Arkansas, he was appointed director of bands at Northeastern Louisiana University, now the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He served as director of the School of Music for 17 years and was named director emeritus in 1989 before retiring in 1995. He is also credited with the founding of the Monroe Symphony Orchestra. Worthington served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II and, for many years, he served as the commercial, instrument rating and chief flight instructor for McMahan Aviation in Monroe. He and several other pilots from around Louisiana formed Angel Flight in 1997 and Pilots for Patients in 2007. Worthington earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in music from the University of Michigan, and a doctorate from the University of Illinois. In 2003, the Richard and his wife, Nancy, established the Richard and Nancy Worthington Endowed Band Fund to support Razorback band students and program needs. The couple was inducted into the Towers of Old Main in 2004. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Nancy Cozort Worthington MED’61 m+, his three children, Cyndi, David and Bryan, and numerous grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. n

62

photo submitted

Dr. Richard “Doc” Albert Worthington ★+

David Malcolm Colclasure BSCSE’96, Conway, Jan. 22. He served six years in the U.S. Army. Survivors: his wife, Lou, mother, one daughter, one sister, six grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren. Dennis Michael Lensing MA’97, Little Rock, Dec. 29, 2013. He taught at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Survivors: his mother, one brother and one sister. Jeremy Wayne Denton BA’99, Holly Springs, N.C., Nov. 5, 2013. He was the director of government affairs for a telecommunications nonprofit association in Arlington, Va., and then vice president of programs and member services at an automotive nonprofit association in Research Triangle Park, N.C. Survivors: his wife, Jillian, parents, two sons, grandmother, two sisters and two brothers. Roberta Anne Gardner BSN’00, West Fork, Jan. 13. She worked for the VA Hospital for more than 20 years. Survivors: her husband, Roger, one son, one daughter, one sister and five grandchildren.

Friends Betty C. Glasscock ★+, Little Rock, Feb. 10. John C. Guilds Jr., Huntsville, March 5. He was a veteran of World War II. He was a past dean of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and a distinguished professor of humanities at the University of Arkansas. Survivors: one son, two daughters and four grandchildren. Lloyd W. Stetzer ★+, Jacksonville, Fla., Jan. 10. He served in the U.S. Army as a gunner during World War II and a radio operator with the U.S. Air Force during the Korean Conflict. He retired from the U.S. Navy Medical Corps in 1981. Survivors: his wife, Grace, four sons and three grandchildren. Lyell Thompson, Fayetteville, March 10. He fought in World War II. He was a former Washington County justice of the peace, University of Arkansas agronomy professor and Fayetteville civil rights activist. Survivors: his wife, Marcella, two daughters, three sons, three brothers, 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Phoebe Norman ★, Little Rock, March 1. Survivors: one daughter, three sons, two sisters, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. n

Nancy Schmall MS’00, West Fork, March 5. She worked at Ozark Guidance in Springdale, first in recovery services and then outpatient adult. Survivors: her husband, Ray and one brother. Amanda R. Moore JD’06, Fayetteville, March 22. She was a partner in the Bassett Law Firm LLP from 2007-2014 before taking a position with Roger’s Food Group in 2014. Survivors: her parents, her grandmothers and one sister. Tina M. Aldrich ★ EDD’10, Chesapeake, Va., Dec. 27, 2013. She was an assistant professor at Virginia Wesleyan College in the recreation and leisure studies department. Survivors: her mother and step-father and three sisters. Benjamin Keith Fick ★ BSE’13, Austin, Texas, March 20. He loved mentoring children and was to become a teacher and tennis coach. Survivors: his wife, Georgina, parents, one son, two daughters, his grandparents, one brother and three sisters.

ARKANSAS • Summer 2014

DARWIN continued from page 27.

Dan Kennefick, a professor of physics at the U of A, explained some of the quandaries for physicists of the late 19th century. For instance, they had developed theories about the age of earth, mostly based on the geology that could be seen, but these theories would be upended by Darwin’s proposal. The “descent with modification,” as Darwin put it, would take a much longer period of time to occur than the physicists’ age of the earth would allow. Darwin’s theory forced a new paradigm upon both the clerics and the scientists, Kennefick told the class. The word “paradigm” was used by physicist Thomas Kuhn to mean the framework within which one understands the whole of science. “Kuhn would argue that a change in paradigm requires a change in mindset as well,” Kennefick said. “And once you’re in a new paradigm, it’s hard to imagine how people believed the old paradigm.” One day, everyone thinks the earth is the center of the universe. The next, Copernicus has laid out a new paradigm in which earth is simply one of several planets that orbit the sun. It was not an easy shift to make. Darwin’s new paradigm faced the similar difficulties. The reaction of conservative American religious elements and the legislatures in many states was to reject the theory outright and to enact laws that forbade its teaching. Through the early 20th century, Americans had been “circumperambulating the topic” of evolution, as Angie Maxwell, an assistant professor of political science, put it to the class. The issue came to a boil in 1927 when the state of Tennessee charged John Scopes with unlawfully teaching evolution in the town of Dayton. The trial drew celebrities such as lawyer Clarence Darrow, who worked for the defense; William Jennings Bryan, the former presidential candidate who served the prosecution; and journalists such as H.L. Mencken, who framed the trial as Tennessee v. Civilization. The trial ended with Scopes guilty of teaching evolution but with the verdict eventually being thrown out on a technicality. The legal effect turned out to be minor, but the cultural effect had wide consequences. Maxwell described the biggest consequence: “We tread very carefully now. That happens anytime something controversial happens.” While the average Americans were treading lightly around the science, others were stretching the theory into what is now known as “social Darwinism.” History professor Richard Sonn led the class through the extrapolation of Darwin’s biological theory to a cultural one that resulted in the concept of eugenics during the hyper-nationalistic period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Various countries developed eugenic programs that, in their most hopeful form, tried to encourage reproduction between people who had “good” traits, and in its most tragic form tried to prevent people with “bad” traits from being able to reproduce. “Social Darwinism gave an air of scientific legitimacy to all prevailing prejudices,” Sonn told the class. If you were prejudiced against a particular ethnicity or nationality or race, social Darwinism offered you the opportunity to say that those other people were of lesser desirability due to the way their ethnicity or nationality or race evolved. Tops among the countries with prejudices in the mid-20th century proved to be the Nazi government of Germany, which sterilized more

Summer 2014 • ARKANSAS

than 360,000 people between 1933 and 1945, primarily people of the Roma ethnicity or of the Jewish faith. If forced sterilization weren’t bad enough, Adolph Hitler’s government switched from it to euthanasia and genocide during World War II to remove “undesirables” from their superior race. Breadth of Learning Most of the lectures were not as somber as Sonn’s historical background, but all of them provoked thought and reflection. “This course has opened my eyes in many ways, which is almost always possible if you are looking hard enough,” said Olivia Hines, a junior honors student majoring in horticulture and minoring in Spanish. “However, the breadth of knowledge in this course made it very easy. Quite often Dr. McComas joked that it is like drinking from a fire hydrant, and I think that is accurate. My mind is almost swirling with ideas and new thoughts and considerations after a class.” Other professors contributing to the “fire hose” of knowledge included: • Vince Chadick, instructor of law, who explained how law and the teaching of evolution intersected, both in the famous case of the “Scopes Monkey Trial,” but also in other cases involving “creation science” and more recently “intelligent design.” • William Etges, professor of biological science, who took the bones of Darwin’s theory and put the flesh of experimentation and research on it, explaining the science behind the theory. • Mary Leigh, a doctoral academy fellow in the Graduate School, who explained how Darwin’s theory affected writers and the resulting plots and characters in literature during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. • Michael Plavcan, professor of anthropology, who brought the latest developments from the archeological world regarding the search for the ancestors and relatives of homo sapiens. • Barry Ward, associate professor of philosophy, who examined the metaphysics of science and what we mean when we talk about “good science” and how Darwin’s mechanism for evolution fits within that concept. Although each of these professors had the responsibility of teaching a couple of classes during the semester, several of them sat in on nearly every class. As McComas put it, “It is absolutely fascinating the different fingers in the intellectual Darwin pie.” Hines, whose horticulture major led her to describe herself as a “budding scientist,” said: “I have learned an incredibly large amount about a variety of topics ranging from literature to philosophy of science to basic biology. The lectures in this class and the very interesting readings have made me see, even more now, the fluidity and relationship of science in culture and society. It has provided a beautiful blend of human understanding and hard science, creating a middle ground in a stark dichotomy.” n

63

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ARKANSAS • Summer 2014

Fall 2014 Pep Rallies

• September 5 at 8 p.m. for the Nicholls State game at the Chi Omega Greek Theater • October 10 at 8 p.m. for theAlabama game at the Chi Omega Greek Theater • October 24 for the UAB game (Homecoming Pep Rally) to be held at an exciting new location. Stay connected for details. • November 14 for the LSU game in Barnhill Arena following the South Carolina volleyball game at 7 p.m.

Follow us on twitter @arkansasalumni and @ArkansasSAA or visit www.arkansasalumni.org/events for event updates.

October 24, 2014 70th Annual Alumni Awards Celebration

Fayetteville Town Center Reception and Silent Auction followed by the Awards Banquet Visit www.arkansasalumni.org/awards for details on the honorees and to purchase tickets for the celebration.

SAVE THE DATE: April 17-19, 2015 Black Alumni Society Reunion

This year we will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Black Alumni Society Reunion. Join us on the Road to Silver as we continue “Honoring the Past, while Building the Future” Watch www.arkansasalumni.org/bas for more details.

Your Connection Starts Here 888-ARK-ALUM (888-275-2586) or 479-575-2801 www.arkansasalumni.org

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