ARKANSAS: Winter 2024

ARKANSAS

Winter 2024 For members of the Arkansas Alumni Association Inc. For members of the Arkansas Alumni Association Inc.

Winter 2024 Vol. 73, No. 2

YOUR MEMBERSHIP MATTERS WE AR YOUR CHAPTER AND SOCIETY CONNECTION

25 IN 18 15 ACROSS

CHAPTERS

STATES

SOCIETIES

THE U OF A

WE AR A HUB FOR STUDENT SUPPORT AND RECOGNITION

652 STUDENTS

WILL RECEIVE

WE AR YOUR AGENT FOR ALUMNI OUTREACH

209 CAMPUS OR SYSTEM EVENTS 46 EVENTS HOSTED IN ALUMNI HOUSE 62 TOTAL EVENTS 242

$1,336,250 FOR THE 23-24 ACADEMIC YEAR

RECIPIENTS 6,905,539 TOTAL IN FY23 OF THE ASSOCIATION 17,453 MEMBERS ACTIVE 35 TOTAL CAMPUS PARTNERS

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ASSOCIATION HOSTED EVENTS

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101 YEARS OF HOMECOMING

118 YEARS OF SENIOR WALK

21 YEARS

OF CLASS RING

arkansas

WINTER / Vol. 73, No. 2

For members of the Arkansas Alumni Association Inc.

30 Calling All Hogs Home Homecoming 2023

34 Empowering Future Generations

Photo by Shane White B.A.'18, M.A.'21.

2 Chancellor’s Corner 4 Campus 44 Alumni 54 Yesteryear 56 Senior Walk 64 Last Look

The Stovall Family's Legacy of Service and Philanthropy.

38 Celebrating Excellence 2023 Alumni Awardees

On the Cover: Snowy Old Main on January 25, 2023.

WINTER 2024 / ARKANSAS / 1

Chancellor's Corner

ARKANSAS Publisher

Charles F. Robinson Chancellor Photo by Russell Cothren.

Dear Alumni and Friends, I hope your 2024 is off to a wonderful start. Each year brings opportunities to reflect on the past and plan for the future.

Those are major themes of this issue, where you will read about recent college, departmental and unit-level successes, along with steps that are being taken to ensure continuous improvement through our 150 Forward strategic plan.

Given those themes, it seems fitting to say a bit about the state of the university as a whole. What a time to be a Razorback!

Last fall, we surpassed 32,000 students for the first time, with a record number of Arkansans and students from 49 states and more than 100 countries. Most importantly, each of those students is well positioned for success. We recently set records for graduation rate and retention rate, and we expect to continue improving in those areas, thanks largely to your support. In recent years, you helped us provide more resources to improve teaching effectiveness, expand health and wellness support for our students, and build a world-class student success center.

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Last year, you helped us provide $134 million in scholarships, including $71 million for Arkansans. I cannot overstate the importance of that support for our students, particularly those with financial challenges that would otherwise preclude them from attending college and reaping the lifelong, multi-generational benefits of earning a degree. In 2024, we plan to add additional scholarship funding, along with renovating our residence halls, the Arkansas Union and the Mullins Library, all to help our students succeed at the university and in life.

With your support, we will also continue reinforcing our status as one of the nation’s top research institutions, to the benefit of our students, state, nation and world. Last year, we opened a state-of-the-art Studio and Design Center, which houses the studio art program areas in ceramics, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking and graphic design. This fall, we will open the Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research, where our researchers will work with commercial, philanthropic, non-profit and governmental organizations to deliver positive societal impact. Not long after that, we will open the Multi-User Silicon Carbide Research and Fabrication Facility (MUSiC), which has the potential to help make Arkansas a leader in the national effort to bolster domestic semiconductor research and production.

Then comes the Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation, where our faculty and students will help the state’s timber industry effectively respond to the global trend toward the use of sustainable materials in construction.

It’s thrilling to know that, even after 152 years, our best days are still ahead of us.

Thank you for helping make that possible.

Sincerely, Charles Robinson  Chancellor

Arkansas Alumni Association Executive Director Brandy Cox Jackson  M.A.’07, Ph.D.'23 Managing Editor Catherine Baltz + B.S.’92, M.Ed.’07 Creative Director D.J. Hurlocker Writers Beth Dedman  B.A.’20 Lisy McKinnon  B.A.’97 Contributors Mark Camarigg Advertising Sales Collin Brunner  B.S.H.E.S.'10 MEMBERSHIP SYMBOLS  Student Member;  Member; + Member, A+;  Life Member; + Life Member, A+ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor are accepted and encouraged. Send letters for publication to Arkansas Magazine, Arkansas Alumni Association, at PO Box 1070, Fayetteville, AR 72702. 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, Exclusively for Members of the Arkansas Alumni Association, Inc. (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 now $55 per household and a portion is allocated for a subscription to Arkansas. Single copies are $6.

Production is provided through the Richland Group. Direct inquiries and information to P.O. Box 1070, Fayetteville, AR 72702-1070, phone (479) 575-2801, fax (479) 575-5177.

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POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to P.O. Box 1070, Fayetteville, 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 Winter 23-043 Cover photo: Whit Pruitt B.A'16 Please recycle this magazine or share it with a friend.

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Bank Better.

Moving Forward

Together

Philanthropy enables the U of A to achieve new heights and advance our mission. A planned gift, such as a charitable gift annuity (CGA), is one way you can help shape our path forward.

“I wanted to add to our scholarship funds and decided to give through a CGA. I now receive annuity income and will help support Arkansas students well into the future” - Ms. Frances Vestal B.A.’56 To learn more, contact the Office of Planned Giving.

479-575-7271 • legacy@uark.edu

Member FDIC

WINTER 2024 / ARKANSAS / 3

Campus

Bumpers College Focused on Strategic Recruiting Plans to Partner with Extension Directors for More Visibility

Bumpers College has experienced a 7% enrollment increase, jumping from 2,006 undergraduates in 2022 to 2,158 this year (7.58%) and overall, from 2,307 to 2,467 (6.94%).

Agricultural business, animal science, and apparel merchandising and product development draw the most students.

The college is strategically recruiting, focusing on students from throughout the state, matching them with careers and in areas we can meet increased employer needs.

We are working with admissions to enroll more students in science and STEM-based majors such as

Top to bottom and left to right, The U of A weed science team, all Bumpers College students in crop science, won the 2023 National Weed Contest this summer.

U of A’s ranch horse team, all students in animal science, won the overall Division II collegiate title at the Stock Horse of Texas World Show.

Members of U of A's MANRRS chapter, Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (a campus-wide student organization housed in Bumpers College) attended the national conference in Atlanta, including presentations, small group breakout sessions, workshops, a career expo, networking with potential employers and other students, and professional development.

The apparel merchandising and product development program holds the annual Enclothe fashion show each spring, featuring garments designed and made by students.

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crop science, food science, horticulture and poultry science. Crop, food and poultry science, and others, allow graduates to earn specific degrees and enter select professional schools, if desired.

We are reorganizing departmental recruiting efforts and collaborating with district directors in extension offices across the state for more visibility.

Alumni and supporters wishing to connect with us through events, schools, extension offices, etc., are encouraged to reach out at extrel@uark.edu.

op to bottom and L-R, T The U of A poultry judging team, all students in poultry science, won the USPOULTRY Foundation Ted Cameron National Poultry Judging Contest and finished second in the nation at the 56th National Collegiate Poultry Judging Contest.

Students in hospitality management gain direct experience by planning and executing the annual SMASH event (Students Mastering the Art of Southern Hospitality) every spring, and by preparing and serving meals in Pineapple Café, a student-run, pop-up restaurant on campus during fall and spring semesters.

Anna Mathis, a junior in agricultural education, communications and technology, was awarded the prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship for 2023. She is the fourth Bumpers College Truman Scholar since 2012, joining Sam Harris  B.S.A.’18 (2017), Victoria Maloch  B.S.A.’17 (2016) and Mike Norton B.S.A.’13 (2012).

The horticulture judging team, all horticulture students, placed second at the 2023 American Society for Horticultural Sciences Southern Region Annual Conference.

The college’s School of Human Environmental Sciences won the U of A’s 2023 Ferritor Award for Departmental/Unit Excellence in Teaching. HESC focuses on the basics of life – family, community, food, nutrition, clothing and environment.

Students in food science won presentation awards at the Institute of Food Technologists First Event and Expo in Chicago, and at the International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting in Toronto.

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Campus

Yvonne Farrell, co-founder of Grafton Architects and co-recipient of the 2020 Pritzker Prize, spent several days on campus in October, visiting the Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation construction site, engaging with students, and presenting a lecture on finding the DNA of a project. Grafton Architects designed the Anthony Timberlands Center in partnership with Fayetteville-based Modus Studio.

Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design Designing for Real People and Toward a Better Environment

Across the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, we focus our students’ attentions on the issues of community with a global awareness. Design is for everyone, and we design for the lives of real people and toward a better environment, through a responsible emphasis on the materiality and experience of design.

Our students in architecture, landscape architecture, and interior architecture and design have the life-changing opportunity to study abroad, in locales that include the 6 / ARKANSAS / WINTER 2024

U of A Rome Center. Generous donor support has provided an increased number of scholarships in recent years.

In the last three years, our student enrollment has increased by 30 percent, up from 730 in 2020 to 952 in 2023. Graduates in all disciplines have a near 100 percent job placement rate.

On the horizon is a new applied research facility, the Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation, which will foster new ways of thinking and making.

op to bottom and L-R, T “Ground Rules,” an installation

by Jessica Colangelo, assistant professor of architecture, and Charles Sharpless, assistant professor of interior architecture and design, was part of the 2023 Exhibit Columbus exhibition, Public by Design, in Columbus, Indiana.

The installation was created as part of the pair’s work as 2022-2023 University Design Research Fellows.

Students take a handson approach to material development in a weaving course. The looms were purchased as part of a $30,000 grant from the Angelo Donghia Foundation awarded to the Department of Interior Architecture and Design in 2022.

Design Camp, an introduction to design school for high school students, continued in person this summer. Through the schoolguided camps, participants worked closely with Fay Jones School faculty, students and alumni in a studio environment.

During final reviews each semester, students receive feedback on their projects from industry professionals from around the world.

Street Legal, an advanced studio, recently received a 2023 Timber Education Prize. The course is part of a series of studios focused on alleviating the shortage of affordable housing in Arkansas and nationwide.

The 2023 Career Fair saw a record number of participating firms and other employers, many of them represented by school alumni, from across the country. The opportunity for students to connect with alumni in the workforce continues to prove vital for student success after graduation.

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Campus

Community members check out student pottery for sale at the Grand Opening of the School of Art's Studio and Design Center in the Windgate Art and Design District, which opened in January 2023 and is a significant milestone in fostering creativity, education and community engagement in Arkansas. In 2017, the School of Art received a transformational $40 million gift from the Windgate Charitable Support Foundation that created the district and an additional $30 million partial grant challenge to expand and complete the district in 2021.

Photo by Novo Studios.

Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences Pursuing Peace Through Education

Whatever a University of Arkansas student’s major may be, many of their core courses come from the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences — and we take immense pride in serving them a myriad of courses and degrees in the fine arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences.

This year we’ve made incredible advancements — opening our School of Art’s beautiful Studio and Design Center, breaking ground on a one-of-its-kind semiconductor facility and celebrating our first-ever interdisciplinary Data Science Program graduates.

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We also became home to the Arkansas Center for Black Music and the United States’ only master’s-level Black Sacred Music degree, launched an online Spanish degree, and welcomed home a best-selling author whose work was inspired by adventures at Fulbright College.

As we look ahead, we are excited to continue our pursuit of peace through education and to embody our mission of enriching lives by promoting discovery and facilitating transformational experiences.

op to bottom and L-R, T Political Science and African and African American Studies alumna Ayana Gray B.A.’15, the university's youngest graduate ever to receive the Young Alumni Award, is a New York Times bestselling author whose next book, inspired in part by her time at the U of A and Fulbright College, will publish January 2024.

Photo by Russell Cothren.

Since Chemistry and Biochemistry's Jingyi Chen joined the U of A in 2010, she has been awarded more than $2.5 million in research funding and, in spring 2023, she was inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineers, which is among the highest professional distinctions in this field.

Photo by Chieko Hara.

Romona West  B.S.B.A.’97, J.D.’00, and Deborah Korth Ed.D.’04 were promoted to assistant deans of inclusive excellence and student success, respectively, in May 2023 to underscore Fulbright College's commitment to an environment of student success and of inclusion for all in support of the U of A’s land-grant mission to serve all of Arkansas.

Photo by Kaleb Turner.

Biological Sciences and Cell and Molecular Biology’s Douglas Rhoads, known for his extensive work in genetics and genomics across various species, was honored as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in February 2023, while his former student Tameka Bailey Ph.D.’07, now an assistant professor of biology and founder of a STEAM-focused program for Arkansas Delta students, credits him with a life-changing impact on her career and academic journey at the U of A. Photo by Russell Cothren.

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Campus

Walton Career Connections celebrates students who have accepted a job or internship at Signing Day, where students hold industry signs that reflect their future employer.

Sam M. Walton College of Business Preparing Students for Life After College

As a nationally recognized business school, the Sam M. Walton College of Business educates the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders to contribute to industry and the economy.

To prepare students for successful careers and to have a positive impact on the state, region and the world, Walton College provides experiential learning, internship programs and industry partnerships. The college uses teaching, research and service to benefit the Arkansas economy by guiding entrepreneurial start-ups, training future business leaders and providing vital research that influences industry.

This fall, the college welcomed nearly 9,000 students, more than doubling enrollment since 2012. In fall 2022, Walton College boasted an 87.5% retention rate. Of the job-seeking undergraduates in spring 2021, 76.2% were employed upon graduation, while an additional 8.3% planned to pursue an advanced degree after graduation.

Keep up to date with Walton College through Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and our monthly alumni email newsletter.

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Brent Williams recognizes senior Reece Hodgson B.S.B.A.’23 as the Outstanding Information Systems Student at the Walton College Student Awards Banquet February 2023.

op to bottom and L-R, T Mervin Jebaraj B.A.’07, M.P.A.’11, director for the Center for Business and Economic Research, shares global, national and local economic trends with local business leaders.

Walton Career Connections hosts the Business Career Fair each fall to help students find the perfect internship or fulltime job after graduation. This year’s event was the largest Business Career Fair to date with 186 companies meeting more than 1800 students at Bud Walton Arena.

The Walton College of Business Sales Competition is an innovative twist on national sales competitions that simulates the relationship between a retailer, primarily Walmart Inc., and its suppliers.

On the first day of Sales Competition, the Advanced Professional Selling students competed, and the case sponsor was Cintas. The top three finalists were Tyler Perry B.S.B.A.’23 (1st), Blakeley Fiedler B.S.B.A.’03 (2nd), and Megan Zaves B.S.B.A.’23 (3rd).

The Arkansas Business Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding business leaders throughout Arkansas at an annual gala held in Little Rock. The 2023 event honored (L-R) Curtis Bradbury B.S.B.A.’72, M.A.’73 (Stephens Inc.), Judy R. McReynolds (ArcBest), Ross M. Whipple  M.B.A.’76 (Horizon Capital Partners and Horizon Timber Services Inc.), and E. Fletcher Lord Jr. (Bumper to Bumper/CrowBurlingame Co.) for their contributions to industry, the state and their communities.

A 2023 Walton College graduate stands proudly with her family after graduation last spring.

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Campus

The College of Education and Health Professions leadership team celebrated the launch of its WE CARE strategic plan in fall 2023.

Education and health are vital cornerstones of economic and societal well-being in every community. The college’s strategic plan serves as a catalyst for innovation across healthcare and education and an accelerator of improved education and health outcomes.

College of Education and Health Professions Leading with Care

The College of Education and Health Professions is embarking on a new era. Dean Kate Mamiseishvili became the first woman dean of the college on Feb. 1, 2023, and launched a five-year WE CARE Strategic Plan in the fall.

WE CARE, which stands for the Wellness and Education Commitment to Arkansas Excellence, provides a bold vision and a clear direction for how the college will foster a caring culture, advance impactful research, and expand its service to Arkansas.

With six departments — spanning majors in teaching, educational leadership, nursing, counseling, athletic training, speech-language and occupational therapy, and other caring professions — the college is uniquely poised to find synergies across its diverse programs.

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Mamiseishvili is committed to strengthening connections with alumni, community partners and other stakeholders to help advance growth and innovation in education and healthcare across Arkansas and beyond. She established a Dean’s Executive Advisory Board of 37 education and health leaders to help further this goal.

Visit wecare.uark.edu to learn more about the college’s strategic plan and help advance the college’s priorities. Want to connect with the college? Reach out at coehp@uark.edu or subscribe to the monthly newsletter. Follow the college on Facebook and Instagram at @uacoehp or LinkedIn under its full name.

op to bottom and L-R, T The college welcomed 26 new faculty members this year and is supporting them through two new programs: the First-Year Faculty Engagement and Networking Series and the Early-Career Faculty Research Engagement and Mentoring Program.

Several new faculty members met at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art as part of the networking series.

From L-R, Bernard Muriithi, Associate Dean Michael Hevel, Renee Speight B.A.’09, M.Ed.’13, Ph.D.’18, Sheida Raley, Becca Bassett, Danielle Acurio, Emily Goucher B.S.N.’11, Julie Hill Ph.D.’19, Karynecia Conner and Jennifer Muriithi.

Eleanor Mann School of Nursing students and faculty volunteers completed 101 sports physicals at the Decatur School District in the spring to care for the community and provide healthcare access. Seven Bachelor of Science in Nursing students, six Doctor of Nursing Practice students — along with Drs. Marilou Shreve B.S.N.’99 and Allison Scott — provided this needed service.

The college embarked on its first WE CARE-A-VAN tour in fall 2023, making stops in Morrilton, Pine Bluff, Jacksonville and Little Rock on the two-day adventure.

The college hosted a reception at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock to raise awareness across the state about its IMPACT Arkansas Principal Fellows program. IMPACT is an innovative program that prepares a cohort of 20 future leaders annually for highpoverty schools throughout Arkansas Since 2014, the program has recruited 146 aspiring school leaders serving 124 high-poverty schools in 88 Arkansas public school districts and eight charter schools.

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Photo by Jennifer Cook

Campus

Distinguished Professor Min Zou (center) was celebrated for receiving the campus’s SEC Faculty Achievement Award this spring in recognition of her outstanding record in research and scholarship. She is pictured with her research team, L-R, front row: Adedoyin Abe B.S.M.E.’18, M.S.M.E.’22, Min Zou, Firuze Soltani Kordshul  Ph.D.’23, and Julia Hoskins B.S.M.E.’20; L-R, back row: William Bennett B.S.M.E.’22, Mahyar Afshar Mohajer Ph.D.’22 and Nathaniel Harris B.S.M.E.’18.

College of Engineering Sets Sights on Building Premier STEM Workforce

Vision 2035 Plan Dovetails with Chancellor’s 150 Forward Initiative to Fuel Economic Growth, Research Innovation

In alignment with Chancellor Charles Robinson’s  ambitious 150 Forward initiative, the College of Engineering embraces our pivotal role in driving economic growth, fueling innovation and educating the next generation of engineers, computer scientists and data scientists to address current and future societal challenges. Our strategic plan, Vision 2035, seeks to build the premier STEM workforce in accordance with three key objectives: initiating lifelong student success, generating transformational and relevant knowledge, and 14 / ARKANSAS / WINTER 2024

becoming the destination of choice among educators, students, staff, industry, alumni and the community. As part of this, we must increase the number of students we serve and engineers we produce. This vision is big, bold, externally focused and involves leaders from campus, government, industry and philanthropy working together to increase our footprint as an entrepreneurial engineering platform serving Arkansas and the world.

op to bottom and L-R, T Members of the U of A administration, faculty, staff, and U of A System and Board of Trustees take part in the ceremonial ground breaking for the Multi-User Silicon Carbide Research and Fabrication Facility known as MUSiC. The facility will enable national laboratories, businesses and other universities to prototype with silicon carbide, a capability that does not presently exist elsewhere in the U.S. College of Engineering students and staff stop for a group photo at Phillips Medisize in Maumelle during the group’s Alternative Spring Break trip to multiple Arkansas employers in March.

The Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical Engineering’s Chem-E-Car team won Regional 1st Place at the 2023 Mid-America Regional Student Conference for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. That finish earned them a spot at the Chem-E-Car Competition finals in November. Team members include, L-R, front row: Leanza Trevino B.S.Ch.E.’23, Austen Lee and Amber Veach B.S.Ch.E.’23; L-R, back row: Jean Gabin Yallou Castillo, Alfredo Carrillo and Aaron Hebert. Tammy Lutz-Rechtin, Karen Beitle  M.S.Ch.E.’97 and Bob Beitle  are the team’s advisors.

From L-R, College of Engineering Hall of Fame inductees Sam Alley  B.S.C.E.’79, chairman of VCC, a Little Rock-based contractor, and Pam McGinnis  B.S.I.E.’90, retired vice president of global sales, marketing and retail operations at Phillips 66, pose with Dean Kim Needy .

Annelise Koster B.S.’23 and Jack Kincannon B.S.’23, two of the Data Science Program’s first graduates, wait for their names to be called during the commencement ceremony in May.

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Campus

Honors College

Building a Diverse, Transformative Community

The goal of the University of Arkansas Honors College is to build a diverse, transformative community of students and faculty that prepares graduates who excel professionally, flourish personally and lead globally. As the flagship university, we are proud to serve the state of Arkansas by training the future leaders of Arkansas, the nation and beyond.

Through interdisciplinary seminars with top faculty, life-design programming, one-on-one academic advising, first-generation mentoring, research, engagement and international education grants, the Honors College supports the strategic pillars of the university by fostering academic success and intellectual engagement, career readiness and post-graduate confidence and most importantly, well-being and belonging across campus.

This past year, we awarded more than $2 million in grants and served more than 4,000 students across campus.

Our agile staff and faculty continue to curate exceptional professional, academic and social experiences for honors scholars and broaden the college’s national profile in the theater of honors education at the university level.

We are happy to report honors alumni lead locally and across the globe. We now have the structure in place to connect current students with ambitious alumni, demonstrating the variety of career paths open to honors graduates. From interning at Tyson Foods to writing an honors thesis about entrepreneurship, Austin B.S.A.’14, M.B.A.’17 and Quinn Simkins B.S.B.A.’18 launched Natural Way in 2018 to create sustainable nut butters. To date, they’ve expanded their line to chain and independent grocery stores throughout the nation, with accounts landed in even Hawaii and Alaska.

More than 200 seniors graduating with Latin honors got an additional heaping dose of Latin when they donned business casual attire and gathered in the courtyard of Gearhart Hall. All Honors College graduates are elected to membership in the Honors College Senior Common Room in recognition of their commitment to intellectual excellence with a celebration marked by much pomp, elaborate props and a coat of arms. The idea grew from a Latin motto that Dean Coon has adopted, "Audax at Sapiens," meaning "bold but wise."

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Top left, This year, the Honors College awarded $1,110,161 across 211 student grants for study in 30 countries on all seven continents of the world.

Once Zoe Pitman B.S.’23, an honors earth science major, discovered that students had not yet studied abroad in Antarctica, she knew she wanted to try. With support from an Honors College Study Abroad Grant, Pitman moved for a semester to Argentina (the gateway to the Drake Passage) to fulfill her dream.

Top right, This year, the Honors College will proudly celebrate the first ten years of our Path Program, a phenomenally successful recruitment and retention machine for students from underrepresented communities across the state of Arkansas. Established in 2014, the Path Program provides both scholarships and mentorship to students.

From designing medical devices for women and children in Africa to finding a voice through sculpture and the arts community in Northwest Arkansas, Path Scholars have created an incredible legacy at the U of A.

ottom left, The Honors B College partners with colleges across campus to provide honors programs that foster creative and critical thinking.

Throughout the past year, a team of six students produced an oral history of TheatreSquared, the award-winning regional theatre located in downtown Fayetteville. Working with staff from the David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, the group compiled a record of the theatre’s enduring cultural impact on Northwest Arkansas over the last 15 years.

ottom right, The honors B thesis is a rewarding capstone experience for students and a gateway to research and other creative work beyond the undergraduate years.

Honors political science and international studies major Alex Alvarez B.A.’03 was inspired to research justice and human rights norms for LGBTQ+ communities in Latin America through a study of El Salvador. Upon completing her thesis research and graduating summa cum laude, Alvarez is continuing her education at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs where she is pursuing a master’s in international affairs with a concentration in human rights and humanitarian policy.

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Campus

Above, Chrystal Thomas, a recruiter for online programs at the Global Campus, interviews a graduate about her experiences in her online degree program at the Global Campus graduation reception.

The Global Campus focuses on expanding access and reach of higher education by sharing students' stories to inspire others.

Top Left, Luke Gramlich B.A.’11, M.A.’14, senior videographer and editor on the Global Campus media production team, records video to support teaching and learning. The team assists with video needs for online courses as well as streaming live events for academic departments.

Bottom Left, Instructional designers at the Global Campus, from left, Camie Wood, Alex Dowell M.Ed.’02, Amalie Holland M.A.’06 and James Martin B.A.’94, M.Ed.’00, M.A.’01 record an episode of the Pedagogy Toolkit podcast, a project the instructional design team created to support teaching success in online degree programs.

Global Campus

Expanding Online Pathways to Education Credentials In 2024, the Global Campus will expand pathways to educational credentials through online education that include microcredentials, non-credit-to-credit avenues, increased access and reach, and grant- or employer-paid education.

Our staff will be agile and innovative in ways that support student and faculty success. This includes creative preparation to help students with difficult classes, graduate orientation for online students, and podcasts with on-demand help for online instruction. We will focus on industry partnerships that make it easier for employees to use work benefits for education, create in-demand training for industries, and seek grants to help Arkansans pay for training. We will support the success of students in online degree programs so that they can graduate and become leaders in their communities, businesses, educational institutions and health care facilities.

See how Global Campus integrates with the campus to provide adult education in our annual report: globalcampus.uark.edu/impact.

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The Global Campus’ annual report includes data on online programs offered, students enrolled and degrees and certificates awarded, illustrating access and student success.

op left, The Global Campus Professional and Workforce T Development received a federal grant to fund online workforce training for Arkansans and people who work in Arkansas.

bove, The Global Campus celebrates student success with a A reception for graduates of online degree programs each spring.

A graduate poses for a picture with her family at the reception in May at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House.

eft, The Global Campus L expands access and supports student success with its annual W. E. Manning Memorial Scholarship.

Winners receive $2,000 per academic year to help pay tuition and fees of an online degree program. The Global Campus contributes funds, when possible, to increase the pool available.

The number of recipients has grown from four in 2018 to 27 in 2023.

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Campus

Panamanian students dance during the annual Plaza de las Americas event at the Arkansas Union mall.

Photo by Chieko Hara.

The Graduate School and International Education Transformational Experiences and Opportunities

The Graduate School and International Education (GSIE) facilitates transformational experiences and opportunities for all University of Arkansas graduate students, international students and domestic students studying abroad through programming and support, collaboration with campus partners, and advocacy. The school advances the university’s academic and research enterprises by attracting, recruiting and retaining topnotch graduate students, in addition to recruiting and supporting a thriving international student population that brings diverse cultures and perspectives to enrich our 20 / ARKANSAS / WINTER 2024

campus and state. GSIE also connects domestic students with study-abroad opportunities, sending them across the world to experience new cultures, customs and peoples that broaden their horizons and forever change their lives.

In addition to serving graduate, international and study abroad students, the unit also oversees the Office of Testing Services which provides academic assessment and professional certification exams with honesty, integrity and fairness.

Alumni, students, donors and supporters are invited to connect with GSIE on its social media accounts on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook, @uarkgsie.

Top left, International students showcase their native countries during the bazaar held during International Education Week.

Top middle, Jacob Shaw B.S.B.A.'23, runs with the bulls during his study-abroad experience in Barcelona, Spain.

Top right, Autumn Klein B.S.H.E.S.'23, B.A.'23, learns to make pizza ‘the true Italian way’ during her study-abroad excursion to Florence, Italy.

Middle left, Selom Ametepe M.S.'20, an international doctoral student in the Cell and Molecular Biology Program, conducts research in her lab.

Photo by Cassandra Thomas.

Middle, Tyler Orsak, School of Art faculty member, works with graduate student Beth Dedman.

Photo by Russell Cothren.

Middle right, (L-R) Anna Buckley B.S.B.A.'23, and Addison Pummill B.S.B.A.'23, pose for a photo in the Coliseum during a summer studying abroad in Rome.

Above, (L-R) International students Khoshee Othman Mohammed M.Ed.'23, Diyorakhon Kambaralieva, Anatolii Nezgoduk, Grace Mahamba M.S.'23, Phanuel Allaissem Beremadji M.S.I.E.'23, Oleksandra Ladychenko, Jorge Rodriguez Pena, Karina De Gracia Rodriguez and Maliha Afridi.

Photo by Whit Pruitt B.A. '16.

Bottom right, Jossie Santamaria B.S.A.'19, a doctoral international student in the Department of Poultry Science, with his advisor, Gisela Erf. Photo by Cassandra Thomas.

WINTER 2024 / ARKANSAS / 21

Photos submitted.

Campus

Law Alumni Society Award recipients.

School of Law

This August we welcomed our 100th incoming class to the University of Arkansas School of Law. The coming year brings even more excitement for the law school as we celebrate our Centennial. This milestone is an opportunity to reflect on our rich history, commemorate our accomplishments, and envision an even brighter future.

Join us on April 13, 2024, as we kick off our Centennial with a Founder’s Day Celebration during Alumni Reunion Weekend. This event is just the beginning of a year filled with exciting commemorations. It’s an opportunity to rekindle old connections, forge new ones, and inspire the legal community to continue pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

Visit our website, engage with us on social media, and join the conversation using #UARKLaw100. Help us make our centennial year truly extraordinary; save the date, spread the word, and join us in “Embracing the Past and Enhancing the Future”!

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Photos submitted.

Embracing the Past and Enhancing the Future

National Trial Competition Team and coaches.

School of Law 100th incoming Class.

Commencement 2023.

Photos submitted.

State of Arkansas Fall Swearing-in Ceremony.

Students and benefactors gather at the annual Scholarship Luncheon.

WINTER 2024 / ARKANSAS / 23

Photos submitted by Enrollment Services.

Campus

Chancellor Robinson  (left) and Provost Terry Martin  B.S.E.E.’77, M.S.E.E.’83, Ph.D.’89 (right) congratulate 2023 Harry S. Truman Scholar Anna Mathis  (center). The University of Arkansas has produced 26 Truman Scholars, more than any other university in the Southeastern Conference.

Division of Enrollment This fall, the University of Arkansas welcomed its largest student body to campus, enrolling more than 32,000 for the first time in university history. This record enrollment boasted the U of A’s second-largest incoming class — 6,336 new freshmen — and a record number of new students from Arkansas, even as the university grows as a destination for students from across the country. We now serve more Arkansans than ever who come here to pursue their academic and professional goals and prepare for success after graduation. This is an accomplishment in which we take tremendous pride.

This milestone is possible thanks to the U of A’s outstanding support of Arkansas students. Since 2019, the University of Arkansas has added $7 million in scholarship funding dedicated to Arkansas, and 98% of Arkansas new freshmen who applied for a scholarship last year received one. Tune in next year for more good news!

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Top left & right, Chancellor Charles Robinson along with Vice Provost Suzanne McCray  B.A.’78, M.A.’80, M.A.’90, and several enrollment staff toured high schools in Central Arkansas, including Cabot High School, Vilonia High School, and Central High School in Little Rock.

Middle left & right, Celebrating U of A Commencement in May 2023.

Above, Admitted students are welcomed to campus to participate in New Student Orientation.

Photos submitted by Enrollment Services.

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Campus

Students, seen here from the stage, had a wonderful time at the Student Activities and Headliner Concerts Committee’s Springtime of Youth Music Festival in April 2023.

Division of Student Affairs

Enhancing the U of A Experience and Helping Students Succeed The Division of Student Affairs is an essential contributor to student success, supporting the cocurricular experience of undergraduate, graduate and professional students. Student Affairs focuses on prioritizing student access, well-being and belonging, post-graduation success, and building a strong, student-centered organizational culture. We strive to center students’ well-being experiences and create community through welcoming practices, spaces and experiences. Through resources, programs and services, we hope to help students develop a sense of belonging, experience and sustain a state of well-being, and feel safe. We prepare students for success through career preparation, leadership development and cocurricular experiences. We plan to develop learning outcomes aligned with competencies desired by employers for all leadership and experiential opportunities within the Division and integrate these into conversations with students about post-graduation plans. Our staff enter this field of work because of their commitment to and passion for higher education; investing in them positively impacts our students.

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During the Freshman Pep Rally, organized by Student Activities and held the week before classes start, new students learn all the cheers and get to form the traditional big A on the football field.

Top to bottom and L-R, Razorbash is a traditional Welcome Weeks event held by Student Activities.

Local vendors and community organizations come to campus and promote their organizations to U of A students.

Panhellenic Bid Day is always an amazing site to behold in the Chi Omega Greek Theater. This year Greek Life set another record with 2,045 women going through the recruitment process.

Move-In is always an exciting few days as new students leave their hometowns and make a new home in University Housing.

The Arkansas Union turned 50 years old in 2023. The Union held a 50th anniversary celebration in the Verizon Ballroom in September 2023.

Division of Student Affairs staff and campus volunteers help make life a bit easier for students moving into University Housing by assisting them with moving things into their rooms.

AnReckez Daniels, University of Arkansas Employee of the Year for 2023 and assistant director in The Multicultural Center, talks with a reporter during the reception for the “Better In Black” photo exhibition that he arranged.

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Campus

For the third-consecutive season, the Razorback men’s basketball team advanced to the second weekend of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Arkansas, a No. 8 seed, opened the Big Dance with a 73-63 win over Illinois in the first round of the tournament and then shocked the bracket by pulling off a dramatic 72-71 upset of No. 1 seed Kansas in the second round.

Razorback Athletics

Developing Razorbacks and Champions for Life The University of Arkansas Department of Intercollegiate Athletics continues to pursue its vision — To Be Our Best — while fulfilling its mission of developing 465+ student-athletes into Razorbacks and Champions for Life. As members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the Razorbacks consistently compete and win in the nation’s best conference while proudly representing the University of Arkansas and the entire state.

Arkansas has won 33 SEC team championships in the past six years, including 15 conference titles in the past three years alone. Both marks lead all SEC programs and the Razorbacks’ 33 titles are equal to seven other league programs combined in that same time frame.

In the 2022-23 academic year, Arkansas recorded one of the most successful years in the program’s history, finishing 13th in the Learfield Directors’ Cup. Academically, Razorback student-athletes combined for a 3.20 cumulative GPA and 166 student-athletes earned academic personal bests. A total of 72 Razorback student-athletes graduated and another 12 earned graduate certificates.

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Coach Sam Pittman and the Razorback Football team earned the program’s first win at the Swamp (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium) on the campus of the University of Florida. The Hogs defeated the Gators 39-36 in overtime on November 4.

For the first time in its storied history, Arkansas swept both the men’s and women’s national championships at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. It’s the first sweep of men’s and women’s NCAA titles by any school since 2016 and gave Arkansas a combined 49 NCAA championships in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field.

op to bottom and L-R, T The Razorbacks earned a national seed and hosted a regional at Bogle Park for the third-straight season. It was the fourth time overall Arkansas has hosted postseason play on its home field.

Arkansas helped rewrite its record book during the 2023 volleyball season. The Razorbacks won 18 of their first 20 matches and broke into the top 10 of the national rankings for the first time in program history.

Arkansas earned a clean sweep of the team titles at the 2023 SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Both the men’s and women’s teams finished atop the podium in the conference outdoor meet.

The men’s golf team blazed through the regionals, setting multiple school records, on its way to qualifying for the NCAA Championships for the thirdconsecutive year. Coach Brad McMakin’s squad, led by senior Julian Perico B.S.’23, finished 18th at the national meet.

Arkansas claimed its 28th SEC Men’s Cross Country Championship with a convincing win at the conference meet held in Columbia, South Carolina.

It was the 30th overall SEC championship won in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field under Coach Chris Bucknam.

Razorback Gymnastics earned a berth to the NCAA Regional in Norman, Oklahoma. Arkansas posted a program-best NCAA regional score of 197.275.

Following an SEC regular season championship, Arkansas earned the No. 3 national seed in the 2023 NCAA Baseball Tournament. The Razorbacks hosted an NCAA Regional at Baum-Walker Stadium and advanced to the regional final.

For the third time in the past four seasons, Arkansas captured the Southeastern Conference regular season championship in 2023.

The Razorbacks earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

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Feature

Calling All Hogs Home Homecoming 2023

The University of Arkansas celebrated Homecoming Oct. 19-21, 2023. All members of the U of A family were invited to the celebration.

The Arkansas Alumni Association and the Division of Student Affairs launched a new student-driven Homecoming event, the inaugural HOCO Party on the Mall and Friday Fireworks Celebration.

“In my conversations with students and our alumni team over the last three years, it has been top of mind to offer a very special experience where our students and alumni feel welcome to celebrate and enjoy their Home on the Hill,” said Brandy Cox Jackson  M.A.’07, Ph.D.’23, executive director of the Arkansas Alumni Association. “It is inspiring to see so many student groups interested in this year’s activities and providing fun opportunities for all!”

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On Oct. 19, the Homecoming Kick-off with Head Hogs, sponsored by the Associated Student Government, and Local Legends on the Mall, sponsored by SOOIE (Student Organization Outreach and Involvement Experience), filled the Union Mall with great local food from Nellie B’s Bakery, Catfish Hole, and Penguin Ed’s BBQ & More. Later that evening the Arkansas Alumni Association hosted Senior Walk Dedication. The event featured the ribbon cutting for the Class of 2021 installation on Senior Walk, recognition of the Classes for 1998 and 1973 for their significant graduation anniversaries, 25th and 50th respectively, and a reception at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House.

Above, Chancellor Robinson with the 2023 Homecoming King Jackson Walton and Queen Mackenzie Mollner.

Photos submitted by Shane White B.A.'18, M.A.'21.

Local Legends on the Union Mall continued Friday, Oct. 20, with great local food from Rick’s Bakery and Feltner Brothers, followed by the HOCO Party on the Mall. The HOCO Party was sponsored by the Office of Student Activities and New Student and Family Programs, both departments in the Division of Student Affairs. The event featured food by KDK Chicken and Waffles, music by local band “Maple Street,” and a photo booth.

The Arkansas Booster Club hosted the Homecoming Pep Rally in the Chi Omega Greek Theatre. The event featured the announcement of Homecoming King and Queen, Jackson Walton and Mackenzie Mollner. Homecoming fireworks lit the night sky for 15 minutes immediately following the Pep Rally. The show was sponsored by the New Student & Family Programs’ Parent and Family Association, the Office of Student Activities, and the Arkansas Alumni Association. NPHC hosted its traditional Homecoming Step Show in the Arkansas Union's Verizon Ballroom. The Arkansas Alumni Association presented the 78th Alumni Awards Celebration at the Fayetteville Town Center, honoring 13 alumni and faculty in seven awards categories.

Saturday, Oct. 21, began with a Hog Wild Tailgate at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House with a special guest appearance by Razorback Women’s Basketball Coach Mike Neighbors, as well as a pep rally featuring the Razorback Marching Band, Spirit Squads and a few mascots. Several alumni societies also hosted Homecoming tailgates. During halftime of the Homecoming game versus Mississippi State, the Homecoming Court joined the Razorback Marching band on the field, and Chancellor Charles Robinson  crowned the Homecoming King and Queen.

Other events included the seventh annual Pack the Pantry Food Drive benefiting the Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry at the U of A. It is the biggest food drive of the year and critical to the U of A campus.

The Arkansas Alumni Association hosted its annual Homecoming Scholarship Auction, an online auction that raises funds for the association’s scholarship program that supports U of A students. The 2023 auction raised more than $31,000.

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Feature

Above, A 15-minute Homecoming Fireworks Show lit the night sky.

Photo by Nathan Kesner.

Right, top to bottom, The Homecoming Hog Wild Tailgate included appearances by Sue E. and Coach Mike Neighbors.

The Bumpers College Alumni Society Homecoming Tailgate had over 100 guests, with food, games, and a lot of game day spirit.

Photos submitted.

The Full Circle Food Pantry receives a $50,000 gift from Hellmann's and iHeartMedia Impact at the Homecoming Game.

Photos submitted.

Senior Walk Dedication featured the ribbon cutting for the Class of 2021 installation on Senior Walk and a reception at the Alumni House.

Photo by Whit Pruitt B.A. '16.

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START YOUR FREE TRIAL NOW TO GO BEHIND THE SCENES AND TAKE YOUR RAZORBACK FANDOM TO THE NEXT LEVEL

HOGSPLUS.COM WINTER 2024 / ARKANSAS / 33

Photos submitted.

Feature

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Empowering Future Generations

The Stovall Family’s Legacy of Service and Philanthropy

BY MARK CAMARIGG

At a meeting last year of the Charleston Alumni Chapter, Bill Stovall III + B.S.B.A.’72 had a particularly engaging conversation with a nursing school student. The student described the rigorous course work and grueling 14-hour shifts required to complete the degree. Reflecting on that discussion later, Stovall asked himself a big question, “What is something that is really important for mankind?”

That conversation inspired Stovall’s recent gift to the University of Arkansas. The Bill Stovall III Endowed Scholarship in Nursing will support undergraduate students pursuing a nursing degree in the College of Education and Health Professions, and fund five scholarships for nursing students in perpetuity. Stovall endowed a similar scholarship at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, reflecting his strong desire to support students throughout his home state.

As an alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, some friends wondered why Stovall did not endow his gift to the Sam M. Walton College of Business, but he had other intentions. “I realized nursing students have to work extremely hard to get into the program,” Stovall candidly states. “I was very moved by the needs of students returning and working to get themselves through nursing school. These people work really hard, and they’re going to serve people for the rest of their lives. So, I wanted to restrict my gift to nursing students.”

Stovall credits his parents with instilling in him a sense of philanthropy and the importance of giving. “My parents both had trusts and named the University of Arkansas as a beneficiary of their charitable remainder trusts,” Stovall stated. “Both were very philanthropic. The example that my parents set of philanthropy influenced my decision to give back to the U of A via my charitable remainder unitrust.”

The U of A has impacted three generations of the Stovall family and inspired each generation to contribute to their alma mater in diverse and meaningful ways. The family’s generosity reflects not just passion for the U of A, but a commitment to giving back and sharing the university’s mission with others. The Stovall family’s multi-generational connection to the university is a testament to the power of altruism, community involvement and service.

Bill Stovall Jr. B.A.'49, B.S.B.A.'50 a Blytheville native, enrolled at the U of A in 1942 and returned to finish his degree after serving in the Marine Corps during World War II. As a student, Stovall met Patricia Glazner F.S.’47 of Hot Springs during a dance at the student union and the couple married in 1947. He then earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at the university. After graduation, the young couple returned to Blytheville to run Cobb Funeral Home and Cemeteries, the family mortuary business established by Bill Stovall Sr. in 1918.

Above, Bill Stovall Jr. and his wife, Patricia, on graduation day at the U of A. Photos submitted.

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Feature

Bill Stovall III and his date during his senior year.

Photos submitted.

The Stovall family’s ties to the university only deepened with the next generation. Bill Jr. introduced his son, Bill III, to the U of A with annual visits to campus for football games. “My parents always maintained a close connection to Fayetteville and the U of A,” Stovall recalled. “I can remember my first trip to Fayetteville. It was a football weekend, and I was in the seventh grade and missed classes for a day. It was homecoming, and I was just overwhelmed by it all.”

Having been raised listening to Razorback football games on the radio, there was no doubt Stovall was headed to the U of A after high school. As a freshman, he was a member of the university marching band. Stovall cherishes his time as a student and describes his attendance at the university as the best four years of his life.

“The band was a huge part of my college experience,” Stovall stated. “I played the clarinet and the saxophone, and sometimes my parents would come in for games and sit close to the band so they could see me on the sidelines. It was wonderful. I got to go on all the trips. We went to the Sugar Bowl both years I was in the band. It was my first trip to New Orleans, and I saw things that I never had any idea went on!”

Stovall later served on the student-led Symposium Committee for two years, bringing celebrities, musical acts and noted scholars to campus, and organizing events marking the university’s 100th anniversary.

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Stovall also pledged the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, just as his father had years before. Today, a bronze plaque at the entrance of the fraternity commemorates this legacy, noting that the Greek letters adorning the house are dedicated to the memory of Stovall’s father.

On a Saturday in May of 1972, Stovall graduated from the university, but he wasn’t ready to leave the Hill just yet. Stovall recalls that he was the last person to leave his fraternity house after graduation.

Stovall attended the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science after graduation and, later, entered the family business in Blytheville. He maintained his connection with annual visits to the university and introduced his family to Fayetteville and the campus.

In 2002, Stovall sold the family business that had served the Blytheville community for nearly a century and moved to Charleston, South Carolina, to raise his family. With few local connections and the closest alumni chapter 200 miles north in Charlotte, North Carolina, Stovall was determined to start a local Arkansas Alumni Chapter. He contacted the Arkansas Alumni Association, which put him in touch with U of A graduate Chris Eversole. Together, the duo approached contacts provided by the association to gauge wider interest in establishing a Charleston Alumni Chapter.

Bonnie Stovall posing with her brother, Adam, on the day of her graduation from the U of A. Photos submitted.

They organized a kickoff event with a game watch, and about 30 people showed up. Encouraged by the initial turnout, Stovall and Eversole got more creative with their planning after realizing that a mix of events attracted a broader alumni base and their families. Today, the Charleston Alumni Chapter regularly hosts service events, game watches and holiday parties.

“We learned early on that not everyone likes to do the same things,” Stovall said. “One group likes to watch games but may not go to a cocktail party in the winter.

We have a minor league baseball team in Charleston, and that event attracts people that want to bring their kids.

They’ll recognize our group in the fifth inning, and we all stand up and call the Hogs!”

Last spring, the Charleston Alumni Chapter partnered with the South Carolina Aquarium and the Charleston Waterkeepers to clean up a local creek. The chapter started Helping Like a Hog, a community service event held each spring and fall. The events often focus on supporting a food kitchen or Habitat for Humanity.

The Stovall family’s legacy of service continues today with Stovall’s daughter Bonnie  B.A.'07. After attending Texas Christian University her freshman year, Bonnie’s early memories of visiting The Hill led her back to Fayetteville to complete her bachelor's degree in communication. “Of course, everybody from Blytheville High went to the U of A,

and I wanted to take a step out on my own,” Bonnie said. “I had a wonderful experience at TCU but eventually felt the U of A was where I belonged.” In addition to attending football games and pep rallies, Bonnie was an ambassador providing guided tours of the university and received a scholarship to study abroad at Oxford and Cambridge.

Today, Bonnie has returned to the classroom and is completing her counseling degree at UALR in the Master of Social Work program. She wants to work in mental health services so she can help others. “Everything I learned at the U of A led me to where I am today. My experiences there will be invaluable components of my future and will continue to be when I am a licensed social worker working toward helping others.”

Similarly, Bill Stovall’s commitment to the university and its students has not waned. He remains involved with Pi Kappa Alpha having served on the fraternity’s design committee and house corporation for over 10 years. Last year, Stovall was selected to serve a second three-year term on the Arkansas Alumni Association's National Board of Directors, and he remains humbled by the experience. "I joined the Association immediately after I graduated,” Stovall said. “And there’s never been a time in my life when I didn’t love to go back to Fayetteville and participate in things.”

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Photo by Russel Cothren.

Feature

2023 Awardees. Front row (left to right) Marcia Imbeau, Jennie Popp, Amy Tu, Raya Clay, Carole Shook, and Liz Allen.

Back Row (left to right) Ricardo Ekmay, Brian Wolff, Alex Nunn, Earnest Brown Jr., Varun Grover, Neil B. Ingels Jr. and Ken Allen.

Celebrating Excellence 2023 Alumni Awardees

BY CATHERINE BALTZ + B.S.’92, M.ED.’07

The Arkansas Alumni Association hosted its 78th Alumni Awards Celebration on Oct. 20 at the Fayetteville Town Center. The 2023 Alumni Awards Celebration began with a cocktail reception at 6 p.m. followed by dinner and the awards program at 7 p.m. Brandy Cox Jackson  M.A.’07, Ph.D.’23, associate vice chancellor for alumni and executive director of the Arkansas Alumni Association welcomed all and served as Mistress of Ceremonies. Award presentations were made by Provost Terry Martin  B.S.E.E.’77, M.S.E.E.’83, Ph.D.’89, Chancellor Charles Robinson , Connie Lewis Lensing  B.A.'74, J.D.'77, Amy May Hopper  B.S.A.'15, and Don Walker + B.S.A.’74, president of the association’s National Board of Directors.

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During the evening, eight of the association’s scholarship recipients served as ambassadors, escorting awardees leading up to and during the awards ceremony. Our ambassadors were Emma Flager , Emily McMennamy , Caroline Morton , Megan Nieweg , Ella Rowen , Carolina Remond , Isabella Tomboli , and Jacob Vincent .

The ceremony recognizes those individuals who continue to bring national and regional prominence to the U of A and the Arkansas Alumni Association through their research, exemplary public and community service, and valued leadership.

This year’s celebration honored the accomplishments of 13 alumni, faculty and friends and included recipients in seven award categories.

Above, Don Walker and Neil Ingels.

Photo by Whit Pruitt B.A. '16.

Citation of Distinguished Alumni The Citation of Distinguished Alumni recognizes exceptional professional and personal achievement and extraordinary distinction in a chosen field. The three alumni who received citations in 2023 are Dr. Neil B. Ingels Jr. B.S.E.E.’59, Amy Tu  J.D.’96, and Brian L. Wolff  B.A.’89.

Dr. Neil Ingels is the retired chairman of the Cardiovascular Physiology and Biophysics Department of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute.

After graduating from the University of Arkansas, Ingels moved to Utah, and then California, where he designed guidance and control systems for space vehicles.

In 1962, he accepted a position at the Palo Alto Medical Research Foundation where he began working in heart research seeking ways to improve cardiac pacemakers. While continuing his research work, he completed his master's degree in electrical engineering at Santa Clara University and received his doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1967.

In the 1970s, Dr. Ingels and his team developed a technique to measure cardiac motion by implanting miniature metal markers into the heart during surgery, which could later be seen in stereo X-ray movies.

Researchers could play these images back, allowing them to view and measure cardiac movement in detail. Despite advancements in technology, his technique remains the most accurate way to measure heart motion today.

Ingels has continued his heart research for more than 60 years with a particular focus on its motion and the mitral valve. He has authored more than 400 publications and presentations and four books. His work has helped the world to understand the complex workings of the heart and its valves and has influenced the way heart operations are performed.

Ingels is an American Heart Association charter fellow and is currently serving as an adjunct professor at the U of A.

Above, Don Walker and Connie Lewis Lensing present citation to Amy Tu. Photo by Whit Pruitt B.A. '16.

Amy Tu is the president, international and chief administrative officer at Tyson Foods Inc., where she leads Tyson Inc.’s international business with over 18,000 team members globally. She is responsible for the company’s international growth, strategy and global operations. Tu leads a diverse team across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Central and South America, Australia, and the United States.

She also leads the safety, health and environment; food safety and quality assurance; corporate services and aviation functions. Since joining the enterprise leadership team in 2017, Tu’s role and responsibilities have continued to expand.

Tu joined Tyson from The Boeing Company where she held progressive leadership positions in their law and corporate development and strategy departments. She served as chief counsel for Boeing's global law affairs, commercial airplanes and aviation services divisions, supporting multiple business and functional leaders worldwide. Tu was also instrumental in shaping the global law affairs practice as Boeing’s first regional counsel based in London, U.K., with responsibilities for commercial, military and defense matters in Europe, Russia and Israel. Before joining Boeing in 2001, she led global transactions and international legal matters as an international corporate counsel at The Gap and Walmart.

Over the course of her career, Tu has developed deep expertise in establishing and supporting global operations, executing complex cross-border, international and domestic transactions, and developing and integrating teams and new ventures into existing businesses. Tu is a past board member of the Arkansas Alumni Association National Board of Directors. In 2022, she was awarded the Gayle Pettus Pontz Award by the U of A School of Law Women’s Law Student Association.

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Feature

Above, Amy May Hopper presents award to Liz and Ken Allen.

Photo by Whit Pruitt B.A. '16.

Above, Awardee Brian Wolff (center) poses with Elizabeth Lilly McLaughlin  B.A.'96 and Don Walker.

Photo by Whit Pruitt B.A. '16.

Brian L. Wolff is the chief strategy officer & executive vice president, public policy and external affairs at the Edison Electric Institute (EEI). He is responsible for managing the Departments of Government Relations, Customer Solutions, Political and External Affairs, and Communications and Member Engagement for the Institute. These groups are responsible for and integrate EEI’s direct lobbying, grassroots outreach, coalition building, and strategic communications functions. Wolff also is the executive vice president of the Edison Foundation.

Before joining EEI in 2009, Wolff was a strategist for the U.S. House of Representatives. He also served as a finance and taxation legislative aide. Prior to his work on Capitol Hill, he worked in business development at Cassidy & Associates and as an advisor to countless state and federal campaigns. He began his career in Washington as a producer and copy editor for the Washington Bureau of Cable News Network (CNN).

Wolff is a member of the American Society of Association Executives and a Certified Association Executive. He is on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the Public Affairs Institute.

He serves as co-chair of the Stanford Professionals in Energy alumni group and as co-president of the National Labor and Management Public Affairs Committee. Wolff serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Institute. In 2020, he began serving as an Equity in Energy Ambassador with the Department of Energy. Wolff is a past board member of the Arkansas Alumni Association’s National Board of Directors.

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Andrew J. Lucas Alumni Service Award The Andrew J. Lucas Alumni Service Award acknowledges significant contributions of time and energy on behalf of the university and the association. In 2023, the association honored the service of Elizabeth Bogy Allen  B.A.’80 and Kenneth Robert Allen  B.A.’80.

Elizabeth “Liz” and Kenneth “Ken” Allen met while students at the University of Arkansas. Ken primarily focused on finance in his career while Liz focused on paralegal work in the oil and gas industry. They support the university and have impacted multiple areas with their service and philanthropy.

They are members of Towers of Old Main. The Allens explained that staying connected with your alma mater is important because “it connects you with your past and it gives you a window into the future.”

The Allens maintain their legacy of student support through an endowed scholarship fund focused on Walton College. They advocate for University Libraries making connections between the library and individuals and organizations beneficial to the libraries’ goals. They are both members of the University Libraries' Deans Circle.

Liz describes herself as an architecture enthusiast. She and Ken faithfully and routinely attend Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design events. They have made many significant philanthropic contributions to the school, including the establishment of the Fay Jones Distinguished Visiting Professor program. They regularly host tours of their homes for alumni and benefactors of the Fay Jones School.

“We have enjoyed being involved in several university areas since we returned to Fayetteville in 2016,” they said. “The university’s initiative to help first-generation students has been something we believe in and support and where we focus our efforts. The heavy, very effective lifting, however, is always done by university staff.”

Community Service Award

Young Alumni Award

The Community Service Award recognizes unselfish and extensive service by alumni to their community and to humankind. The award was presented to The Honorable Earnest E. Brown Jr. + B.S.P.A.’91, J.D.’94.

Brown is a circuit court judge in the Eleventh West Judicial District, Division 6 [Jefferson County, Arkansas]. During his legal career, he has served as a deputy prosecuting attorney, an adjunct professor of criminal justice, a state representative, and an assistant speaker pro tempore for the Arkansas House of Representatives. He has served as a judge since 2008.

“I was blessed to have chosen the legal profession,” Brown said. “I love my job as a judge and to impact the lives of children and families. I am a big believer in specialty court programs and diversion programs that help address substance abuse and youth violence.”

Brown’s passion for service and dedication to children and families is evident through his involvement and volunteerism. He helped reestablish the Pine Bluff NAACP Youth Council and NAACP College Chapter at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He has been an active leader with many organizations and committees including Leadership Pine Bluff, Arkansas Democratic Black Caucus, Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus, and the Arkansas Alumni Association National Board of Directors.

Brown has received numerous awards for his leadership and volunteerism including the Arkansas District of Alpha Phi Alpha 2014 Alumni Brother of the Year, 2011 Arkansas Court Appointed Special Advocates Judge of the Year, 2007 Arkansas Counseling Association Legislator of the Year, and the 2019 Arkansas Bar Association Golden Gavel Award.

“I love working with people to make a difference,” Brown said. “My philosophy toward community service is to develop partnerships and relationships to address the issues.”

The Young Alumni Award recognizes exceptional achievements in career, public service and/or volunteer activities that bring honor to the U of A. In 2023, the association honored two young alumni, Raya Octavia Clay F.S.’15 and Ricardo Ekmay  M.S.’08, Ph.D.’11.

Raya Clay studied broadcast journalism at the University of Arkansas where she served as a writer with the Arkansas Traveler, a news anchor for UATV, and a production assistant for the Razorback Sports Network.

Her passion for both media and sports led her to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Left, Amy May Hopper presents the award to Earnest Brown Jr. Photo by Whit Pruitt B.A. '16.

Left, Connie Lewis Lensing presents the award to Raya Clay.

Photo by Whit Pruitt B.A. '16.

Her professional career in sports broadcasting began in 2015 when she joined Fox Sports as a graphics coordinator.

She spent four years with them before taking the position of creative associate producer for ESPN. During her time at ESPN, she served as a creative producer for a variety of programs including SportsCenter and Why Not Us on ESPN+ and others. She was honored with Emmy awards for two of her SportsCenter Presents programs.

In 2021, she returned to the Fox Sports family and serves as a producer of digital talent and storytelling. She oversees original digital content production with top Fox Sports talent and serves as the digital producer for NFL on Fox, NBA, MLB, and special project content on the Fox Sports platforms. In 2021, she received the NAACP Woman of the Year Award for journalism and communication arts. In addition to her sports broadcasting career, Raya launched The Raya Shop, an online clothing boutique, in 2018.

“Attending the University of Arkansas provided me with a range of experiences that influenced my career in various ways,” Clay said. “I gained a deep understanding of sports, journalism, writing and more. I developed critical thinking skills, honed my communication and collaboration skills, and gained hands-on newsroom experience.”

WINTER 2024 / ARKANSAS / 41

Feature

Ricardo Ekmay always knew that he wanted to work with animals. As he progressed through his academic career, he became enamored with animal agriculture.

After completing his bachelor’s degree at Cornell University, Ekmay chose to pursue graduate studies at the University of Arkansas. “The specific area of study I was interested in for my graduate work is fairly niche, i.e., avian nutrition,” Ekmay said. “The University of Arkansas was one of the few places that not only had a program (poultry science) but also worldclass facilities and faculty.”

He has devoted his career to the development of sustainable food systems. Following a postdoctoral fellowship, Ekmay began as a research scientist with Dow AgroSciences gaining experience in product development, regulatory affairs and science policy advocacy. In 2014, he received the company’s Early Career Achievement Award. He joined Arbiom Inc., a start-up agricultural technology company in the alternative protein industry, in 2017, and has risen to the role of senior vice president of research and development. In 2022, the Triangle Business Journal recognized Ekmay with a 40 Under 40 Award. He is sharing his knowledge with future Arkansas alumni as an adjunct assistant professor of poultry science. “It’s crucial that we open doors for those that follow,” Ekmay said.

Ekmay is engaged in Latino and Hispanic advocacy programs. He is the chair of the North Carolina Society of Hispanic Professionals Board of Directors and a member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for the American Society of Animal Science. He previously served as the communications chair of the Dow AgroSciences’ Latin Hispanic Network.

Top Left, Connie Lewis Lensing presents the award to Ricardo Ekmay.

Top Right, Amy May Hopper presents the award to Jennie Popp.

Photos by Whit Pruitt B.A. '16.

* Andrew Popp graduated in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Architecture.

42 / ARKANSAS / WINTER 2024

Honorary Alumni Award The Honorary Alumni Award is presented to nonalumni who have served, promoted, developed and loved the U of A in the tradition of an Arkansas graduate.

In 2023, the association paid tribute to Jennie Popp, associate dean of the Honors College and professor of agricultural economics and agricultural business.

Jennie Popp joined the University of Arkansas family in 1998 as an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness. Six years later she earned tenure and the title of associate professor.

She has held the title of professor since 2010. Popp helped launch the University of Arkansas Service Learning Initiative and has served as its co-director since its founding in 2014. As a member of the university’s Sustainability Committee, she helped develop and launch an undergraduate sustainability minor and a graduate-level certificate.

In 2017, she became the associate dean for the Honors College after having held the interim title for one year.

She oversees the Honors College fellowship and grant programs, serves as the college’s liaison with the six college-based honors programs, and leads and directs new initiatives in international research and service learning.

Popp said that the University of Arkansas “experience is perhaps unexpected. It’s a large campus with a small campus feel. The strong feeling of Arkansas pride is evident everywhere, yet there is an atmosphere of openness and welcoming to students and staff from around the globe.

There is a deep devotion to the land grant mission of educating students from Arkansas, but also a commitment to serve the world as an R1 university. It is not only a place to develop and grow as a professional but it’s also a place where students can thrive. I’m very proud to be an employee of UA and also a Razorback mom to two current honors undergraduate students.* University of Arkansas is a big part of the reason this Pennsylvania transplant now calls Northwest Arkansas her home.”

Did you know?

Life Members receive a 20% discount on advertising.

Faculty Awardees Also honored at the event were the faculty honorees for the Distinguished Faculty Achievement Awards and the Charles and Nadine Baum Faculty Teaching Award.

The Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award recognizes exceptional faculty members for teaching, research and service. Carole Shook  B.S.B.A.’89, M.B.A.’94, Ed.D.’19, associate teaching professor in the Department of Information Systems, was recognized for distinguished professional achievement in service.

Varun Grover, Distinguished Professor and George & Boyce Billingsley Endowed Chair in the Department of Information Systems, was honored for distinguished achievement in research. G. Alexander Nunn B.S.B.A.’13, associate professor of law in the University of Arkansas School of Law, was the recipient of the Faculty Distinguished Rising Teaching Achievement Award.

The Charles and Nadine Baum Faculty Teaching Award recognizes outstanding teaching and is designated for a faculty member whose status is professor, University Professor or Distinguished Professor. Marcia Imbeau, professor of gifted education and program coordinator of childhood/elementary education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, received the 2023 award.

The faculty awardees were featured in the Fall 2023 (Volume 73, Issue Number 1) of Arkansas, beginning on page 44. Visit www.arkansasalumni.org/magazine to read the issue.

More About the Alumni Awards Celebration The event sponsors included silver sponsors, the University of Arkansas School of Law, the Sam M. Walton College of Business, and Tyson, as well as our media sponsor CitiScapes.

Visit www.arkansasalumni.org/awards to learn more about the awards program and to access the photo album and video recording of the evening.

YOUR AD COULD BE HERE! Visit www.arkansasalumni.org/advertising or email advertising@arkansasalumni.org for more information.

CALL FOR

NOMINATIONS Do you know outstanding alumni who deserve special recognition for their distinguished achievements or community service?

NOMINATE

Nominate them by Feb. 15, 2024, to be considered for recognition at the fall 2024 Alumni Awards Celebration.

WINTER 2024 / ARKANSAS / 43

Alumni

Past Presidents of the Arkansas Alumni Association Board of Directors

Looking Forward President’s Letter

University Relations.

Happy New Year!

As we have moved into a new calendar year (2024), we look back at so many accomplishments as well as look forward to new and exciting opportunities. I assume you have made your New Year’s resolutions with plans of self-improvement and support of others. I am excited about the future of our university, the Arkansas Alumni Association and our goals for 2024 and beyond. Many of those have been enumerated by Chancellor Robinson this past year as well as in this edition.

One of our objectives for 2024 is to expand our scholarship program to help even more students achieve their lifelong dreams. Student success is always on our minds. We stay connected with students through campus events of all sorts, like Homecoming, Pack the Pantry and Running of the Hogs. We are especially close to our scholarship recipients as we constantly reach out to them with ways to engage with us while on campus so they will remain connected after graduation.

We also have plans to collaborate with some of the university’s outstanding professors to develop deeper relationships with students while on campus and post-graduation. In my meetings with many of the deans this past year this was a recommendation. Professors like Dr. Marcia Imbeau and Dr. Molly Rapert  B.S.B.A.'85, M.B.A.'87, Ph.D.'91 have outstanding reputations for connecting and staying connected with students. I have it on good authority that students adore these professors and constantly communicate with them after they graduate and move on in their careers. There are many others, but these two are perfect examples of lifelong relationships 44 / ARKANSAS / WINTER 2024

built with the university and its faculty.

By the way, both have been recognized for "Distinguished Achievement" at our annual Alumni Awards Celebration. Your association plans to grow our relationship with more professors to expand our reach and connections with recent graduates. As a token of our appreciation, we proudly host our annual “Working Like a Hog” event to thank deans, professors and staff for supporting the Arkansas Alumni Association.

In addition to student and faculty success, the association supports the priority of Chancellor Robinson and the Board of Trustees to expand the university’s focus on research. We already have some remarkable success stories, and I anticipate many more will happen soon through the Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research (I3R).

Speaking of the chancellor, let me close by saying what a pleasure he has been to work with during his first full year of leadership. He is passionate about student success and truly bleeds Razorback Red. I was fortunate to have coffee with him in the Arkansas Union one morning, and it was apparent that he loves the students because he spoke to nearly everyone in the coffee shop. Students were comfortable coming to our table and striking up a conversation, which is a sign of a good leader — very approachable. His leadership and vision have also assisted in a seamless transition for the Division of Advancement with the hiring of Scott Varady as our vice chancellor, and the association is proud to be associated with these leaders of the university.

Go Hogs, Don Walker + B.S.A.’74 President, National Board of Directors Arkansas Alumni Association

ARKANSAS

ALUMNI

1923-24 Joseph Kirby Mahone  B.A.’07 1924-25 Robert Hill Carruth B.A.’11 1925-26 James E. Rutherford  B.A.’22 1926-27 Winston Lee Winters B.S.C.E.’06 1927-28 J.L. Longino B.S.E.E.’03 1928-29 Alfred Boyde Cypert B.A.’12 1929-30 James William Trimble B.A.’17 1930-31 G. DeMatt Henderson B.A.’01, LL.B.’03 1931-32 Dr. Jasper Neighbors M.D.’18 1932-33 Scott D. Hamilton B.A.’24 1933-34 Charles A. Walls B.A.’07 1934-35 Arthur D. Pope B.A.’06 1935-36 John C. Ashley B.A.’11 1936-37 Beloit Taylor B.A.’19 1937-38 John P. Woods  B.A.’09 1938-39 Glen Rose  B.S.E.’28, M.S.’31 1939-40 Claude J. Byrd  B.S.A.’25 1940-41 Charles Frierson Jr. ’29 1941-42 John B. Daniels B.S.A.’33 1942-44 G. DeMatt Henderson B.A.’01, LL.B.’03 1944-45 Dr. M. L. Dalton M.D.’32 1945-46 Jack East  B.S.E.’24 1946-47 Steve Creekmore  B.S.B.A.’11 1947-48 Maupin Cummings  B.A.’32 1948-49 Roy Milum B.A.’04, LL.D.’58 1949-50 Paul Sullins  J.D.’37 1950-51 Francis Cherry LL.B.’38 1951-52 J.C. Gibson B.A.’24, M.S.’38 1952-53 George Makris  B.S.B.A.’37 1953-54 Edward B. Dillon Jr.  LL.B.’50 1954-55 Beloit Taylor B.A.’19 1955-56 Louis L. Ramsay Jr. LL.B’47, LL.D.’88 1956-57 Stanley Wood  B.A.’23 1957-58 A.L. Whitten M.S.’40 1958-59 W.R. “Dub” Harrison B.A’.20 1959-60 E.M. “Mack” Anderson + B.A.’32 1960-61 Warren Wood  LL.B.’32 1961-62 Owen Calhoun Pearce B.S.B.A.’38, LL.B.’41 1962-63 James C. Hale B.A.’33 1963-64 Jack East Jr.  B.S.B.A.’48 1964-65 J. Fred Patton + B.A.’29 M.A.’36 1965-66 P.K. Holmes Jr.  B.A.’37 LL.B.’39 1966-67 William H. Bowen  LL.B.’49 1967-68 Guy H. Lackey + B.S.B.A.’49 1968-69 Robert P. Taylor + B.S.B.A.’47, M.S.48 1969-70 John Ed Chambers B.A.’39, LL.B.’40 1970-71 Chester H. Lauck ’25 1971-72 Nathan Gordon + J.D.’39 1972-73 Charles E. Scharlau + LL.B.’51 1973-74 Carl L. Johnson  B.S.B.A.’47 1974-75 R. Cecil Powers  B.S.B.A.’30 1975-76 J.C. Reeves  ’25 1976-77 Elizabeth (Sissi) Riggs Brandon + B.S.E.’55 1977-78 Roy Murphy + B.S.I.M.’49 1978-79 J. Fred Livingston  B.S.B.A.’55 1979-80 Tracy Scott  B.S.E.’53 1980-81 Edward W. Stevenson + B.S.B.A.’60 1981-82 J. Fred Livingston  B.S.B.A.’55 1982-83 Don Schnipper + B.A.’63, J.D.’64 1983-84 Mary Trimble Maier + B.A.’49 1984-85 Bart Lindsey + B.S.B.A.’67 1985-86 W. Kelvin Wyrick + B.S.E.’59 1986-87 Larry G. Stephens B.S.I.E.’58 1987-88 Rebecca Shreve + B.S.E.’60, M.Ed.’63 1988-89 Robert T. Dawson + B.A.’60, LL.B.’65 1989-90 Gregory B. Graham + B.S.B.A.’70, J.D.’72 1990-91 Blake Schultz + B.A.’51 1991-92 Chuck Dudley + B.S.B.A.’76, M.B.A.’77 1992-93 Harriet Hudson Phillips + B.A.’72 1993-94 Richard Hatfield + B.S.B.A.’65, LL.B.’67 1994-95 Jenny Mitchell Adair + B.A.’62 1995-96 Jack McNulty + B.S.B.A.’67 J.D.’70 1996-97 Sylvia Boyer + B.S.E.’63 1997-98 Morris Fair  B.S.B.A.’56 1998-00 H. Lawson Hembree IV + B.S.A.'82 2000-02 Jeffrey R. Johnson + B.A.’70 2002-04 Edward Bradford + B.S.E.’55, M.Ed.’56 2004-06 Brian M. Rosenthal + B.S.B.A.’84 2006-08 Kenny Gibbs + B.S.B.A.’85 2008-10 Gerald Jordan + B.A.’70 2010-12 Steve Nipper + B.S.B.A.’71, M.B.A.’73 2012-14 John Reap + B.S.B.A.’70 2014-16 Stephanie S. Streett  B.S.’91 2016-18 Don Eldred + B.S.B.A.’81 2018-20 Teena Gayle Gunter  J.D.'92, LL.M.'97 2020-22 Ron Rainey  B.S.A.’91, M.S.’93, Ph.D.’01

Volunteer Spotlight

Robert G. Kolf + B.S.C.E.’78

Robert G. Kolf, of Wildwood, Missouri, is a 1978 graduate of the University of Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

Kolf served as Chi Epsilon Honorary Civil Engineering Society President for the extent of his education, during which he had the opportunity to be mentored by Dr. Charles Yantis.

“I’m proud to tell everyone I meet where I got my Engineering Degree from,” Kolf wrote.

Kolf is the founder and executive director of the Job Seekers’ Garden Club of St. Louis, which seeks to connect job seekers with recruiters. Kolf is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Engineers’ Club of St. Louis, and a 3rd Degree member of the Knights of Columbus.

Kolf is also the treasurer for the St. Louis Alumni Chapter of the Arkansas Alumni Association and served as chapter president from 2013-16. Chapter accomplishments include the 2012 Rising Star Award, the 2013 Most Improved Chapter Award and the 2014 Board Cup for Outstanding Chapter Award.

Kolf led the effort to develop the joint St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield Alumni Chapters’ Battle Line Rivalry Hog Wild Tailgate event. It was a scholarship fundraiser for U of A students from Missouri held before the Arkansas vs.

Missouri football game. In the 2014 inaugural year, the event drew 600 alumni, family and friends to Columbia, Missouri, and raised $10,000 in scholarships.

Kolf also served on the association’s National Board of Directors from 2016 to 2019.

Celebrating the memories and maintaining a community of Razorbacks is especially important to him, and he would advise recent graduates to participate in local chapters and to join the association.

“It means a lot to associate with others who are passionate about the university and its traditions,” Kolf said.

Kolf has Called the Hogs all over the country, including once on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. His favorite memory while a student at the U of A was the Beat Texas week bonfire and steer roasts, and he still returns to campus for football weekends.

Challenge Coin Presentation Bob Crawford + B.S.P.A.’74, a retired colonel and treasurer of the Armed Forces Alumni Society (AFAS), presented an AFAS Challenge Coin to retired Cmdr. Mike Davis of the Navy. Mike is the senior instructor for the Navy Junior ROTC program at Bentonville and West High Schools. Many of his cadets attend the University of Arkansas after high school graduation, and some of them join the Army or Air Force ROTC at the university.

Photo submitted.

Photo submitted.

BY BETH DEDMAN  B.A.’20

WINTER 2024 / ARKANSAS / 45

Alumni

Above, Sponsored Students Farewell Dinner.

Photos submitted.

Experiencing Our Global Village Without Leaving The Hill

BY LISY MCKINNON  B.A.’97

The University of Arkansas has a long, proud history of building international relationships through higher education. The Graduate School and International Education (GSIE) has long been a champion of student success as it fosters a global perspective that benefits students from abroad as well as those from right here in the United States. Drawing strength from diversity, they support our mission as a land grant institution by facilitating opportunities for students from Arkansas, the nation and the world to solve complex problems, drive innovation and break barriers that create a better world.

Critical to the success of our international students is multi-level mentoring that can help them solve singular problems and build long-lasting relationships.

46 / ARKANSAS / WINTER 2024

Michael C. Freeman, director of international students and scholars, has served our international student community since 1985. He welcomes each new student as they begin their educational journey here and maintains relationships with many of them once they become alumni. He is a mentor and guide in both big and small ways for the approximately 1,200 international students from 101 nations who are pursuing education at the U of A. In almost 40 years here, Freeman has seen cycling trends in the countries represented and policy changes that impact these students, but he is consistently impressed by the dedication of those who choose to study here and encouraged by the positive impact their presence has on our campus.

Above, Michael Freeman (back), with (left to right) Cynthia Smith, assistant director for outreach for International Students & Scholars, and Namika Bagirimvano, director of sponsored student and special programs, receive 2022 Marsha P. Johnson Awards.Also pictured is Adrain Smith  M.Ed.’04, director of the U of A’s Multicultural Center.

Photos submitted.

“When I first got here, it was mostly Iranians and Nigerians and quickly moved to Malaysians, Singaporeans and Koreans,” Freeman explained. In the fall of 2023, India, Panama and Bangladesh had the largest representation among the international students studying over one hundred disciplines in every college on campus.

Each represented country’s students weave their own traditions and cultural understandings into the fabric of our community as their perceptions of Americans and Arkansans are expanded and carried back to their home countries. “We understand that some students at the University of Arkansas can’t travel abroad so we’re really bringing the world here,” Freeman said. Sitting in the classroom with an international student gives U.S. students a glimpse into diverse cultures. He continued, “It allows them to see a fresh perspective on what they are learning and how other cultures approach learning in general.”

Outside the classroom, Freeman’s experience as an advisor to international student organizations allowed him to witness cultural differences in the concept of leadership. “The idea of student leadership and students being empowered to make decisions for their organization versus the institution telling them what to do” is a new construct to many outside the United States. Watching international students grow through that empowerment is a benefit of collaborating closely with them. Other programs that assist in acclimation include iFriends, which pairs international students with local families and gives them brief immersive experiences in “typical” family life.

Additionally, the Campus Cousins program is made up of junior and senior students who actively befriend international students to promote their sense of belonging.

Finally, GSIE trains and supports cross-cultural mentors — peers who work directly with international students to bridge cultural gaps in understanding.

As an extension of the GSIE’s mission to connect students with our wider U of A family, the International Alumni Society (formerly Razorbacks Worldwide) will be revived in 2024 to engage our former students after they return to their home countries. Among the priorities of IAS will be: • Provide a means for alumni to share their accomplishments and troubleshoot obstacles with current international students.

• Encourage alumni worldwide to help the University of Arkansas recruit new students.

• Engage current U of A students in international internships.

• Promote gatherings for graduating international students to engage in alumni groups around the world.

To learn about getting involved with the International Alumni Society, visit www.arkansasalumni.org/ias.

Above, 2022 Grad Program Completion Dinner.

Photos submitted.

WINTER 2024 / ARKANSAS / 47

Events

Towers of Old Main On Friday, Sept. 15, U of A alumni, faculty, staff and friends gathered at the Fayetteville Public Library to celebrate and recognize a new class of Towers of Old Main inductees. The Towers of Old Main giving society was established in 1999 to honor the university’s most generous benefactors and is a tribute to the physical towers of Old Main, which serves as an icon for higher education across the state of Arkansas.

48 / ARKANSAS / WINTER 2024

1.

Drag Brunch The PRIDE Alumni Society hosted its annual Drag Brunch on Oct. 8 at the Fayetteville Town Center.

Proceeds from the event support the society’s scholarship for U of A. Photos by Beth Dedman  B.A.'20.

1. The PRIDE Alumni Society Board of Directors with the performers.

2.

2. The PRIDE Alumni Society Scholar spoke about what the scholarship has meant to her and her journey as a student at the university.

3.

3. The Fayetteville Town Center was decked out in all things PRIDE to celebrate the 9th Drag Brunch.

4. Miss Gay Arkansas Scholarship Pageant Fund presented the PRIDE Alumni Society with a $2,000 donation towards their scholarship.

5. This year’s Drag Brunch had six performers, including Taylor Madison Monroe who has been a part of each Drag Brunch.

4.

5.

WINTER 2024 / ARKANSAS / 49

Events

Networking in Dallas The Dallas Alumni Chapter hosted a networking event series featuring University of Arkansas Alumni Guest Speakers Chris Turner + B.S.I.E.'97, Jody Staggs B.S.B.A.'03, and John David Tamas B.S.B.A.'07. Thank you to all those who attended!

Photo submitted.

Flag Football

Helping Like a Hog

Members of the Chicago Alumni Chapter participated in the SEC Annual Football Kickoff Flag Football Tournament. After six games and five hours, they came close to winning with a second place finish. Congratulations, Chicago Hogs!

The Charleston Alumni Chapter participates in several volunteer events throughout the year in support of their community. In May 2023, members of the chapter participated in a litter sweep with Charleston Waterkeeper, a local nonprofit.

Thank you to the chapter for helping like a Hog!

Photo submitted.

Photo submitted.

50 / ARKANSAS / WINTER 2024

Arkansas vs. BYU Alumni and Friends Golf Tournament

Photos submitted

The Northwest Arkansas Alumni Chapter of the Arkansas Alumni Association and BYU Alumni Arkansas Northwest Chapter competed in a friendly golf tournament on Friday, Sept. 15, before the gameday weekend. The event offered a fun opportunity for the two schools to connect and raise funds for scholarships awarded by the local alumni chapters.

Watch Parties Alumni, friends and Razorback fans across the country gathered at alumni chapter watch parties throughout the 2023 Football Season.

Charleston Alumni Chapter

Boston Alumni Chapter

St. Louis Alumni Chapter

WINTER 2024 / ARKANSAS / 51

Events

Hog Wild Tailgates The Arkansas Alumni Association hosts tailgates for every home football game during the season. To view all the all the photo albums for the 2023 Hog Wild Tailgate season visit: https://bit.ly/hwtphotos.

52 / ARKANSAS / WINTER 2024

Southwest Classic The Arkansas Alumni Association and New Student and Family Programs co-hosted a Hog Wild Tailgate in Arlington, Texas, before the Arkansas Razorbacks took on the Texas A&M Aggies at the Southwest Classic. Go Hogs!

WINTER 2024 / ARKANSAS / 53

Yesteryear

Yesteryear

The Arkansas Razorbacks basketball team wins its first national championship under the coaching of Nolan Richardson.

1994 Razorback

1874

• Arms arrive for the military science department in January provided by Gov. Elisha Baxter, and are seized in May by forces loyal to gubernatorial rival Joseph Brooks, leading to the Brooks-Baxter War, fought primarily in Little Rock.

1884

• More than 300 students are enrolled at the university, although a majority of them are in the preparatory classes.

1934

• Students could watch Clark Gable starring Men in White at the Ozark Theater or Frederic March in Death Takes a Holiday at the Palace Theater.

• Prices per male student to attend student dances are reduced to 50 cents, and the Student Social Committee still showed a profit.

1944

• Capt. Maurice “Footsie” Britt B.A.’41, receives the Congressional Medal of Honor in Razorback Stadium.

Britt is believed to be the most decorated officer of World War II.

54 / ARKANSAS / WINTER 2024

• Representatives of the Army Air Force visit Fayetteville to assist in the formation of a Traveler Squadron of co-eds for the Women’s Army Corps.

• Nathan Gordon J.D.’39 is awarded the Medal of Honor for landing his naval flying boat, “The Arkansas Traveler,” in rough seas four times within range of Japanese guns to rescue 15 American fliers.

1954

• Students form a 25 member committee in hopes of abolishing all forms of segregation on the U of A campus.

• More than 60 international students are enrolled at the university.

• The U of A International Club sells bookends made from the original wooden stair railings of Old Main, which had been replaced the previous year with metal stairways and railings for fire safety.

1964

• A management class conducts opinion research for the Studebaker Co.

• One hundred housing units are added to Carlson Terrace, designed by alumnus Edward Durell Stone.

• More than 9,000 students are enrolled at the U of A.

1974

• The Uarkettes prepare for a European tour during the summer.

• Construction on George Cole Field is finished and ready for the baseball season.

• Students rank jeans as their No. 1 favorite piece of apparel.

1984

• David Halberstam, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, speaks about U.S.-Japan relations during the Fulbright Symposium.

• The Tubes, ZZ Top, Cheap Trick, Heart and Amy Grant perform concerts at Barnhill Arena.

• The Sam Walton family gives $2 million to the university for a proposed performing arts center that eventually resulted in the creation of the Walton Arts Center.

• The U of A’s Campaign for Books raises $1.8 million during the academic year to support the library.

1994

• The Razorback track program claims its fourth triple crown, winning the NCAA championships in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track.

• The University of Arkansas is the first school in the state to get the minimum number of orders needed to begin the new license plate program to raise money for the “Roads Scholars.”

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.

• By examining the teeth for microscopic scratches, professor Peter Ungar and graduate student Blaine Schubert Ph.D.’04 determine that tyrannosaurids ate their food more like present-day mammals than present-day reptiles.

UPGRADE to LIFE and Never Pay Dues Again!

2014 • The Tulsa Klezmer Band performs an evening of Jewish music in a free concert at the Arkansas Union Theatre.

• Faculty, staff and students of all abilities participate in the Roll-Walk-Run, traveling with bicycles, wheelchairs and strollers along a threemile stretch of Scull Creek Trail in Fayetteville to search for scavenger prizes.

• University Libraries puts up an exhibit, “William Grant Still: Composer, Musician, Pioneer,” for Black History Month, using the photographs, music and papers that Still and his wife, Verna Arvey, placed in the university’s special collections. The Still-Arvey Papers are the most frequently requested collections at the university.

www.ArkansasAlumni.org/join

THANK YOU New 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: 10858 Paula Boerner Thiessen '73, '80 10859 Corinne B. Allen 10860 Branson Vanlandingham 10861 Catherine Vanlandingham 10862 David G. Criner '59 10863 Dorothy M. Hennings '83 10864 Kezia Josenberger-Johnson '99, '02 10865 Nikone Thepsouvanh '92 10866 Jenny K. Thepsouvanh 10867 Kimberly Kay Chapman '93 10868 Alan Benjamin Chapman '96 10869 Dr. Alan Hughes '84 10870 Dr. Laurie O. Hughes 10871 Ryan A. King '00 10872 Deborah King 10873 Rhonda M. Valley '82 10874 Earl A. Valley '21 10875 Jack Andrew Malcom '22

10876 Zachory Hirschfield '15 10877 Trina Hirschfield 10878 Gary Icenogle '75 10879 Alan G. Bryan '98, '01 10880 Diana Spencer 10881 Randall David Carney '83 10882 Shelly Carney 10883 Dennis R. Hunt '81 10884 Marla Hunt 10885 Meganne Trela '05 10886 Ryan Trela 10887 Dr. Steven M. Jones '83, '88, '90, '16 10888 Angela Jones 10889 Heath D. Stanley '02 10890 Hannah E. Stanley '09 10891 David E. Boerner '75, '76 10892 Roger D. Osburn '72, '75 10893 Dr. Jennie Sheerin Popp 10894 Dr. Michael P. Popp

10895 Shaan S. Patel '07 10896 Asha Patel 10897 Vickie Wise '88 10898 Amber E. Bynum '08 10899 Martin Cain Bynum '98, '04 10900 Stelios George Giannopoulos '65 10901 Barbara T. Giannopoulos 10902 Pu Li '00 10903 Jim Hu 10904 Demond Dortch '02 10905 Tawa O. Dortch '02, '03 10906 Tory Gaddy '84 10907 Jeff L. Gaddy '85 10908 Maryjoyce Sarador Secuban '99 10909 Charles A. Brown 18 10910 Janice Marchelle Davis '81 10911 John Anigbogu '79

Purchase at Barnes & Noble Online WINTER 2024 / ARKANSAS / 55

Senior Walk

From Senior Walk 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 nonmembers of the

Class Notes 1950s

Betty Houchin Winfield  BSE'59 of Seattle, Washington, edited the book We Few, We Academic Sisters: How We Persevered and Excelled in Higher Education.

1970s John Conner Jr. + BSBA'70 of Newport will be inducted into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame on Feb.16, 2024.

Gary C. George + BSBA'72 of Springdale will be inducted into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame on Feb.16, 2024.

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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.

Submit your news online at www.arkansasalumni.org/classnotes; by mail: From Senior Walk, Arkansas Alumni Association, P.O. Box 1070,

Michael W. Mourot  BSCHE'76 MSCHE'77 of Lake Jackson, Texas, was a member of a team that won second place in faculty presentations at the 2023 American Society for Engineering Education Midwest Regional Conference for "Adding Ph.D. Students to the Chemical Engineering Alumni Student Mentoring Program."

Fayetteville AR 72702; or by email: news@arkansasalumni.org.

These symbols indicate Alumni Association membership:  Student Member  Member + Member, A+  Life Member + Life Member, A+ Photo by Whit Pruitt B.A. '16.

J. Robert Dean Jr., Esquire BSCHE'83 JD'88 of Stamford, Connecticut, was a member of a team that won second place in faculty presentations at the 2023 American Society for Engineering Education Midwest Regional Conference for "Adding Ph.D. Students to the Chemical Engineering Alumni Student Mentoring Program."

1980s Trish Amason BSE'80 of Fayetteville is the recipient of a research fellowship at the U of A Rome Center from the Graduate School and International Education.

The fellowship began with the spring 2024 semester.

Alan Mantooth + BSEE'85 MSEE'86 of Fayetteville as a member of the U of A Power Group was recognized by the

R&D 100 Awards, for the group's innovations. Working with Ampaire Inc., an electrified aircraft company insouthern California, U of A Power Group researchers designed the motor drive to power the electrical engine in a hybrid electric aircraft, focusing on electrical, mechanical, controls and communications. Mantooth received multiple awards in fall 2023, including the 2023 Harry A. Owen Jr. award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Power Electronics Society. He received the 2023 Distinguished Alumnus Award from Tau Beta Pi. Mantooth also received the 2023 Business Advocate of the Year from the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce.

1990s

Laura Crowell  BS'96 MAT'97 of Magnolia is on the annual list of America's Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State for 2023

by Forbes and SHOOK Research. She ranked number one in Arkansas.

Crowell is an Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Rebecca Ann Mason  BSE'96 of Fayetteville is the assistant director of facilities and revenue management at the Arkansas Alumni Association. Mason previously served as the event manager at Osage House.

2000s Dearl David Peachee FS’00 of Springdale is the 2023 College of Engineering Staff Employee of the Year.

Nhiem H. Cao BSCHE'01 MBA'11 is a 2023 recipient of the Graduate Entrepreneurial Fellowship led by the U of A's Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Cao's entrepreneurial focus is pursuing and evaluating new innovations in the medical industry.

Jamie K. Loftin  MBA'02 of Fayetteville received the 2003 Inclusive Employment Award at the Disability Awareness Recognition and Awards Ceremony. The award recognizes managers or departments' efforts to hire and retain employees with disabilities, and to recognize best practices affecting employees with disabilities within the workplace. It also recognizes the efforts of individuals who go above and beyond what is legally required to create an inclusive welcoming environment and to encourage the 'stay at work' principle.

Lia M. Uribe MM'02 of Fayetteville is a member of the U of A's 2023 Family of the Year. The Southern Uribe-Evans family were honored during Family Weekend in September.

Amber Odette Hutchinson BA'05 MS'09 of Fayetteville was named the U of A 20222023 Employee of the Year in the professional/non-faculty administrative category.

Brett Earl Sterling BA'05, associate professor of German, has won the Radomír Luža Prize for his first book, Hermann Broch and Mass Hysteria: Theory and Representation in the Age of Extremes (Camden House, 2022). The prize recognizes an outstanding manuscript in Austrian/Czechoslovak studies in the World War II era and carries a $1,000 cash award.

Ana Isabel Ayala Barker BA'08 MED'18 of Fayetteville is the assistant director: academic outreach and financial advocate of the U of A's Student Success Center.

Megan R. Hudgens BSA'08 MS'10 of Lincoln is the new owner of Northwest Arkansas Florist along with her husband Andrew. She has been in banking for 17 years and is a recent graduate of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce Leadership Fayetteville Class XXXVI.

Christopher Edward Nelson BSBE'09, professor in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, received an Office of Nationally Competitive Awards Gold Medal.

Samantha Elizabeth Robinson BA'09 MS'12 PHD'17 of Fayetteville received the 2023 Arkansas Council of Teachers of Mathematics Excellence in Four-Year College/ University Mathematics Teaching Award for making significant contributions to mathematics, statistics and data science education in the state. Robinson is vice chair and teaching associate professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

Katharine Grace Sabo BA'09 MA'13 of Fayetteville is a Gilman Advisor Ambassador for the 2023-24 school year.

The ambassador program is designed to strengthen the partnership between the U.S. Department of State's Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program and the higher education community by bringing together experienced Gilman Scholarship advisors with a broad range of professional expertise to raise awareness of the scholarship to critical audiences.

2010s Chris Patrick Farnell BSEE'10 MSEE'17 PHD'20 of Springdale as a member of the U of A Power Group was recognized by the R&D 100 Awards, for the group's innovations. Working with Ampaire Inc., an electrified aircraft company in southern California, U of A Power Group researchers designed the motor drive to power the electrical engine in a hybrid electric aircraft, focusing on electrical, mechanical, controls and communications.

Madeline Fogel BA'11 of Chicago, Illinois, is selected by her peers for inclusion in "Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for America" in 2024. Fogel is recognized for her outstanding work in the area of Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions — Defendants.

Anna Turri  PHD'11 of San Marcos, Texas, is chair of the McCoy College of Business Department of Marketing at Texas State University. She joined Texas State University in 2011 and was tenured and promoted to associate professor in 2017. Dr. Turri’s research focuses on consumer behavior, labeling and consumer protection, including the role of technology in consumer choice. Her work has been featured in multiple peerreviewed publications including Journal of Promotion Management, Journal of Consumer Affairs, Journal of Business Research, and Journal of Marketing Management.

WINTER 2024 / ARKANSAS / 57

Senior Walk

Mark A. Fritsche BA'12 JD'15 of Grapevine, Texas, is a partner at Husch Blackwell on its Commercial Litigation practice team. He represents plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of civil litigation.

Ashley Nicole Mitchell BA'12 of Springdale was named the U of A 2022-2023 Employee of the Year in the technical/ paraprofessional category.

Summer Rae Wilkie BSCE'12, youth coordinator for the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative, received an Office of Nationally Competitive Awards Gold Medal.

Perry C. Caviness BS'13 PHD'20 and Mary Kate Harrison  BA'15 MA'17 were married on June 17, 2023. The couple honeymooned in Italy. They will reside in Little Rock where Perry is a postdoctoral researcher for Arkansas Children's Hospital Nutrition Center. Mary Kate is a donor relations manager for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation.

Gage Greening  BSBME'14 PHD'19 of Lee's Summit, Missouri, is a research associate in the Laboratory of Immunogenomics at the Children's Mercy Research Institute.

58 / ARKANSAS / WINTER 2024

2020s

Michael D. Tapee BA'15 MAT'16 of Springdale received the Milken Educator Award, the first awarded in the 20232024 season. With the reward, he received an unrestricted $25,000 prize. Tapee is a sixth and seventh grade math and computer science teacher at Hellstern Middle School in Springdale.

Sara Esther Jarma Arroyo MS'16 PHD'23 is the winner of the 2022 Institute for Perception Student Award.

The annual international award goes to an undergraduate or graduate student who shows outstanding talent and performance in the field of sensory science, marketing, psychology, economics or related fields. Arroyo is now senior sensory and consumer scientist with PepsiCo Inc. in Plano, Texas.

Ginny Monk BA'17 of New Haven, Connecticut, received the 2023 Insight Award for Explanatory Journalism from the Institute for Nonprofit News. Her four-part series "Notice to Quit," published by the Connecticut Mirror in December 2022, examined the impact of evictions on children and their families.

Joshua Daniel Upshaw BA'17 MA'21 of Springdale is a 2023 recipient of the Graduate Entrepreneurial Fellowship led by the U of A's Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Upshaw focuses on utilizing technological innovations to optimize holistic well-being through the integration of health data from subjective experiences and objective biophysiological metrics.

Pamela Carvalho-Moore MS'20 of Fayetteville won the 2023 National Weed Contest as a member of a U of A Weed Science team. The team also won the Southern Weed Science Society regional contest.

Rachel Diane Murphy BA'20 of Fayetteville received the inaugural Rookie of the Year award from the U of A's Global Campus. This award spotlights staff who have worked at Global Campus for less than a full year but who efforts in some way support, boost or enhance the services provided to Global Campus staff, as well as students, departments and the community at large.

Angellina R. Treat BSBME'20 of Springdale is a 2023 recipient of the Graduate Entrepreneurial Fellowship led by the U of A's Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Her entrepreneurial focus is pursuing the commercialization of environmentally sustainable technologies, most particularly clean water and biofuels.

Jacob B. Hertzog PHD'21, assistant professor in the Department of Music, is one of the 2023 Jazz Roads Creatives by the South Arts Organization, a national residency providing him a grant.

Hertzog's creative residency will be hosted by the University of Arkansas and will include recording an album of original music with a large ensemble of a jazz orchestra and string quartet, as well as a premiere performance of the new music at the 2024 UARK Jazz Festival.

Ashtyn Faith McCain BA'21 of Fayetteville received a full scholarship to the Association for Play Therapy International Conference. McCain is one of only five students to receive a full scholarship.

Katherine Alejandra Miranda Munoz BSBME'21 MSBME'22 of Fayetteville is a 2023 recipient of the Graduate Entrepreneurial Fellowship led by the U of A's Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She will utilize the fellowship to pursue her passion: improving medical care for livestock.

Aubrey Lynn Schultz MSCHE'21 of Fayetteville and engineering librarian Jay McAllister won third place in student presentations at the 2023 American Society for Engineering Education Midwest Regional Conference for "A Comparison of Coverage and Subject Areas in Compendex, Inspec, and Web of Science Core Collection for Use as an Engineering Database.

Tristen Heath Avent MS'22 of Fayetteville won the 2023 National Weed Contest as a member of a U of A Weed Science team. The team also won the Southern Weed Science Society regional contest.

Wei Du PHD'22, professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, received an award from the National Science Foundation in support of his research on SiGeSn-based heterostructures for intersubband photonic materials for use in semiconductor manufacturing.

Braziel Hatch MA'22 of Fayetteville was named to Northwest Arkansas Business Journal's 40 under 40 class for 2023.

Tanner Austin King BSA'22 of Marion as a member of a U of A weed science team, placed second Southern Weed Science Society regional contents.

Timothy E. Lampkin EDD'22 of Clarksdale, Mississippi, is a member of the 100 Obama Foundation Leaders USA inaugural cohort. Participants engage with former President Barack Obama, leadership coaches, subject matter experts and each other to deepen their leadership practice.

Abbey Kathren Durrett BA'23, along with other members of Ringo Jones' advance film production class, received an Award of Excellence from the Broadcast Education Association for their film BANG! in the Film & Video Competition - Narrative category. BANG! was produced, shot and edited in two weeks during the May 2023 intercession.

Damian A. Lora BA'23, along with other members of Ringo Jones' advance film production class, received an Award of Excellence from the Broadcast Education Association for their film BANG! in the Film & Video Competition - Narrative category. BANG! was produced, shot and edited in two weeks during the May 2023 intercession.

Ayden Marcus Delerme Owens MBA'23 is the founder and chief executive officer of DapUp, a digital platform to help college athletes leverage their brand in the name, image and likeness sphere. DapUp was formed in the U of A New Venture Development Program.

Students Corbin Russ  of Gravette won first place for student papers as a team member of mechanical engineering students and assistant professor Han Hu at the 2023 American Society for Engineering Education Midwest Regional Conference. Their paper was titled "Integration of Metal Additive Manufacturing Using Fused Deposition Modeling in Mechanical Engineering Education."

In Memoriam

Rick L. Moore  B.S.Ch.E.’80 Photo submitted.

Frankie Anthony Difiore Jr. BA'23, along with other members of Ringo Jones' advance film production class, received an Award of Excellence from the Broadcast Education Association for their film BANG! in the Film & Video Competition - Narrative category. BANG! was produced, shot and edited in two weeks during the May 2023 intercession.

Nov. 13, 1956-Aug.28, 2023

Rick Moore was born in DeQueen to the late Lynn and Gladys (Trammel) Moore. He grew up in Foreman, graduating from Foreman High School as Co-Valedictorian in 1975.

On the advice of a mentor, Moore studied for two years at Texarkana Community College, which prepared him well for the rigors of engineering, he said.

After studying electrical engineering and working at Texas Instruments in Dallas, Moore realized chemical engineering was best for him. The U of A was the only realistic option, given that he couldn’t afford out-of-state tuition. As it turned out, this decision changed his life.

He was a nontraditional scholar, admitted after registration deadlines as a special student. He received permission from the department head, Professor Jim Couper, to take courses out of sequence.

Moore graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. He was a member of Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honor society, and Omega Chi Epsilon, the national chemical engineering Alumni Society.

After college, he worked as a chemical process engineer and a process control engineer for S&B Engineers and Constructors in Houston. He moved to Baton Rouge to become vice president, process department manager for S&B affiliate Process Services, Inc. (PSI), and was named president a year later at the age of 35.

After retiring as president of Ford, Bacon & Davis, a post he held for 29 years, Moore made plans to give back to the College of Engineering that prepared him for success. His $10 million planned gift will endow funds for scholarships, a professorship, faculty recruitment and provide additional funds to benefit the Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical Engineering. The scholarships will give preference to students from Arkansas and those who work while they are in college. In recognition of Moore’s gifts, the department is naming an undergraduate teaching lab in his honor.

Moore developed a lifelong love for scuba diving during his time in Texarkana. Over the years, he continued to teach diving at all levels, completed more than 3,500 dives around the world and served as chairman of NAUI Services Group, the business subsidiary of the not-for-profit National Association of Underwater Instructors.

Moore is survived by his wife Marilyn Russo .

In Memoriam

1970s

1950s

Kenneth Jay Loudermilk BSME'78 of Johns Creek, Georgia, on Sept. 14, 2023

James E. Worsham MSME'51 of Arroyo Grande, California, on Aug. 2, 2021.

Shelby H. Holder Jr. BSA'54 MS'59 of Texarkana, Texas, on Oct. 4, 2023.

Barbara M. Kleese BSE'58 of Newnan, Georgia, on July 12, 2023.

1960s J. W. Deere  BSME'63 of Benton on Aug. 11, 2023.

Byron A. Adams + BSBA'65 LLB'66 of Williamsburg, Virginia, on Aug. 18, 2021.

Jeanne Newberry  MED'73 of Rogers on Aug. 31, 2023.

1980s Rick Moore BSCHE'80 of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Aug. 28, 2023.

2000s Nathan Price Chaney BSCSE'01 of Little Rock on Aug. 27, 2023.

Christopher Watts BSBA'04 BSIB'10 of Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 22, 2022.

Faculty Kurt Tweraser FS’02 of Fayetteville on Oct. 1, 2023.

WINTER 2024 / ARKANSAS / 59

Senior Walk

In Memoriam

Laura Abigail “L.A.” Cate Jan. 21, 2005-Dec. 4, 2023

Photo submitted.

L.A. Cate was born in Little Rock to Laura  and Brandon Cate  J.D.’01 and was a resident of Fayetteville. She died on Dec. 4, 2023, at the age of 18 years, after bravely fighting a complicated gastrointestinal illness for almost four years. Cate had a zest for life and did not let her various health complications keep her from pursuing her passions. True to her nature, L.A. used time in hospitals productively. She worked ahead on her academics to such an extent that she graduated from Fayetteville High School a year early in 2022 as a valedictorian. She also spent time in the hospital painting beautiful art and becoming fluent in French.

Cate, a math savant, enrolled in the Honors College at the University of Arkansas in 2022 as a triple major in

60 / ARKANSAS / WINTER 2024

biological engineering, mechanical engineering with an aerospace concentration, and pure mathematics. She was a recipient of the Arkansas Alumni Endowed Scholarship and was spotlighted in the winter 2022 issue (Vol. 72, No.2) of Arkansas along with fellow scholar Emma Flager .

Cate did her best to build community and demonstrate joy. A quote she gave to The Arkansas Traveler newspaper last year is indicative of her life view: "My favorite quote ever says, 'Staying positive doesn't mean you have to be happy all the time, it just means that even on the hard days you know that there are better ones coming.' If I don't have all the time in the world, the feasible mark I want to leave, the better one in my opinion, is to bring joy to people's lives. I like to make people feel included, like they have a place."

Cate is survived by her parents, a brother, and three grandparents, including Annelle Cate B.S.E.’72, as well as numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.

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President Don Walker + ’74, Fayetteville, AR President-elect Regina Hopper  81, ’85, Alexandria, VA Treasurer Kristen Collier Wright  ’98, ’01, Forrest City, AR BOARD OF DIRECTORS Class of 2024 Amy May Hopper  ’15, Belton, MO Chris Johnson  ’93, Little Rock Bobby Jones + ’84, Savannah, GA Faheem Khan  ’91, Lewisville, TX Connie Lewis Lensing  ’74, ’77, Nantucket, MA Nathan Looney  ’09, Little Rock Courtney Norton  ’07, Fayetteville Oliver Sims  ’85, Carrollton, TX Kristine Stover + ’81, Tulsa, OK Cedric Williams  ’93, Forrest City Class of 2025 Heba Abdelaal  ’11, Ramstein, Germany Steve Berner + ’69, Oklahoma City, OK Judy Simmons Henry  ’81, ’84, Little Rock Sarah K. Hudson  ’07, ’10, Washington, DC Lauren Love  ’19, Allen, TX Daniel McFarland  ’15, Boston, MA Bill Stovall + ’72, Charleston, SC Richard Welcher  ’99, ’04, Fayetteville Kristen Collier Wright  ’98, ’01, Forrest City Class of 2026 Stacie Fujii + ’98, ’02, Smyrna, GA Kathleen Gonzalez  ’11, Rogers Clayton Hamilton  ’94, Fayetteville Janie Hipp  ’96, Fayetteville Robert Koenig  ’90, Leawood, KS Wes Shirley  ’99, ’02, Fayetteville Shambrekia Wise  ’08, Dallas, TX Charles Zimmerman  ’85, Springdale STAFF Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni and Executive Director of the Arkansas Alumni Association Brandy Cox Jackson  M.A.’07, Ph.D.'23

In Memoriam

William D. “Bill” Hoskins + B.S.B.A.’51 Nov. 19, 1929-July 21, 2023

Bill Hoskins was a resident of Riverside, California. He was a Springdale native and graduated from the University of Arkansas with a business degree in 1951. As a U of A student, Hoskins was a member of the Reserve Officer Training Corp and the Marketing Club.

He was a Sigma Nu. Hoskins was a U. S. Army veteran, serving in the U.S. Army Intelligence Corp from 1951 to 1954, returning to the university for graduate studies. Hoskin worked in law enforcement throughout the United States for 25 years until he retired as a Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent in 1980. He was an active member of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI Inc. for many years.

Hoskins was a life member, A+, of the Arkansas Alumni Association. He was active in the Los Angeles Alumni Chapter (also known as the Southern California Chapter) for many years, serving on its board in various leadership positions, including chapter committee chair and treasurer. Hoskins frequently traveled with the association for alumni tours and Razorback Road Trips.

In 2004, Hoskins and his late wife, Sylvia, established the William D. and Sylvia C. Hoskins Endowed Scholarship within the Arkansas Alumni Scholarship Program. The scholarship gives preference to freshmen majoring in criminal justice or related field with an expressed desire to pursue a career in criminal justice who are graduates of Springdale High School. Hoskins also contributed to the Alumni House Campaign and the Cornerstone Campaign. He was inducted into the Towers of Old Main in 2015.

Hoskins was active in his community with youth sports programs, the Riverside Philharmonic Society, the Old Riverside Foundation and the Mt. Rubidoux Historical District.

In Memoriam

Patrick Henry Hays B.A.’70, J.D.’74 Jan. 8, 1947-Oct. 4, 2023

Director of Alumni Programs and Special Events Deb Euculano  Director of Finance Hal Prescott  Director of Strategic Alumni Services Lisy McKinnon  B.A.’97 Becky Afonso , Special Events Coordinator Lisa Ault  B.S.B.A.’94, Associate Director of Business Operations Catherine Baltz + B.S.’92, M.Ed.’07, Associate Director of Collaborative Services Tim Barker , Fiscal Support Analyst Collin Brunner  B.S.H.E.S.’10, Associate Director of Revenue Management Callie Free B.S.B.A.’19, M.Ed.’21, Assistant Director of Internal Relations Katie Leonard B.S.B.A.’19, Alumni Scholarship Assistant Shamima Majid , Fiscal Support Analyst Rebecca Mason  B.S.E.'96, Assistant Director of Facilities & Revenue Management Elaine Olson , Administrative Specialist Patti Sanders + B.S.A.’08, Associate Director of Alumni Scholarships Joni Thompson, Administrative Assistant Emma Veidt  B.S.B.A.’19, Assistant Director of External Relations Timothy Williams  B.A.'14, Associate Director of Alumni Programs and Special Events

The Honorable Patrick Henry Hays was born in North Little Rock to Arthur Henry and Linnea Hays on Jan. 8, 1947. He passed away on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023, after a battle with cancer.

Both his father and grandfather worked for the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Hays, who graduated from North Little Rock High School, followed in their footsteps. After working for the railroad for five years to pay his way through college, he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Arkansas in 1970. He then began law school. While a law student, he was elected president of the student division of the American Bar Association. He interned under U.S. Sen. John McClellan and completed his degree while working in Washington, D.C., taking classes both at the university and the University of Arkansas Little Rock.

Following graduation, he moved back to North Little Rock and accepted a position as an assistant city attorney. In 1987, he won election to the Arkansas House of Representatives. Hays served as Mayor of North Little Rock for six terms, 1989-2012, and became the longest serving mayor in North Little Rock history. He also served as a delegate to the Arkansas Constitutional Convention in 1980.

Hays is survived by his wife Linda Culp Hays his wife of 42 years Linda Culp Hays, daughter Josie Linnea Hays Staggs B.A.’98, a son, sister Cindy Scott B.S.B.A.’70, a brother, and 4 grandchildren.

WINTER 2024 / ARKANSAS / 63

Photo courtesy of Roller Funeral Homes.

OFFICERS

Last Look

Front Row L-R: Emma Flager , Ella Rowen , and Carolina Remond . Back Row L-R: Jacob Vincent , Caroline Morton , Megan Nieweg , Emily McMennamy , and Jackson. Not pictured: Isabella Tomboli .

Photo by Catherine Baltz + B.S.’92, M.Ed.’07.

Alumni Awards Ambassadors

Scholars Volunteer at Alumni Awards Celebration Eight Arkansas alumni scholars served as ambassadors during the 78th Alumni Awards Celebration. During the reception, the scholars gathered for a photo during the reception with Brandy Cox Jackson  M.A.’07, Ph.D.’23, associate vice chancellor and executive director of the Arkansas Alumni Association.

64 / ARKANSAS / WINTER 2024

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