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Spring 2018 Vol. 67, No. 3

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GIVING STUDENTS THE BIZ

Leaders of Arkansas’ top businesses offer advice to students in Dean Matt Waller’s class.

A WAVE OF ENERGY

Research into a miniscule layer of graphene might result in enormous energy.

OPERATION OPEN SEASON

An alumnus uses state connections to provide disabled veterans with hunting opportunities.

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Campus View

On the Hill

Profile

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Razorback Road

Yesteryear

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Last Look

Spring 2018 Exclusively for Members of the Arkansas Alumni Association, Inc.

photos by Whit Pruitt

ON THE COVER Elise Mitchell, founder of Mitchell Communications, was one of a dozen executives who talked with honors students enrolled in Dean Matt Waller’s course on Arkansas business.

C A M P U S V I EW

ARKANSAS Publisher Arkansas Alumni Association Executive Director Brandy Cox ✪ M.A.’07 Editor Charlie Alison ★ B.A.’82, M.A.’04 Associate Editors Catherine Baltz ★+ B.S.’92, M.Ed.’07 Creative Director Eric Pipkin Photo Editor Russell Cothren ✪

photo by Russell Cothren

Photographers Whit Pruitt ★ Emma Schock

Advertising Coordinator Catherine Baltz ✪+ B.S.’92, M.Ed.’07

Ariel Romero

MEMBERSHIP SYMBOLS ✩ Student Member ★ Member ★+ Member, A+ ✪ Life Member ✪+ Life Member, A+

Student Civic Engagement The immigrant story teaches that with hard work, anything is possible. Church teaches us to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Growing up as the pastor’s son in a family of immigrants, I was fortunate to learn both of these lessons and desired to pursue both in the field of art. Unfortunately, as a freshman on campus, I had little to no idea how anything worked, much less how to combine my two childhood lessons into a career path. So I settled for working hard and getting good grades. I went to campus every day of the week, and occasionally stayed for extended hours to work on projects in the lab, do homework at Mullins Library, or go to the Union to draw; but this did not last. Fall semester 2013 was the most difficult semester I had ever endured as a college student. I was a sophomore and tired. I felt helplessly lost in the motions, confused about the path ahead, and — saddest of all — unmotivated. Passion for helping others was lost in pursuit of academic excellence. I needed to recalibrate. The following year, I took a course that changed my perspective on design and provided knowledge on how design can be used to make a difference. In this class, titled Human-Centered Design, we met with members of the Marshallese community

Writers & Contributors DeLani Bartlette B.A.’06, M.A.’08 Amanda Cantu Sam Cushman Cat Donnelly Robby Edwards Scott Flanagin Jennifer Holland ★ M.Ed.’08 Brandon Langlois Andra Parrish Liwag Darinda Sharp B.A.’94, M.S.’99, M.A.’05 Camilla Shumaker B.A.’01, M.F.A.’09 David Speer B.A.’75 Kevin Trainor ★+ B.A.’94, M.A.’05 Steve Voorhies ★ M.A.’78

in nearby Springdale to discuss issues they face on a daily basis, such as translation issues, a lack of understanding of the law and cultural barriers. For this project, 16 students came together to design different tools the Marshallese community could use to help them overcome the challenges they face on a daily basis. This class opened my eyes to how design could be used to make a difference. Additionally, I met other like-minded students and faculty who helped me see how I could use my design knowledge for the betterment of society, which influenced my honors thesis and other personal projects. Today, I am a graduate student in the Department of Communication at the University of Arkansas, where the focus of the program is civic engagement. While more time is spent in Kimpel Hall than in the Fine Arts Center, the goal is still the same: work hard with a purpose. Campus remains my home away from home, but beyond that, it is a great resource and opportunity to do good for the community. All around campus, students are working on ways to improve life for people and positively affect society. I am grateful for faculty who are paving the way for students to become civically engaged in the community. n

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor are accepted and encouraged. Send letters for publication to Arkansas Magazine, Office of University Relations, 200 Davis Hall, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701. 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. Editing and production are provided through the UA Office of University Relations. Direct inquiries and information to P.O. Box 1070, Fayetteville, AR 72702-1070, phone (479) 575-2801, fax (479) 575-5177. Periodical postage paid at Fayetteville, AR, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to P.O. Box 1070, F ayetteville, AR 72702-1070. ARKANSAS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Mission Statement The Arkansas Alumni Association connects and serves the University of Arkansas Family. Vision Statement The Arkansas Alumni Association will be nationally recognized as a model alumni relations program. Value Statement The Arkansas Alumni Association values: • service • excellence • collaboration • relationships • diversity • learning • creativity Arkansas Spring 18-017 All photos by University Relations unless otherwise noted. Cover photo by: David Speer Please recycle this magazine or share it with a friend.

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

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ON THE HILL

U of A 2017 Graduate Victoria Maloch Selected as 2018 Marshall Scholar

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Alumna Victoria Maloch ✪ B.S.A.’17 is one of 43 growers to collect profile data to help them increase Americans who have earned a prestigious Marshall sales. She has also been actively engaged in the Scholarship to Oxford University. She will travel to Honors College. the United Kingdom this fall to pursue a master’s “The Honors College has been happy to support degree in evidence-based social intervention and Victoria Maloch’s efforts,” said Lynda Coon, dean of policy evaluation. the Honors College. “She makes the most of every Maloch is the daughter of Martha and Bruce opportunity to learn and develop her skills, and Maloch of Magnolia, where she embraced farm life she always creates something of tangible and often and rural politics early on. enduring value. She will benefit from the program at “Growing up on a cattle farm in southwest Oxford, but it goes both ways. She will add to their Arkansas, agriculture has always been a part of my program as well.” life,” Maloch said. “At 6 weeks old I attended my first In her junior year, Maloch was selected as a cattle show, and at age 7, I began showing cattle of Truman Scholar for her commitment to public my own. For much of my life, agriculture and politics service and her desire to be an agent for change. have been at the center of my activities. My father The award provides $30,000 for graduate school in has been in the state legislature since 2005, and so I the U.S., which she will use when she returns from was able to see and understand the highs and lows of Victoria Maloch of Magnolia Oxford to attend law school. Having previously public service in the political arena. Attending events served as a rural affairs intern with the White House with him and discussing Arkansas issues with a variety of people gave Domestic Policy Council, she is currently working in Washington, me a deeper appreciation for my state and for those who serve it.” D.C., as a Truman-Albright Fellow in the Federal Office of Rural When she came to the university, Maloch majored in honors Health Policy. Maloch received the 2017 Senior Honor Citation as agricultural business with minors in agricultural communications and the top graduating female student. leadership in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life University of Arkansas Chancellor Joe Steinmetz wrote a faculty Sciences, graduating summa cum laude last spring. letter of support for Maloch for the award after she had taken his “I am very honored to be selected as a Marshall Scholar and excited honors seminar Flagship U! about attending Oxford University. The program at Oxford will “Victoria’s joy in studying agricultural policy and issues related to provide me with the basic framework to be successful in public service higher education is palpable and contagious,” Steinmetz said. “She will and the public policy arena,” Maloch said. “With an abiding interest in make an outstandingly singular Marshall Scholar, one who will flourish rural issues and plans to eventually hold political office in the U.S., it at Oxford while bringing a very different perspective to the table is important that I have knowledge of a variety of topic areas and their because she evaluates policy and service through the lens of agriculture intersection with social policy. This is an amazing opportunity.” and rural populations. I had no doubt she would be selected. This will In her junior year at the U of A, Maloch was selected as one of be an amazing experience for her, and it will be good for our state when six national officers for the National Future Farmers of America, she returns to work in Arkansas.” working 80 or more hours each week. She helped increase the FFA’s Maloch points to Steinmetz and other faculty who have provided social media footprint and develop its communication platform. She valuable assistance along the way, including professors Jill Rucker, her also led leadership training conferences across the country and worked thesis chair; Jennie Popp, her adviser both in honors and agriculture; with a team to produce content for and preside over a convention of Lona Robertson, interim dean of Bumpers College, who insisted she 65,000 members. apply for the Truman Scholarship; and Jeff Miller, whom she credits Maloch was also active in a long list of organizations at the University with helping prepare her to run for National FFA Office. of Arkansas and in the Bumpers College. She served as a member of the “Victoria Maloch is a force to be reckoned with, and it is no surprise Student Alumni Board, was active in the Volunteer Action Center, and that she engages broad faculty support. She successfully lobbied for her was an initiate of Chi Omega. She served as treasurer on the Collegiate first piece of legislation — naming rice the official grain of Arkansas — Farm Bureau and senator in the Associated Student Government. She at the age of 12, and she has not slowed down since,” Robertson said. participated in a service-learning project in Dangriga, Belize, where she “She has excelled in one leadership role after another on our campus, developed and conducted student and adult education workshops. She with her national work with the FFA, and now in Washington, D.C. followed that with another project in Nampula, Mozambique, where This is a much deserved opportunity. I am looking forward to seeing she analyzed business operations at Novos Horizontes and met with what she will do next.” n

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

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Transformative Gift Allows U of A to Expand Local Art and Design District In December, the School of Art received a transformational $40 million gift to Campaign Arkansas from the Windgate Charitable Foundation that will create the new Windgate Art and Design District in the heart of south Fayetteville. The Windgate Art and Design District will expand on the School of Art’s Hill Avenue sculpture complex that opened in 2016. The district will be developed close to campus, near Martin Luther King Boulevard and Hill Avenue. It will feature several new buildings for art and design classrooms, labs, studios and potentially a public gallery space. The district will bring together art, design and education, while serving as the central hub for the student and faculty artists and designers at the University of Arkansas and beyond. “This is a tremendous step forward,” said Chancellor Joe Steinmetz. “Through this partnership with the Windgate Charitable Foundation, the University of Arkansas will be able to achieve nationally competitive standing in the arts, which will in turn place the state of Arkansas on the map as one of the most innovative leaders in the global arts community. “As a land-grant institution, we are charged with serving the public interest through outreach,” he added. “Thanks to the Windgate Charitable Foundation’s generosity, we will now be able to do this for our community in an unprecedented way. We thank the Windgate Charitable Foundation for this amazing gift.” The Windgate Art and Design District will further expand the reach and scope of the university’s School of Art, which was established in August 2017 thanks to a $120 million gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation. The School of Art is part of the

Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. “The Windgate Foundation is proud to partner with the new School of Art and to help it and our state’s entire arts community continue to grow,” said John E. Brown, executive director of the Windgate Charitable Foundation. “Our board strives to develop and support the arts in many states, and the Windgate Art and Design District will be an outstanding example of the foundation’s highest ideals for the arts and education. In fact, this commitment is the largest single grant awarded by the foundation in our 25-year history.” Robyn Horn, board member of the Windgate Charitable Foundation, said she also believes the spaces in the Windgate Art and Design District will provide the opportunity to engage the community with programming that is free, open and accessible to the public. “The studio and design space will serve as key components to the Windgate Art and Design District and will invite the community to engage with School of Art faculty, students and international arts programs,” she said. The Windgate Charitable Foundation has already made a significant impact on the School of Art, said Todd Shields, dean of the Fulbright College. “In 2014, the foundation gave more than $2 million to the former Department of Art, providing crucial funding that enabled faculty to expand curricula, improve teaching techniques, fund opportunities for student travel, enhance technologies and procure new equipment,” Shields explained. n Visiting assistant professor David Andree gives a student feedback during a painting class at the University of Arkansas School of Art.

ON THE HILL

Communication Department Wins National Award for M.A. Program of Year The Department of Communication received the National Communication Association’s 2017-18 Outstanding Master’s Degree Program Award. This prestigious award, sponsored by the National Communication Association’s Master’s Education Section, recognizes programs that have demonstrated “excellent quality in developing research and teaching and that mentor students well in their personal and professional growth.” The Department of Communication has established a strong record in innovation, research and teaching, with a successful tradition of graduating young professionals who enter the best doctoral programs in the field of communication or work for organizations ranging from Fortune 100 companies to non-profit organizations. The award’s selection committee noted that the program “provides graduate students with valuable resources, innovative curriculum, and high-quality faculty members.” Stephanie Klatzke, chair of the Master’s Education Section, added, “Also impressive were the accomplishments of their M.A. graduates; the program clearly sets up their students for success.” As the department’s graduate coordinator, Myria Allen formally accepted the distinguished award at the annual meeting of the National

Communication Association in Dallas in November 2017. She was joined in support by colleagues Ryan Neville-Shepard, Matthew Spialek and Ron Warren. “I was very proud and happy when I learned our department won this national award because it recognizes the outstanding work of my colleagues and the accomplishments of our graduate students,” Allen said.” But most of all, receiving this award allows me to celebrate being a part of a graduate program committed to training students how to use communication theory and research to help others work toward the common good.” Robert M. Brady, chair of the Department of Communication, said, “To receive such recognition from our national association speaks directly to the quality and innovativeness of graduate education we provide to our students. This award is a special tribute to the remarkable teaching, mentoring and scholarship by the faculty in the department. We are also delighted that Joy Cherfan, one of our graduate students, received the association’s 2017 ‘Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award’ for quantitative research.” The Department of Communication is part of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. n

Peter MacKeith, dean of the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, was named by DesignIntelligence as one of the 25 “Most Admired Design Educators” for 2017-18. This annual recognition of excellence honors achievements in education and education administration among the disciplines of architecture, industrial design, interior design and landscape architecture. MacKeith joins three other Fay Jones School faculty members who have been named among DesignIntelligence’s “Most Admired Educators”: David Buege, professor (2013); Marlon Blackwell, Distinguished Professor and E. Fay Jones Chair in Architecture (2015); and Jeff Shannon, professor and former dean (2011 and 2016). The fact that this “top” list has included multiple Fay Jones School professors and deans in recent years speaks to the insight and vision of the University of

University Relations photo

MacKeith Among ‘Most Admired Design Educators’

Peter MacKeith, dean of the Fay Jones School.

Arkansas leadership in recruiting and building an outstanding faculty, said Dave Gilmore, president and chief executive officer for DesignIntelligence, based in Washington, D.C. “It’s not about filling a seat,” Gilmore said. “It’s about transformation, and transformation of an industry, which is what we’re going through right now.” As DesignIntelligence describes, “MacKeith has a real vision for collaboration and bringing relevance back to the profession. Dedicated to providing students with the best experiences to prepare them for working in the field of architecture, he provides clear leadership both within the school and in the broader community. MacKeith pushes the limits of sustainability, has good thoughtful design practice and focuses on designing a better environment for all.” n

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

Two University of Arkansas projects will be recognized this summer The Fay Jones School joins a select group of architecture and design with the American Institute of Architects Honor Awards, the highest schools whose buildings have earned this top honor, including those American awards in architecture and design. The two projects are at Yale University, Harvard University, Cornell University, Clemson among only 17 nationwide that will be recognized in the categories of University and Ohio State University. This is the first AIA Honor architecture, interior architecture, and regional and urban design. Award for a U of A campus facility. The Vol Walker Hall/Steven L. Anderson Design Center project, “Located in the heart of our campus, the Fay Jones School is part home to the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, has earned an Honor Award for Architecture, while the U of A Community Design Center and the U of A Office for Sustainability have earned an Honor Award for Regional and Urban Design for “Conway Urban Watershed Framework Plan: A Reconciliation Landscape.” “To be recognized with two AIA Honor Awards in the same Left, the Steven L. Anderson Design Center, with Vol Walker Hall to its east side. Right, the Proposed Markham year is an extraordinary event for our school and the university, and Square in Conway as an urban rain terrain that naturally pumps, stores, and evapotranspires stormwater runoff. Before and after rainfall. positions us in a clear national of what makes the university special,” said Chancellor Joe Steinmetz. spotlight,” said Dean Peter MacKeith. “Individually, these awards “This distinction for the building’s design is much deserved. Along with recognize the work and leadership of two of the school’s distinguished the collaborative, innovative education that the school provides, leading professors, Marlon Blackwell, FAIA, who holds the E. Fay Jones Chair in Architecture, and Stephen Luoni, who holds the Steven L. Anderson to success in the professions, this remarkable facility is a clear asset for our campus, the state and the region. This recognition raises the design Chair in Architecture and Urban Studies and is director of the UA profile of the university and brings renewed attention to the excellent Community Design Center, as well as Marty Matlock, executive design education it offers.” director of the Office for Sustainability. But they also recognize the The expanded Fay Jones School facility united all three departments many graduates of our school who have worked within these practices over many years, including those of Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects and – architecture, landscape architecture and interior design – under one roof for the first time, reinforcing the school’s identity and creating a Baldwin and Shell. “We are most grateful to the funds provided to the school from Don cross-disciplinary, collaborative learning environment. The integration of old and new revitalized the educational environment of Vol Walker and Ellen Edmondson, Ken and Linda Sue Shollmier, and the Donald Hall, the campus’ original library and home to the Fay Jones School W. Reynolds Foundation, among many others, in order to advance the since 1968. school building project. The “Conway Urban Watershed Framework Plan: A Reconciliation “But all together, these two awards recognize more generally the deep Landscape” was a collaborative resiliency design project done with the commitment the Fay Jones School’s faculty, students and staff possess city of Conway. The interdisciplinary collaboration between architects, to the highest standards of design and design education and further planners, engineers, economists and ecologists addresses the impact indicate our presence on the national stage of architecture and design.” Dedicated in September 2013, the Steven L. Anderson Design Center of urbanization on the 42-square-mile urban sub-watershed that is a contemporary 37,000-square-foot addition to the renovated historic incorporates much of Conway. Problems include increased flooding, Vol Walker Hall. Marlon Blackwell Architects was lead architect for water-quality contamination and property damage. the project, with Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects as associate architect. The AIA jury called the project “head to tail very rewarding. A Baldwin and Shell was the contractor. This is Marlon Blackwell thoughtful, sophisticated and holistic response to a recurring problem Architects’ third AIA Honor Award for architecture, in addition to one across the country.” n for interior architecture and one for regional and urban design.

Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

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Vol Walker Hall, Urban Watershed Plan Win National AIA Honor Awards

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ON THE HILL

Alumnus Earns 2017 AFROTC Cadet Research Award Jeffrey Overdorf B.S.M.E.’17 earned the nationally competitive Air Force ROTC Cadet Research Award from the U.S. Air Force. A team of four U of A mechanical engineering seniors led by Overdorf competed in the NASA Student Launch Competition for rocket design and launch capabilities. The project had to produce a rocket that could achieve an exact altitude as well as to keep a sensitive payload protected from external forces. For less than $1,200, the team created a rocket capable of achieving the altitude of 5,280 feet set by NASA. It was designed using only offthe-shelf materials with a few internal components created using a 3-D printer. This allowed the team to tailor the design to the specific needs of the competition while also keeping the overall cost considerably lower than most of their competitors. The team’s rocket utilized decelerator flaps to ensure the exact one mile altitude was achieved without being dependent on weather conditions. The sensitive payload design was completed by creating an outer and inner shell connected by a web of elastic shock cord with industrial springs on the top and bottom of the assembly, allowing the payload to be cushioned from both vertical and horizontal forces. What was unique about the team’s decelerator design on this rocket is that instead of attaching the decelerator flaps to the outside of the tube, the decelerators were housed internally and used to slow down the launch vehicle only as needed for the desired altitude. The internal payload design solved two problems simultaneously: balancing a

shifting internal object during flight and preventing excessive forces from affecting the object inside. The value of this research to the Air Force goes beyond the decelerator and payload compartment design, and also has the potential for these types of rockets to be customized for an extremely wide variety of missions. The use of 3-D printed parts coupled with the modular design of these rockets allows for any type of payload, weight, altitude, velocity, or other variable to be achieved without having to spend millions of dollars on research and development. “This project has given 2nd Lt. Overdorf the opportunity to successfully lead a team to complete a technical task, applying the knowledge he gained throughout his time at the University of Arkansas,” said Lt. Col. Marc Wolfe, commander of AFROTC at the U of A. “This experience will only help him during his career with the Air Force and could also be applied if he chooses a later career at private corporations dedicated to spaceflight.” The Air Force’s motto of “excellence in all we do” is a guiding principal in the training of all cadets at the U of A’s Detachment 030. It is a mantra that will serve them well in the years to come. Overdorf has since become a second lieutenant in the Air Force and will soon begin pilot training. n Above, Jeffrey Overdorf lights a test rocket.

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

Construction has begun on the University of Arkansas’ newest student residence halls, with the buildings scheduled to open in time for the fall 2019 semester. The Stadium Drive Residence Halls are being built south of Pomfret Hall and east of Bud Walton Arena. They are the first new student housing additions on campus since Founders Hall opened in 2013. “The growth of our student body has stabilized in the past two years, but we still have a large unmet demand for on-campus student housing,” said Chancellor Joe Steinmetz. “The investment that University Housing is making will help fill that need while also meeting several University of Arkansas priorities, including student success, innovative teaching and learning, creating a more collaborative campus and advancing the university’s land-grant and flagship mission of service to the state.” The new residence halls are conceived as a Living Learning Community, housing several multidisciplinary communities focused on architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, art, theatre, music and English. This will allow on-campus students to live alongside others who share their interests and participate in monthly activities that promote academic and personal success. The Living Learning Community will also provide unique access to faculty members and a variety of events and study groups. The halls will have several extra features to facilitate the community activities that include: • Recording studio • Flexible design, art and maker studio • Classroom spaces • Gallery spaces • Music practice rooms • Dance/movement/yoga studio • Interior and exterior performance spaces “We are committed to fostering a campus that embraces collaboration and interdisciplinary pursuits to stimulate innovation in teaching and learning,” said Jim Coleman, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. “With this Living Learning Community, we will have several departments working together to provide students with a collaborative experience focused on design and the arts.” “Supporting student success is the U of A’s highest priority,” said Charles Robinson, vice chancellor for student affairs. “Studies have shown that students who live on campus tend to be more engaged in campus activities, more connected to campus resources, are more likely to succeed in the classroom, stay in school and graduate than students who live off campus.” The endeavor is a collaborative effort engaging University of Arkansas Housing, Facilities Management, the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, and the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design. The project is also a design research initiative of the Fay Jones School.

Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

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Construction Underway on New Stadium Drive Residence Halls

New residence halls are being built south of Pomfret Hall to create a Living Learning Community.

The residential spaces in the Stadium Drive Residence Halls will each be five stories tall, with more than 200,000 square feet of total space, 368 residential rooms, extensive landscape design, residential kitchens on every other floor, exterior dining and study spaces and even covered hammock space. The innovative project was conceived and designed by a design collective led by Leers Weinzapfel Associates of Boston; Modus Studio of Fayetteville; Mackey Mitchell Architects of St. Louis; and OLIN of Philadelphia. Nabholz Corporation of Rogers is the general contractor. The project will include the first residence halls in the United States to use cross-laminated timber and they will be the first multi-story advanced-timber structures in the state of Arkansas. It is an innovation with a possible future economic impact for Arkansas. “Cross-laminated timber — the most prevalent form of ‘mass timber’ — is a form of ‘super-plywood,’ that is, massive panels made of layers of dimensioned lumber adhered at 90 degree angles to each other,” said Peter MacKeith, dean of the Fay Jones School. “The entire laminate meets structural, fire, seismic, health and other required building code specifications, as must any construction material — and possesses great versatility in design and construction applications. On top of that, wood is a renewable resource — forests can be sustainably managed, harvested and regrown. “Equally important, this is a building material for the emerging North American market that is grown right here in Arkansas. The market for cross-laminated timber could potentially be a major factor in the economic growth of the Arkansas timber industry.” At this time, the state lacks a processing facility to produce cross laminated timber, but it is hoped that this will change in the future, as projects like the Stadium Drive Residence Halls create a demand for the material, fulfilling another of the University of Arkansas’ priorities: providing service to the state and the adding to the state’s economic development. n

ON THE HILL

Kaler in Crop Science Wins International Outstanding Graduate Student Award “Avi has used genome-wide association studies to identify chromosomal regions associated with soybean drought tolerance,” Purcell said. “These GWAS experiments were large, replicated field trials, conducted at 10 site-years with a diverse panel of 373 soybean genotypes that were genotyped with 42,000 molecular markers. Avi has done an outstanding job of analyzing these huge data sets and presenting results.” From his dissertation, manuscripts have been published in Theoretical and Applied Genetics, one in press with Crop Science, one in review with Molecular Breeding while several others are being completed. Kaler was recently appointed alternate liaison and liaison of the National Soybean Variety Review Board by the Crop Science Society of America. The threeyear term includes a year as alternate before two years as liaison. He is chair of the National Tri-societies Agronomy, Crop and Soil Sciences Graduate Committee. He is also vice-chair of the National Bioinformatics in Crops and Soils Science community and will be chair in 2018. Kaler has served as vice-president of the Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Graduate Student organization. n photo submitted

Avi Kaler, a post-doctoral research associate in the U of A’s Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, was named winner of the 2017 Association of Agricultural Scientists of Indian Origin Outstanding Graduate Student Award. Kaler works under Distinguished Professor Larry Purcell, holder of the Altheimer Chair for Soybean Research in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences. Kaler earned his doctorate in crop, soil and environmental sciences last year under the supervision of Purcell. “Avi is amazing,” said Purcell. “He is a rare mix of amazing intelligence and imagination, disciplined work ethic and modesty. He is a walking, talking dynamo of ideas, and it is great fun working with him. He keeps me on my toes.” Avi Kaler Purcell was recently awarded a grant from the United Soybean Board to extend Kaler’s dissertation research. This project, “Utilizing genes from the Soybean Germplasm Collection to Mitigate Drought Stress,” is a multi-state effort led by the U of A with collaborators in Stoneville, Mississippi; Columbia, Missouri; and Maricopa, Arizona.

Alumnus Mervin Jebaraj B.A.’07, M.P.A.’11 became director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the Sam M. Walton College of Business in January after serving as interim director since April 2017. “I look forward to continuing and expanding the range of economic analyses and services that the Center for Business and Economic Research has been known for during its 75-year history,” Jebaraj said. “The center will continue to fulfill its role as the most relied-on resource for critical economic information in the state of Arkansas and serve as a catalyst for economic development in the state.” Jebaraj earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and international relations from the University of Arkansas in 2007 and a Master of Public Mervin Jebaraj speaks at an Administration in public policy from the U of A in economic summit. 2011. He was previously the assistant director of the

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Jebaraj Named Director of Center for Business and Economic Research center, where he has worked since 2007. “Mervin has been key to the depth and breadth of data to come out of the Center for Business and Economic Research for several years,” said Matt Waller, dean of the Walton College and the Sam M. Walton Leadership Chair. “We are excited that he will now lead the center and its work that is so pivotal to the success and growth of business all across Arkansas. He is a great resource to have at the head of this key player in the state’s economic and business activity.” During his more than 10 years at the center, Jebaraj has been instrumental in creating and executing economic studies for clients such as the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, the Northwest Arkansas Council, the Walton Family Foundation, Arvest Bank, the University of Arkansas and many others. n

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

Composer Florence Price at the piano.

photos by Russell Cothren

A recently discovered violin concerto by Florence Price, an AfricanAmerican composer and Arkansas native, is available on CD for the first time. Albany Records released the recording, by Er-Gene Kahng, in February. Kahng is a violin professor and director of graduate advising in the Department of Music. Kahng also performed the world premier of Price’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with the Arkansas Philharmonic Orchesta at the Arend Arts Center in Bentonville. Florence B. Price (1887-1953) was born in Little Rock and studied at the New England Conservatory, the Chicago Musical College and the American Conservatory. She wrote music throughout her life, producing as many as 300 compositions. Price’s groundbreaking Symphony in E Minor was the first work by a black woman to be performed by a major symphony orchestra in the United States, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, in 1933. Price lived in a time and place where women, and especially black women, were treated as second-class citizens. She never attained full recognition during her lifetime and, as Kahng said, has been nearly forgotten to history. Yet her enormous compositional output shows that she never stopped writing and producing. Kahng said she hopes that this project will raise awareness about “a remarkable woman who led a life of quiet tenacity and resistance.” When Price died, her orchestral music, most of which was unpublished, was inherited by her daughter, Florence Price Robinson. When the daughter died in 1975, Price’s manuscript scores were presumably lost. But two property renovators discovered them in an abandoned house in 2009. The University of Arkansas eventually purchased the scores and opened them to the public several years later. This newly available collection included the manuscripts to two previously unknown violin concertos. With the help of an Arts and Humanities Seed Grant from the U of A’s Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Economic Development, Kahng was able to work with the Janacek Philharmonic, an internationally recognized orchestra located in the Czech Republic, to record two of Price’s previously lost violin concertos. Kahng plans to promote and highlight the significance of Price’s music by presenting community outreach concerts and distributing free copies of the CD to art institutions, schools and libraries across Arkansas as part of “Music 75,” the Music Department’s initiative to share and make music in all 75 counties in the state. “In addition to presenting and preserving her music and raising awareness of her musical existence in history, I also hope that this project will invite many to learn more about the incredible and inspiring life of Florence Price, the courageous and strong woman who also was a brilliant composer,” Kahng said. n

University of Arkansas Special Collections

New Recording Features First Major Female African-American Composer

Music professor and violinist Er-Gene Kahng.

ON THE HILL

Paradise Inducted into Renowned Explorers Club

photo submitted

The Board of Directors of the international Explorers Club based scientific knowledge in the field of geographic scholarship, exploration, in New York City inducted Tom Paradise, professor in the geosciences, the sciences or allied fields. Such accomplishments are evidenced by into the 114-year-old organization, and awarded scientific publications documenting fieldwork him the status of Explorers Club Fellow. and/or explorations.” Founded in 1904 in New York City, the club Paradise attended the reception for new Fellows promotes and supports the scientific exploration and Members at the Explorers Club Headquarters of land, sea, air and space by sponsoring research in New York in early March. and education in the natural, geographic and Paradise has been a professor in the biological sciences, cultural documentation, and Department of Geosciences in the J. William humanitarian support and outreach. Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences since 2000. Founded by President Theodore Roosevelt in He also formerly served as director of the King association with Great Britain’s Royal Geographic Fahd Center for Middle East Studies from 2005Society and the Sierra Club, the Explorers Club 2010 and again from 2015-2017. He has conducted research in the Middle East includes a worldwide membership of men and and North Africa since 1990; however, it is his women who were “first to the North Pole, first Professor Tom Paradise, left, and students work on Petra’s architecture, geography, geology to the South Pole, first to the summit of Mount at the ancient city of Petra, Jordan. and history that have been most recognized, having Everest, first to the deepest point in the ocean, been published in more than 50 papers, reports, chapters, and books. and first to the surface of the moon.” In addition, Paradise’s work has been showcased on television Paradise was nominated and endorsed by two Explorers Club fellows including PBS’ NOVA, Smithsonian, Discovery, NatGeo and Travel who wrote, “Paradise is regarded as a renowned international authority Channel specials. Paradise continues to conduct research in Petra with on the ancient city of Petra in southern Jordan,” and “has received research awards and international accolades for his field work in Petra.” students and to act as a consultant for a number of film and TV show creators, producers and writers on the topic of “Petra, the rose-red city The criteria for Fellow status are stringent and recognize awardees half as old as time.” n “who have distinguished themselves by directly contributing to

U of A Doctoral Student Honored for Innovation Award

addresses multiple components of the FAA’s mission. “Mr. Daniels reflects a passion for aviation improvements overall and shows a willingness to continue to explore additional solutions to a problem.” Daniels, who applied for the honor at the urging of his adviser Ernie Heymsfield, was stunned when he learned he won the RAISE award. “I had prayed about it and kept it in my prayer journal for a long time,” he said. “Being able to have this was outstanding. It definitely brought a smile to my face and an amazement about what God can do.” Accolades are not new for Daniels. He was awarded the Department of Transportation’s Dwight David Eisenhower Graduate Fellowship in 2015, 2016 and 2017, presented a talk at a TEDx event in 2016 and was selected to present his research at the Transportation Regional Board conference in 2017 A native of Silver Spring, Maryland, Daniels earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at North Carolina A&T State University. He is on track to compete his doctorate at the University of Arkansas in summer 2018. n photo submitted

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao honored University of Arkansas graduate student Joseph Daniels with the Recognizing Aviation and Aerospace Innovation in Science and Engineering Award. The award recognizes innovative scientific and engineering achievements that will have a significant impact on the future of aerospace or aviation. Daniels, a doctoral candidate in civil engineering, is developing an anti-icing pavement system designed to improve airfield safety during extreme weather. The system aims to use renewable solar energy to lower operational costs of heating surfaces to prevent flight delays, cancellations and potential accidents. The idea is to incorporate wiring into concrete, then use solar energy to power the transfer of heat through the wires to warm the pavement. “My system runs like a thermostat,” Daniels said. “When the concrete drops below a certain temperature, Joseph Daniels it turns on, and that’s with or without snow.” Dan Elwell, acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, commended Daniels for his innovative solution that

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

Governor Speaks on NAFTA at World Trade Center Arkansas photo submitted

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson spoke about the North American Free Trade Agreement and its impact on the state at the World Trade Center Arkansas in January at an event titled “Arkansas and NAFTA.” The event was attended by the Arkansas business and agriculture community and included executives from Tyson Foods and Walmart and leaders from the Arkansas Farm Bureau and Farmers for Free Trade. These leaders stressed the importance of NAFTA to the Arkansas economy and how the trade agreement positions Arkansas as a global leader. “We are known as global leaders,” Hutchinson said. “We cannot retreat from that global presence in the marketplace without harming our workers and businesses in the state.” NAFTA’s impact on the state of Arkansas is significant, according to Melvin Torres, director of Western Hemisphere Trade for the World Trade Center Arkansas. More than 100,000 jobs in Arkansas depend on trade with Canada and Mexico, and Arkansas shares a positive trade balance with both countries. Exports from Arkansas to Mexico are growing 3.6 times faster than state exports to any other country and have grown by 700 percent. Exports to Canada include more than $1.2 billion in goods and services while supporting more than 66,000 jobs. These numbers will likely increase based on recent U.S. export trends. “Canada and Mexico account for a third of all of Arkansas exports,” said Sara Lilygren, board president of Farmers for Free Trade, in a

Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

statement released by the organization. “Importantly, our NAFTA partners are a huge market for Arkansas agricultural exports, from rice to poultry to dairy. The integration of the North American supply chain benefits Arkansas, our rural communities as well as customers around the world.” As Arkansas governor, Hutchinson is outspoken on the benefit of trade to the state, especially agriculture trade. In addition to agricultural trade, Hutchinson also emphasized that state manufacturing is dependent on trade. “It has been integrated into our manufacturing system, and jobs depend on the continuation of that,” he said. “We will be hampered in our effort to bring manufacturing back to Arkansas if Arkansas assembly plants or manufacturing facilities do not have access to the entire North American market.” “Trade is a vital part of our state’s economy,” said Dan Hendrix, president and CEO of the World Trade Center Arkansas. “It supports more than 350,000 jobs, and Arkansas goods and services are exported to more than 180 countries. We are thankful the governor is very supportive of growing bilateral trade between Arkansas and the rest of the world, and especially between Canada and Mexico.” n Above, Gov. Asa Hutchinson addresses business leaders and talks about NAFTA and its benefits for Arkansas.

ON THE HILL

U of A Researchers Receive Grant to Study Domestic Terrorism Patterns they clustered near convenience stores with kiosks offering cash for used phones. When police asked store owners to move the kiosks closer to windows and surveillance cameras, robberies dropped 42 percent. Using data already collected in the American Terrorism Study, U of A researchers will try to identify similar connections between where terrorism is planned and where it is carried out. Grant Drawve It will be the first time Risk Terrain Modeling has been applied to the issue of domestic terrorism. “With the case information we have, we can start to identify the spatial patterns that show terrorists’ preferences,” said Grant Drawve, an assistant professor of sociology working on the project. Brent Smith, director of the university’s Terrorism Research Center, is the project’s lead investigator. The U of A’s Terrorism Research Center was established in 2003, and receives substantial funding from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Its areas of research include prosecutorial and defense strategies in federal terrorism court cases, strategies that terrorists use to avoid capture, and community risk factors for radicalization. n

University Relations photos

Researchers from the University of Arkansas Terrorism Research Center recently received a $716,000 grant from the National Institute of Justice to study where terrorists prepare their acts as opposed to where they commit domestic terrorism. The goals of the three-year study are to better understand spatial connections between a terrorism incident and its precursors, and to Brent Smith create a model that could help assess terrorism risks for specific areas or locations. Researchers will use data from the Terrorism Research Center’s American Terrorism Study, the longest-running research project on terrorism in the United States, combined with information from the U.S. Census and other sources. They plan to employ two techniques for analyzing data, including Risk Terrain Modeling, which has been shown to be effective in reducing crime rates. Risk Terrain Modeling was developed at Rutgers University to help identify environmental factors that contribute to problems such as crime, child abuse, traffic accidents, illegal immigration. Instead of focusing on perpetrators, the technique identifies properties of a landscape that encourage problems. Risk Terrain Modeling data collected on cell phone robberies in Arizona, for example, found that

Jeremy Hyman, lecturer in the Department of Philosophy in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, has received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities to continue his study of an early draft of Descartes’ Meditations on the First Philosophy. Hyman discovered this draft in the catalogue of a public library in Toulouse, France, and he traveled to Toulouse to study the manuscript. By comparing differences between the manuscript and the published

photo submitted

Research into Descartes’ Meditation

A photograph of the folio that Jeremy Hyman will research.

edition of the Meditations, and based on what he knew about the history of the book, Hyman concluded that the Toulouse book was a pre-publication manuscript. It was a common practice for philosophers to send these early drafts of their work to peers, in search of feedback. “It’s a remarkable find,” said Daniel Garber, professor of philosophy at Princeton and author of several books on Descartes. “This is the only manuscript copy of the Meditations or any other Descartes publications that has been located.” n

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

National Academy of Engineering Adds Malshe

University Relations photo

Distinguished Professor Ajay Malshe of the Department of engineering and entrepreneurial accomplishments made during his Mechanical Engineering has been elected to the National Academy time at the University of Arkansas.” of Engineering, one of the most prestigious professional distinctions Malshe thanked his team, and said he was honored by the awarded to an engineer. recognition. Malshe holds the Twenty-First Century Endowed Chair in Materials, “This is a truly an extraordinary and humbling honor to me and Manufacturing and Integrated Systems in the College of Engineering. my world-class team,” Malshe said. “It brings great recognition to the He specializes in nanomanufacturing, bio-inspired systems, highCollege of Engineering and the University of Arkansas, NanoMech density electronic packaging and Industries and the state of Arkansas. entrepreneurship in the University of This is a special tribute to the rich Arkansas’ Institute for Nano Science entrepreneurial culture in the state of and Engineering. Arkansas, which is home to Walmart, Membership in the National Tyson Foods, NanoMech Industries, Academy of Engineering honors J.B. Hunt, Stevens, Murphy Oil and those who have made outstanding others. Also, this honor establishes contributions to “engineering the foundation for a new model for a research, practice, or education, ‘Professor-of-Practice’ in engineering.” including, where appropriate, John White, chancellor emeritus and significant contributions to the distinguished professor of industrial engineering literature” and to “the engineering, said he believed Malshe is pioneering of new and developing the first person elected to the National fields of technology, making major Academy of Engineering based on his advancements in traditional fields work at the U of A. Jack E. Buffington, of engineering, or developing/ retired research professor of civil implementing innovative approaches engineering, and Michael R. Johnson, to engineering education,” according associate vice chancellor for facilities to the NAE. management, were elected while at the Malshe was recognized for his university, but their elections were the innovations in nanomanufacturing, result of their accomplishments while which have impacts in multiple serving in the U.S. Navy. industry sectors, as well as for his role A.J. Malshe, professor of mechanical engineering. “Ajay’s nomination cited his as founder, executive vice president and individual accomplishments in chief technology officer of NanoMech Inc. in Springdale. NanoMech manufacturing engineering, including numerous national and is the world’s leading company in nanomanufacturing products for international awards he and NanoMech have received,” White said. Fortune 500 global corporations in energy, transportation, racing, “The impressive list of companies using NanoMech’s products to aerospace, industrial, defense and other key sectors. achieve remarkable improvements in productivity includes Indy John English, dean of the College of Engineering, praised Malshe’s 500 winners (Penske and Andretti Racing), J.B. Hunt, GE Aviation, achievement. Cameron-Schlumberger, Tesla, and Pace Industries, among many “Induction into the National Academy of Engineering is one of others. Undoubtedly, his election was due to Ajay’s ability to keep one the highest honors in our profession and it represents a major career foot firmly planted in academe and the other foot firmly planted in milestone,” English said. “I congratulate Dr. Malshe, because his industry. The coupling of his research and its commercialization paid achievements in nanoscience are a point of immense pride for the entire off for him, for his company and for the University of Arkansas.” College of Engineering and reflect very well on the spirit of innovation Malshe will be formally inducted during a ceremony at the National we work to foster at the University of Arkansas.” Academy of Engineering’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C., on Darin Nutter, head of the department of mechanical engineering, Sept. 30. lauded Malshe’s dedication to the profession. Malshe joins 98 engineers from around the world in this year’s class, “We in the Department of Mechanical Engineering are so proud including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Google principal scientist Dr. Malshe is being recognized for his hard work,” Nutter said. Martin Abadi. n “This exceptionally high honor represents many years of significant

Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

P RO F I L E

Jason Jones B.F.A.’00

Road to Becoming a Professional Artist Had a Few Twists By DeLani Bartlette B.A.’06, M.A.’08 him. At the age of 5, he sat down and drew a portrait of his parents that was surprisingly good. Ever since, he said, “my family has been really great to encourage me with my art.” He started his career as an artist early – when he was 14, a local video rental store asked him to paint classic movie scenes on their fence. The owner paid him in VHS tapes and video game rentals. By the time he enrolled at the University of Arkansas, he chose a degree in art with an emphasis in graphic design because it seemed like a more sensible direction in art, i.e., higher pay and increased chances of direct employment. However, “it didn’t take long to realize I didn’t want to sit in front of a computer all day,” he said. “I like being

outside, and working with my hands.” So he switched his emphasis to painting and sculpture. He even created a large, rusty found-object sculpture that many students called “the Rat King.” It was displayed near Mullins Library for over a year. But he had a talent for painting. He painted his first campus mural right after graduation: trees, butterflies and dragonflies on the walls of the basement computer lab in the Walton College of Business. Since then, he’s done 20 more murals in buildings across campus, though, due to remodeling, only about 15 remain. To date, he’s completed over 100 murals on campus, in private residences, and all over Fayetteville and the Northwest Arkansas metro area. Perhaps his most recognizable piece is the “Enjoy Local” mural on the

Photos by Russell Cothren

Chances are, if you’ve been around campus recently, you’ve seen alumnus Jason Jones’ murals, five of which are in the Union alone. Some of his campus works include lovely views of the Pig Trail and Fayetteville on the walls of the Union Market (formerly known as the Servery), a “mechanical hog” with gears and dials for organs in White Engineering Hall, and a portrait of Silas Hunt in the student union. His colorful, humorous style is unmistakable. Jones grew up in Woolsey, a tiny community south of West Fork. Like most Arkansas natives, he spent a lot of time outdoors, playing in the White River and Winn Creek near his home. Because of his love of riverine life, he originally wanted to be a marine biologist. However, he found early on that “art came easily” to

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

Spring 2018 â€¢ A R K A N S A S

P RO F I L E

Fayetteville square, a vine-like, curvy tree with large pink blooms and a bear swinging from its branches. This piece was a particular challenge for a couple of reasons. First, this was the first time the Fayetteville Advertisng and Promotion Commission had ever given funding directly to an artist for public art. Jones spent months putting together the proposal, and had to endure “being under a spotlight” in a way he never had before. The next challenge was its sheer size – it’s 3,000 square feet, the largest Jones had ever worked on. He had to be on a lift during much of the work, despite being afraid of heights. “By the end of it,” he said, “I felt like I had climbed a mountain.” His latest project is a pair of murals at the Amazeum in Bentonville, one of which uses the properties of color and light to create a changing, glowing scene of lightning bugs. In addition to sculpture and murals, he also makes furniture and

something he calls “altered thrift-store art.” He alters discarded, massreproduced landscapes by inserting robots, sea creatures and other unexpected objects. It’s quite meticulous work, matching the exact colors and shading to the original piece, but Jones said jokingly, “It’s a good use of my OCD.” “Being a working artist in this area, I feel all these connections,” he said. “My favorite part is the city’s plan for an arts district,” which, he said, will dovetail with the expansion of the art school. He described the recent $120 million gift from the Walton Family Foundation to expand the University of Arkansas’ School of Art as “epic.” “It’s so great that people are seeing the value of the arts and investing in it,” he said. “It’s going to be felt for years.” Images of Jones’ work can be seen on his website, www.artistjasonjones.com. n

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

University Relations photos photo by Russell Cothren

The murals in the Arkansas Union painted by Jason Jones, left, include the south tower of Old Main at far left, the entrance to Old Main at top, and the Pig Trail Scenic Byway above.

Spring 2018 â€˘ A R K A N S A S

F E AT U R E

Lessons of

A R K A N S A S â€˘ Spring 2018

Arkansas Business

Where it came from. Where it is going. And how it is going to get there.

photo by David Speer

By David Speer B.A.’75

Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

Matt Waller, dean of the Sam M. Walton College of Business, had a question for the 50 or so Honors College students gathered for a semester-long forum on the history – and future – of Arkansas business. “What is it about Arkansas?” he posed. Arkansas has only about 3 million people. In terms of population, that makes the whole state smaller than the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Texas. Yet it has spawned businesses that have made world-shaking changes in retail, transportation and logistics, protein production, finance and banking, and oil and gas, and is quickly becoming one of the places to watch for job creation and entrepreneurship. “I realized that many students didn’t know how rich a business history we have here in Arkansas,” Waller said. “Leaders from Arkansas have changed the world. And are changing the world.” Since becoming dean, Waller has visited with more than 250 of Walton College’s most successful graduates. He has been in their offices and in their homes, having lunch or dinner with them and talking about the future and the past of business in Arkansas. “I always walk out of there jazzed,” he said. “I wanted all of those students to hear from the giants of Arkansas business. I wish the whole university could have heard it.” They heard the stories of what makes a business giant a business giant. And Waller said more than once: “The giants of Arkansas business are the giants of business, period.” But the class was not a random series of talks by executives from various walks of business life. “It was a progression of topics that built toward a portrait of Arkansas business and Arkansas business leaders,” Waller said.

F E AT U R E

Executives who spoke to the dean’s class included, previous page: Elise Mitchell of Mitchell Communications. Top from left: Bill Dillard of Dillard’s Inc.; John Tyson of Tyson Foods Inc.; and John Furner of Sam’s Club. Lower left: Clete Brewer of New Road Capital Partners. Middle: Warren Stephens of Stephens Inc. Lower middle from left: Kirk Thompson of J.B. Hunt Transport Inc. and Rollin Ford of Walmart Stores talks with a student and Dean Matt Waller.

Waller predicted that the next wave of Arkansas business giants could very well come from his class, so it was important for them to know each other on a more than superficial level. Small groups of them had the opportunity to go to dinner with each of the visiting executives. “People in this class are going to do really well in business,” Waller said. “These are some of the most high-potential students at the University of Arkansas. Keep your eye on them.” Company-Focused Projects The class, although a single-hour credit, was not a “gimme.” Groups worked on company-focused research projects as part of the class assignments. Students submitted questions for each of the speakers. They were hit by a blizzard of anecdotes and quotes each week – names of people, books and articles flew by almost too quickly to comprehend. References to things like “grit” and Lean Six Sigma. Students scribbled notes about what to look up after class. Or later in life. The class also dipped into the realm of government with a talk by Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. “He talks more like a CEO than a governor,” Waller said. “He could easily be a CEO. That’s unusual for a governor.” Rollin Ford, who held a number of C-level positions at Walmart in a 30-plus-year career at the world’s largest retailer, told stories of working with “the aces of the retail industry.” “I got to work with the geniuses of business,” Ford said. He told story after story of working with Walmart founder Sam Walton. He said Walton would bring rolls of pennies to meetings to make a point – that in a tight-margin business such as retail, the three pennies left after costs wasn’t a lot to fund plans to grow and innovate.

“Listening is one of the most powerful tools of business.” Ford said Walton was a master at asking questions. “He led with questions,” Ford said. Ford hammered home the point that the key to Walmart’s phenomenal success was its much-talked-about company culture. He told the students that much had been said and written over the years about the Walmart culture, but he boiled it down to its essence for the class. “It’s not about what title you have,” he said. “It’s about taking care of each other.” Cameron Smith, president and founder of the executive recruiting firm Cameron Smith & Associates, told the students about the explosive growth in Northwest Arkansas of Vendorville, a term he coined in the mid-1990s to describe the movement of companies to the area to be closer to Walmart. Lasting Impressions Statements like that made a lasting impression on the students. “My favorite thing to hear from each executive was their best piece of advice or what they believe makes a good leader in their organizations,” said Jessica Loechler, a senior economics and marketing major from Kansas City, Missouri. “The wisdom that these leaders share is not

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

photos by David Speer

Sadie Bryant, a finance major and junior from Liberty, Missouri, poses a question to a visiting executive during one of the fall classes.

only immediately impactful, but it is information that will shape how I approach my career, relationships and life in general moving forward.” No two of the hour-long classes were the same. One week, the speaker would captivate the students with tales of Sam Walton as he built the world’s largest retailer. The next, a giant of Arkansas business would be put on the spot and have to give straight answers to tough questions from students. Some classes would take the form of cozy fireside chats, with Waller sitting and talking about the history of Arkansas business – and the history of the state itself – with one of the leaders who helped shape it. The format was shaped to fit the speaker, not the other way around. The chats often veered into not so cozy territory. As when Warren Stephens talked about how his management style carried his company through the financial hard times of the 2000s. Or when John Tyson talked about challenges of being in the production of poultry, beef and pork. Many of the business leaders refused to sugar-coat the challenges that face Arkansas and the state’s businesses in the future, including questions about public education, violence and the state’s reputation in places such as Wall Street or Washington, D.C. Other sessions were like listening to a favorite uncle tell stories about a family that made you dream to be a part of it. Humble Persistence “The class is nothing like I expected,” said Sampras Helton, who was hesitant at first to sign up for an upper-level course as an entering freshman. “I expected larger-than-life billionaires to come in with security teams, answer limited questions and look at us as if we were students.”

Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

Long-Term Perspective for Freshmen Dean Lynda Coon thought that Matt Waller was a natural to teach an Honors College forum on Arkansas Business. “Matt Waller is a rock star,” Coon said, a high-energy history professor who now leads the Honors College for the University of Arkansas. The Honors College had already held a couple of forums – notably Flagship U, which Chancellor Joe Steinmetz taught around the dining room table in his home. “We want to give students from all six undergraduate colleges access to intellectual experiences and top leaders,” Coon said. “Classes that 30 years from now, when they look back on their time at the University of Arkansas, they will remember.” “I had talked to Dean Waller about doing one of these forums because I thought he would be perfect,” she said. “He came up with the idea of Arkansas Business.” The class included all kinds of students, from freshmen all the way to seniors. “A dean is teaching freshmen. That’s awesome,” Coon said. She said that the class gave students “a unique perspective on the state.” It allowed them to meet and spend time with business executives from diverse backgrounds. “By sharing their own experiences, including failures, in a very frank way, these leaders are preparing our students to enter the job market.”

F E AT U R E

“If you’re really good, you take risks. And when you take risks, you often fail.” “Instead, I have discovered that these business titans are not actually from another world,” Sampras said. “They are all very down-to-earth nice people.” There was a lot of talk about grit and passion. Each of the speakers had the kind of grit Waller talked about in the class – perseverance and passion. All showed a deep passion for business. But just as obvious was their passion for Arkansas, its people and its future.

“When people have perseverance and passion together, they excel,” Waller said. The honors students already had persistence or they would never have been in the class. “But they have to find out what their passion is. That’s another aim of the class,” Waller said. “Hearing all these speakers and hearing about their companies helped these students to learn what their passion is.” But, to return to the original question, “What is it about Arkansas?” The students themselves came away with an answer. “It is the people. It is as simple as that,” Loechler said. “The people here are humble and down-to-earth. They care about their families, communities and coworkers, always putting people first. They know how to do good business because they know what is important to them and how to prioritize that. Humble beginnings lead to the most genuine, successful leaders, and that is the common denominator among all of these executives.” n

Arkansas Business Heroes Top students at the University of Arkansas had to submit a needs. She has done this through savvy business deals and acquiring detailed application to be granted admission to Dean Waller’s class. other businesses in order to fit ArcBest’s needs.” One of the questions they were asked was. “Do you have an Arkansas “Mr. Warren Stephens is my Arkansas business hero. Mr. Stephens business hero?” has taken an investment firm founded by his uncle, Mr. Witt Stephens, Excerpts from their answers give a glimpse into our state’s business and his father, Mr. Jack Stephens, and groomed it into a highly leaders of tomorrow. successful business in Arkansas. Stephens Inc. is recognized nationally as “This is an easy question for me to answer. My Arkansas business the largest investment banking firm located off of Wall Street.” hero is Sam Walton. Why? Because he drove around in the same old “Alice Walton may not have built the world’s largest retailer, but she truck until he died. He balanced success and humility.” has shown herself to be a formidable businesswoman and champion “I do not have an Arkansas business hero, but my hero is Arkansas for her community. … She doesn’t run one of the largest trucking business itself. … I want to study these companies in America or supply chicken strips successful businesses in Arkansas because to all 50 states, but she makes intentional I believe I could implement their models investments in our community. It’s not how she “I do not have an Arkansas in other places that lack resources. I want her wealth, but what she does with it business hero, but my hero is earned to recreate these corporations’ success in that makes her my Arkansas business hero.” Arkansas business itself.” other unattractive markets. I want to see “As both a citizen of the Natural State and a improvements in quality of living in an area business student, one individual that I admire is through my business ventures. Who better to Johnnie Bryan Hunt. His humble upbringings study than the successful companies in Arkansas?” and initial failures is certainly the archetype for an underdog, one that “Donnie Smith is an Arkansas businessman that I have great respect truly resonates with me.” for. I most admire how he handles his success with such humility. He “One of my biggest role models is Kirsten Blowers. Kirsten is the is personable and approachable and very generous with what he has. I founder of the clothing and accessory boutique Riff Raff. … My father have such great admiration for him not for his success at Tyson, but for is a small business owner, so I have seen the struggles of opening and his character.” maintaining a small business, sometimes without the accounting or “My Arkansas business hero is Judy McReynolds, the president legal knowledge necessary. Because of this, Kirsten’s wish to be her own and CEO of ArcBest. … During her time as ArcBest CEO, she has boss, her desire to keep everything local in Fayetteville, the city she was expanded the company’s strategy beyond simply less-than-truckload born and raised, and her savvy business knowledge has been a great services into other areas in order to service more of the customers’ inspiration to me.”

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

Lessons from Arkansas Business

Business Leaders

photos by David Speer

Clete Brewer New Road Capital Partners

Bill Dillard II Dillard’s Inc.

Rollin Ford Walmart

John Furner Sam’s Club

Asa Hutchinson Governor of Arkansas

Elise Mitchell Mitchell Communications

Madison Murphy Murphy Oil and Murphy USA

Todd Simmons Simmons Foods

Cameron Smith Cameron Smith and Associates

David Snowden Tarco Inc.

Warren Stephens Stephens, Inc.

Kirk Thompson J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc.

John Tyson Tyson Foods

Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

• Scarcity creates innovation. • The giants of Arkansas business are the giants of business, period. • Listening is one of the most powerful tools of business. • If you’re really good, you take risks. And when you take risks, you often fail. • Leaders from Arkansas have changed the world. And are changing the world. • Flip-flops are never considered part of business casual. • The day that pennies don’t matter is the day we will not be in business, so you better make sure all the pennies count. • Are you working on the right problem? • It’s important when you start to scale up that people don’t become a number. • I can’t imagine playing the game without keeping score. • Sometimes the goal is to be in business the next day. • There is no such thing as “other people’s money.” It’s always somebody’s money. • We don’t take ourselves seriously, but we take our jobs seriously. • Just because you’re nice doesn’t mean you’re stupid. • Pay attention to detail. • Take care of your people. • Sometimes folks just do stupid stuff. • There is a business problem to solve: First we figure out how to solve the problem; then we’ll figure out how to make money. • Get your ego out of the way and look at the facts. Sometimes the facts mislead you. That’s when you go with your guts. • Food is emotional. • Sometimes it’s hard waiting for the organization to catch up to where you are. • Entrepreneurs say: That didn’t work? What’s next? Failure is not doomsday. • Whales swallow guppies. Companies gobble up each other. • If you have an idea for a business, you need a roadmap. • Start now. • Never stop growing. Don’t get stagnant. • You’re the CEO of you. • Everyone has a plan until you get punched in the nose. • Hire people smarter than you. • It’s all details. They all matter. • What’s a CEO do? A CEO says “yes” or “no” all day long. • Make a decision. Live with it. Move on. • Do what you say you are going to do, when you say you’re going to do it. • Trust and empower your people. • Learn from someone who is doing it better than you are. • Be great at what you’re good at. • You can’t do it by yourself. You’ve got to have a great team. • You have to always be willing to learn. • Hire great people. Let them control their own destiny. • Having people make mistakes is good. Not learning from those mistakes is a problem.

F E AT U R E

Energy on the Head

A R K A N S A S â€¢ Spring 2018

of a Pin

Using the Natural Motion of 2D Materials to Create a New Source of Clean Energy By Camilla Shumaker B.A.’01, M.F.A.’09

Graphene is a seemingly impossible material. For years, scientists had theorized that lifting a single layer of carbon atoms from a chunk of graphite could produce the first twodimensional material, which they called graphene. Finally, in 2004, this was accomplished by two physicists at the University of Manchester, who earned the Nobel Prize in Physics for this breakthrough. There was a problem, however: two-dimensional materials violate the laws of physics. Without the support of a substrate, physics predicts they would tear apart or melt, even at a temperature of absolute zero. Physicists had to find a loophole to explain their existence. That loophole turned out to be related to a phenomenon known as Brownian motion, small random fluctuations of the carbon atoms that make up graphene. This causes the material to ripple into the third dimension, similar to waves moving across the surface of the ocean. These movements in and out of the flat surface allow graphene to stay comfortably within the laws of physics. Ever since Robert Brown discovered Brownian motion in 1827, scientists have wondered whether they could harvest this motion as a source of energy. The research of Paul Thibado, professor of physics at the University of Arkansas, provides strong evidence that the motion of graphene could indeed be used as a source of clean, limitless energy.

Photos by Russell Cothren

Narrowing the Focus

Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

To study the movement of graphene, Thibado and his graduate students laid sheets of the material across a copper grid that acted as a scaffold. This allowed the graphene to move freely in the places where it covered each tiny hole in the grid. Then they used a scanning tunneling microscope, or STM, to observe the movements. The STM creates images with atomic resolution by scanning across the surface of a material with an ultra-sharp, microscopic tip. Using the STM, Thibado’s team gathered a lot of information about the movements of freestanding graphene, but they had difficulty making sense of it. From one data set to the next, the results were not reproducible. “The students felt we weren’t going to learn anything useful,” explained Thibado, “but I wondered if we were asking too simple a question.”

F E AT U R E

Thibado had his students look at the measurements in a different way. “We separated each image into sub-images,” he said. “Looking at large-scale averages hid the different patterns. Each region of a single image, when viewed over time, produced a more meaningful pattern.” The more the researchers narrowed their focus, the clearer the patterns became, so they zeroed in even further, reducing the area the microscope scanned until they were looking at only one ripple at a time. Eventually, they tried something new: pausing the scan and simply taking measurements from a single spot, “like looking at a buoy which only moves up and down in the ocean,” Thibado explained. This was a novel use of STM and marked the turning point in their research. When Thibado’s team analyzed the “point mode” data, they could observe two distinct features: small Brownian motion and larger, coordinated movements. In these larger movements, the entire ripple buckled, flipping up and down like a thin piece of metal being repeatedly flexed. The pattern of small random motion combined with larger sudden movements is known as Lévy flights. This phenomenon can be observed in a variety of contexts, such as biomedical signals, climate dynamics, the behavior of foraging animals, and even the movement of crowds at Disney World. Thibado is the first to have observed these flights spontaneously occurring in an inorganic atomic-scale system. His team published these results in the journal Physical Review Letters. An Energy Breakthrough Other researchers have theorized that temperature-induced curvature inversion in graphene could be used as an energy source, and even predicted the amount of energy they could produce. What sets Thibado’s work apart is his discovery that graphene has naturally occurring ripples that invert their curvature as the atoms vibrate in response to the ambient temperature. “This is the key to using the motion of 2D materials as a source of harvestable energy,” Thibado said. Unlike atoms in a liquid, which move in random directions, atoms connected in a sheet of graphene move together. This means their energy can be collected using existing nanotechnology. Thibado has taken the first steps toward creating a device that can turn this energy into electricity, with the potential for many applications. He has been awarded a provisional patent on this invention, called a Vibration Energy Harvester, or VEH. Such a device would involve a negatively charged sheet of graphene suspended between two metal electrodes. When the graphene flips up, it induces a positive charge in the top electrode, and when it flips down, it positively charges the bottom one, creating an alternating current. The samples of graphene in Thibado’s lab measure about 10 microns across, so tiny that more than 20,000 of them could fit on the head of a pin. Each ripple in the graphene measures only 10 nanometers by 10 nanometers, yet may yield as much as 10 picowatts of power. As a result, each of these micro-sized membranes has the potential to produce enough energy to power a wristwatch. Because they get their energy from ambient heat, they never need charging.

Thibado’s research is funded by the National Science Foundation, and he is working with scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory to create a proof of concept for his tiny electric generators. They will also be experimenting with other 2D materials, in addition to graphene. Ironically, Thibado found that the superior conductivity of graphene — a characteristic that that allows it to excel as a material for creating tiny electric circuits in other contexts — makes it less than ideal for his purposes. His VEH device yields more energy if the active material is not conductive, because if electrons move too easily across it, this lowers its efficiency. Thibado is studying other 2D materials to determine if they could produce energy more efficiently than graphene. Thibado predicts that his generators could transform our environment, allowing any object to send, receive, process and store information, powered only by room temperature heat. This would have significant implications for the effort to connect physical objects to the digital world, known as the Internet of Things. This self-charging, microscopic power source could make everyday objects into smart devices, as well as powering more sophisticated biomedical devices such as pace makers, hearing aids, and wearable sensors. “Self-powering enables smart bioimplants,” explained Thibado, “which would profoundly impact society.” A Productive Partnership Charles Woodson, director of research and technology at NTS Innovations, immediately recognized the potential in Thibado’s discovery. “This is by far the most exciting project I’ve seen,” said Woodson, who has worked in the energy and nanotechnology fields for more than five decades. NTS Innovations focuses on the commercialization of nanotechnology and environmentally sustainable heating, water filtration and purification, as well as the production of green energy, all via 2D materials. Woodson envisions many applications for

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

Photos by Russell Cothren

Thibado’s discovery. For example, it could be used to create sustainable, decentralized energy systems throughout the world, especially in places where the energy grid system is underdeveloped or nonexistent. It may also prove beneficial in biomedical devices, enhanced solar and wind production, capturing waste heat and remote sensing devices. With the support of NTS Innovations, Thibado plans to produce a proof of concept — a device capable of charging a capacitor using only ambient heat and the motion of graphene — within a year. n

Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

Paul Thibado, professor of physics, uses a scanning tunneling microscope that can observe materials at the atomic level. In this case, he is studying graphene, a material composed of a single, two-dimensional layer of graphite, pictured directly above. Thibado’s research team discovered a pattern in the natural motion of graphene, which could be harnessed as a source of energy.

F E AT U R E

Operation Open Season Alumnus works with builders, schools, veterans to provide hunting options By Charlie Alison ★ B.A.’82, M.A.’04

A veteran who lost his lower legs during military service gets ready to give John Rowland a fist bump after a successful day of skeet-shooting, part of the Operation Open Season program.

Some of them contacted Black Hills Energy, where alumnus John Rowland B.S.’95 and his team worked with them to create a building project that they hoped would entice and inspire high school students to reconsider building trades as a career. Rowland said that one of the projects they proposed was for the students to build an accessible hunting blind or bow stand. The idea was thrown to several schools in the Northwest Arkansas region, with the builders or local businesses helping supply materials. Members of the builders association paired up with a school and sponsored the materials for them. About a dozen high schools have participated in the construction of accessible hunting blinds as part of the “Black Hills Build-a-Thon.” The project worked.

“Students participating see they are part of something bigger,” said Zack Hill, a teacher whose students have participated in the Build-a-Thon. “They feel good about what they are doing because they know it will ultimately help others.” But, Rowland said, it perhaps succeeded too well. The project wound up with a dozen hunting blinds. So the group reconvened to decide what to do with the blinds. The team from Black Hills Energy went back to the builders association and met with some of the builders who owned property specifically set aside for hunting. They suggested a sister program through which an accessible hunting blind would be donated to a landowner who was willing to welcome a veteran with disabilities for one day of hunting in season. “Within a week or two, we had more than 4,000 acres of hunting land offered,” Rowland said. “Now, we’re up to about 34,000 acres.” Although that amount of acreage sounds like a lot, it’s not much in the grand scheme of things when veterans are spread across Arkansas and the hunting land so far offered might be concentrated in certain areas. Rowland told the story of taking a veteran out to hunt recently. “I recently took a kid out who lost his leg to an IED,” Rowland said. “He told me, ‘I used to hunt with my dad,’ but he didn’t anymore because so much hunting land in Arkansas had been turned into lease-to-hunt operations that were too expensive for the average Arkansan. This opened a door to hunting opportunities that are often shut for these guys.” Operation Open Season, now a nonprofit organization, doesn’t need money so much as it needs more landowners who are willing to allow someone to hunt on their property one day out of the year, especially into Central Arkansas and South Arkansas. During the fall 2017 hunting season, more than 30 veterans participated in Operation Open photo by Charie Allison

photo submitted

Members of the Northwest Arkansas Builders Association recently noticed that fewer high school students seemed to be taking courses connected to the building trades or participating in programs that might put them on a path to working in the building industry. The builders wondered if there was a way to get students reconnected with those trades.

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

Season, but Rowland believes more land owners will join in as they hear about the program. Although the program requires a minimum of one day being allowed for a veteran to hunt, Rowland said, “We’ve seen landowners who have already invited veterans back for more opportunities.” “A high percentage of the veterans sustained a physical injury, but many are also PTSD survivors,” Rowland said. The most popular hunting season has been deer season, but they also have veterans who have hunted turkey in the spring and duck during the late fall and winter period. Last year, they began a buddy bass tournament, pairing a bass fisherman with a veteran, that proved very popular. n

Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

Interested veterans and land owners can register through the organization’s website: operationopenseason.com.

A S S O C I AT I O N

University Relations photo

He is my hero. After more than 20 years of service, dad retired from the Air Force in 1977, my freshman year. My parents returned to the family farm, near Windsor, Missouri. Dad enjoyed another 34 years farming, hunting, commiserating at the local donut shop, and otherwise enjoying his friends and family. My mother married my father when she was 17. In addition to raising a family while dad was away on duty for long periods of time, mom worked full-time as a bank teller for many years, notably at First Jacksonville Bank (now First Arkansas Bank & Trust), where the tellers wore Razorback red on football Fridays! I have a degree in accounting. I expect I received the “accounting gene” from her. Despite the demands of family and work, my mother still found time for herself. She took private pilot lessons and once flew in a transcontinental air race for women. And maybe she did not do some of the things that a stay-at-home parent does, but she met every expectation I ever had. My parents were married for 58 years. My mother moved to the Wichita area, near one of my sisters and her family, after my father passed away in 2011. Today, she enjoys her family, including four great grandchildren, her friends at the Derby (Kansas) Senior Center, and our annual trips to Las Vegas. She is my hero, too. I was a first-generation college student. I remember standing on the front steps of our home at age 5 or 6 and my father talking about his expectation of me graduating from college — a remarkable vision for someone with no family history of higher education. More than 50 years later, that memory is as clear as if it happened yesterday. No doubt, there are thousands and thousands of families who have worked hard and sacrificed so their children can pursue their academic dreams and enjoy their best possible life. It is a gift to know a few of your stories firsthand. Thank you for all you do and for letting me share a little of my parents’ story. I also thank those of you who have joined me or will join me in supporting scholarships. The Arkansas Alumni Association’s scholarship program is funded by your gifts. Making an Arkansas education more affordable is essential to recruiting and retaining capable, hard-working students and advancing their success. Your support makes a lasting difference in students’ lives, today and for generations to come — good work, prepared in advance, for us to do. Woo Pig,

President’s Message Last year, I established the Forrest and Barbara Eldred Endowed Accounting Scholarship at the Walton College of Business. I had previously established a future endowed scholarship in my parents’ names at the Arkansas Alumni Association through a planned gift. These scholarships will support academically outstanding students. The recipients will be chosen at the sole discretion of the Walton College and the association, but they may give preference to active or honorably discharged members of the United States military or their dependents. These Campaign Arkansas gifts honor my mother and father, who grew up in very modest circumstances in small town and rural Missouri but worked hard and sacrificed to ensure my sisters and I had every possible opportunity. Please let me share a little of their story. My paternal grandfather was a farmer. If my father had had his druthers, he would have been a farmer too, but the Air Force was his path to a better life for his family. It also was our path to Arkansas. My father transferred from Virginia to Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville in the summer of 1974, just before I entered high school. I am proud of my father’s military service. Even if the Air Force was not his first career choice, he took pride in his work and served with honor. Dad received the Airman’s Medal while serving in Vietnam. The citation reads: Master Sergeant Forrest D. Eldred distinguished himself by heroism involving voluntary risk of life at DaNang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, on 6 August 1968. On that date, Sergeant Eldred rushed to the area where an aircraft crashed attempting to land. With complete disregard for his personal safety, despite the potential hazards of fire and ammunition explosions, Sergeant Eldred unhesitantly disentangled the trapped Vietnamese pilot from the aircraft and succeeded in his humanitarian rescue efforts at the possible sacrifice of his own life. By his courageous action and humanitarian regard for his fellow man, Sergeant Eldred has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

Don Eldred ✪+ B.S.B.A.’81 President, Arkansas Alumni Association

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

1923-24 Joseph Kirby Mahone ✪ BA’07 1924-25 Robert Hill Carruth BA’11 1925-26 James E. Rutherford ✪ BA’22 1926-27 Winston Lee Winters BSCE’06 1927-28 J.L. Longino BSEE’03 1928-29 Alfred Boyde Cypert BA’12 1929-30 James William Trimble BA’17 1930-31 G. DeMatt Henderson BA’01 LLB’03 1931-32 Dr. Jasper Neighbors MD’18 1932-33 Scott D. Hamilton BA’24 1933-34 Charles A. Walls BA’07 1934-35 Arthur D. Pope BA’06 1935-36 John C. Ashley BA’11 1936-37 Beloit Taylor BA’19 1937-38 John P. Woods ✪ BA’09 1938-39 Glen Rose ★ BSE’28 MS’31 1939-40 Claude J. Byrd ★ BSA’25 1940-41 Charles Frierson Jr. ’29 1941-42 John B. Daniels BSA’33 1942-44 G. DeMatt Henderson BA’01 LLB’03 1944-45 Dr. M. L. Dalton MD’32 1945-46 Jack East ✪ BSE’24 1946-47 Steve Creekmore ★ BSBA’11 1947-48 Maupin Cummings ✪ BA’32 1948-49 Roy Milum BA’04, LLD’58 1949-50 Paul Sullins ✪ JD’37 1950-51 Francis Cherry LLB’38 1951-52 J.C. Gibson BA’24 MS’38 1952-53 George Makris ✪ BSBA’37 1953-54 Edward B. Dillon Jr. ★LLB’50 1954-55 Beloit Taylor BA’19 1955-56 Louis L. Ramsay Jr. LLB’47 LLD’88 1956-57 Stanley Wood ✪ BA’23 1957-58 A.L. Whitten MS’40 1958-59 W.R. “Dub”Harrison BA’20 1959-60 E.M. “Mack”Anderson✪+ BA’32 1960-61 Warren Wood ✪ LLB’32 1961-62 Owen Calhoun Pearce BSBA’41 LLB’41 1962-63 James C. Hale BA’33 1963-64 Jack East Jr. BSBA’48 1964-65 J. Fred Patton ✪+ BA’29 MA’36 1965-66 P.K. Holmes Jr. ✪ BA’37 LLB’39

1966-67 William H. Bowen ★ LLB’49 1967-68 Guy H. Lackey ✪+ BSBA’49 1968-69 Robert P. Taylor ✪+ BSBA’47 MS48 1969-70 John Ed Chambers BA’39 LLB’40 1970-71 Chester H. Lauck ’25 1971-72 Nathan Gordon ✪+ JD’39 1972-73 Charles E. Scharlau ✪+ LLB’51 1973-74 Carl L. Johnson ★ BSBA’47 1974-75 R. Cecil Powers ✪ BSBA’30 1975-76 J.C. Reeves ✪ ’25 1976-77 Elizabeth (Sissi) Riggs Brandon ✪+ BSE’55 1977-78 Roy Murphy ✪+ BSIM’49 1978-79 Fred Livingston ✪ BSBA’55 1979-80 Tracy Scott ✪ BSE’53 1980-81 Edward W. Stevenson ✪+ BSBA’60 1981-82 Fred Livingston ✪ BSBA’55 1982-83 Don Schnipper ✪+ BA’63 JD’64 1983-84 Mary Trimble Maier ✪+ BA’49 1984-85 Bart Lindsey ✪+ BSBA’67 1985-86 W. Kelvin Wyrick ✪+ BSE’59 1986-87 Larry G. Stephens ✪+ BSIE’58 1987-88 Rebecca Shreve ✪+ BSE’60 MED’63 1988-89 Robert T. Dawson ✪+ BA’60 LLB’65 1989-90 G regory B. Graham ✪+ BSBA’70 JD’72 1990-91 Blake Schultz ✪+ BA’51 1991-92 Chuck Dudley ✪+ BSBA’76 MBA’77 1992-93 Harriet Hudson Phillips ✪+ BA’72 1993-94 Richard Hatfield ✪+ BSBA’65 LLB’67 1994-95 Jenny Mitchell Adair ✪+ BA’62 1995-96 Jack McNulty ✪+ BSBA’67 JD’70 1996-97 Sylvia Boyer ✪+ BSE’63 1997-98 Morris Fair ★ BSBA’56 1998-00 H. Lawson Hembree IV ✪+ BSA’83 2000-02 Jeffery R. Johnson ✪+ BA’70 2002-04 Edward Bradford ✪+ BSE’55 MED’56 2004-06 Brian M. Rosenthal ✪+ BSBA’84 2006-08 Kenny Gibbs ✪+ BSBA’85 2008-10 Gerald Jordan ✪+ BA’70 2010-12 Steve Nipper ✪+ BSBA’71 MBA’73 2012-14 John Reap ✪+ BSBA’70 2014-16 Stephanie S. Streett ✪ BS’91

Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

photo by Whit Pruitt

Past Presidents of the Arkansas Alumni Association Board of Directors

Arkansas Alumni Association Establishes Armed Forces Alumni Society The Arkansas Alumni Association is establishing an Armed Forces Alumni Society. The inaugural reception was held on March 15. The society welcomes members and former members from all branches of the U.S. military, their families, friends, and constituents. The mission of the Armed Forces Alumni Society will be to foster and enhance relationships between alumni, faculty, staff, students and their families who are current and former members of the armed forces. Purpose and goals: • Encourage camaraderie among members. • Raise awareness and support for the armed forces. • Build a strong professional and personal support network among alumni, faculty, staff, and students and their families. If you wish to join the Armed Forces Alumni Society or would like additional information, please contact societies@arkansasalumni.org. n H

Armed Forces Alumni Society Board Danielle L. Williams ✪ president Director, Office of Equal Opportunity and Compliance

Erika Gamboa ★ vice president Director, Veterans Resource and Information Center

A S S O C I AT I O N

Introducing the Newest Alumni Endowed Scholars

University Relations photos

Each year the Arkansas Alumni Association awards two Alumni Endowed Scholarships to its top freshman applicants. Caroline Cremin and Joshua Foster were selected as the newest Endowed Scholars based on their academic achievements, demonstrated leadership and community involvement. Beauty and opportunity are two of the reasons Cremin and Foster Caroline Cremin ✩ chose to attend the University of Arkansas. Both scholars loved the Jenks, Oklahoma natural beauty of Fayetteville and the surrounding area. They also expressed that after touring the campus and learning more about their chosen majors, they felt the U of A offered the greatest opportunities and support for student success. Caroline Cremin is a 2017 graduate of Jenks Highs School in Oklahoma. She is majoring in biology and is a member of the Honors College. Her goal is to be an orthopedic surgeon. Cremin admits to being a bit apprehensive last fall about starting college because she did not know what to expect. Her first semester on campus has confirmed that the U of A was the right choice for her. One major difference between high school and college, Cremin noted, is being fully responsible for her own time management and she finds it both challenging and exciting to be responsible for her own progress in the classroom. Cremin happily reports that the support of professors, along with services available on campus, has provided any extra help she needed. In her words, “If you actively seek help (as a student), you will find the help you need to succeed.” Being a member of Greek life on campus has been a highlight for her. As Cremin starts her second semester on campus, she is excited about all the future opportunities available to her through the

University of Arkansas. She plans to study abroad and hopes to participate in undergraduate research. Joshua Foster followed in his sister’s footsteps, graduating as valedictorian of The Academies of West Memphis Charter School in 2017. While he continued in her footsteps by becoming a University of Arkansas student, Joshua stated that it was his tour Joshua Foster of the College of Engineering that Marion reinforced his desire to attend college in Fayetteville. Foster explained that seeing how intentional the Engineering College is in matching students with the field of engineering that best fits them was exceptionally appealing to him. Later, visiting with U of A Band members calmed his fears that he may have to choose between his two passions: math and music. Foster joined the Razorback Marching Band during his first semester and found many students succeeding as both band members and engineering students. He shared that, outside of the classroom, his first semester on campus also taught him how to better manage his time. “Juggling laundry, studying and balancing commitments has taught me a new independence,” Foster says. As he begins his second semester on campus, Joshua is already looking forward to the College of Engineering’s Decision Day when he will officially declare his chosen field of engineering. Foster is also looking forward to exploring research internships during his time as a student. The Alumni Association is currently engaged in reviewing and awarding the next class of Alumni Scholars. Alumni from across the country help review scholarship applications received each year from Jan. 1 through Feb. 15. Watch for more scholars’ stories on blog.arkansasalumni.org, and in future issues of the magazine. n

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

Travel the World in 2018 ••••••••••

with Razorbacks on Tour

••••••••••

Members, alumni, friends and family – anyone can travel with R azorbacks on Tour.

EASY COMPANY: ENGLAND TO THE EAGLE’S NEST September 29 – October 11, 2018 Made famous by The New York Times best-seller Band of Brothers and the critically acclaimed miniseries that followed, Easy Company members shared their stories with The National WWII Museum founder Stephen E. Ambrose, who immortalized their lives from jump training to the war’s end. On this unforgettable, 13-day travel experience, you will follow in the footsteps of Easy Company, part of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne.

Featuring expert guides and original cast members from the mini-series this tour takes you from the hedgerows of Normandy, along “Hell’s Highway” in the Netherlands, through the foxholes surrounding Bastogne, and atop the Eagle’s Nest – immersing you in the lives of Easy Company.

For details on all the 2018 Razorbacks on Tour trips

visit www.arkansasalumni.org/tours or contact the association at travel@arkansasalumni.org orS800-775-3465. Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A

A S S O C I AT I O N

Arkansas Alumni Association Announces 2018 Student Alumni Executive Board The Arkansas Alumni Association is pleased to announce the Student Alumni Board Executive Team for 2018. The nine members serve as the Board of Directors for the Student Alumni Association, the largest student organization on the University of Arkansas campus. The students have all previously held leadership positions on the board, and six of the nine are Arkansas residents. Several of the Executive Team members are part of the Arkansas Alumni Association’s Scholarship Program, which supports more than 450 current

Razorback students each year. The Student Alumni Association was created by students in 2003 and is the student chapter of the Arkansas Alumni Association. It was designed to inspire loyalty, preserve University of Arkansas traditions and establish the bond between students and alumni. The group’s primary goal is to turn a four-year experience into a lifelong connection. The following students will lead the Student Alumni Board through the 2018 calendar year:

President Nikki Anderson ✩, a junior from Fayetteville, majoring in economics and criminal justice. This past year she served as the Homecoming director for the board. Anderson is also a member of Phi Mu and Leadership Walton.

Vice President of Member Engagement Bethany Kasper ✩, a sophomore theatre performance major from Jacksonville. This past year she served as the board’s Beat Shirt chair for membership engagement. Kasper also serves as banner chair for Kappa Delta and is a literacy volunteer with the Volunteer Action Center.

Executive Vice President Emma Buckner ✩, a junior honors student from White Hall. She is majoring in biochemistry and biology and is on the pre-medical track. This past year, Buckner was vice president of Senior Experience for the board. She is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, Alpha Epsilon Delta and Order of Omega. She also serves as the lead chemistry and biology tutor for Class-plus. Vice President of Alumni Relations Ann Goebel ✩, a junior from Overland Park, Kansas, majoring in marketing. This past year she was on the Traditions Committee for the board. Goebel is also a member of Order of Omega and Leadership Walton, and serves as the recording secretary for Kappa Kappa Gamma. Vice President of Homecoming Kate Truitt ✩, a sophomore honors student from Fort Smith, majoring in accounting. She served as the board’s director of Campus Decorations for Homecoming 2017. Truitt serves as treasurer of Kappa Kappa Gamma and is a peer mentor for the Walton Honors Program.

University Relations photos

Vice President of Marketing Jada Gaspard ✩, a junior from Little Rock. She is majoring in marketing on a pre-law track. Gaspard served as the assistant director of marketing on the board this past year. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.

Vice President of Member Recruitment Nate Garcia ✩, a junior honors student from Kansas City, Kansas. He’s majoring in kinesiology with a minor in business. The past year he has served as the board’s Senior Awards chair. Garcia also serves as a logistic coordinator for the Volunteer Action Center, as well as chaplain of Kappa Alpha Order. He is also a small group leader for Cross Church. Vice President of Traditions Madison McDonnell ✩, a junior honors student from Columbia, Missouri. She’s majoring in finance and economics with a minor in Arabic. She served as the Traditions App chair for the board. McDonnell is also the director of senior transition for the Razorback Foundation Collegiate Board, a member of the Booster Club, Student Ambassadors and Alpha Omicron Pi. Vice President of Sponsorships Anna Nettles ✩, a junior from North Little Rock. She is double majoring in supply chain management and marketing. Nettles served as the board’s director of community outreach on the Homecoming Committee this past year. She is a member of Zeta Tau Alpha and Greek Life Facilitators. n

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

The Arkansas Alumni Association honored its fourth class of Seniors of Significance during a reception at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House on Dec. 1. A total of 71 graduating seniors, commemorating the university’s founding date of 1871, were recognized. During the reception, the Seniors of Significance received a special gold honor cord to wear during graduation. The 71 students were selected from more than 600 nominations and represent each University of Arkansas undergraduate academic college. These Seniors of Significance were selected based on their academic achievements, leadership skills and extracurricular campus and/or community activities.

Class of 2018 Seniors of Significance College of Education and Health Professions

Brendan Cook ✩ – Springdale Grace Davis ✩ – Memphis, Tennessee Sarah Caroline Halford* – Little Rock Anne Schexnayder* – Little Rock Erin Smith ✩ – Harrisburg Kate Tarver* – Germantown, Tennessee College of Engineering

Phillip Braden – Collierville, Tennessee Ali Ezell* ✩ – Springdale Paolo Garcia* – Fort Smith Casey Gibson** – Jonesboro Kendrick Hardaway* – Poteau, Oklahoma Iliana Hernandez – Siloam Springs Rachel Holmer* – Rogers Kylie McClanahan** – Maumelle Grace McGee* – Richardson, Texas Zachary Roth* ✩– Bentonville Stephanie Sandoval* – Springdale Danielle Zapata ✩ – Arlington, Texas Maria Alejandra Zeballos Castro* – La Paz, Bolivia Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural Food and Life Sciences

Barbara “Beau” Broyles* ✩ – Fayetteville Tristen Clanton – Hermitage Martha “Grace” Costello* – Elkins

Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

University Relations photo

2018 Seniors of Significance Chosen by Arkansas Alumni Association

Seniors of Significance are now eligible to update their applications to be considered for the Senior Honor Citation program, now in its 53rd year, and the recently re-established Razorback Classics program. n

Sarah-Beth DeLay* – San Antonio, Texas Sam Harris* ✩ – Greenbrier Danica Ridgeway – Jefferson City, Missouri Sarah Yanniello* – McKinney, Texas Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design

Callie Fleetwood* – Claremore, Oklahoma J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences

Ryann Alonso* ✩ – Tulsa, Oklahoma Garrett Bethel* – Little Rock Erica Brewer* ✩ – Lonoke Cortlyn Dees – Canyon, Texas Breyanna Dulaney ✩ – Little Rock Caroline Gregory* ✩ – Dallas, Texas Daley Harvey ✩ – Des Arc Jessica Kloss* ✩ – Beebe Madison Kolb* – Little Rock Stephen Komar* – Kansas City, Missouri Karli Lipinski* – Benton Pooja Lukhi* ✩ – Conway Khyesha McCall ✩ – Fayetteville Naseer Naseem* ✩ – Fayetteville Hanah Neece – Argyle, Texas Gray Orman* ✩ – Bryant Roy Phillips Jr.* ✩ – Little Rock Jodi Simeon* – Commonwealth of Dominica Jacey Sites* – Beebe Ashlyn Smith ✩ – Harrisburg

Chelsea Tatlow – Columbia, Missouri Olivia Tzeng* – Conway Rachel Ungar* – Fayetteville Kyle Ward* – Fayetteville Madison Woods – Camden Sam M. Walton College of Business

Macarena Arce* ✩ – Lima, Peru Kendell Black* – Germantown, Tennessee Elynnor Burress* – Stilwell, Kansas Jack Casey* – Overland Park, Kansas Natalie Counce* ✩ – Fayetteville Jessica Garross – Flower Mound, Texas Adam Jones* – Fayetteville Grace Lillis ✩ – Overland Park, Kansas Tristan Locke* ✩ – Stilwell, KS Jessica Loechler* – Kansas City, Missouri Landri McGregor* ✩ – Golden, Colorado Ryan Panyard* ✩ – Little Rock Elise Patterson – Austin, Texas Trent “Jack” Scaccia* – Clarksville Scott Sims* ✩ – McGehee Raygan Sylvester ✩ – North Little Rock McKenzie Wages* – Springfield, Missouri William Watkins* – Arlington, Texas Thea Winston* – Forrest City *Indicates the student is a member of the Honors College **Indicates the student is pursuing degrees within two Colleges

A S S O C I AT I O N

Razorbacks on Tour 2017 Photo Album In 2017, Razorbacks on Tour visited four continents and participated in a wide variety of tour programs. The year began observing the Wolves of Yellowstone and concluded in Bali following passage on the Eastern & Oriental Express. Throughout the year Arkansas travelers cruised around Cuba, visited southern Africa, explored North America by boat and by train, and experienced the rich history and culture of many European locations. Some alumni and friends have shared their photos from their 2017 Razorbacks on Tour travels.

Razorbacks on Tour is the educational tour program of the Arkansas Alumni Association. Our travel staff, partnered with the finest educational travel professionals, choose and organize an annual slate of trips that allow our alumni, members and friends to establish and strengthen lifelong friendships while traveling the world. Programs are carefully selected with an aim to contribute to the personal and intellectual growth of our alumni and friends. Anyone can travel with Razorbacks on Tour! For more information, contact Razorbacks on Tour at travel@ arkansasalumni.org or call 1.800.775.3465. n

Island Life®: Cruising Cuba January 31 – February 9, 2017

Six Arkansas passengers experienced Cuba during this unprecedented People-to-People opportunity including six nights aboard the small sailing ship M. Y. Le Ponant and three nights in Havana. Photos provided are by Sue Melendi.

Passage of Lewis & Clark May 7 – 15, 2017

Eight Arkansas passengers traced the fabled path of Lewis and Clark on this cruise of the Columbia and Snake Rivers aboard the elegant American Empress. Left to right: Jerry & Julie Moody, Ted and Melinda Hood, Carolynn Coleman, Ray & Diane Kaskel, and Ann Cooper.

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

Vineyards & Vignettes May 23-June 1, 2017

The Nautica was home base for 13 alumni and friends as they cruised from Lisbon to London, exploring colorful tiled churches, marvelous architecture and cuisine, and sundappled vineyards. From left: Bill and Judy Creason, Cookie Redfern, Jane Shipley, Martin Redfern, Kay and Sid Davis, and Curtis Shipley. Photo of travelers gathered in Horizons Lounge provided by Cookie Redfern. Large group photo provided by Go Next.

Travel the World ••••

with Razorbacks on Tour

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Alumni Campus Abroad: Sorrento, Italy September 13-21, 2017

Four Arkansas travelers settled in Sorrento and explored the Amalfi Coast in the Alumni Campus Abroad program. Photo provided by Kathy Beaumont.

Travelers may share their photos with Razorbacks on Tour by emailing travel@arkansasalumni.org. Photos are posted in the Razorbacks on Tour collection in the Arkansas Alumni Association’s Flickr photo stream, see https://goo.gl/K7X1Bk.

Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

A S S O C I AT I O N

University of Arkansas Wins Three CASE Awards Alumni Association honored for scholarship program; Honors College’s Passport: Peru receives two awards By Kendall Curlee The University of Arkansas has won three awards in the 2018 took students and faculty to historically and culturally significant CASE District III Awards Competition, which “recognizes the very sites throughout Peru in January 2017. Russell Cothren, manager best in advancement across the Southeast.” The Arkansas Alumni of photographic services, produced the prizewinning portfolio of Association Scholarship Program received a Special Merit Award photographs, which has been featured online and in print pieces in the category of Alumni Relations Fundraising Project, Event or across campus, including Arkansas magazine; A+, the Honors College Program. A collaboration between the Honors College and University magazine; the Benefactor, and in the new view book developed by the Relations won two Special Merit Awards, one each in the Excellence in Office of Admissions. Photography and Recruitment Video categories. John Cooper, managing producer of video productions, and Kendall “The CASE District III competition had Curlee, director of communications for hundreds of entries across a broad range of the Honors College, produced the awardcategories, and winning these awards validates winning video, Honors Passport. Tony the hard work and creativity of our staff here at Steck, senior art director at DOXA, a local the University of Arkansas,” said Roy Cordell, design firm, assisted with graphic design. senior director of creative services for the Footage shot in Peru also has been used in Office of University Relations. Cordell serves the university’s Short Takes video series and on the board and is a co-chair of the CASE in a promotional video for the Office of District III conference. Study Abroad, which will also be featured for The Arkansas Alumni Association the second year in the “All in for Arkansas” scholarship program has been supporting fundraising campaign. students and engaging alumni for more than The exceptional honors faculty and 25 years. Scholarships have grown from the students who participated in Honors first two alumni endowed scholarships totaling Passport: Peru also contributed greatly to $3,200 in 1990 to more than $1.1 million these award-winning initiatives. awarded to 481 students in 2017-18. “We are grateful to the Honors College The sale of “Hog Tags” license plates provides A significant factor in this growth is the for the chance to showcase the opportunities revenue to the Arkansas Alumni Association in collegiate license plate program, known we offer our students with stories so rich in support of its endowed scholarships. widely as Hog Tags, which began in 1994. imagery,” Cordell said. “Russell and John Alumni scholarships reach diverse populations in Arkansas and across are amazing at what they do, and we look forward to following our the country through 70 different scholarship accounts supported by students and faculty on future adventures.” chapters, societies, individuals, and memberships, as well as funds from “We value the opportunity to partner with our friends at University Hog Tags. The growth of the Arkansas Alumni Scholarship Program Relations, and we’re so pleased that yet again, our team has won enhances the association’s ability to meet its mission to connect and recognition for their efforts to promote the tremendous international serve the University of Arkansas family through increased student education opportunities here at the U of A,” said Lynda Coon, dean of support while engaging alumni and scholars. the Honors College. Since 2016 projects led by Honors College and The Honors College and University Relations worked together University Relations personnel have won four Telly Awards and four to document a Postcards from Peru study abroad experience that CASE awards. n

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

Spring 2018 â€˘ A R K A N S A S

photos by Russell Cothren

photo submitted

CHAPTERS

–1– The Baltimore Chapter held a revitalization dinner on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at Barcocina in Fells Point. –2– The Charleston Chapter cheered on the Hogs as they faced Mississippi State on Nov. 18, 2017, at the home of Bill Stovall.

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–4– The Washington, D.C., Chapter welcomed Chancellor Joe Steinmetz at a reception held on Nov. 13, 2017, at The Monocle on Capitol Hill.

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–5– On Dec. 2, members of the Houston Alumni Chapter gathered at the Houston Food Bank, for a Helping Like a Hog event. Alongside Chancellor Joe and Sandy Steinmetz, 35 members participated in the community service event to support those affected by Hurricane Harvey and help people in south Texas who are food insecure. The chapter packed more than 16,200 meals, which will be distributed via the Food Bank’s Backpack Buddy program.

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–3– The Fort Smith Chapter had dinner on Nov. 30, 2017, at Rolando’s to welcome new members to the chapter and plan an early spring chapter event.

–7– Detroit Area Alumni: L-R. Alfred Dowe, Carolyn M. Schnepel, and Jennifer Eichenberg.

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photos submitted

–6– The Central Arkansas Chapter hosted area alumni and the Razorback Band and Spirit Squads at Skinny J’s in North Little Rock on Dec. 16, 2017.

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A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

SOCIETIES

–1– The Black Alumni Society recently conducted its fall meeting at the Embassy Suites in Little Rock. Corine AckersonJones, BAS president, gave the board of directors her vision and strategies for the upcoming year.

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–2– The Latino Alumni Society hosted a Meritos Latinos graduation and reception on Dec. 14, 2017, at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House. The graduates received graduation stoles from the society.

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Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

–4– The Pride Alumni Society hosted a Drag Brunch Endowed Scholarship Fundraiser at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House. The event raised money to support the PRIDE Society’s new scholarship for U of A students.

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photos submitted

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–3– The Eleanor School of Nursing and the Nursing Alumni Society welcomed 73 graduates in the pre-licensure program, 55 registered nurses to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and one Doctor of Nursing Practice on Dec. 16, 2017.

–5– The University of Arkansas Graduate School and International Education hosted a graduation reception on Dec. 15, 2017, at Holcombe Hall. The keynote speaker for the event was professor Curt R. Rom, associate dean. Graduates from the international program become alumni in the Razorback Worldwide Society.

GREEK LIFE

Crossing Cultural Divides with Global Greeks By Beth Lewis Narmine Ben Aissa knew that Greek life was an American tradition, but she says many of her perceptions about it came from Hollywood. The sophomore from Tunis, Tunisia, who is studying biomedical engineering at the University of Arkansas, said what surprised her most when she arrived was that Greek life was such a large part of the college experience and more than what was represented in the movies. Ben Aissa was impressed by the large Greek houses framing the campus and said she was excited to learn more about the students who call those places “home.” When Ben Aissa heard about the Global Greeks program, she knew she wanted to participate because it would give her the opportunity to learn more about Greek life on campus. Global Greeks is a program within the Division of Student Affairs’ Office of Greek Life. It is designed to allow undergraduate international students and Greek students on campus to interact and form networks with each other. The Office of Greek Life partners with the International Students and Scholars Office to bring these students together. Jackson Tidwell, who coordinates the program for Greek Life, said Greek partners also must apply. “We match the international and Greek students based on their interests and other criteria to maximize the experience,” he said. Tidwell said all four of the councils within Greek Life participate in Global Greeks. In fact, it is such a popular program that each international student is matched with two or three different Greek partners. Tidwell says this three-to-one ratio gives international students a more in-depth experience with lots of variety. Bid Day, the highlight of the traditional recruitment process, is a celebration of Greek actives and their new members. Global Greeks created a scaled down version of this event to kick-off the program. Ben Aissa and 32 other international students experienced the excitement firsthand when they received “bids” from their Greek partners in November. “They were cheering and waving banners for us — it was a nice way to be welcomed,” said Ben Aissa of her Greek partners, Sina Heidari of Phi Gamma Delta and Lindsay Leake of Kappa Kappa Gamma. After bids were handed out, a reception was held for students as part of the celebration. Lydia Ruben, a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, is in her second year of Global Greeks as a Greek partner. She says she became involved because she was initially interested in international studies and had always enjoyed learning about other cultures. The junior, majoring in anthropology, says because of the program she not only had a great experience with her international partner from South Korea, but she built a bond with a member from another sorority.

“Annabelle and I became really good friends in the process of becoming Global Greeks,” she said. “In fact, we partnered again this year until she left at semester to study abroad.” In matching the participants, Greek Life does not assign men-to-men and women-to-women exclusively. Instead, international students can be matched with a sorority, fraternity or both. Grace Shike, a member of Kappa Delta sorority, and two other Greek women were matched with Edson Caceres, a male student from Panama. Shike says he has already been invited to dine with her and her sorority sisters during “Fiesta Fridays” at the house and will be included in other events. Shike says Caceres will also join in activities with his two other Global Greek partners. Shike, who is a senior with a double major in philosophy and political science and a minor in Spanish, said her friendships with three girls in her house who were from Bolivia gave her more insight into different cultures. After serving as president of her chapter last year, Shike said, she got involved with Global Greeks to stay active on campus and to use her Spanish language. “It’s rewarding to step outside of your comfort zone and to help make the campus feel more intimate to our international students,” she said. “It helps to truly give them a sense of community on campus.” LeaderShape Gives Form to Global Greeks In 2008, while attending the LeaderShape Institute, a national collegiate program for emerging leaders, University of Arkansas student Jong Shin came up with the idea for Global Greeks. Shin was vicepresident of the Associated Student Government at the time, and said his involvement with international students attending LeaderShape prompted him to think more globally about campus. “I’m a first-generation South Korean to attend college in my family, and I understand how being on a large campus can be overwhelming at times, especially when it feels tough to meet people,” he said. “I kept thinking about ways to connect students,” Shin said, who is also a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and is currently a Bentonville attorney. “LeaderShape really was the incubator for Global Greeks,” he said. With support from fellow ASG officers Megan (Francis) Steely and Carter Ford, along with Interfraternity Council officer Michael Dodd, Shin took the program proposal to Greek Life. Parice Bowser, director of Greek Life, said she could tell by the gleams in the students’ eyes that they were fully committed to seeing the program through. “When students dream big and are very passionate about creating a more diverse and inclusive community, there’s no way one could say no to an opportunity such as this,” she said. The plan was given the green light, and Steely said while the

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

sororities were enthusiastic, the fraternities needed more convincing. “That’s where Michael really helped,” said Steely. “As a member of Phi Gamma Delta, his house was on board, and then he persuaded the other fraternities to follow.” The program started out small, but those who took part in it felt it was a really positive experience, Shin said. Steely, who is married and works for Columbus Travel in Columbus, Georgia, said, “It was really inspiring to see the Division of Student Affairs’ Greek Life take a student’s vision and make it a reality.” Filling a Need

photos submitted

According to U.S. News & World Report, a 2012 study revealed that nearly 40 percent of international students had no close American friends and would prefer more meaningful interactions with people born in the United States. The survey, which was conducted by Baruch College/City University of New York, received information from more than 450 foreign students studying in U.S. at colleges in the Northeast and South. Survey results indicated that by host region, international students who attended college in the South were more satisfied with their friendships than those in the Northeast. Foreign students often build friendships within the international student population, but sometimes find challenges in developing such ties within the larger campus culture. While few international students join a Greek organization during their studies at the University of Arkansas, the Global Greeks program can be the next best thing. “Global Greeks helps the international students get beyond the dorm and make friends in different groups,” Ruben said. And that, Tidwell said, is the goal in ensuring that students get a rich, cross-cultural experience. As Ben Aissa learns more about Greek life through her Global Greek partners, she said she has learned that American sororities and fraternities are more than what they have been portrayed as in films. “I discovered that they are dedicated to philanthropy and community service, as well as being a place where you make lifelong friends,” she said. “Global Greeks is a good initiative to immerse international students in this uniquely American college experience in hopes that we can build similar friendships.” n

Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

Members of the Global Greeks, international students attending the University of Arkansas curious about the Greek Life programs, visited fraternities and sororities as part of the program, which pairs the international students with Greek chapter members.

courtesy Razorback athletics

R A ZO R B AC K ROA D

Red-White Spring Game Returns to War Memorial By Brandon Langlois Hunter Yurachek, vice chancellor and director of athletics for the University of Arkansas, announced in January that the Razorbacks will play the 2018 Red-White Spring Football Game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock on April 7. The game will kick off at 1 p.m., and admission will be free and open to the public. In addition to the traditional spring game in Central Arkansas, a family friendly event is being planned in Northwest Arkansas. “This is a great opportunity for Central Arkansas to welcome back the Razorbacks by hosting the spring game at War Memorial Stadium,” said Kane Webb, state director of Parks and Tourism. “It brings back vivid memories for many of us who remember attending Red-White games at War Memorial and feeling a part of the statewide Razorback tradition.” This year’s spring game will be the Razorbacks’ first under Chad Morris, who was introduced as the 33rd head coach in Arkansas

football history in December. A Texas native, Morris came to The Hill from Southern Methodist University, where he spent the last three seasons as head coach. In his eight seasons as either a head coach or offensive coordinator, including offensive coordinator stints at Tulsa (2010) and Clemson (2011-14), his teams have racked up 46,975 yards of total offense for a 460.5-yard per game average. At least once at each of his three stops, he’s produced a top-10 offense a total of four times. “We look forward to welcoming coach Morris, his staff and the entire team to War Memorial Stadium,” said Kevin Crass, chair of the War Memorial Stadium Commission. “This is a great opportunity for War Memorial Stadium and the fans in Central Arkansas to support the Hogs by having a record crowd for the spring game. We are grateful to Hunter Yurachek and coach Morris for bringing this exciting weekend to fans throughout the state.” n

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

Spring 2018 â€¢ A R K A N S A S

R A ZO R B AC K ROA D

Hunter Yurachek Named Athletic Director Armor FCS Athletic Director of the Year in 2014. He has also worked at the University of Akron, the University of Virginia, Western Carolina University, Vanderbilt University and Wake Forest University. “The opportunity to serve the Razorback program is both humbling and exciting,” Yurachek said. “There is so much already in place, and we will quickly build on that foundation to win championships. We will do so with integrity and while continuing to be a great source of pride for the entire state of Arkansas. I want to thank Chancellor Steinmetz and those involved with the search process. Jennifer, myself and our family cannot wait to join the Arkansas Razorback family.” A native of Richmond, Virginia, Yurachek earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Guilford College in 1990 and a master’s degree in sports administration from the University of Richmond in 1994. He was a four-year letter winner in basketball at Guilford. Yurachek and his wife, Jennifer, have three sons, Ryan, Jake and Brooks. n courtesy Razorback athletics

Hunter Yurachek was named vice chancellor and director of athletics in December 2017, an announcement made by University of Arkansas Chancellor Joe Steinmetz. Yurachek was serving as the vice president for athletics at the University of Houston. “I am thrilled to welcome Hunter to the Razorback family,” Steinmetz said. “He possesses the experience, the management skills and the passion to have an immediate impact on our university. I know that as Razorbacks around our state and country get to know him, they will know that we are in good hands. We welcome Hunter, Jennifer and their children to Arkansas.” During the 2016-17 academic year, 11 of the 17 varsity sports programs at the University of Houston qualified for NCAA postseason competition and teams won five American Athletic Conference team championships and 21 individual conference titles. Prior to arriving at Houston, Yurachek served as director of athletics at Coastal Carolina University, where Coastal won 29 Big South Conference championships. Yurachek was named Under

Hatfield Named to College Football Playoff Selection Committee By Brandon Langlois

national championship following a 10-7 victory over No. 6 Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl. Hatfield led the nation in punt returns in 1963 and 1964, averaging 16.7 yards per return each season. He also led the SWC in 1962. In 1962 and 1963, he led the Hogs in interceptions. In 1962, he led the team in passes broken up, and as a kickoff returner, he led the club in 1962 and 1964. His 16.01 career punt return average is a school record while his 1,604 total return yards rank second in school history and ranked first until 2004. His 1,153 career punt return yards rank first at Arkansas and his 518 punt return yards in 1964 is a season record. The College Football Playoff matches the No. 1 seed vs. No. 4, and No. 2 vs. No. 3 in semifinal games that rotate annually among six bowl games – the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual. This 2018 season’s Playoff Semifinals will take place Saturday, Dec. 29, at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic and Capital One Orange Bowl. The College Football Playoff National Championship will be Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. n courtesy Razorback athletics

Former University of Arkansas football student-athlete and head coach Ken Hatfield ✪+ B.S.B.A. ’65 has been named to the 13-member College Football Playoff selection committee, CFP executive director Bill Hancock announced on Jan. 17. Hatfield is one of six new members and will serve a three-year term on the committee, which is responsible for selecting the top four teams in the playoff and assigning them to semifinal games as well as placing the next group of teams in the remaining New Year’s bowls. The committee meets in person beginning late in the football season and produces a ranking of the top 25 teams each week, leading up to its final selections. In six years as a head coach, Hatfield posted an Arkansas-record .760 winning percentage and averaged more than nine wins per year from 1984-89. He led the Razorbacks to a bowl game all six seasons, including two Cotton bowls, two Liberty bowls, the Holiday and the Orange. He coached the Razorbacks to Southwest Conference championships in 1988 and 1989, and final rankings of No. 12 in 1985, No. 15 in 1986, No. 12 in 1988 and No. 13 in 1989. On the field as a halfback, he earned first-team All-SWC honors in 1964. His 81-yard punt return for a touchdown keyed the 14-13 victory at No. 1 Texas as Arkansas went 11-0 in 1964 and won the

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

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R A ZO R B AC K ROA D

Clyde Scott, Legendary Sprinter and Running Back, Dies at 93

Clyde “Smackover” Scott BSE ’49, an Olympic silver medalist, Razorback two-sport star and one of the best athletes to ever come from Arkansas, passed away on Jan. 30 at the age of 93. Scott was an Olympian and a twosport star playing football and competing in track and field at the University of Arkansas during the 1940s. Scott was the first and remains one of only two Razorback football players, the other being Brandon Burlsworth, to have his jersey retired. Scott’s No. 12 was retired following his collegiate career. Three decades later when Arkansas head football coach Frank Broyles was recruiting kicker and punter Steve Little, Broyles asked Scott if Little could wear his retired No. 12. Scott graciously agreed, and Little went on to his own All-American career. Scott was born in 1924 at Dixie, Louisiana, one of 10 children. His family moved to Arkansas the next year, settling into the community of Smackover in Union County. He began running track in junior high but didn’t have a coach, a situation that persisted all the way through college. In fact, the first time he ran hurdles, it was in competition against El Dorado’s track team because the Smackover schools didn’t have any hurdles to practice on. He didn’t learn until near the end of his track career that hurdles were best run with a specific technique. In an interview with the David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, Scott said, “My technique was to run real fast and jump over the hurdle and then run like hell to the next one. That was my technique.” A high school football star, Scott received an appointment to the Naval Academy in 1943. In 1944 and 1945, Scott played fullback for Navy, then ranked the No. 2 team in the nation. While on duty at Annapolis, one of his assignments was to escort a visiting Arkansan, the then-reigning Miss Arkansas, Leslie Hampton, on a tour of the campus. It apparently went well. They married a month later and returned to Arkansas, and Scott enrolled at the University of Arkansas in 1946 to finish his degree. Legend has it that he was married one day and arrived for football

practice at Fayetteville the next. They were married on Aug. 27, 1946, so the truth couldn’t have been too far off. Coach John Barnhill wouldn’t let him play baseball but instead assigned him to track and football. Scott, who had always run hurdles, was asked by a coach to run the 100-yard dash to add some points to the team score. He not only added points, but won the race and tied the world record of 9.4 seconds, setting the school record at the same time. Competing in the 1948 NCAA National Championships, he ran 13.7 seconds in the 110-meter high hurdles, tying the world record and edging out Bill Porter of Northwestern University. Scott and Porter met again in the 110-meter high hurdles at the 1948 Olympics in London, but this time Porter edged out Scott in a photo finish. Scott was awarded the silver medal, and another American, Craig Dixon, took bronze, all three finishers within twotenths of a second of each other. In football, Scott was a three-time All-Southwest Conference player (1946-48) and an All-American in football in 1948. During his Razorback career, Scott rushed for 1,463 yards, a record that stood for seven years. In 1948 alone, he averaged 7 yards a carry, earning 670 yards on 95 attempts. Scott was the eighth player chosen in the 1948 NFL draft, and he played five seasons in the NFL, including with the Philadelphia Eagles (1949-52) and the Detroit Lions (1952). During his first year with the Eagles, they won the NFL Championship. Scott returned to Little Rock and maintained a successful business career, primarily in insurance, retiring as president of Union Life in 1995. Scott was named the state’s athlete of the century by readers of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in 2000. Scott is a member of the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor, the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. n

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

photos Razorback yearbook

Above, Clyde Scott, on the far left side of the photo, crosses the finish line of the 110-yard high hurdles with Bill Porter, center, during the 1948 Olympics in London. The photo finish declared Porter the winner, and Scott received the silver medal, the first Olympic medal won by a Razorback. Left, “Smackover” Scott, nicknamed for his hometown in south Arkansas, heads downfield during a game at Razorback Stadium. Scott was a consensus All-American in 1948, and was a three-time All-Southwest Conference player. He played a running back and stacked up 1,463 yards of rushing during his career at Arkansas. He was the eighth player to be chosen during the NFL draft that year and played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Detroit Lions.

Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

Y E S T E RY E A R

1878

Education Building, Pomfret Hall and the Science Building, now known as Discovery Hall, are erected on campus as the student body grows.

• The early graduates of the university form an association to support the university and its endeavors. The association became the Arkansas Alumni Association.

1888

• The first civil engineering degree is awarded.

• Mack McLarty and his supporters celebrate his election as president of Associated Student Government.

1898

1978

• Levon Helm, who played drums and performed vocals for The Band, returns to Fayetteville for a concert with the Cate Brothers at The Rink in Fayetteville.

• The university’s Cadet Band, the state’s first military band, plays a concert at Glenwood Park in Little Rock.

1908

• Acting Gov. Xenaphon Pindall and Gov.-elect George Donaghey, along with other notable civic leaders, form the University of Arkansas Club. Their first meeting in Little Rock included dinner, watching the Doodlers’ Parade and taking in the Cardinals’ football game against Louisiana State University on Thanksgiving Day.

1918

• Guy Manners, an English newspaperman, speaks to the staff of The University Weekly, telling them: “Never let your imagination play when you are writing your story, for the newspaper is the molder and maker of public opinion.”

1928

• An accident during the casting of brass numerals for Senior Walk destroys several classrooms in the university shop.

1938

• Schmidt’s Barn, the colloquial name for the university’s wood frame basketball field house, is sold to the Fayetteville School

• A deli is added to the Arkansas Union that sells sliced meat and cheese for 22 cents per ounce or a sandwich for $1.25.

1938 Razorback

1988

Frank Nelson, a professor of English, tries on a pair of skis after snow blanketed the campus in 1948 and turned the entrance to Old Main into a toboggan run.

District and moved from the university campus to the high school campus on School Avenue for its basketball arena. • The Women’s Rifle Club holds its practice sessions at the university rifle range underneath the Chi Omega Greek Theatre.

1948

• Silas Hunt, a graduate of Arkansas AM&N and a veteran of World War II, enrolls in the University of Arkansas School of Law, becoming the first person of African American heritage to attend a Southern white university since Reconstruction.

1958

• In a football game with Hardin-Simmons College, two Razorbacks — Jim Mooty and Billy Kyser — make back-to-back 100-yard touchdown runs, the first know instance that NCAA officials can find. • Carlson Terrace, an apartment complex for married students and international students, is designed by Edward Durell Stone and Ernie Jacks along Mullins Creek where The Gardens are now.

1968

• Mullins Library, the Graduate

• Fulbright College raises the math requirements for its Bachelor of Arts students, requiring completion of Finite Math and Survey of Calculus or Calculus. • Carole Lawson is crowned Miss U of A and goes on to win Miss Arkansas.

1998

• Maxine Sutton-Cannon, one of the first three African American undergraduates in the university’s nursing program, returned to campus after four decades to attend the Black Alumni Reunion.

2008

• G. David Gearhart, who led the university’s Campaign for the Twenty-First Century, which raised more than $1 billion for the university, is named chancellor of the university.

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

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: 8143 Marty Barnes Cornell 8377 Justin Andrew Petrus ’12 8378 Tim Allen ’94 8379 Ty Patterson ’00 8385 Dr. Douglas S. Franklin ’75, ’77 8386 Dr. Teresa J. Franklin ’77 8387 Dr. Terry Wayne Martin ’77, ’83, ’89 8388 Teresa Graves Martin ’76 8389 Cindy Altemus Lazar ’88 8390 Russell O. Black ’67 8391 Brenda Clem Black ’87, ’94 8392 Mark D. Macechko ’03 8393 Amy Macechko 8394 Ron Hall ’70 8398 Richard M. Schupp ’98 8399 Maria Schupp 8402 Bart A. Roberts ’93 8405 Wendy Roberts 8409 Julie A. Mortensen ’05 8420 Brad M. Jackson ’83 8422 Alexis M. Jackson 8428 Bryan Gregory Loyd ’15 8429 Ellen L. Norvell ’85 8430 Christopher Maxwell Fergus ’01 8431 Victoria Leigh Fergus ’03 8432 Tim A. Norvell 8433 Dr. Lisa Pruitt ’86, ’89 8434 David Herbert 8435 Jennifer Orahood ’97 8436 Sabrina M. McDonnell 8437 Sarah I. Shirley 8438 Susan Linda Brown ’71 8440 Thomas Wayne Roberts ’90 8441 Kathrine M. Roberts 8442 Ed R. Mahnken 8443 Susan E. Mahnken ’68 8444 Kimberly Jean Mapes ’92 8445 Gina Matts Gray ’97 8446 Harriet Davis Kerr 8447 Robert Eugene Kerr ’92 8448 Matthew R. Vick ’06 8449 Christina D. Vick ’07 8450 Ross Staten Trotter ’11 8451 Blair E. Trotter ’10, ’11 8452 John A. Culp ’82 8453 Roxie Culp 8454 Paul D. Williams ’91 8455 Melisa Ann Williams

ARKANSAS

ALUMNI

8456 Gary Dean ’67 8457 Robin Maddox Dean ’67 8458 Dr. Larry W. Featherston Jr. ’09 8459 Dr. Jennifer Faye Featherston ’11 8460 Karen Lynette Cartwright ’16 8461 Aaron William Saint ’01 8462 Dr. Rodney K. Jamison ’70 8463 Jamie Jamison ’75 8464 Ish Ordonez ’83 8465 Sandi Ordonez 8466 Patricia M. Edwards ’06, ’09 8467 Jimmy Edwards 8468 Crystal Ann Rogers ’96 8469 Jessica A. Price ’06 8470 Mitzi L. Moore ’77 8471 Clay Starkey 8472 Howard T Church 8473 John Paul Pendergrass ’77 8474 Kimberly Porter ’91 8475 Alan P. Snider ’89 8476 Tracye Patterson Church ’88 8477 Dalton Porter ’90, ’92 8479 Susie Snider ’90 8480 L. B. Wilson Jr. ’73 8481 Tommy S. Wimpy ’66, ’68 8482 Jennifer R. Balleza ’97 8483 Larry J. Pendleton ’68, ’71 8484 Carol Pendleton 8486 Carol Cravens Wimpy 8487 Paula Lynn Wilson 8489 Abraham Borum III ’93 8490 Claudia Bates ’17 8491 Russell Dewayne Brown ’98 8492 Jenny Brown 8493 James R. Hawthorne ’73 8494 Larry M. Moore ’69 8495 Johnnie M. Reed ’68 8496 Michael Kirby Givens ’94 8497 Bevley Elishia Foster Jr. ’72 8498 Janice Elizabeth Scott ’73 8499 Michelle L. Brock ’06 8500 Jim Lindsey ’68 8501 Brian David Reddick ’90 8502 Tiffany Reddick ’90 8503 Dwayne Tevebaugh ’77 8504 Susan Tevebaugh ’86, ’08 8505 Tori Bogner ’13, ’16 8506 Andrew Bogner ’14

Member Call to Action

Alumni members are requested to review and approve changes to the Alumni Association’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws by April 30. Documents and a summary of changes are available for your review and online approval vote at: http://www.arkansasalaumni.org/bylaws Recently, a committee of Directors and others reviewed these documents

8507 Jesse Branch ’64 8508 Lee Ann Branch 8509 Katherine Elizabeth Easley ’15 8511 Ken Shireman ’63 8512 Cami Jones ’71, ’74 8513 LaTonya Marie Foster ’96 8514 John Gyllin ’13 8515 Eugene L. Crouch ’65 8516 Lindley Hodges ’60 8517 Kenney Chenoweth 8518 John Berry 8519 Richard Leigh Anderson 8520 Carol M. Thompson ’69, ’70 8521 Amber Rickner 8522 Margaret Newton 8523 Chris P. Broshears ’04 8524 William Arthur Franklin ’12 8525 Kenneth John Kieklak ’93 8526 Carrie Cox Pitcher ’92 8527 Jay D. Pitcher ’91 8528 Michelle Nicholson Kieklak 8529 Danny Newton 8530 Jayne McCain Morris ’81 8531 Johnnye Guy Vinson ’65 8532 Dr. Bami Bastani ’76 8533 Janice Diven Bastani ’76 8534 Dr. Sharon Meador 8535 Michael E. Vinson ’65 8536 Charles S. Penick ’75 8537 Walter Luther Morris Jr. ’81 8538 Stephen R. Giles ’69, ’73 8539 Shelley Penick ’73 8540 Michael Kevin Hammond ’87 8541 Richard F. Means 8542 Sarah Rodriguez Dietz ’01 8543 John R. Matthew ’76 8544 Deborah E. Matthew 8545 Jacqueline M. Hammond 8546 William P. Hassell ’75, ’77 8547 Abby Nolder ’01 8548 Dr. Andrea Means ’93 8549 Douglas Alan Dietz 8550 Edward E. King ’78 8551 Dave C. Johnston Jr. ’73 8552 Karen Johnston 8553 Leah Grace Ochoa ’79 8554 Randy G. Ochoa ’74 8555 John Bethel ’86

to bring them up-to-date with current practices and standards. The committee recommendations were endorsed by all Directors at the October 2017 meeting of the National Alumni Board of Directors with a directive to share with the Arkansas Alumni Association’s membership for their consideration for approval.

8556 Renee Robinson Bethel 8557 Kelly Smith Chaney ’87 8558 Robert Cheathum Chaney IV ’87 8559 Lynn R. King ’85 8560 Ms. Ruth Penney Davis Bell ’72 8561 Richard Graham ’02 8562 Christian Hasenoehrl 8563 Dr. Mary Morrill Chuba ’03 8564 Steve L. Anderson ’76 8565 Debbie Lynn Anderson ’83 8566 Martha L. Wolf ’86, ’87 8567 Drew L. Goesl ’98 8568 Jamie S. Harris ’81 8569 AmyE.Tu,Esquire ’96 8580 David Hunt ’73, ’75 8581 Lindsay Broshears 8582 Dr. Larry E. Price ’59, ’61, ’66 8583 Kaneaster Hodges Jr. ’67 8584 Dr. Sharon Hunt ’73, ’75 8586 Julie Hassell 8587 Jason E. Cobb ’93 8588 Hal Hampton 8589 Dr. Mary Valerie Perkins-Jacobs ’15 8590 Justin Taylor Allen ’95 8591 Elizabeth Flippo ’74 8592 Bryan Lyle Jennings ’95, ’98 8593 Amber N. Allen 8594 Heather Hillman-Easley ’95 8595 Neal Elliott Rickner ’96 8596 Jessie Xu Jones ’03 8597 John C. Easley ’92 8598 Kenneth J. Smith ’00 8599 Pat Flippo ’75 8600 William E. Clair 8601 Kirk A. Kuli ’17 8602 Angela Elizabeth Kuli ’92 8603 Patricia J. Beland 8604 DeAndra Tate Gibson 8605 Buck Canyon Gibson ’94 8606 Louis E. Beland 8607 Carla M. Martin ’04 8608 Travis D. Martin ’05 8609 Esther L. Clair ’72 8610 Kelli Susette Young ’13 8614 Barbara J. Murphy 8615 Jimmy D. Murphy

If you prefer to cast your vote by paper ballot, please complete the following, clip and return by mail to: Arkansas Alumni Association, ATTN: Debbie Blume, PO Box 1070, Fayetteville, AR 72702-1070. IMPORTANT: Ballots received after April 30, 2018 will not be considered.

I approve Name:_________________________________________________________ of changes. Address:________________________________________________________ ❏ Yes ❏ No City/State/Zip:____________________________________________________

F RO M S E N I O R WA L K

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

’50 ’60

Marilyn C. Soley ✪ BA’53, Laguna Niguel, California, retired after 25 years at the University of California as assistant analyst in Academic Senate, 1991.

Myrna Goldenberg ★ MA’61, Bethesda, Maryland, is the recipient of the 2017 Canadian Jewish Literary Award for her latest book, Before All Memory is Lost: Women’s Voices from the Holocaust. James Terry Wofford✪ BSCE’65, Montgomery, Alabama, is co-owner and partner in Williams Loving Care, a nonmedical home care company in Montgomery, Alabama. Denver L. Thornton ✪+ LLB’67, Camden, retired from the practice of law. Lamar McMillin Jr. ✪ MA’67 MD’71, Vicksburg, Mississippi. He has retired. James K. Hendren ✪ BS’69 MS’71 PHD’72, Little Rock, is chair of the Venture Center in Little Rock. Conley Meredith ✪+ BSBA’67 JD’70, and Charlotte D. Meredith ✪+ MED’78 EDS’83 EDD’86, San

Antonio, Texas, have been selected to serve as official judges for the Alamo Theatre Arts Council in San Antonio, Texas. The council recognizes and celebrates the work of San Antonio theatre artists annually at the Alamo Theatre Arts Council GLOBE Awards Gala.

’70

Norris N. Johnston ✪ BSCHE’72, Laceys Spring, Alabama, has retired and started Water Wizard Consulting. Martha A. Morrison ✪ BA’74 MD’78, Fayetteville, retired as medical director of Youth Bridge. Art Meripol ✪+ BA’77, Hoover, Alabama, finished principal photography for the new U.S. Civil Rights Trail website, photographing more than 60 historic sites in 10 states.

’80

Suzy Hollingsworth Higgins ✪ BSA’80 MS’83, Jefferson City, Missouri, retired from the State of Missouri Department of Natural Resources in December 2017. Todd R. Higgins ✪ PHD’83, Jefferson City, Missouri, completed a master’s

University Relations photo

✩ Student Member ★ Member ★+ Member, A+ ✪ Life Member ✪+ Life Member, A+

degree in agribusiness from Kansas State University in August 2017. Darrin Malone ✪+ BSA’88 MS’90, Paragould, was named a Dow Dupont Pioneer Agronomist.

2017.

’90

David Britton Peel ✪ BA’90, Arlington, Tennessee. His law firm’s first publication — Two Feet or Ten? — reached Amazon Best Seller List. Catherine Lynn Baltz ✪+ BS’92 MED’07, Fayetteville, is the assistant director of communications at the Arkansas Alumni Association.

Utah Business.

Marco Javon Barker ✪ BSIE’00, Salt Lake City, Utah, was named a 2018 Forty Under 40 by

David R. Wright ★ BA’08 MED’14, Lexington, Kentucky, has been named assistant dean of student services at the University of Kentucky College of Law in Lexington, Kentucky.

Cody Kees BSPA’09 JD’12 and Blake Nichole Kees BSHES’15, Cammack Village, welcomed their daughter, Parker Marie. Alyssa Brianne Pruitt ★ BSBA’12 MED’15, Fayetteville, is the assistant director of membership and marketing at the Arkansas Alumni Association. Katie E. Harrison BA’12, Fayetteville, is the marketing specialist for the Arkansas Alumni Association Membership and Marketing Department.

Jonathan David Wilson ✪ BA’96, Harrison, is the IT director for the city of Harrison.

’00

’10

Kristin Rachel Alonso and Andrew Johnson ★ BSEE’11 were married on Jan. 27,

Mary Kate Harrison ★ BA’15 MA’17, Fayetteville, is the administrative specialist for outreach and student programs at the Arkansas Alumni Association. Brock Reed Haegele ★ BA’17, Lincoln, is the administrative specialist for outreach and student programs at the Arkansas Alumni Association.

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

Friends

Colton Miller, Fayetteville, is the membership and marketing assistant for the Arkansas Alumni Association.

In Memoriam

Spotlight

Keith Jenkins B.A.’83

1930s

1940s Charlotte F. Martin BA’41, Kansas City, Missouri, Feb. 15, 2017. She had a 30-year career as a social worker for the Missouri Division of Family Services in Foster Care and Adoption. Survivors: two daughters, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. James W. Murphrey BA’41, Memphis, Tennessee, March 1, 2017. He retired after serving over 40 years with Memphis Light Gas and Water. Survivors: three daughters, four grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren. Ruth Atkins English FS’42, North Little Rock, March 8, 2017. Survivors: three daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mary Jo Brainerd FS’44, Tulsa, Oklahoma, March 6, 2017. She was the secretary of Brainerd Chemical Company. Survivors: three sons, nine grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren. Frankie Thomas Baker BA’47, Liberty, Missouri, December 12, 2013. Phyllis I. Barker Gipson ★ BSBA’47, Paragould, March 6, 2017. She was an educator. Survivors: two sons, three grandchildren and two greatgranddaughters. W. L. Hutcheson Jr. BSBA’47, Fort Smith, Feb. 18, 2017. He started Hutcheson Shoe Company with his father. They later opened up other shoe stores in the area called Loyd’s Shoes. Survivors: wife, Mary Dietrich Hutcheson; three children; three grandchildren and eight greatgrandchildren.

Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

photo submitted

Sara Chester Shoemaker BSHE’39, Little Rock, March 14, 2017. Survivors: a son.

Alumnus Keith Jenkins named to diversity and inclusion at Rochester Institute of Technology Keith Jenkins has been appointed vice president and associate provost for Diversity and Inclusion at Rochester Institute of Technology. Jenkins has been serving as interim vice president and associate provost since June 2016 and assumed the new position Nov. 1. “Keith is committed to working with university leaders and RIT Trustees to advance the mission and goals of RIT’s 2015-2025 Strategic Plan: Greatness Through Difference,” said RIT President David Munson. “The Division of Diversity and Inclusion continues to flourish under his leadership as it works collaboratively with academic and administrative units to provide a holistic range of services that enhance access and success for historically underrepresented students, faculty and staff, support education and scholarship, and ensure a welcoming, inclusive, vibrant and accessible environment for everyone.” Since beginning his career at RIT in 1992, Jenkins has served as RIT faculty-in-residence (1993–1995), RIT’s first assistant provost for diversity (1999–2002) and director of undergraduate degree programs in the School of Communication (2011–2016). “RIT’s commitment to diversity spans several decades,” Jenkins said. “I am honored to continue the great work already underway as we — students, faculty and staff, together — model inclusive excellence while advancing RIT’s diversity vision and mission.” Jenkins has received many awards for his commitment to diversity and academic

excellence, including the 2010 Eisenhart Award for Outstanding Teaching, the 2005 Isaac L. Jordan Pluralism Award, the 2004 RIT Diversity Trailblazer Award, the 1993-94 Provost’s Excellence in Teaching Award, the 1996 and 1997 Higher Education Opportunity Program “Community Professor” awards and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf’s 1995 Pluralism Award. Jenkins received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Arkansas and his Master of Arts and Ph.D. from Florida State University. His scholarly publications and presentations center around studies in intercultural communication, political and visual rhetoric, and the rhetoric of gospel song. Most recently, the focus of his research has been on pragmatism and the rhetoric of inclusion in Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. Jenkins replaced Kevin McDonald, who held the diversity leadership position from 2010 to 2016 and left RIT to take on a similar role with the University of Missouri. RIT has received several national awards for its commitment to diversity since Jenkins’ took leadership of the Division of Diversity and Inclusion. For the first time, RIT was recognized as an institution committed to diversity for 2017 by Minority Access, Inc., earlier this year. Also in 2017, INSIGHT into Diversity magazine awarded RIT a Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award for the fourth time and named RIT named a Diversity Champion by for the third consecutive year. n

F RO M S E N I O R WA L K

business classes and English at Clinton High School. Survivors: a son; one grandson; two granddaughters and three great-granddaughters.

In Memoriam Julian Stewart of Rogers passed away on December 25, 2017. He was born in Fayetteville to Elizabeth and Charles Stewart. He graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. Stewart’s dedication to education was evident early, growing up in Fayetteville, attending Leverett Elementary, then Fayetteville High School and walking to school every day, from kindergarten until his graduation from the university. Stewart served three years in the United States Air Force followed by a corporate career with United Gas Corporation and IBM Corporation. After early retirement from IBM in 1987, Julian worked for Cullen/Frost Bankers in San Antonio and since 1992 he had been self-employed, managing his investment portfolio. Stewart was widely recognized for his leadership roles during the university’s Campaign for the Twenty-First Century, serving on the Executive Committee, as co-chair, and as vice chairman of the Leadership and Principal Gifts Committee. After the conclusion of the campaign, Stewart’s leadership extended to his service as the first chair of the University of Arkansas’ Board of Advisors. “I was very sorry to hear about the loss of Julian Stewart, who was such a great man,” Chancellor Joe Steinmetz said. “His legacy here at the

James Purifoy FS’47, Texarkana, Feb. 17, 2017. He was a World War II veteran, serving in the Army Air Corps and retired from Chevron Oil Corporation in 1984. John B. Kirkley, M.D. ✪ MD’48, Jonesboro, Feb. 17, 2017. He served in the Navy during World War II. He was also the medical director at the Memphis and Shelby County Health Departments. Survivors: daughters,

U of A will continue through the opportunities he helped create for our students and programs and the other long-lasting impacts he made to our campus thanks to his dedication, work and personal support.” Stewart had recently completed a two-year term as chair of the Campaign Arkansas Committee for the College of Engineering. He was a life member of the Arkansas Alumni Association and was an active member of the College of Engineering Advisory Council, the Arkansas Academy of Civil Engineering, Heritage Society and the University of Arkansas Towers of Old Main. He had also served as the chair of the Board for the University of Arkansas Foundation and was the recipient of the Andrew Lucas Alumni Service Award and the U of A Volunteer of the Year Award. Stewart was inducted into the College of Engineering Hall of Fame in 2010, the highest honor awarded by the College. Stewart and his wife Nana established the Julian and Nana Bachtel Stewart Honors Fellowships in 2003 and created the Julian and Nana Stewart Access Arkansas Scholarship for the benefit of students across the university in 2009. They made a significant contribution to the College of Engineering in 2013, with a portion establishing the Julian C. and Nana B. Stewart AACE Access Arkansas Scholarship to provide need-based scholarships within the college. Survivors: wife, Nana Bachtel Stewart ✪+ BSE’58; a son; a daughter; and two grandsons. n

1950s Warren D. Blaylock BSBA’50, Fort Smith, March 9, 2017. He served in the military and later became the general manager of the Derrel Thomas Co. in Van Buren. Survivors: a son, a daughter, a stepson, a stepdaughter, two grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren.

University Relations photo

Julian Stewart ✪+ B.S.C.E.’57

Hugh L. Mills MS’49 EDD’58, Fayetteville, Feb. 7, 2017. He served as an officer in the Medical Administrative Corps during World War II. He later spent many years as an educator and superintendent of schools in Monticello and Hot Springs. Survivors: wife, Don McCollum Mills; three sons; one daughter; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

four grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren. Anita J. McCollum BSE’48, Houston, March 3, 2017. Survivors: daughter, son and four grandsons. Alex S. Curtis m+, BSEE’49, Hot Springs Village, Nov. 16, 2017. He served as a pilot in World War II. A farmer, he was also the founder, president and CEO of Farmer’s Grain

Thomas H. Cook BA’50, Gulfport, Mississippi, Feb. 23, 2017. He served in the Signal Corps during WWII and in Korea as a first lieutenant, and he was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, and the Republic of Korea service medal. He served for 34 years as city editor, news editor, managing editor and associate editor for the Sun Herald. Survivors: wife, Maria Oliva Cook; a son; six daughters; 25 grandchildren and 19 greatgrandchildren. Jack E. Davis BSE’50 MS’51, Enola, March 2, 2017. He served during WWll in the United States Marines with the Second Marine Division. Survivors: wife, Marilyn Miller Davis ★ BSHE’50; two children; three grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren. Betty McGinnis Faust BS’50, Helena, March 13, 2017. She was a member of the Warfield Concert Committee for more than 25 years. Survivors: husband, Thomas E. Faust ★ BSBA’50; three daughters; a son; nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Terminal until retirement. Survivors: wife, Yvonne Curtis; a son; three daughters; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Irving S. Greer BSBA’49, Fresno, California, Feb. 11, 2017. He was in the Navy until 1946. Survivors: a son, a daughter and five grandchildren. Faye S. Hunnicutt ✪+ FS’49, Conway, March 6, 2017. She taught

Charles V. Hall BSA’50 MS’53, Ames, Iowa, Feb. 18, 2017. During World War II, Hall served in Europe as a member of the 373rd General Service Engineers. He worked in the Horticulture Department at Iowa State University, where he was head of the department until his retirement in 1990, becoming a professor emeritus. Survivors: wife, Elsie R. Hall BSBA’49; three children; six grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren.

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

Rewarding you for being an alumnus of the University of Arkansas. Because you are an alumnus of the University of Arkansas, Nationwide® is offering you exclusive insurance discounts on: The car you drive The motorcycle you ride to feel free The RV you take cross-country Since college, you’ve worked hard to get to where you are today. Let Nationwide protect what makes up your life, so you can focus on the things that really matter.

Receive your exclusive University of Arkansas alumni offer and learn more about our partnership.

nationwide.com/ArkansasAlumni

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Local Agent

1-888-231-4870

t u o b A All

Campaign Arkansas is a $1 billion comprehensive campaign advancing academic opportunity at the U of A. Why is the campaign important? Your gifts will help students access higher education and foster their success

through mentoring and scholarship initiatives like the Advance Arkansas scholarship, which specifically benefits students from Arkansas. The campaign will also build meaningful resources for teaching and research, grow innovative and collaborative programs and enhance our facilities and technology.

Every gift – and every amount – makes a difference, and everyone can participate: • Participate in All In for Arkansas, the university’s annual giving day, April 4-5 at allinforarkansas.uark.edu. • S upport your favorite scholarship, department or program by making a gift at onlinegiving.uark.edu or calling (479) 575-2944.

• Encourage your friends and fellow alumni to join the Arkansas Alumni Association, and a portion of their memberships will support student scholarships.* • Provide the Arkansas Alumni Association with your most up-to-date contact information.*

• Share a story about your love or support for the university by emailing giving@uark.edu.

Join us and support higher education in Arkansas.

campaign.uark.edu * Do this and more on your mobile device through the Arkansas Alumni App.

Advance Arkansas The Advance Arkansas scholarship initiative at the University of Arkansas catalyzes the potential of the state’s rising leaders by giving them resources to succeed academically at a nationally competitive institution, in turn providing a mutual flow of local talent between the university and the state. In fall 2017, 10 students were named the inaugural recipients of Advance Arkansas scholarships. This number will continue to grow as more donors help Arkansans make the University of Arkansas their school of choice, thereby providing better educational opportunities for more citizens of the state. Every Advance Arkansas scholarship endowment is eligible for match funding from the university that will significantly increase student awards. For more information about Advance Arkansas, visit campaign.uark.edu/advance-arkansas.

Eva Puga Biology DeQueen, Arkansas

Ways to Give: • Give online at onlinegiving.uark.edu and choose “Advance Arkansas Scholarship” as your designation. Gifts of all sizes are accepted and count toward Campaign Arkansas, the university’s $1 billion capital campaign. • Give online during the university’s third annual giving day – All In for Arkansas – by visiting allinforarkansas.uark.edu on April 4-5 and choosing “Advance Arkansas Scholarship” as your designation. Gifts of all sizes will be accepted and will count toward the giving day goal, as well as Campaign Arkansas. • Create and name your own Advance Arkansas scholarship endowment by contacting Ben Carter, senior director of development, at (479) 575-4663 or bcarter@uark.edu. The minimum endowment required for Advance Arkansas scholarships is $50,000.

Alaina Tuberville Music Education Mountain Home, Arkansas

“If I didn’t have this scholarship, as well as the others I’ve received, I would have to apply for loans. The scholarships I’ve received have given me the incentive to maintain my good grades and continue on with my education.”

“I’m so grateful for receiving this scholarship because it recognizes all the hard work I’ve put into college. It means so much to me and to my future.”

Student Representation

Malik Dedner Accounting Little Rock, Arkansas “When I received the Advance Arkansas scholarship, I was ecstatic. The first person I called was my mom. It was an amazing feeling. She’s very proud of me. I’m getting close to meeting my goal, so I’m grateful. “

Benefactors of Newly Established Advance Arkansas Scholarships (through December 31, 2017)

 Mountain Home

 Rogers  Fayetteville

Gilmore 

 Fort Smith  Magazine  Little Rock  Pearcy  DeQueen

Ken and Liz Allen

Steve and Kathryn Lauck

Mike and Cindy Bonds

Greg and Hannah Lee

Wiley and Carol Christal

Rick and Anne Massey

Gary and Melissa Clark

Tommy and Kathryn May

Larry and Janett Crain

Joe and Sandy Steinmetz

Curtis and Jackye Finch Jim and Jana Harris Hank and Stephanie Kelley

Gilda Underwood and the Robert M. and Bonnie J. Jones Family Trust Women’s Giving Circle

F RO M S E N I O R WA L K

Steven E. Smith BSBA’51, Tulsa, Oklahoma, March 5, 2017. He was a lawyer and was a member of the Tulsa Bar Association. Survivors: a son.

In Memoriam Dr. William T. Springer of Fayetteville, associate professor emeritus of mechanical engineering, died Nov. 27, 2017. He was born on Dec. 10, 1945, in Dallas to Virgil Thomas and Nora Nell Sewell Springer. He graduated from Bryan Adams High School in 1963 and then attended the University of Texas at Arlington where he received his B.S.M.E., M.S.M.E., and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering. In 1981, Springer became a faculty member of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Arkansas and throughout his career won several teaching awards, advised hundreds of students, and served as the faculty adviser and co-organizer of the ASME Solar Splash, the International Intercollegiate Solar/Electric Boat Regatta for five years. Springer was recognized as the S.Y. Zamrick Pressure and Piping Medal recipient by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 2011, Outstanding Researcher of the Year in Mechanical Engineering in 1983 and 1989, Outstanding Service of the Year in Mechanical Engineering in 1999 and 2011. After 40 years of teaching, research and service, Springer retired in 2013 and was bestowed the title Emeritus Associate Professor by the department, the college, and the Board of Trustees. Bill worked on and developed multiple innovative research and design projects that have contributed to the discipline of mechanical engineering. His extensive list of significant accomplishments includes:

Roy G. Huneycutt BSA’51, Little Rock, Feb. 15, 2017. He was a United States Army veteran and worked as an accountant at Winburn Tile Manufacturing Company. Survivors: two daughters, a sister, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Design of a tongue-initiated speech prosthesis for laryngectomy patients; Development of a portable holographic interferometry system for inspecting bolted and riveted connections in bridges (Mack-Blackwell National Rural Transportation Center); Structural improvement of firefighter’s protective clothing (International Association of Firefighters through the Department of Homeland Security); and, Evaluation of the influence of structural faults on the dynamic characteristics of a box-beam structure using modal analysis (NASA/MSFC). For exceptional contributions and accomplishments to the engineering profession, Springer was named an American Society of Mechanical Engineers Fellow in 2011 and inducted into the Arkansas Academy of Mechanical Engineering in 2017. In addition to his busy career life, Springer also donated his time to community service. He worked with schools to help develop computer capabilities to assist in science-related instruction and a web page to be part of the Fayetteville Public School website. He worked with a team of students and installed solar panels on the roof of the Fayetteville Public Library, coached the Fayetteville High School BEST Robotics team, was co-hub director of the Northwest Arkansas BEST robotics competition and, at the time of his passing, was advising an undergraduate creative project team at the university, and serving as president of the UA Retirement Association. Survivors: wife, Barbara J. Springer ★; two daughters; one son and five grandchildren. n

Edmond A. Bollen BSME’52, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, March 7, 2017. Survivors: two daughters, a brother, four grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren.

photo submitted

Dr. William T. Springer ★

R. Scott Boaz BA’52 MBA’64 PHD’73, Magnolia, March 14, 2017. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and later went on to be an educator. Survivors: wife, Paula H. Boaz MS’78; five children and seven grandchildren.

Joe A. Kaufman BSEE’51, Hot Springs, Feb. 20, 2017. Survivors: wife, Gretta Kaufman ✪+ BSBA’51. Herschel H. McClurkin Jr. BSA’51 MS’52, Alma, March 20. He served in active duty in the United States Air Force and retired as a major from the

L. Arthur Clayton BSBA’52, Little Rock, March 8, 2017. He retired from the U.S. Navy after 20 years of service, including serving in Korea. After working in the financial industry for many years, he spent a decade running the Yarn Mart with his wife before retirement. Survivors: a daughter, three grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren. Ellery Ralph Litterell MS’52, Hindsville, Jan. 17, 2017. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and later became a teacher. Survivors: a daughter, two sons, eight grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and three greatgreat-grandchildren. William M. Dorough BSA’53, Little Rock, March 24, 2017. He was a farmer. Survivors: wife, Frances Dorough; and a daughter. William F. Judd BSBA’54, Dallas, Texas, March 3, 2017. He served in the U.S. Air Force and was also the CEO of Texas American Oil. Survivors: wife, Roxie Judd; a daughter; two sons; two stepsons and 12 grandchildren.

Air Guard Reserves. He later became a reverend and also served on the Board of Directors of the Wesley Foundation at Arkansas State University. Survivors: wife, Mardell A. McClurkin ✪+ BSE’60 MED’63; a brother; a daughter; a son and five grandchildren.

William A. Porter BSBA’54, Springdale, Feb. 22, 2017. He was a World War II veteran serving in the U.S. Army Air Force as a navigator on a B24 Liberator. He flew 22 combat missions against strategic targets in Germany. He then worked for more than 40 years for the Ford Motor Company before retiring. Survivors: wife, Barbara Porter; two daughters; six grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren. Thomas E. Richardson ✪ BA’53, Alamogordo, New Mexico, March 13, 2017. He served 20 years as a chaplain in the United States Air Force. Survivors: wife, Corinne H. Richardson.

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

Jan D. Strauss ★ BSE’54, Denver, Colorado, Feb. 25, 2017. She was a flight attendant, social worker in the Adams County School District for more than 20 years, then worked for Delta Airlines. Survivors: husband, M.G. Strauss; two sons; a daughter; a brother; a sister and three grandchildren. Joan Hill Smith BSBA’54, Sherman, Texas, March 9, 2017. Survivors: four children, twelve grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. G. Cullen Dixon FS’55, Blytheville, Feb. 27, 2017. He served in the Air Force during the Korean War and then worked for Monsanto, retiring after 35 years as a master salesman. He was also a retired farmer. Survivors: two sons, a daughter and four granddaughters. Bettye Cook Bransford BSE’56, Arlington, Texas, Feb. 11, 2017. Survivors: Two daughters and four grandchildren. James E. Humphrey Jr. ✪+ BSPH’56, Texarkana, March 25, 2017. He was a retired pharmacist. Survivors: wife, LouElla Humphrey, two sons and grandchildren. Jack B. Washburn BSA’56, Pocahontas, March 10, 2017. He was a retired county extension agent and farmer. Survivors: wife, Donna Washburn; three sons and five grandchildren. Don Ballard ✪+ BSCHE’57, Houston, Texas, Feb. 22, 2017. He worked for Coastal Chemical Company in 1963, and retired in 1997 as vice president of marketing. Survivors: wife, Lynn Ballard; a son; a daughter; four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. Phyllis J. Coffman BSE’57, Hot Springs, March 7, 2017. She retired from teaching elementary school with 30 years of service. Survivors: two daughters, two granddaughters and three step-granddaughters. Doris C. Langer BSHE’57 MS’79, Vinita, Oklahoma, March 13, 2017. She retired as the registered dietitian at Eastern State Hospital in Vinita. Survivors: a daughter, two sons, one brother and four grandchildren. Andy F. Aldridge MED’58, North Little Rock, March 4, 2017. He was a retired Marine who had served in the Korean War and was awarded the Purple Heart. He later taught high school and then transitioned to work in

school administration until retirement. Survivors: wife, Ruth Aldridge; two sons; four grandchildren and nine greatgrandchildren. Jack C. Cockrum BSA’58, Pine Bluff, March 1, 2017. He served in the United States Army in the early 1960s. Cockrum retired after many years as nurseryman, including co-owning and operating Landscape Design in Pine Bluff. Following retirement, he worked at Shepherd’s Florist and later became a Master Gardener. Survivors: wife, Emily Sanders Cockrum BA’57 MA’75; three daughters; a son and seven grandchildren. Tom L. Mullins ★ BA’58, St. Louis, Missouri, Oct. 15, 2016. Survivors: a son, a daughter, a sister, a brother, seven grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren. Josephine Rachel Scoggins MED’58, Eatontown, New Jersey, Feb. 12, 2017. She taught elementary school for 34 years. Survivors: a sister and three brothers. Mary Ann Abrego FS’59, Fort Smith, March 3, 2017. Survivors: a granddaughter. William H. Bishop BS’59 MS’61, Lafayette, Louisiana, Feb. 25, 2017. He worked as a petroleum geologist for Texaco, Hurbetz Oil, Texas Pacific and The Exploration Company of Louisiana. Survivors: wife, Cynthia Bishop; a son; a brother; a sister and one granddaughter. Phyllis Nutt BSE’59, Benton, March 22, 2017. She taught in the Benton public school system for 28½ years. Survivors: husband, William R. Nutt BSBA’59; a son; a daughter; five grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren. Mitchell Selligman III ✪ BSEE’59, St. Louis, Missouri, Oct. 25, 2017. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean Conflict. He worked Baldwin Piano and Organ for 36 years, having managed many Baldwin plants. Later he opened Mickey’s Model Works. Survivors: wife, Mary Selligman; a son and two grandchildren. Leonard L. Thompson BA’59, Little Rock, Feb. 17, 2017. He was the owner of APT Construction and retired as general manager of the Cranford Construction Division of McGeorge Contracting Company. Survivors: wife, Joyce Adams Thompson; two sons;

Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

a daughter; three stepdaughters, two stepsons, a brother and 13 grandchildren. 1960s Suzanne Neeley Barns BSE’60, Corinth, Texas, Feb. 11, 2017. She was an antique dealer. Survivors: a daughter, two sons, 12 grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren. Charles A. Futch BA’61, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Feb. 24, 2017. Futch became a captain while serving in the U.S. Navy for 30 years in a variety of capacities, including assuming command of the VC-6. Survivors: wife, Susan Fitch; two daughters; a sister and four grandchildren. Susie West MED’60, Russellville, Feb. 15, 2017. A retired teacher, she primarily taught senior English during her 27-year career. James W. Stanley Jr. BS’61, Conway, Dec. 9, 2016. He served in the National Guard from 1954 to 1957. He later worked for Phillips Petroleum Company. Survivors: a son, a daughter, a brother, two grandchildren, seven step-grandchildren and numerous greatgrandchildren. Rodney Adkisson ★ BSBA’62, Southhaven, Mississippi, Feb. 25, 2017. He retired from Bancorp South after 30 years. Survivors: wife, Donna Adkisson; four sons and a sister. Gene Alan Cherry BA’62, Iowa City, Iowa, Feb. 24, 2017. He retired as a contract specialist for the Department of the Army, based on Arsenal Island in 1997. Survivors: wife, Judith A. Cherry; two sons; two daughters and nine grandchildren. William H. Neubert BSEE’62, Carthage, Missouri, Feb. 10, 2017. He had a varied career in computer technology and consulting. Survivors: a son, one sister and three grandchildren. Theo M. Tucker BSE’63, Lawton, Oklahoma, March 7, 2017. He served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years, retiring in 1984. He later became a teacher. Survivors: wife, Doris Ann Tucker; a son; a daughter; two sisters; a brother and three grandchildren. Charles Wilson BSE’65 MED’68, Little Rock, March 17, 2017. He was an educator and a coach for 34 years. Survivors: wife, Janet W. Wilson BSN’64; two sons; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Allen W. Berry ★+ BSBA’66 MBA’68, Sherwood, Feb. 22, 2017. Allen held the positions of chief financial officer and treasurer at WEHCO Media Inc. for 37 years. Survivors: wife, Catherine Berry; a daughter; a son, one sister and one grandson. Franklin Harold Cochran BA’66, Madison, Alabama, Feb. 15, 2017. He served in Vietnam, Germany and Korea, in addition to the U.S. After his military career, he worked as a systems analyst with the Javelin Project for S3. Survivors: wife, Betty Lane Cochran BSE’64; a daughter; a son; a sister and one grandson. Robert E. Hix MS’66, Sanibel Island, Florida, Feb. 9, 2017. He served in the elite U.S. Army Rangers in South Korea. Hix practiced psychiatry in Arkansas, Missouri and five additional states. Survivors: a son, a daughter, a step-son, and five grandchildren. Richard Berry MSES’67, Longview, Texas, Feb. 23, 2017. He served as professor of engineering, chairman of the Engineering Department, dean of engineering, vice president of academic affairs, interim president and vice president emeritus upon retirement at LeTourneau University. Survivors: a son and a daughter. Mike Lynn Reeves BA’67, Grand Island, Nebraska, Feb. 28, 2017. Survivors: wife, Earlene Reeves; two sons; five daughters; two brothers; one sister and 15 grandchildren. Glenna Belle Davis EDD’68, Siloam Springs, Feb. 15, 2017. She taught for more than 35 years at John Brown University and was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at JBU in 2002. Survivors: a daughter, a son, two brothers, one sister, four grandchildren and one greatgrandchild. Mary Ann Littlefield MA’68, North Little Rock, March 10, 2017. Survivors: husband, Daniel F. Littlefield Jr. MA’62; a son; two brothers and two grandsons. Richard A. Brooker EDD’69, Fayetteville, Feb. 23, 2017. He served in the U.S. Army. He spent many years in education at both the secondary and collegiate levels, his last 20 years were spent at Eastern Kentucky University, where he was department chair of construction trades. Survivors: two sons, three grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren.

F RO M S E N I O R WA L K

In Memoriam Roy Reed, a professor of journalism for 16 years and the foremost journalist covering the Civil Rights movement during the mid-1960s, died Sunday, Dec. 10, at Washington Regional Medical Center. He was 87. Reed grew up in the town of Piney, near Hot Springs, attended Ouachita Baptist College for a year and then earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. In 1952, he married Norma Pendleton of El Dorado. They had two children, Cindy and John. Reed worked for the Joplin Globe in Missouri for three years before being hired by the Arkansas Gazette in 1956. He took a brief break to accept a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard. In early 1965, The New York Times hired him to cover the South and within the month sent him to Selma, Alabama, where he covered the release of Martin Luther King Jr. from jail and then the “Bloody Sunday” civil rights march. Reed’s front-page stories described for the rest of America the atrocities being carried out by the state against its African American citizens. “It sent a tidal wave of rage,” Reed told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in 2015. “I guess people in the North knew bad things were happening in the South, but this they couldn’t avoid. It was right there on their television set, and it was so brutal.” In 1978, Reed retired from The Times and moved his family back to Arkansas. The next year, he began teaching journalism at the University of Arkansas. His courses included feature writing and news reporting, but it didn’t seem to matter what he taught. “He was one of those teachers that good students take a class from, not because of the class, but because of Roy,” said Rick Stockdell, director of KUAF and associate professor of journalism. “I had lots of broadcast students ask me about taking a class from him because they

had heard about him from other students.” Don Troop grew up in the same neck of Arkansas woods as Reed but a generation later. He’s now an editor at the Chronicle of Higher Education and recalled Reed offering advice to students: “He told us that ‘the best reporters have a bit of “hick” in them.’ I was always slow on the uptake, and didn’t really get it at first. When you walk into an interview thinking you already know the entire backstory, you deny your sources an opportunity to simply tell it in a way that a fifth-grader can understand. If sources think they are addressing a simpleton, they’ll speak at a very basic level — no jargon, no euphemism, no coded language — and sometimes they’ll even let down their guard and tell you more than they intended.” Reed also served briefly as chair of the journalism department in 1981. He published four books through the University of Arkansas Press — Looking for Hogeye in 1986, Orval Faubus: The Life and Times of an American Prodigal in 1997, Looking Back at the Arkansas Gazette in 2009 and Beware of Limbo Dancers: A Correspondent’s Adventures with The New York Times in 2012, which won the Porter Prize that year. “Roy, by just being himself, taught me many lessons,” said Larry Foley, chair of the School of Journalism and Strategic Media. “I learned over the years that he was a demanding, gifted teacher. And his students loved him. The lesson: Teach them what they need to know, and in time, they’ll appreciate that you invested in them, earning their love and respect.” “The thing that impressed me most about Roy was how proudly and continually he embraced Arkansas,” said Gerald Jordan, an associate professor of journalism. “The farther away he got from this place the more he reached back to this place. I think it’s also fair to say the farther his orbit got from Arkansas, the deeper his accent got.” Survivors: wife, Norma P. Reed; a son and a daughter. n photo submitted

Roy Reed ★+

Dendin Lilliad Guinn BSA’69, Mena, March 1, 2017. He taught in public school until retirement. Survivors: wife, Shirley Beshears Guinn; a son; a daughter and five grandchildren. Donald David Killion PHD’69, Houston, Missouri, Dec. 6, 2016. He worked in research at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and an instructor at the University of Tennessee. Survivors: a sister. Joseph A. Musick Jr. ★ BSA’69 MS’71, Monticello, Feb. 27, 2017. He headed the Louisiana State University Rice Research Station, where he led the research and enjoyed the Cajun music. Musick retired in August of 2003. Survivors: wife, Susan McClain Musick; three sons; a daughter; two brothers; 12 grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren. 1970s Rose Emolyne Carr Doty BSE’70, Berryville, July 19, 2013. She was a fourth-grade teacher for the Berryville School District for more than 20 years. Survivors: two sisters and a brother. Joseph William Segers Jr. JD’70, Springdale, March 1, 2017. He served as a major in U.S Army and was awarded many medals, including the Purple Heart. He practiced law in Fayetteville as well as Fort Worth, Texas. Survivors: wife, Kathleen Segers; two daughters; one son; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Charlean Benton Crain MS’71, Lake Village, March 16, 2017. She was a high school teacher. Survivors: five daughters, three sons and grandchildren. Gary S. Gammill BSBA’71, Hazen, Nov. 11, 2017. He was a retired CPA and financial adviser. Survivors: two daughters, a brother, a sister and three grandchildren. James M. Speeker Jr. BA’72, Hanceville, Alabama, Feb. 22, 2017. He was in the U.S. Air Force in the late 1960s and was trained as an Xray technologist. He practiced family medicine in both Jefferson and Cullman Counties. Survivors: Donna K. Speeker BA’73; two daughters; brother and five grandchildren. Randy D. Daniel BSBA’73, Hot Springs, Feb. 11, 2017. Survivors: wife, Kay Daniel; two daughters; a sister and three grandchildren.

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

ARKANSAS

ALUMNI OFFICERS

President Don Eldred ✪+’81, Houston President-Elect Teena Gunter ✪ ’92, ’97, Oklahoma City, OK Treasurer Kenneth Biesterveld ✪ ’05, ’10, Bentonville Secretary Debbie Blume ✪+ BSBA’08, Fayetteville BOARD OF DIRECTORS Class of 2018 Kristen Allbritton ★ ’04, Frisco, TX Ashley Harris ✪ ’95, Fayetteville Sharon Hunt ★ ’73, ’75, Fayetteville Kristin Kaufman ✪ ’83, Dallas Bill Kerr ✪ ’88, Tampa, FL Dustin McDaniel ★ ’94, Little Rock Drake McGruder ✪ ’06, ’12, Fort Smith Charles Redfield ✪ ’89 Bentonville Class of 2019 John Forrest Ales ✪ ’02, Bentonville Linda Bedford-Jackson ★ ’80, Austin, TX Susan Kemp ✪ ’73, ’75, Mountain View Robert Kolf ✪+ ’78, Wildwood, MO Greg Lee ✪+ ’70, Fayetteville Paul Parette ✪+ ’89, Dallas Ron Rainey ✪ ’91, ’93, Little Rock Lott Rolfe IV ★ ’94, Maumelle Roger Sublett ✪ ’64, ’65, Mason, OH Amy Tu ★ ’96, Seattle Brian Wolff ✪ ’89, Washington D.C. Class of 2020 John Berrey ✪ ’91, Tulsa, OK Tori Bogner ★ ’13, ’16, Fayetteville, AR LaTonya Foster ★ ’96, Springdale, AR Cecilia Grossberger-Medina ★ ’08, Fayetteville, AR Steven Hinds ✪ ’89, ’92, Fayetteville, AR Regina Hopper ★ ’81, ’85, Alexandria, VA Jordan Patterson Johnson ✪ ’00, Little Rock, AR Don Walker ✪ ’74, Fayetteville, AR Victor Wilson ✪ ’85, Arlington, TX STAFF Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni and Executive Director of the Arkansas Alumni Association Brandy Cox ✪ MA’07 Director of Membership and Marketing Terri Dover ✪+ Director of Constituent Engagement Angela Mosley Monts ✪ BA’80 Director of Outreach and Programs Thomas Ellis ★ BA’96, MBA’98 Director of Finance Hal Prescott ✪ Lisa Ault ★ BSBA’94, Accounting Specialist; Catherine Baltz ✪+ BS’92, MED’07, Assistant Director of Communications; Tim Barker ★, Fiscal Support Analyst; Debbie Blume ✪+ BSBA’08, Board and Campaign Coordinator; Deb Euculano ✪, Senior Associate Director of Alumni Special Events; Florence Galbraith ★, Fiscal Support Analyst; Mercedes Gazaway ★, Assistant Director of Student Programs; Brock Haegele ★ BA’17, Chapters and Student Programs Assistant; Katie Harrison ★ BA’12, Marketing Specialist; Mary Kate Harrison ★ BA’15, MA’17, Chapters and Student Programs Assistant; Lisy McKinnon ★ BA’97, Associate Director of Chapter Programs; Colton Miller ★, Marketing Assistant; Lora Nanak ★, Constituent Engagement Assistant; Emily Piper ★, Administrative Specialist; Alyssa Pruitt ★ BSBA’13, MED’15, Assistant Director of Membership & Marketing; Patti Sanders ✪+ BSA’08, Associate Director of Alumni Scholarships; Julie Simpson ★, Associate Director of Facilities and Special Events; Lauren Tyson ★, Special Projects Coordinator

Thomas Cheatham Bull III BSBA’74, North Little Rock, Feb. 26, 2017. He retired from the State Securities Department. Survivors: wife, Charlotte S. Bull BSE’78 MED’83; two sons; one sister and two grandchildren. Paul J. Grace MS’74, Sacramento, California, Feb. 26, 2017. He served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years, retiring as a major. He later worked at Aerojet and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Survivors: wife, daughters and grandchildren. T. Jack Walsh BSBA’74, Little Rock, March 11, 2017. He worked in banking, finished his career in the appraisal business. Survivors: two daughters, two brothers and two granddaughters. Iopal R. Daniels MED’75, Little Rock, Feb. 12, 2017. She retired after 22 years as an elementaryschool teacher. Survivors: a daughter, a son, five grandchildren and 10 greatgrandchildren. Enrico A. Serine ★+ EDD’76, West Scranton, Pennsylvania, Sept. 28, 2016. He held many administrative positions retiring as the director of academic advising at Mansfield University. Survivors: wife, Virginia A. Scaccia Serine; a son; two brothers; a sister and two grandchildren. Sara B. Keller BSHE’77, North Little Rock, March 1, 2017. She was an interior designer. Survivors: two sons, a sister and a brother. James O. Peabody BSBA’77, Humphrey, March 5, 2017. He was a retired accountant. Survivors: two sons, four daughters, two brothers, one sister, nine grandchildren and one greatgranddaughter.

began a second career as an electrician. Survivors: Judy Hunton Moore, a daughter, a son, two brothers, two sisters and grandson. J.C. Roe MSE’79, Judsonia, Feb. 16, 2017. He was a teacher and engineer. He worked for Pet Milk Co. and Johnson & Johnson. Survivors: wife, Mary Ann Childers Roe; four sons; two daughters; a brother; 10 grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren. John R. Watts BSA’79, Harrison, Feb. 18, 2017. He completed 36 years of teaching in the Arkansas Public Education System as an Agricultural Education instructor at Harrison High School. Survivors: wife, Terri Watts; two sons and five grandchildren. 1980s Angela Kaitlin Peace JD’80 MBA’87, Fayetteville, Feb. 18, 2017. She was a professor of computer information at NorthWest Arkansas Community College. Survivors: mother. Willa Bea Tipton MED’81, Arkadelphia, March 6, 2017. She taught home economics and science at Arkadelphia Public Schools for 21 years. Survivors: three daughters, six grandchildren and one greatgranddaughter. Gary F. Wence JD’82, Scottsdale, Arizona, Feb. 27, 2017. He was a lawyer with several firms, finishing his career at the Leary & Wence firm, which he co-founded with his wife. Survivors: wife, Erin Leary JD’83; father; a son; a daughter and two sisters.

Stephen L. Taylor BA’77 MA’79 JD’82, Springdale, Feb. 21, 2017. Survivors: wife, Nancy Leigh Goodman Taylor; mother; four sons; a daughter; a sister and two brothers.

Linda Jackson Ellington MED’84, Dermott, March 13, 2017. A retired school teacher who taught for 38 years, she was a member of the National Education Association, past secretary and vicepresident of Arkansas Education Association. Survivors: two sons, four grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren.

Ronald David Moore BSE’78, Prairie Grove, Feb. 13, 2017. He retired from Southwestern Bell after over 25 years and

Danny Ivy JD’88 LLM’93, Fayetteville, Feb. 17, 2017. A retired attorney. Survivors: one brother.

Spring 2018 • A R K A N S A S

1990s Samuel D. Jeffery FS’93, Rogers, March 9, 2017. He worked for Rolling Oaks Hospitality and was the general manager of La Quinta Inn and Suites of Bentonville. Survivors: wife, Marie Newcome Jeffery; his mother; his father; a brother and a sister. 2000s Mianette S. Drees JD’05, May 5, 2013. Kelly Scott Darden BSBA’08, Fayetteville, March 8, 2017. Survivors: wife, Rhonda Darden; two daughters; a son and one brother. 2010s James Michael Jones BA’15, Springdale, Feb. 14, 2017. He was the general manager of Malco Theatres. Survivors: wife, Amanda Marie Jones BSN’16; mother; father; a grandmother and three siblings.

Faculty & Staff Phillip Jarriel Moore BS’16, Fayetteville, March 21, 2017. Carlton R. Woods, Westlake, Ohio, Feb. 21, 2017. Woods retired as director of orchestral activities at the University of Arkansas as well as the conductor and artistic director of the North Arkansas Symphony Orchestra in 2001 and continued directing orchestral music for much of his life. Survivors: wife, LaDonna R. Woods BSE’88; five children and six grandchildren. Pat Wooldridge, Lowell, March 25, 2017. She was a human resources specialist at the University of Arkansas. Survivors: husband, Bruce Wooldridge; a son; a daughter; a brother and two grandchildren. n

photo by Russell Cothren

L A S T LO O K

Commemorating Silas Hunt Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater J.D.’80 returned to his alma mater to give a lecture about “The Legacy of Silas Hunt” as part of events in February commemorating the 70th anniversary of Hunt’s admission to the University of Arkansas School of Law. Slater, a 1997 Citation of Distinguished Alumni award recipient, talked with a crowd of mostly first-year law students about the importance of action and living a life of purpose, joy and consequence. Hunt was a veteran of World War II and graduate of Arkansas AM&N, now known as the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He made history on Feb. 2, 1948, when he successfully sought admission to the U of A law school and became the first African American student to integrate a white Southern university since Reconstruction. Hunt’s actions opened the door to eventual integration of the Graduate School, the School of Medicine, the undergraduate programs and the athletic programs. n

A R K A N S A S • Spring 2018

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