UAFS Bell Tower Alumni Magazine Spring Summer 2019

Bell Tower The

The magazine of the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith

SPRING | SUMMER 2019

CLIMBING to UCCESS SUCCESS

UAFS prepares students for a rapidly changing world by offering support and

challenges

The Bell Tower

SPRING | SUMMER 2019

JUST HANGIN’: A mild winter led to a profusion of hammocks on campus like this one outside the Lion’s Den.

features

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Future teachers in the School of Education learn plenty of theory before they lead classes.

But the proof is in the doing.

Dylan Lenihan and Monica McGee share their experiences as they take over area classrooms on their way to graduation and, they hope, new jobs as teachers.

Increasing enrollment requires new programs, new partners, and a new way of measuring life experiences.

Dr. Ron Darbeau and the College of STEM are working to make programs more reflective of the current job market and future opportunities.

School of Education

The Intern Solution

Brain Power

COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY RACHEL RODEMANN PUTMAN

RACHEL RODEMANN PUTMAN

THE BELL TOWER SPRING | SUMMER 2019

Soaring Higher

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UAFS MISSION

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UAFS prepares students to succeed in an ever-changing global world while advancing economic development and quality of place.

THE BELL TOWER Spring/Summer 2019 Volume 10, Number 1 The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith INTERIM CHANCELLOR Edward A. Serna, Ed.D. CONTRIBUTORS Judi Hansen, Rachel Putman, Jessica Martin PHOTOGRAPHERS Rachel Rodemann Putman, Molly Battles, CarolAnn Sturgis ART DIRECTOR John Sizing, www.jspublicationdesign.com

On Campus

Community

Alumni

2 The Chancellor’s Letter 3 Why We Give

12 Smiles to Cheer About

28 N Is for Numa

MaryBeth Andrews

New book celebrates campus

Lori and Tim Shields

13 Spradling Gift

29 Class Notes

4 The Bell Tower

Staff helps young students

What’s happening with alums

A makeover erases 20 years

14 Arts in the Community

30 And the Winners Are...

5 First-Year Students

Renowned artist Yatika Fields

Faculty and staff intervene

15 Far From Home

6 MathUp 7 Leading Lions

Students travel abroad in Chile

Four members of the UAFS community were feted at the alumni reunion dinner

On-site leadership conference 8 Meet the VC

Introducing Blake Rickman

Athletics

31 Looking Back in Time 32 Using Art for Humanity

16 Hoop Star Ellie Lehne 17 Spring Sports Update

Cathy Mason puts her art degree to work

The Bell Tower is published semi-annually by the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, P.O. Box 3649, Fort Smith, AR 72913, for friends, faculty, and alumni of the university. Tel.: (877) 303-8237.

Email: alumni@uafs.edu. Web: belltower.uafs.edu.

Send address changes, requests to receive The Bell Tower, and requests to be removed from the mailing list to alumni@uafs.edu or UAFS Alumni Association, P.O. Box 3649, Fort Smith, AR 72913.

LETTERS ARE WELCOME, but the publisher reserves the right to edit letters for length and content. Space constraints may prevent publication of all letters. Anonymous letters will not be published.

Send letters to belltower@uafs.edu or The Bell Tower, P.O. Box 3649, Fort Smith, AR 72913.

Views and opinions in The Bell Tower do not necessarily reflect those of the magazine staff nor of the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith.

Contents © 2019 by the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith.

SPRING | SUMMER 2019 THE BELL TOWER 1

FROM THE CHANCELLOR Edward A. Serna, Ed.D.

So Many Ways to Succeed The best times on any college campus are mid-August and early May when the vibrant dreams of our students take flight before our eyes.

In August we see new students beginning programs that bring them closer to their ambitions. We see students who are building their grit, testing their endurance against a multitude of challenges that will prepare them for success in the workplace and in their lives. May brings graduating students to the culmination of their undergraduate lives and ushers them into the beginning of their next chapters.

To fulfill our institutional missions, we must all keep these Augusts and Mays in mind every day. We must make sure we enroll students who need what we offer, even if those students require us to forge new paths to meet them where they are. The Lions of our future will be a more diverse and inclusive group than ever. Our pride will feature traditional freshmen to be sure, but we will also see more and more single parents and veterans, family wage earners and those seeking career advancement, those who have sacrificed to pay for college, and those for whom college seems an impossible dream.

We know that just getting our students to campus is not enough. We must engage with them in a way that shows we care about their success so much that we will roll up our sleeves and work to keep them. We must en-

sure those August beginnings become May endings.

In this issue of The Bell Tower, you will learn about the ways we are reaching out to diverse populations who can benefit from our innovative programs. You will read about the ways we are helping students remain on track to graduate in four years.

And you will see how new programs like our unmanned aerial systems degree can both bring new students to UAFS and increase economic development for the greater Fort Smith region. You will learn about our advances in science, technology, engineering, and math. You will meet some amazing students and alumni, and learn about our dedicated faculty and staff. You will see innovation in action.

If you read carefully, you will find members of our staff who hope UAFS will become a “destination� campus for students and faculty. I believe it already is; it is a destination for people who want to improve their lives and for people who feel called to help them.

We are a destination.

Edward A. Serna, Ed.D.

BY THE NUMBERS FOUNDATION INTERVENTIONS Amounts pledged for 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 years

$400k $200k $10k Gap Scholarships

Completion Awards

Textbook Scholarships AMOUNTS AWARDED

$200k 101 $108k 48 $10.1k 26 Gap Scholarships

Students

Completion Awards

Students

Textbook Scholarships

UAFS will be a national model for preparing students for workforce mobility through education and professional development while serving as the thought leader in the region.

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Through targeted interventions, the UAFS Foundation helped students who otherwise might have given up their dreams.

RACHEL RODEMANN PUTNAM

Students

UAFS VISION

Lori and Tim Shields WHY WE GIVE

I feel it’s important for there to be a well-trained technical staff for those who come after us.

W

hen Lori Shields started at Westark Community College

to be a well-trained technical staff in the area for those who

in 1981, the college was just what she wanted.

come after us.”

“It appealed to me because it enabled me to start my

established the Lori and Tim Shields Geoscience Scholarship

and while staying close to home.”

Endowment.

Despite many changes, today’s campus still has a warm

living in oil and gas, Shields wants to build an endowment

approachable, and there are so many wonderful programs.”

for the geoscience program. Group members contributed or

the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, but they have an additional connection now.

“My father was a geologist,” Tim Shield said. “Two of my RACHEL RODEMANN PUTNAM

Now working with other local people who have made their

feeling, she believes. “It’s comfortable, the people are This is the first connection Lori and Tim Shields have to

For information about making a gift to support the Geoscience program, contact Anne Thomas at 479-788-7033.

Shields felt so strongly about it that he and his wife

college education at a quality school, at an affordable rate,

pledged $100,000 to the effort, and they are now looking for contributions from others in the industry.

“Obviously, a new program needs financial resources,” Shields said. “The $100,000 is a good start. We all agreed that

brothers and I are geologists as well, and we have made our

if we were going to ask other businesses to partner with us,

careers in the oil and gas industry. We have a passion for it.”

we had to commit with our pocketbooks.”

So when in 2016, UAFS announced it would offer a four-

Lori Shields likes the fact that the endowment offers

year degree in geoscience, Shields said he was “thrilled to

support to students who want to stay in the area instead of

death.”

leaving to pursue a geoscience degree.

“This is the only four-year technical degree at UAFS that

“We grew up here; we raised our kids here. We want to see

ties to the oil and gas industry. I feel it’s important for there

the community flourish and thrive. I think this helps,” she said.

SPRING | SUMMER 2019 THE BELL TOWER 3

ON CAMPUS

FACELIFT: The Donald W. Reynolds Bell Tower is restored to its former grace.

Toll of Time Removed from Bell Tower regional university it is today.

After 20 years, the Bell Tower was showing signs of its age. So in 2015, Mark Horn, who had headed the finance and administration office when the Bell Tower was built, held the role of interim vice chancellor for finance and administration.

He approached the Reynolds Foundation with a request to repurpose money earmarked for upkeep of the SmithPendergraft Campus Center, also funded by the Reynolds

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Foundation, for renovations to the Bell Tower.

Planned renovations included tuck pointing the bricks, repairing some water damage, and tightening and resealing some joints.

Beginning in June 2018, workers erected scaffolding around the Bell Tower, then covered it in white plastic sheeting. The 42 brass bells in the carillon were silenced, and the hands on the four clock faces were stilled. Through

summer heat, autumn gales, and frigid December days, traces of time were lifted from the iconic tower.

With no fanfare, at the first of the year, the sheeting fell away, and the scaffolding came down. Today students hurrying across campus again try to glimpse the clock, and the bells again announce the hours.

The Donald W. Reynolds Bell Tower stands at the head of the Campus Green, renewed and resplendent.

MOLLY BATTLES

Molly Battles, a freshman media communication major, took this photo of the Donald W. Reynolds Bell Tower, shortly after its smart new look was, quite literally, unveiled.

The Bell Tower was built with funds from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation and dedicated in 1995. For Westark Community College President Joel Stubblefield, the Bell Tower was a kind of keystone in his developing plan to remake the community college into the

Forging Bonds ON CAMPUS

Reaching Out to First-Year Students Efforts to support students from enrollment to graduation were emphasized on campus beginning in fall 2018, taking many forms as staff members attempted to identify hurdles that stand between a student and a degree.

First-generation college students can be especially at risk.

Beginning in fall 2018, staff and faculty members who were the first in their own families to go to college were asked to declare that fact and take pride in the title. They received magnets declaring them “1st Gen College Student” for their office doors as a welcome to current students, and powder-blue T-shirts identified them on campus and

beyond as the #First2Go. Many first-gen faculty and staff members were paired with first-gen students in mentorship bonds. They met for coffee throughout the semester, with mentors making sure students were academically OK at midterms and checking on the status of their registration for spring.

Another program ready for fall 2019 rollout is the UAFS Promise, which will allow students entering the university this fall to lock in their tuition rate as long as they stay on track to graduate in four years. The Promise offers students the ability to budget without any surprises while giving them an incentive to graduate on time.

Also vital to on-time graduation is making sure students feel confident and connected as soon as they get to campus.

The R.O.A.R. First-Year Success Center will provide comprehensive, one-on-one advising to new students to make sure they have the information they need and build the relationships shown to make retention and success more likely.

“Improving access to advising has been one of the university’s key strategic initiatives this year in an effort to improve our student success rates and retention,” said Dr. Edward Serna, interim chancellor of UAFS. “Our first-year students are counting on us to advise their transition

#FIRST2GO: Faculty and staff members who were the first in their families to go to college reached out to first-gen students. More than half of UAFS students are firstgeneration college students.

to college with expertise and care, so we created the R.O.A.R. to ensure that every student has a personal relationship with their advisor.”

Digital tracking analysis of coursework will make it easier to identify potential advising challenges going forward, helping students to address obstacles while there is still time to overcome them.

RACHEL RODEMANN PUTMAN

Improving advising has been one of the university’s key strategic initiatives this year.

– Dr. Edward Serna, interim chancellor

SUPERHEROES: Improving access to effective advising starts with a group of spuer-advisors from the R.O.A.R.

The university’s new student orientation also has undergone a redesign and now is known as The MANE Event. This time will allow new students to interact with deans, faculty members, staff, and students already on campus. A special evening session for nontraditional students is also scheduled.

SPRING | SUMMER 2019 THE BELL TOWER 5

ON CAMPUS Off to a Good Start

MathUp Offers Second Chance In many colleges, students who fail a math assessment test by just one point have to take a full semester of math even though they might need only a part of the course. In fact, before 2016, STEM students at UAFS who came up a point short of testing out of College Algebra would have to take that course, which wouldn’t count toward their degrees. And they’d have to postpone statistics, biology, and chemistry until they finished

In one year, MathUp saved 202 credit hours, $40,400 in tuition, and 51 semesters.

PLACEMENT HELP: Students who can test out of College Algebra have a better chance to finish their degree in eight semesters. For students who have difficulty with the test, MathUp may be the answer they need.

The math department absorbs the $25-per-student cost for five assessment tests. After the first test, students meet immediately with a math teacher to see where their errors were and design a plan to strengthen their skills in those areas. Many students pass on the second try, but if they don’t, they will again have a chance to practice specific areas before retesting.

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Some students do not react well to the stress that comes with high-stakes tests, Yu said.

“Students are nervous, but we tell them they can relax, and it makes a big difference. This comes with five exams, so if you fail the second one, you still have three more tries,” Yu said.

And if students who are working hard don’t quite get there in five tests, they can sign

RACHEL RODEMANN PUTMAN

that course, leaving them on track to finish in nine semesters, not eight, according to Dr. Linus Yu, associate professor and math department head.

“No matter what the passing grade is, there will always be someone who missed that score by one point,” said Yu. “Many first-generation college students didn’t understand how that one point can change the rest of their four years and their life.”

So when the Arkansas Department of Higher Education asked Yu if he was willing to try something different, he was ready. The result is MathUp, a program that allows students to brush up on their math skills before retesting.

In 2016, students who could benefit from the program were introduced to MathUp at New Student Orientation.

up again.

“If they are working, we will never cut off their opportunity,” Yu said.

MathUp can have significant effects on a student’s career that go beyond taking one extra course.

Financial aid and student savings may not be available for a ninth semester. Also, students taking advantage of the UAFS Promise, a tuition-rate guarantee, must graduate in eight semesters.

Yu said MathUp might be especially useful to military members, veterans, and other non-traditional students.

“Adult students who haven’t used math since their high school years probably don’t remember it,” Yu said. “This gives them a chance to work on those skills and get back in step.”

The result? Students completing MathUp during its first summer saved a total of 202 credit hours, $40,400 in tuition costs, and 51 semesters toward graduation. In 2017, MathUp saved students a total of 190 credit hours, $42,440 in tuition, and 51 semesters toward graduation.

Other schools have contacted Yu about using the program on their campuses, and he always shares what he knows with them.

But he thinks the program may be specifically useful to UAFS. “People always say we are a commuter school, but I think we can turn that into an advantage. Our students are local, so we try to attract them.

It’s easy to help them.”

Hometown Leadership ON CAMPUS

Lions Leap for Leadership

RACHEL RODEMANN PUTMAN

The Leading Lions Leadership Conference was designed to give leadership training to a broad segment of the UAFS student body.

“Every year we take students to leadership conferences across the country,” Dr. Dave Stevens, dean of students, said.

“These students hear amazing speakers, and they are challenged to make an impact on their campus. I got to thinking about the number of students who get to attend events like these versus the number who don’t, and I wanted to give them a similar experience without leaving home.”

Stevens said although the original idea was his, the event is the result of teamwork.

Shannon Garcia, Greek life

and leadership program coordinator, who has been heading up the event team for three years, said she was excited about the lineup this year.

“The keynote speaker might be someone local or someone from the national stage, but this year we are really lucky,” said

I love how excited and passionate our speakers are. You can tell how much work and thought they put into their session to make it relevant and enjoyable to students.”

– Kaley Underwood

College of Business students Cindy Chen, center, and David Roth volunteered to serve dinner at the Salvation Army in Fort Smith on Feb. 4. Dinner was prepared by Las Americas Too. Robert Lopez, a 2015 graduate of the College of Business, who now works as an accountant at Ernest & Young in the Washington, D.C., area, persuaded his parents, the owners of Las Americas Too, to provide dinner at the Salvation Army six times this year, according to Bun Song Lee, associate professor of accounting.

Garcia. “Jordan Hale helped me get connected with (Fort Smith) Mayor George McGill.”

Hale is the director of government and community relations.

Student Dyllan Newell was impressed with the choice – and not just for the content of McGill’s presentation. He also appreciated the mayor’s choice of dress.

“I enjoyed his support for the Grizzlies coming off their two state championships the day before by wearing their tracksuit to the conference,” he said.

On March 8, the Northside High School boys and girls basketball teams both won state titles.

But he also listened to McGill’s message. “He spoke very well about how leading is primarily about listening and hearing people out. That’s what makes him such an effective leader.”

Students at the conference also got to choose three of six breakout sessions. Among the speakers in those sessions were Stephanie London, director of student activities; Dr. Nicki Reamer, assistant professor of communications; Dr. Mary Sobhani, assistant professor and world languages department head; and advisors from the new R.O.A.R First-Year Advising Center. R.O.A.R. stands for Relationships, intentional Outreach, excellent Advising, and connection to appropriate Resources.

Student Kaley Underwood liked the local emphasis in the campus conference.

“Our breakout sessions specifically focus on what is needed

INSIGHT: Fort Smith Mayor George McGill emphasized that leadership requires listening.

on our campus,” she said. “I also love how excited and passionate our speakers are. I know some of them have done Leading Lions for several years, and you can tell how much work and thought they put into their session to make it relevant and enjoyable to students.”

Stevens said in the first years of the conference, the target audience was students already chosen for leadership positions on campus, like Student Government Association officers and dormitory Resident Assistants. But the 2019 version had some changes.

“A new thing we did this year was invite some admitted students,” Garcia said, talking about high school seniors who have been accepted for the fall semester. These students include “a handful of high school leaders including members of the Junior Leadership Academy, run by the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce.”

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MEET THE VC Blake Rickman

You Can Go Home Again WHEN BLAKE RICKMAN DECIDED to accept the position of vice chancellor of advancement and executive director of the UAFS Foundation beginning Jan. 1, he thought he knew what he was doing.

In his role as senior director of development and external relations at the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, he was the chief advancement officer for the college of 19 departments, 40+ programs, 600+ faculty, 8,000 students, and 40,000 alumni. During his 10 years at UA, Rickman advanced from a starting position doing research and managing development reports to his spot heading up fundraising for the university’s largest college. Along the way, he brought home a $120 million gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation to establish a School of Art at UA, just part of the $160+ million for which he was responsible in fiscal year 2018.

Coming back to the place he thought of as his hometown (he’s a Southside graduate), he knew things would be different, but that doesn’t mean there were no surprises.

The Bell Tower: You’ve said

meaning to me.

you were surprised by the connection you felt when you started your job at UAFS. Can you talk about that?

Blake Rickman: In this line

TBT: How have people reacted to you in the new role?

BR: I’ve been playing the Kevin

Bacon game since I got back to town. (The Kevin Bacon game, named for the actor, is a way of tracing connections between people.) Just telling people where I went to high school or church is usually enough

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Amber Rickman, Aiden, Gavin, and Blake Rickman

TBT: What is your philosophy of advancement and development?

BR: It’s definitely something

I’ve developed over time. I didn’t start out wanting to work in advancement, but when I knew I wanted to work on a college campus, I enrolled at UA for a master’s in higher education administration. I needed a full-time job that paid more than a graduate assistant’s stipend, so I took a job in records and research for university advancement. As I learned more about the advancement mission, I started to realize I had a skill set that matched this work.

I spent all day long staring at two computer screens, moving data that I verified with secondary sources into our live database. It was incredibly tedious work but absolutely foundational to what I do today.

Everything I’ve ever done starts with the data.

I believe advancement and development are how you move an institution forward. Our mission is to engage with alumni and friends of UAFS and leverage mutual resources for the betterment of the campus and the community. Without those relationships, and those of us responsible for their facilitation, this campus would never achieve its full potential. We want to serve the students, faculty, staff, and campus partners in a way that’s beneficial for everyone.

TBT: What are your first goals for the UAFS Foundation?

BR: First, I want us to strength-

COURTESY

of work, you have to have a connection to your cause. For me, working at UA was good because the Razorbacks have always been a part of my life. But I don’t think my skill set would necessarily be as effective at another big institution. But I grew up in Fort Smith; my wife (Amber Baxter Rickman, ’08) is a UAFS grad; my brother is a grad (Rhett Rickman, ’13).

Being in Fort Smith is one thing, but this institution is tied to the city in a way I hadn’t anticipated. It’s ingrained in the culture of this place. Being a fundraiser and an ambassador for the university in my home town added a level that I think is going to make me that much more effective in this role. This place has a deeply personal

to get us some connections.

I’m very familiar with people in Fort Smith. My family has been here since the early 1900s.

My great-grandpa had a farm five miles outside of town. It is now the 6000 block of Rogers Avenue, and I grew up behind Mercy Hospital (then St. Edward Mercy). Having parents involved in Fort Smith Public Schools and grandfather being

a small businessman, I can usually make a connection.

About Blake Rickman Vice Chancellor for Advancement and Executive Director, UAFS Foundation AGE: 37 FAMILY: wife, two children EDUCATION: Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, University of Arkansas Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Arkansas Tech University MOST RECENT EXPERIENCE: Senior Director of Development and External Relations at the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the

RACHEL RODEMANN PUTMAN

University of Arkansas

en our relationships with the people and organizations of Fort Smith and the River Valley.

That means we have to demonstrate that we are a willing and capable partner who listens to their needs. I also want to get us lined up organizationally. By creating the positions of director of Foundation finances and operations and senior director of development, we align our

personnel in ways that make sense for our growth. I want to boost how much money we’re putting back into the institution and demonstrate to the campus that the Foundation is a sound investment of resources.

I believe strongly that our work is how you make up for gaps when state funding and enrollment dip. We want to align ourselves to both support the

university in times of need and propel the university to achieve its next level of success.

TBT: What about that beautiful family?

BR: I met my wife, Amber, when

she was a dental hygiene student at UAFS. We got married in 2012, and we were so excited when Gavin was born three years later.

When he was 6 months old, I started the School of Art project, and for the next two years my work/life balance was way out of kilter, but I knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of project. In August of 2017, we announced that gift. Two days later we learned Amber was pregnant again with our second son Aiden. We were crazy excited.

Gavin will be 4 on June 25, and Aiden turned 1 on April 26.

Coming back to Fort Smith means having our extended family again. We were on an island in Fayetteville. But now our boys have grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles nearby.

This has been a truly special experience for us, and Amber and I are thrilled to raise our family back home in Fort Smith.

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SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

B

efore they go into classrooms, students in the UAFS School of Education must study the theories of past masters like Maria Montessori, Jean Piaget, B.F. Skinner, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. How does the brain work? How does the personality form?

How does learning occur? It’s understandable if students are overwhelmed by it all.

At times like that, education students need time to reflect.

It’s time to collaborate with colleagues to determine ways to reach all of the students in the classroom. And if along the way they find someone, even a very young someone, who can help them remember why they want to be teachers, they will know they are going to be OK.

THE THEORY: Students in the School of Education, like Marissa O’Neal, ‘17, are well grounded in the theories of education.

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HELPING HAND: UAFS emphasizes the importance of learning by doing, said Dr. Monica Riley, interim executive director of the School of Education.

Students like Taylor McCollom, ‘17, left, and Amanda Chavez, ‘10, accumulate 80 or more hours in the field before their internships.

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COMMUNITY Smiles to Cheer About Mary Beth Andrews dedicates most of her time to smiles, preserving them as a dental hygiene student and creating them as captain of the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith cheer team.

The 20-year-old junior from West Fork has taken the leadership skills she developed as a cheer captain and applied them to her major.

“Cheerleading is a sport that takes every single member of the team,” she said. “Learning to rely on others and support them when they need me is going to benefit me when I eventually am hired in an office and become part of a dental team.”

Andrews also said that a big part of being cheer captain is making quick decisions under pressure, such as what cheers to perform and when.

“These decisions have to be made quickly with the pressure of the whole team looking at me and waiting on my response.

They are trusting me to guide them in the right direction. This is similar to the trust that my future patients will place in me when they come to me seeking

Instead of getting frustrated in the clinic, I was able to simply adopt this mindset.”

Andrews said she chose dental hygiene for the opportunities to give back to her community and make a personal impact on the health and overall well-being of her patients by serving at community dental clinics.

“I am thankful for my involvement at UAFS because not only has it prepared me to be an impactful servant to my community and church, but it has AT THE TOP: Mary Beth Andrews expects to use her skills in teamwork to become an important part also prepared me to balance such of a dental care team. activities with a physical skills associated career in dental hygiene.” with her major as well as the Andrews and her fellow ability to accept and learn from dental hygiene students critiques. practiced giving back this “In both cheer and dental spring through Free Extraction

dental care.”

In addition to her leadership skills, Andrews says cheer has also prepared her for the challenges of learning the

hygiene, the only way to learn a new skill is to try,” she said. “In cheer, I don’t get upset when I do horribly the first time I try a new skill. In fact, I expect it.

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Thanks to a collaborative partnership between the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith and Fort Smith Public Schools, UAFS School of Education interns will have an opportunity unlike any other in the state: to participate in an intensive, year-long paid internship.

This competitive program will allow interns to be fully immersed in a year of teaching while still being supported by School of Education faculty and internship supervisors. Interns selected for this enhanced internship program will also have the unique opportunity to spend the year learning from a dedicated and highly qualified mentor within the school system who will guide and assist them through classroom management, parent relationships, and navigating the education system.

“Being immersed in the school setting and having full responsibility for the classroom while having support will grow our candidates into second-year teachers before they graduate,” said Dr. Monica Riley, interim executive director of the School of Education.

The program will be piloted with two UAFS students who will each be paid half of a full-time contract for their year spent in the FSPS classroom.

“Only students who have completed all requirements for internship and have no disposition concerns will be selected to interview with FSPS personnel,” Riley explained. The students

Day and After School Smilz, which offers cleaning, exams, and preventative services to area children.

selected will have passed the

— Jessica Martin

of their selection.

licensure exam, completed necessary coursework and will possess classroom experience at the time

RACHEL RODEMANN PUTMAN

I am thankful for my involvement at UAFS because not only has it prepared me to be an impactful servant to my community and church, but it has also prepared me to balance such activities with a career in dental hygiene. — Mary Beth Andrews

Intern Partners

Enterprise COMMUNITY

University Staff Reaches Out To Elementary Students in Need

RACHEL RODEMANN PUTMAN

A group of faculty members from the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith recently stepped up to help young learners meet some of their basic needs.

After hearing a presentation

by Spradling Elementary School Principal Robyn Dawson on the needs of students in a school with 98 percent of the children living in poverty, Dr. Susan Simkowski, associate professor of communications, asked how she could help.

To collect items for the elementary students, Simkowski recruited colleagues Dr. Becky Timmons, director of academic assessment and accountability;

Dr. Shelli Henehan, associate professor and assessment coordinator for childhood education; Dr. AnnGee Lee, associate professor of English; Dr. Laura Witherington, associate professor of English; and Dr. Sara Davis, adjunct faculty member for clinical nursing.

“I knew they would say yes,” she explained, laughing as she loaded items from her car.

Kristin Riggs, a Spradling counselor, and Dana Booth, assistant principal, picked up more than 100 tote bags and baskets filled with toiletries from the UAFS campus to store at the school for students

throughout the year.

“We’re just thrilled to pieces,” said Booth. “We have such a high level of poverty in our building, and these kids just don’t have all of their basic needs, so having these supplies to give them as needed is a huge blessing.”

Riggs explained she would store the items in a special closet in her office where she stocks extra school supplies, toiletries and even changes of clothes for students whose families cannot afford those items during times of need and crisis.

“It upsets me so much that children don’t have the things

PAVING THE WAY: Susan Simkowski, Shelli Henehan, Dana Booth, Kristin Riggs, and Becky Timmons transfer packages collected at UAFS for students at Spradling Elementary School.

We have such a high level of poverty in our building, and these kids just don’t have all of their basic needs, so having these supplies to give them as needed is a huge blessing.

– Dana Booth, Spradling Elementary School they need,” said Timmons, tears in her eyes. “They can’t learn.”

Riggs agreed, adding, “We talk a lot about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. They can’t be expected to perform that higher-level thinking if their basic needs aren’t being met.”

Abraham Maslow’s theory suggests that before individuals meet their full potential, they must satisfy a series of needs, beginning with physiological needs such as food, water, rest, and shelter. Educators at highpoverty schools like Spradling Elementary often help meet these needs for students to develop their ability to learn.

“There are times parents just need a boost, that little bit of help at the moment, and you see them rise up, and it’s very exciting to feel that,” said Riggs, “Our students are very, very grateful. We get lots of little love notes and pictures that they draw. They’re so thankful.”

– Rachel Rodemann Putman

SPRING | SUMMER 2019 THE BELL TOWER 13

COMMUNITY Reaching Out with Art

COLLABORATION: Student Heli Mistry consults with artist Yatika Fields in a project combining visual art and music.

Students Use Eyes & Ears To Find Self-Confidence poser ahead of the Fort Smith Symphony concert in May. The original music was based on drawings and watercolors by artist Viktor Hartmann.

“This collaboration offers our students an exceptional chance to work with a worldfamous visual artist and expand their education at a higher level,” said Dr. Edward Serna, interim chancellor of UAFS. “One of our core missions is contributing to our region’s quality of place, so it’s a wonderful opportunity to partner with The Unexpected

14 THE BELL TOWER SPRING | SUMMER 2019

and the Fort Smith Symphony, two organizations that so fully embrace that mission with us.”

Throughout the week, Fields offered students technical training in oil painting, guidance on interpreting music onto canvas, and mentorship in

He’s inspired us to find ourselves through a brush and the freedom to paint solely through the heart. – Heli Mistry

–Rachel Rodemann Putman

RACHEL RODEMANN PUTMAN

Students at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith had the opportunity to learn from a classically trained and internationally known artist, thanks to a partnership between UAFS, the Fort Smith Symphony, the Unexpected, and 64.6 Downtown.

Artist Yatika Fields spent a full week conducting an immersive course, guiding art students in the creation of artworks based on Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” a suite of ten pieces composed in 1874 by the Russian com-

working as a professional artist with a vision.

“Expressing themselves through feeling isn’t something they teach in school, but is something that influences my work, so that’s something I’m trying to teach here,” Fields said. “To work freely, to work spiritually, to listen to the music and compose their own painting based on the music they hear, throwing away everything they know and painting from the heart.”

Fields completed a painting alongside the students, and the works will be exhibited and offered for sale at the symphony concert in May. “No one can force you to see yourself as smart, capable, talented or wise,” said UAFS Graphic Design major Heli Mistry. “But working with Yatika has helped us realize that we all have unique positive traits within ourselves and that through focus we can build our artistic confidence up to consider ourselves masters of our craft. He’s inspired us to find ourselves through a brush and the freedom to paint solely from the heart.”

Fields is an experienced muralist and gallery artist with a focus on graffiti aesthetics, surrealism, and landscape painting. He was trained at the Art Institute of Boston, has worked across the country from New York City to Seattle, and currently lives and works in Tulsa in conjunction with the Tulsa Artist Fellowship.

Study Abroad IN PERSON

COURTESY

Chile Trip Opens Students’ Eyes Four UAFS students spent their fall semester immersed in Spanish language and Chilean culture as part of their study abroad requirement for their degrees in Spanish.

Spanish majors Miraya Marciano of Alma and Jordan Pomeroy of Ozark studied at the Universidad de Santiago de Chile in Santiago, taking courses in international relations, government, and history, as part of their studies in the Spanish program at UAFS. They both graduated in December 2018. Spanish majors Makayla Newby of Alma and Catherine González of Van Buren studied at the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa Maria, also in Santiago, Chile.

Marciano, whose mother is Colombian, had always wanted to travel to South America to see the landscape and culture firsthand.

“It’s definitely taught me how to acclimate to another culture fast and to appreciate my own culture in the U.S.,” Marciano said. “You meet a lot of people from different backgrounds and see their different lifestyles and work ethics.”

In their courses, Marciano and Pomeroy learned about how the United States interacts with Latin American governments and how those interactions affect citizens of both nations.

With aspirations to work in international relations or civil services in a Latin American country, they found the experience to be valuable preparation for their career goals.

“It also made me realize

what we have that other countries don’t,” Marciano continued. “Regardless of our politics, our government is much more structured and stable than those of many other countries.”

González, a junior Spanish major, gained a new appreciation for the value of friendships in acclimating to her international study. “I had friends and

to appreciate the things and people she’d taken for granted, and learned that things are not always as they seem. She also learned that “being quick to judge may not be the best idea when faced with a new challenge.”

Dr. Mary Sobhani, head of the World Languages Department, said Chile is a fitting loca-

hearing in their own backyards.

At the same time, they discover unexpected similarities,” Sobhani said. “Besides honing their cultural intelligence regarding Chile itself, our students also acquire new perspectives on the role the U.S. has played globally.

That’s very valuable.”

Sobhani added the experience helps students form a “world-embracing vision.”

“We want our students to understand that the earth is really just one homeland and ev-

It’s definitely taught me how to acclimate to another culture fast and to appreciate my own culture in the U.S. – Miraya Marciano, student

SPANISH MAJORS: Miraya Marciano, from left, Jordan Pomeroy, Makayla Newby, and, in the front, Catherine Gonzalez studied in Chile in 2018.

made great friends,” she said.

“They believed in me, and I believed in them.”

González further notes that her semester abroad taught her to have greater flexibility when the unexpected happened: “Studying abroad in Chile has changed me. I no longer plan ahead with hopes of everything going exactly right, because honestly speaking, it never does!”

Newby said she learned

tion for students who wish to expand their academic horizons with a semester overseas.

“Historically, due in part to Chile’s geographic location at the very tip of Southern Hemisphere, U.S. cultural influence isn’t as great as it is with, say, Mexico or Central America.

With this study-abroad opportunity, our students gain an understanding of viewpoints that can be remarkably different from what they’ve grown up

ery person on this planet is a citizen of this homeland,” Sobhani said. “That’s where study abroad comes in. It’s all about having a broader context of the world. It’s a priceless experience.”

Pomeroy echoed that, saying, “While studying in Chile, there was a new challenge around every corner, and I gained a variety of skills. I was impressed by the coexistence of so many cultures and ethnicities. My time in the university inspired me to expand my knowledge of the world and helped me understand the depth of how entwined we are as a society on a global scale.”

SPRING | SUMMER 2019 THE BELL TOWER 15

ATHLETICS Lady Lions Hoopster Looks Ahead SUPERSTAR: Ellie Lehne, number 34, said basketball taught her not to be afraid of making mistakes.

ethic, how to hold myself accountable, how to be self-disciplined. All of the above.”

Lehne started playing college basketball at Wichita State University in Kansas, where she was an exercise science major. Basketball prompted her to move to UAFS, where she played for two full seasons.

“I wanted to have more

season suggests she achieved that goal. Lehne and senior guard Mariah Green both were named Honorable Mention AllHeartland Conference for the 2018-2019 season.

Lehne averaged 11.2 points and four rebounds per game for the Lady Lions; she shot 45 percent from the field, 24 percent from 3-point range, and 73 percent from the free-throw line. She led the team in scoring and was fourth in rebounding; she was 11th in the conference in scoring and 25th in rebounding.

UAFS coach Tari Cummings is Lehne’s third college-level coach; Lehne started her time at

UAFS playing for women’s coach Elena Lovato who resigned to go to Mississippi State last year.

Lehne found Cummings to be tough, with high expectations.

“She doesn’t settle for anything but your best. And she will pull it – she will force it out of you. She will get it out of you by any means possible.

She definitely has a passion for the game.”

But Lehne’s life isn’t all about basketball. She’s been working in the CAST dean’s office since August, and she loves it.

“You wouldn’t expect it, but I get to meet so many more people than just going to class and practice every day,” she said. “I go to different events, help out in different ways on campus, and get to know the university better.”

The affection is mutual. Danielle Jolie, director of academic support for CAST, smiles when she calls Lehne “our beloved Ellie.” She added, “She’s so good, none of us wants her to graduate! She’s wonderful.”

With graduation at hand, Lehne is ready for the next part of her life. In January, she will take what basketball has taught her and her degree in Organizational Leadership and her minor in biology and head to Port

FOLLOW THE LIONS ON FACEBOOK: TeamUAFS | UAFS Lions Athletics | UAFS Cheer | UAFS Women’s Basketball | UAFS Men’s Basketball

16 THE BELL TOWER SPRING | SUMMER 2019

CAROLANN STURGIS

Ask Ellie Lehne what she’s learned from playing basketball, and she doesn’t hesitate.

“Everything,” she said. “I am a product of basketball.”

The Lady Lions forward explained she’s been playing basketball since before the first grade.

“It taught me time management, self-confidence, a work

playing time,” she said. “I didn’t want to go to a D1 school, play minimal minutes, and just ride along. I wanted to go to a program where I felt like I could make a difference, whether it was with scoring or as a leader or both.”

Her recently concluded

Lion Pride IN PERSON

Orange, Fla., to enter Palmer College of Chiropractic.

Becoming a chiropractor has been in her mind since a basketball injury in elementary school.

Visits to a chiropractor helped her recover, and she was fascinated by the process from X-ray to recovery plan to treatment.

Palmer has a campus in Davenport, Iowa, just 40 minutes from her Byron, Ill., home, but Lehne thinks the Florida campus is looking better.

Still, she’s heading home to recharge herself before starting back to school.

“I haven’t had a holiday season in four years,” she said. “I want to get my first Thanksgiving at Grandma’s in four years.”

Spring Sports Take Fans Outdoors Fall and winter, even very mild falls and winters, are dominated by volleyball and basketball at the UAFS campus.

Then, as winter retreats and the Bartlett pear trees bud, then flower, then leaf out, outdoor spring sports take over the landscape. Men’s and women’s tennis, women’s and men’s golf, and the solid, thwacking slaps of baseball lay claim to the landscape.

The campus loves volleyball and basketball, but it really loves the sports that make spectators check the SPF in the sunblock.

Batter UP! SPRING’S HERE (clockwise from upper left): Claire Rose Latta, Daniel Borrero, Bianca Koen, Wian Van Dyk, Javon Rigsby, and Dylan Hurt.

ALUMNI LEGACY NAME

SCHOLARSHIP Support future Lions with a gift or a memorial in honor of a loved one to the Alumni Legacy Scholarship.

NAME

uafsalumni.com/scholarship For more information, contact Rick Goins, Director of Alumni Affairs, 479-788-7026.

NAME

NAME

DYLAN LENIHAN

+ MEGAN MCGEE

> RACHEL RODEMANN PUTMAN

INTERN Dylan Lenihan and Megan McGee are so close to graduation that they could be counting the hours. Instead, both UAFS students are spending their final semesters with students a great deal younger than themselves.

Lenihan, a biology major with secondary teaching licensure, spends his days as a student intern in Charleston High School teaching 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. He says he loves interacting with the students and learning tips from his mentor teacher Ms. Marsha Ross. An international student from Ireland, Lenihan hopes to be able to remain in the U.S. as a biology teacher and basketball coach. He loves western Arkansas, but he is willing to go where the job is.

Megan McGee is happy in her third-grade class at Tate Elementary at Van Buren. McGee already has a bachelor’s degree in composition and rhetoric, but the time she spent doing children’s programming as part of her job at the Alma Public Library convinced her that teaching just might be right for her. She loves the way her mentor teacher, Mrs. Susan Kelley, keeps the students engaged, working hard, and having fun.

=

SOLUTION

>

+

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THE

SPRING | SUMMER 2019 THE BELL TOWER 19

Soaring Higher In its mission to prepare students for success in a changing world, UAFS offers programs to keep them on track to graduation and fulďŹ lling careers.

20 THE BELL TOWER SPRING | SUMMER 2019

S

eeking new students for new programs is one way to meet the university’s mission of preparing students for success on a global scale while enhancing economic development in the greater Fort Smith region.

So the 2018-2019 academic year saw Interim Chancellor Edward Serna, the Office of Strategic Initiatives, and the university’s senior staff turn their talents and attention to expanding the student population with new targeted programs.

Perhaps the most exciting new effort, certainly the one that has provoked the biggest response, is the Adult Degree Completion Program, which is designed to meet the needs of today’s nontraditional students who may face the scheduling challenges that come with working full time and raising a family. The program will offer conveniently scheduled online and LOOKING UP: Programs like the new unmanned aerial systems degree will bring new students to UAFS.

SPRING | SUMMER 2019 THE BELL TOWER 21

By unceasingly driving innovation, we can be confident that our students are prepared not just to compete, but to succeed wherever their degree takes them.

—Dr. Edward Serna evening classes, the opportunity to transfer previously earned credits, and a chance to earn credit for work experiences. The innovative program offers mean more people can achieve the bachelor’s degrees that will support their career plans and advance the

Military Partnerships

22 THE BELL TOWER SPRING | SUMMER 2019

RACHEL RODEMANN PUTMAN

Another innovative new program, the Associate of Applied Science degree in unmanned aerial systems (UAS), is the first of its kind in the state, incorporating coursework in unmanned aerial vehicle operations, maintenance, regulations, data collection, and data analytics to prepare students to use the technology across a variety of industries. The UAS program is also nationally competitive in both the complexity of the training and the unique partnerships with area utility companies, the Arkansas Army National Guard based at Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center, and the Arkansas Air National Guard’s 188th Wing based at Ebbing Air National Guard Base.

“We know this technology is going to make an enormous economic impact in our state,” Serna said. “Studies show Arkansas alone will see upwards of $500 million in economic impact from UAS technology in the next 10 years, and we want to offer UAFS students a degree that prepares them to capitalize on that figure the moment they graduate.”

National studies by the AsNEW STUDENTS: Traditional and nontraditional students, parents, people with full-time jobs, military members and sociation for Unmanned Vehicle veterans are all part of the plan to increase enrollment.

Systems International estimate that the United States could see economic development of the greater Fort 100,000 new jobs in unmanned systems Smith region. by the year 2025 and project an $82 billion This program directly addresses the uninational economic value. versity’s commitment to providing what the The UAS program is veteran-friendly and community needs, Serna said. will be part of an initiative to provide useful “This program speaks to our dedication and convenient degree programs to activeto being responsive to the needs of our comduty military, National Guard and Reserve munity,” he said. “We know the struggles service members, and veterans within returning college students face, and we want Arkansas and across the country. to be intentional in meeting their needs and Fast-Track Degrees developing optimum learning environments UAFS is also offering an accelerated track to help ensure their success.”

to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree to meet the needs of the community and nation, both facing a critical nursing shortage. Students who have earned bachelor’s degrees in other fields can earn a BSN degree in just 15 months, speeding their pathway to a new career.

UAFS is also stepping up its completer degree program, to enable students who have earned associate degrees to seamlessly begin their pursuit of four-year degrees in a way that is convenient to them, including online, on-campus, and hybrid program options.

Through the fully online option, graduates of community colleges across the nation can now earn bachelor’s degrees from UAFS without stepping foot on the campus.

The Associate-to-Bachelor’s program will recruit students interested in highdemand fields like criminal justice, nursing, business administration, organizational

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The university will recruit students for high-demand careers.

leadership, and applied science to meet the needs of Fort Smith employers and Arkansas businesses.

“Our university plays a significant role in the development of thought leadership in this region,” Serna said. “Our faculty are experts in their fields, and the impact their expertise makes in service to this region

cannot be understated. The core mission of UAFS and the reason we’re all here is to educate our students in preparation for careers and lives in a global world. By unceasingly driving innovation, we can be confident that our students are prepared not just to compete, but to succeed wherever their degree takes them.”

giving may be easier than you think.

There are ways you can support the university today while still providing for your family and preserving your assets for retirement.

Office of Planned Giving

For more information on how to create a lasting legacy, please visit uafslegacy.org or contact us at 479-788-7033.

Request your free guide to planning your will and trust.

SPRING | SUMMER 2018 THE BELL TOWER 25

Looking at the jobs of the future puts many students in the College of Science, Technology, Dean Ron Darbeau says the College of STEM is ready for them.

24 THE BELL TOWER SPRING | SUMMER 2019

BRAIN

POWER W

DRAFTER123 / ISTOCK

Engineering, and Mathematics.

hen asked his goal for the College of STEM, Dr. Ron Darbeau starts close to home.

“When I send one of my kids to college, I expect that they will be taught by dedicated, caring professionals, be exposed to modern pedagogies, and that they will be trained in a fashion that is rich and robust so, when they graduate, they can compete in the global economy. And I fundamentally believe that if my wife and I want that for our kids, other parents should have the same expectation when their kids come to UAFS,” said Darbeau who is dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics and the School of Education at UAFS. “They deserve no less.”

Enhancing “infrastructure” is necessary, Darbeau said. So in the past three years, the College of STEM has acquired almost $750,000 worth of state-of-the-art, industry-standard instrumentation to give students the exposure and experience they need to compete for and in today’s careers.

Updated facilities in the Math-Science building incorporate an X-ray diffractometer, a fluorescence microscope, mass, optical atomic, and optical molecular spectrometers, a flow cytometer, as well as an electrochemistry suite.

The college has updated communications and teaching equipment too. For example, an anatomy and physiology lab boasts two large, high-definition televisions, and Dr. Sandhya Baviskar, associate professor of biology, uses iPad in almost all of her teaching.

Baviskar employs an anatomy app to teach the skeletal system. She can isolate the areas she wants to explore on her iPad, and the students can easily watch it on one of the

SPRING | SUMMER 2019 2018 THE BELL TOWER 25

It is no longer a question of content but of context. Our students do not need us to fill them up with content. We need to help them learn what to do with the content. What our students learn today is different and

HOW THEY LEARN TODAY IS DIFFERENT.

TVs from any vantage point in the lab. During dissections, instead of having students crowded around a single site, Baviskar moves between stations and shares activities at one table with the rest of the class. She can draw on her tablet and project that to students.

She even gives pop quizzes and exams with the technology.

“This has made my life and my students’ lives easy,” Baviskar said. “It is not hard to master.”

As part of the Lion Launch Pad program, beginning fall 2019, STEM freshmen will be issued an iPad when they start their course work, paying to lease the tablet as part of their fees. The iPad will be preloaded with the apps needed for STEM courses.

recognized as a valuable teaching tool, and it is also incumbent upon us to improve our research footprint in the region,” Darbeau said.

Departments are hiring more researchoriented faculty. Darbeau is committed to providing the resources faculty need as they pursue research-rich agendas. With the recent additions of research-minded faculty like Fakayode, Dr. Archana Mishra (chemistry), James Brandli and Dr. Jeff Shaver (biological sciences), Dr. Maurice Testa (geosciences), and Dr. Brian McLaughlan and Andrew Mackey (Computer and

RESEARCH

Darbeau says the college is also making great gains on its research agenda, and he praises his department heads, John Hightower and Drs. Sayo Fakayode, Linus Yu, and Monica Riley for their vision and dedication to this effort and to faculty for embracing it.

“We have excellent instructors, but there are skill sets which students can only acquire through open-ended research,” he said.

Even though UAFS is and always will be a primarily teaching institution, “research is

We need to leverage the power of that knowledge to spark

INNOVATION. – Dr. Ron Darbeau

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY RACHEL RODEMANN PUTMAN

GEOSCIENCE: Students display a model of the crystalline structure of a mineral.

26 THE BELL TOWER SPRING | SUMMER 2019

SCIENCE LAB: Chloe Norton hard at work.

Information Sciences) to the faculty, STEM has experienced an uptick in grantsmanship and research activity to capitalize upon the legacy of established scholars like Drs. Ragupathy Kannan and Thomas Buchannan (biology). The college now enjoys research collaborations with ARCOM, other state institutions, and INBRE, a National Institute of Health initiative focused on biomedical research.

To encourage undergraduate research, the college provides support for students to attend professional conferences, present their findings, and network with professionals in their prospective fields. Three geoscience students, for example, presented papers at the Geological Society of America Regional

MULTIPLE CHOICE: Aaron Tomlin, from left, Samantha Pham, and Sara Wilkinson work in the greehouse.

Students may major or minor in biology or seek secondary teacher licensure.

Meeting in Manhattan, Kan., this spring.

The college hosts a STEM Seminar Series which brings in speakers from the community, the state, and from across the nation to discuss topics of interest and interact with UAFS students and faculty members.

Outreach to K-12 is also a primary focus of the college, and several novel programs are in development.

CODING

Darbeau would like all STEM majors to have at least one semester in computer program-

ENGINEERING: Students earn an A.S. degree from UAFS then complete a B.S. from UA while in residence at UAFS.

ming because “programming has become as important a language as English, and all STEM majors need to have fluency in this language.” A mandatory course will teach Apple’s Swift coding.

The college is proud of the accomplishments of STEM students. Fourteen of 19 graduates who applied to professional schools, like medical, dental, and optometry schools, have been accepted this year. UAFS grads hold two of the three spots Louisiana State University reserves for Arkansas residents in its veterinary school. Last fall, a freshman chemistry major won the Best Poster Award at the Southwest Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society. And a May 2019 biology graduate has received the prestigious Doctoral Academy Fellowship at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

These achievements are not “accidental,” Darbeau said. “They are illustrations of the quality of the programs and the caring dedication of the faculty members.”

“Our goal is for UAFS to be the regional destination for a high-quality, affordable STEM degree. We want aspirational students to gravitate to us because of the demonstrated quality of our programs and the success of our undergraduates.

We want this to be a place that attracts and retains great diverse faculty who can thrive and succeed.”

SPRING | SUMMER 2018 2019 THE BELL TOWER 25 27

ALUMNI

ting page proofs and seeing the

REQUIRED READING

watercolor illustrations. She and

New Book Introduces Little Lions

Goins had chosen an illustrator, Terri Kelleher, recommended by the publisher, and they sent her photos

Little Lions will be practicing the

of the campus. The results were

alphabet and learning new words

beyond Witherington’s expecta-

when they get their hands on “N

tions.

is for Numa,” a new hardback chil-

“I love the illustrations,” she

dren’s book expected to top UAFS

said. The arboretum page, which

alumni book charts.

demonstrates the university’s status as a Tree Campus USA, is one

“N is for Numa” is the brain-

of her favorites.

child of Dr. Laura Witherington, associate professor of English, and

B is for the Bell Tower, one of the most recognizable landmarks in Fort Smith.

Rick Goins, director of the Alumni Association.

“We hope that, with this book, we can continue to connect future generations of Lions with the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith,” said Goins, who added, “We had a

Speaking of the A is for Arbo-

lot of fun.”

retum page, if you think arbore-

Witherington explained the idea was born about five years

tum is a pretty advanced word for

ago when she and her husband

a children’s picture book, that’s

were attending homecoming at

OK, said Witherington. Children’s

his alma mater, the U.S. Military

lit should challenge young learn-

Academy at West Point.

ers and give them a chance to build their vocabularies.

“All the alumni were in the

Is this Numa’s last foray into

bookstore looking for things that reminded them of their time

publishing? Maybe not, said

there,” she said. The most adorable

Witherington. She imagines future

reminder was an alphabet picture

books in which Numa might ap-

book that featured the Army’s

pear as a new student on campus,

longtime mascot – the Mule.

“I just got to thinking, and I wanted to do something like it for UAFS,” she said.

Witherington said she wasn’t

EARLY LEARNING: Dr. Laura Witherington wanted to create a picture book for young readers about UAFS, and this year that book was released. “N is for Numa” introduces readers to places and themes that will strike a nostalgic chord with alumni and give them a chance to help their Little Lions feel at home on campus.

learning the ropes. Wherever Numa goes from here, there’s one thing we know he’ll be doing: helping connect Little Lions to campus.

“I hope we sell out of the

looking to make money for herself;

the text for the book as “super

wanted to do, Goins and With-

books in six months,” Withering-

she wanted to make the project

fun” and a nice change from the

erington turned to students for

ton said. “I hope this will introduce

work for the university. So she

scholarly writing she usually does.

some help determining what things

children to UAFS, and they will

reached out to Goins, who said

But it wasn’t all about the fun. She

unique to UAFS should be part of

grow up thinking about this as a

he is always looking for ways to

thought about ways to use the

the book. Tony Jones, ’16, Annsley

destination campus.”

raise money for the Alumni Legacy

book in literacy efforts. She wants

Garner, ’15, and Nawar Hudefi, ’15,

Scholarships Endowment.

to share the book in elementary

helped determine things like R is

school classrooms, inviting young-

for Registered Student Organiza-

Association would pay to have the

er students to color pages based

tions, and Q is for Quiet Hours that

book published with profits going

on the book and older students to

aren’t always so quiet.

to the scholarship endowment.

create their own alphabet books.

Goins agreed that the Alumni

Witherington described writing

After sketching out what they

28 THE BELL TOWER SPRING | SUMMER 2019

One of her favorite moments, Witherington said, was get-

“N is for Numa” is published by Mascot Books of Herndon, Va. It costs $14.95 and is available at alumni events. To order online, please visit giving.uafs.edu/ numabooks1

News & Notes ALUMNI

Drop Us a Line

at Tyson Foods.

from UAMS

December 2018.

Kevin Farrell, ’06, is assistant

College of

Megan Nichols, ’15, a commercial

Please take a moment to tell

activities manager at Highgate

Medicine in

loan officer at Bancorp South,

us and your former classmates

Pocono Manor Resort & Spa near

May 2019 and

will serve as president-elect of

what’s been going on since you

Scranton, Pa.

plans to start

left UAFS, Westark, or Fort Smith

Brock Schulte, ’08, is senior

her residency

Junior College. Tell us about your

manager, Champion Events –

in vascular

job, your family, your hobbies,

Flow Performance at the Walmart

surgery in

your adventures, your plans —

home office.

whatever you want to share with

Zach Ledford, ’05, is president of

Lucas Alexander, ’15, is second

other alumni.

First Security Bank in Fort Smith.

chair trombone with the

July 2019.

Feel free to include a photo (high-

Littleton, Colo., Symphony and

the Junior League of Fort Smith

res, please). Then make sure we

the marketing and audience

for 2019-2020 and president for

have your full name (if your name

development director for the

2020-2021.

has changed, include the name

Denver Brass.

RC Sims, ’17, moved from staff

you used when you were here)

Emily Pearce Kanze, ’13, has

accounting to the internal audit

and the year you graduated or

completed her B.S. in nursing

department at First National

attended classes. Email your class

at Texas Women’s University

Bank in December.

note to alumni@uafs.edu

at Dallas and has accepted a

Allison Heppner Kyrouac, ’16,

or mail to Alumni Affairs, UAFS,

Amy Carter, ’09, and Brock

position as a NICU nurse at

is marketing coordinator for the

P.O. Box 3649, Fort Smith, AR

Wilson, ’10, welcomed twins

Medical City Children’s Hospital

Arkansas College of Osteopathic

72913.

Brady Joyce and Tucker James

in Dallas.

Medicine.

on Jan. 16, 2019. Brock is an OB/

Josh Anderson, ’17, is a computer

Asher Parvu, ’18, is working on

GYN for Mercy. Amy will graduate

programmer and tech support

his master’s degree in public

Sharon Glass Daniels, ’78, who

from the University of Oklahoma

personnel at SSW Holding

health at the University of

graduated from Van Buren High

at Tulsa in June and will start at

Company.

Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

School was honored by the high

Mercy as a hospitalist.

Angie Littleton, ’13, owns

He anticipates graduating in

school for her outstanding civic

Robert Childers, ’08, started

Wasted Repurpose Marketplace

December 2019.

achievements on Nov. 1, 2018.

a new position as the complex

in Fort Smith. She recently

William Ricks, ’11, is assistant vice

She and other honorees were

human resources manager at OK

received her real estate license

president at First National Bank

also recognized at a Van Buren

Foods.

and is an agent with O’Neal

of Fort Smith.

1970s

Pointers football game.

Maddie Gilliam

Real Estate in Fort Smith.

2010s

Stephany Ramsey,

Stojanovic, ’18, is a

Annsley Garner, ’15,

’18, married Donny

community relations

Rham Cunningham, ’01, creator

will graduate from

Dobbins on Nov. 17,

officer at First

of Things to Do in Fort Smith and

UAMS College of

2018.

alter ego Dawson Meadows, is

Medicine in May 2019

Allyson Peek, ’15,

Smith. She and Dusan Stojanovic,

and plans to start

2000s

National Bank of Fort

and Kory Reed, ’16,

’16, were married on Dec. 1, 2018.

94.1.

her residency in anesthesiology

were married Dec. 1,

Zac Maestri, ’16, is a commercial

Alesha Brake Nielsen, ’04, is

in July 2019. She is the vice

2018, and are living

banker at First National Bank of

living in Shenyang, China, with

president of the UAMS Class of

in Columbia, S.C.

Fort Smith.

her husband Dane Nielsen, who is

2019.

Allyson works from

Candice Fallowwell, ’16, is

in the Foreign Service, and their

Jasmine, ’14, and Phillip, ’16,

home as regional manager of

working toward a master’s

twin daughters who are 4. She is

Smith welcomed their first

retail sales. Kory is a material

degree in Sports Medicine online

pursuing a master’s degree online

daughter Hattie on Oct. 14, 2018.

project specialist for Trane.

at Texas A&M.

in teaching English as a Second

Chris Howard, ’15, graduated

Taylor Gilbreth, ’15, teaches

Bradley Andrews, ’14, a business

Language through Georgia State

from the law school at Southern

social studies at Fort Smith

development manager at Weldon

University.

Methodist University in Dallas

Future School and graduated

Williams & Lick, has been named

Hannah Osborne, ’08, has been

where he now practices

with a master’s degree in

a member of the Pi Kappa Phi

promoted to manager of IT

corporate law.

teaching from Southern

Fraternity 2018 30 under 30 by

applications, HR, payroll & time,

Nawar Hudefi, ’15, will graduate

Arkansas University in

his peers in recognition of his

the morning show host for Rock

SPRING | SUMMER 2019 THE BELL TOWER 29

ALUMNI News & Notes

AND THE WINNERS ARE

Diligence to Victory Award

Awards Bring Alumni to Reunion

The highest alumni honor

N

recognizes alumni who have

bestowed by UAFS, the award

early 100 alumni attended the Alumni Reunion Dinner on the Saturday of UAFS Homecoming Week 2019. If the party was a little less raucous than the previous night’s Cub Camp Leader Reunion, that was to be expected in the relatively more formal setting of the Reynolds Room.

Although there was plenty of time for reminiscing and visiting at the Saturday event, the main event of the evening was the awarding of the Lucille Speakman Legacy Endowment for a faculty member and three alumni awards.

Young Alumni Award

distinguished themselves

Presented to an alumna or

through service to the university,

alumnus who is younger than

their community, state or nation,

40 when nominated, the award

or whose outstanding leadership

recognizes those who have

in their business or profession

distinguished themselves through

exemplifies the motto of the

service to the university, their

1928 graduating class: Through

community, state, or nations and

Diligence to Victory.

Lucille Speakman Legacy

Honorary Alumni Award

Endowment Award

Given for the first time this year,

Awarded to a faculty member

the award recognizes individuals

to enhance classroom teaching,

who have demonstrated their

the award is named in honor of a

support of the university through

beloved instructor remembered

service and/or monetary gifts.

Mr. Casey Millspaugh, ’11, has supported the university through personal donations and fundraising efforts, and he is a frequent visitor on campus offering his time to help students in the College of Business and the Babb Center for Student Professional Development. It was the story of his relationship with Bill Hanna that helped inspire the Mentor Connections Program at UAFS, and he remains an active member. He is a UPS account executive, founder of Fort Smith Popcorn, and chairman of the Fort Smith Parks Commission, and he is involved in other community projects.

for her creative and passionate teaching style.

Dr. Lindsy Lawrence, associate professor of English, intends to travel to England to advance her study of women poets of the Victorian era through periodical archives.

She hopes to present a paper about her work to the annual Research Society for Victorian Periodicals Conference.

Mr. Bill Hanna, president, CEO, and chairman of the board of Hanna Oil and Gas, is a member of the UAFS Foundation Board; a founder, active participant, and strong supporter of the Family Enterprise Center; and a member of the G.C. Hardin Society. He was co-chair of the last capital campaign, and he is working to help build financial support for our new geoscience degree.

are strong leaders in their careers.

Judge Jim Spears, ’66, who served as 12th Circuit Judge from 1993 to 2016, said that volunteering is his real passion.

He has received the Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award, the Lawyer-Citizen Award from the Arkansas Bar Association, the Jack White Leadership Award, the community service award of the Arkansas Judicial Council; and the Jaycees’ Grady Secrest Humanitarian Award.

He led the push for the statue of Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves. He is working on the construction of Gateway Park with a statue of Judge Isaac Parker. And for 12 years he has been a tireless supporter of the U.S. Marshals Museum on the Fort Smith riverfront.

Network, leading the professional

analyst at Raymond James.

Kenny Whitehead, ’16, is senior

Brooke Slaton, ’17,

development committee.

Daysi Rosales, ’17, was promoted

accountant at Landmark CPAs.

is a market support

Karen Barrera-Leon, ’15, is an

to customer experience lead

Mac Leichner, ’16, is an account

specialist at ArcBest.

employee development leader

processor at ArcBest.

manager at Apex Systems.

Lillian Howerton, ’15,

with the HR talent management

Elizabeth McCorkle, ’15, is

Curtis Adams III, ’14, is a contract

works as a medical

department at ArcBest.

liability resolution administrator

web developer at Austin Devs

technologist at Mercy Hospital in

Cassie Crowder, ’17, is

at ArcBest.

LLC.

Ozark.

administrative assistant

Zachery Vann, ’16, is manager

Siedra Tidwell, ’16, is an

Alex Gravell, ’13, is senior

supporting CEO and co-founder

of accounts receivable at special

assurance senior at Moss Adams.

change manager for Best Buy

of Local Theory at Walmart.

projects at ArcBest.

Mayra Esquivel, ’16, is assistant

in Minneapolis, Minn. Alex also

Astrid Luu-Morales, ’14, was

Erin Kelley, ’18, is a family service

director at Catholic Charities of

serves on the board of the

promoted to anti-money

worker at the Department of

Arkansas – NWA.

Minnesota Change Management

laundering and financial crimes

Child and Family Services.

James Crum, ’18, is a safety

impact, leadership, and service.

30 THE BELL TOWER SPRING | SUMMER 2019

News & Notes ALUMNI

Lawrence

LOOKING BACK

Alumna Flynn Remembers Westark

G

raduating from Westark in 1979, it’s a little difficult to remember what happened. I took three

years to finish what I had started (it was always a dream of mine to attend college). The problem was my husband Pat and I were the owners of Ozark Hanna

Quilts and Things up in Winslow on the old highway, US 71. I made all the pillows – more than 60 a year.

Pat cruised all the houses out in the boonies and bought the homemade quilts the ladies made. We had quite a little shop.

Eventually, the quilts were running out, so we closed shop and moved to Fort Smith. We had originally moved to Arkansas from Kansas City, Mo., where I met Pat. I had been born in Agate, Colo. My dad, Blon Chapman, was from Missouri, but moved to

Millspaugh

Colorado during the Depression. He met my mother Mabel, and they were married. They had my sisters, Barb and Betty, then brother Ray, and I came later.

Gov. Bill Clinton, Claudia Rogers, Claire Flynn, and Hillary Clinton seen in the Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock on Sept. 23, 1991.

When the Dust Bowl days came, we all left in daddy’s

an English class for Vietnamese refugees at Fort

truck and moved to Milford, Mo., where he had been

Chaffee.

Finally, I visited patients as a volunteer for

born. I loved Missouri and went to school in Lamar

Spears

and Neosho. Back to Colorado, where my dad went

Peachtree Hospice. I really enjoyed that. Now I am

in the Air Force, then to California to join my sisters,

more or less stuck at home. I gave my car to my

then to Missouri. Pat and I had four boys, two born in

grandson Cody in Little Rock. I have always kept busy

Kansas City and two born in Topeka, Kan. Steve, Terry,

writing. I have stories (such as the story of Bonnie and

Mickey, and Chris. After moving several times, back in

Clyde in Arkansas) that were published in Western

Arkansas Pat and I divorced.

magazines and others.

I really enjoyed my time at Westark. The most

I was an administrator at Peachtree Village, then director at Inter-Faith Community Center. We finished

interesting event was when we met Bill and Hillary

the last few weeks at a church after a tornado almost

Clinton in Little Rock.

destroyed our school. I tutored students, some barely

Thank you, Westark!

speaking English, with Maxine Bell. Also, I took over

CLAIRE FLYNN, ’79

pharmacologist at Charles River

Feb. 2, 2019.

counseling program at NSU at

Wade James, ’15, is starting his

Laboratories in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Zach Gramlich, ’15,

Broken Arrow.

third season as a park ranger for

Hunter Cabe, ’13, is strategic

was named Teacher

Alexander Havro, ’17, started

the Army Corps of Engineers.

sourcing manager at OK Foods.

of the Month in

a new position as a business

Albert Spanel, ’18, started a new

He and Hannah Meadows, ’13,

February at Darby Junior High

development manager at

position as AFATDS MCST trainer

announced their engagement on

School where he teaches eighth

Worldwide Ticketcraft.

at Valiant Services.

Aug. 28, 2018.

grade regular and AP science.

Daniel Laws, ’18, started a

Nicole Pickett, ’11, started a new

Stephani Nhouimanh, ’13, has

Brooke Slaton, ’17, and Connor

new position as transportation

position as treasurer at Explore

been promoted to assistant

Lewis Devine, who will graduate in

assistant at Healthcare System of

Pipeline.

branch manager for the Kelly

December 2019, announced their

the Ozarks.

Peter Phatthong, ’11, started

Highway branch of Arvest.

engagement on Feb. 17, 2019.

Spenser Meares, ‘16, started a

a new position as information

Kaci Singer, ’12, announced her

Katina Goff, ’18, has been

new position as associate client

security engineer at CynergisTek.

engagement to Jake Collins on

accepted into the master’s

manager at Nielsen.

SPRING | SUMMER 2019 THE BELL TOWER 31

ALUMNI News and Notes

ALUMNI NEWS

UAFS grad uses art to express humanity

ARTISTRY: Cathy Mason, ’11, shares a book she illustrated with children at Bookish, which is owned by Jennifer Battles, ’96, and Sara Putman.

Cathy Mason, ’11, has been creat-

32 THE BELL TOWER SPRING | SUMMER 2019

a week the two had signed a contract, and Mason started working on illustrations for “Poppa’s Very Special Sunflower.”

Mason also illustrated “Henry’s Search Begins” for Amanda Heim of Fort Smith.

And she wrote and illustrated “The Penguin, the Dolphin and the Pelican.”

“To take manuscripts and create a story through visual art brought me so much enjoyment and drove me hard to complete the work at hand,” Mason said, describing her process. “(I) was often (working through) midnights, long afternoons and days without rest. … It is exhausting when I am in the flow of working on both writing and illustrating at the same time, as they go hand

RACHEL RODEMANN PUTMAN

ing art since she was 5 years old, and she doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon.

Mason, who graduated from the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith with degrees in psychology and studio art, was in Fort Smith last fall to sign copies of children’s books she illustrated and one she wrote and illustrated. This fall, she will have an art show at the SmithPendergraft Campus Center.

With the encouragement of a middle school art teacher and her parents, who gave her her first set of paints in seventh grade, and a fondness for Norman Rockwell, Mason happily developed artistic techniques and styles on her own. In 2004

she had a successful exhibition of 13 paintings of barns in Crawford County at the Center for Art and Education in Van Buren.

But when she was challenged at the exhibition to say where she studied art, she knew she needed some formal training.

She enrolled at UAFS as a psychology major with a minor in art. But, just when she was about to graduate, the university launched a studio art major, so she put off graduation long enough to complete a second bachelor’s degree.

Along the way, Mason attended a writer’s conference, where she met a children’s book writer Linda Apple from Fayetteville. Apple asked Mason to illustrate her book, and within

in hand with turning a manuscript into visual art.”

Mason said she is glad for the opportunity to work as a teaching artist through the Arkansas Arts Council with the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum, the Center for Art and Education, BOST and the Reynolds Cancer Support House.

“I am grateful that I have the ability to help them express what they dream,” she said.

Mason credits many of her professors with helping her develop her skills: English professor Dr. Cammie Sublette; assistant professor of English Dr. Carol Westcamp; humanities professor Dr. Steven Husarik; psychology instructor Dr. Janet Sanders; assistant professor of art Peter Collum; and Dr. Henry Rinne, former dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

“Without all these valued professors who lifted me up when I was about to give up, I would not have had the strength to fight to make it through my double major.”

Mason will be able to show her gratitude to her alma mater later this year when she has an art show in the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center.

Although the path she has traveled in pursuit of “doing what makes my heart beat” has sometimes been roundabout, she thinks all her experiences help her to portray humanity.

“I hope (I) express more clearly what other people experience through both their trials and accomplishments,” she said.

It’s not the amount of your gift that’s important – it’s the

power of giving.

“Without the awards and grants made possible by generous donors, I wouldn’t be able to complete all the required courses for my degree. In a remarkable way, the scholarships have paved a way for me to advance myself and made higher education an attainable goal.”

– Phuc “Peter” Phan

Office of Annual Giving

To make a gift online: giving.uafs.edu

The Bell Tower A publication of the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith

UAFS Alumni Association P.O. Box 3649 Fort Smith, AR 72913

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 479 FORT SMITH, ARK

MIXED MEDIA

RACHEL RODEMANN PUTMAN

ALL THE FEELS: Working with renowned artist Yatika Fields, art students created visual art in response to music written in response to visual art. The opportunity was the result of UAFS’s partnership with the Fort Smith Symphony, The Unexpected, and 64.6 Downtown.