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Spring 2019 For members of the Arkansas Alumni Association Inc. For members of the Arkansas Alumni Association Inc.
Spring 2019 Vol. 68, No. 3
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S inger and songwriter Ruthie Foster of Austin, Texas, performs at the Faulkner Performing Arts Center along with the Inspirational Chorale in February. Photo by Russell Cothren
arkansas
SPRING / Vol 68, No. 3
For members of the Arkansas Alumni Association Inc.
4 Building a Better World
Alumni of the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design vie for honors with their professional work.
12 A Moment and It’s Gone
Buddhist monks build a mandala one grain of sand at a time and then sweep it away.
26 The Scene of the Crime
John Brooks lends his expertise in criminal investigations to the HBO series True Detective.
Correction: In the winter edition of Arkansas, an article about the Bodenhamer Fellowships included an incorrect spelling of the last name of Harold Dulan, a professor of finance who taught at the university for more than 40 years. In 1954, Dulan and partners E.J. Ball and Lewis Callison founded the Participating Annuity Life Insurance Company, which offered the first commercial variable annuity in the United States. We regret the error.
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Campus View Campus Alumni Events Yesteryear Senior Walk Last Look
On the cover: In 2013, the Japanese Consulate and Shimane University gave cherry trees to the University of Arkansas, and they are planted next to Gearhart Hall.
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ARKANSAS Publisher Arkansas Alumni Association Executive Director Brandy Cox ✪ M.A.’07 Editor Charlie Alison ★ B.A.’82, M.A.’04 Associate Editor Catherine Baltz ★+ B.S.’92, M.Ed.’07 Creative Director Eric Pipkin Photo Editor Russell Cothren ✪
Photo by Whit Pruitt
Photographer Whit Pruitt ★ Writers & Contributors DeLani Bartlette B.A.’06 M.A.’08 Amanda Cantu Kendall Curlee Nick DeMoss B.A.’11 Robby Edwards Jennifer Holland ★ M.E.D.’08 Andra Parrish Liwag Shawnya Meyers B.A.’15 Michelle Parks B.A.’94 Jeri L. Thorpe Kevin Trainor ★ B.A.’94 M.A.’05 Steve Voorhies ★ M.A.’78 Advertising Coordinator Lee Shoultz ★ B.A. ’16, M.P.A. ’18 MEMBERSHIP SYMBOLS ✩ Student Member; ★ Member; ★+ Member, A+; ✪ Life Member; ✪+ Life Member, A+
Campus View Megan Wilson ✩ Recording U of A History as It Happens Six years ago, I was a reporter on my high school’s newspaper staff. Five years ago, I was a section editor on the yearbook staff. Now, I am the editor of the Razorback yearbook. I’ve had a passion for yearbooks for a long time now and while the staffs have changed and my work has changed, my love for the yearbook has stayed the same. The digital layout program InDesign and page design are my favorite things to work on on staff, but as editor I’m starting to learn a lot more about writing and photography. The first university yearbook was created in 1897 by 24 students. Now 122 years later, the yearbook still plays a crucial part of documenting the history of the school year. A yearbook is a historical record of the year told by the students. Everything from Battle of the Bands to homecoming and graduation is in the book. I always get questions from alumni asking for books from previous years, and unfortunately we do not have enough to send out to everyone. So in October 2018, the yearbook staff and the staff of 2 / ARKANSAS / SPRING 2019
the University Libraries worked together on a fundraising campaign to digitize every yearbook since the first one in 1897. After just one month, we met our $10,000 funding goal. That makes me so happy to know how many people support the yearbook and all of the hard work we do each year to make it the best. With the funding, we are digitizing every yearbook starting this year, but there is still something so special about having a hardcover book to put on the coffee table and flip through with your friends and family. My dad graduated from the university and I still find myself flipping through the pages of yearbooks from the 1980s for inspiration or just to see what life was like years ago. That is the same thing my children and those younger than me will be doing with the yearbook I am creating this year. That motivates me to work hard and make a book worth remembering. Megan Wilson Editor, Razorback yearbook
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor are accepted and encouraged. Send letters for publication to Arkansas Magazine, Office of University R elations, 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, E xc l u s i ve l y fo r M e m b e r s 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, Fayetteville, AR 72702-1070. ARKANSAS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Mission Statement The Arkansas Alumni Association connects and serves the University of Arkansas Family. Vision Statement The Arkansas Alumni Association will be nationally recognized as a model alumni relations program. Value Statement The Arkansas Alumni Association values: • service • excellence • collaboration • relationships • diversity • learning • creativity Arkansas Winter 19-008 All photos by University Relations unless otherwise noted. Cover photo by: Whit Pruitt Please recycle this magazine or share it with a friend.
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
HOMECOMING Fall 2019 ETCHED IN STONE • • • • •
Class of 2018 Senior Walk Dedication Alumni Awards Banquet Homecoming Parade & Pep Rally Hog Wild Tailgate at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House Razorback Football vs. Miss State Bulldogs
homecoming.uark.edu
Feature
Public Good Design Quality at Fore STORY BY SHAWNYA MEYERS B.A.’15
Each year, the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design invites alumni to submit projects to be considered in juried competition for the Fay Jones Alumni Design Awards. Roy Decker, one of the competition’s jurors from outside the Fay Jones School, described juried competitions as a way for him to see the quality of the conversation about design excellence within a particular community. “In my mind, design quality is not simply a measure of aesthetics but more a comprehensive achievement in environmental/community health,” said Decker, a principal and co-founder of Duvall Decker Architects in Jackson, Mississippi. “What I see from the work submitted for this year’s Fay Jones School alumni design awards competition is that the conversation about design excellence in the school and among the alumni is extremely strong, with emphasis on design quality as a comprehensive striving for public good.” Fifty-two projects were submitted for the 2018 year: designs for residential, educational, interior, outdoor, commercial, medical, office, historic, religious, recreational, culinary and public urban spaces. Entries came from alumni practicing in cities across Arkansas, as well as in Missouri, California, Florida, Washington, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, Virginia, Illinois, Texas, Tennessee, Washington, D.C., and Bolivia. Ellis Hall Renovation, Missouri State University’s School of Music, Springfield, Missouri. Tony Patterson, B.Arch.’00, Patterhn Ives LLC. Photo by Sam Fentress.
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ushi Kappo, Boston. Mark S Rukamathu, B.Arch.’03, Rukamathu.Smith LLC. Photo by Jane Messinger.
Rayonier Corporate Headquarters, Wildlight, Florida. Wendell Kinzler, B.Arch.’05; Reese Rowland, B.Arch.’90; David Porter, B.Arch.’82; and David Rogers, B.Arch.’91; Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects. Photo by Timothy Hursley.
areground, Austin, Texas. Jason Radcliff, F B.L.A.’98, dwg. Photo by Leonid Furmansky.
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P aschal Heat, Air and Geothermal, Tontitown. Tim Maddox, B.Arch.’02; Seth Spradlin, B.Arch’15; Julie Chambers, B.Arch.’99; Josh Danish, B.Arch.’02; and Ben Cruce, B.Arch.’11; DEMX Architecture. Photo by Timothy Hursley.
F armers Exchange Renovation, Bentonville. Harrison French, B.Arch.’86; Lori Filbeck, B.Arch.’05; Brian Wells, B.Arch.’02; and Alicia Wilgus, B.I.D.’02;. Harrison French & Associates. Photo by Thomas Meritt.
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utcliffe House, Eureka Springs. Tim Maddox, B.Arch.’02; Seth Spradlin, S B.Arch.’15; Josh Danish, B.Arch.’02; DEMX Architecture. Photo by Timothy Hursley.
Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee. Jason Jackson, B.Arch.’06, brg3s architects. Photo by Timothy Hursley
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L ittle Rock Technology Park. Chad Young, B.Arch.’95; Caleb Tyson, B.Arch.’14; Jay Clark, B.Arch.’91; Earnest Duckery, B.Arch.’95; Gordon Duckworth, B.Arch.’76; and Roy St. Clair, B.Arch.’78; Wittenberg, Delony & Davidson Inc. Photo by Karen Segrave.
P reston Hollow Residence, Dallas, Texas; Coy Talley, B.L.A.’84, Talley Associates. Photo by James Wilson.
W indgate Art and Design Building, University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. Eldon Bock, B.Arch.’83, WER Architects/Planners. Photo by Aaron Kimberlin.
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Campus
Forecast Rain or Shine
Climate change could slightly boost or substantially reduce the population of smallmouth bass in the Buffalo National River. The outcome depends on how the climate itself shifts in Northwest Arkansas, biologists Christopher Middaugh and Daniel Magoulick found when they started plugging historic data into a model. The two researchers used smallmouth bass population data gathered on the lower Buffalo River by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission between 1992 and 2012. They combined that with river discharge records and air temperatures taken from a weather monitoring site in nearby Harrison. They combined these to build a model that related the environmental variables to the number of smallmouth bass captured at each site. By manipulating those variables, they simulated future conditions that might affect the number of fish in the river each year. The southern United States is projected to warm by 5-7 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Along with the temperature
change, studies predict more extreme weather events such as floods and droughts, along with a shift in seasonal precipitation that could mean drier summers. On one hand, warmer spring seasonal temperatures and decreased precipitation might lead to reduced flooding, which could increase the population of adult fish by 8 percent. On the other hand, if spring seasonal flooding increases or a severe summer drought hits, that could reduce the number of adult fish by 50 percent or more. “We found that changes in May temperature and June discharge could benefit smallmouth bass recruitment, but increased flooding and increased drought conditions are likely to reduce adult smallmouth bass abundance below present levels in the Buffalo River,” the researchers noted in a study of their work. Middaugh is a research biologist with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Magoulick is a faculty member of the U of A’s Department of Biological Sciences. Their work also took fish harvest into account, concluding that more restrictive regulations could help reduce negative effects of climate change if necessary.
C limate shifts may affect populations of smallmouth bass in the Buffalo National River, but particular weather events will be a deciding factor. Painting by Duane Raver, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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BY AMANDA CANTU
Sehr Gut Engineering Program Includes German Study and Internship STORY BY AMANDA CANTU
Studying in Germany was always part of Steven Sonntag’s plan, even before beginning as a freshman in the Honors College in 2013. However, the time he would spend in the country and the experiences he would have there were far beyond his imagination. He spent a year in Germany as part of the university’s International Engineering Program. Sonntag, a native of Rogers, entered the University of Arkansas as a mechanical engineering major. But he always wanted to learn the language of his ancestors. He took German classes in high school and continued to learn German in U of A courses. When he discovered the university’s International Engineering Program, he knew it was a perfect fit. The International Engineering Program allows engineering students to include a year abroad in their curriculum. The program’s goal is to prepare students for careers in the global economy. Participating students spend one semester taking courses at the Technical University of Darmstadt. They spend another semester interning with a German company. Sonntag was the first student to go abroad as part of the program. About 75 students are now enrolled in the program, which launched in 2015. Sonntag spent the fall 2016 term at the German university. He earned funding from the Honors College and Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to support his travel. Before arriving in Germany, he passed
the Goethe-Institut B1 exam. The exam certified him in intermediate to advanced German language proficiency. But he quickly learned his language ability wasn’t as good as he thought. “My German has improved exponentially since studying in Germany,” he said. “The first two months at the university were difficult though.” Each subject Sonntag studied had its own specific vocabulary. It wasn’t until the third month of classes that he began to feel comfortable. After passing his final exams, Sonntag started an internship at BMW’s Munich headquarters. As an intern he conducted quality analysis of competitor car interiors. He also created a program to automate data collection and analysis. He even test drove competitor cars to check suspension, handling and dynamic performance. Sonntag applied for internships at several automakers, but his dream was to work at BMW. “This experience taught me that, as long as you try your hardest and put effort into the things you want, you can make them a reality,” he said. Sonntag graduated with both mechanical engineering and German degrees in December 2018.
S teven Sonntag outside of the BMW headquarters in Munich, Germany. Photo courtesy of Steven Sonntag
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Feature
Impermanence Grains of Sand Build Beauty of Mandala
STORY BY DELANI BARTLETTE, B.A.’06, M.A.’08 PHOTOS BY WHIT PRUITT M.B.A.’16 Using a small copper funnel called a chakpur, Yeshi Topgyal, places fine lines of brightly colored sand on a raised tabletop, working from the center of the design outward. As U of A students watch and snap photos, he stays focused on the intricate process of creating a mandala. To Topgyal, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, the making 12 / ARKANSAS / SPRING 2019
of a mandala — adding grains of sand bit by bit — is spiritually significant but also a form of meditation. By the end of the day, the design is only started on a table in the Helen Robson Walton Reading Room of Mullins Library. Over the course of a week, grains of sand slowly pile one upon another and the mandala takes its final shape. Then it is destroyed. Witnessing the creation of a sand mandala, or DulTson-Kyil-Khor, is rare for Westerners, even though
the practice dates back to at least the 14th century in Tibetan history, “since the arrival of Buddhism in Tibet,” according to Geshe Thupten Dorjee. Dorjee is a Tibetan Buddhist monk and teaches a course at the university called Tibetan Culture and Philosophy. He is the co-director of the university’s Tibetans in Exile Program, along with Sidney Burris, a professor of English. Traditionally, the mandalas were created entirely by hand, Dorjee said, but lately the monks have begun using the chakpur for more precision and convenience. Each part of the mandala, including its shapes and colors, is laden with symbolism. Over the centuries, Tibetan Buddhist teachers have distilled their complex moral and ethical concepts into a body of visual symbols including gates, flames, animals and deities. The mandala itself serves as a roadmap to spiritual perfection.
Since a mandala is so rich in symbolism, the very act of creating one is believed to be sacred. Monks train for years in this highly specialized skill; Topgyal has been practicing making these sand mandalas since his childhood. Tibetan Buddhists believe that the mandala confers blessings on anyone who views it. “It’s a kind of blessing on the community at large,” Burris said. At the end of the week, the monks held a ceremony witnessed by dozens of campus and wider community members. They prayed and chanted. Then, they methodically swept their hands through the delicate mandala, from the outside edge to the center, destroying it forever. “Its significance is impermanence,” Dorjee said, referring to one of the fundamental truths of Buddhism: that all things are constantly changing and nothing is fixed. SPRING 2019 / ARKANSAS / 13
Campus
Photo by Russell Cothren
Razorback Yearbook
Then and Now Using Electrons to Magnify Atoms
Most microscopes use optical light to reproduce images, but the resolution of the image is limited by the wavelength of the light. In 1931, scientists began using electrons, which have variable wavelengths, to produce microscopic images. While typical optical microscopes struggle to “see” objects much smaller than a micron, today’s electron microscopes can be used to examine objects down to the size of a single atom. As a result, they’ve transformed scientific discovery. The image at top shows Roland Reece Corey, a U of A instructor of botany and bacteriology, in 1959. He is 14 / ARKANSAS / SPRING 2019
using an early electron microscope, which could magnify objects up to 60,000 times. Today, researchers including Gregory Salamo, Distinguished Professor of physics, use microscopes like the Titan pictured above to magnify objects to about 100 million times their size. Salamo and other researchers at the Institute for Nanoscience and Engineering use these high-powered microscopes to design the next generation of electronic and communication devices, to examine and fine-tune the structure of novel materials, and to make new discoveries about the nanoscale world.
Circling Back to Leadership
Over the past several months, Le’Kita Brown participated in a new executive education program at Little Rock with fellow health care executives. She is a vice president at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, overseeing the hospital’s “revenue cycle,” a system that tracks patient care from registration at the front desk to final receipt of payment. She and 14 other health care executives are hoping to create a culture of change leadership within their industry. They were nominated by the chief executive officers from their respective organizations to participate in a new executive education program, Leadership Circle for Healthcare, facilitated by the Sam M. Walton College of Business. This cohort-based experience is designed to support key talent in developing the skills necessary to deliver business results and build leaders worth following. “Various health care leaders — from insurance payers to hospital vice presidents, directors of nursing and community advocates — are members of the cohort. This experience is a full court press to drive the individual to the next level of thinking, networking and communicating,” Brown said. Last September, 15 health care leaders came together to share ideas, participate in executive coaching, create strategic partnerships and learn how to make datadriven decisions. “We all have the same goal — to do right by the patient,” Brown said. “The conversation starts in the classroom and continues outside and from that comes change.” The cross-industry peers inspire each other to grow as they discuss the common leadership opportunities and challenges, they all face. Through a series of five half-day sessions, and a fourday leadership intensive experience, facilitators and executive coaches teach executives how to better navigate organizations, manage stress, use data and build networks. They also drive individual professional development using personal assessments designed to accelerate leadership readiness for broader and more complex roles. “The Leadership Circle program benefits are unlimited,” Brown said. “By self-awareness, 360-degree evaluations, personal coaches and peer-to-peer team building the program helps define and align the vision for forward movement and sustainable improvements,”
Photo submitted
A Culture of Change
Brown said. “The assessments help you understand what drives you and the coaches clarify the goal you want to accomplish.” About Walton College Executive Education Walton College Executive Education at 2nd & Main in Little Rock supports industry and business leaders throughout Arkansas. The program offers non-credit, executive education courses for professionals in all sectors and phases of their careers. The programs cover various aspects of business. Whether it’s improving leadership skills, staying informed on industry trends, or preparing for a new role, the Walton approach contributes to individual development to help meet individual and company goals. LOCATION: Walton College at 2nd & Main 119 Main Street Little Rock. For more information, visit ExecEd.uark.edu or email Debbie Davis, associate director of Walton Executive Education (Little Rock), at DDavis@walton.uark.edu, or Blythe Eggleston, director of Walton Executive Education (Fayetteville), at BEggleston@walton.uark.edu. SPRING 2019 / ARKANSAS / 15
Campus
Transportation Investment ArDOT Partnership to Aid Civil Engineering Students STORY BY NICK DEMOSS, B.A.’11
The Arkansas Department of Transportation made a $1 million investment in a Civil Engineering Research and Education Center earlier this year to support the creation of a facility that will benefit students, researchers and companies across Arkansas. The Civil Engineering Research and Education Center will be a “living laboratory” for civil engineering undergraduates at the university — the first of its kind in the state. Students will use the center’s design and construction process to explore topics in construction techniques and management; computer-aided design and drafting; plan development; construction materials; soil mechanics and foundation design; structural steel design and reinforced concrete design. The Civil Engineering Research and Education Center will also provide students with vital opportunities for hands-on experience through laboratory exercises and research activities and will truly be a statewide resource. “This funding emphasizes ArDOT’s investment in and partnership with the U of A,” said Scott Bennett, director of the Arkansas Department of Transportation. “Our history with research at the U of A goes back to the beginning of the university’s research program in 1953, with over 200 research projects either completed or ongoing.” Bennett, who is a U of A alumnus, mentioned that the partnership has resulted in $23 million in investment in relatively recent projects with an estimated return of $35 million in value to Arkansas. 16 / ARKANSAS / SPRING 2019
“The center will be a living laboratory for civil engineering students to gain practical experience for many years into the future,” Bennett said. “As the state’s largest employer of civil engineers, we are looking forward to this new partnership leading to even more success for the U of A, for ArDOT, and ultimately for the citizens who use Arkansas’ transportation system every day.” “The center will be a one-of-a-kind facility in Arkansas and in our region, providing students and engineers from across Arkansas an opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research, which will have impact at the local, state and national levels,” said Micah Hale, head of the Department of Civil Engineering. John English, dean of the College of Engineering, said that the facility would touch the lives of thousands of students as they pursue solutions that save money, improve safety and create a better quality of life for Arkansans and the nation. C onceptual renderings of the new Civil Engineering Research and Education Center.
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Campus
Thoreau in the Ozarks
Reconsidering ‘Hipbillies’ of the Back-to-the-Land Movement STORY BY DELANI BARTLETTE, B.A. ’06, M.A. ’08
In what might be the first book of its kind, U of A historian Jared Phillips has written an in-depth study of the back-to-the-land movement in the Ozarks during the 1960s and 1970s, from its roots in America’s agrarian ideals to its lasting influences on the region’s politics, culture and economy. Most people remember the hippies for protesting the war in Vietnam and marching for Civil Rights and women’s liberation. But as the 1960s turned into the 1970s, “they became disillusioned with the methods that they had been using in the 60s; the protests weren’t working,” according to Phillips, an instructor of international studies in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. “They needed to refigure how we do this, how do we approach the revolution?” Many of them, he says, chose to leave the mainstream American society and move out to the country to live a simple life – or, as they put it, “bug out.” One place particularly attractive to the back-to-thelanders was the Ozark Mountains of northern Arkansas. Phillips estimates that somewhere between 2,000 and 6,000 hippies moved to the Arkansas Ozarks between the 1960s and 1970s. Phillips, who grew up in the Ozarks, remembered hearing stories about these back-to-thelanders. His interest in the topic led him to publish an academic article, which he then developed into a book, Hipbillies: Deep Revolution in the Arkansas Ozarks, published by the University of Arkansas Press. In it, Phillips — who holds both bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in history from the U of A — writes about how the hipbillies tapped into a long-standing American tradition of agrarian ideals as a means of lasting social change. 18 / ARKANSAS / SPRING 2019
“They believed that in order to move away from all the problems of society at the time — such as how we relate to each other and to the natural world — we have to start at ground zero,” Phillips says. The hippies wanted to live their ethics of shared community, sustainable agriculture, and preservation of natural areas. “Think of it like Thoreau or Jefferson,” he says, “but with a little bit of acid thrown in.” The Ozarks were an attractive place for a lot of reasons, only one of which was cheap land. The region also had something of a mythical attraction for many; it had been built up in the national consciousness, Phillips says, “as a sort of ‘hillbilly heaven,’ where the skills of yore had been maintained.” While the hipbillies were generally well-educated — 75 percent held a college bachelor’s degree — “they didn’t know anything,” Phillips says. “They knew how to live in a suburban world, but they didn’t know how to live in a rural world, especially not in the Ozarks.” So the challenge, he says, was that they had to learn so much in so little time: “Everything from how to build a house to plant — not even a cash crop farm, but just a garden. How do you castrate cattle? How do you shear a sheep?” While some of this information was available in publications like Mother Earth News, the Whole Earth Catalog and the Foxfire series, the hipbillies knew they needed to learn from the local community. Phillips says the old-school hill farmers, while they didn’t necessarily understand or approve of the newcomers’ lifestyle — “they don’t approve of the drug use, they don’t understand why you try to operate a tractor naked” — they saw a group of people who wanted to learn skills from them that nobody else wanted to learn. It was likely that this
H ipbillies: Deep Revolution in the Arkansas Ozarks is scheduled for publication in April 2019. P hotos letf to right, University Relations/ submitted; above, Russell Cothren
kind of integration into the local community was what enabled the Ozark hipbillies to last longer than most other back-to-the-land movements of the time. Of course, when people with such different lifestyles and values came into contact with each other, conflicts were bound to arise. However, Phillips says, the tales of conflict that dominate the discussion of this era are overblown: “By and large it’ll be a conflict born of early misunderstanding that then turns into a kind of amusement.”
He says there was a level of traditional Ozark respect given to them: “You do your thing, I’m gonna do my thing, and we’ll work together when we need to.” Though the height of the hipbilly phenomenon was almost 50 years ago, Phillips says their legacy is still with us in myriad ways, from Walmart selling organic food to the popularity of Bernie Sanders. These things wouldn’t have been possible, he says, without decades of “incubation of these ideals of community, of agrarianism, of class, of caring about your community.” SPRING 2019 / ARKANSAS / 19
Campus
Mountain Flier Ascending the World of Descent
Photo courtesy of Colten Jones
STORY BY ROBBY EDWARDS
Mountain biker Colten Jones, a sophomore at the U of A, flies down an Ozark trail.
Sophomore Colten Jones is missing a few classes this spring while he’s out of the country. He’s not studying abroad or conducting research. He will be experiencing different environments, but they’re completely unrelated to his major of environmental, soil and water science. Jones is one of the top mountain bikers in the world. He is currently ranked No. 14 in the United States and No. 63 in the world in the Enduro Under 21 Division. His international travel will take him to Enduro World Series races, which stretch around the globe. Endurance mountain biking is a day-long or multi-day race. Each race has multiple stages and courses that are physically and technically challenging. The timed stages are mostly steep descents with occasional small amounts of climbing. Between each stage, though, a competitor has to climb back to the start of the next stage. While these between-stage transfers don’t count against race time, they do take energy out of the rider and can cause a time penalty if not finished within a set time period. “Being 63rd in the world for the U21 class is an insane feeling,” Jones said. “I didn’t know I had that kind of ranking for a couple of days. … I was on the phone with 20 / ARKANSAS / SPRING 2019
my dad between classes. He told me, and I was so surprised and elated. Knowing that verified the hard work and let me know I am actually getting somewhere with this, which is an unbelievable feeling.” The spring schedule for the Enduro Series includes races in New Zealand, Tasmania, Madeira, Italy, France and Switzerland, anywhere the terrain is mountainous and the descents are jarringly steep. “An EWS course is the most challenging skill-wise and hardest physically out there,” said Jones. “The stages are full of super-fast, gnarly trail that is very hard to navigate and also very steep, sometimes exceeding a 20 percent gradient.” His family hopes to get him to three of those races, if possible, but he’s also planning on more events here in the states. “He was good at it from the beginning,” his mother, Shelli, said. “He would spend hours outside building and maintaining trails. He also built his own trails in our backyard. Sometimes he would spend more time building than riding.” In high school, Jones wrote papers on the environment and fell in love with the subject, which helped him choose his major in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. From Lake Ozark, Missouri, he chose the University of Arkansas after touring universities all over the country and liking what he saw of this region’s trail system, its mountain-biking community and the chance to pursue a degree in environmental, soil and water science. “There is a lot to do with building sustainable trails and learning how the water runs off trails,” Jones said. “Also just being outside all the time fosters a love for the environment and a curiosity for it as well.”
Hot Sauce Drumming the Rhythm Into Opponents STORY BY DELANI BARTLETTE, B.A.’06, M.A.’08
While many alumni end up in careers outside their major, odds are that not many have made as dramatic a change as Kalvin “Hot Sauce” Henderson, B.A.’12. While at the U of A, Henderson studied percussion — “anything you can scrape, strike or beat,” he says — under professor Chal Ragsdale. He performed in the Razorback Marching Band drum line, the Jazz Band and the Hog Wild Band, as well as in various concert bands, orchestras and small ensembles. But music wasn’t his only love. “I’ve been playing drums from the time I was 6 and boxing since I was 15,” he explains. Henderson, who is originally from Fort Worth, Texas, was disappointed that there were no boxing gyms near the U of A, so he says he would stay in Fayetteville during the school year for his classes, then go back to Fort Worth to train and compete. In 2011, he arranged to take a week off from his classes to travel home to compete in the Golden Gloves competition – which he won. After graduation, Henderson worked at Owl Creek Middle School and Fayetteville High School teaching percussion. During that time, he continued to train as a boxer. His music education proved to be surprisingly useful, he says. “It’s all rhythm,” he says, “rhythm and timing, and especially syncopation.” “I was thinking triplets the whole time I’d hit the speed bag,” he says. Then in 2014, he decided to put his teaching career on hold and devote himself to boxing full-time. That dedication seems to have paid off. In December, Henderson squared off against Brandon Robinson in Philadelphia. Robinson, hailing from South Philadelphia, had been enjoying an 11-bout winning streak and was the local favorite for the middleweight match. Henderson knew that meant it would be an uphill battle: “When you go to someone’s hometown, you know you don’t get the decisions from the judges you want,” he says. “He’s the local favorite.” Henderson says that Robinson’s style was that of the “the power-puncher, but I was the ‘classical boxer.’”
Kalvin Henderson Photo by Whit Pruitt
“We knew going in we had to knock him out,” he says. “So our game plan was a little different. I had to train more aggressively.” He says his plan meant tiring his opponent out through the early rounds, taking him to the later rounds and then knocking him out. And that’s exactly what Henderson did, winning by a knock-out in the seventh round. That win earned him the title of Universal Boxing Federation’s International Super Middleweight Champion. It just proves, he says, that “skills pay the bills.” Henderson continues to train and compete. When he’s not in the ring, he works as a group and personal fitness trainer at Straightright Boxing and Fitness in Springdale. SPRING 2019 / ARKANSAS / 21
Campus
The Artifice of Pain A High-Tech Tactile Transfer STORY BY KENDALL CURLEE
A sleek black prosthetic hand whirs and clicks as its fingers touch first a rectangular object and then an egg-shaped one. Next, the fingers of the bionic hand tap a sharply pointed object. They recoil, just as a human hand would. That prosthetic pain reflex is a major victory for alumnus Luke Osborn, B.S.M.E.’12, who began tinkering with robotics as an honors engineering student at the University of Arkansas. Osborn graduated summa cum laude and is now wrapping up a doctoral degree in biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University, where he has pioneered the development of an “e-dermis,” a layered rubber and fabric covering for artificial fingers. The covering is equipped with sensors that allow amputees to feel pressure and pain through a prosthetic hand.
Bionic Hand to Human Brain The tricky business is connecting the sensory information from the prosthetic fingertips to the human brain. Under the guidance of Nitish Thakor, a biomedical engineering professor at Johns Hopkins who is one of the world’s leading innovators in prosthetic design, Osborn has done just that. “The nerves in the arm still exist, and still go up to the brain,” Osborn said. “What we 22 / ARKANSAS / SPRING 2019
A prosthetic hand uses sensory coverings and electrical links — developed by alumnus Luke Osborn — to recreate a sense of touch for the nerve endings of a human’s amputated limb. Photo courtesy of Luke Osborn.
do is send small electrical pulses to find where the nerves are in the amputated limb.” Working through four years of trial and error in the lab, Osborn’s team has managed to locate those “sweet spots” where residual nerves perceive electrical stimulations from a phantom hand. “What’s interesting is that we do it non-invasively – there’s no surgery required,” he said. Instead, a metal sensor embedded in a circular patch about the size of a band-aid is placed on residual nerves in the arm. Together with the prosthetic hand, sensory fingertips and a small stimulator that sends out electrical pulses, an amputee can sense a hot burner or pick up and cradle a fragile egg. Osborn has refined the technology with four volunteers to date. “It’s nice to see their reaction,” he said. “A lot of times it’s a feeling they haven’t felt in a long time. It’s not necessarily new but restores sensation they thought was gone forever. It opens up the questions, ‘What else can I feel? Is there a wider range of sensations I can experience?’”
Learning to ‘Think Like an Engineer’ Born and reared in Little Rock, Osborn excelled in physics and math courses. He decided that “I wanted to build things.” In the first-year engineering program at the U of A, he gravitated towards mechanical engineering, where he could study how things move and make things that move on their own. His first two peer-reviewed papers were based on his honors thesis research. “I worked with Min Zou on surface engineering, trying to add bumps and tiny features on the micro, nano scale to surfaces to reduce friction and wear,” he recalled. Such microstructures could be used on the surface of ball
bearings, for example, to extend the lifetime of a device while reducing energy costs. Osborn credits his training at the U of A to “teaching me how to think like an engineer. It gave me the skillset to think about a problem critically, and how to go about solving it.” He received two State Undergraduate Research Fellowships and two Honors College Research Grants in support of his thesis research, which was also important: “The grants helped me learn how to write proposals, focus on what I wanted to do and plan my research.” “Luke is a very talented and independent student. After initial training on the basic experimental techniques, he developed the microfabrication processes from scratch through self-learning from literature,” said Zou, who holds the 21st Century Professorship in Mechanical Engineering. “That is quite unusual for an undergraduate.” “Luke’s success speaks to the critical importance of undergraduate research and grant support, both key aspects of the honors experience here at the University of Arkansas,” said Lynda Coon, dean of the Honors College. “We look forward to seeing how he will next break ground in improving people’s lives.” Osborn’s innovations have attracted international attention – his discoveries have been written up in Wired, The Atlantic, and World Economic Forum, among others, and most recently, he was named a 2019 Siebel Scholar and selected by Forbes as one of “30 Under 30 in Science.” Although still a doctoral student, he’s already mentored 23 undergraduate and three high school students. He offers this advice to current students: “Research has taught me it’s okay to mess up. The reality is that there’s hundreds of iterations of a process before you get it right.” To watch Osborn’s prosthetic hand in action, go to youtu.be/6GlbkWviLoo. SPRING 2019 / ARKANSAS / 23
Campus
Campaign Cartoons Packing a Political Punch
Janine Parry, a professor of political science, and alumnus Dusty Higgins, a former political cartoonist, took an in-depth look at how political campaigns used cartoons to lampoon and belittle their opponents during a golden era of political cartooning from 1942 to 1970. In postwar Arkansas, hundreds of original, bitingly satirical political One of 23 examples of paid political cartoon ads messages appeared as featured in a new Arkansas paid cartoon ads in the Historical Quarterly article state’s newspapers during by Janine A. Parry and election season. Peaking Dusty Higgins. Candidates and parties paid to place in the 1960s, it has been hundreds of these in decades since Arkansans newspapers across the state have seen cartoon-style between about 1940 and advertisements, but they 1970. Cartoon likely by Jon Kennedy. used to be as familiar as today’s twitterstorm. Arkansas’ experience was unusually rich, according to the researchers, who think the form remained a common practice decades longer in Arkansas than elsewhere because television was slower to emerge as the central form of political communication. “It was Dusty’s eye as a cartoonist that added a special twist to this project,” Parry added. “He worked with other professional cartoonists to determine which artist was likely to have penned each cartoon.” Regardless of which artist was drawing for which candidate or cause, Parry added, “the cartoons strike a populist note, urging voters not to be manipulated by Arkansas’s political powerbrokers. That’s the central way that these cartoonists — and the campaigns that hired them — left us a rich record. We’re thrilled finally to share it with others.” Their research appears in the winter edition of the Arkansas Historical Quarterly. Online, 23 of the cartoons with explanations can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/ arkansascartoons. 24 / ARKANSAS / SPRING 2019
Data Park It Here
14,000 – Approximate number
of parking spaces available on the University of Arkansas campus, both in garages and in surface lots.
75 – Average number of employees from Transit and Parking who work on Saturdays for a home Razorback football game.
$24,000
– Cost for each parking place when a new parking garage is built, not including the cost of the land.
$6,000 – Cost for each parking
place when a new parking lot is built, not including the cost of the land.
9
– Number of levels of the Harmon Avenue Parking Facility.
7,258 – Number of warnings given
to students during the 2017-18 school year.
The Passive Aggressive Membrane Resisting Chemo
Mahmoud Moradi is examining how membrane proteins react to drugs, hoping his research could lead to better development and testing of drugs. He and colleagues studied a type of membrane protein that expels drugs from a cell, contributing to drug resistance. They found that the lipid composition of the cell membrane has an effect on the behavior of these proteins, which should be taken into account when testing drugs that target membrane proteins. Drug resistance, including bacterial resistance to antibiotics and cancer cells’ resistance to chemotherapy, is a significant challenge for drug developers. “Almost two-thirds of all drugs target membrane proteins,” explained Moradi, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry. “This research looks at how membrane proteins interact with the environment. If you ignore the fact that these proteins are dependent on their environment, you could end up with the wrong drugs.” Moradi and his colleagues studied a type of membrane protein called multi-drug ABC exporters. These proteins transport substances, such as drugs, from the inside to the outside of cells, and they are responsible for both antibiotic resistance in bacteria and chemotherapy resistance in mammalian cells. Using specially designed supercomputers supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, the researchers performed molecular simulations to investigate how the lipid composition of a cell’s membrane affects these proteins. They found that these proteins remained inactive and didn’t expel drugs in cell membranes with one type of lipid composition, called phosphocholine, or PC. However, the same proteins became active in cells with a different lipid composition, with the extraordinarily long name of phosphoethanolamine, or PE for short, allowing them to release drugs and making the cell resistant. Among the cell membranes composed of PE lipids, those containing one particular lipid type, called POPE, proved to be most effective in activating these proteins and thus most susceptible to drug resistance. Taking this information about the lipid environment into account could help researchers more effectively develop and test antibiotics and cancer treatments. Their results are available open-access in the journal ACS Central Science.
T his image illustrates researchers’ findings that membrane proteins can be active, contributing to drug resistance, in cell membranes with one type of lipid composition (yellow), but inactive in membranes with a different lipid composition (green). Image by Mahmoud Moradi.
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Stock image
Feature
26 / ARKANSAS / SPRING 2019
Scene of the Crime Offering Reality Check for TV Mystery BY MATT MCGOWAN
John Brooks didn’t realize he was already on the job. Four months after his neighbor recommended him for it, he got a call from a phone number in Riverside, California. “I don’t know anybody in Riverside, California,” he said recently, “so I answered the call. And this gentlemen says, ‘Hi, my name is Derek and I’m with True Detective. We’d like for you to come in and talk to us.’” He knew the show True Detective was being filmed locally. Brooks said he could be there the next day, but it would have to be before noon or sometime after 2 p.m. He was teaching a class at the university. Derek said don’t worry about it, just come in on Friday. Brooks, a former crime-scene investigator with the Fayetteville Police Department and current instructor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology, went prepared. He showed up that Friday with his resume, a curriculum vitae and his business card – everything he needed to be considered for the job. “I really thought I was going in for a job interview,” he said. “When I got there, Derek said, ‘Hey, this is our police tech adviser.’ Just like that. Okay, so it wasn’t a job interview.” True Detective is the popular HBO crime drama created and written by Nic Pizzolatto, a University of Arkansas graduate of the M.F.A. program in creative writing. The show’s third season features the Academy Award-winning actor Mahershala Ali, but for local residents the real star is Northwest Arkansas, both the stage for the filming and the setting for the story in which the characters portrayed by Ali and co-star Stephen Dorff investigate the disappearance of two siblings, a boy and girl. Brooks worked with the show’s production team during filming in 2018. The director and others relied on him for accuracy in their depiction of police procedure and criminal investigation. • • • Brooks grew up in Little Rock and attended the University of Arkansas, earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and sociology. After graduating, he started working at the Fayetteville Police Department as the force’s first full-time crime-scene investigator. This work involved “processing” a crime scene, including searching for and gathering material evidence – be it clothing or shell casings or sometimes the weapon itself – and taking many photographs, sometimes hundreds. When this was done, when he was finished processing a scene, Brooks sent the evidence to a crime lab. He did this work for 16 years. SPRING 2019 / ARKANSAS / 27
J ohn Brooks, an instructor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology, stands in front of one of the Northwest Arkansas locations used in the filming of the HBO television series, True Detective. Photo by Whit Pruitt.
28 / ARKANSAS / SPRING 2019
While in college, Brooks excelled in a criminal investigation course taught by Frank Johnson, who would eventually become Fayetteville’s police chief and Brooks’ boss. Years later, at the behest of Johnson, by then chief, Brooks succeeded his mentor as instructor of the CI course, which he has been teaching since 2006. For more than a decade, Brooks has infused his lessons and lectures with practical, hands-on experience. “I lecture and then I show actual casework,” he said. “If I lecture on an injury and death investigation, then I’m going to show an injury and death investigation case and tie that together. I think it’s a really popular class.” Brooks’ foray into the entertainment business came at a time of change. Earlier
that year, he’d retired from the Fayetteville police force. He’d been thinking about making a change anyway, and then he was hit with a series of tough cases that reminded him of why the work could be so gut-wrenching, just as Ali and Dorff ’s characters demonstrate on screen. Though he still loved the scientific side of his job, Brooks had grown weary of the human suffering that accompanied it. Sometimes, if a case was appealed, he had to re-visit the suffering. “It’s very difficult when you work a murder scene,” he said. “You’re always tied to that person and the family. And so there’s three or four families I can think of. … Anytime there’s an appeal, I go to the courthouse and we see each other, and it’s a strange thing. It’s difficult to deal with.”
After talking to a few trusted friends, who advised him about other possible professional opportunities, Brooks took a risk and left the department. He was 53 years old. “When I got ready to leave, … it wasn’t necessarily that I was going to go to work for myself,” he said. Though he wasn’t thrilled with the idea, it occurred to him that he could eke out modest living by serving civil process papers and other legal documents. Meanwhile, he kept teaching. Then he talked to an attorney he’d known for a long time, and out of that conversation came a new vision. Defense attorneys needed help gathering information and reviewing cases. So Brooks sought and obtained the necessary certification to become a private investigator. He’d just opened shop when he got the call from True Detective. ••• Providing technical advice on the set turned out to be a bit more complicated than Brooks anticipated. There were many situations in which the director or someone on the set would ask him how police officers would behave or address a given problem. Brooks would answer, to the best of his knowledge and experience, but that didn’t mean they’d always follow his advice. “But I was told very early on, if you tell them something and they don’t take your advice, don’t get your feelings hurt,” he said. “Because that’s just not the way this works.” One time, though, Brooks had to put his foot down. It was a critical moment, a scene in which a lawenforcement officer was getting ready to commit a potentially grievous error, a mistake that would, in real life, put him in an extremely vulnerable position. To Brooks, it was unthinkable that any officer would do such a thing, so much so that he thought a depiction of the behavior would damage the show’s credibility. “So I was able to get involved and say, ‘Hey, this is what would happen here,’” he said. “In this situation, if you found an open door, you wouldn’t just walk in that room. You’d have your weapon out and be prepared to defend yourself.” Because the crime took place in 1980, several situations forced Brooks to reach beyond his own experience. For example, in the season’s second episode, the victims’ parents receive a note from the perpetrator. The detectives find out about the note and rush to the victims’ house. Inside, they find the confused, distraught parents and other law-enforcement officers poring over a cryptic message created with letters cut out of magazines.
The officers handle the note in a manner different than today’s standards. “Would they wear gloves?” Brooks said. “You know, in 1980, maybe. The FBI would have. But sometimes it’s more dramatic to use a pin in a handkerchief rather than putting on silly gloves.” For these scenarios, Brooks relied on an old friend and mentor, a now retired police officer who had worked during that era. The two men talked about the tools, resources and procedures of law-enforcement, comparing 1980 to 2017. The differences were dramatic. For example, in 1980, police officers were still using revolvers, rather than the standard semiautomatic weapons used today. “Revolvers were handled a different way,” Brooks said. “I mean, some of it’s the same, but some of it isn’t, so I had to talk to him about that. Even though I’ve been around revolvers, I wanted to know his perspective. If you pulled your gun out, did you necessarily cock it? These are the kinds of things we talked about.” There were other differences. Though detectives could manually compare fingerprints, a national fingerprint database did not exist in 1980. And DNA testing was not yet available to police investigators. There was evidence based on hair and blood type, but those tests weren’t always reliable. “It was a different world back then,” Brooks said. “Some things were the same, such as ballistics work, you know, comparing bullets and that kind of thing, but otherwise it was a very different world.” ••• Brooks is an intense guy. You don’t have to spend much time with him to figure out that he doesn’t do anything less than full-bore. The details matter to him. He dresses neatly in khakis and a plaid or checkered oxford shirt, and he wears aviator sunglasses, the kind you see on Air Force pilots. He appears younger than his age, but thinning hair and a few forehead wrinkles show the effects of having worked in a stressful occupation. Brooks brought this intensity with him to the set of True Detective. He said some of the workers laughed at him because he had a thousand questions about camera angles and visual storytelling and other facets of craft. “This was all new to me,” he said, “and I really got into it.” But everyone was cool, and he loved being on the set. And now he knows someone from Riverside, California. He and Derek have become good friends.
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Campus
McFadden Selected College Football Hall Of Fame
Former Arkansas running back Darren McFadden has been selected for the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame class of 2019. McFadden is the 20th Razorback to earn a spot in the illustrious Hall of Fame and the 10th player to receive the accolade, including the first inductee chosen for his University of Arkansas playing career since Ronnie Caveness in 2010.
Darren McFadden in 2007 Photo by Gary Yandell
“Growing up in Arkansas, my dream was to play for the Arkansas Razorbacks,” McFadden said. “To be able to do that and now to be recognized with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame is something I couldn’t have imagined. I’m so grateful to my family, Coach Houston Nutt and my many other coaches, Dean Weber, my teammates and everyone in the Razorback Nation for supporting me throughout my collegiate and professional 30 / ARKANSAS / SPRING 2019
career. When I look at the others who have been inducted to the Hall of Fame, including many from the University of Arkansas, I am truly honored and humbled to be included in such a distinguished group.” “Darren McFadden is not only a Razorback great, he is a college football legend,” said Hunter Yuracheck, vice chancellor and director of athletics. “It is fitting that he will soon be inducted alongside the greatest players and coaches of all time in the College Football Hall of Fame. From his All-America career at the University of Arkansas to his decade-long NFL tenure with both the Raiders and the Cowboys, Darren McFadden has always represented his home state proudly and given us all plenty to cheer about. We are excited to celebrate this tremendous accomplishment with him throughout the upcoming year.” One of the most decorated players in Arkansas history and a two-time runner up for the Heisman Trophy, McFadden was named the 2007 Player of the Year by the Walter Camp Foundation and The Sporting News. He racked up 25 first-team All-America honors (six Freshman All-American selections), won the Doak Walker Award twice and is a two-time SEC Offensive Player of the Year. He is the only Razorback in program history to win multiple national awards in his career. McFadden ranks second on the SEC career rushing list with 4,590 yards and averaged 120.8 yards per game during his three-year career, third-best in league history. He rushed for 100 yards or more a schoolrecord 22 times, and is one of only three players in SEC history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons. His 321 yards vs. South Carolina in 2007 remains tied for the SEC record for rushing yards in a game. He capped his Arkansas campaign with 41 rushing touchdowns, good for secondmost in school history. After his collegiate career, McFadden was selected fourth overall in the 2008 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He played 10 seasons in the NFL for the Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys. Last year, he was named to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and was honored as an SEC Legend during the 2018 SEC Championship game. McFadden and the other inductees in the 2019 class will be recognized this coming December at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner in New York City.
Campus
Van Horn Inducted
Baseball head coach Dave Van Horn was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in January. He is the sixth player or coach with Razorback baseball ties to earn a spot in the hall of fame, joining coach Norm DeBriyn and players Kevin McReynolds, Melvin McGaha, Tom Pagnozzi and Cliff Lee. Van Horn was honored at the Fayetteville Town Center as part of a special ceremony to make him part of the 2019 induction class. Now in his 17th year as head coach of the Razorback baseball program, Van Horn has continued to elevate Arkansas into one of the nation’s premier teams year in and year out. Over his 16 seasons as head Hog, Van Horn has led Arkansas to five College World Series appearances, 15 NCAA Tournament berths, one Southeastern Conference overall title, four SEC Western Division championships and a total of 643 wins, averaging more than 40 wins a season. Ever since returning to his alma mater in 2003 to take over for retiring SEC legend Norm DeBriyn, Van Horn has continued to successfully field nationally competitive teams, while also grooming numerous All-Americans, AllConference and future Major League players.
Photo courtesy of Razorback Athletics
Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame
Dave Van Horn
Under his guidance, 24 Razorbacks have been named All-Americans, 33 as All-SEC players, and 101 have been picked in the MLB Draft. Those draft picks are the thirdmost among all active head coaches in the SEC. Van Horn is the second-winningest coach in Arkansas history with 643 wins entering the 2019 season. Last year, with a win at San Diego State, Van Horn became only the second active head coach in the SEC with 600 or more wins at their current school. Van Horn has racked up 1,014 wins at four-year institutions, which is 15th-most among all active coaches.
Three Facilities Slated Performance Centers, Track Expansion Approved The U of A Board of Trustees approved the construction of three athletic-related capital projects: • A 20,000-square-foot Track and Field High Performance Center to be built at the southern end of John McDonnell Field. • An extensive renovation and expansion of the Randal Tyson Indoor Track Center. • A 40,000-square-foot Baseball Performance Center to be built beyond the right field wall at Baum Stadium. 32 / ARKANSAS / SPRING 2019
The projects will be funded entirely by athletic revenues, gifts and bond proceeds from a future bond issue. No university funds will be required to complete the projects. “As we continue to focus on student-athlete success, we are pleased to be moving forward on three important projects to further support student-athletes in some of the most successful sports programs at the University of Arkansas,” said Hunter Yuracheck, vice chancellor and director of athletics.
Moncrief Honored One for the Record Books
Arkansas legend Sidney Moncrief was honored in January during the Arkansas-Louisiana men’s basketball game at Bud Walton Arena for his recent induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. Moncrief became the third Razorback to be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, joining his former coach Eddie Sutton, who was selected in 2011, and Nolan Richardson, who entered in 2008. All three Arkansas legends have a banner hanging in the rafters of Bud Walton Arena. One of Arkansas’ famed “Triplets,” Moncrief ended his career at Arkansas with the second-most points in program history, scoring 2,066 points from 1976-79. He poured in 600-plus points each of his last two years in Fayetteville, one of just four Razorbacks to score more than 600 points during two separate seasons. He helped lead Arkansas to two Elite Eight appearances and the 1978 Final Four, when the Razorbacks recorded
Sidney Moncrief plays in Barnhill Arena during the late 1970s. Photo courtesy of Razorback Athletics
Arkansas’ first of five total 30-win seasons in program history, going 32-4 overall. A 14-time All-American, Moncrief ’s name is scattered all through Arkansas’ record book. He still ranks sixth in scoring average among Razorbacks at 16.9 points per game in his career. He also ranks second in field goal percentage in a career at 60.6 percent, while holding the school record in free throws made (588), free throws attempted (752) and rebounding (1,015) in a career. He was named All-Southwest Conference his last three years as a Razorback and was named to the 1978 NCAA Tournament All-Regional West Team and to the 1979 All-Regional Midwest Team. Moncrief was drafted fifth overall in the 1979 NBA Draft to the Milwaukee Bucks. SPRING 2019 / ARKANSAS / 33
Campus
Field and Court Seasons of the Razorback Women’s Golf The Razorback women’s golf team returned to the links in mid-February as the second half of the season got underway. A solid fall had Arkansas ranked No. 7 by Golfweek.com. Arkansas won the program’s first SEC and NCAA Regional titles last season and look to make a repeat run for the trophies this year. Postseason action begins with the conference championship April 17-19, followed by regional action May 6-8. Mark your calendars as Arkansas hosts the NCAA Championship May 16-22 at Blessings Golf Club in nearby Johnson. The women’s event is followed by the men’s championship April 24-29 at Blessings.
Women’s Tennis The Razorbacks opened dual play Jan. 18, going undefeated in their first six matches. In its first season under head coach Courtney Steinbock, the team added four players in the offseason and kicked off SEC play in March. Conference matches continue through mid-April with the SEC Championships slated for April 17 in College Station.
Men’s Track and Field Arkansas hosted the SEC Indoor Championships at 34 / ARKANSAS / SPRING 2019
Randal Tyson in February and are now starting the outdoor track and field season, hosting the Arkansas Spring Invitational March 22-23. Arkansas boasts seven athletes in the top-25 of the NCAA Rankings with Gabe Moore leading the way, at one point during the indoor season piecing together the second-best heptathlon total in the nation this season with 5,865-points. The John McDonnell Invitational will be April 12-13, and Arkansas will again host the National Relay Championships on April 26-27. The SEC Championships are in Fayetteville May 9-10, and the NCAA Championships are June 5-8 at Austin, Texas.
Women’s Track and Field Coach Lance Harter and the Razorback women look to be on a mission as the pre-season No. 1 team in the nation continues to set records and dominate the competition. During the early part of the indoor season, Kiara Parker set a new Arkansas indoor record in the 60-meter dash, breaking Veronica Campbell’s 2004 mark. Arkansas had 12 athletes inside the top 10 of their respective events with eight of those performances falling inside the top three. The John McDonnell Invitational will be April 12-13, and Arkansas will again host the National Relay Championships on April 26-27. The SEC Outdoor
Men’s Golf The men’s golf team had another impressive fall, playing in five events and finishing among the top four in all five. William Buhl won the Gopher Invitational, and Julian Perico won the Jerry Pate Invitational in record-setting fashion. The freshman set school records for best score after 36 holes and lowest 54-hole score. The team ended the fall 13th in the GolfStat rankings. The SEC Championships will be April 18-21 in Birmingham. Arkansas hosts the NCAA Championship May 16-22 at Blessings Golf Club in nearby Johnson. The women’s event is followed by the men’s championship April 24-29 at Blessings.
Men’s Tennis The men’s tennis team plays a string of conference matches through March and April, with home play against Mississippi State on March 30 and Auburn on April 13. The SEC Championships are April 21 in Gainesville, Florida, and the NCAA Team Finals are May 19, followed by the NCAA Individual Championships on May 25, both in Orlando, Florida.
Baseball The Razorback baseball team is setting the stage for another run at the College World Series after their second place finish in 2018. Three players — Heston Kjerstad, Matt Cronin and Dominc Fletcher — picked up preseason honors in January as preseason All Americans. Home series against conference opponents in the newly renamed Baum-Walker Stadium include Mississippi State on April 18-20, Tennessee on April 26-28 and LSU on May 9-11. The SEC Tournament will be in Hoover, Alabama, starting May 21 and the College World Series starts June 14 in Omaha, Nebraska.
Softball The Arkansas softball team, ranked 12th and 14th in the country in two national preseason polls, is hoping to build on its 2018 season, when the team advanced to the NCAA Super Regional. In upcoming home series, the team takes on conference rivals Kentucky on March 29-31, LSU on April 18-20 and Auburn May 3-5. The SEC Championships begin May 8 in College Station, Texas, and the NCAA Women’s College World Series will start May 30 in Oklahoma City.
Photos courtesy of Razorback Athletics
Championships are in Fayetteville May 9-10 this year, and the NCAA Championships are June 5-8 at Austin, Texas.
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Alumni
Engagement Meets Scholarship
Photo by Russell Cothren
President’s Letter
The mission of the Arkansas Alumni Association is to connect and serve the University of Arkansas family. One of the ways our mission comes to life is when our chapters and societies support students. As an active chapter leader in Oklahoma City for many years, I have experienced first-hand the power of both awarding scholarships and meeting incoming freshmen and their families through our annual student send-off, which we brand “PIGnics.” Over the last five years I have watched both programs grow throughout our Alumni Association communities. Current endowed funds for chapter scholarships total $1.1 million and endowed funds for societies total $1.6 million. During this school year our chapters awarded $67,275 in scholarships, and societies awarded $107,019 to support students at the University of Arkansas. 36 / ARKANSAS / SPRING 2019
Student send-offs, our PIGnics, have become a standard among many of our more active out-of-state chapters. These events provide opportunities to celebrate scholarships being given to our local students as well as provide relationship building for parents and a connection to area alumni as they send their child away to school. Some of our chapters through previous board presidents have challenged one another to grow their scholarships and top one another in endowed funds. These are great competitions with the most important winner being our next generation of Razorbacks, who will see their dreams of attending the University of Arkansas supported. One annual program that especially helps to match funds and provide extra incentives for giving to chapter and society scholarships is All In For Arkansas. All In For Arkansas is the university’s annual global giving day that celebrates the U of A’s birthday of March 27, 1871. Over the last three years, the Arkansas Alumni Association has supported this virtual event with social media ambassadors and student alumni birthday celebrations while growing its fundraising on this special day of giving by 72 percent. This is all possible because of the great work by our members, volunteers, and supporters who provide leadership to our association, chapters, and societies. Wooo Pig,
Teena Gunter ✪ J.D. ’92 LL.M. ’97 President, Arkansas Alumni Association
Past Presidents of the Arkansas Alumni Association ARKANSAS Board of Directors ALUMNI 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 Gregory 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 2016-18 Don Eldred ✪ BSBA’81
Your Connection Starts Here.
arkansasalumni.org
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Get Involved Stay Informed Expand Your Network Attend Alumni Events Shop & Save with the Alumni Perks Program
SPRING 2019 / ARKANSAS / 37
Alumni
2019 Seniors of Significance 71 Students Honored
The 71 students were selected from more than 500 nominations and represent each of the University of Arkansas undergraduate academic colleges. These Seniors of Significance were selected based on their academic achievements, leadership skills and co-curricular activities. Seniors of Significance were invited to update their applications to be considered for the Senior Honor Citation program, now in its 54th year, and the Razorback Classics program.
Photo by Whit Pruitt
The Arkansas Alumni Association honored its fifth class of Seniors of Significance during a reception at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House on Jan. 31. 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 gold honor cord to wear during graduation as well as a Senior of Significance certificate. More than 250 people attended including the honorees, their parents, University of Arkansas faculty and staff, as well as leadership from the university and the association.
Class of 2019 Seniors of Significance
Alaa Abdelgawad* – Fayetteville Nikki Anderson ^ – Fayetteville Anthony Azzun* – Bolivar, Missouri Spencer Bone* – Jefferson City, Missouri Hannah Breau – Little Rock Emma Buckner* – White Hall Skylar “Sky” Caldwell* – Harrison Mattison “Matty” Cato* – Conway 38 / ARKANSAS / SPRING 2019
Theodore Christian* – Arlington, Texas Emily Daniels* – Harrison Josie DuBois* – Fayetteville Ikenna Egbosimba – Little Rock Anna “Gracie” Engelkes* – Conway Sandra Ezigbo – Arlington, Texas Erin Farmer* – Fayetteville Kaley Ferguson* – Hot Springs
Lydia Fielder* – Bentonville Amy Frank* – Greenwood Fallon Freeman* – Coppell, Texas John “J.P.” Gairhan* – Cabot Nimit Gandhi* – Sherwood Nathanael “Nate” Garcia* – Olathe, Kansas Brayley Gattis* – Fort Smith Emily Gentles* – Pearcy
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Katelyn “Katie” Gerth* – Bartlesville, Oklahoma Madelaine Giebler* – Neosho, Missouri Rebecca “Becca” Gilliland* – Thomasville, Georgia Miriam Gonzalez* – Rogers Sarah Gould* – Greenbrier Laura Gray* – Broken Arrow, Oklahoma Lillie Haddock – Springdale Jackson Hedrick* – Greenbrier Larry Hill* – Amity David “Luke” Humphrey – Arlington, Texas Grant Hylton* – San Diego, California Peyton Jennings* – Tulsa, Oklahoma Taylor Johnson – Edmond, Oklahoma Kristianna Jones – Frisco, Texas Clark Kennedy* – Little Rock Emily King* – Wichita, Kansas Sameer Kulkarni*^ – Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India
Madison Lester* – Russellville Brian Magaña** – Siloam Springs Colt Malloy* – Bella Vista Juan Andres Martinez Castro* – Macaracas, Los Santos, Panama Madeline Mays* – Shreveport, Louisiana Madison McDonnell* – Columbia, Missouri Jose Manuel “Manny” Mejia – Fayetteville Colleen Mellor* – Bentonville McKenna Moore – Bentonville Natalie O’Neal* – Topeka, Kansas Andrew O’Neil*^ – Flippin Alexandra “Alex” Otwell* – Little Rock Haley Owen* – Bentonville Robin Raley* – Little Rock Elizabeth “Lizzie” Reimer* – Dallas, Texas Zachary Renfro* – Fayetteville Kathryn Rhomberg* – Fort Smith Karsen Sims* – Greenfield, Missouri Kaitlin Smithey – St. Louis,
Missouri Spencer Soule* – North Little Rock Jaden Tatum* – Van Buren Julianna Tidwell* – Fayetteville Madison Umberger – Kalamazoo, Michigan Manasa Veluvolu*^ – Little Rock Sophia Vincent* – Lonoke Abigail Walker* – Fayetteville MyKala Wallace – Little Rock Summer Webers* – Mountain Home Elonay Yehualashet* – Melissa, Texas Annelise Zaring*^ – Fort Collins, Colorado
*Indicates the student is a member of the Honors College. **Indicates the student is an Honors College Path Scholar. ^ Indicates the student is pursuing degrees within two colleges.
SPRING 2019 / ARKANSAS / 39
Alumni
Student Alumni Executive Board Ten Named to 2019 Team The Arkansas Alumni Association is pleased to announce the Student Alumni Board Executive Team for 2019. The 10 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 seven of the 10 are Arkansas residents. The Student Alumni Association was created by
Co-President Bethany Kasper is a junior theatre performance major from Jacksonville. In 2018, she served as vice president of membership engagement. Kasper is a former literacy volunteer with the Volunteer Engagement Center. She is involved with various productions with the Theatre Department and is a third-time candidate for the Miss Arkansas Scholarship Organization. Vice President of Alumni Relations Maeleigh Bowen is a senior from Springdale majoring in marketing with a minor in business analytics. She most recently served on the board as Senior Walk Dedication chair. Bowen is also a member of RecycleBacks, Colleges Against Cancer and Phi Mu. Vice President of Board Development Kate Truitt is a senior honors student from Fort Smith. She is majoring in accounting with a minor in business analytics. In 2018, she served as the vice president of Homecoming. Truitt is a member of the Order of Omega and serves as president of the Gamma Nu Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma.
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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 a 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 for the 2019 calendar year:
Co-President Rob Sandusky is a senior honors student from Frisco, Texas, majoring in supply chain management and entrepreneurship. This past year, he served on the sponsorship committee. Sandusky is also involved with the cycling club as well as the bicycle advocacy council on campus.
Vice President of Homecoming Julia Rogers is a junior honors accounting student from Fayetteville. Julia served as the campus outreach coordinator for Homecoming 2018. Rogers is the vice president of membership for Pi Beta Phi. Vice President of Marketing Brooke Nunn is a junior honors student from Fayetteville majoring in biochemistry on a pre-med track. This past year, she served on the traditions committee. Nunn is also a member of the Order of Omega, Alpha Epsilon Delta, Alpha Chi Sigma, and Kappa Kappa Gamma.Â
Save the Dates Alumni societies’ events are springing up in April. April 1-6 4-7
Join the Lemke Journalism Alumni Society at J-Days April
Black Alumni Society Reunion - “The Time is Now”
April 5-6
School of Law All Alumni Reunion
Learn more at arkansasalumni.org/societies.
Vice President of Membership Engagement Amanda Funderburg is a senior majoring in economics, political science and human resource management. She is from Ardmore, Oklahoma. This past year she served as the SAA Days chair for membership engagement. Funderburg also serves on the executive board of Student Organization Outreach and Involvement Experience (SOOIE) and on the Associated Student Government cabinet. She is also the chief justice for Campus YMCA Congress. Vice President of Membership Recruitment Mahogany Wells is a sophomore from Blytheville. She is majoring in apparel merchandising and product development. In 2018, she served as the assistant coordinator of campus outreach on the Homecoming committee. Wells also serves as a lead parent and family ambassador for the New Student and Family Program office.
Vice President of Traditions Anna Cunningham is a senior honors student from DeWitt majoring in political science. She served as the student government liaison for Homecoming 2018. Cunningham serves as the vice president of membership for Delta Delta Delta and as co-director of traditions for the Associated Student Government. Vice President of Sponsorship Brooke Forth is a sophomore honors student from Flower Mound, Texas. She is majoring in apparel merchandising and product development. She also plans to minor in Spanish. This past year, she served as the assistant director of social media on the Marketing Committee. She is the vice president for new member coordination of Zeta Tau Alpha. Forth also serves as the director of organizational leadership for Student Organization for Outreach and Involvement Experience (SOOIE), and is a member of Greek Life Facilitators.
SPRING 2019 / ARKANSAS / 41
Events
The Armed Forces Alumni Society celebrated veterans with a Veterans Week Reception at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House. Mike Johnson, associate vice chancellor for facilities, delivered a keynote speech stressing the importance of diversity in the armed forces. Erika Gamboa, vice president of the Armed Forces Alumni Society, shared the purpose and mission of the society. Danielle Williams introduced Yvette Murphy-Erby, vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion, who gave the closing remarks.
Photos submitted
Veterans Week Reception
Bolivian Students Association Cecilia Grossberger, president of the Latino Alumni Society and adviser to the Bolivian Students Association, recruited alumni to return to campus for a networking event with the students.
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Photos submitted
Alumni Networking Event
Black Alumni Society Board Meeting
Photos submitted
The Black Alumni Society hosted its fall board meeting in November 2018 and combined the board meeting with a graduation program honoring senior scholars graduating in December. The board also honored the 85 BAS Scholars. Scholars had the opportunity to meet Corine Ackerson-Jones, president of the BAS Board, and connect and engage with BAS board members.
Helping Like a Hog Charleston Chapter
Photos submitted
Alumni in the Charleston Chapter enjoyed a beautiful South Carolina Saturday while volunteering with the Charleston Waterkeeper organization.
SPRING 2019 / ARKANSAS / 43
Events
Hogs & Hoops Happy Hour The Hogs & Hoops Happy Hour was held in December 2018 at the Greater Little Rock Chamber of Commerce. Members of the Central Arkansas Chapter along with members of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences Alumni Society hosted Razorback fans and alumni alike for a happy hour celebrating the Arkansas Razorbacks men’s basketball team and the University of Arkansas. The Razorbacks played that evening against the University of Texas San Antonio Roadrunners. Dean Deacue Fields of the Bumpers College joined the group.
1
2
1 Left to right: Ron Rainey, a ■
3
4
5
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Photos submitted
board member of the National Alumni Association, and Central Arkansas Chapter Board members Lynann Tullos Hill and Dave Gattinger gather for the Hogs & Hoops Happy Hour. 2 Dale Bumpers College Alumni ■ Society Board officers Lindy O’Neal, Suzanne Pennington and Leigh Ann Bullington take a moment from greeting fellow alumni and Razorback Fans. 3 Suzanne Pennington, president ■ of the Dale Bumpers College Alumni Society, addresses the group. 4 Bumpers College Dean Deacue ■ Fields speaks to alumni and Razorback fans gathered at the event. 5 Alumni and fans listen to Dean ■ Deacue Fields talk about the current state of agriculture in Arkansas and his vision for the future of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.
Méritos Latinos
Photos submitted
Fall Graduation Ceremony
The Latino Alumni Society hosted its annual fall Méritos Latinos graduation ceremony at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House in December 2018. The society presented 17 outstanding seniors with graduation stoles. The seniors receiving the stoles were selected based on their academics, leadership and campus involvement.
Razorbacks Worldwide
Photos submitted
Alumni Connections
In January, the International Students and Scholars Office at the University of Arkansas held its inaugural Alumni Connections event at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House. As part of a new initiative, this event aims to develop career networks early on by connecting incoming international students with international alumni. The event was attended by 44 incoming international students who had the opportunity to network with Hua Wang (M.S.’15), Mengjiao Liao (M.S.’16), and Albert Tjoclinton (B.S.’16). SPRING 2019 / ARKANSAS / 45
Events
Sponsored Student Programs
Photos submitted
Sponsored Student Programs of the Graduate School and International Education recently hosted their annual recognition program. The program recognizes graduate students and their contributions to the University of Arkansas. Dean Kimberly LaScola Needy and members of the GSIE staff were in attendance to welcome the graduates as alumni.
2018 Battle Line Tailgate
The Saint Louis Chapter hosted the 2018 Battle Line Rivalry Tailgate. Arkansas alumni, friends and fans enjoyed the football pregame tailgate in Columbia, Missouri. The Razorback marching band and cheerleaders were featured performers during the event.
46 / ARKANSAS / SPRING 2019
Photos submitted
Saint Louis Chapter
UPGRADE to LIFE
and Never Pay Dues Again! www.ArkansasAlumni.org/join
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: 9010 Dr. Joseph G. Ross ’75
9045 Heidi J. Seitter
9080 Dr. Helen Gann Brown ’85
9113 Barbara Bindon ’95
9011 Catherine C. Ross
9046 Nancy G. Eslick ’68
9081 Laura E. Connor ’03
9114 Amy L. Woodsmall ’83
9012 Carla Barbre Davie ’94
9047 Allen Carney ’74
9082 Phil H. Phillips ’69
9115 J ohn Edwin Buckalew III ’08
9013 Jason Davie
9048 Susan W. Mayes ’72, ’78
9083 Judith Grumbles Phillips
9116 Dr. Kim Hightower ’83
9014 Morris R. Cowan ’75
9049 Rachael Suzanne Chase ’15
9015 Susan D. Cowan
9050 Dr. Richie G. Platt ’70, ’72
9084 Dr. Steven Arthur Clift ’73
9118 Cecelia M. Dawe-Gillis ’85
9016 Ebony Shatara Wyatt ’03
9051 Mary Platt
9085 Ahmed Elhenawy ’14
9119 Cody J. Lemmons ’16
9017 William Wyatt
9052 Stephanie J. Lee ’10, ’12
9086 Marlena S. Sweeney-
9120 Mark Allen Plake ’81, ’84
9018 Greg K. Satterfield ’78, ’80
9053 David P. Saxon ’69, ’73
9019 Cheryl L. Satterfield ’78
9054 Barbara Wood Saxon ’70
9087 Michael Richard Bond
9122 Bruce Allen Shopfner ’89
9020 Gage Greening ’14
9055 Rowe L. Huggins ’58
9088 John Leslie Evitts III ’82, ’87
9123 Dana A. Shopfner
9021 Codi Greening ’15
9056 Patricia B. Huggins
9089 Janie Evitts
9022 Dennis W. Hall ’86
9057 Mandy Macke ’00, ’03
9090 Dr. Randal D. Lewis ’72
9023 Becky Hall ’87
9058 Theresa L. Mosier ’06
9091 Allison L. Elko ’93, ’98
9024 Jerry E. Mazzanti ’63, ’70
9059 Anjal Rose Coleman ’86
9092 Dr. Laura Hokett ’84
9025 Sharon B. Mazzanti ’70
9060 Forrest Coleman
9093 Regina Gorman Edwards
9026 Terry Frost Bowie ’67
9061 David P. Filipek ’73
9027 Betty Bowie
9062 Patricia F. Filipek ’73
9094 Lawrence Edwards
9028 Khadish Franklin ’05
9063 Susan C. Hunter-Turner
9095 Dr. Bradford T. Black ’79
9029 Maria Clayton ’02
9064 Bryan Whitworth
9096 Dr. Sharon Lee Oetker-
9030 Joseph E. Clayton ’00
9065 J. Michael Barton ’76
9031 Denise Michelle Cook ’94
9066 Karen Schmitz Barton ’76
9097 Wes Baden ’87
9032 John M. Cook ’94
9067 Gary Mourton ’69
9098 Amy Baden
9033 Jennifer Irwin ’94
9068 Gayle Mourton
9099 Carol L. McMillin
9034 Carla Campbell Summers
9069 Heather Stowers ’08
9100 Susan Carol Sparks ’80
9070 David L. Stowers ’08
9101 Kevin Sparks
9071 Dr. Arthur Henry Thomas
9102 Lawrence Anderson
9137 Larry E. Neuhart ’78
9103 Betty A. Anderson
9138 Madison D. Broyles ’14
’93 9035 Richard A. Halsell ’66 9036 Carolyn K. Halsell ’65
’64
’71, ’75
Bond ’04, ’07
’79
Black
9117 William Kimbriel ’80
9121 Toni Houston Plake ’81
9124 Russell McGhee ’79 9125 Frances Ruth Selby McGhee 9126 Dr. Jim R. Ralston ’57, ’64 9127 Vera Bolinger Ralston 9128 George Westbrook Jr. ’55 9129 Dorothy Westbrook ’55 9130 Bill Lavender ’62, ’71 9131 Anne Eldridge ’75 9132 Charlie P. Eldridge 9133 Luann Horn ’75, ’82 9134 Mike W. Horn 9135 Lee Andrew Evans ’99 9136 Megan Marie Evans ’98, ’99
9037 Martin Fiscus ’83
9072 Martina Moss Thomas
9104 Stephanie J. Chism ’01, ’02
9139 Craig Harper ’95
9038 Elizabeth Fiscus ’83
9073 Dr. Shanna Neill ’03, ’04
9105 Dr. Scott Chism ’99
9140 Karyn E. Harper
9039 Dr. Robert E. Glenn Sr.
9074 Chris P. Corbitt ’95, ’98,
9106 Tommy Hopper ’91
9141 Sandra Lynn Maertens
9040 Robert B. Walton ’75
’00, ’01
9107 Mary Cotton Hopper ’91
’99, ’01
9041 Brittany Lynn Roche ’83
9075 Barbara Davis Corbitt ’99
9108 Fred G. Burban ’76
9142 Mary Catherine Conner ’93
9042 Karen Abney
9076 L. Brad Baker ’77
9109 Linda Baskin
9143 Dr. Fred Arthur Bonner
9043 John Abney
9077 Mona W. Baker
9110 Charles Knox Lincoln II ’81
9078 Dustin B. Ward ’07, ’10
9111 Terry L. Johnston ’82
9144 Jan Wallace Mullins
9079 Mary E. Ward ’05, ’06
9112 Michael E. Meinholz ’93, ’94
9145 Charles T. Ramsey
9044 Joseph Ovila Ray Collier ’99
II ’97
SPRING 2019 / ARKANSAS / 47
Events
Hog Wild Tailgates 2018 Season Recap
Photos submitted
The 2018 Razorback football season is in the books, and the Arkansas Alumni Association had a great time hosting Hog Wild Tailgates with alumni and friends! The tailgates featured live music; delicious food; appearances by the Razorback Marching Band, Cheer and Pep Squad; and college football on every TV in the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House. Special appearances by some of our very own women’s athletics teams are always an added bonus for our guests and this past season did not disappoint. Members of the women’s softball, basketball, gymnastics and volleyball teams all stopped in for an introduction, photos and autographs. The association’s special events staff is already hard at work planning for the 2019 football season and even more exciting Hog Wild Tailgates. Stay tuned and be sure to check the Arkansas Alumni Association website for details soon!
48 / ARKANSAS / SPRING 2019
Photos submitted
SPRING 2019 / ARKANSAS / 49
Razorback Yearbook
Yesteryear
Yesteryear Chuck Berry, one of the pioneers of rock ’n’ roll, and his band performed in 1959 at the Men’s Gym, now known as the Jim and Joyce Faulkner Performing Arts Center.
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1879 • The Arkansas Medical Society establishes a School of Medicine at Little Rock in affiliation with Arkansas Industrial University. Dr. P.O. Hooper is named the first dean. • The state teachers’ association passes a resolution calling for a closer relationship between the university and the public schools.
1889 • Legislators warn Fayetteville that it should halt liquor sales, not just to students but to everyone.
1899 • Concurrent resolutions by the Arkansas House of Representatives and Senate call for an investigation of secret societies — fraternities — at the university, the first step in calling for the abolition of Greek-letter societies two years later.
1909 • Students in the College of Engineering start Engineering Day, which eventually turns into Engine Week, to celebrate St. Pat and St. Patricia, saints of the engineering field.
1919 • The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution has little effect on alcohol consumption on campus. Washington County was already “dry.”
1929 • L.B. Bryan, on behalf of the class of 1903, presents 13 old pictures and a copy of the first U of A athletic constitution to coach Francis A. Schmidt. • Arkansas Gov. Harvey Parnell writes a letter to the Razorback yearbook stating that two of his ambitions are to place within the reach of every “barefoot boy and girl in this state a
common-school education” and to make the University of Arkansas “an institution of learning of which we may not only be justly proud, but one which will take first rank among the educational institutions of our country.”
• The Arkansas Legislature approves creation of the Arkansas Archeological Survey.
1939
• The Board of Trustees creates the Division of Agriculture to oversee administration of the Experiment Station and Extension Service. John W. White is named the first vice president for the Division of Agriculture.
• The Pan-Hellenic Council sets curfew in the sorority houses of 11:30 p.m. on weekends and 12:30 a.m. on nights when there are dances. • The university’s new football stadium is named Bailey Stadium in honor of Gov. Carl E. Bailey. The name only lasts a year when the successor governor, Homer Adkins, a rival to Bailey, has the named changed to Razorback Stadium. • The Women’s Rifle Team practices in an indoor rifle range under the Chi Omega Greek Theatre.
1949 • Gregson Hall, a men’s residence hall named in honor of William S. “Pop” Gregson, is built. • President Lewis Webster Jones announces that the university will soon offer a curriculum leading toward the Doctor of Philosophy. • War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock is dedicated. • A committee is formed to supervise the ringing of the new electronic bells in Old Main, which cost $25,000 and are set to chime on the quarter hour and play the Westminster chime on the hour. • Bids are opened for construction of two Greek chapter houses: the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house and the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority house.
1959 • Gerald T. Hudson is named dean of the College of Agriculture.
• Roberta Fulbright Hall, a residence hall for freshman women, opens with 400 students.
1969 • Robert McDermott is named the third dean of the Graduate School. • A man climbs into a tree in front of Memorial Hall to conduct a “sit-in” to protest the Vietnam War. Because he has no affiliation with campus, he is arrested. A student takes his place but is eventually driven from the tree by rain. • Four students — Jan Roberts, Edward Vinson, Mike McKenna and Richard Aker — represent the U of A in a televised academic competition called the College Bowl.
1979 • Senior Walk construction resumes after a three-year delay. • The Arkansas General Assembly proposes legislation that would make it illegal for students in state schools to enter dormitories that house students of the opposite gender. • Gov. Bill Clinton speaks at commencement.
1989 • Jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis performs on campus. • The Associated Student Government overwhelmingly passes a resolution calling for a full week of vacation around the Thanksgiving holiday.
• Professors Dwight F. Mix and J.E. Bass receive a grant from the U.S. Postal Service to begin developing what would become the most widely implemented automated mail-sorting equipment in the world – the Wide Area Bar Code Reader.
1999 • KXUA, the student radio station, begins broadcasting at 88.3FM. It supplanted earlier student stations KUAF, which is now the university’s NPR affiliate; KRFA, an on-campus cablecast; and KRZR, earlier proposed call letters. • For the first time at the U of A, two students are named Truman Scholars: Angela Maxwell and Megan Ceronsky. • For the first time, the university observes the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Offices are closed, classes are dismissed for the day, and students organize a candlelight vigil at the Fulbright Peace Fountain.
2009 • Students bring former President George H.W. Bush to campus as the distinguished lecturer. • William Schwab is named the ninth dean of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. • Classes are canceled for four days after a major ice storm knocks out power to most of Fayetteville, downs trees across campus and stops traffic in the region. • Lalit Verma is named interim dean of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. • With funding from NASA, professor Vincent Chevrier studies the surface of Saturn’s moon Titan by simulating the conditions in a planetary environmental chamber.
SPRING 2019 / ARKANSAS / 51
Senior Walk
Class Notes Let us know about your milestones and anything else you would like to share with your classmates — births, marriages, new jobs, retirements, moves and more. Please include your degree, class year, and when applicable, your maiden name. To provide the most thorough coverage of alumni news, we publish notes about members and non-members of the
1950s Morrison F. Smith ✪+ BSBA’59 and his wife, Mary Smith ✪+, of Llano, Texas, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2018.
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,
St. Louis District Gallery of Distinguished Civilian Employees. George Billy McGill ✪ BSE’69 MBA’77 is mayor of Fort Smith. He is the first African American mayor of the city.
1960s
1970s
Jim D. Bissell ★ BSCE’65, Nashville, was inducted into the Corps of Engineers
Larry S. Lloyd ★ BSCE’73 MBA’91, Fayetteville, serves on the Nutrient Water
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P.O. Box 1070, Fayetteville AR 72702; or by email: records@ arkansasalumni.org. These symbols indicate Alumni Association membership: ✩ Student Member ★ Member ★+ Member, A+ ✪ Life Member ✪+ Life Member, A+
Quality Trading Advisory Panel of the State of Arkansas. Julie Sessions Snodgrass ✪+ BA’78, Kansas City, Missouri. Snodgrass and her daughterin-law, Anne Martucci, are the authors of a published children’s book, The Search For Your Best Furever Friend, An Animal Alphabet Adventure.
1980s Brian Rosenthal ✪+ BSBA’84, Little Rock, is the president of the Arkansas Bar Association. Kenny Gibbs ✪+ BSBA’85, Little Rock, was named to the 2018 Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list. Michelle E. Myers MED’88 EDD’90, Kansas City, Missouri. She is the provost
ARKANSAS
ALUMNI at Park University in Parkville, Missouri. Anthony John Wappel MPA’88, Fayetteville, has published The Square Book: An Illustrated History of the Fayetteville Square, 18282016. It is the third book in his studies of Fayetteville history.
1990s Chad T. Young BARCH’95, Little Rock. He is the president and chief executive officer of WD&D Architects. Justin Bailey Hunt ★ BS’98, Springdale, is the senior vice president and chief medical officer for Ozark Guidance.
2000s Marco Javon Barker ✪ BSIE’00, Salt Lake City, Utah, will be the inaugural vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Barker will also hold the appointment of associate professor of practice for education administration at UNL.
2010s Sangeeta Mukhopadhyay PHD’17, Fayetteville, was named the winner of the student paper competition at the American Association of Cereal Chemists International annual meeting in San Diego in October 2017. Suzanna Gibbs ✪ BA’18, Cleveland, Ohio, is a corps member with Teach for America.
In Memoriam 1930s
David P. Burton BSCHE’39, Little Rock, Oct. 25, 2017. He farmed near Tupelo, Arkansas, for 36 years as well as being involved in other agricultural businesses.
He served on the Board of Trustees for Harding University for 25 years. Survivors: four sons, two stepsons, two stepdaughters, seven grandchildren, six stepgrandchildren, and 28 great-grandchildren.
1940s Marilyn Newsom McHaney FS’41, Little Rock, Oct. 20, 2017. She was a community leader and active volunteer. Survivors: a son, a daughter and four grandchildren. Olivia Jane Cooper Bibb BA’42, Beckley, West Virginia, Nov. 11, 2017. She was a social worker. She also shared Gundagai Farm at White Oak with her husband. Survivors: a daughter, two sons, a brother, and five grandchildren. Louis O. Lambiotte BS’42, Corpus Christi, Texas, Nov. 27, 2017. He was a doctor of internal medicine for more than 35 years until his retirement in 1987. Survivors: wife, Connie Lambiotte; a daughter; a son; a grandson; two stepgrandchildren and four great-granddaughters. Katherine Treece FS’42, Little Rock, Nov. 6, 2017. She was a homemaker. Survivors: two sons, a daughter, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
PIGnic
Attend one this summer near you!
arkansasalumni.org/pignics
Save the Date
Bruce L. Bates BSCHE’43, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Nov. 14, 2017. Spent his career at Phillips Petroleum, beginning in 1943. Survivors: a daughter, three sons, numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Emily Gaughan Swift BSHE’43, Birmingham, Alabama, Oct. 17, 2017. Survivors: a son, two daughters, a brother, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Friday, November 1, 2019 arkansasalumni.org/awards SPRING 2019 / ARKANSAS / 53
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In Memoriam
Donna Axum Whitworth ✪+ Donna Axum Whitworth ✪+ B.A.’66 M.A.’69, passed away Nov. 4, 2018, in Fort Worth, Texas. She is remembered fondly at the U of A for the lives she touched, the work she accomplished and the graciousness she brought to everything she did. She was 76. Whitworth was a rising senior at the University of Arkansas in 1964 when she won the Miss Arkansas pageant – then a month later was crowned Miss America, the first Arkansan to win the title. Her year as Miss America began a lifetime of service nationally, on state Opposite page, Donna Axum Whitworth, Miss America 1964, in her gown and crown. Above, and community levels, as Axum Whitworth greets Savvy Shields, not long after she became Miss America 2017. well as to the University Photo left, submitted by the Whitworth family and photo above, Russell Cothren. of Arkansas. Whitworth used her Whitworth was a proud member of the Delta Delta Miss America scholarship to complete her bachelor’s and Delta sorority and was chosen as one of the “Top 100 master’s degrees in speech and dramatic arts at the U of A, earning her Bachelor of Arts in 1966 and her Master of Tri Delts in the First 100 Years” for her work with the sorority. In fact, that work brought her back to campus Arts in 1969. Oct. 25, 2018, for the re-dedication of the expanded and She spent most of her professional life in Texas and married J. Bryan Whitworth in 1984. They settled in Fort renovated sorority house. She had supported the project from the outset. Worth, where they raised five children. She had a diverse “I cherish the time spent getting to know Donna over professional career as a television personality, professional the past few years,” said Chancellor Joe Steinmetz. “She speaker, author, and university professor. was kind, generous and truly loved her family. She was Whitworth always maintained strong ties to the a founding member of our Women’s Giving Circle and U of A – not only working to restore Old Main, understood the power of giving. The fact that she wanted but serving leadership roles in the Arkansas Alumni Fayetteville to be her final resting place says a lot about Association, the U of A Board of Advisors, and on what the university meant to her.” the Steering Committees of both the Campaign for The University Libraries hold the Donna Axum the Twenty-First Century and the current Campaign Whitworth Papers in the Special Collections department. Arkansas. She received the Distinguished Alumni Award Survivors: husband, J. Bryan Whitworth ✪+; four in 1988, and the university’s fitness center in the Health, daughters; a son; one sister and nine grandchildren. Physical Education and Recreation Building was named in her honor. SPRING 2019 / ARKANSAS / 55
Advancing Student Success Through Scholarships The retention and graduation of students continues to be a priority for the University of Arkansas, and the Advance Arkansas scholarship initiative is a key component of promoting student success. The following four Advance Arkansas scholarships have been created to
benefit students from Carroll County, St. Francis County, Jefferson County, Lincoln County and the Arkansas Delta, as well as those who study in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design and the Sam M. Walton College of Business.
Kevin and Stephanie Wilcox Advance Arkansas Endowed Scholarship Alumni Kevin and Stephanie Wilcox of Little Rock have contributed $200,000 to create a scholarship for students in the Sam M. Walton College of Business and the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design.
Bob J. and Virginia Beavers Advance Arkansas Endowed Scholarship Alumna Beth Beavers Prescott wanted to honor her father’s career in architecture and her parents’ love for the U of A with a $50,000 gift. She and her husband, Hal, felt compelled to support students from St. Francis County and the Arkansas Delta.
Jim and Jana Harris Advance Arkansas Scholarship Alumni Jim and Jana Harris were the first in their families to attend college and believe the U of A provided them with life-changing opportunities. Their $50,000 scholarship endowment will give preference to firstgeneration students from Carroll County.
Erik and Brandy Tuft Advance Arkansas Endowed Scholarship Alumni Erik and Brandy Tuft of Rogers contributed $25,000 to create a scholarship for students from Lincoln and Jefferson Counties. Their gift was matched with another $25,000 from Ernst & Young, where Brandy works as a senior manager of assurance services.
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.
Support the Advance Arkansas Endowed Scholarship for Central Arkansas Transfer Students! Created by the Campaign Arkansas Central Arkansas Committee, this new Advance Arkansas scholarship will specifically support transfer students from the Central Arkansas region who exhibit financial need, records of academic success and a strong desire to complete their degree at the University of Arkansas. The scholarship will be renewable to students regardless of their field of study with acceptable progress toward a degree. Contributions of all sizes are welcome. For more information or to make a gift, contact Emily Money, director of development, at (501) 916-2021 or elmoney@uark.edu.
Student Success Center A Campus-wide Priority
In the coming years, the University of Arkansas will break ground on a $45 million Student Success Center. The Center is organized around critical needs at each stage of the student journey — building comprehensive pre-enrollment efforts, bolstering summer transition support, facilitating new semester-to-semester persistence programs, promoting on-time graduation and strengthening post-graduation success — all within a space that combines tradition with innovation. The Center will bring together the majority of our student services under one roof and serve all
55.5% In Fall 2018, the U of A enrolled 2,477 fulltime, degree-seeking, new freshmen from Arkansas. 55.5% of these students had financial, social or academic need.
students, with special emphasis on first-generation Arkansans, through new and already-proven successful programming. Chancellor Joe Steinmetz, a first-generation college graduate, said, “Providing students with the tools they need to succeed academically is my number one priority for the remainder of Campaign Arkansas. I believe we can build a space to better serve our students while strengthening our region and state with flourishing citizens who will use their education to improve our economy and communities.”
77.7%
50% Six-year graduation rates remained below 50% among students who entered the university with substantial financial, social or academic need.
An increase in baccalaureate degrees is associated with an increase in higher lifetime earnings, healthier lifestyles and a more engaged community.
For students without financial, social or academic need, the six-year graduation rate increases to 77.7%.
To learn how you can be a part of the student success initiative at the University of Arkansas, contact Mark Power at (479) 575-6800 or mepower@uark.edu.
Senior Walk
In Memoriam
Douglas Arthur James ✪ Douglas Arthur James, 93, of Fayetteville, passed away on Dec. 17, 2018, at the Willard Walker Hospice Home. James was a long-time fixture in the Department of Biological Sciences in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, retiring in 2016 after 64 years with the university. At his retirement, he had become the longest-serving professor in University of Arkansas history. During his career at the U of A, James gave over 300 presentations at various meetings of scientific organizations. He mentored 83 graduate students, including 53 master’s and 30 doctoral students. A historical plaque placed outside the scienceengineering building on the university campus notes the accomplishments in statistical ecology of James’s lab and students. James published a total of 114 scientific articles and received 77 research grants from local and national agencies during his career. He was also considered the authority on the birds of Arkansas, co-authoring Arkansas Birds with Joseph C. Neal in 1986. He became one of the state’s leading conservationists in the second half of the last century, helping to start the Arkansas Audubon Society in 1955 and the Arkansas Audubon Society Trust in 1972. James also arranged the first meeting of what would become the Ozark Society, which was responsible for saving the Buffalo River from being dammed. He is one of the few people to have been given three Fulbright International Scholars awards. In 2002, James received the prestigious Charles and Nadine Baum Teaching Award, the highest award given by the University of Arkansas to a faculty member for teaching. Then, in 2004, James became the first faculty member in his department to be appointed a University Professor. He also received several lifetime achievement awards, including the W. Frank Blair Eminent Naturalist Award (2006) from the Southwestern Association of Naturalists and the William and Nancy Klamm Service Award (2014) from the Wilson Ornithological Society. He is survived by his beloved wife, Elizabeth Mary Adam ✪ B.A.’82, and his three daughters. 58 / ARKANSAS / SPRING 2019
Stephen H. Alexander FS’43, San Antonio, Texas, Nov. 12, 2017. He was a U.S. Navy Veteran. Retired as vice president of operations for Gulf States Asphalt Company. Survivors: three sons, a sister, six grandchildren and 11 greatgrandchildren. Avanell Watson Conner BSHE’44, Helena, Oct. 18, 2017. She taught elementary and junior high school for over 40 years. Survivors: two sons, a daughter and three grandchildren. Dorothy Landers McGuffey BS’46, Roswell, Georgia, Oct. 2017. Survivors: two sons, two daughters, 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Betty Parker Garrison BSSW’47, Sunrise, Arizona, Nov. 10, 2017. Survivors: three sons and five grandchildren. F. Clark Elkins MA’48, Jonesboro, Nov. 25, 2017. He was a veteran of the Army Air Corps and served during World War II. He received numerous service awards including the Distinguished Flying Cross. He spent more than 42 years in higher education. Survivors: a daughter, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. J. Norman Crowder ★ BSBA’48 MED’54, Springdale, Nov. 9, 2017. Survivors: wife, Ruth Marie Crowder; two sons; a daughter; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. James E. McDaniel LLB’48, Jonesboro, Aug. 10, 1987. He was a U. S. Army veteran and served during World War II. He was a lawyer for 30 years. Survivors: wife, Doris McDaniel; a son; two daughters; a brother; two sisters and five grandchildren. Robert H. Boon BS’48, Huntsville, Nov. 11, 2017. He was a U.S. Army veteran who served during World War
II. He was board certified in internal medicine and pulmonary disease, practicing until retirement from the Huntsville Clinic in 1984. Survivors: wife, Eloise Gray Boon; a daughter and a son. Ann Burns Smith BA’49, Jonesboro, Oct. 3, 2017. She established the first Alternative Educational School in Arkansas. She later worked for the Department of Education, traveling the state to help school districts establish similar alternative educational programs. She later went on to be the director of the Pygmalion Commission, a nonprofit group dedicated to the advancement of alternative education. Survivors: two sons, a sister and a granddaughter. Marilyn Wilkinson Cox FS’49, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Sept. 29, 2017. She was an actress. Survivors: two daughters, two brothers and two grandchildren.
1950s
Arch P. Pickens Jr. BSBA’50, Houston, Texas, Nov. 15, 2017. He founded and operated his company, Transport Systems of Houston, for over 50 years. Survivors: wife, Thelma Pickens; two daughters; four grandchildren and one greatgrandchild. Grace T. Magie J+ BA’50, Heber Springs, Nov. 27, 2017. She had a successful career as a nursing home administrator. Survivors: two sons, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Fremont Ellis Johnston MS’51, North Little Rock, Nov. 8, 2017. He was a U.S. Navy veteran, proudly serving in World War II. He went on to become a businessman who worked selling chicken eggs and jewelry. Survivors: wife, Altha Johnston; a son; four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Jerry N. O’Roark BSJ’51, Memphis, Tennessee, Nov. 30, 2017. He was a World War II Navy signalman. He was in public relations and communications, having worked for Holiday Inn and FedEx. Survivors: two sons and two granddaughters. Jimmy H. Phillips BSBA’51, Fordyce, Oct. 25, 2017. Colonel Phillips served in the U.S. Army in three wars and received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart as well as 13 other war and peacetime distinctions. After retiring from the Army, Colonel Phillips served as the executive director of the Arkansas Waterways Commission from 1980 to 1993. In retirement, he directed his attention to historic restorations of many buildings in the Fordyce area. Survivors: wife, Agnes W. Phillips BSBA’51; three sons; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Abraham J. Pianalto BSBA’51, Diablo, California, June 11, 2017. He was a commercial real estate broker in East Bay for over 40 years. Survivors: wife, Sally Pianalto; three daughters, a son and six grandchildren. Richard D. Worley MA’51, Bluffton, South Carolina, Oct. 22, 2017. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He worked in the development and manufacture of weapons for many years. He later taught at the University of Tennessee for several years. Survivors: a daughter, a son, two grandsons and three great-grandchildren. Barbara Taegel BSE’52 MS’53, Little Rock, Nov. 13, 2017. She joined the faculty of University of Arkansas, Little Rock in 1959 and retired in 1996 as dean of students in her 37th year of service. Survivors: a stepdaughter and a stepson.
Jack L. Tickner LLB’52, Mesquite, Texas, Nov. 25, 2017. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He later retired as the regional counsel for Chicago Title after 35 years. Survivors: wife, Dorothy Tickner; two sons; a daughter; a sister; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Mary John Jones ★ BA’52 MA’55 MA’84, Fayetteville, Oct. 26, 2017. She was a high school teacher. Survivors: three daughters, a son, and nine grandchildren. Alice Burrus Moore ★ BSBA’53, Scottsdale, Arizona, April 27, 2018. She spent time as a high school teacher. Survivors: two daughters, two sons, a sister, and seven grandchildren. Gerald L. Dill BSA’53, Tualatin, Oregon, Aug. 19, 2017. He was a U. S. Army veteran of World War II and earned five Bronze Stars and the Good Contact Medal. He retired in 1982 after working for the Riverside County Agricultural Commissioner for around 30 years. Survivors: two daughters, a son, a sister, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Ollie Blan Jr. J+ LLB’54. Birmingham, Alabama, Nov. 23, 2017. He served in the Judge Adjutant General’s Office of the U.S. Marine Corps. He was a lawyer. Survivors: his wife, Connie Gillon Blan; a son; two daughters, a sister and three grandchildren. Herbert L. Seay BSBA’54, Oklahoma City, Nov. 22, 2017. He was a U. S. Army veteran and served during World War II, receiving three Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart. He retired from the Federal Aviation Administration in 1986 as personnel director. Survivors: wife, Sue C. Seay; a son; a sister; a grandson and two great-grandchildren.
TAI LGAT I NG ALUMN I AL LE Y •
Premier tailgating opportunity with reserved parking
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Steps away from Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
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20x20 spots available
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Season and single game spots available
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Tent and event rentals provided exclusively by Intents
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$5000.00 per season or $1000.00 single game price
ALUMN I ROW •
New all-inclusive tailgating experience
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Located on the west side of the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House on an all paved surface with electricity available
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Just a short walk to Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
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One reserved parking place per tailgate spot
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10x10 spots available that include a 10x10 tent, one 6’ banquet table and 6 plastic folding chairs
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$3500.00 per season or $750 single game price
For more information and to reserve your space contact Julie Simpson at 479-575-4493 or jds027@uark.edu.
Senior Walk
In Memoriam
Jamie Chad Brandon M.A.’99 Archaeologist and anthropology professor Jamie Chad Brandon died on Dec. 24, 2018, after a brief but courageous battle with cancer. Brandon’s career in archaeology spanned three decades and involved fieldwork throughout the Southeastern United States. He focused on a wide range of topics, including adaptation to environmental change, land use through time, ethnicity, race relations and historical memory in the pre-industrial South. In addition to producing an impressive record of scholarly research, Brandon is remembered for his unparalleled devotion to outreach activities to the public about archaeological discoveries and their relationship to understanding modern society. He was also a popular teacher and mentored a host of students through internships, theses and dissertation projects. Following receipt of his bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Memphis, Brandon moved to Fayetteville in 1997 to enroll at the University of Arkansas and begin a long and productive career with the Arkansas Archeological Survey. He earned his master’s degree in 1999, while also participating in several Archeological Survey projects, including directing excavations at the 19th century Van Winkle Mill site in present-day Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area, which became the subject of his 2004 doctoral dissertation at the University of Texas-Austin. In 2014, Brandon returned to Fayetteville to take the post of research station archaeologist at the University of Arkansas, where he taught in the Department of Anthropology. Throughout his career with the Archeological Survey, Brandon contributed to a variety of organizational initiatives, including service for several terms on the personnel committee and leading the publications committee during a critical five-year period of reorganization and revitalization. He also supported both local and state-wide programs for the Arkansas Archeological Society. Brandon is survived by his wife, Lydia Rees.
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James A. Pratt ★ BSE’54 MED’57, Norman, Oklahoma, Dec. 2, 2017. He was a U.S. Navy veteran and served during World War II and the Korean Conflict. After teaching high school and working for the Boy Scouts of America, he spent 17 years as a Social Security disability determination examiner for the state of Texas. Survivors: two daughters, two grandsons and three greatgrandchildren. Herman L. Hamilton Jr. BA’55 LLB’57, Hamburg, Oct. 6, 2017. He was a published author of the Arkansas Law Review and partner of the law firm Hamilton, Hamilton and Leonard PLLC. He was also a member of the Arkansas Bar Association for 60 years. Survivors: wife, Patti A. Walsh Hamilton; two sons; two sisters and five grandchildren. Kenneth Davis BSA’56, Ogden, Oct. 10, 2017. He managed and operated Davis Farms until his death. Survivors: wife, Linda Baue Davis; three sons; a daughter; a brother; a sister and four grandchildren. Norma Bell Hetzel MED’56, Georgetown, Texas, Oct. 4, 2017. She had a long career in teaching. Survivors: two sons and a daughter. Roy C. Hicks BSA’56, Rockport, Texas, Oct. 8, 2017. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and went on to be the accountant for Key Allegro Real Estate. Survivors: wife, Cathy, two sons, two daughter and seven grandchildren. Douglas Smith Jr. BSBA’56, Fort Smith, Nov. 27, 2017. He served as a member of the Arkansas Air National Guard from 1959 to 1965 and was activated by the U.S. Air Force in 19611962. He practiced law in
Fort Smith for 51 years until his retirement from active practice. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of Hanna Oil and Gas Company. Survivors: wife, Connie Smith; a daughter; a sister; and three granddaughters. Bob J. Beavers ★ BARCH’57, Forrest City, Oct. 24, 2017. He was a talented architect and continued to work in the field even after his retirement from Cromwell Architects. Survivors: wife, Virginia Beavers; a son, a daughter, two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Rogers Johnston BSA’57, McAlester, Oklahoma, Oct. 22, 2017. He owned and operated the Lehnhard Johnston Ranch and the Timbers Rentals. Survivors: a son, a daughter, two brothers and two grandchildren. Eugene V. Jones J BSBA’57, Shreveport, Louisiana, May 10, 2017. John C. Mays BSBA’57, Hot Springs, Oct. 21, 2017. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Korean War. He was the former partner and manager of Benton Funeral Home Fordyce and served on the board of Dallas County Hospital for 12 years. Survivors: wife, Masha Mays; one son; one daughter; two stepsons; one stepdaughter; a brother; several grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. Jackson L. Holman BSPH’58, Little Rock, Nov. 14, 2017. He served during the Korean Conflict as a medic. He owned three drug stores and eventually retired from the Veterans Affairs Hospital as supervisor of outpatient pharmacy. Survivors: wife, Elizabeth; two daughters; four grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren.
Joe V. Hyden MS’64, Norman, Oklahoma, Oct. 5, 2017. He had a long career in the aerospace and defense industry working at NASA, General Dynamics, Boeing Company and NATO. Survivors: his wife, Judy; two daughters, two stepdaughters; a brother; and seven grandchildren. Wilma Jane Turner BSE’64 MED’73, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Dec. 5, 2017. She was a certified elementary school teacher and an ordained minister. Survivors: a daughter, two sons, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Linda Ragsdale Kercado BA’65, Hot Springs, Oct. 14, 2017. She managed her own online crafts business. Survivors: her husband, Robert C. Kercado, and a brother. Warren Lee Vogel BSBA’65, McPherson, Kansas, Nov. 23, 2017. He was retired from Johns Manville Warehouse. Survivors: wife, Carol Vogel; two sons and four grandchildren.
1960s
Jerry D. Black ★ BSCHE’60, Bonita Springs, Florida, Sept. 14, 2017. Carol Parker Hewer BA’60 MA’62, Ridgecrest, California, Sept. 30, 2017. She was retired from Cerro Cosco College in 2001, where she worked for 38 years. Survivors: husband, Gary Hewer; a daughter and a grandson. Charles L. Ormond BSBA’60, Morrilton, Nov. 24, 2017. He served his country in the Air Force and was a recipient of Air Force Defense and Air Force Commendation Medals. He was a licensed insurance agent and owned Ormond Insurance Agency in Morrilton. He was also a director of Petit Jean State
Bank. Survivors: wife, Shirley; four daughters; a sister and nine grandchildren. Ellis Merle Bull MS’62, Oct. 28, 2017. He taught biology at Weatherford College until he retired in 1994. Survivors: wife, Peggy Bull; two sons and a brother. Robert H. Anthony ★ BSBA’64 MBA’65, Little Rock, Oct. 25, 2017. Retired after more than 40 years as a CPA. Survivors: wife, Melissa Kay Anthony ★; a daughter; a sister; three grandchildren and an extended blended family. Gerald D. Hatfield BSBA’64, Surprise, Arizona, Nov. 13, 2017. He was a retired financial executive. Survivors: wife, Joetta Cobb Hatfield; two sons; a brother and five grandchildren.
Noah J. Wilson MA’65, Kingston, Oklahoma, Oct. 12, 2017. He was a talented history teacher and began serving as dean of liberal arts at Oklahoma Christian College in 1997; retiring in 2002. Survivors: wife, Anna Wilson; a daughter, and two granddaughters. John H. McCalla ★ BSBA’66, Fayetteville, December 30, 2017. Lt. Col. H McCalla retired from the U.S. Army after 26 years of service. He received numerous medals and awards including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star. Survivors: wife, Carolyn C. McCalla; two daughters; one son; five grandchildren and one greatgrandson.
Steven M. Bailes BSE’66, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Oct. 10, 2017. He worked for many years in public education in Arkansas and loved helping students. Survivors: Rose Ann Bailes; two daughters; a son; a sister and six grandchildren. Trezzie A. Pressley Jr. PHD’66, Commerce, Texas, Nov. 7, 2017. He was a U.S. Army veteran, responsible for human resources. He retired from East Texas State University in 1995 after 30 years of service to the university, including serving as dean of the College of Business. Survivors: wife, Peggy Preston Pressley; three children, a sister, six grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren. Francis T. Demont Jr. BSBA’67 MBA’74, Siloam Springs, Oct. 7, 2017. He retired as a major in the U.S. Army in 1987 after serving two tours in Vietnam. Survivors: wife, Taddy Demont; a son; a daughter; a brother; a sister and three granddaughters. Hugh M. McCastlain BSCHE’68, Friendswood, Texas, Oct. 12, 2017. He was executive vice president of Arkla Inc. Survivors: two daughters, a son, three sisters and a granddaughter. Mary Jean Carter Mixon ★ BSE’68, Greenwood, Sept. 30, 2017. She was a schoolteacher for many years and retired from Greenwood Public Schools. Survivors: a daughter, a son, a brother, three grandsons and a great-granddaughter. Byron Fisher Sr. BSBA’69, Memphis, Tennessee, Nov. 24, 2017. He was a salesman in the insurance, computer and office supply industries. Survivors: wife, Marry Ann Fisher; two sons and five grandchildren.
SPRING 2019 / ARKANSAS / 61
Events
Ellen E. Meek BSE’69 MED’71, Houston, Texas, Oct. 5, 2017. She worked for many years in the Houston Public School System as a librarian. Survivors: husband, Edward Jones; a daughter and two brothers. Philip D. Skelton MA’69, Conway, Oct. 23, 2017. He worked for more than 33 years as an English professor and director of the Theatre Department at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia. He was also a poet and novelist. Survivors: a daughter, a sister, two brothers, and two grandchildren.
1970s
Julie L. Bennett BA’70, New Orleans, Louisiana, Oct. 29, 2017. She was a retired social worker. Edward M. Hahn BSA’71, Fort Smith, Oct. 14, 2017. He served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. He owned and operated both Smith Mortuary and Arkansas Wilbert Vault. Survivors: wife, Cy Rice Hahn; a daughter; a sister; two grandchildren and one greatgrandchild. Donna S. Walker J BSE’70 MED’78, Springdale, Dec. 1, 2017. She was a teacher. Survivors: husband, Victor Walker J; a daughter and three grandchildren. James T. Gray MED’71, Paris, Nov. 10, 2017. He spent 37 years working in the field of education where he served in both teaching and administrative roles, eventually serving as the superintendent of Paris schools. Survivors: two daughters, a sister and two grandchildren. Gary S. Gammill BSBA’71, Hazen, Nov. 11, 2017. He was a certified public accountant. Survivors: two daughters, one brother, one sister and three grandchildren.
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Joan H. Edmiston Hess BA’72, Austin, Texas, Nov. 23, 2017. She was an author of more than 40 popular fiction books. Survivors: a daughter, a son, a brother, and four grandchildren. Zigmund J. Roebuck MS’73, Huntsville, Nov. 30, 2017. He served 26 years in the U.S. Army and retired in 1990 at the rank of colonel. He served as the president of the West Point Society of the Tennessee Valley and the president of AUSA Third Region, receiving recognition for exemplary service in 2011. Survivors: his wife, Linda Mosely Robebuck. Elizabeth Henderson FS’74, Little Rock, Dec. 31, 2016. She was a skilled mental health professional and spent the last 12 years of her career at the Arkansas State Hospital as a monitor in the 911 program. Survivors: her husband, Jerry Henderson MA’81 PHD’86; a son; a daughter and a grandson.
HEARING FROM A HOG Have you heard of the student-alumni connection opportunity “Hearing from a Hog?” We invite you to host a small group of Student Alumni Association members for lunch or dinner in person or via web conference. The dinner can be in your home, at a local restaurant, or at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House. This program serves as a networking, professional development opportunity for students. Get involved and connect to create student success and alumni engagement. Our goal is to schedule two dinner events per month. Please contact Mercedes B. Gazaway with Student Programs at the Arkansas Alumni Association at mbalbers@uark.edu or 479.575.2801.
Robert B. Reichard Jr. BA’75, Little Rock, Dec. 6, 2017. Survivors: a son, a daughter, a brother, and two grandchildren. Mae R. Faulkner MED’77, Jonesboro, Oct. 23, 2017. She was a retired schoolteacher for Little Rock Public Schools. Survivors: two daughters, a son, a brother, a sister, and four grandchildren.
1980s
Christene Helen Chambliss MS’80, Clearwater, Florida, Sept. 13, 2016. Bob G. Coleman BSCE’80, Fort Smith, Nov. 22, 2017. He retired from the U.S. Naval Reserve as a lieutenant commander. He retired from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Muskogee, Oklahoma, where he served as regional environmental scientist and division chief for Environmental Safety and Cultural Resources. Survivors: wife, Martha A. Coleman; two sons;
one brother and two grandchildren. Linda N. Garner MPA’80, Little Rock, Nov. 15, 2017. She worked for the Arkansas state government for 10 years and went on to join Stephens Inc. Investment Banking Firm, retiring in 2010 as managing director after 25 years with the firm. Survivors: husband, Lamar Williamson Riggs, a sister and a brother. James Talmade Thweatt BA’81, Benton, Oct. 24, 2017. He had been employed by the state of Arkansas since 1981, most recently in the Office of Long Term Care as a life safety inspector. Survivors: wife, Marilyn Thweatt; a daughter; a brother; a sister; and three grandchildren.
Lynn Burnett BA’82 MED’86, Fayetteville, Oct. 28, 2017. She taught in the Fayetteville Public Schools for over 25 years. Survivors: two daughters, two brothers, and three grandchildren. Jennifer Jesson Karber BSIE’83, Fort Smith, Dec. 4, 2017. She worked for Whirlpool Corp. for 34 years, including serving as product quality director for refrigeration at the corporate office. She joined the Arkansas Academy of Industrial Engineering in 2005. Survivors: her mother, a son and three sisters. Deon Edward Cable BSME’85, Little Rock, Nov. 28, 2017. Survivors: a daughter and a son.
OFFICERS President Teena Gunter ✪ ’92, ’97, Oklahoma City, OK Past President Don Eldred ✪+ ’81, Houston, TX Treasurer Kenneth Biesterveld ✪ ’05, ’10, Centerton, AR Assistant Treasurer Don Walker ✪ ’74, Fayetteville, AR Secretary Deborah Blume ✪+ ’08, Fayetteville, AR BOARD OF DIRECTORS Class of 2019 John Forrest Ales ✪ ’02, San Francisco, CA Linda Bedford-Jackson ✪ ’80, Austin, TX Susan Kemp ✪ ’73, ’75, Little Rock, AR Robert Kolf ✪+ ’78, Wildwood, MO Greg Lee ✪+ ’70, Fayetteville, AR Paul Parette ✪+ ’89, Dallas, TX Ron Rainey ✪ ’91, ’93, Little Rock Lott Rolfe IV ✪ ’94, Maumelle, AR Roger Sublett ✪ ’64, ’65, Mason, OH Amy Tu ✪ ’96, Fayetteville, AR Brian Wolff ✪ ’89, Washington, DC Class of 2020 John Berrey ✪ ’91, Sperry, 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 Class of 2021 Kristen Allbritton ✪ ’04, McKinney, TX Ashley Harris ✪ ’95, Fayetteville, AR Kristin Kaufman ✪ ’83, Dallas, TX Chris Johnson ✪ ’93, North Little Rock, AR Bobby Jones ✪ ’84, Savannah, GA Connie Lewis Lensing ✪ ’74, JD’77, Memphis, TN Drake McGruder ✪ ’06, ’12, Fort Smith, AR Dustin McDaniel ✪ ’94, Little Rock, AR Courtney Backus Norton ★ ’07, Fayetteville, AR 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 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; Shanedra Barnes ✪, Assistant Director of Outreach and Engagement; Debbie Blume ✪+ BSBA’08, Board and Campaign Coordinator; Carol Cooper ★, Chapters and Student Programs Assistant; 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; Mary Kate Harrison ★ BA’15, MA’17, Special Projects Coordinator; Ryan Jones ★, Membership and Marketing Assistant; Lisy McKinnon ★ BA’97, Associate Director of Chapter Programs; Rachel Moore ★ BSHES ’07, Assistant Director of Membership & Marketing; Emily Piper ★, Administrative Specialist; Patti Sanders ✪+ BSA’08, Associate Director of Alumni Scholarships; Julie Simpson ★, Associate Director of Facilities and Special Events; Elizabeth Lee Shoultz ★ B.A. ’16, MPA ’18, Manager of Affinity Programs and Analysis
Robert B. Jackson MED’85, Columbia, Missouri, Nov. 24, 2017. He was a World War II veteran. He had a long career as an electrical engineer in the Bell System. Survivors: two daughters, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Roger D. Martin BSPA’89 MBA’91, Dallas, Texas, Nov. 23, 2016. He spent his early career in politics, including serving as director of special projects in President Clinton’s office in Little Rock. He later became a corporate lawyer and worked in Atlanta and then Dallas until retirement. Survivors: his parents and two sisters.
Friends G. Thomas Eisele J, Little Rock, Nov. 26, 2017. He retired after spending 41 years as a U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Survivors: two sons, two daughters, eight grandchildren, 13 greatgrandchildren and one greatgreat-grandchild. Delbert D. Ervin ★, Charleston, Feb. 28, 2016. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He retired from the U.S. Postal service after 33 years and later was a realtor for Caperton Realty in Fort Smith. Survivors: wife, Mary Belle Ervin BSE’64 MED’68; a daughter; a son; four grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren. George Popejoy ★, Goodyear, Arizona, Nov. 26, 2018. He retired after 18 years as the owner of Popejoy Highway Construction Company. Survivors; wife, Bonita Popejoy ★; a daughter; two sons and two grandchildren. Connie Tharp ★, Houston, Texas, Nov. 23, 2017. Survivors: husband, Jack H. Tharp, a son, two daughters, a sister and seven grandchildren.
In Memoriam
Al Einert Alfred E. “Al” Einert, who established the ornamental horticulture teaching and research programs at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and the U of A’s Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, died Aug. 22, 2018, in Fayetteville. He was 79. For more than three decades, beginning in 1970, Einert coordinated the landscape design and urban horticulture teaching program for the Bumpers College Department of Horticulture. He initiated programs to assist nursery and horticultural industries in Arkansas and taught the basic principles and practices in landscape design, landscape construction techniques and wood plant identification. Einert was the first licensed landscape architect in Arkansas, receiving “License No. 1” and trained several generations of landscape architects in the state. In 1975, Einert developed a new undergraduate major in landscape design and urban horticulture. Graduates established their own landscaping businesses or found jobs with municipal parks or recreation departments. The program also benefitted extension agents in urban areas. In 1987, Einert took over the Undergraduate Honors Program for Bumpers College. In the 1990s, he worked with Roy Rom ★ and Curt Rom J+ BSA’80 to develop a “freshman experience” program in the department of horticulture and forestry. Shortly after that, Einert developed an upper-level course in landscape and turfgrass management that was team-taught with the department of agronomy. Einert received the Arkansas Alumni Association Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award for Teaching in 1987 and the John W. White Outstanding Teaching Award in 1988. He retired in 1999. Survivors: two daughters, two brothers, a sister and five grandchildren. SPRING 2019 / ARKANSAS / 63
Photo by Russell Cothren
Last Look
The Deans Are In Vision for a Better University When Dean Carolyn Henderson Allen, far left, announced that she would be stepping back from her service as dean of the University Libraries after 18 years to return to the faculty, someone was bright enough to think that the university ought to get a picture of the women on campus who have served or are serving as deans. Standing on the marble steps of Vol Walker Hall are, from Dean Allen in a clockwise circle, Dean Suzanne McCray of enrollment services, Dean Lynda Coon of the Honors College, Dean of Students Melissa Harwood-Rom, 64 / ARKANSAS / SPRING 2019
Dean Emeritus Dean Cynthia Nance of the School of Law, Dean Margaret Sova McCabe of the School of Law, Dean Kimberly LaScola Needy of the Graduate School and International Education, and former Dean Stacy L. Leeds of the School of Law. Women have served in other leadership roles, but these are the first to serve as deans of academic divisions on campus as well as the Division of Student Affairs. Combined, they have provided more than 120 years of service to the university.
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Travel the World in 2019
with Razorbacks on Tour
Members, alumni, friends and family – anyone can travel with R azorbacks on Tour.
Great Trains and Grand Canyons September 22-27, 2019 Activity Level: Easy Pricing: From $2,795 per person* Airfare: Included from Select Cities
Southwest National Parks
October 2-11, 2019 Activity Level: Easy Pricing: From $3,995 per person*
Mediterranean Legends
October 17-28, 2019 Activity Level: Easy Pricing: From $2,699 per person* Airfare: Included from Select Cities
* Prices are per person based on double occupancy unless otherwise noted. Airfare is not included. PRICES AND ITINERARIES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
For details on the 2019 r azorbacks on tour trips
Visit: arkansasalumni.org/tours or Contact: Lee Shoultz at travel@arkansasalumni.org or 800-775-3465.
