THE MAGAZINE OF ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY’S ALUMNI ASSOCIATION FALL 2017, VOLUME 17, ISSUE 2 ~ $6.00
MEET KELLY AND BETH DAMPHOUSSE STRIVING TO MAKE EVERY RED WOLF COUNT
Joined by Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, Chancellor Kelly Damphousse and the A-State Innovation System team cut the ribbon on The Garage, a new outreach program to the city and community. Click to learn more about A-State’s return to downtown Jonesboro.
in this issue: FEATURES:
04 MEET THE NEW CHANCELLOR 12 KASU CELEBRATES 60TH ANNIVERSARY AS STATE’S
OLDEST PUBLIC MEDIUM
STRENGTHEN REGION
14 A-STATE INNOVATION SYSTEM STRIVES TO
17 NEW FACE, NEW LOGO REPRESENT A-STATE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PROFILES:
06 STUDENT PROFILE 08 CAMPUS PROFILE 10 ALUMNI PROFILE
Christian Canizales
Dr. Ruth Hawkins
Brittany Fowler ‘17
DEPARTMENTS:
03 MY VOICE
Dr. Kelly Damphousse Chancellor Arkansas State University
28 THE LAST WORD
voices | 01
Lindsay Burnett, Executive Director A-State Alumni Association
voices The Magazine of Arkansas State University’s Alumni Association EXECUTIVE EDITOR - LINDSAY BURNETT ‘05 EDITOR - VAN PROVENCE ‘07 DESIGN - MARY REED MELTON ‘04 PRINTING - A-STATE PRINTING SERVICES
A-STATE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT - NONIE SHEFFIELD WIGGINS ’83, ’09, ’12 VICE PRESIDENT - DALE MORRIS ‘70 SECRETARY - PEGGY ROBINSON WRIGHT ’93, ’96 PAST PRESIDENT - MARGO AUFDERHEIDE KAGEBEIN ‘76
BOARD MEMBERS JOHN BAINE ‘95, ‘97
JULIE MATTHEWS ‘94
ERIC BLACKWELL ‘01
MICHAEL MILES ’02, ‘11
RUSTY CHAMBERS ‘89
RICK MILES ‘78
CHARISSE M. CHILDERS ’88, ’91, ‘01
BRANDON MORRIS ‘08
JENNIFER STOUT COLE ’00
JOY MURPHY ‘92
GEORGE COTTON ‘82
NATALIE ROGERS ‘10
JANET DAVIS EVANS ‘80
SHELLEY LUNBECK TUSTISON ’04
RICHARD HARTNESS, SR. ’68
RON RHODES ’70
MARK KILLINGSWORTH ’09 *NEW BOARD MEMBERS WILL BEGIN SERVING FALL 2017
CHANCELLOR - DR. KELLY DAMPHOUSSE VICE CHANCELLOR UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT - DR. JASON PENRY
OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - LINDSAY HARMON BURNETT ‘05 DIRECTOR, ANNUAL GIVING - TARA TOWNSEND THOMASON ‘97 DIRECTOR, MEMBERSHIP - MARSHA MAYS CARWELL ‘05 DIRECTOR, AFFINITY RELATIONS - AMANDA MILLER MCDANIEL ‘93 ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT - CARISSA KIRK GRIFFIN
Voices is published three times a year by the Arkansas State University Alumni Association. Subscriptions are available through membership in the A-State Alumni Association. Single issues are available for $6 each. Editorial offices are located in the Cooper Alumni Center, 2600 Alumni Boulevard, Jonesboro, Arkansas. Our telephone number is (870) 972-2586 and our fax number is (870) 972-2039. MAIL CONTRIBUTIONS, LETTERS AND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: VOICES A-STATE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, INC. P.O. BOX 1990 STATE UNIVERSITY, AR 72467 WEBSITE: AStateAlumni.org
fall 2017 | 02
EMAIL: Alumni@AState.edu
my voice:
ICYMI: Kelly Damphousse’s welcome to A-State video.
DR. KELLY DAMPHOUSSE, CHANCELLOR, ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
As the new chancellor for Arkansas State, I’m excited about the possibilities we have to work together to build your alma mater into one of the best universities in our state and region. The people of Jonesboro have been so kind and inviting to me and my wife Beth. The alumni we have met here and in our first travels around the state have made us feel welcome and we are excited about the future in front of us. We are looking forward to meeting you and hearing your vision for A-State. Several people have asked me about my vision for Arkansas State. While mission statements describe where we are today, vision statements are more about what we aspire to become. So, I have many dreams for the future of A-State. For example, I dream of a time when every high school senior in the state of Arkansas knows that he or she has a place for them in northeast Arkansas. I also dream of a place where the members of our faculty and staff know that they are respected and their ideas matter, and that we all share the same goal of helping our students reach their highest aspirations. I dream of a Jonesboro community that cannot remember a time when the university and the city were not joined at the hip and working together to help our community thrive. Most of all, I dream of a university community that truly believes that “Every Red Wolf Counts.” I wake up every morning enthusiastic about making these dreams a reality. Our alumni are a vital component to each one of those dreams for A-State. I want (and need) you to become involved in our future. I would love to hear from you so that I can learn about what worked about your college education, and what we can do to improve it for the next generation of Red Wolves. We would love to be able to connect you with the young alumni who will soon be graduating from A-State so that we can create a network – a pack, if you will – that makes all of us stronger. It is said that the reputation of a university starts and ends with its alumni and their achievements. Beth and I are committed to enhancing the relationship between A-State and you because we know that you represent us. We would love for you to know more about what we are doing at A-State so that you can share our vision with others. The first place we’d like to start that relationship is through social media. You might have noticed that I am pretty active on social media because it gives me a great way to keep up with the pulse of our campus. It also helps me promote A-State to many audiences (alumni, fans, supporters, faculty, staff, students and future Red Wolves). Keeping up with all that is going on in Jonesboro has never been easier for you. Simply follow the university and the A-State Alumni Association on their Twitter or Facebook accounts. If you are a sports fan, you can keep up with the Red Wolves through the Athletic Department’s social media accounts. Many of our academic colleges and departments have their own social media presence as well! I have only been your chancellor since July 1, but it did not take me long to discover that this is a GREAT university located in a wonderful community. Beth and I feel incredibly blessed to have this opportunity to serve the current and former members of the A-State family. We cannot WAIT to see what our faculty, staff, students and alums do next! WOLVES UP
Kelly Damphousse Chancellor voices | 03
Meet the First Family of A-State: Kelly Damphousse became Chancellor of Arkansas State University on July 1, 2017, thanks to a personal email. An academic administrator at the University of Oklahoma since 2004, Damphousse (DAM-fiss) was serving as the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He and his wife Beth were the family in residence at OU’s freshman Headington Hall. In addition to enjoying teaching Introduction to Sociology to 700 first-year students each year, he was the Sooners’ Big 12/ NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative. Then, he got that email. The last person to say so, Damphousse over the years had become a highly sought-after, but “thanks, not interested,” recruit of numerous president or chancellor searches. He’d seen his share of head-hunter pitches. But on that day, there was a personal message from the President of the Arkansas State University System. Chuck Welch explained how he was convinced Kelly Damphousse was the man for the job at A-State. A personal touch with students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the Norman community was Damphousse’s hallmark. His emphasis on placing students first became apparent during his campus visit to A-State in May 2017. The A-State Staff Senate heard the message and made “Every Red Wolf Counts” t-shirts that welcomed him and Beth when they were introduced later that month.
His self-effacing humor and a lifetime spent relating to individuals regardless of the job led him to Jonesboro to become the third permanently appointed Chancellor of Arkansas State, the sixth to hold the title since it was instituted in 2006. Damphousse joins the line of successors to the university’s founding leader, V. C. Kays, from 1909 as the 13th chief executive of the institution.
Actually, it was his thesis on the etiology of youthful Satanism that earned him his master’s degree in sociology in 1991. After completing his master’s degree, he progressed into drug use at Texas A&M, completing his doctorate under Howard Kaplan, the director of the laboratory for the Studies of Social Deviance, and examined in his dissertation the long-term consequences of using drugs.
Raised in a small fishing village in northern Canada, Damphousse attended Lethbridge Community College where he earned an associate’s degree in law enforcement in 1982. A failed professional hockey tryout foiled one of his two early life ambitions, a career as a goalie in the NHL. His degree was the starting point for his other goal: becoming a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer. As he likes to say, three years in prison at the Alberta Correctional Service where he served as a correctional officer refocused his dream of becoming a Mountie.
He began his university career as an assistant professor in the Department of Justice Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1994, and then returned to his alma mater of Sam Houston State one year later as an assistant professor in the College of Criminal Justice.
Heading south, Damphousse enrolled at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, where his life was changed forever. Along with completing his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, specializing in law enforcement and police science in 1987, he met Beth Smith, a College Station native who, in Kelly’s words, “neither wanted to marry a cop or a Canadian.” After a brief stint as a security manager for Macy’s in Atlanta and New Orleans, he returned to graduate school at Texas A&M University where he discovered Satanism. fall 2017 | 04
Damphousse moved to OU in 1997 as member of the Department of Sociology, where he directed several research projects, most notably the “American Terrorism Study” with Brent Smith of the University of Arkansas. He also worked on the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring project in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, and the first-ever field test of voicestress analysis deception detection software. Damphousse was the principal investigator or co-principal investigator on 42 projects at Oklahoma and Sam Houston State. The co-author with Smith and Jeffrey Gruenewald of the forthcoming 2018 book, Patterns of American Terrorism, Damphousse also served as the co-editor of Social Science Quarterly, volumes 92 through 97. He has
The Damphousses authored or co-authored 26 peerreviewed articles in scholarly publications, 31 book chapters and 20 peer-reviewed technical reports. Becoming associate dean in 2004, he was appointed the interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Oklahoma in 2013. Damphousse was made the permanent dean in 2014. As the leader of OU’s largest and oldest college, Damphousse led the first collegewide strategic planning exercise as well as assisting faculty and staff in the raising of more than $30 million in private giving. He and Beth have two daughters who are both graduates of Oklahoma. Kayleigh, a 2014 sociology graduate, earned a master’s degree at Kansas, and is now the assistant director for retention and persistence at the University of Florida. Kristen, a 2016 biology graduate, is at Emory University working on her master’s degree in public health. The Damphousses are also the proud parents of Maple Leif, a standard poodle and lab mix, who serves as the First Dog of A-State and tweets at @MapleLeifDamp.
Get a sense of Dr. D and Beth in the August edition of First Friday.
An educator and musician at heart, Beth Damphousse is looking forward to the opportunity to create new types of harmony in the Arkansas State and Jonesboro community. A native of Stillwater, Okla., Beth grew up working on the family farm, with her days filled with church youth activities, singing and playing music. Majoring in music education with an emphasis in voice, she earned her degree at Sam Houston State. Active in the Baptist Student Union and playing piano at the Second Baptist Church during her college days, Huntsville, Texas, was also where she met “a Canadian boy named Kelly.” After their marriage and a brief time in New Orleans, the Damphousses moved to Bryan, Texas, where Beth taught public school choir for three years while Kelly earned his Ph.D. at Texas A&M University. Following short tenures at UAB and Sam Houston State, the couple settled in Norman, Okla. During their time at Sam Houston State, Beth also taught public school choir for two years in The Woodlands, Texas. For two decades, Beth worked in a variety of music education positions ranging from teaching junior high choir to serving as church pianist and organist. She taught private piano and voice lessons for 22 years, and she was the music associate at First Baptist Church of Moore and directed the First Baptist Church of Norman Fine Arts Academy. voices | 05
Raising two daughters, Kayleigh and Kristen, Beth began a new career path when the girls went off to college as she and Kelly sold their home and moved into Headington Hall at the University of Oklahoma to become the facultyin-residence for four years. She also served as the director of the University of Oklahoma Visitor Center and was an event coordinator in the OU Office of Admissions and Recruitment. Arriving in Jonesboro during the summer of 2017, Beth is looking forward to opening up the Chancellor’s Residence at Arkansas State to host a wide range of events. “Whether it is a reception for all of our Jonesboro non-profits or hosting a ‘Captain’s Table’ where we bring together the team captains of all the sports, I want to have our home become a place of community,” Beth said. Planning to be “at every sporting event possible” and working with campus and community leaders to create new “must stay weekends” for students, Beth Damphousse has the feeling that more than fate has brought her family to Arkansas State. “I’ve felt very at home in this first month in Jonesboro,” she said. “This first month has far exceeded my expectations and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year holds for us.”
studentPROFILE CHRISTIAN CANIZALES
fall 2017 | 06
Christian Canizales works every day to promote generosity and compassion among his fellow students at Arkansas State University.
throw off paying for your classes. Students will be able to apply for that and we will review on a weekly basis.”
Canizales, a junior from Jonesboro, is the current president of the A-State Student Philanthropy Council, a student organization dedicated to educating their peers on the concept of benevolence.
Blackburn said that when she first met Canizales, she knew that he would be a great fit for the Student Philanthropy Council, but since that time, he has grown beyond being just another member of the organization.
Canizales became involved with the SPC during his freshman year. The idea of philanthropy appealed to the world languages and cultures major, so much that he wanted a leadership role with the organization.
“When I first met Christian in his interview to be a founding member of A-State SPC, I knew he would be destined to do great things,” said Blackburn. “Never would I have imagined how far he would take SPC in such a short time. His vision for this organization by far exceeds the expectations that were set for him. I’m excited to be a part of this journey, and to see how SPC changes the culture of philanthropy at A-State.”
“The Student Philanthropy Council was a new council and I saw it as an opportunity to have a say in how it functioned,” said Canizales. “I worked closely with Jessica Blackburn (A-State’s SPC adviser) and former SPC president Jade Collins, and got more involved and better understood the message of the SPC.”
“THE FIRST PART IS TO GET STUDENTS
“When people ask, I always say there are two parts to SPC,” he added. “The first part is to get students excited and ready to be part of the Red Wolf family, and the second part is to get students in the habit of giving back to the university.”
EXCITED AND READY TO
Currently, the SPC has three main focus areas, all of which channel funds directly back to the students.
RED WOLF FAMILY,
BE PART OF THE
AND THE SECOND PART IS
TO GET STUDENTS
“We have ‘Give a Howl’, which is our big donor event,” said Canizales. “We set up tents and tables out on the lawn and have students write thank-you cards to donors to let them know we are aware that they are supporting us and our education. Another big program is Back the Pack. That is our big crowd funding platform. It’s like GoFundMe for Arkansas State and any organization on campus can apply and get a campaign set up.”
IN THE HABIT OF GIVING BACK TO
THE UNIVERSITY.”
“One Back the Pack example was Raising for the Ruggers,” he continued. “The rugby team needed equipment and we helped them raise funds for that. It’s all about helping our students and helping to keep money on campus. We also do the Student Opportunity Award program. It’s tied into Back the Pack, and we will sell t-shirts to build up the fund. All the money that goes to that will go into a fund that any student at A-State can apply for if they are going through a financial hardship. For instance, if you pop a tire, that can throw off paying for your textbooks, which can
“Christian served on the 2016 Pack Leader team, welcoming hundreds of incoming freshmen, parents, and guests to the university,” said Natalie Eskew, a career counselor in A-State’s Career Services office, and former Pack Leader adviser. “He did a wonderful job providing campus tours, answering countless questions and always showed his love for A-State.” Canizales served as special events director while on the Student Activities Board, and adviser Morgan Crain had high praise for him as well.
“Christian is incredibly organized, conscientious, courteous and prompt,” said Crain. “He goes above and beyond to complete tasks thoroughly. As a 2016-17 SAB Director, he consistently set and not only met, but exceeded personal and professional goals. I am very proud of Christian and all that he has accomplished. He is a great student leader, and I know he will continue to do great things on this campus.” “When working with Christian last year, I often forgot how young he is,” Crain added. “I’m very glad that he has a couple more years to show the campus and A-State community what he is capable of, and I know he will.”
profile extra:
In addition to serving on the SPC, Canizales has also held positions as a Pack Leader and on the Student Activities Board, earning praises from advisers for both organizations.
Earlier this spring, Jared Gowen was named the 2017 Wilson Award winner. Learn more about the most recent recipient of the highest individual student award at Arkansas State.
voices | 07
campusPROFILE
DR. RUTH HAWKINS
fall 2017 | 08
In her 39 years since arriving on the A-State campus, Dr. Ruth Hawkins, ’82 MA, has become a valued and highly-respected ambassador not only for Arkansas State University, but also for the Delta region and the entire state.
Like her love for the Delta region, Hawkins has developed a love for each of the four sites. “They are all so different, and the feeling that I have for each of them is so different that there is not any one that I would pick out as my favorite,” said Hawkins. “If I had to pick one, the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum would probably be my baby because it was the first. It was really the one that caused me to go into this area. I had so much fun doing the research that I knew this was what I wanted to do, to research the stories of the region and tell them in a format that the general public would understand and appreciate the heritage of the region.”
Hawkins, a member of the most recent group of inductees into the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame, spent most of her first 20 years at A-State working in public relations, fundraising and development. Now, as the executive director of Arkansas State University Heritage Sites, she looks back on those early years as times that were spent cultivating relationships and developing a deep fondness for the Arkansas Delta. “Public relations and fundraising got me out into the area a lot, and I developed a love for the region,” said Hawkins. “When I was out in the region, what I heard over and over was people saying they would support Arkansas State University if the school could make a difference in the Delta. I started looking for ways to match up the needs of the Delta region with programming of the university. We wanted a win-win situation where the Delta and our students could benefit from the experiences.”
“IT HAS TAKEN THINGS
TO A WHOLE
NEW LEVEL IN TERMS OF THE
OPPORTUNITIES THAT
IT OPENS UP FOR
“Certainly the Historic Dyess Colony and Johnny Cash Boyhood Home is a lot of fun, one that I enjoy and the one where I spend most of my time now,” added Hawkins. “It has taken things to a whole new level in terms of the opportunities that it opens up for us to do educational programming, attract visitors, and work with the Cash family, which has been delightful.”
That work will expand when the Johnny Cash Heritage Festival is held in Dyess Oct. 19-21. Along with a Saturday afternoon concert headlined by Rosanne Cash and Kris Kristofferson, the three-day festival will include a symposium from Thursday afternoon through Saturday morning in the Dyess Colony Circle, regional music in the Colony Circle on Thursday and Friday DELIGHTFUL.” nights, a “Memories of a Lifetime” oral history project, food vendors, arts and crafts booths, and demonstrations throughout the three days.
US TO DO EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAMMING, ATTRACT VISITORS,
One of the first initiatives spearheaded by Hawkins was the establishment of the 198-mile-long Crowley’s Ridge National Scenic Byway. After discovering that there were no scenic byways in the Delta region, WHICH HAS BEEN Hawkins reached out to Rodney Slater, the former director of governmental affairs at A-State, and then-director of the Federal Highway Administration in the mid-1990s who went on to become a member of President Bill Clinton’s cabinet as secretary of transportation. Hawkins visited Slater at his Washington, D.C., office, putting the wheels in motion for the establishment of the scenic byway that runs from the Piggott area, through Jonesboro to the Helena/West Helena area. She was also instrumental in the establishment of the Arkansas segment of the Great River Road National Scenic Byway.
AND WORK WITH THE
CASH FAMILY,
Perhaps most notable is Hawkins’ work to develop the four Arkansas State University Heritage Sites – the Southern Tenant Farmers Museum in Tyronza, Lakeport Plantation in Lake Village, the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center in Piggott, and the Historic Dyess Colony: Johnny Cash Boyhood Home in Dyess.
Her induction into the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame is just one on a long list of accolades Hawkins has earned during her time at Arkansas State. In addition to being a member of the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame, she is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award through the Arkansas Historical Association, the Peg Newton Smith Lifetime Achievement Award through the Arkansas Museums Association, the Parker Westbrook Award for Lifetime Achievement in preservation, a Preservation Honors Award through the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and many others. Hawkins served as the chairman for both the 75th anniversary celebration and the centennial celebration for A-State, and is a faculty member in the university’s Heritage Studies Ph.D. program.
profile extra:
The impact of Ruth Hawkins’ work for the state of Arkansas is more than preservation of our shared history. Recently, the state’s Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission came to Dyess to conduct its regular meeting and to discuss the economic impact of projects like the Arkansas State Heritage Sites. voices | 09
alumniPROFILE BRITTANY FOWLER ‘17
fall 2017 | 10
One look at Brittany Fowler’s bedroom wall will tell you that she is no stranger to winning awards. She has won them since the age of five, but one recent honor helped her achieve new heights and set new goals that she thought would be difficult to achieve. The recent A-State graduate and former Arkansas State women’s basketball player was named the 2017 Sun Belt Conference’s Female Postgraduate-Scholar Athlete, one of the highest honors the league can bestow upon a graduating senior. As part of the award she received a $6,500 scholarship to use toward her postgraduate studies at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science (UAMS) in Little Rock where she will begin work on a pharmaceutical degree. Fowler concluded her four-year career at Arkansas State as one of the most accomplished student-athletes, both on and off the court, in the program’s history. During her career, the Red Wolves won two regular season Sun Belt Conference championships, appeared in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) three times and set the school record for victories in a single season. “I was blessed to be both a student and an athlete at Arkansas State and it was an experience that I would not trade for anywhere else,” Fowler said. “I got to do so many things and meet so many people that I can’t imagine myself having gone to school anywhere else.”
months. She worked as a pharmaceutical technician at both Bryant Pharmacy in Batesville, Ark., and Gibson’s Pharmacy in Jonesboro. She filled prescriptions, gathered information from doctors and nurses for prescriptions and worked with customers to answer questions. Her hard worked paid off as the she was the only Division I college athlete to be accepted into the pharmacy schools where she applied. “Arkansas State provided me with an outstanding foundation to allow me to go do all the great things I want to do,” she said. “The things we were able do on the basketball court were great, but I always knew basketball would come to an end and this university helped me find my career. The professors and academic support staff helped guide me into a profession I have a passion for and prepared me to take the next step in my journey.”
“THE THINGS WE WERE
ABLE TO DO
ON THE BASKETBALL COURT WERE GREAT, BUT I
ALWAYS KNEW
BASKETBALL WOULD
COME TO AN END AND THIS UNIVERSITY
HELPED ME FIND
MY CAREER.”
The Leachville, Ark., native not only excelled on the court, but off the court as well. The chemistry and biology double major appeared on the SBC Academic Honor Roll in every semester that she was a student-athlete. She also made the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll in six straight semesters and appeared on the Dean’s List twice. Fowler also took steps to work toward her post-athlete career as a pharmacist by working in local pharmacies during the summer
In addition to her many responsibilities as a student and an athlete, Fowler also volunteered her free time to the community, where she logged over 150 hours of service time. She also held the unique distinction of being the first A-State women’s basketball player in over 10 years to pledge to a sorority, where she maintained a good standing with her time and commitment to the Omicron Zeta Chapter of the Chi Omega Fraternity.
“Being part of a sorority was one of the most amazing parts of my college experience,” Fowler said. “I have made lifelong friends and I will always have a support network to lean on if I should ever need it. The most rewarding aspect was the philanthropy and working with great organizations like Make-A-Wish and the Special Olympics. Those are memories and experiences I will never forget.” Arkansas State made a profound impact on Fowler’s life and when she looks back on her time it will not be the awards or accolades she will cherish most, but the memories and the foundation it gave her for her future.
profile extra:
In August, the dedication of The Circle brought numerous A-State alumni back to campus to honor the four families that broke the color line during the 1970s.
voices | 11
KASU Celebrates 60th Anniversary as State’s When KASU first signed on the air May 17, 1957, from studios in Wilson Hall, the term “public broadcasting” had not yet developed. Today, 91.9 FM delivers a variety of content, using additional technologies, to different recipients than its visionary founders might have imagined. In observance of the station’s 60th birthday, A-State alumni and other KASU supporters, many in period-themed attire, gathered to enjoy a “sock-hop” celebration in the Grand Hall of Fowler Center. Sixty years after its first sign-on, KASU is the public media service — not just the radio service — of Arkansas State University. The station streams its signal around the world on www.kasu.org. KASU has an active website providing continuous news content from NPR, AP, Arkansas Public Media and the KASU news department. The station has a presence on social media outlets such as
Facebook and Twitter and has begun to provide live Facebook streams of certain public events such as news conferences, public discussions and meetings. Generations of A-State alumni who studied journalism and broadcasting have been through KASU’s studios to observe, to produce and to learn about broadcasting over the past six decades. Beginnings and Growth Even before the 1957 launch, the A-State administration endorsed the effort to get a radio station licensed to the school. A-State was known as Arkansas State College (ASC) in 1953 when faculty member John Cramer contacted the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on behalf of the college about the possibility of launching a station. The ideal call letters – KASC (for Arkansas State College) — were available. fall 2017 spring 2017| 12 | 14
But by the time ASC’s application was officially submitted, those letters had been assigned to another ASC: Arizona State College. President Carl R. Reng, who believed Arkansas State would achieve university status in the future, approved the submission of call letters KASU. The commission approved construction of a station to be known as KASU on 91.9 megahertz. In 1967, 10 years after the station’s initial sign-on, Reng’s prediction of Arkansas State University proved correct and the call letters fit. For its first two decades or so, KASU broadcast, with the guidance of faculty and professional staff, a schedule of studentproduced recorded music and campus talk shows, live concerts, visiting lecturers, commencement and A-State sports. This fulfilled the administration’s vision of a valuable public relations tool for the campus.
KASU “Firsts” • First local broadcast station in the Jonesboro area to pre- empt regular programs during the frequent periods of severe Mid-South weather to broadcast watches, warnings and safety tips to the public (1973). • First station in the area to receive regular daily programming by satellite (1981). • First station in the region to offer an extensive block of blues programming on the weekend — “nothing but the
Oldest Public Medium The station’s original broadcasts came from a 760-watt transmitter located in instructor Charles Rasberry’s office near the Wilson Hall control booth. About 1967, when the station was granted a power increase to 3,500 watts, a new transmitter and tower were relocated on the northeastern edge of the campus. From the 1980s to the present day, technical, economic and political changes began to affect broadcasting operations everywhere, including KASU. Automation began to make radio operation more efficient by decreasing the amount of live operation broadcast hours, A-State sports events were licensed to a series of outside media vendors, and Congress made changes in the Public Broadcasting Act, requiring public radio and public television to more closely resemble commercial broadcasting by striving for higher ratings and soliciting corporate support.
As the licensee of Arkansas State University, KASU has always been connected to an academic unit that prepares students for careers in media and communication while continuing to serve the campus. The station was granted a power increase to 100,000 watts in 1973, with a new tower and transmitter site north of the Jonesboro city limits. While the analog signal still reaches 25 to 30 counties in northeast Arkansas, southeast Missouri and western Tennessee, a steadily increasing number of listeners prefer to pick up KASU’s digitally streamed signal on the internet. The author, Mike Doyle, is a 1974 graduate of Arkansas State University, station manager of KASU, and instructor in creative media production.
voices voices || 13 15
blues” — on Saturday nights (1995). • First station in the area to broadcast regularly scheduled live interviews with U.S. senators and representatives from Arkansas and the region (1998). • First station in Arkansas to offer a daily program devoted exclusively to Arkansas’ current music scene and to the Natural State’s musical heritage (Arkansas Roots, 2013).
While KASU is the oldest public media outlet in the state, Arkansas State continues its legacy as one of the most innovative programs in the region. Meet the products of A-State’s newest media degree program, the inaugural social media management graduates.
A-State Innovation System to Beck PRIDE Center EntersStrives Second There is one thing Arkansas State University has always done, and done well — put knowledge and research together to make communities stronger. With the opening of the new Innovation System, Arkansas State will continue to add to that legacy. A group of prestigious speakers ushered in the three locations of the A-State Innovation System at the grand opening dedication ceremony, Monday, July 17, at the corner of Cate Street and Church Street, directly across from The Garage. Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, A-State Chancellor Kelly Damphousse, President of Ritter Communications Alan Morse, Controller of Nucor-Yamato Keith Prevost, Chief Transformation Officer for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission Amy Fecher, and Federal Co-chairman of the Delta Regional Authority Chris Masingill provided remarks. “The A-State Innovation System is designed to help both students and
community members,” said Ty Keller, who was hired last October to direct the system. “We aim to connect both innovators and entrepreneurs to resources that will help them create new products and/or start new businesses.” A-State Innovate is located in three different Jonesboro locations: The Garage at 219 South Church St., a maker space/ collaboration space; The Shop at 5501 Krueger Dr., a machine shop/woodshop that will be located on the ASU-Newport Jonesboro campus; and The Lab at 504 University Loop, a research facility and business incubator operated by the Arkansas State University Research and Development Institute located on the Jonesboro campus in the Arkansas Biosciences Institute (ABI). Through the integration of innovation, start-up support, technology transfer and partnerships with businesses and communities, the Innovation System provides opportunities for entrepreneurs to access resources and bring ideas to the marketplace. fall 2017 | 14
“A-State Innovate is an entrepreneurship/ innovation ecosystem, which means we will attempt to provide and connect members with everything necessary to create products or start businesses,” noted Keller. “Our physical locations will provide tools for design and development and produce an atmosphere of collaboration with other innovators and entrepreneurs.” The Garage is a makerspace and cowork space perfect for creativity and collaboration on innovative projects. The available services and equipment focus on design and creation of unique prototypes, ranging from 3D modeling and printing software to wood-and metal-working equipment. Also available on site are a conference room and five leasable offices. The Lab is a business incubator geared toward bioscience, engineering and technology start-ups within Arkansas State’s Biosciences Institute (ABI). The inclusion of The Lab in A-State Innovate is based upon an affiliation between A-State Innovate and RDI for its Catalyst Innovation Center. Private access to
Strengthen Regionfor Veterans Decade of Service lab and office space is available and will provide high-tech start-ups with the tools necessary for research, development and commercialization. The Shop in the industrial park focuses on industrial-scale solutions for manufacturing and more technical prototypes. Similar to the Garage, the Shop equipment is more advanced in nature and will help provide an accurate proof of concept. The Innovation System was born from an i6 Challenge grant for $500,000 awarded in February 2016 to the Delta Center for Economic Development (DCED) from the Economic Development Administration (EDA). A-State utilized the i6 funds to leverage local, state and federal partnerships for the creation of the A-State Innovation System. Combined with $886,967 in in-kind matching, A-State’s i6 project had $1.39 million in total support. The goal for A-State Innovate is to meet two identified needs of the region: coordination and streamlining of support
services and resources for entrepreneurs and inventors, and the fostering of opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship in rural east Arkansas communities. “Our innovation system will provide guidance and help with most aspects of innovation and entrepreneurship, including helping obtain patents and trademarks and coordinating market research and business planning. Once a member has developed a product and/ or formulated a solid business plan, we will attempt to set the member up with mentors in their industry, as well as attempt to locate the funding necessary to start their business,” Keller added. “We want to give our members all the tools necessary to pursue their innovative ideas. In some cases that may mean, if they just want to build something cool for personal use, the tools are accessible. In other situations, members may have aspirations to start a new business or create and sell a new product. Regardless of their goals, we are here to help them achieve.” voices | 15
“The A-State Innovation System is designed to help both students and community members ... we aim to connect both innovators and entrepreneurs to resources that will help them create new products and/or start new businesses.”
Learn more about the Garage’s mission.
fall 2017 | 16
New photo of lindsay being taken 8/10/17...to be overlayed with new logo
New Face, New Logo Represent A-State Alumni Association With the naming of Lindsay Burnett as its new executive director and the introduction of a modernized logo, the A-State Alumni Association has a new look as the fall semester begins. A long-time member of the Arkansas State advancement team, Burnett transitioned from her former position as director of alumni relations, a post she held since 2011, and succeeds Beth Smith as executive director of the Alumni Association. Smith retired last spring after 25 years of service to the university, and Burnett was named to the position in July. “As Arkansas State University continues to grow and become more recognized on a national scale, it is certainly an honor for me to represent an A-State Alumni Association that is represented across the globe,” said Burnett. “My roots as a Red Wolf run deep, as I, along with my husband and parents, are proud A-State alumni.” Burnett joined A-State in 2007 as a development officer and during her 10 years in advancement, she was instrumental in the creation of several new outreach events, and she served as the lead social media engagement coordinator that led to a remarkable 158 percent growth in engagement for the Alumni Association’s official accounts. Herself a 1924 Sustaining Life member of the A-State Alumni Association, she is the past alumnae president for Alpha Omicron Pi’s Jonesboro chapter and earned her marketing degree in 2005 from A-State. “Lindsay has built many strong and meaningful relationships since she started with the advancement team a decade ago,” said Dr. Jason Penry, vice chancellor for advancement. “We are pleased to have her in this important role. There is no doubt that one of our strongest assets as a university is our alumni. In the coming years, they will play an even greater role as we continue to advance our nationally-emerging university.” The Alumni Association’s new logo, which incorporates the Arkansas State University name, a cropped Red Wolf design and a modernized font, gives the association a new branding mark that will last well into the future. “We are very excited to display our new logo,” said Burnett. “This is the culmination of a project that has been underway for many months, and we are very pleased with our new look. It features a more streamlined and compact design, better matches the overall image of the entire university, and has a modern, clean approach that will stand the test of time and serve the organization well for many years to come.” The new logo is part of several updates to the A-State Alumni Association, including putting a new emphasis on utilizing “A-State.” “As Arkansas State University continues to graduate record numbers of alumni, these graduates naturally identify more with the ‘A-State’ terminology,” Burnett said. “With over 80,000 alumni and students around the world, it’s important to keep the Alumni Association synonymous with A-State in every way possible as the university continues to emerge as a nationally-known institution.” voices | 17
A-State Students Selected as Fulbright Recipients Arkansas State University announced in April that three A-State students have been offered Fulbright grants for the 2017-18 academic year by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Seniors Desirae Green, Arnelle Jones and Cameron Mealing were selected from over 10,000 applicants nationwide, and are the first Fulbright grant recipients from Arkansas State. Each will serve as an English language teaching assistant overseas during the upcoming academic year.
Desirae Green Green, a world languages and cultures major from Little Rock, will spend the academic year as an English teaching assistant in Spain, teaching in an elementary school in La Rioja. As a student at A-State, Green is the recipient of multiple scholarships, including the A-State Incentive Scholarship and the Thompson Minority Scholarship. She is also the recipient of the Strong-Turner 3.0 award, and has served as a member of the Student Activities Board, a special events coordinator with the Student Research Council and as a Multicultural Center Ambassador. She is a member of the National Honor Society of Leadership and Success and has been named to the Dean’s List multiple times.
Arnelle Jones Jones, an Honors student from Osceola majoring in communication studies with a minor in Spanish, will spend 10 months as an English teaching assistant in Manizales, Caldas, in Colombia. A recipient of the prestigious A-State Scholar Award, Jones has been named to both the Chancellor’s List and the Honors Director’s List following each semester of her academic career at A-State. Outside the classroom, she serves as the president of the Arkansas State Association of Black Journalists, a member of the A-State Debate and Forensics team and a staff writer for The Herald. Additionally, she is the public relations director for both Red Wolf Radio and Sigma Delta Pi Spanish Honor Society, while also serving as the recruitment director for Sigma Delta Pi.
Cameron Mealing Mealing is a communications studies major from Jonesboro. He will spend the academic year as an English teaching assistant in Senegal providing instruction at the middle/secondary school level. Having served in both the U.S. Marine Corps and the National Guard, he is a recipient of the Guard Tuition Incentive Program. He is a founding member and past president of the A-State French Club and served as a member of the ROTC and the A-State Model United Nations organization. He has also served as a volunteer at City Youth Ministries and Jonesboro Public Schools. fall 2017 2016 | 18 20
voices | 19
Homecoming Weekend
2 17 October 13th & 14th
Thursday, October 12
Saturday, October 14
College of Business Building Bridges Business Event 6:30 p.m. - Centennial Bank Stadium, Woodard McAlister Family Club
Distinguished Alumni Breakfast (invitation only event) 9 a.m. - Cooper Alumni Center College of Sciences & Mathematics Tailgate TBA - Centennial Bank Stadium, Tailgate City
Bonfire & Yell Like Hell Spirit Competition
Friday, October 13
College of Nursing & Health Professions Distinguished Alumni Presentation 2 p.m. - Donald W. Reynolds Center for Health Sciences, Room 222
College of Education & Behavioral Science Homecoming Celebration honoring Outstanding Alumni 4 p.m. - Student Union, Spring River Room
College of Liberal Arts & Communication Tailgate TBA - Centennial Bank Stadium, Tailgate City
50-year class Golden Reunion 9 a.m. - Cooper Alumni Center
Honors College Homecoming Tailgate 3 p.m.- Centennial Bank Stadium, Tailgate City
Reunion of the Decade (‘07-’17 Alumni) 5:30 p.m. - Cooper Alumni Center
Alumni Homecoming Tailgate 3 p.m.- Cooper Alumni Center
For the most up-to-date list of events, visit AState.edu/Homecoming.
fall 2017 | 20
A-State vs. Coastal Carolina TBA - Centennial Bank Stadium
Arkansas State University and Centennial Bank officials broke ground in June for a 3,800-square foot campus Welcome Center. Located near the heart of the A-State campus, the Welcome Center becomes the focal point of student recruiting efforts and the first stop for individuals visiting Arkansas State. “This has been a long time coming, and I can’t overstate the importance of it for Arkansas State and our area,” Centennial Bank vice president Davy Carter said. “Potential students and their families will come down this road to this facility and meet with A-State faculty and administrators; it will be very, very impressive.” Serving as the starting and ending point for official and unofficial campus tours in the future, the Welcome Center is part of planned improvements to the eastern entrance to campus off Red Wolf Boulevard. Centennial Bank is providing construction costs for the $1.7 million building, and will rent from the university space for a small bank branch. “These types of public-private partnerships provide us not only with resources like the Welcome Center to recruit students, but also the opportunity to do things that would not have been possible in the current budget environment,” Chancellor Kelly Damphousse said. “We appreciate Centennial’s investment in our campus.” “Every day, this campus competes with other campuses; this town competes with other towns; our state competes with other states,” Carter added. “When we have something like this, it is good for the whole area.” voices | 21
women’s business leadership conference
circle ribbon cutting
AUGUST 7, 2017
fall 2017 | 22
APRIL 5, 2017
See the impact of WBLC mentoring
rotc commissioning
MAY 12, 2017
rock of honors faculty ages convocation DATE?
APRIL 11, 2017
voices | 23
fall 2017 | 24
race for the cure
MAY 6, 2017
helmets and heels
JULY 27, 2017
voices | 25
cinema at the center
coaches caravan
JULY 31, 2017
MAY 15, 2017
fall 2017 | 26
excellence in diversity awards
rock of ages service awards distinguished DATE?
APRIL 7, 2017
APRIL 27, 2017
voices | 27
Click to watch the history of the Wilson Award
Alumni Advocacy
my voice:
Loyalty to A-State doesn’t end at graduation. There are several ways in which you can keep up-to-date on A-State.
LINDSAY HARMON BURNETT ‘05
1 follow
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Follow us on social media to learn the latest from campus.
Dear Friends, I would like to start off by introducing myself. My name is Lindsay Harmon Burnett, and I am a 2005 Arkansas State University graduate from the College of Business and proud member of Alpha Omicron Pi. I started my 10th year with Arkansas State this year and was just recently named the new executive director of Alumni Relations. During my time at A-State, I have witnessed such amazing growth from our university, and I feel very privileged to be here during this exciting time. I had the opportunity to work with and be mentored by Beth Smith, past executive director of Alumni Relations. I gained extensive knowledge from her, and I will forever be thankful for her leadership and guidance. And speaking of leadership and guidance, it’s a new day at A-State with the arrival of our new chancellor, Dr. Kelly Damphousse. His enthusiasm and energy are contagious and the campus is buzzing with excitement for the future. As we celebrate 50 years of university status, what better timing than now to reflect on the past and look forward to the future – a future that Dr. Damphousse will help lead us toward. The Alumni Association invites you back to campus for homecoming weekend, October 13-14. We hope you visit the Cooper Alumni Center during our alumni and friends tailgate prior to the A-State vs. Coastal Carolina homecoming football game. To stay up-to-date on all homecoming weekend activities, please visit AStateAlumni.org. As your new executive director, I plan to continue the great work that Beth started while exploring new opportunities to help advance Arkansas State University and the Alumni Association. Go Red Wolves!
2 attend University events reach across a broad platform of interests and are a great way to take advantage of what A-State has to offer.
3 join Become a member of the A-State Alumni Association. If you’re already a member, consider 1924 Sustaining Life membership.
4 recruit Be an A-State advocate with friends and family. Bring students to campus for sporting or arts events and show them A-State is a great place.
5 give Your charitable investment, whether through annual gifts or a planned estate gift, will ensure the success of other A-State students.
Lindsay Burnett ‘05 Executive Director Alumni Relations Click to see the moving of Clyde fall 2017 | 28
14
ENDOWED FACULTY POSITIONS
(8 added since July 1, 2012)
SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENTS
321
LIVING ALUMNI
(up from 251 since July 1, 2012)
(up from 66,533 in 2012)
#1
107,594 39,600
ALUMNI RATE OF
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
GIVING
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
9,832
FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM
/ArkansasState ARKANSAS
08-17
4828
$66.3 MILLION
NUMBER OF LICENSE PLATES SOLD
(up from $39.4 million since July 1, 2012)
(46.3% increase since July 1, 2012)
PRIVATELY-FUNDED SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED 2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17
423
462
505
566
639
voices | 29
NONPROFIT US Postage PAID Permit 62 Jonesboro, AR
P.O. BOX 1990 STATE UNIVERSITY, AR 72467 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Where is she now? See page 9
Connections Worth Keeping Update Your Information for the A-State Alumni Directory Our trusted partner, Publishing Concepts (PCI), has begun contacting A-State Alumni requesting updated information. Rest assured the information collected will be used solely for the purpose of updating your records and publishing the directory, and you will have full control over what is published. Your connection to A-State is worth keeping! Update your information when contacted.
Questions or concerns? AStateAlumni.org