voices
THE MAGAZINE OF ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY’S ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SUMMER 2016, VOLUME 16, ISSUE 2 ~ $6.00
Cutting the ribbon for New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University are (from left) William Clark, CEO, Clark Contractors; Dr. Charles L. Welch, president, ASU System; Governor Asa Hutchinson; Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee, vice president and founding dean, NYITCOM at A-State; Dr. Tim Hudson, chancellor, A-State; Dr. Edward Guiliano, president, NYIT; Congressman Rick Crawford; Howard Slinkard, chair, ASU Board of Trustees; and Dr. Jason Penry, vice chancellor, A-State. Click to to see video.
in this issue: FEATURES:
10 TAU KAPPA EPSILON FRATERNITY RETURNING TO A-STATE 12 MCCASLAND BRINGS FAMILY BACK TO RED WOLVES 14 FINANCIAL EDUCATION IS TRENDING UPWARD WITH
DAWSON LAB
The expansion of international academic programs at A-State makes significant gains
Changing to better serve our students
16 THINK GLOBAL
18 ACADEMIC AFFAIRS REORGANIZATION PROFILES:
04 STUDENT PROFILE 06 CAMPUS PROFILE 08 ALUMNI PROFILE
Jarrod Creameans
Patrick Dixon
Alec Farmer
DEPARTMENTS:
03 MY VOICE
Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee Vice President and Founding Dean NYITCOM at A-State
Beth Smith, Executive Director A-State Alumni Association
28 THE LAST WORD voices | 01
voices The Magazine of Arkansas State University’s Alumni Association
EXECUTIVE EDITOR - BETH SMITH EDITOR - DR. BILL SMITH DESIGN - MARY R. MELTON PRINTING - A-STATE PRINTING SERVICES
A-STATE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT - MARGO AUFDERHEIDE KAGEBEIN ‘76 VICE PRESIDENT - NONIE SHEFFIELD WIGGINS ‘83 SECRETARY - RUSTY CHAMBERS ‘89 PAST PRESIDENT - RICH CARVELL, JR. ‘91
BOARD MEMBERS JOHN BAINE ‘95
DALE MORRIS ‘70
CHARISSE M. CHILDERS ‘88
CHARLOTTE LUTES RAZER ‘86
JANET DAVIS EVANS ‘80
PAUL ROWTON ‘98
LYNN SITZ HOWERTON ‘90
BOB SCHOENBORN ‘67
JAJUAN JOHNSON ‘02
STEVEN SIGSBY ‘72
BOB MCCUISTON ‘65
MARK WEBB ‘89
RICK MILES ‘78
MIKE WILLIAMS ‘92
BRANDON MORRIS ‘08
PEGGY ROBINSON WRIGHT ‘96
STACY CRAWFORD ‘97 - EX OFFICIO
CHANCELLOR - DR. TIM HUDSON VICE CHANCELLOR UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT - DR. JASON PENRY
OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - BETH ASHCRAFT SMITH ‘82 DIRECTOR, ALUMNI RELATIONS - 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
winter 2016 | 02
EMAIL: Alumni@AState.edu
my voice:
BARBARA ROSS-LEE, D.O.
Dear Alumni: August 8 will be a special day. It will mark the first day of classes for the inaugural students in a renovated and historic Wilson Hall for the New York Institute of Technology’s College of Osteopathic Medicine at A-State. It will be the first medical school to open in Arkansas in over a century. Our medical school is important for the future of our state because the current health data is alarming. Arkansas is one of the country’s unhealthiest states. We rank 46th out of 50 states in the number of active physicians per capita. And we rank 48th out of 50 states in our population’s health status. In a resource-short environment, the partnership between NYIT and A-State has proven to be a way to meet a legitimate need in a cost-effective way. The innovative partnership has already garnered positive national attention. I applaud leadership of both A-State and NYIT for their foresight and support to make this medical school a reality. From the start, the vision for this partnership has been to educate and train physicians in Arkansas, for Arkansas. By growing our own, this medical school will supply the state and region more physicians. Forty-eight percent of the members of the first class are from Arkansas, and 17 are A-State graduates. We expect that number to grow as pipeline programs are established and mature. We believe two pipeline programs in particular will have a major impact to help us grow our own: the A-State B.S. to D.O. program and Mini Medical School. A rigorous course of study, the B.S. to D.O. program will give students an opportunity to obtain both bachelor and medical degrees in seven years, rather than the traditional eight years. The Mini Medical School will be a partnership with area middle and high schools. Additionally, we will also have opportunities for the families of A-State alumni and close friends to participate. We expect this program to be a source of inspiration for future NYITCOM at A-State students. I’ve met many alumni and look forward to meeting more of you over the coming months. I hope that you will soon be able to see an updated version of Wilson Hall, where you may have studied as a student. It is an impressive facility that will be the origin of our region’s next generation of physicians. By 2030, we expect to have trained 1,000 NYITCOM at A-State physicians in the area, many of them serving your families and friends. The impact of our medical school by that date will be profound and something that will make all A-State alumni and friends proud; we will have helped accomplish something truly special. Have an outstanding summer. Sincerely,
Barbara Ross-Lee, D.O. Vice President and Founding Dean NYITCOM at A-State voices | 03
studentPROFILE
JARROD CREAMEANS
summer 2016 | 04
Making a winning presentation at a national academic conference was a very satisfying moment for senior Jarrod Creameans. A biological sciences major, Creameans won second place during the Agricultural and Food Chemistry Division (AGFD) Undergraduate Student Research Award Symposium, which was held in conjunction with the American Chemical Society (ACS) national meeting in San Diego. ACS awarded him a $1,000 travel stipend to compete in the symposium and talk about his research at A-State. “I was absolutely ecstatic when I got news of placing second. This has been one of my proudest achievements because of how prestigious a scientific community the American Chemical Society happens to be,” Creameans said. “I was selected as one of six to present, with students from Cornell, Massachusetts, Maine, York College and two other students from Puerto Rico and Italy.”
The title of his symposium presentation was “Bioproduction and anti-inflammatory activity of delta-tocotrienol enriched extracts from hairy roots of annatto.” He explained, “We are using these hairy roots -- immortal roots that result from a plant infected by a specific bacteria -- of annatto (a South American plant), and manipulating their growth conditions to cause them to produce specific versions of vitamin E,” Creameans said. “We are extracting those versions of vitamin E, along with other chemicals, from the roots and will test the extracts alongside the pure forms of vitamin E to assess whether our extracts are better at decreasing inflammation within the body, which can lead to cancer.” Last summer, Creameans tied for first place for the Undergraduate Poster Award at the annual conference of the American Council for Medicinally Active Plants in Spokane, Wash.
“I BELIEVE BEING A
Creameans, a native of Judsonia and graduate of Searcy High School, is a two-year recipient of the License2Howl Scholarship, awarded by the A-State Alumni Association. “The scholarship helped me tremendously because it allowed me to focus more completely on school and stop worrying as much about potential student debt. Without the License2Howl scholarship, I would not be graduating debt-free.”
SCIENTIST IS ABOUT BEING CURIOUS
AND GUIDING THAT CURIOSITY IN AN
INTELLIGENT
MANNER; FABRICIO
HAS TAUGHT ME
Minoring in chemistry, the Honors Program participant also received a Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) grant from the College of Sciences and Mathematics and the Arkansas ASSET Initiative Undergraduate Research Internship. Arkansas ASSET is a National Science Foundation project administered by the Arkansas Science & Technology Authority.
“The results are being analyzed and I believe they show real promise for the future,” he predicted, adding he gradually passed down the project to a younger student he trained for the past year. “If our hypotheses are correct, we will have a new method of producing a source of these forms of vitamin E that will eventually lead to a new supplement, more potent than current supplements.”
TO DO THAT AS WELL.”
While at A-State, Creameans has been working in a research lab under the supervision of Dr. Fabricio Medina-Bolivar at Arkansas Biosciences Institute. “Fabricio Medina-Bolivar has been a better adviser than I deserved to have for much of my college career. He has taught me many skills, but the biggest impact he has made is training me to be an efficient and integrative scientist. I believe being a scientist is about being curious and guiding that curiosity in an intelligent manner; Fabricio has taught me to do that and do it well.”
After graduating in May, the Chancellor’s List student is working in a research lab while applying to medical school, the logical next step for a student whose concern for others’ health is at “the root” of his research.
profile extra:
Another senior, Tyler Adams, talks about the inspiration behind her latest pieces in the Senior Art Exhibit and how her journey at A-State has changed the way she views herself and the issues of society.
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campusPROFILE PATRICK DIXON
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Patrick Dixon’s title at Arkansas State University is Director of Residence Housing. His job is far greater than upkeep of the soon-to-be 3,700 places where A-State students sleep at night.
it’s a good place to live and they want to return their sophomore year. In the past, we’ve not been able to meet that demand.”
“Residence Life isn’t just a place to live; it’s a place to grow,” he said. “We like to say this is their home away from home.” The majority of first-year students are required to live on campus, but thanks to the work of Residence Life, year after year an increasing number of A-State students request to stay in campus housing. For the past three years, Arkansas State has run at full capacity. To meet the demand, A-State broke ground in June with Zimmer Development Company for more than 500 new resident rooms. They will welcome the incoming class of 2017.
The public-private partnership with Zimmer Development Company raises the on-campus population to an all-time high and brings new amenities for juniors, seniors and graduate students. “The first thing students will notice is the privacy afforded them,” Dixon said. “Every single bedroom has its own bathroom and its own walk-in closet. In addition, we put the washer and dryer unit in each apartment – no more going down to the common area to look for a place to do your clothes. The technology is improved – no keys. Their ID cards will get them into the building and their bedroom. Spacious bedrooms with nine-foot ceilings and ceiling fans, granite counter tops.”
“RESIDENCE LIFE
ISN’T JUST A PLACE TO LIVE;
IT’S A PLACE
TO GROW.
“What I like to tell people is our students – especially the first-year students – is that they live with us,” Dixon continued. “We get to see when they excel in the classroom or when they just need someone to talk to. Our staff gets to watch them grow and mature, and that’s exciting.” It begins with the fall rite of passage: Move-In Day. “When our students arrive, they are so excited. At the same time, I see the anxiety of the parents of leaving their students here,” Dixon said. “I have the luxury of a wonderful staff that assists me in getting our job done.”
To make way for the new units, the majority of the transitional houses located on campus were removed. Many were built in the 1950s and had become increasingly difficult to maintain. The number of places for graduate and married students to live had long outgrown these older structures. “Currently we have a waiting list for graduate students, students that are married and non-traditional students, and this is a significant upgrade for them,” Dixon said.
Record numbers of students living on campus is a distinct change at A-State, part of an overall strategy to improve retention and graduation. Arkansas State data shows that students who live on-campus have a higher persistence rate. “We have seen an incredible demand for on-campus housing,” Dixon said. “They arrive here on campus and they discover that
If Move-In Day is the beginning, the other end of the journey for Dixon and his staff is Graduation Saturday. “On that day, you walk campus and you see the excitement from the parents and the accomplishment and confidence of the students,” he said. “We know that we’ve played a role in guiding that student to their degree. That is a proud moment for our Residence Hall staff and everyone at Arkansas State University.”
profile extra:
Patrick Dixon talks about his favorite story of the impact of
Residence Life on an A-State alum’s career.
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alumniPROFILE
ALEC FARMER ‘86
summer 2016 | 08
A successful businessman, lawyer and dedicated public servant, Alec Farmer has a little bit of real estate tycoon in his description of his alma mater’s home: location, location, location. “Because of the state of Arkansas’ location, and Jonesboro in particular, in relation to the population centers of the country, one of our great advantages in job recruitment and creation is logistics and our ability to ship products to the population,” Farmer said. “With the designation of Highway 63 to Interstate 555, that’s just the cherry on top to give us access to the nation via interstate highway.” The Farmer family is synonymous with the long-awaited creation of an interstate connection for Jonesboro. His late father, Dalton, was a highway commissioner in the 1980s. About the same time, Alec returned home to A-State in 1983, graduating in 1986 with a business marketing degree with an emphasis in transportation. He believed it would prepare him for the family’s calling, a twofold focus on business development and highway advocacy.
Not unlike the highways, his university has grown over the past decades into a destination university. “It’s not even the same campus, it’s amazing the development, improvements and investments that have been made in the programs,” he said. “It has matured from a small college atmosphere into a university campus.” One of the things that has not changed over the years is Farmer’s affection for the faculty and mentors.
“IT’S A SOURCE OF
PRIDE THAT
JONESBORO IS NOW CONNECTED ON THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM.
TO HAVE PLAYED A
ROLE IN THAT IS VERY SPECIAL TO ME.”
“One of the things my father worked on before he was a commissioner and after was upgrading Highway 63 to a fourlane divided highway,” he said. “We had been stymied for the last 15 years, but to come up with a common sense solution that saves taxpayers over $30 million and get us the interstate designation – I was very proud to be a part of that. This went beyond Jonesboro. It was a regional effort. It took a team of the right people in the right positions to come together.”
The changeover from highway to the Triple Nickel has profound impact on Jonesboro. “We have a term called ‘Checking the Box.’ On industrial recruitment, you might not ever be considered if they can’t check that box on the initial search,” Farmer said. “There is no telling how many industrial projects we were never considered for – and we never knew it – just because that interstate connection didn’t exist. There’s also the status of your community that you are on an interstate highway and signifying that you are an important part of the national landscape.”
“When I graduated, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do – it was a choice between law school and the transportation field,” Farmer said. “I interviewed for some transportation jobs along with other graduates of Arkansas State, and every time we interviewed we were up against the flagship university of states across the South – Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas. The preparation we received from Dr. Joe Horsley and his transportation department made us ready to compete with anyone.”
He chose law school and after graduation in 1990 returned to northeast Arkansas. A fixture in Jonesboro government and leadership boards, his appointment by Governor Asa Hutchinson to the Arkansas State Highway Commission in 2015 opened a new chapter of his career of public service. “My kids think I’m a little nuts because I point out how nice the red, white and blue road signs look here in Jonesboro,” Farmer said. “It’s a source of pride that Jonesboro is now connected on the interstate system. To have played a role in that is very special to me.” And if next year, the Red Wolves return to the Louisiana Superdome for a bowl game, it will be interstate all the way to New Orleans. “I hadn’t thought about that, but that will be neat,” Farmer said with a laugh and a smile.
profile extra:
Learn more about the Triple Nickel from Alec Farmer
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“The bell” and the fraternity chapter that made it part of Arkansas State University’s campus life heritage are coming back. Mounted securely on a trailer for travel to tailgates, fundraisers, and sorority serenades, the bell that is synonymous with Tau Kappa Epsilon at A-State is uniting alumni and students in support of the chapter’s return to campus. Jerry Halsell, president of the Beta-Psi Chapter Alumni Association of TKE, joined Chancellor Tim Hudson and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Rick Stripling to sign an agreement authorizing re‑colonization of the chapter on the A-State campus. Several local TKE alumni gathered in the Administration Building lobby to witness the signing. TKE was first chartered at A-State on March 6, 1949.
“TKE had a strong 58-year history at A-State, a great heritage and a great tradition,” Halsell told fellow TKE alumni and university officials at the April signing. “We plan on being nothing short of what we were. We want to build character and scholastic accountability among members, and to serve the A-State community and the northeast Arkansas community.” Representatives of the national TKE headquarters have been meeting with alumni to prepare for re-colonizing the chapter and recruiting prospective members. Halsell emphasized the crucial role undergraduate students have played over the past few years to help sustain interest in reviving the chapter. When it went inactive, members transitioned to an alumni group and began groundwork to re-establish Beta-Psi.
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“We are delighted the TKEs are interested in coming back on campus. We are firm believers in the role Greek life can play on a comprehensive campus,” Hudson said. “We’re especially happy it’s an organization that has a history with Arkansas State University.” Stripling explained the university welcomed TKE back to campus after a careful evaluation process. “The Beta-Psi chapter has a long history at A-State, a legacy, and that is very important,” Stripling said. “We see that connecting to the students today.” Beta-Psi’s alumni association has remained strong. The group’s activities in recent years earned the national Top Tau Kappa Epsilon Alumni Association of the Year at the 2015 biennial conclave in New Orleans.
TKE alumni are fundraising for a house that will join seven other fraternities and five sororities who have chapter houses. More details about BetaPsi’s plans are on the alumni chapter website, BetaPsiTKE.com. The Bell The return of the bell was a highlight of the chapter’s 65th anniversary celebration at Cooper Alumni Center in 2014. Beta-Psi’s 1961 pledge class acquired the bell, which had once hung in the Woodruff County Courthouse, from a church in Cotton Plant. The pledges explained their plan to feature the bell in promoting TKE, and the church board agreed to donate it. The bell has ridden on various trailers over the years, and it was reunited with enthusiastic fraters after they learned alumnus Mike Cameron had protected it during the interim.
Laudies Brantley, ‘69, recalled the bell being a personal and fraternal rallying point at A-State activities, including a trip to Kentucky for a game with Murray State. The students there and the campus police, “ . . . didn’t appreciate the significance of the ‘music of the bell’ and escorted them to a much quieter and remote area of the campus for the duration of their visit.” In addition to its prominence in Beta-Psi history, the bell spent some time at the bottom of the lake by the old pavilion and it endured several unplanned paintings, believed to be courtesy of rival fraternities from the Delta Hall era. Its appearance at A-State’s spring football game this year marked a new beginning for TKE at Arkansas State.
One of Beta-Psi’s most famous initiates is Elvis Presley, who responded to the chapter’s invitation by welcoming A-State TKEs to Graceland in October 1960. Ricky Husky, Don DeArmon and Jeff Shearer were accompanied by faculty adviser Bob Howe as they welcomed the 25-year-old rock ‘n roll icon to TKE membership. Their association with Elvis is featured in the university’s 1961 yearbook and the summer 2006 issue of Voices. Click to see highlights of TKE’s return event
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grant mccasland (jerry is writing this) update copy and art update QR and pull quot Andrew has provided mc
McCasland brings family back Arkansas State Director of Athletes Terry Mohajir announced Grant McCasland as head men’s basketball coach in March. From the moment McCasland took the stage, it was evident to those watching – in attendance at the press conference or watching via social media – what the new leader of the pack would emphasize. Family. “I’m honored and blessed to be the basketball coach at A-State,” said McCasland. “The biggest thing in starting new with a program is making sure that our players, and new guys
that will be joining us, know that this is going to be a family. We’re going to do it the right way and we’re going to care about winning, making sure our guys graduate, and that they know the expectation of them is not only on the court and in the classroom, but that they are growing as men.” McCasland, a 17-year coaching veteran with a record of 199-44 (.819) as a head coach, comes to A-State after five seasons as an assistant coach at Baylor. In his first month on the job with the Red Wolves, McCasland hired associate head coach Ross Hodge and assistant summer 2016 | 12
coach James Miller, both former junior college head coaches, to his staff. Hodge (146-24) and Miller (77-23) coupled with McCasland’s records brings 422 wins to the bench at the Convocation Center. Family, according to Coach Mac, is what makes it all come together. “My wife, Cece, is remarkable. She played college soccer. We were both walk-ons. I was a walk-on at Baylor and she was a walk-on at Texas Tech, and she ended up earning a whole lot more scholarships than I did,”
te ccasland photos
Will need QR and copy
Click to see video
to Red Wolves said McCasland. “She is amazing and without her and her support it wouldn’t work.” The McCaslands have four children, Amaris, Jett, Beckett and Jersey and the kids made a big first impression on Mohajir. “I’ve got Amaris, I’ve got Jett, I’ve got Beckett and Jersey. Last night Jersey was trying to take everything in,” said Mohajir at the introductory press conference. “My family had dinner with the McCaslands and she was kind of like, ‘my dad is not going to
sign anything until he talks about it to me first.’ I thought that was pretty awesome. She was kind of quiet. She went over and stood next to her mother and looked me right in the eye and said, ‘when my dad coaches, he cuts down nets’. So, here is my first present to the McCasland family, scissors. His family can help him cut down the nets when we win a championship. I believe we have the right coach at the right time. I believe that we can have the culture to be a championship-caliber program. It starts now.”
“We’re going to do it the right way and we’re going to care about winning, making sure our guys graduate, and that they know the expectation of them is not only on the court and in the classroom, but that they are growing as men.”
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- Grant McCasland
Financial Education is Trending The long-term forecast for Scott and Kay Dawson’s tailgate calls for extended record-setting performance. Avid Red Wolves fans, they claim the record for the longest continuous tailgate at A-State, “rocking since 1981.” Because their enthusiasm and desire to enrich students’ experience is so profound, they have a history of generous support to A-State. The Germantown, Tenn., couple’s most recent major gift enabled the College of Business to build an advanced technology classroom where domestic and international financial trends can be analyzed in ways not previously possible. The Dawson Capital Markets Lab is already having a dramatic impact on finance students in the College of Business, according to Dr. Jim Washam, associate professor of finance.
“I remember one class when the students decided to evaluate the value at risk for a Chinese yuan position. The students discovered that the volatility of the Chinese yuan was much lower than the volatility of the euro,” he said. “This led to a great discussion of the variations in how central banks manage exchange rates.” The Dawsons are pleased that approximately 60 students have become Bloomberg certified, meaning they have obtained a designated level of proficiency with the Bloomberg terminal, the standard on trading floors around the world. Both A-State accounting alumni from the class of 1978, the Dawsons have said they wanted to help provide future students “ . . . with the tools to compete in today’s economy.”
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Business students in various upperlevel financial management courses use the lab, which is configured with 39 specialized computer stations and six video screens, to monitor world markets in real time. The new Investments II class also started a student-managed investment fund, Washam added. “These students use the resources in the Dawson Lab to analyze potential investments for the fund.” “Perhaps the most obvious change is that our students are not working with fictional numbers in class,” Washam explained. “The Dawson Lab allows them to work with real data, including detailed information on bonds, stocks, global interest rates and currencies. The Dawson Capital Markets Lab has changed the way we teach our classes, allowing us to build financial models in class using market data.”
Will need QR and copy
Upward with Dawson Lab The way the lab is being used fits the vision the couple had when they made their gift, he continued. “The Dawson Lab is providing the opportunity for our students to work in a trading floor environment and gain experience with the same information systems that are used by professionals. The lab includes access to FactSet and Bloomberg, systems that provide data access and training models.” After completing degrees at Arkansas State, the Dawsons both became certified public accountants and have enjoyed successful careers. Kay worked as a CPA for Touche Ross, then as chief financial officer for a successful start-up, Southern Health Systems. Her career path eventually took her home to be a full-time mom to sons David and Andrew.
Scott worked for Malone and Hyde while finishing his degree, then started his career as a CPA. He joined First Tennessee Bank in its capital markets division in 1981 and has enjoyed more than three decades with the company, now known as FTN Financial. The couple enjoys travel, hiking, running and staying busy as volunteers for their church and various community nonprofit organizations. Scott also serves as president of Memphis Recovery Centers, a residential non-profit drug rehabilitation facility. “The education we earned at Arkansas State resulted in a lifetime of opportunities for our family, and we wanted to give back to the university,” said Kay. Scott added, “This laboratory provides College of Business students with the tools to compete in today’s economy.”
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“The Dawson Capital Markets Lab has changed the way we teach our classes, allowing us to build financial models in class using market data.”
- Dr. Jim Washam
To learn more how you can invest in our students, keep A-State strong and help your university shine, visit AState.edu and click on “Giving.”
The expansion of international academic programs at Arkansas State University made significant gains during the past academic year. A-State’s Global Initiatives program added agreements with new university partners, increased participants in Study Abroad and developed greater interaction with international students studying in Jonesboro. “The next trend-setting CEO of the great American corporation won’t be a Jack Welch, an outstanding leader who has spent his or her entire career in the United States,” Chancellor Tim Hudson said. “The future belongs to a generation of students who were Born Global. They only know a world that is interconnected. The leaders of this rising generation are those who understand this thanks to the opportunities they received in college to study abroad and their exposure to other cultures through programs like Global Initiatives.”
The Global Initiatives program oversees these academic arrangements as well as A-State’s Study Abroad program and international recruiting and student support. Hudson signed memorandums of understanding with four major new international partners for Arkansas State during 2015-16, just a part of two dozen agreements signed in the last months. This takes the total number to more than 50 higher education institutions around the world partnering with A-State. Each arrangement provides different opportunities for the students of the respective countries and for A-State faculty and students. The new agreements focus mainly on degree transfer, where it allows a student to start their degree in their home country and then finish at A-State at the undergraduate or graduate level. This allows A-State to recruit a summer 2016 | 16
higher quality of students to come to the Jonesboro campus. Not unlike the public-private partnership with ASUCQ for Campus Queretaro, students of Horizon University of Sri Lanka and Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport in Vietnam can pursue their degree in country or transfer to Jonesboro. Arkansas State faculty began working with their colleagues this year at these new universities to provide courses, and several will travel from Jonesboro this summer to teach in both countries. “This is providing for our faculty opportunities not unlike a Fulbright in the past,” Director of Global Initiatives Thilla Sivakumaran said. “They teach their same A-State courses in English for the local students, and then have the opportunity to pursue research and
cultural exchanges. It enhances the instruction for our partner university students and provides that global experience for our faculty.” One of the most recent agreements with Nepal Academy of Science and Technology opens doors for faculty and students to access the incredible biodiversity of the Asian nation. “While most associate Nepal with Mount Everest, they aren’t aware that there is a large section that resembles our own Delta,” chair of biological sciences Dr. Thomas Risch said. “It is the only country in the world that provides a biologist with the opportunity to consider a problem from sea level to the highest peak.” Last summer, A-State partnered with the Mexican government’s Proyecta 100,000 to provide instruction for teachers to
improve English skills and context. A-State’s international student population grew last year, returning to earlier levels of enrollment. Some 67 nations are represented at Jonesboro, and new programs under the Global Initiatives have revitalized the international student union in a new location just east of the Reng Student Union. Arkansas State’s Study Abroad enjoyed another successful spring semester at its Lanjaron, Spain, location. The athletics department will embark on its second Red Wolves Leadership Academy study abroad trip this summer, following up from its initial offering in London in 2015. “Our overall numbers of students participating in the variety of Study Abroad settings we have continues to grow,” Sivakumaran said.
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“The future belongs to a generation of students who were Born Global. They only know a world that is interconnected. The leaders of this rising generation are those who understand this thanks to the opportunities they received in college to study abroad and their exposure to other cultures through programs like Global Initiatives.” Dr. Tim Hudson, Chancellor Click to learn about the Nepal agreement
Academic Affairs Reorganization: With the start of the upcoming academic year, Arkansas State University reorganized its colleges into six new administrative units, paring down from nine major academic areas. To coincide with the changes for A-State’s colleges, the Office of the Provost and the Division of Academic Affairs is also restructuring to meet the needs of current and future students. “One of our guiding principles over the past two years in the reorganization of the academic units was the opportunity to group together areas, breaking down barriers to greater collaboration and synergy,” Provost Lynita Cooksey said. “That inspired me to look at the administration side of our office. Working with our professional staff and with the input of various other constituencies, we have put like things
together to streamline our tasks and provide efficiency for those served.” Beginning with the fall 2016 semester, Humanities and Social Sciences, Media and Communication, and Fine Arts merge into one college while Engineering rejoins Agriculture and Technology. The two new colleges are closer in size to Arkansas State’s other areas of Business, Education and Behavioral Science, Nursing and Health Professions, and Mathematics and Sciences. “This alignment creates new areas for academic collaboration and gains some efficiency for the overall campus,” Cooksey said. Similarly, the new leadership positions are created from existing job lines and
summer 2016 | 18
consolidation of duties and resources from a position eliminated within the Office of Academic Affairs. The staff reorganization divided the academic structure into two major areas, one focusing on administrative and planning areas and the other on studentrelated support and curriculum matters. A senior associate vice chancellor for academic affairs will manage several direct report areas previously assigned to the provost as well as managing work to maintain the ongoing tasks of accreditation, graduate school policies and human resources as it relates to academic positions. The senior associate VC also oversees A-State Online, the state’s largest online education program; Global Initiatives, including Study
Changing to better serve our students Abroad and international educational agreements; Dean B. Ellis Library; Heritage SITES and the Military Science Department. The newly reformatted associate vice chancellor for research position will oversee the university’s Office of Research and Technology Transfer, Arkansas Biosciences Institute, and the Catalyst Center. The position of assistant vice chancellor for institutional effectiveness, formerly known as the director of institutional research, will report to the senior associate VC. The student and curriculum division is overseen by the associate vice chancellor for teaching and learning, Dr. Gina Hogue. Recently the interim dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences as well as associate vice chancellor for
academic services, Hogue manages undergraduate and graduate curricula, program review and accreditation, the university’s K-20 initiative, the Arkansas State University Digital Press, ITTC and faculty development, and admissions and records. Reporting to Hogue is assistant vice chancellor for undergraduate studies, Dr. Jill Simons. Formerly dean of University College, Simons continues to oversee the university’s retention initiatives, The Learning Commons, the Wilson Advising Center, adult learning and degree completion programs, concurrent enrollment, and high impact initiatives for student engagement. She also manages the nationally acclaimed First Year Experience program and will supervise the Honors College and Scholar Development programs. voices | 19
“Working with our professional staff and with the input of various other constituencies, we have put like things together to streamline our tasks and provide efficiency for those served.” Dr. Lynita Cooksey, ‘79 BS, ‘81 MS
One of the areas funded through reorganization is The Learning Commons. Click to see more.
red wolves on the rooftop
Click to see video
MAY 5, 2016
summer 2016 | 20
distinguished service awards
Click to see video
APRIL 7, 2016
delta national small prints exhibition
JANUARY 26, 2016
voices | 21
chancellor’s cabinet
Click to see Dr. Hudson’s Spring 2016 report
APRIL 2, 2016
summer 2016 | 22
strong-turner alumni chapter awards
honors college brainy break
APRIL 22, 2016
MARCH 19-24, 2016
voices | 23
wilson hall rededication
Click to see video
JUNE 2, 2016
summer 2016 | 24
voices | 25
an evening with rosanne cash
MARCH 3, 2016
summer 2016 | 26
Click to see video
alumni d.c. reception
MAY 23, 2016
voices | 27
my voice:
BETH SMITH ‘82 BS, ‘03 MA
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
smitty@AState.edu
Dear Friends, Arkansas State University has many signature moments. Our founding as one of four state agricultural high schools, expanding to a junior college curriculum, a four-year degreegranting college and of course, university status. Each step has moved the school forward, offering better and more educational opportunities for the region. We added another BIG one to the list: NYIT’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. The rededication of Wilson Hall for use by NYIT is covered in this issue of VOICES but the photos do not reflect fully the pride that was present across the hundreds of people who joined in that celebration. Dr. Ross-Lee, the founding dean of NYITCOM’s campus at A-State, is our guest columnist for this issue and she details very well what this means for our state and the Delta region. Be sure that you read her thoughtful remarks and share with others the impact of this new signature moment. Pack Pride with a stethoscope, I like that! The launch of our new mobile app for the Alumni Association has been wonderful. If you have not already, please visit the app store for your platform and download A-State Alumni Association. It is easy to use and will put direct access to your member benefits, a mobile membership card, social feeds and other content literally at your fingertips. As this issue goes to press we are making the final calls for gifts to Arkansas State for this fiscal year. For three years you have made it possible for A-State to lead the Sun Belt Conference in alumni giving. If you have not made your gift, it is not too late, visit us online at astatealumni.org (or use the Alumni Association app!) to help us keep our championship status. And speaking of championships, it’s spring and our thoughts in the Office of Alumni Relations turn to…football. Yes, we are already working on plans for the 2016 season with Red Wolves road trips planned for Auburn and Georgia State. I hope you will also be with us for the home opener on September 2. This is a Friday night game and the perfect “kickoff ” to the season. The Alumni Association will also host a “members only” tailgate at the Cooper Alumni Center when the UCA Bears roll into town and Homecoming will be October 15th against USA. Lots to look forward to so buy your season tickets now and join us. Sharing your Pride in A-State,
To order your copy, visit
Beth Smith Executive Director Alumni@AState.edu
AState.edu/CentennialBook.
P.S. There are many partners who played a role in bringing the NYIT partnership together, but I would like to recognize Dr. Jason Penry. Jason is the Vice Chancellor for University Advancement and he was asked to investigate the operation of a medical school at A-State. He did the research, dotted the i and crossed the t until the process was complete. It is our privilege in Advancement to work with Jason every day and see this same sort of commitment to excellence in all that we do. Never one to seek the spotlight; on this page today it is an honor to thank him publicly for his leadership.
summer 2016 | 28
The book is $45 plus $10 per order for shipping and handling.
coaches caravan
MAY 16-19, 2016
residence hall groundbreaking
JUNE 1, 2016
voices | 29
Click to see video
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