THE MAGAZINE OF ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY’S ALUMNI ASSOCIATION WINTER 2019, VOLUME 18, ISSUE 2 ~ $6.00
A-STATE AT MISS AMERICA ALUMNA CLAUDIA RAFFO SHARES WINNING PLATFORM
In addition to new articulation agreements, Arkansas State announced closer overall ties for transfer students with its four sister institutions in the ASU System in September. On hand for the announcement were campus chancellors (from left) Debra West, ASU Mid-South, Robin Myers, ASU-Mountain Home, Kelly Damphousse, A-State, Jennifer Methvin, ASU-Beebe, and Sandra Massey, ASU-Newport.
Watch the signing day stream and check out more photos on page 32.
in this issue: FEATURES:
12
ALUMNA CLAUDIA RAFFO’S PLATFORM HELPS LEAD TO WEARING CROWN AS MISS ARKANSAS 2018
16
COOPER ALUMNI CENTER CELEBRATES FIRST DECADE AS HOME TO ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
18
CENTENNIAL BANK PROVIDES NEW CAMPUS WELCOME CENTER TO GREET NEW STUDENTS AND VISITORS
ESTATE GIFT FROM MIKE WATSON, ‘76, ENDOWS LECTURE SERIES AT A-STATE
WINDGATE FOUNDATION GIVES RECORD $6.7 MILLION TO BUILD ‘3-D’ ARTS FACILITY
20 22
PROFILES:
04 STUDENT PROFILE 06 CAMPUS PROFILE 08 ALUMNI PROFILE 10 ALUMNI PROFILE
Maddie Archer
Dr. Bryan Terry
Demario Davis ‘11
Candice Dunbar ‘08, ‘12
DEPARTMENTS:
03 MY VOICE
Katey Provence Coordinator of Student Services Leadership Center
Lindsay Burnett Executive Director A-State Alumni Association
36 THE LAST WORD voices | 01
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
MARK KILLINGSWORTH ’09
ERIC BLACKWELL ‘01
JULIE MATTHEWS ‘94
RUSTY CHAMBERS ‘89
MICHAEL MILES ’02, ‘11
CHARISSE M. CHILDERS ’88, ’91, ‘01
RICK MILES ‘78
JENNIFER STOUT COLE ’00
BRANDON MORRIS ‘08
GEORGE COTTON ‘82
JOY MURPHY ‘92
STACY CRAWFORD ‘97
NATALIE ROGERS ‘10
JANET DAVIS EVANS ‘80
SHELLEY LUNBECK TUSTISON ’04
RICHARD HARTNESS, SR. ’68
CHANCELLOR - DR. KELLY DAMPHOUSSE VICE CHANCELLOR FOR 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 two 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 2019 | 02
EMAIL: Alumni@AState.edu
my voice:
KATEY PROVENCE, COORDINATOR OF STUDENT SERVICES, LEADERSHIP CENTER
You might notice a theme in several of the stories to follow in this issue of Voices. A-State students, faculty, staff and alumni serve – each other and those in need. I have the honor of advising students through community service and philanthropic opportunities on campus and in the Jonesboro community. It has been a busy year already with donation drives, fundraising efforts, hands-on projects and more. The A-State Food Pantry has enjoyed a remarkable semester with the addition of a freezer and “coat closet.” The new freezer equipment was donated through a partnership with the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas, and the Student Philanthropy Council’s Back the Pack campaign assisted in raising funds to purchase frozen food items for the first time. The new coat closet area will begin offering warm-weather items to students in need next year. Did I mention this pantry is completely student-run? The Student Opportunity Award, developed by the Student Philanthropy Council, is now available to assist students whose future at the university may be at stake due to a temporary financial struggle. Seeing the student body rally behind this effort through the Philanthropy Cup competition is simply amazing. It brings to life the idea that “Every Red Wolf Counts.” Our first-year students have jumped right in to the spirit of serving at A-State by hosting an array of projects within their Making Connections courses. From winning the campus-wide Homecoming food drive to collecting blankets and toiletries for the local homeless resource center, the class of 2022 has seen needs in the community and has risen up to meet them. A-State’s St. Jude Up ‘til Dawn team has surpassed $50,000 for the fourth consecutive year in its efforts to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. UTD’s goal by March 2019 is to raise $115,000 to help ensure no family ever receives a bill from St. Jude. In addition, A-State’s Howlathon raised over $7,000 this fall for Arkansas Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Miracle Network. A-State’s athletic teams are no strangers to getting out in the community to serve. Earlier in the semester, the football Red Wolves were spotted visiting patients at St. Bernards Medical Center, and in November, head coach Brian Boyer and the women’s basketball team accepted donations and loaded trucks in conjunction with the annual Fill the Food Bank event. A-State baseball players spread a little holiday cheer by serving as bell ringers for the Salvation Army in December. Lastly, we cannot discuss service without mentioning A-State’s fraternities and sororities. The five sororities that comprise the National Panhellenic Conference at A-State collectively donated over 60,000 pounds of food as part of the annual Greek Goddess competition. Chapters from the National Pan-Hellenic Council served meals at local community events and partnered with other organizations to host campus forums on cancer and sickle cell awareness. Many Interfraternity Council organizations also hosted fundraisers to benefit a variety of causes such as the Huntsman Cancer Institute and Retrieving Freedom. Proudly displayed in the Reng Student Union is a quote from R.E. Lee Wilson, member of the Arkansas State University Board of Trustees from 1917 until his death in 1933, that reads, “My vision is to send forth each year better educated, elevated, right-thinking American citizenry.” A-State is doing just that. Fellow alumni, thank you for supporting our university, our community, and most importantly, our students. Wolves Up!
Katey Provence Coordinator of Student Services, Leadership Center voices | 03
student PROFILE
MADDIE ARCHER winter 2019 | 04
At 19 years old, A-State sophomore Maddie Archer doesn’t have typical teenage responsibilities. In fact, she may have more on her plate than most college students and college graduates. Archer is the founder and owner of Under His Wings orphanage, home to 35 children in Busia, Kenya. On a mission trip to Kenya in 2017, Archer felt called by her Christian faith to establish the home, in a country where two million children are orphaned. “I first went to Kenya right after I graduated from high school, and I just went to do a teaching internship as art teacher for a preschool class,” Archer explained. “I was going by myself and didn’t know what all the Lord had in store for me. Whenever I got there I just knew that there was more for me there. I was able to go visit lots of children’s homes with the family that I was staying with.”
requirement for operating an orphanage, they were able to register the organization with the Kenyan government two days later. The next day, they rescued four children. The following Christmas, Munuku and Mwai arranged for Archer to aquire a house in Busia, located about 10 hours from Nairobi and approximately 20 minutes from the Ugandan border. The home provides shelter, food, medical care and education for 35 children. “I have a board of directors, an accountant and a secretary that I communicate with every day,” said Archer. “I also have a board of directors here too because you have to have it registered as a nonprofit in order to send money to Kenya.”
“I DIDN’T THINK
“I didn’t know specifically what He was going to call me to do,” she added. “I just knew it was something that He was going to use me for. And so after visiting those orphanages, I just prayed about it more.” During the final week of the trip, Archer knew her calling and founded Under His Wings children’s home, rescuing six children in the final days before returning to Arkansas. Once home, she founded Under His Wings International, a nonprofit organization that funds the orphanage.
I’D BE HERE IN MY LIFE, BUT I
WOULDN’T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY. WHENEVER I
TELL MY STORY,
I KIND OF STEP BACK
AND SAY, ‘IS THIS REALLY MY STORY?’ ”
“I was 18 at the time, and I didn’t know specifically how I was going to do it, or even afford it,” Archer said. “It wasn’t an orphanage that was already there, and what I felt specifically that He was calling me to do was to start one that was for children that are from 0-3 years of age. There aren’t any in Kenya for that age, and babies get dropped off all the time. Sex trafficking is big there, and girls get sold into marriages. That happens as soon as they are old enough to have kids, and they don’t have a say in it. That was a big need because none of the homes would take the babies.” Working with her host family, Fred Munuku and Regina Mwai, Archer was able to first establish the orphanage in an unused part of their home in Nairobi. Because Mwai is a social worker, which is a
“It’s hard for me to be here and not be there, especially when they send me pictures or when I find out one of the kids is sick,” Archer continued. “It’s hard for me not to be there because my heart is there, but I feel like I do need to be here right now.”
As a student at Arkansas State, Archer is a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, vice president of the Student Philanthropy Council and is involved with A-State Up ‘til Dawn. She plans to visit the orphanage in Busia over the Christmas break, and when she eventually earns her interdisciplinary studies degree, she thinks that’s where she’ll land. She also considers the chain of events that have happened in her life in the last two years, and knows she could be called elsewhere. She’s open to going in any direction she feels God is calling her. “This has all happened so fast,” she laughed. “I thought I was just going be a teacher and do elementary or art education and it’s totally the opposite. I didn’t think I’d be here in my life, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Whenever I tell my story, I kind of step back and say, ‘Is this really my story?’ ”
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“Whenever I’m not there, Fred is the director,” she added. “We send money every month from monthly sponsors and other donations. It usually takes $1,000 to $1,300 a month to run it. The kids have medical issues; most of them when they first come in are really malnourished, and babies need more attention than others.”
Check out the message of another A-State alum, Darrell Greene, as he tells future Red Wolves why the School of Media and Journalism made him “job ready”.
voices | 05
campusPROFILE DR. BRYAN TERRY
winter 2019 | 06
When Dr. Bryan Terry found out that Arkansas State University was creating the new position of Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management, he knew right away that he would be applying for the job.
to understand what they enjoy. We call it, ‘Find your passion,’ because once you find your passion, you are going to be happy, and once you are doing what you enjoy doing, it’s not work.” Terry comes to Arkansas State with 27 years of experience in higher education, most recently serving as vice chancellor for enrollment management at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Arkansas State is close to his home of Alton, Ill., which is located just outside of St. Louis, and Terry was excited to have the opportunity to work with Chancellor Kelly Damphousse, as well as being intrigued by the opportunity to build the position as the inaugural vice chancellor. “I got to read a little bit about Kelly’s background and thought, ‘This is a guy that’s kind of neat,’” said Terry. “He has a lot of the characteristics that I like, and I could tell that he wanted to build something to make the institution great. I can tell by looking at our leadership team and from talking to some of the folks I have talked to, that this was a very easy decision, and I fell in love with it.” Terry plans to bring a data-driven, cradleto-grave approach to the position. Not only will the focus of his department be on early recruiting, but a major emphasis will be on the students’ success once they get on campus. Terry said that while students come to campus as freshmen with the question of, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” they also need to know what it means to be a Red Wolf, and what it means to be a college graduate.
Prior to his arrival at UNCG, the university had three consecutive years of declining enrollment. Terry’s data-driven, student-first approach to enrollment management immediately reversed that trend. His four years at the institution resulted in four years of growth in enrollment, capped by last fall’s record of 20,106 students, the first time in the university’s 126-year history that enrollment topped 20,000. In his first year there, first-to-second year retention increased 4.5 percent, and he lead UNCG to an increase of 5.6 percent in graduation rate.
“WE CALL IT, ‘FIND
YOUR PASSION,’ BECAUSE ONCE YOU
FIND YOUR PASSION, YOU ARE
GOING TO BE
HAPPY, AND ONCE YOU
ARE DOING WHAT YOU ENJOY DOING,
IT’S NOT WORK.”
“It’s our job to take those dreams and make them a reality,” he said. “It’s not just about getting them in here. Once we get them in here, we have a responsibility to make sure that student succeeds, graduates and becomes a productive member of the Jonesboro community. Then that person becomes an alum and becomes successful, then they can go out and spread the word about what it means to be a good Red Wolf. That’s the important part of enrollment management, is that it’s a continuous cycle.” Terry said that many incoming students have a general idea of what they want to do in life, but outside influences can sometimes steer them down a different path. “I think there are many students, especially on the first generation side, scratching their heads because somebody told them what they ought to go into,” said Terry. “But we want them to take the time
That approach applies to the entire college experience, both in and out of the classroom. Not only will his department analyze what interests the student academically, but what interests the student outside of the classroom, helping the student to understand what it’s like to have a roommate, to be a part of a social organization, to be a leader, and what it means to be a Red Wolf.
Terry plans to immerse himself and his family in the community as well as the university, and is looking forward to making Jonesboro home. “I’m really looking forward to being part of the community,” he said. “Hopefully my son will play football and basketball where I can go and watch him on Friday nights, and then on Saturday spend the entire day watching college football – watching the Red Wolves do their thing, whether it’s football or basketball, and just really becoming a part of this community’s fabric, because a community is just a large family.”
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“We are going to do a lot of predictive analytics,” Terry explained. “You take a look at the student, you look at their characteristics compared to other folks, and based on that information, you tell them that there are other things they could do that might be better for them.”
Get to know more about A-State’s inaugural Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management.
voices | 07
alumniPROFILE
DEMARIO DAVIS ‘11
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Demario Davis ’11 made such an impact from 2008-11 as a member of the Red Wolves football team that he was drafted in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. For the next six seasons, five with the Jets and one with the Cleveland Browns, he made a bigger impact, and the New Orleans Saints signed him prior to the 2018 season to help the team on their quest to return to the Super Bowl. At the end of the regular season, Davis led the team in tackles with 110, including a team-high 74 solo stops and five quarterback sacks, but his biggest impact may be off the field.
“The early years I spent at Arkansas State, I hadn’t given my life to Christ yet,” explained Davis, crediting team chaplain Chuck McElroy for helping him make that change. “He discipled me and invited me to come to evangelism one summer. And that summer, I decided to focus on evangelism training, and that’s something you don’t do in college when you are an athlete – you stay and train for next season.”
Following his rookie season in the NFL, Davis founded the Devoted Dreamers Academy for at-risk youth in Jackson, Miss. At the time, the academy was held on Fridays during the summer, focusing on what Davis termed, “the three levels of the human being – physical, mental and spiritual.”
“I started to look at football as not an opportunity to get glory for myself, but as sort of a mission field, a way to reach men who would have an opportunity to go and change the world,” Davis stated. “An opportunity to teach them to go and be better men, better leaders, better husbands and better fathers. I felt like it was a great opportunity in every locker room to reach men, so when I came back, that’s what it was about – no longer was I playing the game for myself and no longer was training to be the best player, I was training and playing the game in a way that I would be a light to my brothers in the locker room.”
Now, it’s a total summer camp that not only focuses on the physical, mental and spiritual, but also teaches life skills from work and study habits to financial literacy to vehicle repair. At-risk children are at the academy five days a week, for seven straight weeks.
Instead of staying on campus, Davis went to Tampa, Fla., to focus on evangelism, and his life of service was born.
“NO LONGER WAS I PLAYING THE GAME
FOR MYSELF
AND NO LONGER WAS
TRAINING TO BE THE
BEST PLAYER,
“We go from eight in the morning to three in the evening and we feed them lunch,” said Davis. “They have a lot of fun and games but there is a business school intertwined into it, so the kids don’t get prizes, they earn their prizes – they get ‘academy’ money based on what they do, like turning in reports, doing extra work or displaying certain leadership qualities or character traits that we have talked about. With that ‘money’ they can go into a shop and get whatever they want. For the bigger prizes, they have to save for seven weeks to get them. We teach them to delay gratification. It’s really allencompassing.”
I WAS TRAINING
Since then, Davis’ humanitarian and philanthropic efforts have expanded in many directions. He’s been involved with United Way since his early playing days with the Jets. Davis has also worked to advance criminal justice reform, meeting with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, spending time with the public defender’s office in the Bronx, and co-authoring a letter with Saints teammate Benjamin Watson in support of Louisiana House Bill 265. The measure sought to restore voting rights to individuals who have been out of prison at least five years and was signed into law in May by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards.
AND PLAYING THE GAME IN A WAY THAT I WOULD
BE A LIGHT TO MY BROTHERS
IN THE LOCKER ROOM.”
“On the spiritual level, we focus on character development, and we mainly do that through teaching the Gospel,” continued Davis. “From a mental standpoint, we try to teach reading comprehension and mathematic fundamentals. For the physical level, we have the ‘Play 60’ model, which encourages exercise 60 minutes a day.”
Whether at home in Mississippi or at Arkansas State, New York, Cleveland or New Orleans, Davis uses football to initiate change. “It was a huge thing to look at the locker room as a mission field, which I had never done before,” said Davis. “So every locker room from then, whether it was the Jets, Cleveland, or now New Orleans, has been a mission field.”
Davis said that his time at Arkansas State was the most transformative period in his life.
profile extra:
Learn more about the former Red Wolf now New Orleans Saint and how his cleats benefitted others through his community service efforts.
voices | 09
alumniPROFILE CANDICE DUNBAR BS ‘08, DPT ‘12
winter 2019 | 10
What started out as a hop, skip and a jump for Candice Dunbar ’08, ’12 DPT has turned into a career that spans the globe. Dunbar founded Skillful Play Therapy in 2018, and has traveled the world helping children with special needs. Soon after earning her doctor of physical therapy in 2012 from Arkansas State, Dunbar moved to Memphis to begin her professional career. “I moved to Memphis to start working in West Memphis, and you know it’s just a hop, skip and a jump over the bridge and you’re in back in Arkansas,” she said. Dunbar’s specialty is work with children from birth to five years, and she worked in a pediatric clinic in West Memphis for about a year before she got an email asking if she’d be willing to work overseas as a military contractor. “The email simply said, ‘Would you be willing to work in Japan?’ Dunbar explained. “And I thought, well, this is interesting. What kind of setting would it be in?” Six months later, she was living in Japan, working as a contractor for the Navy and specializing in children from birth to three years old.
want to find a way to be a part of the country’s special needs children, because in Vietnam their ability to take care of their children that have special needs is about 40 to 50 years behind the United States. And I knew that I could do something to help. So I started looking for a way to do pediatric therapy there, and I came across the Kianh Foundation.” Since 2012, the Kianh Foundation has run a day center for children with special needs in Dien Ban, one of the most bombed districts in the Vietnam War. Dunbar spent six months working voluntarily through the Kianh Foundation, helping to train the local staff along with working with the area children. “I did pretty significant training with their local therapists there,” said Dunbar. “There are three therapists that they have on staff, and I trained them and worked with the kids.
“SO US BEING THERE
KEPT THE FAMILIES
TOGETHER, AND I TOOK MY WORK VERY SERIOUSLY, AND I FELT VERY
“We pull them out of the classroom and they have their therapy sessions. That’s very unique to Vietnam, and it’s maybe something that could be taken for granted here – how well we have been able to care for our special needs kids. We have laws in effect that federally mandate that children will be in the least-restrictive environment for their education. They don’t have that in Vietnam.”
“If a family was stationed in Japan, I was there to provide the services that the child Now that her time in Vietnam is complete, with special needs needed in order to Dunbar will move on to Italy, where she keep the families together,” Dunbar said. will again serve military families with special “Because when a child is born and they have TO MY COUNTRY IN THAT WAY.” needs children at the U.S. Air Force Base in a condition, or they’re determined to have a Aviano. developmental delay, the child would have to be sent home with the mother or the father that’s not the service member, Dunbar believes that a child’s only concern should be to play, and Skillful and it splits up a lot of families.” Play Therapy was born from that belief.
GOOD ABOUT BEING ABLE
TO GIVE BACK
“So us being there kept the families together, and I took my work very seriously,” she added. “And I felt very good about being able to give back to my country in that way.” A travel enthusiast, Dunbar made the most of her location and traveled all across Southeast Asia while living in Japan, visiting Vietnam several times with her husband, Patrick. “We just fell in love with the country,” Dunbar said. “We went there for the first time for my birthday, and we did a jungle trek. We were in the jungle for four days roughing it, and that experience just made me really
“Skillful Play Therapy was my idea for bringing awareness to our cause in Vietnam,” Dunbar said. “It was important for me to shine the light on the fact that I was from Arkansas, and my degree in education here at Arkansas State is what has afforded me the ability to go off and practice overseas.” “I always thought I would help disabled veterans,” she added. “But I fell in love with working with children, and to be able to go into practice overseas for the military children, I feel like it kind of came around full circle. And it was exactly what I was supposed to do.”
profile extra:
Learn more about Candice in this video profile.
voices | 11
Alumna Claudia Raffo’s Platform Helps Lead to Claudia Raffo ’18, the current Miss Arkansas, is a Red Wolf through and through.
chauffeur-driven convertible, Raffo said that the parade was the highlight of her Miss America experience.
Shortly after graduating from A-State in May with her degree in chemistry, Raffo was crowned Miss Arkansas, the first from Arkansas State in over four decades. From there, she advanced in September to the Miss America pageant, where she proudly showed off her Red Wolf spirit in the Show Me Your Shoes parade down the Atlantic City Boardwalk.
“As the first Miss Arkansas from Arkansas State in 43 years, I really wanted to showcase the Red Wolves,” Raffo explained. “Since my dad is the baseball coach here, I decided to go decked out in a baseball uniform with a Red Wolf cape. It was so much fun doing that.”
Decked out in high heels that included a baseball where the heel once was, and a rhinestone-covered A-State baseball uniform featuring a cape with a large Red Wolf logo draped across the back of her
The daughter of Tommy and Paula Raffo, she moved to Jonesboro with her family when her father was named head coach of the Arkansas State baseball team in 2008, but her grandmother back in Mississippi was the inspiration for her Miss Arkansas platform, “New Life Saves winter 2019 | 12
Lives: Umbilical Cord Donation.” “I started in the Miss Arkansas system when I was 18, and you have to develop a personal platform that you can work toward – and I wanted mine to be really personal to me,” Raffo said. “When I was 11, my grandmother Hattie Raffo was diagnosed with cancer for the third time. She developed leukemia after having Hodgkin’s lymphoma and breast cancer. “Because of her previous forms of cancer, she couldn’t find a bone marrow donor on the national registry, so she underwent what was at the time an experimental procedure using stem cells from umbilical cord blood.”
Raffo’s grandmother, Hattie, was the inspiration for her platform, “New Life Saves Lives: Umbilical Cord Donation,” for which she received the Jean Bartel Quality of Life Award at the Miss America Pageant
Wearing Crown as Miss Arkansas 2018 Although her grandmother eventually died from pneumonia, Raffo said the stem cell replacement extended her life and was a success. Inspired by that victory, Raffo chose umbilical cord donation as her platform in the Miss Arkansas system. What was once discarded as medical waste following a live, healthy birth, the umbilical cord can now be used to harvest stem cells for use in treating a variety of diseases or for research. Raffo stressed that no harm is done to babies, and explained that in order for the cords to be used, they must be donated. In many states, donation is not free, but in Arkansas, the cord blood bank is state-funded.
“Not every state has this privilege that we do in Arkansas,” Raffo said. “So coming back home, I really wanted to focus on making sure Arkansans know that we have that and they can utilize it. When the cord reaches the cord blood bank at UAMS Little Rock, they take the blood out, and they separate the blood from the stem cells and freeze the stem cells.” “The stem cells can be used to treat over 80 kinds of blood disorders, mostly blood cancers,” she added. “But the more umbilical cords that are donated, the more stem cells they’ll have. The more research that’s done, the more this can expand past blood disorders, and they can start doing more things with it.”
voices | 13
“So really, it was all about the scholarships in the beginning. And I can tell you that Arkansas State University does some of the best institutional scholarships in our state.”
- Claudia Raffo
For her platform, Raffo was awarded the Jean Bartel Quality of Life Award at the Miss America pageant. The award, given in memory of Bartel, Miss America 1943, is chosen from those who “excel in their commitment to enhance the quality of life for others through volunteerism and community service, with emphasis on the depth of service, the creativity of the project, and the significant effects upon the lives of others,” according to the Miss America website. “Of course, we were over the top excited for Claudia and so proud of her, too,” said Rick Pruitt, interim executive director of the Miss Arkansas pageant.
“That is a very coveted award at the Miss America pageant, and Arkansas has never won that award before this year. Her social issue is so compelling and not one that we see often in the local, state or national competition. It is a platform Claudia is so passionate about and has a definite connection to it through her grandmother. Plus, an additional $6,000 in scholarship funds makes it all the better.” “We are really fortunate in Arkansas to have our own state-mandated cord blood bank,” said Raffo. “When I went to Miss America, I did a lot more research outside the state of Arkansas to expand my
winter winter2019 2019| |1414
platform nationally, and what I found out is that it’s not free to donate in every state. That was something that I really focused on in my personal interview for the Quality of Life Award. I really think that it should be an option. If women want to donate, they should be able to.” “A lot of people think, ‘Oh, I don’t have the money to do that,’ but in Arkansas, it’s totally free,” said Raffo. “And I believe if we do a great job of selling that here in Arkansas, other states will catch on. Everybody will start learning about it.” Raffo’s plan for the next stage in her life was put on hold when she won at Miss
Raffo’s sisters from Alpha Gamma Delta sorority and members of the Red Wolves Dancers, along with friends and family from the A-State community, were on hand to support her at the Miss America pageant.
Arkansas, but it’s a trade-off she will gladly accept. She has been accepted into pharmacy school at UAMS, and the scholarship earnings from the Miss Arkansas pageant will allow her to finish debt-free. In total, she earned a combined $93,000 in scholarship money from Miss Arkansas and Miss America to pay for her education. “I got involved with the Miss America system because I knew I wanted to go to pharmacy school,” said Raffo. “That’s a huge financial burden to take on. When I when I won my first local preliminary for Miss Arkansas, the in-kind scholarship was to Arkansas State, so it all just kind of fell into place. Miss Arkansas and the
Miss America system totally paid off my undergraduate degree at Arkansas State. “After I won Miss Arkansas and went to Miss America, all of that scholarship money has paid off pharmacy school as well,” she added. “So really, it was all about the scholarships in the beginning. And I can tell you that Arkansas State University does some of the best institutional scholarships in our state.”
Take a look at Claudia Raffo Day at Arkansas State.
voices voices| |1515
Cooper Alumni Center Celebrates First Decade October 9, 2003, was a landmark day in the history of both Arkansas State University and its Alumni Association as it was announced that a $2 million gift from 1964 graduates Darrell and Charlotte Cooper of Clarkston, Mich., would be given toward the construction of a new alumni center on campus.
million, 20,000-square-foot facility, and on Sept. 19, 2008, the Distinguished Alumni reception was the first event held in the building. The Cooper Alumni Center was officially dedicated on Oct. 17, 2008, and in the 10 years since, thousands of events have taken place there. It is home to Arkansas State
afforded me, as they have contributed in many ways to my successes in life. These opportunities exist in large part due to private donors. Many of the buildings and programs at ASU bear the names of donors who contributed to help create academic opportunities for others and for myself. I believe it is fitting that I
The Coopers’ gift began the fundraising campaign for the privately-funded facility, which was later named the Cooper Alumni Center in recognition of their gift, and 18 months later, ground was broken.
University’s Alumni Association, which traces its roots back to 1924. In 1984, the association became known as the Office of Alumni Relations and served fewer than 25,000 alumni. Today, the alumni population served by the A-State Alumni Association has multiplied to over 90,000.
put something back into the system that contributed to my success.”
The community and the alumni of Arkansas State University now enjoy the Cooper Alumni Center, which now stands at 2600 Alumni Blvd., the former site of what many alumni once knew as the “old pavilion.” Following the groundbreaking in April 2005, construction began on the $5
“I received a quality education at ASU. I also met professors, friends and my wife, all of whom profoundly influenced my life,” said Cooper in 2003 when the $2 million gift was announced. “Charlotte has been my wife and my inspiration for 40 years. I am grateful for the education and opportunity that attending ASU has winter 2019 | 16
The Cooper Alumni Center is now a multipurpose facility available for meetings, receptions and community events. It includes a ballroom, history room, board room, upper and lower lobby reception areas, outside terrace space along with office space for Alumni Relations, Advancement Services, the Development Office, and the Vice Chancellor for University Advancement. The facility is supported, in part, by the generosity of the 1924 Sustaining
as Home to Alumni Association Life Members of the A-State Alumni Association. A portion of the $1,924 pledge from each of the more than 900 members goes directly toward the operation of the Cooper Alumni Center, and those members’ names are displayed on a plaque in the building. The back terrace overlooking the lake contains
“Literally thousands of ASU alumni and friends of the future Cooper Alumni Center will benefit from the (facility) as it becomes the gathering place for business and social events,” said Wyatt at the presentation of the Coopers’ gift.
engraved commemorative bricks which are available for purchase and feature names and personal messages from many alumni.
donors to the facility with areas named for them include the E. C. Barton Company of Jonesboro; Paula and Jim Callaway ‘68 of Dallas; Sam and Marilyn McCracken Hummelstein ‘74 of Jonesboro; the family of the late Marlin Jackson ‘58 of Conway; the Kays Foundation; Mary Ellen and Lavon Wells ‘65 of Jonesboro; Ann Smithwick Reynolds ‘70 and Stephen Reynolds ‘68 of Memphis; and Dr. and Mrs. Alonzo Williams ‘73 of Little Rock.
The facility is home to Alumni Association tailgates prior to home football games, as well as numerous Alumni Association functions throughout the year. It is also regularly used for weddings and wedding receptions, along with events hosted by the university and civic organizations, and the words of thenASU President Les Wyatt in 2003 have proven to be true.
In addition to the Coopers, other major
“I believe it is fitting that I put something back into the system that contributed to my success.”
- Darrell Cooper ‘64
Cooper Alumni Center isn’t the only 10th birthday.
voices | 17
Beck PRIDE Center Centennial Bank Provides NewEnters CampusSecond Welcome Alumni who accompany their collegebound children for campus visits at Arkansas State University now start their tours at the new Welcome Center, made possible through the generosity of Centennial Bank. Located near the heart of the campus, just east of the Carl R. Reng Student Union, the Welcome Center is already fulfilling its mission and becoming the first stop for prospective new Red Wolves. Centennial Bank hosted a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Welcome Center and banking facility during the first week of the fall semester, as a large crowd gathered around for the celebration. As they spoke during the ceremony, bank officials were quick to show heart-felt pride in the novel project and its importance. “Centennial Bank is excited to continue our partnership with Arkansas State. This style branch is a first for us, and we are
pleased to bring it to the A-State campus,” said John Allison, chairman of Home BancShares, Inc. and Centennial Bank, and an A-State Distinguished Alumnus.
auditorium equipped for multimedia presentations. The director also oversees the Chancellor’s Ambassadors, who host visiting students and families.
“Arkansas State is vitally important to our community and region,” added Deana Osment, Northeast Arkansas division president. “We are excited to further our support of Arkansas State by expanding our presence on the university campus.”
“The new Welcome Center is a huge advancement for the recruitment process,” said Lindsay Spell of Cabot, a Chancellor’s Ambassador majoring in psychology and Spanish. Crediting Centennial Bank and A-State, she added, “They succeeded in creating an easily recognizable and accessible location for alumni, visitors and future Red Wolves to visit the campus through the opening of the Welcome Center.”
The 3,833 square-foot Welcome Center, located at 2400 Aggie Road, houses the visitors center as well as a Centennial Bank branch. The branch features an interactive teller machine that connects with off-site employees for personalized, two-way audio/video interaction. The branch currently employs two part-time Arkansas State University students. Arkansas State’s Office of Recruitment operates the Welcome Center, which includes an office for the campus experience director and a 40-seat winter 2019 | 18
Another Chancellor’s Ambassador added her perspective on the valuable campus addition. “It is amazing that I get to see this vision come to life and I get the chance to work here with my fellow ambassadors,” added Erica Bacsa of Jonesboro, an interdisciplinary studies major. “I have
Decade of Service for and Veterans Center to Greet New Students Visitors interacted with many students who are impressed with this new addition . . . I look forward to what the Welcome Center will bring to this university.” ASU System and A-State leaders also underscored the advantages of the new facility. “We are so appreciative of Centennial Bank for their continued support of Arkansas State University,” said Charles L. Welch, ASU System president. “This public-private partnership is another example of our commitment to a strong working relationship with the communities we serve.” Kelly Damphousse, A-State chancellor, emphasized the importance of the Welcome Center to A-State’s focus on recruiting and retention.
beautiful launching pad for our visitors,” Damphousse continued. “I am excited about how the Welcome Center will make visiting our campus so much easier for our guests.”
“This public-private
The close relationship between the bank and A-State underlies the spirit of mutual cooperation.
commitment to a strong
“We are proud to continue our strong partnership with Arkansas State University with the new Welcome Center and Centennial Bank branch,” added Davy Carter, regional president of the bank and an A-State alumnus. “It is a state-of-the-art facility right in the middle of campus. We are excited to see students and faculty and staff using it, and we are proud to be a part of it.”
partnership is another example of our
working relationship with the communities we serve.” - Dr. Charles L. Welch
Click to see ceremony highlights.
“We average more than 6,000 scheduled campus visits per year, and this new front door to our campus is serving as a voices | 19
Estate Gift from Mike Watson, ‘76, Endows The estate gift of longtime Jonesboro
Kelly Damphousse said. “The key to
by former Secret Service Agent Clint Hill
resident and A-State alumnus Mike
a successful community is simple. It
at Riceland Hall in 2013, during the 50th
Watson to Arkansas State University will
begins and ends with individuals who
anniversary remembrances of the Kennedy
create the largest lecture series endowment
care deeply about their hometown, and
assassination.
for the university and provide support for
care even more about the people in
a major athletics construction project.
their community. Mike Watson was
He was very proud of his photograph
Jonesboro. Mike was Arkansas State
with Agent Hill and author Lisa
through and through.”
McCubbin and business associate Larry
At $1.6 million, the Watson gift is one of the top 20 gifts in university history, with
Worsham prior to Hill and McCubbin’s
$800,000 to endow the Mike Watson
A longtime Jonesboro business leader,
presentation about their book, “Five Days
Lecture Series to be housed within the
Watson graduated from Arkansas State
in November.”
Neil Griffin College of Business and the
in 1976. He participated in a wide range
balance provided to support construction
of community groups and was an avid
“Mike was a great friend, long-time
of the north end zone project at
member of the Red Wolves Foundation,
supporter, and proud graduate of
Centennial Bank Stadium.
Assist Club and Touchdown Club.
Arkansas State,” said Dr. Jason Penry, vice chancellor for university advancement.
“On behalf of the university, I want
Watson was a supporter of special events
“The Mike Watson Lecture Series will
to express my profound thanks to the
and speakers at the university and the
help bring significant speakers to campus
family of Mike Watson,” Chancellor
community, notably the public talk given
for the entire community to enjoy. I
winter 2019 | 20
Watch more of the dedication of Watson Park.
Lecture Series at A-State believe Mike would have been pleased
generosity helped make the north
to know that his gift will forever play a
end zone project possible and was an
profound role to educate, inspire and
important factor in reaching our vision of
bring people together. His legacy of
having one of the premier facilities in the
generosity will be forever spotlighted with
nation. It goes without saying that Mike
this premier lecture series.”
was a tremendous ambassador for our program, and we are very proud to honor
The inaugural Watson Lecture is
his memory by naming one of the most
anticipated in the fall 2019 semester.
visible and visited areas on our campus after him.”
“I believe Mike would have been pleased to know that his gift will forever play a profound role to educate, inspire and bring people together. His legacy of
In recognition of his gift to support to athletics, the tailgating area west of
To commemorate the naming of Mike
Centennial Bank Stadium was named
Watson Park, a special gateway over
Mike Watson Park.
the Red Wolf Walk pathway through the main tailgating area was dedicated
“Mike was a passionate and loyal
in his honor. The arch is composed of
supporter of Arkansas State Athletics,”
the eyes of the Red Wolves logo, and is
Terry Mohajir, vice chancellor for
illuminated at night.
intercollegiate athletics, said. “His voices | 21
generosity will be forever spotlighted with this premier lecture series.”
- Dr. Jason Penry
Windgate Foundation Gives Record $6.7 Education in the arts at Arkansas State University is taking on a new dimension, thanks to the generosity of an Arkansas benefactor. Representatives of Windgate Foundation, based in Little Rock, came to campus in September with a surprise announcement to arts patrons who had gathered in Bradbury Art Museum, ostensibly for a ceremonial unveiling of the foundation’s name on the gallery it endowed earlier this year. After brief comments, the actual reason for the gathering was revealed. Windgate Foundation has approved A-State’s proposal for a $6.7 million grant to build a new facility for sculpture and ceramics programs, an unprecedented boost for arts education. “We are absolutely delighted to announce this historic gift to Arkansas State University,” Chancellor Kelly
Damphousse told the audience. “Windgate Foundation has a long record of generous support for the arts in Arkansas, and this gift dramatically raises their commitment to a new level at A-State.” The $6.7 million award is the largest single gift to the arts in the 109-year history of Arkansas State University. The funds will be used for construction of what the university proposes to call the “Windgate Center for ThreeDimensional Arts,” subject to a formal resolution by the institution’s Board of Trustees, which names all campus buildings. The grant is in response to a proposal prepared by sculptor John J. Salvest, professor of art in the Department of Art + Design, and Les Christensen, director of Bradbury Art Museum. winter spring 2019 2017 || 22 14
Robyn Horn, board chair, and other Windgate Foundation representatives participated in the announcement, and they clearly enjoyed the enthusiastic reaction from A-State and area arts patrons when they learned the primary reason for their visit. “We are proud to be partnering with Arkansas State’s Department of Art + Design,” Horn commented. “Their faculty is very engaged and enthusiastic, and we know the students will benefit greatly from this improved facility.” The new building, to be located immediately south of the Fine Arts Center, will be the answer to a welldocumented need for studio and exhibition space for sculpture and ceramics, often referenced in the art world as the 3-D arts. The Windgate Foundation’s gift is
Million to Build ‘3-D’ Arts Facility among the largest single gifts to an academic program in A-State history. The largest was from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation for construction of the Donald W. Reynolds Health Sciences Center, followed by a gift from alumnus Neil Griffin of Kerrville, Texas, which resulted in the naming of the Neil Griffin College of Business last spring. Windgate Foundation’s gift also is the second largest private commitment ever recorded toward construction of a new academic building at A-State. Faculty members are enthused not just about a new building, but even more so about the opportunities it presents. “Among the many exciting things about three-dimensional art today are all of the new methods and materials now available,” Salvest explained. “Our program has long been hampered by a lack of space which prohibited the
introduction of additional techniques and equipment. With the four to five-fold increase in square footage in the new building, ceramics professor Bill Rowe and I will be able to expand the range of materials and processes we offer in our classes.” The new facility will directly benefit students who study art at Arkansas State in new ways. “Thanks to the increased space made possible by the generosity of the Windgate Foundation, exhibition galleries and private studios for sculpture and ceramics students will be available for the first time,” Salvest added. “That, along with the state-of-the-art classrooms, will be an amazing recruitment and retention tool.”
voices voices || 23 15
“We are proud to be partnering with Arkansas State’s Department of Art + Design. Their faculty is very engaged and enthusiastic, and we know the students will benefit greatly from this improved facility.”
- Robyn Horn For more details about the Windgate Gift, click to see the video.
As director of the Bradbury Art Museum, Christensen has been stepping up the emphasis on outreach to area junior and senior high students. The new Windgate facility will create even more ways to build interest in a wider array of art education opportunities. Art classes offered by local K-12 schools generally are more focused on 2-D media such as drawing and painting.
quality of our students’ learning and lives. The students and faculty of the College of Liberal Arts and Communication thank everyone involved for making this possible.” The new Windgate facility’s studio and work areas are anticipated to total approximately 20,000 square feet, almost four times the space available in the Fine Arts Annex.
“For many young artists, their first introduction to the possibility of threedimensional self-expression comes as a university undergraduate,” Christensen said. “Many students, once made aware that visual art is not exclusively twodimensional, flourish and grow in new ways, some ultimately preferring the challenge of manipulating materials in space.” Plans are for the university to transfer the current 3-D program to the new facility from its current location in the Fine Arts Annex, a 1936 building that many alumni will remember once housed the university’s Print Shop and classrooms before the ceramics and sculpture moved there in the 1980s. Drawing and painting studios will continue to be housed in the Fine Arts Center. “From the moment I first walked through the ceramic and sculpture areas it has been my goal to facilitate new studios and class spaces for students,” added Dr. Carl Cates, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Communication. “This support from the Windgate Foundation changes the
“Thanks to the increased space made possible by the generosity of the Windgate Foundation, exhibition galleries and private studios for sculpture and ceramics students will be available for the first time. That, along with the state-of-theart classrooms, will be an amazing recruitment and retention tool.”
- John Salvest professor of art
“This generous gift from the Windgate Foundation for a state-of-the-art center for ceramics and sculpture will allow the department to introduce more students and the community to the threedimensional arts,” Balducci added. “It’s an exciting time for us and we are thrilled about the possibilities, especially for outreach and recruiting.” The new building will include separate large studio classrooms for sculpture and ceramics programs, as well as common woodworking and metal fabrication shops. Also included will be faculty and studio specialist offices, advanced undergraduate studios, and a student exhibition and project gallery dedicated to three-dimensional art. A partially-covered, shared, exterior yard will be adjacent to the classrooms. The Windgate Charitable Foundation is a private grant-making foundation established in 1993. Its principal goal is to fund projects that strengthen marriage and family relationships, promote art and craft education, support youth programs and K-12 education, and assist Christian higher education. Construction is expected to begin in 2019.
Temma Balducci, chair of the Department of Art + Design, noted the potential for increased enrollment in 3-D courses, improved community outreach and involvement, and additional internships opportunities with other institutions and industries, and interdisciplinary initiatives on campus.
winter 2019 | 24
For more information on how to get involved in the Windgate Center for Three-Dimensional Arts, contact Jessica Blackburn at jkscott@AState.edu or 870972-2758.
50-year reunion
NOVEMBER 3, 2018
Click to hear Caleb’s legacy story.
voices | 25
Caleb Broussard of Holland, Mich., is just one of many Arkansas State University students to carry on his family legacy by earning his degree at A-State using the Alumni and Dependent Waiver. The Alumni and Dependent Waiver allows out-of-state dependents of A-State graduates to register as students on the Jonesboro campus and pay in-state tuition. Caleb received his B.S. in Creative Media Production at the Spring 2018 Commencement, following in the footsteps of his mother, Margie ’94 BME, and father, Trent ’91 BME, ’92 MME.
johnny cash heritage festival
OCTOBER 18-20, 2018
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pancakes and pj’s
DECEMBER 1, 2018
scholars and donors
NOVEMBER 1, 2018
voices | 27
thanksgiving serving
boots and ballers
NOVEMBER 13, 2018
OCTOBER 24, 2018
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A Leader in Diversity & Inclusion
Arkansas State University is a winner of the 2018 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. The HEED selection, A-State’s first, recognizes U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an exceptional commitment to diversity and inclusion. A-State, featured along with 95 other recipients in the magazine’s November issue, was the only Arkansas university among the 2018 honorees. “We are committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion at Arkansas State,” Chancellor Kelly Damphousse said. “Being mindful of inclusion is an important part of making sure that Every Red Wolf Counts regardless of color or creed. I am delighted A-State was selected for the HEED Award based on the advances we are making, thanks to the leadership of Vice Chancellor Maurice Gipson. I deeply appreciate the students, faculty and staff who have embraced our goals through their support of key initiatives.” Insight into Diversity magazine selected A-State largely because of its achievements in attracting historically under-represented and first-generation students as part of the institution’s renewed emphasis on retention, and for its efforts to recruit and support diverse faculty. “The HEED Award is one of the most distinguished diversity awards in higher education. A-State’s inclusion as an awardee for the first-time really demonstrates the substantial progress we have made and showcases our firm commitment,” stated Gipson, who is vice chancellor for diversity and community engagement. The HEED Award process consists of a rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of historically under-represented students and employees, as well as continued leadership support for campus diversity and inclusion. Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of Insight Into Diversity magazine, explained, “Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being accomplished every day across their campus.” Highlights from A-State’s diversity program nomination include: A-State Connections, a recruitment initiative; ACT Prep Camp; Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE); A-State Inspire, for newly admitted freshmen; the Student Diversity and Recruitment Team; and A-State Advance, a cohort-based program that assists faculty participants. “It is my hope that we become a model of diversity best practices in the state and around the country,” Gipson added.
A-State Alumni Association Honors Distinguished Alumni The Arkansas State University Alumni Association recognized three recipients of Click to hear Watson Bell’s speech.
its 2018 Distinguished Alumni Awards during Homecoming events, Saturday, Nov. 3. The honorees are Watson Bell of Searcy, Richard Carvell of Jonesboro, and Dr. Jane McBride Gates of Hartford, Conn. All three have attained an outstanding record of professional and civic achievements, as well as giving extraordinary support to their alma mater. This was the 35th year the association has recognized the university’s most distinguished alumni, selected from nominations submitted by the public. A halftime ceremony recognized this year’s honorees during the Red Wolves’ Homecoming game.
Arthur Watson Bell Bell is the principal in a legal consulting firm that provides educational services concerning
Click to hear Richard Carvell Sr.’s’ speech.
law for health care providers. For many years he was a partner in the Lightle Law Firm. He also is adjunct professor of health care law for Baptist College of Health Sciences in Memphis, and adjunct clinical instructor in health care law for the NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine at A-State. Bell is dedicated to helping others through his work on the board of the United Network for Organ Sharing. His public service work includes chair of the Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission and board chair of Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. He and his wife, A-State alumna Jean Ann Langley Bell, have two children, Laura Elizabeth Bailey and Arthur Watson Bell Jr., and two grandchildren.
Richard Carvell Sr. Carvell enjoyed a long career in broadcasting and higher education before retiring in 2008, concluding a 37-year career at Arkansas State. For the last 20 years of his career he was assistant professor of radio-television, and for 19 of those years also served as department chair and director of broadcasting. As a 23-year member of the Nettleton School Board, he was recognized numerous times for his contributions to the advancement of public education. A decorated Air Force officer who served in Vietnam, his many public service
Click to hear Dr. Jane Gates’ speech.
activities include military veterans’ organizations and their projects. He and his wife Sue raised five sons, Rich Jr., Dean Collins, David, Jonathan and James, and have five granddaughters.
Dr. Jane McBride Gates Gates is provost and senior vice president for academic and student affairs at the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) System Office. Earlier she served as interim associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the Department of Political Science at Arkansas State, where she began her career in 1974 as one of the first African American faculty members. A published author, Gates often has been recognized for her advocacy for ethnic diversity and better higher education opportunities for disadvantaged youth. She has served as principal investigator for more than $2 million in governmental grants. She and husband Alfred J. Gates, also an A-State alum, have a son, Jerron Vincent Gates, and two grandchildren. winter 2019 | 30
2018 homecoming royalty
spirit reunion
NOVEMBER 3, 2018
SEPTEMBER 22, 2018
voices | 31
See interviews with the Homecoming King and Queen.
transfer agreements
s-tac homecoming
FALL 2018
Highlights from UACCB, SouthArk and Three Rivers.
NOVEMBER 3, 2018
winter 2019 | 32
Beeler
Five Inducted Into Lettermen’s Club Hall of Honor Desmond
The Arkansas State Lettermen’s Club inducted five alumni into the A-State Hall of Honor during its annual banquet, held Sept. 21 at the Woodard McAlister Family Club inside the Johnny Allison Tower at Centennial Bank Stadium. Former women’s golf all-conference player Amanda Beeler, baseball All-American Geoff Desmond, men’s basketball all-conference player Jay Hansen, football All-American Frank McGuigan, and football All-American Mike Morris made up the Class of 2018, which was also recognized on the field during the Red Wolves’ 27-20 victory over UNLV, Sept. 22.
Hansen
Beeler was the first women’s golfer to be inducted into the Hall of Honor. She led Arkansas State to the 2000 Sun Belt Conference Championship, and carded top-10 finishes at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament during all four seasons of her career. A four-time All-SBC selection, Beeler was also named to the Sun Belt Conference All-Time team. Beeler earned her bachelor’s degree in sport management and is currently an LPGA Class A teaching professional in Healdsburg, Calif. Desmond holds the A-State single-season baseball records for runs scored (66), total bases (167), RBI (72) and home runs (20) and earned Collegiate Baseball Second-Team All-America honors in 2005. He earned his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies and is currently the head baseball coach at Salt Fork High School in Catlin, Ill.
McGuigan
Hansen was a second-team All-Sun Belt Conference basketball player, and one of 27 A-State men’s basketball players to score at least 1,000 career points. He ranks third all-time at Arkansas State with 384 career assists, and seventh with 133 steals. Hansen earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and is currently the manufacturing manager for Cameron V&M in Little Rock.
Morris
McGuigan rushed for 1,220 yards during the 1968 football season to earn Associated Press second-team All-American and first-team All-Southland Conference honors, along with being tabbed the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education and was recently the recipient of the Locals Award Service Pin for 45 years of service a Local Lodge 13 Boilermakers in Philadelphia, Pa. Morris was a second-team All-America selection in 1982, and twice earned All-Southland Conference first-team honors. His 366 career tackles still rank sixth in the A-State records book, and he led the team in tackles from 1980-82. Selected to the A-State All-Centennial Team in 2014, Morris earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural business in 1983 and a master’s degree in agriculture in 1984 and currently works as a field representative in Wynne for Valent USA. voices | 33
a-state family weekend
commencement
SEPTEMBER 22, 2018
Meet the Family of the Year
Watch highlights of the Fall Commencement
DECEMBER 8, 2018
winter 2019 | 34
Meet the 2018 Hall of Heroes
Four ROTC alumni joined the distinguished list of members in the Hall of Heroes in a special induction ceremony Nov. 17, prior to A-State’s football game with Louisiana-Monroe. The inductees were Col. Robert English III, Lt. Col. Presley O’Neal Orsburn, Lt. Col. Malcholm Reese and Rev. Ken Stallings. The Hall of Heroes provides an opportunity for Arkansas State University to pay tribute to ROTC alumni who have distinguished themselves through heroic service, government service and outstanding representation of the university. Col. Robert English III Col. English graduated from Arkansas State in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry as a distinguished military graduate and commissioned an ordnance officer. Throughout his 30-year military career, he served in key command and staff positions including director positions at U.S. Army, Europe, the Pentagon and in Africa. Before retiring, he served as the chief of staff, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command. Col. English is the recipient of several awards, including the Distinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Merit. Lt. Col. Presley O’Neal Orsburn Lt. Col. Orsburn graduated from then-Arkansas State College in 1953 and commissioned as a field artillery Officer. Throughout his distinguished military career, he also became qualified to fly both fixed and rotary-winged aircraft, flying observation flights over the DMZ in Korea and along the Czechoslovakian border. He earned a Bronze Star, and served as an assault helicopter pilot in Vietnam and on occasion was President Lyndon Johnson’s pilot. Lt. Col. Orsburn returned to Arkansas State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture education. He retired in 1973 as a master aviator, logging 6,520 flight hours with 317 hours of combat flight time. Lt. Col. Malcholm Reese A Bronze Star recipient, Lt. Col. Reese earned his degree from Arkansas State in 1976 and commissioned as an infantry officer. During his 23-year military career, he served in the 101st Airborne Division, 3rd Armored Division and held key positions such as division chief of the Operational Test and Evaluation Command and branch chief of the National Guard Logistics Division. After retiring as a lieutenant colonel, Reese continues to serve the nation as a GS-15, joint program manager for the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense program. He received a master’s degree from A-State in 2000. Rev. Ken Stallings A 1974 graduate of Arkansas State with a business degree and as a distinguished military graduate, Rev. Stallings earned an educational delay to pursue a master’s degree from the Nazarene Theological Seminary in order to commission as an Army chaplain in the reserves. Capt. Stallings is the first Arkansas State ROTC graduate to be commissioned into the Chaplain Corps. A native of Jonesboro, he has been serving as pastor of Forest Home Church of the Nazarene in Jonesboro for 31 years. voices | 35
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, As we ring in the New Year, everyone here at the Cooper Alumni Center hopes that you all had a wonderful holiday season! We have much to be thankful for as we look back on 2018. Arkansas State set a record retention rate this past fall when 76.6 percent of freshmen who began their college careers in 2017 returned for the fall 2018 semester. A-State also celebrated record giving to the university as alumnus Neil Griffin ’48 made a historic $10 million gift to his alma mater in April, the largest individual gift to an academic program in the history of Arkansas State. Following that, the university received the largest-ever
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.
gift to the arts when the Windgate Foundation approved a grant of $6.7 million to build a new 3-D arts facility. The Red Wolves football team earned its eighth-consecutive bowl bid when it faced Nevada in the Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl in late December, and finally, the Alumni Association welcomed thousands of new members as records were set for degrees conferred at all three commencement ceremonies during the past year. The Alumni Association enjoyed seeing many of you at our functions during the past year, including pregame tailgates at home games, the Alabama game, and at the Arizona Bowl. Pancakes and PJ’s was once again a huge hit with alumni families and children, and we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Cooper Alumni Center as well. We also hosted our first-ever “Day at the Races” at Oaklawn Park last spring. The event
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.
was a huge hit, and we look forward to seeing even more of you at the event this spring. These are just a few of the milestones we celebrated in 2018, and we look forward to a prosperous year ahead. As our membership levels grow, we also continue to enjoy growth in our 1924 Sustaining Life memberships. Membership at the 1924 level enjoys many benefits, and we’d love to speak to you about becoming a 1924 Sustaining Life member. Wolves Up!
Lindsay Burnett
Check out the A-State 2018 Year in Review.
Executive Director Alumni Relations winter 2019 | 36
5 give Your charitable investment, whether through annual gifts or a planned estate gift, will ensure the success of other A-State students.
alumni at arizona bowl
Click to see bowl highlights
DECEMBER 29, 2018
voices | 37
P.O. BOX 1990 STATE UNIVERSITY, AR 72467 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Do you know a high school student who would make a great addition to the
Red Wolves pack? If so, our “Refer a Future Red Wolf” program is a great way to connect that student to A-State’s Office of Recruitment. Alumni who share their personal experiences with future Red Wolves and their parents help Arkansas State stand out among the never-ending choices facing future students. Sharing your A-State experiences not only brings back the nostalgia from your college days, but also helps attract the best and brightest students to A-State. If you know a student who has expressed interest in Arkansas State or would be a great fit for our campus, please refer that student by logging on to
AStateAlumni.org/ReferARedWolf