Winter 2018
The Stater A Magazine for the Alumni and Friends of Southern Arkansas University
The slogan that picked us.
The Meaning of “Home” Last summer, SAU conducted more than one dozen freshman orientation and registration sessions called “Becoming a Mulerider” (BAM). During those sessions, we asked each student to express why they chose SAU. The overwhelming majority of the freshman class told us that they selected our campus because it “Feels Like Home.” We have been hearing that phrase for several years from prospective and current students as they reflected on their choice of SAU. In a real sense, our freshman class this year has chosen our new identity phrase for our campus. Home can have so many meanings for students: • Home means that a student has found the right fit in an academic program. • Home can be expressed in the caring and engaging faculty and staff at SAU who work daily to challenge our students and to help them succeed. • Home is a sense of security and comfort that many students feel at SAU. • Home can be felt in the life-long friendships our students find on the SAU campus. • Home can be seen in the overall friendly atmosphere throughout campus and the culture of caring that has become integrated into the very fabric of SAU. • Home can be realized in the open door policy across the SAU campus. • Home is a commitment that we continue to create within our SAU community. Southern Arkansas University continues to strive each day to provide quality academic programs and a caring atmosphere for our students, faculty, and staff. Our campus has truly become home for so many young people pursuing their dreams!
Events Calendar March 8
Distinguished Alumni Dinner
March 26
Mulerider Club Pork Chop Dinner
March 29
Texarkana Alumni Event
March 30-31
Dan Veach Invitational Track and Field Meet
April 3
SAU Giving Day
April 19-22
SAU Theatre’s spring musical, Hairspray
April 19-21
GAC Track Championships (hosted by SAU)
April 25
Mulerider Athletics’ Mulespy Awards
April 28
Foundation Honors Society Dinner (Invitation only)
May 4
Spring Commencement
May 19
Magnolia Blossom Festival
June 6
SAU Night at the Arkansas Travelers Game
June 25-28
Mulerider Kids College (More information on page 20)
June 29
Rip Powell Invitational
July 9-11
Mulerider Teen College (More information on page 20)
Trey Berry
The Stater
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Contents Winter 2018
The Stater
The Stater
Winter 2018
The Stater is published twice a year by the University Communications and Marketing office as a service to the alumni and friends of Southern Arkansas University. Submissions Please send any story ideas and/or photographs to stater@saumag.edu.
University Communications and Marketing
Phone: (870) 235-4028
STAFF
Fax: (870) 235-5030
Associate Dean for Integrated Marketing and Media Relations Aaron Street Art Director Bryce Harman Manager of Web Communications Josh Jenkins Communications Assistant Dan Marsh Photographer/Videographer Aaron Wallis Social Media Coordinator Bekah Kee Administrative Specialist Derek Hall
SAU Band Grows Along With University Story on pages 18-19
Campus News
SAU BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chair Edgar O. Lee Secretary David L. Nelson Member Lawrence E. Bearden Member Therral Story Member Monty Harrington
SAU ADMINISTRATION
SAU Disc Golf Takes Flight....................................................................... 4 SAU Bass Fishing Team............................................................................ 5 Around Campus..................................................................................... 6-7 Community Involvement......................................................................... 8-9 Foshee Envisions Helping Millions.......................................................... 10 SAU Welcomes Panda Express.............................................................. 11 College of Business News.................................................................. 12-13 College of Education News................................................................ 14-16 College of Liberal and Performing Arts News.................................... 17-19 College of Science and Engineering News............................................. 20
Athletic News
President Dr. Trey Berry Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. David J. Lanoue Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Donna Allen Vice President for Administration and General Counsel Roger Giles Vice President for Finance Shawana Reed Vice President for Development Josh Kee Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Services Sarah Jennings Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Planning Jennifer Rowsam
NUMBERS TO KNOW
Admissions ............................................. (870) 235-4040 Alumni .................................................... (870) 235-4079 Communications and Marketing.............. (870) 235-4028 Development........................................... (870) 235-4287 Financial Aid ........................................... (870) 235-4023 Foundation ............................................. (870) 235-4078 Switchboard............................................. (870) 235-4000
Winter 2018
Tennis Coming Back................................................................................ 21
The Stater A Magazine for the Alumni and Friends of Southern Arkansas University
Hanging Up His Pads: Nik Lewis............................................................ 22 GAC Track Championship Coming to Magnolia..................................... 23 Kile Pletcher Academic All-American Second-Team.............................. 23
Foundation/Development News
Cabe Foundation Takes Musical on the Road........................................ 24 Tennis Enhancements............................................................................. 25
Alumni News
The slogan that picked us.
When asked why they chose SAU, incoming freshmen throughout the summer of 2017 said it was because SAU “feels like home.” Our next marketing slogan was born.
Alumni Center Dedication....................................................................... 26 Alumni Come “Home” for Homecoming................................................. 27 2018 Distinguished Alumni Awards......................................................... 28 Class News.........................................................................................29-31 Page 3
100 East University Magnolia, Arkansas 71753 www.SAUmag.edu
Southern Arkansas University™
Campus News
SAU disc golf takes flight By: Dan Marsh, Communications Assistant Disc golf has become an increasingly popular activity among students at Southern Arkansas University. A Mulerider Disc Golf Team has been established, and an 18-hole course has been created on the campus. Members of the team include Ethan Bolick, a senior math major from Maud, Texas; Nicole Penny, a junior exercise science major from Hooks, Texas; Ethan Edwards, a senior criminal science major, also from Hooks; Abby Morrow, a sophomore criminal justice major from Prescott, Arkansas; and Jeremy Hunter, a senior marketing and supply chain management major from Pattonville, Texas. “The team has been an amazing surprise,” said Dr. Andy Peeks, team sponsor. “I am humbled by how well they are doing. Their progress has been so swift. In practically no time, they have become the largest disc golf team in the state and among the largest in the nation.”
The team boasts 16 male players and eight females, said Bolick, who serves as team captain. The women’s team was established more recently. “The first year, we just started playing, we didn’t really broadcast it that much,” he said of the team’s origins and the beginnings of disc golf on campus. “Some band people knew we were playing, and their friends found out, and it grew by word of mouth.” Hunter’s brother, Christian, a former SAU student, had set up 11 “baskets” around campus, forming the basis of the SAU course. “We used those baskets when I got here,” Jeremy Hunter said. “We made new holes as we went along.” Sarah Adcox, director of the Mulerider Activity Center (MAC), said Dr. Donna Allen, vice president for student affairs, first contacted her last spring about a disc golf team forming. “They wanted a new course,” she said. “I had been in charge of intramural sports on campus since 2011, and at that point, there was no disc golf at SAU. I had a student, Christian Hunter, who was really interested, and he and I ordered about six baskets that were
portable and served the purpose, but we knew we would need an actual course.” The game is played exactly the same as golf, with each four-man team, or “card,” teeing-off in front of the Greek Theatre and winding their way across campus to each hole. Players have to consider the dynamics of the discs themselves. Discs have a smaller diameter than the typical Frisbee, and most holes are par three. “Anybody who wants to can play,” Adcox said. “It’s competitive, but it’s still an individual sport. A lot of universities now have disc golf teams and we certainly needed to keep up with what others are doing, and this has proven very popular. You don’t have to join the team to play.” She said discs are available for checkout at the MAC. Administration has been “very supportive” of the formation of disc golf on campus, she said. “I met with Dr. Trey Berry about it, and we rode around campus in a golf cart, looking at areas for the course. He and Dr. Allen purchased the team shirts. They are 100-percent supportive of everything we have done.”
In practically no time, they have become the largest disc golf team in the state and among the largest in the nation. - Dr. Andy Peeks, Disc Golf Team Sponsor
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Levi Harg er, left, a 2017 Ark n . Collegia d Dalton Keith a t the te Series Champio nship.
Levi Harger sh
r i Harge nd Lev r, left, a hes. e g in s Ba catc Warren how off their s
ows off a catch
. Dalton Keith, casts his
line.
SAU Bass Fishing Team By: Dan Marsh, Communications Assistant The SAU Bass Fishing Team experienced “a blessing” on Lake Dardanelle when their two teams finished in 9th place and 11th place in the Arkansas Collegiate Series Championship Dec. 2-3, 2017. It was the first championship in which the team has qualified and competed. Warren Basinger, team president and a sophomore marketing major from Magnolia, Arkansas; Levi Harger, a sophomore mechanical engineering/ engineering physics major from Ashdown, Arkansas; Dalton Keith, vice president of the club and a pre-health biology major from Magnolia, and Drake Vines, a freshman accounting major from El Dorado, Arkansas, fished in the championship representing SAU against the best teams from this season. “Finishing in the top 10 is great for our first championship,” Basinger said. “It was a great learning experience. We made the biggest overall jump of the weekend, from 20th place to 9th.” “For our team, this was a great confidence builder and a great tool for recruiting,” Basinger said of the finish. “You gain respect and show the other teams what you can do. We’ll take what we’ve learned and get ready to move onto the national stage in the spring. We won’t be rusty by the time we get to the national qualifiers – we’ve had this experience to hone our skills and keep our wits sharp. We’ll be fishing anywhere from Texas to Louisiana to Oklahoma up until April. We will also
be doing some fund-raising to replenish our travel funds.” He said that after two days of practice and figuring out how to fish the lake with cloud cover and wind, the first day of the championship was iffy. “We had bluebird skies, all sun and no wind, so it was tough.” Vines and Keith “gunned their way to their finish,” he said. “We learned to change our game plans. We were able to adjust on the fly and that’s the most dynamic way to fish. You have no idea what’s going to happen.” Despite a first day that didn’t quite measure up, things improved drastically on the second day, leading to the huge jump on the boards. Basinger and Harger jumped 11 spots the second day in the championship. “It comes down to having the best pattern over two days,” Basinger said. “I’ve fished on Dardanelle in several previous tournaments, I’ve seen the waters before, and I have an idea how the lake sets up. That experience really came into play. I’ve spent hours in my boat, scanning the lake, researching fish biology and behavior, and I know where they feed and where they move in winter.” “A lot of it is experience, a lot of it is just luck,” Basinger said. “You’re just waiting to be blessed with one bite – you can take that bite and dissect it. Sometimes you’ve just got a big box of puzzle pieces: What will the weather be like? How deep was the water you were sitting in? What are the bass feeding on? And etc. You can break down that information from that one bite and it turns into a pattern. It was a blessing Page 5
if not a masterpiece. I couldn’t sleep that first night after that rough day one, but I asked for God’s wisdom, and a game plan came to me. The second day, we stuck to that plan.” Vines and Keith had a great first day in the championship, sitting in 7th place. Though clouds helped Basinger and Harger, they did not help Keith and Vines. No matter, all the team members gave the glory to God. Vines said, “We had a great time and we never regretted anything because it was given to us by the glory of God.” The team will have only a little downtime before preparing for its next few tournaments and the remainder of the season. Their big focus is the future of the club. “We’ll get a little more serious in our recruitment,” Basinger said. ‘We’ve got scholarships for the freshmen that are coming in next summer. We’ll watch the new guys in high schools as they go through their seasons – are they leaders, are they able to compete, or are they just doing it for fun? We want people who will represent SAU well. We’re getting our foot in the door with national championships. We want to be respectable and get the job done.” Basinger said representing the Blue and Gold is the team’s top priority. “When we wear the Blue and Gold, we’re not wearing just colors, we are wearing our community. This is our family.” A member of the Mulerider family and supporter of the fishing team, Fred Eason, has established a new scholarship established for two students who are members of the team.
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[1] The campus of Southern Arkansas University is illuminated like a jewel following the 2017 Celebration of Lights ceremony. [2] Kile Pletcher and Caroline Ficher were elected 2017 Homecoming King and Queen on Oct. 21. [3] Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., held a 2017 Homecoming Reunion to celebrate 26 years at SAU. Pictured, from left, are Barbara Hamilton, Brianna Crosby, Jamesia Cooper, Tonya Christopher, Kema Brandon, Ja’Meelah Robinson, NyKiara Dockery, Stephanie Manning, Khadejah Willis, ShaDaveya McPherson, Katrina Christopher, and Chianta Roberson. [4] SAU Student volunteers paint playground equipment at Magnolia’s West Side Park during Making Magnolia Blossom’s fall event on September 23. [5] Head cheer coach Lydia Lindsey, second from left, gets hoisted up alongside her cheerleaders and a few of their brave mothers during the Battle of the Timberlands football game on November 11. [6] Col. Mark Tillman, the nation’s 12th presidential pilot, delivered the program at the 13th Annual Farmers Bank & Trust Distinguished Speaker Series on Oct. 5. [7] SAU Engineering Physics students, led by Interim Dean for the College of Science and Engineering Dr. Abdel Bachri, perform a high altitude balloon research launch from the SAU mall on October 10. [8] Dr. Terrye Stinson and husband, Jim, were the honorary lighters of the Overstreet Christmas tree at the Celebration of Lights. Dr. Stinson, Blanchard Professor of Accounting and former dean of the Rankin College of Business, is set to retire at the end of this school year. [9] Bachri tries out virtual reality as the floating rainbow whale he sees in the room is shown on the television screen during the Facebook TechStart event on September 29. The College of Science and Engineering hosted Facebook representatives and hundreds of young techies from school districts across the region.
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By: Dan Marsh, Communications Assistant
SAU Community Playground
Photo by Aaron Street
Smiles abound at SAU’s new playground.
Southern Arkansas University is encouraging area youth to get outdoors and play after it officially opened the new SAU Community Playground on December 1. “We are excited to be opening the new SAU Community Playground, which is truly a gift to the community,” said Dr. Trey Berry, SAU president. The playground, located near the duck pond and tennis courts at SAU, is for children ages 2-12 and has an occupancy limit of 35. It includes several climbing components, a floating tunnel tower, pad and ring swing challenge ladders, and a single sectional slide. The ground covering is soft wood mulch, and the area is enclosed in a four-foot black chain link fence. Children must be accompanied by adult supervision at all times. It will be open daily from dawn to dusk. This project was among the first crowdfunding projects on the SAU Ignite website. More than 60 donors almost doubled the goal with a total of $14,840 given. Current Ignite projects include helping send SAU’s cheerleading squad to NCA College Cheer Nationals and a Mulerider Track Friends and Family fundraiser. Visit https:// ignite.saumag.edu to participate in these efforts. The playground is also supported by Making Magnolia Blossom (MMB), which is the community organization founded at SAU.
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Photo by Aaron Street
Deana Taylor, left, leads the Salute to Troops segment of the annual Veterans Day Tribute at SAU.
Veterans Honored The sacrifices of military men and women as well as those of their families were honored at a special ceremony Wednesday, Nov. 8, in Grand Hall at the Reynolds Center at Southern Arkansas University. Members of all branches of service were individually recognized at the annual Veterans Day Tribute. Special music was performed to honor each branch. Dr. Trey Berry, president of SAU, gave a stirring speech on the importance of a volunteer citizen fighting force. Kelsie Madison, Miss SAU, read the poem, “Veterans Day,” by Cheryl Dyson, and SAU Encore performed the song, “God Bless the USA.” SAU Brass Quintet played an “Armed Forces Salute,” including marches for the U.S. Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Welcome and invocation were delivered by Associate Dean for Multiculturalism and Diversity Cledis Stuart. “It is an honor to recognize your service and sacrifice,” Stuart told the assemblage. He asked the audience to also recognize local first responders in attendance. Deana Taylor, campus and community welfare coordinator, led the Salute to Troops, in which each veteran stood for an introduction. Included among the introductions were Curtis Brown, 99, and Bob Kehres, 101. Dalicia Torrence, SAU Heritage Singer, sang “God Bless America.”
Photo by Dan Marsh
Jacinda Passmore, visionary for the event, holds a funnel as friends pour in portions of food at The Pack Shack Feed the Funnel Party on November 8.
Funnel Party Battling food insecurity in Columbia County was the goal of a Feed the Funnel Party sponsored by The Pack Shack on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017. The party, which saw the participation of about 150 volunteers, was held at the Engineering Building and
made possible by the efforts of around 20 SAU Greek and student organizations. Jacinda Passmore, a senior agricultural education major from Conway, Arkansas, serves as the Sigma Alpha sorority’s philanthropy chair. “Our philanthropy is ‘agriculture in the community,’ and as part of my job, I needed to find a way to educate the community about agriculture. To do this, we decided to do a service project,” Passmore said. “Many of our fellow Arkansans are starving, so we as citizens need to stay educated on these matters.” Haley Burrow, assistant director of Student Activities for Greek Life, said the groups joined forces to raise money and give of their time to fight the growing local problem of food insecurity. Arkansas is second only to Mississippi in the nation in food insecurity. The entire Greek system, with Passmore’s leadership, banded together for this honorable cause. More than 22,000 meals were packed in the three-hour time frame. Each meal cost only 25 cents to produce, she said. “It’s a great cause, and we are so proud of our SAU volunteers,” Burrow said.
Photo by Aaron Street
Deana Taylor, center, smiles as she works on a Making Magnolia Blossom community project in Magnolia.
Taylor Recognized for Service Serving others is not only vital to the mission of Southern Arkansas University but one of the things in life that makes Deana Taylor happy. Taylor, SAU’s campus and community welfare coordinator, was recently honored by the City of Magnolia with its Citizen of the Month Award. Though recognized primarily for her contributions to Making Magnolia Blossom, a group of volunteers working to beautify the city, Taylor is involved in numerous other projects. She views volunteerism as an outreach of SAU and part of her personal ministry. “I have always loved volunteering,” she said. “It can be challenging, but it is so worthwhile.” Taylor, who started working at SAU in 2013 and is an alumnus of 1983, points out the importance of others in her work. She applies her professional and academic background in social work to volunteering in the community. “It defines my ministry and my relationships. One of the most important things I tell people about volunteering is they should find something they love, and do it, and get their family and friends involved because that makes it fun.” “It’s exciting to me to see a dream come to fruition,” Taylor said. “The logistics can be a challenge each and every time. But it’s always worth it. That’s what makes you feel good – overcoming challenges.”
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Foshee envisions helping millions By: Dan Marsh, Communications Assistant Brandon Foshee, founder of Fauxsee Innovations, LLC, of Magnolia, a 2006 alumnus of Southern Arkansas University, is developing a product that could drastically improve the lives of millions of blind and visually-impaired people around the world. Foshee, who lost his own vision in 2003, is the creator of Roboglasses, a device that uses technology similar to that found in smartphones to alert wearers to obstacles in their path. He conceived of the product in 2011 and has made great strides since then, obtaining two patents and receiving federal grants totaling $700,000. In August, the device will undergo human trials, the first step in what Foshee hopes will be its journey to the global market. “The ultimate goal is for the device to be prescribed to patients by physicians and covered by health insurance and Medicare,” Foshee said. Fauxsee recently received a one-year grant in the amount of $226,000 from the National Eye Institute. It is the first south Arkansas company “south of Little Rock” to be awarded a Small Business Innovation research grant from a federal agency. Roboglasses are the company’s first project, though Foshee said he is working on other devices to help the seeing-impaired as well as the elderly. Since 2013, the company has received grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Science Foundation, and $20,000 awarded by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. The grant from the USDA, Foshee said, allowed the initial
development of the technology that goes into the glasses. The product complements a cane and guide dog in helping the blind wearer maneuver through everyday situations. “Similar to fingertips, the sensors built into the frames ‘tap’ the wearer to alert them to walls or persons in their path of travel,” Foshee said. “The glasses have indoor and outdoor modes, and resemble Oakley wraparound shades. You don’t see any of the electronics in them.” Each side, or stem, is independent and will alert the wearer to obstacles on either side. “If you’re walking down a hall and there is someone standing left of center, you’ll feel a tap on that side, and you will know to walk around to the right,” Foshee said. “It also gives an idea of how big the object is, providing non-intrusive information you need to prevent a head injury.” The blind “have a high frequency of face and upper-body injuries,” Foshee said. “Forty-six percent experience these injuries once a month. Twenty-three percent have to seek medical attention. By using only a cane, the blind are not able to detect anything higher than the waist.” Technological advancements make it possible now for the blind “to do so much more” than sighted people often realize, Foshee said. “We are able to function better in the workplace than 15 years ago. Getting an iPhone changed my world. I feel there is such a need for the products we are developing at Fauxsee.” Fauxsee will finish developing the glasses by March. The product will then undergo initial testing by the University of Maine. “They will give us feedback, and we can make any corrections that are necessary before the human trials take place the first week in August,” Foshee said. .................................................................................................. Continued on page 11
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SAU welcomes Panda Express to campus By: Dan Marsh, Communications Assistant A new national chain restaurant at Southern Arkansas University is expected to thrive and be a popular eatery for the campus and the community. Panda Express Chinese Kitchen, a “fast casual Chinese restaurant,” is in the clubhouse of the University Village apartment complex on the east end of campus. There were many hurdles to overcome in bringing Panda to SAU, but the administration was fueled by student polling that indicated a preference for on-campus Asian dining. “SAU is excited to bring something to our campus, not only for our students but for the community,” Dr. Trey Berry, president of SAU, said. “We think this new addition will bring variety to our food services, but also a national chain to Magnolia.” The gated service road leading from East University Street to the University Village clubhouse is also being opened and paved to accommodate traffic so that diners from outside SAU can easily access Panda. Signage on University Street and the clubhouse welcomes and directs guests. “This new dining option has many benefits, from relieving the pressure on our Blue and Gold Cafeteria in the Reynolds Center to offering more options,” said Dr. Donna Allen, vice president for student affairs. “Also, the clubhouse is a nice facility and has been underutilized. We replaced the convenience store there, which was not viable, with what we know will be a popular dining option.” Alain Verbeiren, Aramark’s food services director at SAU, said
Panda offers students as well as the Magnolia community an affordable dining option and quality food. It serves the full menu of American Chinese cuisine. Entrees include Orange Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, Broccoli Beef, Shanghai Angus Steak, and Honey Walnut Shrimp. Side items include chow mein, fried rice, mixed vegetables, and white-and-brown steamed rice. He said the food Panda offers is a great value because it is “really fresh, tastes great, and for a great price.” Verbeiren said he hopes the restaurant will operate six days a week, 12 months a year. The restaurant area will seat more than 20 guests, and there will be overflow seating available in the clubhouse. A portion of the clubhouse has been renovated for the incoming restaurant. Food Service Renovations, based in Morrow, Georgia, was in charge of the project. The addition of Panda is also adding up to 20 new jobs to the area, adding to SAU Aramark’s current total of 125 employees. New Panda staff members receive four weeks of training, and management staff up to five weeks. Verbeiren said the restaurant will be “consistent in quality and hospitality” with other on-campus offerings such as Chickfil-A and Subway. Similar to getting Panda, SAU administration had many challenges to overcome in acquiring the Chick-fil-A franchise in 2012. Yet, the restaurant in the Bruce Center at SAU has exceeded national averages in sales, according to Verbeiren, and has expanded annually to add new items such as breakfast and shakes. The cafeteria also expanded this fall to accommodate SAU’s growing enrollment and added a Mongolian Grill, which has also proven to be popular with the students.
Foshee continued ............................................................................................... Continued from page 10
He received his bachelor’s degree in history, but has relied on his own creativity and curiosity in developing his product. “It’s been a long road,” he said of the project. “I’ve always been curious about how things work and tried to find solutions to problems. I’ve had to learn about engineering and business as I’ve gone along. When you write grant proposals, there is a lot of waiting in between with your fingers crossed. The process takes years.” Dr. Mahbub Ahmed, associate professor of engineering at SAU, is assisting Foshee with construction of the product, using 3D printers to create the plastic stems. The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at SAU has also worked with Fauxsee since 2011, and has been helpful in providing the company with meeting space, grant assistance, and other services when needed. “Having SAU in the community has been a great asset for me,” Foshee said, noting the involvement and support of his wife, Megan, who is the simulation coordinator for SAU’s nursing department. To learn more, visit Fauxsee.com. Page 11
Rankin College of
Business
Sronce first recipient of Peoples Bank Dean’s Chair at SAU
Pictured are (front row, from left): Chairman of the Board Dr. Clark Fincher, MD/FACP, Board Member Betty Harris, Board Member Dorothy Jeanne Fincher, President/CEO/Board Member Mary Fowler, CLO/Board Member Jamie Waller; (back row, from left): SAU Vice President for Development Josh Kee, Board Member Laura Scott, Board Member David Scott, Board Member/ CFO Jonathan Baird, Peoples Bank Endowed Chair, Dr. Robin Sronce, SAU President Dr. Trey Berry, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. David Lanoue, and Board Member/ EVP/COO Jill McClinton.
Berry said SAU’s ability to provide students with the finest education available “rests with the quality of our faculty. Endowed Chairs are crucial for recruiting and retaining the highest-quality faculty and Dr. Trey Berry, president of Southern Arkansas University, administration and essential if we are going to continue to excel as an announced that Dr. Robin Sronce, dean of the David F. Rankin institution.” He explained the Peoples Bank Dean’s Chair will College of Business, has been named as the first recipient provide a permanent source of annual resources to propel of the Peoples Bank Dean’s Chair. Sronce became dean research, pursue collaboration and help a dean realize his July 5, 2017, coming to SAU from Drury University or her vision. in Springfield, Mo., where she served as dean of the “Peoples Bank is excited to be a part of the growth Breech School of Business and as associate professor of of SAU and the College of Business in particular,” said management. Jonathan Baird, chief financial officer of Peoples Bank “I am honored to be the inaugural holder of the of Magnolia. “Peoples Bank employs 20 graduates Peoples Bank Endowed Dean’s Chair at the Rankin and currently enrolled students, so we know firsthand College of Business,” Sronce stated. “Support from the opportunities a good education can bring. SAU the business community is important for a successful, is a vibrant part of our community and we recognize thriving business college, and we appreciate Peoples the value SAU brings both in terms of human capital Bank’s commitment to business education. Funding and quality of life. We look forward to our continued from this chair will be used to broaden our ability to Dr. Robin Sronce Dean of the David F. partnership with SAU. ” engage with the community and region.” Rankin College Under Dr. Sronce’s leadership, the Rankin College Through the Peoples Bank Dean’s Chair, the bank has of Business of Business will focus on the strategic initiatives of generously pledged to fund an endowment which will professional preparation for students, enhanced curriculum and provide annual resources to accomplish the vision of the College, technology that aligns with today’s industry standards, sustainability, along with allowing faculty the opportunity to go beyond the marketing of the College’s programs, recruitment and retention, and basics to offer our students a first-rate education for which SAU engagement with external constituents. has become known. By: Dan Marsh, Communications Assistant
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SAU to offer Supply Chain Management By: Dan Marsh, Communications Assistant
the skills and knowledge necessary to support organizational efforts to successfully implement these strategies.” Providing students at Southern Arkansas University with SAU also offers an MBA with Supply Chain Management cutting-edge knowledge of systems that bring products from emphasis. Recent graduates from SAU, such as Glenn Muffih, suppliers to store shelves – and the fingertips of consumers – is are putting their business education to use. Muffih, a 2015 the aim of the new undergraduate degree emphasis in Supply alum, uses his Supply Chain Management knowledge in Chain Management, said Dr. Kenneth Green, the LeMay Cameroon, his home country on the west coast of Africa, where Professor of Management in he is the program Supply the David F. Rankin College Chain Officer with Supply Chain Management is of Business. the eMTCT project “We graduated our first of Mother to built on the ability to communicate (Elimination majors in the program last Child Transmission of HIV) spring,” he said, “and we information to partners along the chain. with the Clinton Health will have more to graduate Access Initiative. “I was It is all one network. this year. This major will able to have attained a firm give our graduates a definite foundation on Supply Chain - Dr. Kenneth Green, LeMay Professor of Management - RCoB advantage in the workplace.” Management from SAU,” “The addition of the Muffih said. “The projects Supply Chain Management degree demonstrates how the and cases we did in SAU’s MBA program have really helped Rankin College of Business is consistently reviewing programs prepare me for the real world. My job is to ensure that pregnant and updating our curriculum to respond to the changing women and children in Cameroon living with business environment,” said Dr. Robin Sronce, dean of the HIV have a continuous supply of HIV Rankin College of Business. commodities.” Green defined Supply Chain Management as the “integration Graduates who have completed and coordination of business processes … for the purposes coursework in Supply Chain Management of satisfying the final customers.” These processes include have experienced lucrative job purchasing, manufacturing, marketing, logistics and opportunities. Forbes reports that the information systems. Technology has made it possible for U.S. logistics business employs around suppliers to see into inventories at different stores and for 6 million people, and in 2018 will look vendors to manage inventory. It shortens the amount of time to to employ about 1.4 million SCM jobs. satisfy the customer. As Muffih’s case shows, these skills are in “Vendors want to know when you pick up a box from a store demand globally. shelf,” Green said. “This has changed the way we teach business. The program is fully accredited by It’s no longer a top-down model within a single plant, but spread AACSB International, the premier out along a value chain that extends from the supplier to the accrediting body for colleges ultimate customer. Supply Chain Management is built on the and schools of business. ability to communicate information to partners along the chain. Fewer than five percent of all It is all one network.” business programs worldwide are He said SCM theories “began to emerge in the early 1980s, with accredited by AACSB, indicating Walmart and Dell offering successful early examples of these the quality of the Rankin College strategies. It is the goal of our program to provide graduates with of Business at SAU.
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College of
Education
SAU athletic trainer hired by Big League franchise By: Dan Marsh, Communications Assistant Yuichi Takizawa, a May 2017 graduate of Southern Arkansas University, has accepted a full-time position as an athletic trainer with the Texas Rangers organization. While an athletic training student at SAU, Takizawa participated in internships with the Kansas City Royals as well as the Rangers. “Yuichi was one of our many outstanding students who have gone on to be successful in our profession,” said Ken Cole, SAU’s head athletic trainer. Dr. Trey Berry, president of Southern Arkansas University, offered his congratulations to Takizawa, saying, “This is truly great news.” “I’m very excited to announce that I’ve accepted this position,” Takizawa said. “I’ll start working the beginning of January 2018. I appreciate the support of SAU. Though I did an internship with the K.C. Royals and the Texas Rangers, my roots in athletic training are with SAU.” Born in Hokkaido, Japan, Takizawa grew up in Tokyo. “I graduated a four-year university with a degree in sociology, and then went to technical school to learn the basic knowledge of a sports trainer,” he said. “In 2011, I went to a language school in Los Angeles to pass TOEFL, which is necessary to enter a four-year university in the United States. I attended a community college in Kansas. Before I decided to come to SAU, I sent queries to all colleges with athletic programs in the state. Ken Cole was the quickest to reply to me and he was very kind to talk to me about the program. Thus, in 2013, I chose SAU.” “At that time, there was only one other Japanese student on the campus,” Takizawa said. “I strongly felt that my English would improve quickly and that I could achieve a lot of things. My favorite thing about SAU was that it felt like home and family.” “Athletic training is a three-year program at SAU. Students are assigned to a team each semester,” Takizawa said. “Each assignment is guided by a preceptor in order to gain hands-on experience. In my interviews with the preceptor, I was able to talk about my skills and how I could improve. That was very precious time. All preceptors are very professional and they guided me to take a position in the professional baseball setting.” “I was involved in the Athletic Training Student Club while at SAU,” Takizawa said. “This organization raises funds to go to the NATA Convention. This club helped me achieve some big tasks.” “During my last semester at SAU in 2017, I did an internship with a Major League Baseball team, the K.C. Royals, during spring training in Surprise, Arizona. Then I had another internship with the Royals’ affiliate team, the NWA Naturals, by the end of the season,” he said. His internship was possible through an exchange program between the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS) and the Japanese Baseball Athletic Trainers Society. “It was very cool because I could have hands-on experience with
Contributed Photo
Yuichi Takizaha ’17 landed a position with the Texas Rangers organization while an intern with the Kansas City Royals and an athletic training student at SAU.
players I saw on TV,” he said. “I experienced how MLB athletic trainers work every day. I learned that whatever, whenever, wherever, I need to be a professional.” “As mentioned, I had a season internship with the NWA Naturals. At every game, I would talk to other teams about a position. In August, we played away games in Frisco, Texas. I spoke with the Rough Riders’ athletic trainers and learned there was a rookie-level position available with the Texas Rangers minor league system. I sent my resume and cover letter to the medical coordinator of the Rangers. After a couple of weeks, I had two phone interviews with the medical coordinator and assistant medical coordinator. After that, they were interested in me, and they invited me to the Rangers’ complex in Arizona for another interview. Then I was invited to the Dominican Texas Rangers Academy in the Dominican Republic to interview. At the end of the process, I was officially offered a position for the 2018 season.” He expressed thanks for the support he received from SAU. “Ken Cole, Hannah Sutton, Mike Skare, Stephen Baldwin and Jan Kiilsgaard helped me very much. When I came to SAU, I couldn’t speak English well. However, they supported me every day.” He recalled his fondest memories at SAU. “I got two champion rings. The first was my second semester with the baseball team, the second was my fourth semester with the softball team. I was very lucky to work with wonderful teams, athletes, and preceptors. SAU has very high standards. I learned how I should work as a professional at SAU. I strongly want to tell students that if you want to work as an athletic trainer, SAU is the place.”
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SAU online Kinesiology-Coaching degree earns national accreditation By: Dan Marsh, Communications Assistant
counselor education and dean of the School of Graduate Studies. “This accreditation by the NCACE is a result of hard work and dedication to excellence that set SAU apart. We are excited to see National accreditation has been awarded to the Online Master how the program will develop and grow from here.” of Science in Kinesiology-Coaching at SAU, signaling “top “We are very proud that SAU’s coaching program has achieved quality in an online setting,” said Steve Dingman, chair of the this level of distinction,” said Dr. David Lanoue, provost and Health, Kinesiology and Recreation vice president for academic affairs. (HKR) Department. “Steve Dingman and his colleagues “We are very excited to receive worked long and hard to make this We are excited to see the news that our online program happen, and their success has really how the program will develop put Southern Arkansas University has been nationally accredited,” Dingman said. “With this on the map as a center of excellence and grow from here. accomplishment, we become in Coaching Education.” one of only three online master’s Dingman said he and his - Dr. Kim Bloss, Dean of the School of Graduate Studies programs in Coaching Education department chose to pursue the to be accredited nationally under accreditation as a means of validating the United States Center for Coaching Excellence’s (USCCE) the quality of the online program and saying to potential students National Committee for Accreditation of Coaching Excellence that it is the right choice for professional development. (NCACE).” “We wanted to demonstrate that our program meets and “I am very proud of Coach Dingman and the entire exceeds the national standards and ensures that our students Kinesiology department,” said Dr. Kim Bloss, professor of .................................................................................................. Continued on page 16
June 29, 2018 Magnolia Country Club
For more information on the tournament or if you would like to be a sponsor, please visit www.saudevelopment.com/RipPowell or call (870) 235-4382.
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Education program update
Kinesiology-Coaching continued .................................................Continued from page 15
By: Aaron Street, Assoc. Dean of Communications Southern Arkansas University is once again poised to offer a unique new program based on regional industry support; yet, this degree, if approved, will change the University’s role and scope and lead to the creation of SAU’s first doctoral degree. Although still early in the lengthy process of enacting the Doctor of Education (EdD), the SAU Board of Trustees has approved SAU’s role and scope change and the University has made its initial presentation to the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board at a recent meeting in Mountain Home. The approval by the Board of Trustees was fueled in part by the strong show of support from two employer and prospective student surveys. SAU’s EdD would be the first such program in all of south Arkansas, and educational institutions from throughout the southern and southwestern part of the state responded with strong interest to the first survey. A total of 113 educators and administrators from the following school districts expressed enthusiasm at the possibility of being able to enroll or hire graduates from SAU’s proposed EdD program: Hope, Junction City, Horatio, Camden, Texarkana, Nevada, Ashdown, Magnolia, Fouke, Foreman, Stamps, and Mineral Springs. The second survey proved strong support from within the University, as 26 faculty, staff, and administrators indicated a very strong interest in pursuing doctoral study at SAU. “Not only do these results suggest that our own employees would be a ready source of program participants, but they also serve as a more general indicator of the
attractiveness of a local doctoral program to area educators and staff members at all institutional levels,” said SAU Provost andVice President for Academic Affairs Dr. David Lanoue. Also supporting the case for this new education degree are the University’s steady enrollment increases, dating back more than a decade, as well as a dramatic recent uptick in enrollments among SAU’s current graduate programs in the College of Education. From fall 2016 to fall 2017, these programs experienced a leap from 292 to 407 students enrolled – nearly a 40 percent increase. Although anticipation is high both at SAU and across the region, Dr. Lanoue maintains his focus is on the present and on the official processes still needing to be completed for SAU to be approved for the EdD. Three or four outside reviewers are coming to campus to evaluate the proposal and provide a report to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, and there will be at least one more meeting of the Coordinating Board before approval will be decided. Next, the Higher Learning Commission in Chicago will review and decide on the program’s approval, which could take up to another year, said Dr. Lanoue. “The earliest that this program could possibly get off the ground would be Fall 2019,” said Dr. Lanoue. That timeline offers prospective students the chance to complete a master’s degree in preparation for their SAU EdD application. Dr. Kim Bloss, dean of the SAU School of Graduate Studies, adds that although the EdD will be offered by the College of Education, application to the program will be open to all master’s degree holders. Visit www.SAUmag.edu/graduate to see the complete list of online or on-campus programs. Page 16
are receiving a top-rated education,” he said. “We are proud that we are able to offer our students a top-quality online program that allows them to seek professional development while also working as a professional in the field. This option will greatly expand their horizons.” Dingman said that, “with the increased popularity in online Coaching Education programs across the country, it is important that students research the best program for them. We have been recognized as one of the elite programs in the U.S. Our current and future students are assured a quality education that is recognized by the professional accrediting bodies. Those bodies have listed numerous strengths of our program including design, consistency, caring and knowledgeable faculty.” USSCE Accreditation Chair, Dr. Lori Gano-Overway, stated, “SAU has demonstrated that it is a leader in quality Coaching Education. This program will serve as a benchmark for other Coaching Education providers.” The USSCE is the premier authority on Coaching Education in the United States. Evaluators on the four-person accreditation team praised various facets of the program. “Faculty use a wide variety of techniques, and it is recognized that as an online degree, this is more challenging than face-to-face,” wrote one evaluator. “The program continually evaluates its content and effectiveness in meeting appropriate goals and objectives relative to Coaching Education and development of well-qualified coaches,” commended another. Dingman said the HKR department worked for one year to attain the accreditation. “This was not mandatory, but with the accreditation, we set ourselves on an elite level,” he said. “We want to be able to attract more students and to serve them well.” He said the online master’s program started in 2010 with fewer than 15 students. There are 43 students enrolled this semester.
College of
Liberal and Performing Arts Updates to MPA program expected to bring positive results By: Aaron Street, Assoc. Dean of Communications The Master of Public Administration program at SAU already has alumni making an impact regionally and globally, and this program’s reach is expected to multiply with the restructuring that started in the fall. The new MPA Program Director, Dr. Amber Overholser, who joined the SAU family before the start of the fall semester, said the MPA program currently has around 30 students. She has already started outreach initiatives, such as meeting with local leaders, that will help that number grow. SAU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. David Lanoue is also optimistic about expanding the MPA program. With approval from the SAU Board of Trustees, Dr. Lanoue is now awaiting approval on two important changes for the SAU MPA from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education – moving the program online as an accelerated 4+1 plan. “This is an exciting time for our MPA program,” said Dr. Lanoue, “We plan to provide students with an opportunity to achieve both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in only five years, which will give them a head start on their professional career. Dr. Overholser has brought real energy and excitement to the program, and our students will notice the difference.” Students who take advantage of the 4+1 combined bachelor’s and master’s MPA program will be able to complete both degrees under the umbrella of the Department of History, Political Science & Geography. “Many people are interested in working on behalf of their communities, whether that is in the public or nonprofit sectors. The MPA degree can provide them with added skills and opportunities to learn firsthand about such issues as personnel management, public budgeting, ethics, and so on,” said Overholser. “All of this can be completed online, so that emerging and current professionals can complete their
Photo by Aaron Street
Dr. Amber Overholser is excited about changes taking place with the MPA program.
studies while working within their own communities.” Overholser hopes for continued growth in the MPA social entrepreneurship emphasis, which was established in 2016 in partnership with the Rankin College of Business for students looking to bridge their studies between public and private organizations. In addition, Overholser said that the MPA program is seeking ways to partner with governmental entities and nonprofits throughout the region. This will increase internship opportunities and student learning, plus it “will share the students’ skills with our communities.” Recent MPA graduates are already making a difference in communities across the region and even internationally. Catherine Frances Christie Cook ’80, ’16 has worked in city government since 1990 and been the city manager at Hope, Arkansas, for several years. Yet, even as an experienced public service practitioner, she often tells others how useful it has been for her to have earned her MPA. “Completing the MPA at SAU also gave me the opportunity to put a practical application on my newly acquired knowledge. The class projects and team efforts on budgeting, organizational leadership, and cultural diversity, have informed and enlightened my work in Hope,” she said. Cook was named Outstanding Graduate Student for the College of Liberal and Page 17
Performing Arts in 2016. The following year, Nicolau Capita Nguimbi ’17 earned that honor. Nguimbi, from Luanda, Angola, in southwestern Africa, chose SAU because he was looking for a rigorous academic program in public administration. “My education at SAU gave me the ability to enhance my perception of the world as I see it,” said Nguimbi. “I believe in the idea of philanthropy caring for others, and the MPA courses I took at SAU fully prepared me to be a part of this large story of changing people’s lives for the better.” Nguimbi works for Ten Thousand Villages, a non-profit organization in Harrisonburg, Virginia, which sells handmade products by disadvantaged people around the world who would otherwise not be able to put food on their tables. Overholser graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, with a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Affairs. Prior to attaining her PhD, her work in the Elko, Nevada, community involved empowering students both in primary school and in college to help them succeed in school, as well as organizing a local farmers market. Her volunteer experience is wide ranging, including local work with the Red Cross, public-private partnerships, and even international work and hosting exchange students. Her research is currently focused on national monuments, community organizing, and public organizations.
J.P. Wilson
SAU Band grows along with University “SAU’s skyrocketing growth has locked in with growth in the band; you couldn’t have scripted it any better.” - J.P. Wilson, Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music
By: Dan Marsh, Communications Assistant The SAU Band has grown by such leaps and bounds in the past 10 years that it has necessitated the physical growth of the Band Hall, said J.P. Wilson, director of bands and assistant professor of music. Wilson said plans call for Magale Rehearsal Room to be increased from 3,264 square feet to 6,632 square feet, with the addition of 52 feet that will include new practice rooms. The room is located in the Richard O. Oliver Band Hall, which opened in 2008. The extension will free up sufficient space in the existing hall for music lessons, teaching, practice and storage. It reflects the surge in enrollment that has had a positive impact on both the University and the Mulerider Band. “SAU’s skyrocketing growth has locked in with growth in the band,” Wilson said. “You couldn’t have scripted it any better.” The primary rehearsal hall was built to hold a 150-piece marching band – larger than the space the band once occupied in Brinson Hall – but is no longer adequate since this year the band started with 153 members. “We’re literally shoulder to shoulder in here,” Wilson said. Page 18
The expansion will grow the west side of the building out toward Dolph Camp and will provide enough room for decades to come, Wilson said. “It’s a fantastic problem,” he said of the need for more space. “What we are going to have here will just be staggering.” A greatly enhanced reputation and marketing directed to students and their parents have led the Mulerider Band to new heights. “When I started here in 2000, we were a small program,” Wilson said. “We built our product, focusing on our marching band and recruiting some dynamite kids. Talent breeds talent, and success breeds success.” “What helped push us where we are is that we play harder music and march more difficult routines than other college bands around us,” Wilson said. “There’s not a band we face that does anything like what we do. They don’t do the same number of sets or play the same level of music. We had to set ourselves apart. When I started, we had 72 kids. What we ask our kids to do is phenomenal. The music we pick is superhard to play in air conditioning, but we ask our kids to go out onto a 115-degree field and march, maintain their posture, and hit a specific mark. Physically, it’s similar to what a world-class athlete would do in a marathon.” Wilson now relies on social media to recruit students and spread word about the program. “I realized a long time ago that kids will respond to a text message a lot quicker than they will a phone call,” he laughed. “I used to mail letters to band directors asking for lists of their kids. Now
Photo by Aaron Wallis
The record-size SAU Mulerider Marching Band stretches across Rip Powell Field during a halftime performance.
I use Facebook and SnapChat. Today when we have a student accept, I will take that student’s picture and immediately post it on Facebook – to my page and the band’s page – and tag as many people as possible. My feed will just blow up! We’ll get thousands of likes and comments, and it’s all good for SAU and our program.” He is able to recruit heavily from East Texas as well as from Central Arkansas, including nine players from Cabot this year. On a recent morning, he walked into his office to find six letters of intent from students who had decided to sign with the Mulerider Band. “I was not expecting all these today,” he said with a smile. “I’ll go and talk to a student and their parents and tell them everything they need to know about our program,” he said. “Two or three days later, I’ll get a message from the parents saying they cannot wait for Page 19
their child to be a member of our program. You just never know what’s going to happen on your visits. I try to tell them: Look, it’s important to me that you come to SAU and get a good education and be a part of something special. No other band program takes care of each individual player as a person like we do. I care and I want them all to succeed.” “We’ve got great kids. Without a doubt, this is the deepest talent in our top ensemble that I’ve seen in 18 years,” Wilson said. “There is not one section that is not super this year. I’ve got the best flute section I’ve ever had, and I’ve had some monster flute players here. It’s unbelievable.” “You don’t know what kind of opportunities will come your way in the blink of an eye that can benefit us, and I embrace all of them,” Wilson said.
College of
Science and Engineering
SAU’s proposed Public Health degree program could start fall 2018 By: Aaron Street, Assoc. Dean of Communications SAU is responding to an increasing demand for healthcare degree programs by working to add a Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree. If the Arkansas Department of Higher Education approves the proposal this spring, the new program will take effect in fall of 2018. The College of Science and Engineering is currently reviewing applications for an assistant professor of public health position, according to Interim Dean Dr. Abdel Bachri. “The SAU Public Health program will serve to produce a trained public health workforce and will focus on disease prevention and the promotion of good health in the community, which can be achieved by connecting the community
to the formal health and human service systems while providing informal counseling and support,” Bachri explained. Examples of public health careers include first responders, health educators, restaurant inspectors, scientists and researchers, food safety experts, nutritionists, community planners, social workers, and epidemiologists. Work environments could include public health departments, non-governmental agencies, environmental health, hospitals, insurance companies, health care management organizations, and health care accrediting agencies. “Public health is one of the few degrees for which graduates are able to work in numerous roles and different areas,” said Bachri. “It is widely believed that most of the job growth in the future will be in the healthcare industry.”
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This belief is supported by a 2014 report by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health and the Beaumont Foundation that showed public health being one of the fastest growing undergraduate majors in the U.S. SAU’s Public Health graduates should not have to travel far to find meaningful employment as Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi rounded out the bottom three states for worst overall health in the 2017 America’s Health Rankings Annual Report published by the United Health Foundation. Arkansas, ranked 48, has seen a 16 percent increase in obesity rates over the past five years (from 30.9 to 35.7 percent). Diabetes rates climbed 21 percent, from 11.2 to 13.5 percent, in adults. In the Clinical Care category, Arkansas ranked 47.
Southern Arkansas University™
Mulerider Athletics
Tennis Coming Back Greg Owen tabbed to be head coach
Owen comes to SAU from Seward County Community College (Liberal, Kansas) where he coached the previous two years. In his time at Seward, Owen guided both his men’s and women’s teams to This past November it was announced that both the men’s and new heights, posting Top-10 finishes each year at the National Junior women’s tennis programs at Southern Arkansas University were College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Tournaments. going to make a comeback and resume competition beginning in Across both programs, Owen posted a 64-22 (.744) record and the fall of 2018. The announcement made by SAU President Dr. won three NJCAA Region VI Tournaments with two coming on Trey Berry and Director of Athletics Steve Browning echoed a the men’s side. Additionally, he coached a National Championship growing sentiment among current SAU students and alumni. doubles team on the men’s side, and had three players overall be “Bringing back the tennis program at SAU has been part of our named as All-Americans. planning for some time now,” notes Dr. Berry. “We “I would like to thank everyone at SAU for the listened carefully to the SAU student body, alumni, opportunity to be the coach to revitalize the men’s and and staff members who have voiced their desire to women’s tennis programs. My family and I are very renew tennis as a varsity sport on campus. During excited about this new venture,” says Owen. “SAU the next few months we will be engaged in renovating has a great athletic department that I am fortunate to our tennis facilities in preparation for our new teams. now be a part of, and I know this is the beginning of We look forward to the great opportunities these something very special. I look forward to getting to programs will afford our students and our campus.” work immediately.” “We are committed to elevating the overall success SAU tennis accounts for 15 conference of Mulerider Athletics, and bringing back our tennis championships and more than 100 all-conference programs is a continued effort toward that relentless players between the men’s and women’s programs. goal,” adds Browning. “It is exciting to be able to Last competing in the 1992-93 season, the men’s revive another sport that has had a storied history on program was a dominant fixture atop the Arkansas Greg Owen our campus, and we are eager to add to that history Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) in the 1980s Tennis Head Coach as well.” with seven conference titles in that decade alone. A month after the announcement of men’s and Additionally, the men’s tennis program captured women’s tennis teams returning to SAU, Greg Owen was tabbed consecutive District 17 crowns in 1988 and 1989. to be the head coach of both programs and is actively recruiting On the women’s side, a majority of the success occurred over a throughout the spring semester to fill out rosters for the anticipated 10-year period beginning in the late 1960s. During that time, the first-serve in fall 2018. women’s program was a perennial contender in the Arkansas “We are at a very critical time in the history of our men’s and Women’s Intercollegiate Sports Association (AWISA) with a team women’s tennis programs, and hiring a coach like Greg Owen, with championship in 1968 and a runner-up finish in 1973. Additionally, the proven track record of high-level recruiting and success on the the program saw a singles championship in 1973 and doubles titles court, is a perfect fit for where we want our programs to go,” said in 1969 and 1973. SAU last fielded a women’s tennis program in Browning. 2011-12. By: Daniel Gallegos, SAU Sports Information Department
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Photo by Aaron Street
Nik Lewis left a legacy as a Mulerider and in his professional career.
Hanging up his pads Nik Lewis ends his career as all-time reception leader in Canadian Football League By: Daniel Gallegos, SAU Sports Information Department A dazzling football career that started by catching the attention of Mulerider fans in 2001, Nik Lewis continued to rack up receptions and records throughout his acclaimed 14-year run in the Canadian Football League (CFL). In Lewis’ stellar three-year career at SAU, he became a two-time All-America First-Team selection at wide receiver as he racked up 162 receptions for 2,852 yards and 36 touchdowns. At the time, all three of those marks were school career records with his yards and touchdowns enduring as program standards to this day. In each of his last two seasons as a Mulerider (both All-America campaigns), Lewis had more than 1,000 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. That impressive career at SAU was a precursor to what Lewis would go on to accomplish professionally. A reliable target for his quarterbacks and
an immensely popular fan-favorite north of the border, Lewis opened his CFL career with nine-consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 yards receiving. Four years after that impressive streak was snapped, Lewis reached the 1,000-yard milestone once more in 2016 – giving him 10 such seasons in his career, which is tied for the secondmost ever in CFL history. Fueling that yardage production for his career in the CFL was a volume of receptions as well. In each of those first nine seasons where he had more than 1,000 yards receiving, Lewis also had at least 67 catches and hauled in an even 100 passes in 2012. The two years after that, Lewis’ reception totals dwindled some to just over 30 each year, but over his last three seasons, Lewis had at least 70 receptions with a career-best 102 coming in 2016. Lewis’ career season also positioned him to become the All-Time Reception Leader
in CFL history the following year. Needing just 52 catches to stand alone atop the all-time receptions list, Lewis achieved the feat in late August against Winnipeg. In that game, Lewis hauled in a season-best 10 catches with his ninth reception being the record-setter. Lewis’ CFL career saw him play in 226 games, in which he would amass 1,051 receptions for 13,778 yards and 71 touchdowns. In addition to his alltime reception record, Lewis also stands within the top-five of the CFL’s all-time receiving yards list. In terms of awards and accolades for his career, Lewis was named the CFL’s Rookie of the Year in 2004 and was a six-time All-Star. He also won a pair of championships: hoisting the Grey Cup in 2008 with the Calgary Stampeders and again in 2014 with the Montreal Alouettes. Background Photo: CFL PHOTO-Larry MacDougal
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Kile Pletcher Academic All-America Second-Team
GAC Track Championships coming to Magnolia By: Daniel Gallegos, SAU Sports Information Department A little over two years after renovations totaling more than $1 million were completed for the Mulerider Track Complex, the championship-worthy facility will have its chance to shine on a big stage as the 2018 Great American Conference Track and Field Championships will be held at the facility on April 19-21. This will be the second time this school year that Southern Arkansas University will serve as host for a GAC Championship event with the Cross Country Championships running on campus in October. Mulerider Track and Field fans can also get a sneak peek of the Mulerider Track Complex and the men’s and women’s teams in action prior to the GAC Championships as SAU will once more host the Dan Veach Invitational. This year’s invite will take place at the Mulerider Track Complex from March 30-31. The full schedule of events throughout the 2018 GAC Track and Field Championships will be made available at a later date on www. MuleriderAthletics.com.
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By: SAU Sports Information Department Magnolia native and junior SAU football player Kile Pletcher was recently named to the 2017 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America® Second-Team as a Special Teams player. Pletcher earned the prestigious academic laurel for his exceptional performance both on the field and in the classroom. Pletcher, who became the second Mulerider football player ever to be named a CoSIDA Academic All-America, boasts an unblemished 4.0 GPA as an academic senior majoring in Business Administration: Finance Analysis at SAU. He was also named Homecoming King this year. This past season Pletcher earned All-GAC Honorable Mention honors as a special team player after he was a sound member of the specialized unit that ranked fifth in the GAC in kickoff coverage. For the season, Pletcher also recorded nine special team tackles with six coming as solo stops. A reserve wide receiver in addition to his special teams’ duties, Pletcher hauled in six passes on the season and averaged 15.5 yards per catch. That mark was the best such on the team among players with five or more catches. A majority of that production came in one game as Pletcher posted career-highs in receptions (5) and yards (84) in SAU’s offensive shootout against Ouachita in the Murphy USA Classic.
Southern Arkansas University™
Foundation & Development
Cabe Foundation takes musical on the road
Small Acts.
BIG Impact.
Contributed Photo
Anita Cabe poses with some cast members from the touring production of Madagascar.
Through the generosity of the C. Louis and Mary C. Cabe Foundation, the SAU Theatre department took their musical production of Madagascar on tour during the fall semester. Performing in the Cabe Auditorium on the campus of Gurdon High School, the students performed for a packed auditorium filled with students, teachers, administration and community guests. Dr. Berry introduced the show and dedicated the performance as a tribute to and in celebration of the tremendous life of Mr. Charles Cabe, who was instrumental in bringing the performance to the Gurdon community.
Collectively, we can make a big difference in the lives of SAU students. Alumni Association Scholarships
Did you know that a portion of your alumni membership provides funding for student scholarships? Currently the SAU Alumni Association has three scholarship recipients: Cole Hendrixson, Blair Martin, and Mary Carter.
Cole Hendrixson is a senior nursing major from Little Rock, Arkansas.
Mulerider License Plate
When you buy a Mulerider license plate, you show your Mulerider pride while also helping provide scholarships to SAU students. Keeton Tennison is a senior exercise science major from Valley Springs, Arkansas. Keeton is also a starting guard for the Mulerider basketball team.
Power of 5 Scholarship
In 2015, a small group of recent graduates came together to launch this annual scholarship. Their goal? To show young alumni the combined power of small donations. Each year, young alumni are asked to give $5 to help a Mulerider following in their footsteps. The 2017-18 recipients are Ilyssa Ruelas and Samantha Bobo.
Photo by Aaron Wallis
Madagascar animals strike a pose during one of their productions in Harton Theatre.
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Samantha Bobo, who is a freshman biology prehealth major from Hope, Arkansas. Samantha is also currently serving as Miss Capital City, and plans on competing in the Miss SAU pageant next year.
Tennis Enhancements After a five-year hiatus, Southern Arkansas University is moving forward with bringing tennis back as an NCAA competitive men’s and women’s sport. Recently, the University has displayed our commitment to this effort through making budget provisions and by hiring Greg Owen as tennis coach. SAU is also focusing on improving our tennis facilities for our student-athletes. Phase I of these enhancements is underway and includes the renovation of the existing courts. Demolition of the existing courts began in January 2018, with further construction beginning on February 1 Completion of the courts is expected during early summer. The vision for Phase II includes an office/locker room facility, and construction will begin once funds are available.
Phase I
Phase II
Tennis Court Renovations
Locker Room and Coach’s Office
• Eight Court Layout (Seven Courts and One Championship Court)
• Facility to be located on the east of W.T. Watson Gymnasium, north of existing tennis courts
• Courts will be post tension concrete slab with a synthetic overlay and markings
• Coach’s Office • Men’s and Women’s Locker Rooms
• New black vinyl fencing with California corners and new court netting
• Bathrooms
• Championship Court featuring seating on both sides
• Storage Through this effort, the University seeks to partner with alumni and friends to raise $350,000 to complete this world-class facility. Your participation in this campaign is essential to ensuring our student-athletes have the best facilities and resources to be successful.
• New sidewalks • Seating on east and west ends of the courts, as well as seating on the south end for the middle courts
Partnership Opportunities Naming of Tennis Complex...................................... $150,000 Naming of Tennis Courts (7 available)....................... $40,000 Naming of Locker Room............................................ $25,000 Naming of Coach’s Office.......................................... $10,000 Naming of Lockers (20 available)................................. $2,500 Game, Set, Match Society........................................... $1,000 (All opportunities can be paid over a five-year period.)
• LED Lighting
For more information concerning these partnership opportunities, please contact Jackson McCurdy at (870) 235-5306 or jacksonmccurdy@saumag.edu.
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Southern Arkansas University™
Alumni News
The Lusby family gather around Geraldine Lusby at the root beer float table outside the Lusby Hospitality Pavilion before the SAU Alumni Center Dedication on September 29, 2017. The Lusby family was honored with a plaque during the ceremony, along with other major donors shown below.
Alumni Center Dedication Photos by Aaron Wallis
The Alumni Center is a beautiful example of the commitment of our SAU Alumni. Hundreds of SAU’s family and friends attended the Alumni Center Dedication to express their gratitude to donors for building a place to call home.
The Butler family and the late David Butler were honored with a donor plaque by SAU President Dr. Trey Berry. Pictured, from left, are Lesley, Dr. Berry, Vicki, and Sydney.
Tristan Down, representing Walmart, accepts a plaque from Dr. Berry in honor of their contributions.
Ron Harrell and Dr. Berry in honor of the Ann Furr Harrell Courtyard.
Jeanne Bowman Franks and Dr. Berry in honor of the FranksBowman Mule Grill.
David Nelson, Board of Trustees member, accepts a plaque in honor of the Magnolia Advertising and Promotion Commission.
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Alumni come “home” for 2017 homecoming
Contributed Photo
The 1972 Mulerider Football team celebrated their 45th anniversary with a reunion held at the Farmers Bank & Trust Reception Center at the SAU Story Arena.
Contributed Photo
Contributed Photo
Football alumni enjoy great food and fellowship during the 2017 Mulegating festivities.
Contributed Photo
Phi Lambda Chi fraternity alumni gathered for a reunion during the weekend.
Contributed Photo
Riderettes reunite during a homecoming brunch with influential former coach, Dr. Margaret Downing.
Contributed Photo
The Mulerider Baseball team was joined by 1987 baseball alumni and SAU donors, to celebrate the 2017 Great American Conference regular season champions at the ring presentation ceremony.
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2018 Distinguished Alumni Awards Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner will be held Saturday, March 8, 2018, at 6 p.m.
Distinguished Young Alumni
Brandon Foshee (2006)
Dr. Kara Way (2005)
Distinguished Alumni
Dr. Lepaine McHenry (1981)
Elston Strong (1980)
Distinguished Golden Riders
Ray Burns (1942)
George Lowrance Hodge (1956)
For ticket information, please contact the Alumni Office at (870) 235-4079.
The Alumni Center offers a variety of spaces available to campus and community groups for meetings, programs, and social functions. To reserve the Alumni Center for an event, tour the beautiful new facility, or get more information, contact Ceil Bridges at (870) 235-4092 or clbridges@saumag.edu.
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Lifetime Achievement Award
Claudell Woods Posthumous (1979)
Southern Arkansas University™
Class News
Please send any class news, weddings, anniversaries, “Little Muleriders,” or obituaries to stater@saumag.edu.
1930-1939
Mildred (Greer) Ruff ’36 celebrated her 101-year birthday on November 17, 2017. While attending Magnolia A&M, Mildred was a cheerleader for the Aggies.
1960-1969
Wanda Maureen (Harrell) Miller ’65 is the author of “Last Trip Home,” to be published by She Writes Press on May 15, 2018, already for pre-order on Amazon. It is a memoir about growing up on an Arkansas farm near Magnolia in the 1940s and 1950s.
University with a degree in secondary education in 1988. A former baseball student-athlete for the Muleriders, Forbes spent one year at his alma mater as the sports information director before embarking on a coaching career. Don McDonald ’89 has been promoted to managing director, as announced by Merrill Lynch in November. McDonald is based in the Fort Smith office. “This promotion recognizes that Don has reached a higher level of experience and amassed a vast amount of industry knowledge from which to draw when helping clients pursue their financial goals,” said Scott Price, senior resident director. McDonald joined Merrill Lynch in 1989.
1990-1999
1980-1989
Army Lieutenant Colonel Kent Herring ’90, originally from El Dorado, recently retired after serving more than 24 years of active duty service. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in Air Defense Artillery through the SAU ROTC program in 1990. After graduating from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1997, he joined the Judge Advocate General’s Corps and served at numerous locations, including Germany, Japan, and Iraq. During his final assignment, he served for three years as Staff Judge Advocate for U.S. Army, Japan, located near Tokyo. He accepted a civilian attorney position as Chief of Client Services at Camp Zama, Japan, in September 2017. Pictured is Army Lieutenant Colonel Kent Herring, wife Kana, and Major General Jim Pasquarette, Commander for U.S. Army Japan.
2000-2009
LeAnn (Morgan) Miller ’87 spent time with charter members of Sigma Sigma Sigma (Tri-Sig) at SAU’s homecoming 2017 festivities. Tri-Sig was chartered April 1986. Pictured above, from left, are Phoebe (Munoz) Bailey ’88, Dana Burchfield-Harris ’88, LeAnn Morgan Miller, Stephanie (Neill) Westerman ’87, and Gayla (Waters) Nicholas ’88. Steve Forbes ’88 has had his contract extended through the 2021-22 season as head men’s basketball coach at East Tennessee State. In 2016-17, Forbes and his staff added to the winning tradition of the Buccaneers’ program, earning the team’s 10th trip to the NCAA Tournament with a victory in the finals of the Southern Conference Tournament. The victory marked a championship sweep for the Bucs, who also claimed a share of the regular season title after going 27-8 overall and 14-4 in SoCon play. The Bucs’ 27 wins matched the second-highest total in school history and gave ETSU 51 victories overall in Forbes’ two seasons in Johnson City – the most wins by any team in the Southern Conference during that time frame. For his efforts, Forbes was named the NABC District 22 Coach of the Year. A native of Lone Tree, Iowa, Forbes graduated from Southern Arkansas
Billy Vess ’03 is Director of the Queen City High School Band in Queen City, Texas. The band placed fourth in the best-in-state marching season finals. Vess is a music graduate from Southern Arkansas University. He was part of band programs in Foreman and Searcy, Arkansas, as well as Prairiland, Texas, before going to Queen City. Vess said, perhaps, his biggest personal experience, however, was a year of participation with the Delta Brigade Drum Corps out of Little Rock in 1997. Cedric Thornton FS, defensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills, was among 25 NFL players who participated in the league’s My Cause My Cleats campaign with custom-designed cleats to find potential cures and to bring awareness to the diabetes epidemic and the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) efforts to improve the lives of people living with diabetes.
1970-1979
Arkansas Senator Joyce Elliott ’73 was presented the Public Leadership in the Arts Award for State Arts Leadership. The award was given by Americans for the Arts and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) at the NCSL Capitol Forum in San Diego in December. “Senator Elliott has done tremendous work on the national level through NCSL and throughout the state of Arkansas,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “Her leadership, dedication, and support of the arts and arts education has been unwavering, and has positively impacted the lives of residents. I applaud her for her commitment and the results she has achieved. She is a leader very much worthy of this recognition.” Sen. Elliot serves as vice chair of the Arkansas Senate Education Committee, and is former co-chair of the NCSL Education Committee. She is often recognized for her work in support of families, women, and underserved populations, but most often for her work in support of education.
receiving yards and 1,051 receptions, going over the 1,000-yard mark in 10 different seasons. While Lewis has made no indication of what, exactly, is next on the horizon for him, he has expressed an interest in both coaching and broadcasting. He also plans to open a business in his home state of Texas.
Dr. Krista L. Nelson ’01 has returned to SAU as an assistant professor of psychology. After receiving her PhD in Counseling Psychology from Louisiana Tech University, she began teaching at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. After four years in Monticello, she left to go and teach students at the Medical University of the Americas on the Caribbean island of Nevis. Following her return home from the Caribbean, she taught for three years at Grambling State University. Beginning in August 2017, Nelson returned to begin as full-time faculty for SAU, where she received her Master of Education in 2001. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Pittsburg State University in Kansas in 1993.
Amanda Taylor, PhD ’09 a native of the nearby town of Emerson, graduated with honors in Engineering Physics from SAU in December 2009. She then pursued a six-year Biophysics PhD program at Oklahoma State University, which she completed in July 2015. Since June 2016, Taylor has been working as a post-doctoral researcher at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston where she is looking at the brain’s response to different visual stimuli using MRI technology to measure changes in blood flow. The end goal is to map which stimuli activate different areas of the brain once they find a model of blood flow using fluid dynamics. Taylor also teaches online Astronomy and Physical Science at SAU, “just for fun!” Of her time at SAU, she says “I am glad I chose Engineering Physics as a major; it opened a great door for me that I wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.”
2010-2017 Caitlin Harrison Pennington ’10 has accepted the position as Corporate Recruiter for Garver, a company that provides services for aviation, transportation, water, energy, development, federal, survey, and construction administration projects.
Apil Tamang ’10 earned a master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, after graduating from SAU with a degree in Engineering Physics (Science Option). He then pursued a career in software development and earned a second master’s in Software Engineering in 2015. Tamang is now working as a software developer for iCiDIGITAL in North Carolina where he specializes in developing code for large enterprises. Nik Lewis ‘03 wrapped up his prolific 14-year Canadian Football League career in style by becoming the CFL’s all-time receptions leader. He will be remembered as one of the best receivers ever to play the game, finishing his career with 13,778 Page 29
Akau Anyieth ’11, a Hot Springs High School chemistry teacher, also has a love for poetry and was the featured guest at WNP (Wednesday Night Poetry) in Hot Springs. A native of South Sudan, Africa, Anyieth came to America in 2002 to study at SAU. .................................................... Continued on page 30
................................................. Continued from page 29 “My family and I researched colleges around the world and decided SAU was the best fit for me,”Anyieth said in a news release. After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree, he taught in Magnolia, Little Rock, and Malvern before joining the teaching staff at Hot Springs High School this past August. Prior to his career as an educator, Anyieth was a comic artist and a rapper. Perry Grant ’11, after graduating from SAU with a degree in Engineering Physics (Science Option), completed a master’s degree in MicroelectronicsPhotonics at the University of Arkansas in 2013. He is currently finishing his final year as a PhD candidate in the Microelectronics-Photonics program at UA. His research is on the molecular beam epitaxy growth of III/V-Bi materials and growth of GeSn materials using an ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition (UHV-CVD) chamber. Beyond his studies and research, Perry was recently named vice president of Arktonics, LLC, a start-up company based on technology being developed at UA. His position with this company entails putting together a business plan and competition in business plan competitions within the next year, maintaining the UHV systems, and writing proposals for upcoming funding opportunities. Martin Hawron ’11 graduated from SAU with a degree in Engineering Physics (Science Option). He was granted the opportunity for an extended research internship after starting with Dr. Abdel Bachri at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, assisting the Berkeley research team in the NEXT Collaboration in their efforts to discover neutrinoless double-beta decay using a Time Projection Chamber. Martin then took a graduate research assistantship offer at University of Connecticut where he completed his master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2014. Martin now works in Cooper Tire & Rubber Company in Texarkana as a mechanical and reliability engineer, designing ergonomic solutions to production issues, and providing assistance in maintenance planning and machine reliability. He also coordinates and manages large equipment installation projects. Clayton Martin ’11 is a graduate of the Engineering Physics program, where he completed a summer-long internship with Dr. Abdel Bachri working at the Berkeley National Laboratory. Martin is currently a Power Plant Technology Instructor in the Technical and Industrial Division at the University of Arkansas at Hope-Texarkana, where he teaches classes ranging from Basic Steam Generation to Power Plant Thermodynamics. He is also in the process of getting a master’s degree from the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Ramesh Nepal ’11, an SAU Engineering Physics graduate, moved to Oklahoma University to pursue his PhD at their Advanced Radar Research Center. His field at OU has been Radar Signal Processing, and he has published several super-resolution algorithm papers and a machine learning paper on radar data. His last project was modifying the software capabilities of a weather radar to do airplane tracking, and he and his team published a paper on that project in March 2017. Ramesh is currently working on software control of a radar and is writing Matlab codes that make use of manufacturer-provided C++ codes to control and get data from the radar. He’s also working on algorithms that improve data quality of a “cheaper” radar to match with more expensive radars, as well as helping with an Unmanned Surface Vehicle
project where he makes boats with aluminum frames and glued foam sheets. Joseph Batta ’12 earned his degree in Engineering Physics from SAU and his master’s degree in Microelectronics-Photonics from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. For his master’s, he investigated the plasmonic response and the enhancement of the electromagnetic field of fused and functionalized nanoparticles in dimer shapes. The core of his work was based on biomedical applications ranging from optoelectronics to biophotonics. He is continuing his academic education as PhD candidate at the UA in Microelectronics and Photonics, with an option in Biomedical Engineering. Jeremy Dunklin, PhD ’12 graduated from SAU with a degree in Engineering Physics, and then earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arkansas in 2017. During his doctoral program, he was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, and his research focused on the optical and thermal properties of emerging nanomaterials. Dunklin said that his undergraduate training as an Engineering Physics student at SAU “was the perfect preparation for interdisciplinary graduate research. My physics training helped me understand to think critically about underlying physical mechanisms, while my engineering preparation taught him how to implement fundamental ideas into new technologies.” Jeremy is now working as a postdoctoral researcher for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado, which advances the science and engineering of energy efficiency, sustainable transportation, and renewable power technologies. Brennan Pitard ’12 recently joined First Financial Bank as a loan officer in the Veterinary Lending Division. An El Dorado native, Pitard received his bachelor’s degree in biology from SAU and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in Baton Rouge in 2016. Prior to his graduation from LSU, Pitard spent several years in various externships across Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. While at LSU, he served as secretary of the Veterinary Business Management Association in 2013 and vice president in 2014. “We are pleased to have Brennan join our professional services team,” said Chris Hegi, chief executive officer for First Financial Bank. “He will play an important role in First Financial’s continued success in future years.” Attorney Daveante Jones ’12 has joined Wright Lindsey Jennings as a member of its Labor & Employment Team, practicing in the firm’s Little Rock office. He represents employers and HR professionals in a variety of employment matters, including discrimination, minimum wage and overtime, employee leave, employment contracts, severance agreements, covenants not to compete, unemployment claims and EEOC/DOL investigations. Before joining the firm, Jones worked as a law clerk to the Honorable Brian S. Miller, Chief Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Jones earned his JD from the University of Arkansas School of Law, Page 30
graduating cum laude in 2016. While in law school, Jones served as an Articles Editor for the Arkansas Law Review and as secretary/treasurer of the Board of Advocates. He was the recipient of the M. Jeff Starling, Jr. Award, given annually by the UA School of Law for excellence in labor and employment law. He also worked in the UA School of Law Civil Litigation and Advocacy Clinic representing clients seeking to enforce their rights in a variety of employment law matters. Jones graduated from Ashdown High School. While earning his Political Science degree with a minor in Africana Studies as a member of the Southern Arkansas University Honors College, he served as the polemarch (president) of the Lambda Kappa chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and also received the Mulerider Leadership Award. Sagar Rijal ’12 completed his studies in Engineering Physics (Science Option) and Mathematics at SAU before working for IBM as a systems administrator in Bentonville, Arkansas. His responsibility was to lead a team in assisting migration of servers. After his project was completed, he moved to California to learn automation. After completing training, he was again recruited by IBM in Atlanta, Georgia, as an automation engineer. His duties in this role were to automate web browser and clients’ portals, and he also trained other engineers on automation and published numerous “how to” documents within the client’s intranet. Rijal was stationed in Atlanta for a year, and then returned to his home country of Nepal to take care of his parents. He has since been married, and is now working as an instructor in Kathmandu, Nepal. Kahli Remy ’13 majored in Engineering Physics (Science Option) and completed two summer internships, one at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in particle physics and one at Edwards Air Force Electric Propulsion Laboratory. Her internships, as well as being a supplemental instructor for Physics I and II, prepared her well for graduate school at Oklahoma State University. She has since completed a master’s degree in Medical Physics and is currently pursuing a PhD in Physics in the field of radiation and dosimetry. She recently presented her research in Germany to the 18th Solid State Dosimetry Conference in Munich. After graduate school, she hopes to go into a residency program and become a medical physicist, where she will develop and administer radiation treatments in oncology. Barbara Rutter ’13 graduated from SAU with a degree in Engineering Physics (Science Option), and is currently pursuing a PhD in Explosive Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla. She received the Chancellor’s Fellowship, which is paying for all her school expenses. In her research, she is exploring slowing down shock waves by making the surrounding air denser, which she will first investigate with plasma arcs. She is a recipient of the Outstanding Explosives Graduate Research Student Award. She is also a Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, and recently completed an internship with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). She plans to work as a researcher for a national lab, naval research lab, or a private explosives company. Nishan Shrestha ’13 graduated with a double degree in Engineering Physics (Science Option) and Mathematics from SAU. He earned a master’s degree in Medical Physics and is currently pursuing a PhD in Physics at Oklahoma State University. Shrestha’s current research goal is to develop a new 2D dosimetry system based on Optically Stimulated
Luminescence and Radio Photo Luminescence for quality assurance and dose verification in treatment planning during radiation therapy. After getting his degree, he hopes to become a medical physicist and work in a hospital to make treatment plans and diagnosis for cancer patients. Ryan Blackwell ’14 has earned the Outstanding New Ag Educator Award from Arkansas Farm Bureau. Blackwell is a teacher at Bradley High School. Arkansas Farm Bureau recognized outstanding educators and school programs at its 83rd annual convention held in Little Rock from Nov. 29 – Dec. 1. Zachary Pinson ’14 graduated from SAU with a BS in Engineering Physics (Science Option). He is a Nuclear Weapons Technician in the United States Air Force, and has been stationed at the Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota since March 2015. As a weapons technician, his job is to inspect, store, and repair nuclear weapons and their associated equipment to ensure the safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile. Every week, he and the other technicians disassemble weapon systems to evaluate them for damaged components that need to be repaired or replaced. They also test all components to ensure electrical systems are functioning properly. After they have completed their evaluations and repairs, they reassemble the weapon systems and return them to the field. The technicians then report any deficiencies they find and document all maintenance actions they take so the weapon systems can be evaluated by engineers within the Department of Energy, as well as by companies like Lockheed Martin, to make improvements or modifications. After his retirement from the Air Force, Pinson says he will be in a perfect position to go work for Lockheed Martin and use his degree, as well as his experience in the nuclear weapons career field, to design the next generation of weapon systems. Prashant Acharya ’15 graduated from SAU with a degree in Engineering Physics before starting a PhD program in Chemical Engineering at the University of Arkansas, where he was awarded a Doctoral Academy Fellowship (DAF) and a position as a graduate research assistant. Acharya’s research can be broadly categorized under the electrochemistry and material sciences field. For his work, he has collaborated with research teams from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the Argonne National Laboratory, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, among others. John Miller ’15 graduated from SAU with a degree in Engineering Physics (Science Option), and accepted a job as associate engineer of manufacturing at Aerojet Rocketdyne in Camden. In this position, Miller works with other engineers on the manufacturing process of the rocket motors and warheads.
Joel Pogue ’15 graduated from SAU with a degree in Engineering Physics (Science Option), and then earned a Master of Science in Medical Physics. He is currently working on a PhD in Biomedical Physics at East Carolina University.
Shelbi Booker ’16 is the new County Extension Agent for 4-H Family and Consumer Sciences in Prescott, Arkansas. She earned her degree in
Agriculture Science from SAU, where her focus was on Animal Science. Booker said there’s more to 4-H than just the agriculture side. She said there are four clubs locally, and her goal is to strengthen these clubs while working to add more. Booker visits the Prescott and Nevada school districts on a weekly basis, working with students on different projects. Darryl Webb III ’16 graduated from SAU with a degree in Engineering Physics (Science Option) and Mathematics. He is expected to earn a master’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Arkansas this spring, and will be pursuing his PhD in Mathematical Education at UA. Justin Vanhoose ’17 graduated from SAU with an Engineering Physics degree and immediately began pursuing his doctorate in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso, where he works for the Center for Space Exploration Technology and Research, cSETR. His research is in rocketry and propulsion, specifically hybrid propulsion. His plan is to continue his research with cSETR and to start his career in propulsion after graduation.
Faculty
Allison Keeley, who had her first season on Boston College’s coaching staff this year, will act as interim head coach during their coaching search. Keeley played on the professional volleyball circuit from 1991-97. Since then, she has held numerous coaching positions, including head coaching jobs at Chaffey College, Southern Arkansas University, Villanova, UNLV, and East Stroudsburg University.
Little Muleriders
®
James Robert “Bob” Rogers ’56, January 25, 2017 Dr. Richard “Tom” Lovell, ’56, November 7, 2017 Shirley D. (Strickland) Goodson ’58, October 1, 2017 Robert Charles Bryan ’59, February 11, 2017
1960-1969
Relda Mainard ’60, November 13, 2017 Marcus “Weldon” Booth ’63, March 30, 2017 James D. McMahen ’63, September 16, 2017 Jerry “Papa” Calloway ’64, February 18, 2017 Sherry (Martindale) Crider ’65, August 29, 2017 John Paul Nutt ’66, November 29, 2017 Dan M. Joslin ’68, July 21, 2017 James Joseph “Jim” Todd ’68, July 31, 2017
1970-1979
Ruiz Anne Rozell Kegler ’70, July 16, 2017 Nancy Lind Morris ’70, August 19, 2017 Johnny Michael Halpine, Jr. ’70, September 26, 2015 Norma (Daley) Johnson ’72, November 10, 2017 Lois Ann Kennemer ’72, November 29, 2017 Jon Martin Phillips ’73, April 19, 2017 Thomas E. McLelland Jr. ’73, August 30, 2017 John Paul Hunter, Sr. ’77, October 26, 2017 Frances Elizabeth (Taylor) Wharton ’79, Sept. 11, 2017 Beth Cooper ’79, November 10, 2017
1980-1989
Fred Nicholas “Nick” Margrave, Jr. ’83, Sept. 28, 2017 Debbie Gale Purdom ’83, November 9, 2017 Jerrold Durand Merrick ’87, April 6, 2017 Lynn Annette (Davis) Raines ’88, July 17, 2017
1990-1999
Robin (Henderson) Hanson ’91, October 23, 2017
2000-2010
Terry (Brasher) Teutsch ’00, November 11, 2017 Albert Rowell Hanna ’11, July 22, 2017
2010-2018
Gwendolyn Denise (Watson) Wyrick ’13, Dec. 2, 2017
Friends, Faculty, and Staff
Joan Simmons, former staff, May 2, 2017 Dr. Dan Skelton, retired faculty, October 23, 2017 Irene Brannon, retired faculty, November 3, 2017 Charles J. Hayes, SAU friend, November 29, 2017 Joe Ann (Monzingo) Shultz BSW, December 1, 2017
Traci L. Hughes ‘00, became mommy to Slade Michael Hughes, on Adoption Day, August 16, 2017. Traci is a teacher in the Rankin College of Business. (Pictured Above)
In Memory of 1940-1949
Verner Barnes ’40, January 3, 2017 Margaret Helen Williams ’41, March 24, 2017 Dr. Melvin Henry Stevens ’44, June 23, 2017 Judge Lawrence E. Dawson, Jr. ’44, Nov. 11, 2017 Billie June “Sandy” Sanderson Holt ’46, Feb. 8, 2017 Alma Jean (Franks) Tuberville ’47, October 5, 2017 Gene Higginbotham ’47, November 24, 2017 Wanda (Blair) Black Teague ’47, November 28, 2017 Robert E. Weldon, Jr. ’48, March 10, 2017 J.L. Jean ’48, November 1, 2017 Robert M. Luck ’48, November 16, 2017
1950-1959
John C. Mays ’54, October 21, 2017 David Edward Yarberry ’55, July 3, 2017 Page 31
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