- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock student entrepreneurs win $40,000 at e-Fest

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 13:51:29 +0000

After winning the undergraduate and innovation divisions at the Arkansas Governor’s Cup last week, a dream team of student entrepreneurs from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has continued their winning streak by taking home $40,000 at e-Fest 2019.�� Team Vascugenix earned third place and $20,000 April 11-13 at e-Fest 2019, a venture pitch competition that is part of the, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The students also placed first in the innovation division, earning them an additional $20,000. The main goal of this elite entrepreneurship event, open to undergraduate students in North America and with $250,000 in cash prizes available, includes recognizing compelling student ideas for products, services, and ventures but also aims to encourage student learning and networking around using entrepreneurial thinking and methods to create, validate, and communicate about solutions to problems. Vascugenix team members include ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students Noah Asher, senior finance and economics major and Donaghey Scholar; Abigail Resendiz, senior international business and management major and Donaghey Scholar; and Zach Cochran, senior economics major. Martial Trigeaud, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock adjunct professor and business consultant at the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, serves as the team’s mentor. The group collaborated with, a 1993 graduate of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, and Baptist Health Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit Nurse Anna Helm to commercialize a medical device invented by Chrisman. The device, the Speed-Torque, is a medical torque device used by surgeons in minimally invasive heart surgery. A cardiovascular surgeon uses a torque to maneuver a surgical guidewire and catheter through a patient’s femoral artery to get to the heart. Currently, surgeons must use both hands to perform the procedure. However, Chrisman’s design is for a device that clicks into place and can be operated with only one hand, making surgery faster and safer. So far, Vascugenix has won more than $75,000 in prize money from business plan and entrepreneurial competitions. In January, Vascugenix won second place and $3,000 at the Ivey Business Plan Competition at Western University in Ontario, Canada.

Team Vascugenix earned third place and $20,000 at e-Fest 2019, a venture pitch competition that is part of the Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge.

During the first weekend in April, the students won $2,000 after being named a semifinalist at the prestigious Rice Business Plan Competition in Houston. Vascugenix was one of 42 teams from more than 400 applications accepted into the competition, dubbed the world’s richest and largest student startup competition. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock was the only university from Arkansas to make it into the competition, while Vascugenix is only the second team in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s history to be accepted. At the Arkansas Governor’s Cup, the students won first place in the Winrock Automotive Undergraduate Division and a $25,000 prize as well as $5,000 and first��place in the undergraduate Innovate Arkansas Innovation Division for a total of��$30,000. Vascugenix is now in talks with investors to raise $1.4 million in investment capital to launch the Speed-Torque, which they plan to manufacture and sell out of Little Rock. “We’ll look for the investors who fit the best with our company culture and vision for the future,” said Asher. “We want investors with the right networks of contacts who can help us succeed.” In the upper right photo, a team of business students (Zach Cochran, bottom left,��Noah��Asher, center, and Abigail Resendiz, bottom right) from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock have won third place at e-Fest 2019. The students collaborated with Arkansas Cardiology Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Dwight Christman, back left, Baptist Health Cardiovascular Nurse Anna Helm, center left, and Martial Tregeaud, back right, to commercialize a medical device invented by Chrisman to help cardiologists perform heart surgery with greater safety and efficiency. Photo by Ben Krain.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock student entrepreneurs come out on top at Arkansas Governor’s Cup

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 20:44:12 +0000

A dream team of student entrepreneurs from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has won two of the top honors at the Arkansas Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition, a statewide business plan competition for college and graduate students sponsored by Arkansas Capital Corporation. �� The Vascugenix team won first place in the Winrock Automotive Undergraduate Division and a $25,000 prize.��The team also captured first place and a prize of $5,000 in the undergraduate Innovate Arkansas Innovation Division for a total of $30,000 in prize money. Team members include ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students Noah Asher, senior finance and economics major and Donaghey Scholar; Abigail Resendiz, senior international business and management major and Donaghey Scholar; and Zach Cochran, senior economics major. Martial Trigeaud, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock adjunct professor and business consultant at the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, serves as the team’s mentor. “I am very proud of the team,” Trigeaud said. “The Arkansas Governor’s Cup is an amazing event with amazing judges, and we are very proud to be the winners of the 2019 undergraduate division and innovation division competitions.” The group collaborated with and Baptist Health Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit Nurse Anna Helm to commercialize a medical device invented by Chrisman. The device, the Speed-Torque, is a medical torque device used by surgeons in minimally invasive heart surgery. In addition to the Arkansas Governor’s Cup awards, the team was named a semifinalist in the Rice Business Plan Competition Aug. 4-6 and plans to launch its medical startup company after raising a significant amount in funding from investors. MBA student Gabriella De Lima also joined Vascugenix for the Rice competition. When Trigeaud first suggested the students enter the prestigious Rice Business Plan Competition, Asher thought it was a waste of time.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Team Vascugenix won first place in the Winrock Automotive Undergraduate Division and first place in the undergraduate Innovate Arkansas Innovation Division at the Arkansas Governor’s Cup.

“This is the largest and richest student startup venture competition in the world,” Asher said. “Only 42 teams from 400 applications from the top universities are chosen. It would take an act of God for an undergraduate team to get selected.” “The hard work in Martial Trigeaud’s business boot camps paid off, and we made it,” Resendiz added. As one of 15 teams to make it to the semifinalist round, the students took home a $2,000 prize. One of the allures of competing in the Rice Business Plan Competition is the ability to pitch and network with hundreds of judges consisting of investors, venture capitalists, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and corporations who are looking to invest in the next big idea. “You’re sitting in a room with a sea of millionaires who are looking to invest in your company,” Cochran said. “That is just from people who came up to us at the competition and saw our pitch. We have a significant amount of people who are interested in investing in our company.” Asher believes their company is appealing to investors because they already have a mature business plan with a viable product that can be launched relatively quickly. “One of the reasons I think we did so well raising money is that we are a mature startup company,” he said. “We have a very simple but needed product that fits in a niche market that we can dominate. It can give investors a quick return on their investment.” The students say the experience they have gained pitching in front of investors is invaluable. “I can now say that I’ve successfully pitched in front of ventures capitalists, and that is a cool thing to say in front of potential employers,” Resendiz said. “Competing at the same level of master’s and Ph.D. students and people who have 15 plus years of experience in their fields and still being able to surpass them is an excellent feeling.” After an eventful week of competitions, Team Vascugenix isn’t resting on its laurels. The students left the Arkansas Governor’s Cup and immediately headed to the airport to compete in the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota April 11-13. Funded by the , the challenge is the largest undergraduate-only venture pitch competition in North America in terms of cash prizes with a top prize of $75,000 and $250,000 in total prizes awarded.

Team Vascugenix competes at the Rice Business Plan Competition at Rice University on April 4. Team members include, from left to right, Abigail Resendiz, Zach Cochran, Martial Trigeaud, Noah Asher, and Gabriella De Lima.

“We wouldn’t have made it into this competition without the help of the university’s photographer, Ben Krain, who shot a seven-minute video we needed to enter this competition,” Resendiz said. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s team is one of 25 finalists selected from more than 100 entries representing 61 colleges and universities across America. Students will participate in a “pitch slam” elevator pitch event and an innovation challenge. Teams also will be awarded for outstanding potential to have social and global impact. Student teams also will be networking with top entrepreneurs from around the country, including Richard M. Schulze, founder of Best Buy. The students would like to thank Trigeaud; Dr. Jane Wayland, Stephen Harrow Smith Dean of Business; Laura Fine, director of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center; and Dr. Mark Funk, chair of the Department of Economics and Finance, for their assistance in developing their startup company and participating in competitions. Once the competition season is over, Vascugenix will move forward with plans to develop the Speed-Torque for a commercial release. “We’ll look for the investors who fit the best with our company culture and vision for the future,” said Asher. “We want investors with the right networks of contacts who can help us succeed.” They are also in talks with health technology accelerators to conduct pre-market clinical trials through Baptist Health and possibly the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. “After our clinical trial, we will be ready to begin selling in the market. We will target the South and Midwest based out of Little Rock,” Asher said. In the upper right photo,��a team of business students (Zach Cochran, bottom left,��Noah��Asher, center, and Abigail Resendiz, bottom right) from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock have won first place in the Winrock Automotive Undergraduate Division and first place in the undergraduate Innovate Arkansas Innovation Division at the Arkansas Governor’s Cup. The students collaborated with Arkansas Cardiology Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Dwight Christman, back left, Baptist Health Cardiovascular Nurse Anna Helm, center left, and Martial Trigeaud, back right, to commercialize a medical device invented by Chrisman to help cardiologists perform heart surgery with greater safety and efficiency. Photo by Ben Krain.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock business students selected to participate in Rice Business Plan Competition

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 13:07:13 +0000

A team of business students from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has been selected as one of 42 teams from some of the world’s top universities who will compete for more than $1.5 million in prizes at the April 4-6.�� The competition has been dubbed as the world’s richest and largest student startup competition with a top prize of a $300,000 investment from the GOOSE Society. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock was the only team from Arkansas selected to compete. The “�ղ��ܲ��Ծ��” team is comprised of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students Noah Asher, senior finance and economics major; Abigail Resendiz, senior international business and management major; and Zach Cochran, senior economics major. Martial Trigeaud, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock adjunct professor and business consultant at the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, is mentoring the team. “We are very excited to be competing in this prestigious new venture competition and to be recognized as one of the top startup teams in the world,” Asher said. The group collaborated with and Baptist Health Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit Nurse Anna Helm to commercialize a medical device invented by Chrisman. The device, the “Speed-Torque,” is a medical torque device used by surgeons in minimally invasive heart surgery, also known as interventional cardiology procedures. The teams for this year’s competition were chosen from more than 300 applicants to compete in four categories: life sciences/medical devices/digital health; digital/information technology/mobile; energy/clean technology/sustainability; and other innovations/investment opportunity. More than 210 former competitors have successfully launched their ventures and are still in business today, including 25 startups that have been acquired. Past competitors have raised more than $2.2 billion in capital and created more than 3,000 new jobs. “The true measure of success for the Rice Business Plan Competition is the number of teams that launch, raise funding, and go on to succeed in their business,” said Brad Burke, managing director of the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship at Rice University, host of the event. “The competition has served as the launch pad for a great number of successful entrepreneurial ventures, and the success rate far exceeds the national average.” Community members can show their support for the team by casting their vote in the People’s Choice Competition via Facebook. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s team has already seen success promoting the speed-torque. They won second place and a $3,000 prize during the Ivey Business Plan Competition in January and will also enter the upcoming Arkansas Governor’s Cup competition. Asher was part of a team of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students who won the undergraduate division of the Arkansas Governor’s Cup and a $25,000 prize last year for their business plan for Spiritum Solutions, a mouth guard designed so that patients undergoing surgery or bronchoscope procedures do not damage their mouths by biting down on the tubes. Additionally, Asher received a $2,000 cash prize for winning the undergraduate elevator pitch competition. He believes that his previous experience, combined with the team’s compelling business strategy, gives them a unique advantage in both competitions and in the marketplace. “While we do have an exciting technology that will greatly benefit both surgeons and patients, we are not trying to change the way minimally invasive heart surgery is done or disrupt the marketplace,” Asher said. “We are instead focused on providing incremental, yet innovative changes that fit within existing surgical techniques, but also drastically improve surgical precision and safety. We believe that this strategy will help to drive our clinical adoption rate and to achieve long-term, sustainable growth that will generate substantial returns for investors. Our acceptance into Rice is a strong validation that investors see value in this strategy and that we are poised for success.” In the upper right photo,��a team of business students (Zach Cochran, bottom left,��Noah��Asher, center, and Abigail Resendiz, bottom right) from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock have been accepted into the Rice Business Plan Competition. The students collaborated with Arkansas Cardiology Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Dwight Christman, back left, Baptist Health Cardiovascular Nurse Anna Helm, center left, and Martial Tregeaud, back right, to commercialize a medical device invented by Chrisman to help cardiologists perform heart surgery with greater safety and efficiency. Photo by Ben Krain.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock business students take second place at international entrepreneurship competition

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 14:46:42 +0000

A team of business students from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock have won second place and a $3,000 prize at the international held Jan. 25-27 in Ontario, Canada, for their business plan for a device designed to help interventional cardiologists perform minimally invasive heart surgery with greater safety and efficiency.�� The team is comprised of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students Noah Asher, senior finance and economics major, Abigail Resendiz, senior international business and management major, and Zach Cochran, senior economics major. The group collaborated with��and Baptist Health Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit Nurse Anna Helm to commercialize a medical device invented by Chrisman. The device, the “Speed-Torque,” is a medical torque device used by surgeons in minimally invasive heart surgery, also known as interventional cardiology procedures. The Ivey Business Plan Competition, sponsored by CIBC World Markets and IBK Capital Corp, allows student teams from across North America to compete for $40,000 in prizes as well as test their venture ideas with experienced entrepreneurs, meet potential investors, and raise funds. “It was an extremely close competition with a lot of fantastic companies and entrepreneurs,” said Asher. “We are of course disappointed with coming in second, but we are very happy with our performance and are excited to see how we do in competitions to come.” Asher is no stranger to success in business and entrepreneurship competitions. He was part of a team of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students who won the undergraduate division of the Arkansas Governor’s Cup and a $25,000 prize last year for their business plan for Spritum Solutions, a mouth guard designed so that patients undergoing surgery or bronchoscope procedures do not damage their mouths by biting down on the tubes. Additionally, Asher received a $2,000 cash prize for winning the undergraduate elevator pitch competition. He is confident that he a great team that will see many successes this year as the students are planning to compete in several more competitions, including the Arkansas Governor’s Cup, Texas Christian University’s Values and Ventures Competition, and the RICE Business Plan Competition in Texas. “Between the clinical expertise Dr. Chrisman and Anna provide and the business skills and background of Abby and Zach, this is one of the strongest and most experienced teams I have ever had the privilege of working on,” Asher said. “I’m very excited to see what the future holds for us.” The team’s mentor, Martial Trigeaud, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock adjunct professor and business consultant at the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, said he was extremely proud of the team’s performance. “These are incredibly challenging competitions, so to even be invited to travel to Ivey to compete is a success,” Trigeaud said. “I am very proud of what the team has accomplished, and I am waiting for the next business plan competition.” In the upper right photo, a team of business students (Zach Cochran, bottom left,��Noah��Asher, center, and Abigail Resendiz, bottom right) from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock have won second place at the international Ivey Business Plan Competition. The students collaborated with Arkansas Cardiology Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Dwight Christman, back left, Baptist Health Cardiovascular Nurse Anna Helm, center left, and Martial Tregeaud, back right, to commercialize a medical device invented by Chrisman to help cardiologists perform heart surgery with greater safety and efficiency. Photo by Ben Krain.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to honor Troy Wells with Distinguished Alumni Award

Janea Snyder — Thu, 03 May 2018 17:07:51 +0000

Baptist Health president and chief executive officer Troy Wells often gets asked for career advice. What he explains to young people is that his own career success started with a simple word: Yes. “My philosophy is say yes and see what happens,” he said. “There’s a lot of value for young people to realize when you say yes and want to be part of something, and don’t worry about the money, good things happen. You should want to add more value before you expect something in return. It may not work for everybody, but it has worked for me.” Wells will be honored during the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Distinguished Alumni Awards Celebration at 11:30 a.m. May 11 in the Great Hall of the William J. Clinton Presidential Center. The Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor presented by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Wells also will deliver the keynote address at this year’s commencement ceremonies on May 12. Before heading to college, Wells was like many young people. He knew what he liked studying, but he didn’t have a definitive career plan. He went to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in microbiology. “I was oriented toward medicine, but two years in, it didn’t seem like something I wanted to do,” Wells said, “but I did love the sciences, and I was good at it.” After graduating in 1994, Wells took a year off. He traveled, built houses with his dad, and applied to graduate schools. He chose ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Master’s Degree in Health Services Administration (now offered at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences). “I wanted to be in Arkansas, and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock had this program that was pretty unusual and rare at the time. I saw people being successful coming out of the program,” he said. “What made this very workable for me was it was designed so that you could work during the day and go to school at night. It was something I could manage financially and not walk away with a ton of debt.” Wells also remembers the faculty support he received. “I felt a sense that the faculty cared about us. They were interested in students being successful. I wasn’t a number. The faculty knew what I was good at and where I would be good in terms of employment,” he said. Years later, Wells recruited future employees from the graduate program he knew so well. “I stayed connected with John Baker, one of the original faculty founders of program, and I’m still in touch with him 26 years later,” Wells said. After completing his master’s degree in 1997, Wells entered a two-year fellowship at the former St. Joseph’s Hospital in Hot Springs, where he learned the administrative workings of a hospital. “At the end of the fellowship, I had a chance to stay on or go to Newport to run a small hospital,” Wells said. “I was 26 and single and in a place in life where I could take a risk, so I went to Newport and ran an 86-bed hospital for six or seven years.” When the hospital was sold, Wells was out of a job. He was interviewing all over the country when he got a call from Russ Harrington, former CEO and president of Baptist Health. “He said, ‘I want you to come to work for us. I can’t tell you exactly what the job is,’” Wells recalled. “I agreed to take a job, not knowing what it was or what I would be paid. It was a handshake. Russ asked me, ‘Do you want to be here?’ And I said yes. I was happy. I knew it was right.” Since joining in 2006, Wells has had many job duties, including vice president of clinical services, vice president of Practice Plus, chief executive officer of Arkansas Health Group, and senior vice president of Administrative Services. He became the chief executive in June 2014, becoming only the third person to hold this title since World War II. “What I enjoy most is working with people to serve people. That’s what gets me up in the morning,” he said. “Being in healthcare, you have to want to do things for other people. That’s why our organization exists. We are a faith-based, not-for-profit health system. I know there’s a mission we are here to fulfill, and I have the ability to affect that.” Wells is active. He serves on the Alumni Association Board of Directors of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, as well as on the boards for Goodwill Industries of Arkansas, Parkway Village Inc., the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Downtown Rotary Club of Little Rock. He is also a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the Arkansas Executives Forum, Young Presidents Organization, and Fifty for the Future. He and his wife Mary live in Little Rock and have two children – Catherine, 10, and Charles, 6. Baptist Health CEO Troy Wells is the recipient of the 2018 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Distinguished Alumni Award. Photo by Sara Reeves.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock announces 2018 Distinguished Alumni, Presidents Award honorees

Janea Snyder — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 15:48:04 +0000

The CEO of Arkansas’ largest healthcare system has been named the 2018 University of Arkansas at Little Rock Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. Troy Wells, who earned a master’s degree in health services administration in 1997 at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, joined Baptist Health in 2006, and became the CEO and president in 2014. Wells will be honored during the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Distinguished Alumni Awards Celebration on Friday, May 11, at 11:30 a.m. in the Great Hall of the William J. Clinton Presidential Library. Joining Wells is the 2018 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Presidents Award recipient, Mauri Douglass, a retired gifted and talented educator who serves on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association Board and has chaired Taste of Little Rock for four years. She also is the alumnae liaison for the Chi Omega chapter at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association, her Gamma Zeta chapter sisters, and the Little Rock Chi Omega Alumnae Club. “The contributions and dedication of Troy and Mauri bring credit to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and exemplify the heart of a Trojan,” said Christian O’Neal, vice chancellor for university advancement. “While their backgrounds vary, they are both united by outstanding accomplishments and service back to their alma mater.” The Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor presented by the university while the Presidents Award is bestowed on individuals with career success and a profound dedication to the university.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock announces 2017 Distinguished Alumna, Presidents Award recipients

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 14:15:48 +0000

One of the top female CEOs in the country has been named the 2017 University of Arkansas at Little Rock Distinguished Alumna Award winner.�� Candice Hunter Corby, a 1994 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate, is the CEO and president of Cobra Legal Solutions in Austin. Corby will be honored during the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Distinguished Alumni Awards Celebration, presented by Baptist Health, at 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 12, in the Great Hall of the William J. Clinton Presidential Library. Joining Corby is the 2017 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Presidents Award recipient, Rebecca Ward, a private social work practitioner in Little Rock and a former two-term president of the ��Vlog��ý��Little Rock Alumni Association board of directors. “While the backgrounds and contributions of Candice and Rebecca vary greatly, they are both united by an astounding level of service and accomplishment,” said Christian O’Neal, vice chancellor for university advancement. “Their contributions and dedication bring credit to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and embody the ‘Heart of a Trojan.’” The Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor presented by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association, while the Presidents Award is bestowed on individuals with career success and a profound dedication to the university. The event is sponsored by and hosted by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Foundation Fund Board and the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association. About the award recipients:

Candice Hunter Corby

Candice Hunter Corby is the CEO, president, and one of two female board members of Cobra Legal Solutions, LLC. Based in Austin, Texas, she leads an incredible staff of legal experts and technologists to consistently and cost-effectively help corporate legal departments and law firms with their information management needs. Corby was named one of the Top 10 Female CEOs of 2016 by dotCEO. Additionally, the Austin Business Journal recognized her as a 2015 Profiles in Power – Women of Influence in Central Texas finalist. She is a frequent speaker and mentor, having been interviewed by the Harvard Business School Executive MBA program on “How Key Women Succeed.” She also moderated panel discussions at The University of Texas McCombs Executive MBA Program on “Championing Women in the Workplace,” and she served on a panel for the Four Seasons Hotel – Austin’s program on “Women in Leadership.” Corby earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 1994 and is a certified public accountant. After completing an internship at BKD CPAs and Advisors during her junior year, Corby began her career as a senior auditor at BKD. At 26, she became the youngest chief financial officer of the Times Record News, an E.W. Scripps Company. During her career, she has served as general accounting manager of the Neiman Marcus Group, founder and CEO of Gourmet Concepts, chief financial officer of Godwin Gruber, LLP, chief operating officer of Baker & McKenzie, LLP, and chief operating officer of Mayer Brown, LLP. Corby is an advocate for many causes near to her heart, including the arts, health, women’s initiatives, diversity, and eradicating homelessness. She serves on the boards of Zach Theatre, Austin Opera, University of Texas at Austin Butler School of Music Directors’ Council, and Elevate Network. She was also co-chair of the 2016 “I Am Waters Supermodel Luncheon,” a national movement that provides water bottles and inspirational messages to the homeless. Corby is in an avid runner who has recently started competing in marathons. She also enjoys travel, skiing, wine and cheese, and spending time with her husband, Ken, and “furry child,” Tiberius.

Rebecca Ward

Ward graduated with a Master of Social Work from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 1979. She also holds bachelor’s degrees in English and French from Ouachita Baptist University and a master’s degree in social agency counseling from Henderson State University. After completing her education, Ward began a highly successful career in social work that has included roles at Arkansas Children’s Colony, Greater Little Rock Community Mental Health Center, Ouachita Regional Mental Health Center, and several private practices. She has been in private practice with her partner, Howard Turney, for the past 10 years. After discovering a lack of scholarships for social work students at her alma mater, Ward served as chair of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock School of Social Work Advisory Committee. Six years later, the group raised more than $100,000 for an endowed scholarship fund for social work students. Ward joined the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association board of directors and served as president from 2010 to 2014. She helped oversee hundreds of scholarships for potential and current ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students. She is a past chair of the Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board, Arkansas Hospice, and Thea Foundation. She has also served on the Arkansas Association for Marital and Family Therapists. Ward is a therapist on Good Morning Arkansas, a contributor to AY Magazine, and the author of the 2000 book “How to Stay Married Without Going Crazy.” Ward resides in Little Rock with her husband, Don. She has one son, Dr. Dan Smith, a dermatologist in Little Rock, a step-daughter, Jessica Sigmon, in Oklahoma City, four granddaughters, and one grandson. In the upper right photos,��the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock��2017 Distinguished Alumna is Candice Corby (left), and the Presidents Award recipient is Rebecca Ward (right).��

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock student entrepreneurs win $40,000 at e-Fest

����Vlog��ý Little Rock student entrepreneurs come out on top at Arkansas Governor’s Cup

����Vlog��ý Little Rock business students selected to participate in Rice Business Plan Competition

����Vlog��ý Little Rock business students take second place at international entrepreneurship competition

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to honor Troy Wells with Distinguished Alumni Award

����Vlog��ý Little Rock announces 2018 Distinguished Alumni, Presidents Award honorees

����Vlog��ý Little Rock announces 2017 Distinguished Alumna, Presidents Award recipients