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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock appoints interim athletic director

Janea Snyder — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 22:12:22 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor Andrew Rogerson has appointed Bob Denman to serve as interim athletic director for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Athletics while a national search is conducted for a new director. Denman, vice chancellor emeritus of university advancement, previously served as interim athletic director from September 2014 until January 2015 when Conque was hired as the new athletic director. Conque is leaving later this month to be the athletic director at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Denman joins the university Aug. 12.

Vice Chancellor Bob Denman retires from ��Vlog��ýLR

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 18:32:54 +0000

If someone asked University of Arkansas at Little Rock Chancellor Joel Anderson what Bob Denman has been worth to him, he’d say “at least $103 million.” The retired vice chancellor for advancement spearheaded the university’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign, which lasted 10 years and raised $103.4 million. Anderson highlighted the campaign as one of Denman’s greatest accomplishments during his 15-year career at ��Vlog��ýLR, as colleagues, friends and family members wished Denman well at his retirement reception March 31 at the Bailey Alumni Center. “If you think about undertaking a $100-million comprehensive campaign at an institution where it had not been done before and to launch it before all the infrastructure was in place, that was bold,” Anderson said. “Bob really was the person who was most responsible for that campaign and its great success.” Bob Denman joined ��Vlog��ýLR in 2001 as the associate vice chancellor and director of development. “Retiring from ��Vlog��ýLR has been bittersweet,” Denman said. “I never doubted the time was right, but, as the time approached, there was a lot of anxiety. It was kind of like graduating from college. I am proud of the accomplishments but sad the journey is over. There will be a lot to miss: great colleagues, generous donors, and the thrill of new accomplishments.” Related: 2016 Taste of Little Rock to honor Bob and Peggy Denman He left a successful broadcast television career after Charles Hathaway, ��Vlog��ýLR’s chancellor at the time, asked him a simple question: Are you adding value to anyone’s life? “Those seven words changed my life,” Denman said. “They caused me to leave a job I never thought that I would to come here.” While at ��Vlog��ýLR, Denman helped manage the largest gifts in the institution’s history, including a $22.4 million donation from Jack Stephens that led to construction of the Jack Stephens Center, and a recent $20.3 million gift from the Windgate Charitable Foundation that will be used to build a new center for art and design on campus. In addition, the campus faculty and staff participation in campus giving rose from 6 percent to 70 percent, one of the highest in the nation. Denman’s employees describe him as an empathetic leader who was dedicated to helping his employees succeed in life. “I’ve known Bob for the 11 years I have been working at ��Vlog��ýLR as a mentor, as a leader, and, as he retires, as a friend,” said Andrea Angel, senior director of development. “Bob is an amazing boss. He leads by example and always leads you on a path for success.” Clayton Andrews, an annual giving and membership associate, said Denman has been “really great to work for” during Andrews’ five years with the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association. “He has been a tremendous leader, and he is a boss that you enjoy working for,” Andrews said. Denman’s hard work on behalf of the university was driven by his desire to help students gain a college education, Anderson said. “Bob always loved the students and was concerned about their welfare and making the campus really hospitable for them,” Anderson said. “He was always raising scholarship dollars so that those for whom money was a barrier would still be able to gain an education.” During his time as a university leader, Denman, a 1974 ��Vlog��ýLR graduate, was president of the university Alumni Association and chairman of the Foundation Fund Board. He was a 1993 winner of the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association Presidents Award, an annual honor that recognizes a graduate who pairs career success with dedication to the university. “I think he has been one of the best hires ��Vlog��ýLR has ever made,” said Sheila Castin, who now chairs the Foundation Fund Board after Denman’s tenure. “He has made a big difference in the way development was handled. His heart was always with ��Vlog��ýLR, and that makes a huge difference.” In addition to being a mentor for his employees, Denman was willing to help anyone at ��Vlog��ýLR who knocked on his door. Aresh Assadi, a counselor at ��Vlog��ýLR Counseling Services, recalled that Denman spoke in one of his graduate classes about fundraising. Afterward, he sought Denman’s advice on how to raise money for Suicide Prevention Week events. At the time, Assadi was wondering how he could plan a week’s worth of events with only a $1,000 budget, especially considering he estimated he needed $15,000. With Denman’s help, Assadi received donations and in-kind gifts from many Little Rock-area companies in support of Suicide Prevention Week. “He guided me and served as a mentor on how to approach fundraising,” Assadi said. “I had zero experience in fundraising. Now our office is raising between $10,000 and $15,000 a year.” In 2014, Denman served as the ��Vlog��ýLR interim director of athletics — one of many roles he filled with the university through the years. Denman’s wife of nearly 44 years, Peggy, insists that “Bob loved being interim athletic director, but he won’t admit it.” Now that Denman has retired, he is going to spend more time with Peggy, his “best friend,” playing his beloved sport of golf (a pastime that was recognized by Anderson’s retirement gift of ��Vlog��ýLR golf clubs), and playing with his grandchildren. His 12-year-old granddaughter, Nadia Denman, is looking forward to having more time with her grandfather. She described Denman as a “funny grandpa” who “can tolerate my jokes most of the time.” Nadia, who wants to be an architect, said Denman “loved his work at ��Vlog��ýLR because it helps enrich students’ lives.” Even though he has retired, Denman won’t be far from ��Vlog��ýLR. He will begin working part time for ��Vlog��ýLR’s Office of Alumni and Development in May, and he is also chairing an advisory committee to assist in the search for the next chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Chancellor Joel Anderson will retire in June following a 13-year tenure as chancellor and a 45-year career at the university. “Luck may not be as random as it seems,” Denman said. “Luck continues to find me. I’ve already been hired by my new boss, Christian O’Neal, (Denman’s replacement as vice chancellor for advancement) starting in May. I look forward to continue service with the place I love.”

��Vlog��ýLR names interim athletic director

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 20:08:42 +0000

Chancellor Joel Anderson has appointed Bob Denman, vice chancellor for university advancement, to serve as interim director of the . Denman, who came to ��Vlog��ýLR 13 years ago, will continue in his advancement position. He will assume the position Monday, Sept. 15, following the resignation last week of former Athletic Director Chris Peterson. “I made this choice to appoint Bob after conversations with more than two dozen persons, including all of the head coaches,” said Anderson. “Vice Chancellor Denman can do more than keep the ship on a steady course. He is already well acquainted with the Department of Athletics, its fan base, and its donor base. His deep experience in leading and managing people in his private sector career and during his years at ��Vlog��ýLR equip him to provide broad leadership immediately.” Chancellor Anderson said Denman will serve until a new athletic director is in place, with January 1 as the target date. “I am going to consult further with a variety of stakeholders before defining and initiating the process for identifying the next athletics director. It is my hope to complete the consultation process by the end of this month and then appoint a search committee to move ahead.” Denman, a 1974 ��Vlog��ýLR alumnus, was the architect of ��Vlog��ýLR’s first comprehensive campaign, completed two years ago, that exceeded the $75 million goal, reaching $103 million. This was the largest fundraising campaign in the university’s history. He came to ��Vlog��ýLR in 2001 after an 11-year position as vice president at KARK-TV/Morris Media. In 2010, Rotary International named him a Paul Harris Fellow, and in 2014 the Council of Advancement and Support of Education honored him with the Crystal Apple award for his leadership with the organization.

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Private scholarships exceed $1 million, many still left unclaimed

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 22:33:34 +0000

��Vlog��ýLR has awarded more than $1.3 million in private scholarships so far this academic year. That total includes scholarship awards for enrolled graduate and undergraduate students of the university, as well as law students enrolled at the ��Vlog��ýLR Bowen School of Law for 2013-14. However, there are still a number of scholarship awards expected throughout the rest of the academic year as more students complete private scholarship applications. Today, ��Vlog��ýLR has about 450 private accounts established, with more than 2,000 privately funded scholarships coming from each of them, according to Bob Denman, ��Vlog��ýLR vice chancellor for advancement. While the number may not be as substantial as larger institutions, it demonstrates the university’s continued commitment to fostering the educational and financial needs of as many students as possible, he said. “For us, philanthropy as a strategic resource is still relatively young, but I’m absolutely excited about the positive trajectory we are on,” said Denman. After completing its first comprehensive fundraising campaign in 2012, ��Vlog��ýLR raised nearly $104 million in gifts and pledges. Student support funding received 20 percent of that, primarily in the form of scholarships. About two-thirds of new scholarship accounts are earmarked for endowment, which continues to grow. “I have every confidence in the generosity of ��Vlog��ýLR donors. They are deeply committed to the school’s mission as a metropolitan university that serves a diverse student body with wide-ranging needs,” Denman said. “Promising students have every reason to apply for as many private scholarships as possible,” he added.

Syd’s Story

One such promising student is Syd Sample, 24, a junior who is majoring in social work. She recently earned a $2,000 Pepsi America’s Scholarship, that combined with other scholarships, is helping offset the cost of attendance at ��Vlog��ýLR. To qualify for the Pepsi America’s Scholarship, Sample had to write an essay about the ways she intended to use her education to make an impact. She wrote about her experiences in South Africa and other countries as a member of a mission-oriented organization following high school. The essay described the young children she saw stuck in a vicious cycle of poverty and neglect and her desire to “be part of infusing hope into the darkest of circumstances.” Sample said when any scholarship requires an essay, students should find a way to convey what they are truly passionate about. “There’s a misconception you have to write academic, stale, or simplistic pieces of work,” she said. “The opposite is true. You have to express your heart.” Sample encouraged students to “apply for anything and everything you can even if you think you cannot get it. I’m one of those who didn’t think I’d ever win, but you never know.”

Too many left unclaimed

Stephanie Conrad, coordinator of private scholarships at ��Vlog��ýLR, said one of her main concerns is how many private scholarships are left unclaimed. She said only a fraction of current or transfer students has used the online application to apply for general private scholarships for the next academic year. Although the scholarship awards are sometimes smaller amounts, they can be just enough to offset costs of attendance without having to resort to loans. “Sometimes students are not aware this funding is available, or they find out too late and miss the deadline,” said Conrad. Another problem, she added, is that some students are not as thorough as they should be, and they fail to submit a complete, quality application. The deadline for filing the 2014-15 General Private Scholarship Application for current and transfer students is March 1. Decisions on the awards will be announced by June 1. First-time entering freshman can apply for private scholarships by completing the academic scholarship application. Conrad reminded students that each college also has its own scholarship application and selection process. In addition, if a student applies for a scholarship that lists financial need as part of the criteria, he or she must apply for federal student aid by March 1. Federal student aid applications are available at: . The ��Vlog��ýLR school code is 001101. All scholarship recipients are required to write a personal letter of thanks to the donor before scholarship funds are posted. Private scholarship funds are awarded based on availability of funds. “It is a lot of hard work, but the rewards for that work are enormous,” said Conrad.

Larson bronze bust unveiled amid family, supporters

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 18:17:18 +0000

A commemorative bronze bust honoring the university’s first president was unveiled for an appreciative audience gathered on the first floor lobby in ��Vlog��ýLR’s Student Services Center Thursday, Sept.19. John A. Larson founded Little Rock Junior College, now ��Vlog��ýLR, in 1927 after the University of Arkansas discontinued its lower-level course offerings in Little Rock. The bust, created by renowned sculptor David Deming, was unveiled with assistance from Larson’s grandson, Bo Larson, who said his grandfather never stopped pursuing his dream of higher education in central Arkansas. “He is a legend,” ��Vlog��ýLR Chancellor Joel E. Anderson said. “For many years, John Larson was Little Rock Junior College. He was a forward-thinking visionary who understood the benefit of obtaining higher education.” “Larson is our George Washington,” said Vice Chancellor for Alumni and Development Bob Denman. “I challenge you to look around today and see what his legacy has become.” In attendance were Marnette Ragon and Beverly Speck, both 1949 graduates of Little Rock Junior College who were enrolled in courses during Larson’s tenure. “For him to dream of having a school like this and to develop it for our area – he wouldn’t believe it if he were here seeing this now,” said Ragon. “So many would not have gotten an education if it were not for his vision.” “I think he would be so proud,” said Speck. “After all, he founded this school. This place wouldn’t be here without him.” Larson served as president of Little Rock Junior College from 1930 until his death in 1949, shortly before completion of the campus where ��Vlog��ýLR now stands. ��Vlog��ýLR’s first building at its current location, Larson Hall, is named for him.

New scholarship to honor the memory of Ryan Palludan,’The Gentle Giant’

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 13:18:37 +0000

Last month, Philip and Deborah Palludan heard the news that no parent ever wants to hear. Their son, Ryan Palludan, 18, had died suddenly in his sleep from a ruptured aorta. Ryan is thought to have had an undiagnosed disorder called Marfan syndrome, which is a disorder of the body’s connective tissue that can affect the heart and blood vessels. In celebration of their son’s life and to honor his memory, Mr. and Mrs. Palludan are establishing the Ryan Palludan Memorial Scholarship at ��Vlog��ýLR. The scholarship will provide assistance to ��Vlog��ýLR students for the purchase of textbooks, with award preferences given to male students from Bryant who show financial need, declare a major in biology or nursing, and have demonstrated academic achievement. “What the Palludans have done with establishing this scholarship is going to make a profound difference in someone’s life,” said Vice Chancellor for Alumni and Development Bob Denman. The Palludans said they realized how hard it was for some families to deal with the rising costs of textbooks when they first sent their older daughter, Katherine, to ��Vlog��ýLR. “We were fortunate that both our children received scholarships to cover their tuition, and we only had the books and supplies to worry about, ” said Mrs. Palludan. “But we realized there may be some students who are not so fortunate, and it could make a difference in whether they enroll or not.” “Textbooks alone can add up to hundreds and hundreds of dollars,” she said. “We’d rather see someone receive this gift and give them a little boost, in Ryan’s honor.” Before he passed away, Ryan, a 2013 graduate of Bryant High School, had enrolled in ��Vlog��ýLR as a freshman and planned on enrolling in the nursing program after he had completed his first semester. He was making new friends, looking forward to the first day of college classes, and preparing for his duties as a member of the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps. Ryan stood out in a crowd for many reasons. It started with the fact that he was 6-feet, 6-inches tall, had a smile that was contagious, and believed in enjoying life to the fullest. Mrs. Palludan added, “Still waters run deep, and Ryan had unfathomable depths that were waiting to be discovered and shown to the world just like the oceans that he loved so much. He brought so much joy into this world and left a lasting impression on all that he came into contact with.” He did not “go with the tide” but made his own currents and whirlpools in everything he did, including his love for the Florida Gators football team and his eclectic taste in music that ranged from the Zac Brown Band to Drake, his favorite rapper. “The scholarship is a wonderful way to honor the life and legacy of someone so special to so many,” said Denman. To contribute, send a check payable to Ryan Palludan Memorial Scholarship, c/o ��Vlog��ýLR, 2801 S. University, Little Rock, AR 72204. Persons wishing to donate online may also go to ualr.edu/development.

Alumni Relations moves to Development effective July 1

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 15:39:34 +0000

Chancellor Joel E. Anderson announced that the ��Vlog��ýLR Office of Alumni Relations, parent to the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association, has been moved from the university’s advancement division to the development division, effective today. Anderson said strengthening ��Vlog��ýLR’s fundraising infrastructure lays the foundation for the university’s next comprehensive campaign, still a few years away. Combining alumni and development is one step in that building process, he said. Vice Chancellor for Development Bob Denman leads the development division, which now will be the Office of Alumni and Development. Denman led his division in carrying out the university’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign, It’s Time for ��Vlog��ýLR, which succeeded in raising more than $100 million dollars, far exceeding the initial goal of $75 million. “We will fully integrate the plans, strategies, and teams from these two areas into one stronger unit to advance ��Vlog��ýLR’s standing among key stakeholders of alumni, community leaders, public officials, donors, and potential supporters,” Denman said. He stated that Christian O’Neal, executive director of the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association, will take on an expanded leadership role as associate vice chancellor for alumni and development. O’Neal will manage accounting, annual fund, compliance, donor relations, and information technology functions for the newly combined unit. “The ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association’s impressive membership growth in recent years has led to greater alumni engagement and participation in giving,” said Denman. “The merger will help us escalate this growth.” The Bailey Alumni and Friends Center will remain home to the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association, and the same familiar faces will provide leadership to the alumni engagement program, he said. “It makes good sense to combine the knowledge of the university’s alumni and fundraising professionals to get the greatest impact in the most efficient way,” Denman said. “This is a significant opportunity to promote ��Vlog��ýLR to a growing group of alumni and valued supporters,” said O’Neal. “Our high-profile graduates are making a difference wherever they live. The new partnership will help us make our alumni a greater part of our university’s heritage through their engagement and giving.”

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

����Vlog��ý Little Rock appoints interim athletic director

Vice Chancellor Bob Denman retires from ����Vlog��ýLR

����Vlog��ýLR names interim athletic director