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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock College of Business Golf Tournament set for June 17

Janea Snyder — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 22:52:32 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s 8th annual College of Business Golf Tournament will take place Monday, June 17, at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Little Rock. The tournament, presented by Simmons Bank, will feature morning and afternoon flights, a silent auction, high-end participant gifts and breakfast, lunch, and dinner for all players. Flight times will be 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock College of Business. Last year’s tournament grossed more than $105,000. Teams can register online. The registration deadline is June 1. Sponsorship information is available by contacting Sarah Miller at 501-569-3208 or smmiller2@ualr.edu.

Alumni and Development Office welcomes new staffers

Janea Snyder — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 15:39:09 +0000

Three new people have joined the Office of Alumni and Development. Anneliese N. Armstrong has been hired as director of Alumni Membership and Programming for the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association; Sarah Miller is the new director of development and external relations for the College of Business; and Ross Owyoung will be working as an event fundraiser. Armstrong, a Little Rock native, will work to engage alumni and friends of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and expand membership of the Alumni Association. Armstrong received two degrees from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock – a Bachelor of Arts in speech communication (2015) and Master of Arts in applied communication studies (2018). During her undergraduate time on campus, she was involved with Chi Omega Fraternity, Inc., serving as new member educator. ��Previously, she worked as the experiential education coordinator for the College of Pharmacy at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Miller is also a two-time ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a master’s degree in professional and technical writing. She previously worked for the American Heart Association as the corporate market director for the Central Arkansas Go Red For Women movement and Festival of Wines. Owyoung will help plan and coordinate events like Taste of Little Rock. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Arkansas and is a graduate of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service with a master’s degree in public service. During his time at the Clinton School, Owyoung completed an international public service project in Bocas del Toro, Panama, where he worked with Give and Surf, a non-profit that empowers indigenous communities through education and community development. He previously worked with Jericho Way Day Resource Center as a research consultant and with The Venture Center where he conducted an economic impact analysis of startup entrepreneurs and businesses. �� Anneliese Armstrong, Sarah Miller and Ross Owyoung are the newest members of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Office of Alumni and Development. Photos by Benjamin Krain

Joyner family gift creates new ��Vlog��ý Little Rock scholarship

Janea Snyder — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 20:27:43 +0000

A new scholarship at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will soon be available to students who demonstrate volunteerism as well as financial need. University of Arkansas at Little Rock alumni Jeanne and Harold Joyner Jr. have given the university $100,000 to endow the scholarship that will be awarded beginning in Fall 2019. “The university is made stronger because of supportive alumni like Harold and Jeanne,” said Andrea Angel, associate vice chancellor for alumni and development. “This gift will be transformative for today’s students and for future generations.” The Joyner Family Endowed Scholarship will be awarded to incoming students who have demonstrated volunteer and community service. Special preference will be given to applicants who have been involved in the , where Harold Joyner has been a volunteer coach. The Joyners focus their personal philanthropy on education and young people, believing that “to whom much is given, much is expected.” “We are thankful for the opportunities we have had over the years and never want to miss an opportunity to pay it forward,” Jeanne Joyner said. “We are excited to be part of the great things happening at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, and we’re proud to offer the Joyner Family Endowed Scholarship each year to a deserving student attending ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.” The Joyners are alumni of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s College of Business, where they met. They both earned Bachelor of Business Administration degrees – Harold ��(‘81) in management and Jeanne (‘84) in marketing. Harold has owned and operated Fence World, Inc. in Little Rock for 40 years. He has served on the boards of ACCESS Schools, the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Foundation Fund Board, and the Boys & Girls Club of Central Arkansas. He has been a volunteer coach for more than 25 years at the Boys & Girls Club and the RBI (Reviving Baseball in the Innercity) Baseball League at the historic Lamar Porter Baseball Field. Jeanne Joyner has been a dedicated community volunteer for more than 25 years and has served on the boards of Episcopal Collegiate School, the Junior League of Little Rock, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, the Arkansas Arts Center Fine Arts Club, and on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock “ALL IN” Campaign Steering Committee. She has been involved in and supported numerous other community organizations over the years. The couple has two adults sons. Jason Joyner and his wife, Liza, live in Richmond, Virginia, while Jonathan Joyner and his wife, Lauren, live in San Francisco. Photo courtesy of The Joyner Family. From left:��Harold and Jeanne Joyner, Jason and Liza Joyner, and Lauren and Jonathan Joyner.

“Never too late” for a college education

Janea Snyder — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 16:12:17 +0000

When Tandie Kenser was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer seven years ago, doctors gave her a couple of years to live. She knew she was on borrowed time, and she had only one regret: never going to college. So in 2015, at age 48, she enrolled at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, intent on earning a Bachelor of Business Administration. She told her advisor that she wanted to take 18 credit hours. Shannon Gwinn, director of Student and Career Services, advised her to start with nine credit hours, to ease into the college workload. “She pointed her finger at me, and said, ‘Not only am I going to take 18 hours, I’m going to make a 4.0,’” Gwinn recalled. “And she has. She had a good career in the credit union world, but she had never taken time to go to college, and that was on her bucket list.” Tandie, an ambassador for the College of Business, has completed 90 of the 120 credit hours she needs for a bachelor’s degree, all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. She’s enrolled in two online classes this summer – History of Civilization II and Financial Markets – that she will finish as time allows. “There’s so many people who think they are too old or it’s too late, but it’s not,” she said. On June 14, though, she entered home hospice, and her prognosis is now “weeks but not months.” Instead of a funeral, she told her family that she wants a party to celebrate life. Her family quickly stepped in to make it happen. “There’s no more opportunity for her to get better,” said her mother, Gennie Adair of Vancouver, Canada, who is staying with her. “It’s sad, but this is the very best way for her to be able to participate in her own party, and it will be good.” The celebration, which included a mock graduation, was held June 30 at the Friendship home of Tandie’s daughter, Jessie Wright. Tandie also has a daughter, Kaitlin Tate of Fort Worth; a stepdaughter, Kim Kenser of Little Rock; and a stepson, Will Kenser of Gulf Shores, Alabama. She has seven grandchildren and one on the way. Tandie visited faculty and staff in the College of Business, and Dean Jane Wayland gave her a graduation cap and gown that Tandie wore at her party.�� Adair has set up a $25,000 endowment that will provide scholarships for future non-traditional students in the College of Business. Contributions are also accepted online. Tandie, now 51, lives in Benton with her husband, David, who is a veterans services coordinator for Arkansas Hospice. They married on May 1, 2011, the day after Tandie finished her end-of-the-tax-season accounting rush. Just a few weeks later – on July 20 – she was diagnosed with cancer. She has tried chemotherapy and radiation, but her particular cancer involves the presence of a mutated KRAS gene, which means her tumors do not respond to many therapies. She has also sought alternative therapies, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy and had numerous surgeries to remove tumors. In 2014, her cancer metastasized to her lung, necessitating more surgery. Adair recalled a time when her daughter had undergone eight hours of chemotherapy and insisted that she be taken directly to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock afterward so that she could attend an extra-credit lecture about earthquakes. “She was so determined to keep that 4.0,” Adair said. “If it wasn’t for her going to the university, I don’t know that she would be here. I think it prolonged her life. She had something she was working toward and getting to her goal.” Tandie, who describes herself as a “Type A” personality, has a sense of her cognitive decline and limitations but also has found peace. She sold her motorcycle. She’s put reading aside. She’s spending time with family and friends. As for pursuing a college education, she has no regrets. “I didn’t want to be anywhere else,” Tandie said. “I love walking on campus. I like every professor I’ve had. It’s brought me joy. “Life is not fair,” she says matter-of-factly. “Fair is just a four-letter word at our house. I’m not a sad person, though I leak a little now and then. I never thought I was getting out of this alive, so I’m redirecting. I’ve been able to give things away and see people enjoy them. I have a lot of love from my family and support from my school, and I know that I’ve been very blessed. I don’t have one thing that I wanted to do that I haven’t done.” Tandie Kenser (seated) and her mother, Gennie Adair (center) visit Cindy Wallace (left) and Shannon Gwinn (right) in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock College of Business.�� Photos by Benjamin Krain

For Bowen grad, law is a path for serving others

Janea Snyder — Wed, 09 May 2018 17:23:45 +0000

For the past four years, Liz Harris has played the role of Superwoman: law clerk by day, part-time law student by night, and full-time single mom to her 8-year-old daughter. The long days and nights, though, are about to pay off for Harris, who graduates on May 12 with a Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s William H. Bowen School of Law. She will take the Arkansas Bar Exam in July and has already secured a prestigious clerkship with the Honorable Lavenski Smith, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, beginning August 2019. “It’s exciting because it’s been such a long journey,” Harris said. While Harris, 30, isn’t the first in her family to go to college, she is the first to attend law school. She grew up in Brinkley, the youngest of 11 children. “My parents didn’t go to college,” Harris said. “They have always worked factory jobs and have an unparalleled work ethic that I have always admired. They’ve always been supportive of me through the good and bad times.” Her parents, siblings, and daughter, will be at commencement in the Jack Stephens Center to see Harris get her degree. Her sister has even made matching T-shirts for the family to wear. “They are my rock solid support system,” Harris said. “I couldn’t have done it without them.” After high school, Harris enrolled at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in entrepreneurship and small business management in 2009. That was also the year Harris had her daughter, Naila, who is now a second-grader at Don Roberts Elementary in Little Rock. Shortly before giving birth to her daughter, Harris started the Master of Business Administration program in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s College of Business. She attended part-time and earned her MBA in 2011. While she was a graduate student, Harris interned with the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Division of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, which investigates housing discrimination claims. “For many years, I’ve always been genuinely interested in the law itself – how it’s made and how it affects this group of people versus that group of people,” Harris said. During her first year of law school, she worked full-time in the Department of Human Services Division of Childcare and Early Childhood Education. �� “I made the decision in my second year to pursue clerkships that would give me legal experience as well as some income.” For two summers, she clerked full-time at the Arkansas Municipal League, and on May 3, she completed a clerkship at the general law practice firm Gill Ragon Owen, PA in Little Rock. As a student in the Judicial Practicum course, Harris assisted the Honorable Carlton D. Jones of the Eighth South Judicial Circuit, which serves Miller and Lafayette counties. Although Harris completed most of her work remotely, she traveled to Texarkana to help as well. She has assisted with an expungement clinic at St. Mark Baptist Church and assisted attorneys doing pro bono work at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ free Estate Planning Clinic for cancer patients. This spring, she participated in the Consumer Protection Legal Clinic. She and other student attorneys helped low-income individuals with housing and consumer law issues. At Bowen, Harris has been active with the Black Law Students Association, serving as treasurer for two years. During her third year of law school, she sought membership on the student-run Law Review and served as an apprentice. She researched an area of employment law dealing with mandatory workplace “donning and doffing” – the putting on and taking off of required uniforms – and whether such time should be paid. Her note will appear in a future issue of the Law Review journal. This past year, she has served as the Notes and Comments Editor for the Law Review. In this role, she has worked with incoming apprentices to guide them through the note-writing process and has edited student notes chosen for publication. Her experiences have broadened her interests to include employment law, civil rights law, housing law, administrative law, business law, and education law. �� “I’m trying to keep my mind open to jobs,” she said. “I don’t want to shut out opportunities.” ��Liz Harris will receive her Juris Doctor from the William H. Bowen School of Law on May 12 and is preparing for the Arkansas Bar Exam. Photo by Benjamin Krain

��Vlog��ý Little Rock College of Business maintains prestigious AACSB accreditation

Janea Snyder — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 19:24:51 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s College of Business has received reaccreditation for its business programs from the AACSB International Board of Directors approved its reaccreditation of the College of Business April 16 following a recommendation from the Peer Review Team. Earned by less than 5 percent of the world’s higher education business programs, AACSB Accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in business education. “Accreditation affirms the core strength of our programs,” said Dr. Jane P. Wayland, the Stephen Harrow Smith Dean of the College of Business at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “Our excellent faculty, our metropolitan location in the capital city, and our strong commitment to corporate partnerships are just a few reasons we stand among the best of the best among the nation’s business schools.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s College of Business offers students the opportunity to study in eight undergraduate disciplines, two undergraduate certificate programs, and five graduate certificate programs. Specialized graduate programs in information systems and a master’s degree business administration also are available. “Having participated in the reaccreditation process, the success of the College of Business is a true acknowledgement of the strength and vitality of its people and programs,” said Velmer Burton, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. The college has the distinction of being one of only a handful of business schools across the nation with two economic development outreach units housed within it – the Institute of Economic Advancement and the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center. AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees in business and accounting. Visit ualr.edu/cob to learn more about ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s College of Business programs. ��

Workshops to look at starting a food business, farmers market booth

Janea Snyder — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 13:00:35 +0000

The will present “The ABCs of Starting a Food Business” and “Running a Great Farmers Market Booth” on March 15 at in Little Rock. Local foods advocate and small business owner Martin Butts of Daytona, Fla., will lead both workshops. Butts brings 15 years of food entrepreneurship experience and a passion for local foods to the table. He owns and operates Small Potatoes, a consulting firm that specializes in working with small-scale and startup food businesses of all types. “The ABCs of Starting a Food Business” will be from 9 a.m. to noon, followed by “Running a Great Farmers Market Booth” from 1-4 p.m. The workshops are free, but pre-registration is required.

�� Martin Butts

“The information presented will be practical, actionable and based on real-life experience I’ve had working with producers and farmers,” Butts said. “I want you to walk out with at least one thing that will improve your business that day.” Recommended for anyone wanting to start a restaurant or other food-based business, launch a food product or grow a home-based operation, the morning “ABCs” session will focus on the ingredients necessary for a new food or beverage business to thrive. Butts will share his recipe for success, along with tips for launching any type of new food enterprise. Topics will include commercialization, packaging, labeling, pricing strategies, production, and distribution. Just in time for the 2018 season, the afternoon farmers market workshop will offer ideas for a new booth and ways to enhance an established one, whether the product for sale is farm-fresh produce or something completely different. Through hands-on exercises, Butts will demonstrate low-cost techniques for creating an attractive and effective product display. He also will share customer service and selling techniques to help farmers market vendors connect with shoppers and turn them into loyal customers. People can registration or by��or calling the center at (501) 683-7700. Butts says he has worked with “hundreds of stores and at dozens of markets” and wants to share his experience to help prospective, new and veteran “foodpreneurs.” “Sometimes a small bit of insight from someone that’s been there can make a big difference in your approach,” he said. “The most common thing I see people doing wrong is undervaluing their product, specifically, undervaluing their own labor to make and sell the product,” Butts said. “I’ve seen really great products fail because when the time comes for them to scale up, get distribution, hire staff and buy equipment, they can’t do it without dramatically increasing their price. “Price your product with your future growth in mind,” he said. “Small-scale and artisan products aren’t ever going to win a price war with national brands, but the market is willing to pay a premium price for exceptional products. If you’re product is great, people will pay for it. Price it that way from the start.” Butts will return to Little Rock April 27 to lead ASBTDC’s full-day food product boot camp, “Breaking Out in the New Food Economy.” The boot camp will look at maximizing local and direct-to-consumer sales, expanding to new markets, building a brand, running an online store, identifying wholesale partners and developing good relationships within the industry. All three workshops are co-sponsored by Heifer International and the . The events are part of ASBTDC’s effort to boost food and beverage businesses in four central Arkansas counties. The project is funded by a Portable Assistance grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Based at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center assists entrepreneurs at every stage of business development and growth. Core services include no-cost consulting and market research. Learn more at Contributing Writer: Gwen Green / Communications Coordinator / Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with SBA through a partnership with the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock College of Business and other institutions of higher education. All programs are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for limited English proficient individuals. Reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact Shannon Roberts at (501) 683-7700.

Wigand to Present Paper at British Academy

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:06:19 +0000

Professor Rolf Wigand and fellow co-authors will present their paper on team leadership skills in managing virtual teams at the British Academy of Management meeting Saturday to Monday, Sept. 11 to 13, at Cardiff University. The paper, co-authored by Wigand and colleagues from the University of Munich, Technical University of Munich, and University of South Carolina, is one of the results of his multi-year research grant, “Communication, Trust and Leadership in Virtual Organization and Teams.” The latest paper studies leadership as a key challenge of virtual teams. Results of research reveal the importance of inspirational leadership influencing attitudinal outcomes – trust in leadership and cohesion. “The effect of leadership is shown to be dependent on cultural as well as personal values of followers indicating the need to consider individual factors in the process of managing virtual teams,” said Wigand, a professor in the Donaghey College of Information Technology (EIT) and the College of Business, ��Vlog��ýLR’s Maulden-Entergy Chair, and Distinguished Professor of Information Science and Management. He and his colleague, Samar Swaid, just published “The Effect of Perceived Site-to-Store Service Quality on Perceived Value and Loyalty Intentions in Multichannel Retailing,” appearing in the current issue of the International Journal of Management.

��Vlog��ýLR Business Honors Cone and Wisener Oct. 25

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 13:48:18 +0000

David Cone, a 1965 graduate of ��Vlog��ýLR’s predecessor institution, Little Rock University, will be honored as the ��Vlog��ýLR College of Business Distinguished Alumnus of the Year, Dean Jane Wayland has announced. The annual luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Peabody Hotel in Little Rock’s River Market District. Tickets are $100 each or $1,000 for a table of 10. For more information about other sponsorship opportunities, contact Will Elliott, director of development in the College of Business, at 501-569-3208 or jwelliott@ualr.edu. Cone’s first professional job was with Strauss Distributors Inc. By 1985, he was president of the firm, became a partner in 1989, and chief executive officer in 1995. His unique strategy for developing the fine wine business by partnering with charities was a major success in exposing his wines with patrons who attended such events, while at the same time helping hundreds of charities advance their missions. In 2004, his business was sold to Glazer’s, the third-largest wine and spirits wholesaler in the country that is headquartered in Dallas. Cone served as Glazer’s regional vice president for Arkansas in charge of business development for the company’s wine business and on-premise business. He still assists the business while serving as the director of wines for Glazer’s Distributors. Cone and his wife Donna have been active with the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association for many years. In addition, they have positively impacted dozens of other charitable organizations throughout Arkansas and beyond. Jay W. Wisener, executive vice president of Arkansas Capital Corp., will receive the Dean’s Award for Excellence. Wisener was a member of the fifth class of ��Vlog��ýLR’s Executive MBA program and holds a master’s degree in business administration from ��Vlog��ýLR. He is also a graduate of the inaugural class of the Leadership Arkansas program. In 2006, he was selected as one of Arkansas Business’ 40 under 40 citizens.

Open House to Tout Business Grad Programs

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:59:02 +0000

Business professionals looking to advance their careers are invited to a casual open house from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 13, at the Clinton Presidential Center’s Cafe 42 to learn about graduate programs and opportunities at the ��Vlog��ýLR College of Business. “We will have information on all of the ��Vlog��ýLR graduate business programs including what degree and certificate programs we offer, admission requirements, information on how to apply, and why students should choose ��Vlog��ýLR for their graduate business education,” said Sonya Premeaux, associate dean of graduate programs for the College of Business. Business faculty from the various business disciplines also will be there to greet potential students, talk one-on-one, and to answer questions about their areas of expertise. An admissions officer from the Graduate School and a financial aid officer also will be at the event to answer questions. RSVP to attend the open house by contacting the dean’s office at cobdean@ualr.edu or 501-569-3356. For more information, contact Tena Caple at tmcaple@ualr.edu or 501-683-7490. Graduate programs offered include: Master’s Degrees:

Graduate Certificates:

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

����Vlog��ý Little Rock College of Business Golf Tournament set for June 17